[OPEN LOG] Turkey Testicle Festival Open Mingle!

[marmoron]

Who: Everyone!
When: Post-Thanksgiving Weekend
Where: Bottoms Up Bar and Tavern
Summary: The annual Turkey Testicle Festival returns to a local Gloucester bar with special events including a turkey testicle eating competition, live music, karaoke … and some unexpected spooks and slaughter themed hallucinations
Warnings: Please put appropriate content warnings in your top levels! General warnings include:
For the festival: Alcohol
For the opt-in aftermath: Slaughterhouses, blood, implied animal cruelty, industrialized slaughter, tactile/auditory/visual hallucinations

Welcome to the Annual Turkey Testicle Festival!

It’s that beloved time of the year, folks! All across the United States, several towns host a much lauded festival called the Turkey Testicle Festival and lucky you, Gloucester just so happens to be one of those special towns that pay tribute to the full glory of the humble turkey. Fliers for the event hosted by the Bottoms Up Bar and Tavern can be seen all around town advertising the momentous occasion. See you there!

Dining & Drinking

Bottoms Up serves up classic American bar foods and offers a wide selection of local beers as well as hard liquors for anyone who wants to get their drink on. Just be sure to provide some kind of ID. Or get someone else to get you a drink -- it’s a party, the bartenders won’t ask so long as you don’t get them in direct trouble. But let’s be real, why are you here eating nachos and chicken wings when you could be eating….

The Balls

Ah yes, the crown jewels of the event, who could forget? Breaded and deep fried to golden brown, crispy perfection these balls are just bursting with flavor! Served with your choice of hot sauce for some spice or creamy white sauce, these delectables are said to taste just like chicken nuggets.

Dare to find out.

Or better yet, join the turkey testicle eating contest! Win glorious prizes such as a twenty dollar gift card to Walmart or a CD signed by Sense of Evan. Please, they have so many CDs nobody seems to want…

Live Music

Looks like a local band is playing for part of the festival. For better or for worse, “Sense of Evan” are a cover and playing all the best meme hits from the likes of Evanescence, Avril Lavigne, Nickelback amongst others. Come jam out to the music, make merry with other festival attendees. Or maybe you’ll just be hanging out by the wall wondering how could this happen to me…..

Karaoke

But just because the live band’s done playing, doesn’t mean the music stops. Nope. Bottoms Up staff have dredged up a karaoke machine! Now it’s your turn to show off your singing chops and wow the crowd! Or conversely break a few eardrums. It’s all in good fun, right?

The Aftermath

…Or maybe it wasn’t all just in good fun after all?

For those who attended the festival , they may wake up the next day with some unwanted side effects. It might start out subtle — the odd sound of a conveyor belt moving along, the occasional electric shock by your neck. Weird bodily and auditory sensations that seem to flit in and out from an entirely different place. But as the day progresses, these strange occurrences seem to become stronger, clearer until the hallucinations really kick in.

Visions of yourself trapped in a steel pen, along with so many others all waiting to be pushed onto a conveyor belt. Perhaps you’re sharing the hallucination with others you recognize, perhaps you’re meant to work together to escape the seemingly endless line of slaughter and industrialized death. One way or another, these hallucinations will last a full day before they gradually taper off in intensity.

Notes:

• The after effects are purely opt-in. You do not have to play with any Slaughter themed elements if your character attends the festival.
• For the slaughterhouse hallucinations, feel free to go ham with the set up. Be as horrible to your characters as you like, please just warn with the appropriate content warnings.
• As per the mod’s notes, characters who choose to investigate Bottom’s Up following this incident, they'll find that the grocery store had a mix-up in their meat order and got something that came off of one of Sable's shipments. The grocery store's usual seller came up short and just bought up what they could find on short notice to cover the holiday rush.

Comments

i hope they get banned, so they can play banned bingo here too.

[earthshine]

[ keith almost has him. the pull and the pleading work in tandem and similarly pull at shiro’s heartstrings, instantly wanting to soothe keith’s distress by doing exactly what he wants. that lasts all of two seconds. the other voice butts in and brings shiro’s gaze right back round, just as quickly stoking frustration back to the surface until its reigning supreme.

patience yields focus. no it doesn’t. take a deep breath and count to ten. nah. sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. it isn’t working. why is nothing working? he should be proud of keith. keith is trying to be the bigger man here by ignoring the man’s egging in favor of walking away from a fight that shouldn’t happen. it’s such a long way from where shiro first knew keith; when he used to throw punches and land himself in the garrison’s disciplinary office. hopefully keith learned from that. no, not the part pertaining to his own anger and how to restrain it. hopefully he payed attention to shiro’s methods of calming him down and directing his focus to other areas, because looks like shiro wants to take a page out of keith’s playbook.

he kind of wants to punch the smile off this asshole’s face.

irrational. impulsive. stupid. the desire is all of those things and so is shiro with his system flooded by too much drink. ]

He’s got jokes.

[ the grin that curls is unkind. so is the laugh that he forced out. he jerks his arm out of keith’s grip next and then starts advancing, the snickering of the group dying off. clearly, jeremy and co thought the buffer of feet between them would act as an uncrossable barrier. that’s their mistake, among a whole list of mistakes.

shiro’s steps are, as always it seems, hampered with an inability to follow a straight line, but a slight diversion and following correction do little to diminish the overall presence of a thick, burly man looking altogether ready to make a scene. there’s a pocket of space next to jeremy and shiro bullies right into it, slamming his galra hand down on the bar. ]

C’mon, clown, tell another one. Make us laugh. [ jeremy looks sick. so he’s one of those bullies who pretends to have a set made of steel until someone gives the slightest pushback. hmph, pathetic. though, the fact that shiro is still taller, staring down at jeremy, despite the high set of the stool, probably is more unnerving than shiro is giving it credit for.

oh. and the crack of splintering wood, as shiro squeezes the edge of the bar between his tightening fingers and palm. can't forget that. ]

boys please....

[marmoron]

....

[ shiro slips out of keith's grasp and suddenly the situation goes from mortifying to .... fascinating? that's likely the entirely wrong reaction to be having here, but keith can't help watching with some morbid curiosity as to how this is all going to unfold.

intervening and getting shiro out of the bar is unquestionably the right move here, but seeing their roles reversed is a little surreal. where keith wouldh ave just gone for the less talking, more action route of smashing a fist into jeremy's jaw, shiro goes for a more subtle kind of intimidation, huh? again, nothing about the scene should be cathartic, but maybe his lizard brain likes the way jeremy squirms on his barstool.

jeremy's eyes stay on the bar where the wood is splintering, face slightly pale. his two friends have gone similarly quiet, suddenly looking anywhere but jeremy and shiro-ward. when the jokester manages to find his voice again, his demeanors shifted to ingratiating. listen buddy, i'm all out of jokes. how bout i get you a drink and we forget about this whole thing, huh?

frowning, keith steps forward, largely to keep shiro from having more drink. ]

He'll pass. C'mon, Shiro.

[ keith tugs at a sleeve gently, fixing jeremy with a glare. jereny titters, what are you, his nanny? ]

let shiro defend keith's honor ok

[earthshine]

[ sweet, sensible keith, once more stepping in to appease shiro’s baser instincts and try to bring some civility back into the equation. thankfully so too, because jeremy offers a fresh drink and shiro is well on his way to considering it. he shouldn’t, of course, both due to him still just barely keeping a handle on that sick, over-indulged feeling and that the last time some guy bought him a drink, it came with – an alleged – surprise.

shiro looks down to the fingers tugging at his sleeve, needing the visual to help his rationale along, and then he blinks his gaze up to keith’s face instead. it’s just as before: he wants to follow keith’s lead. he doesn’t mind at all that keith does the speaking for him and all at once, he relaxes, from the tense line of his shoulders down to those squeezing galra fingers. no argument comes and he merely stands there watching keith, just beginning to nod, even as keith is busy glaring at jeremy.

but of course jeremy has to open his damn mouth. ]

He’s not my nanny. [ indignant, shiro takes this, perhaps, too personally and shifts closer to keith, not quite going so far as to stand in front of him in some ridiculous show of shielding him from scrutiny. no. shiro ends up standing very close to keith’s side, now sporting a matching glare. ]

He’s my best friend. [ haughty, defensive… proud? it’s a weird mixture of the lot. jeremy for his part, takes it all in with a raised brow and then an, oh. i see it now. it’s slow but traction picks up and a thread of mockery weaves into his voice. definitely best friends. the two cronies snicker as jeremy lobs a cheeky glance their way but…

shiro doesn’t get it. jeremy is supporting the idea that keith is his best friend, which is… right? good? ]

Yeah. [ one last squint and then shiro is the one taking keith by the hand to lead him away. keith wanted to go. shiro settled the dispute. everything is as it should be: time to find the exit.

by the way, be careful on the way out. there’s maybe a yard between them when shiro pauses and glances back to the man and his friends. apparently, a yard is the magic measurement to have jeremy’s confidence returning. best friend here is itching to get laid. don’t put your back to him too long.

… huh? what’s that supposed to mean? jeremy turns away and shares some kind of congratulatory toast with his friends, the lot of them laughing. shiro gets it the moment they knock back their shots and… well, jeremy should’ve taken his own advice. he shouldn’t have put his back to anyone. the yard is crossed. the shot glasses clink to the bar. and shiro fists the back of jeremy’s shirt. all it takes is one hard yank and jeremy is pulled off his stool. shiro can’t say which sound is more satisfying, that thick skull hitting the floor or the pained groan that follows. ]

Heh. Thought you said you were all outta jokes.

shiro the hero... turning his 2 incher shame face on others

[marmoron]

[ there's something unbelievably snide about jeremy's tone when he reoeats the words best friend. to say keith doesn't like it would be an understatement. it wasn't all that long ago that folks at the garrison would talk about their friendship in similar incredulous tones and for better or for worse, jeremy's quickly stoking the flames of keith's ire.

of course they're best friends -- why wouldn't they be best friends? keith has half a mind to demonstrate just how close shiro and him are with a right hook, but then... there's a hand grabbing his.

oh.

the blip of confusion holds for a beat as keith turns his face away from jeremy to look up at shiro curiously. but when shiro starts to walk away, keith decides this is fine. more than fine? he starts to relax visibly the further they get, fingers spreading to gently test if they can be interlaced with shiro's, but ah.....

it's a yard and then he has to hear jeremy's stupid voice and then the warm hand in his is gone. it is genuinely difficult to parse which of those two things is more upsetting in the moment. keith turns and watches shiro hone in like a missile targeted at jeremy's back, then starts catching up just as there's a rough tug and crash as the guy falls backwards onto the ground.

with the band kicking up their second act, the bar doesn't actually go silent. the few people nearest to the bar do stop and stare at the commotion, but nobody besides jeremy's two friends seem particularly outraged. jeremy continues to groan the hell was that for? on the ground, and keith makes the executive decision that he's done talking.

he strides over the rest of the way, stepping on jeremy's outstretched hand on the way. jeremy whimpers and keith steps off. ]

Oops. Didn't see the trash on the ground.

[ is his not-apology. then attention turned fully to shiro, he wraps both arms around his waist. ]

Dunno about you, but I've had enough of this guy's voice. Let's go.

[ it takes a bit of effort, no thanks to the unsteadying effect of the alcohol, but keith hoists shiro up and promptly starts walking out of the bar. ]

no one is safe from shiro's 2 incher shame face. jeremy prolly was a fking 2 incher virgin anyway.

[earthshine]

[ shiro should not be smiling. it’s a gross quality to find delight in the suffering of others and yet, here he is all the same, practically brimming with pride at keith’s supposed oopsie. ha, got him. soon, he has his partner in crime in front of him but before shiro can even begin to string together something halfway to coherent, he’s being – hugged? no. hoisted. surprise colors his expression, dimming that smile somewhat, but that’s as far as it goes: there’s a disconnect in his understanding of what is happening. he’s being picked up, yes, okay, fine; that’s it.

give him a few seconds for the implications to catch up to him.

in the meantime, reflex has him folding his legs up to unhamper keith’s strides and take the strain off his own body from being squeezed in one, long line. legs wrap around keith’s hips, ankles cross down his butt, and arms drape over his shoulders, forearms hugging close along keith’s upper back. it doesn’t feel awkward, despite it certainly looking so to anyone who sees them pass by. shiro is big. there’s a lot of mass to fold up and wrap around keith’s thin frame. shiro is instantly lulled though, finding the feel of keith’s hands and arms beyond comforting.

nonetheless, shiro does take a quick time-out from that pleased haze to shoot one last scathing glare at jeremy.

the distance is growing and soon, the crowd of bodies in the bar will block his view of jeremy slowly picking himself up off the ground. his friends are useless to help and instantly, there’s a mean-spirited ha that sounds off in shiro’s mind. yeah, not everyone can have a friend as wonderful as keith. shiro is lucky, so very lucky to have a best friend like keith. look, he even picked shiro up, when he wasn’t anywhere near the floor like that clown; clearly, keith is leagues above crony one and crony two.

annnnd it’s been a few seconds. ding.

he jerks his head up from where he’d taken to resting his chin on keith’s shoulder, mouth dropping open and eyes widening. ] Woah. Woah. [ he peers down the length of keith’s back, looking at his calves and his heels, one after the other as keith continues to walk along. ]

You’re carrying me. [ disbelief clings to every syllable and while he stays mostly wrapped around keith like a koala, he loosens his arms just enough for him to crane back and stare down at keith’s face straight on. ] You’re – strong. [ and his voice does a curious thing then: it wobbles on the last word, coming out breathy and awed. ]

[marmoron]

[ woah.... having shiro wrap his limbs around him isn't exactly new, but it feels new in this context. it takes keith an embarrassingly short amount of time to decide that he likes it. the way shiro's curled up tight and secure in his arms, legs wound tight around his hips. sure, comfortable isn't exactly the word one would use for carrying a very bulky guy, but it's close somehow. comforting maybe? either way, keith strolls out of the bar to an audience of bewildered bystanders. one of them even awkwardly holds the door open for keith on the way out to be helpful.

outside it's cold again, but this time the winter air has lost some of its punch thanks to having shiro wrapped around his front. keith actually smiles then, happy to continue walking down the street instead of puttig his best friend down like a sensible person. but when shiro straightens up suddenly and blocks up keith's entire field of vision, keith is slow to make any kind of decision on stopping. nope, it's incumbent on the rest of gloucester to get out of his way now. ]

And you're cute. [ is what he blurts out extrmeely ill-advisedly. another beat, then he qualifies hurriedly: ] YOu know.... like a koala?

[ is he helping his case at all? probably not. he keeps walking down to the end of the street, not quiiite realizing he's started to veer a little to the left. the next step he takes solidly pushes shiro's back against a street lamp. ]

[earthshine]

[ cute… like a koala…? no, shiro did not know this, but now he does, and unsurprisingly, he doesn’t know how to process this in a timely manner. the window to react is quickly closing, not that shiro is aware of the streetlamp looming behind him. for those handful of seconds, keith will receive nothing in return other than wide, doe eyes and pinking cheeks… that promptly come into focus when the streetlight bathes them in light that shines brightest right before keith jams shiro’s spine into metal.

it doesn’t hurt, exactly. surprise is more of the culprit that knocks the wind out of shiro’s lungs. wincing is, unfortunately, a go-to response though and shiro does this with a wrinkled nose, closed eyes, and gritted teeth around a garbled noise.

wha… huh? he blinks open his eyes and tips his head back, glaring up at the street lamp. who the fuck put this street lamp here? annoyed question aside, shiro soon abandons it as a more pressing concern butts in. his expression slacks and he jerks a look back to keith’s face, ignoring the throbbing of his own back to ask a very concerned: ]

You okay?

chimes in a tag late to say shiro could find out when he does his investigative journalism

[marmoron]

[ nothing about keith's reactions are particularly fast while he's carrying so much extra weight, but the solid bump and the pained grimace both make him freeze and hurriedly take a large step back.]

Shiro!

[ fuck. the fact that his thoughts are still pretty scrambled here is probably why he doesn't do the obvious and try to set shiro down on the ground to survey the damage. instead, keith's caught on a mental loop of fuckfuckfuck over the fact that he doesn't have a third arm to pat down his friend's back. ]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry -- you're so big that I didn't see the -- [ cranes his head up to confirm what the fuck he even walked into: ] -- the lamp. [ gaze lowering to study shiro's face again, he blabs on. ] Is your back hurt? I didn't mean to get you hurt.

[ a beat, a pause, a deep breath. ]

I didn't even mean to get mad at you before. I just -- [ he bites his lip, hanging his head. ] I wanted so badly for you to have a good time, I don't know what happened.

shiro like, wow this light decoration bull's eyed such a small target, that’s impressive.

[earthshine]

[ woah, slow your roll, keith. he should be used to this by now. keith’s concern for all things shiro is quite something. intense, potent, overwhelming; yes and more yes. sometimes it’s amusing, sometimes it’s frustrating, and sometimes, like now, when he isn’t so narrow-focused on proving himself, shiro finds himself thinking that, huh, it’s kind of nice having someone so devoted to his well-being. it’s inherently sweet how riled up keith gets over something that is, arguably, insignificant. a bump against a street lamp is nothing compared to the sore muscles and open wounds shiro’s has had to deal with in the recent past.

so the question about his back? shiro gives a little shake of his head, looking at keith with wide, somewhat surprised eyes. keith is still going though and somehow, derails himself from street lamps to bars. oh. keith is talking about their argument at the bar, isn’t he?

again, shiro is shaking his head, seemingly caught perpetuating the movement throughout every word of keith’s explanation. even as keith hangs his head, shiro keeps shaking his for an extended tick and then he remembers how to speak, tacking on almost as soon as keith finishes: ]

I was having a good time! I was with you.

[ similarly to keith, shiro has yet to consider the option of putting his feet to the ground and relieving keith of bearing his weight. instead, he remains koala’d, aside from unwrapping his arms to cup each side of that downturned face. gently, he coaxes keith’s face up, resuming eye contact. here, he stresses: ]

I always have a good time when I’m with you. That’s why… [ he swallows, voice wavering. ] That’s why I don’t wanna share you.

[ with anyone or anything. shiro keeps calling them a team, while simultaneously dubbing himself the leader who is entirely capable of taking care of himself. he also talks about how he loves spending time with keith, only to then encourage him to branch out and nitpick when he doesn’t. he’s confusing, shiro knows he’s confusing, but at the core of it, he wants to do right by keith and not selfishly hoard his time, his attention, and his care.

– also yes, he is still holding keith’s face. ] But I’m your best friend. I’m supposed to support you in finding someone else. [ he’s talking in fragments; he isn’t fully explaining this in a manner that is easy to follow. but in his hazy mind? it all makes sense. ] So that’s what I was doing.

rudolph is like a gps guided laser

[marmoron]

[ if keith had his way, his face and therefore his expression would be kept inscrutable. shiro doesn't let him have that though, and every word just adds more to the weight bearing down on keith's chest. he doesn't want to have another scene in public, but piece by piece shiro rips off his armor leaving keith feeling.... dizzier? warmer?

it's an entire clusterfuck that's being spewed out at him. messy, contradictory, selfish and confusing and keith's head hurts entirely too much to properly tease any of that out. it doesn't stop that strange beatbeatbeat rhythm of his heart though, beating hard and fast the way it does right before he's about to do something stupid.

they're best friends. and even though he doesn't know a whole lot about friendship and lines and rules, he's still pretty sure this isn't what best friends do. the thought sits uncomfortably in his head until keith kicks it out. ]

I don't want to find anyone else. [ it's said quiet and soft, though there's a determined look in his eyes that doesn't match. ] I'll miss you.

[ he swallows then, eyes closing as he leans in to press his lips to the easiest part of shiro that he can reach: his chin. ]

shiro suddenly inspired to go home and watch rudolph, which is now his fav christmas movie btw

[earthshine]

[ he doesn’t? that’s news. or is it? it’s been months since the bonfire without any change, just one disappointing crush and now a disastrous something at the bar. maybe keith’s found remaining single more desirable? if that’s true, however, then why is his inexperience a big deal to him? why did that become such an issue at the bar, almost like he had to one-up shiro on the pathetic meter? no answers will be found now, of course, not when keith follows it up shortly.

the words themselves are disarming. the kiss is more so; it silences his brain for a solid two seconds, everything so quiet inside himself that the gallop of his heartbeat rings that much louder in his ears. keith pulls away and shiro blinks down at him, once, twice, and then smoothes those hands on either side of his face back, combing through hair as he goes until he clasps the back of his head to haul him back in. shiro goes for easy too. familiar. he’s done this enough times that the flow of movement is confident, without a hint of stilted awkwardness. he presses his lips to keith’s forehead and stays for a long tick that then bleeds into two.

unlike the pecks he’s given after a particularly grueling day for keith or the occasional one snuck in when a goodnight hug has gone on too long and worn down his restraint, shiro doesn’t immediately back off once the pressure of his mouth eases. still close, he whispers the words there, lips brushing every few words against his skin. ]

Don’t wanna miss you anymore either. [ and why he’s stuck close becomes apparent when he presses another kiss to the same spot; one much quicker and more akin to the pecks he’s been doling out in recent weeks. he pulls back then, looking down at keith. the gentleness of his expression is overshadowed by a somberness that now has him looking sad. ]

I did – for the longest time. [ practically a year and a half. the last two-thirds was, of course, the more brutal part. shiro missed a lot of people and a lot of things during captivity. he continually circled through memories to keep himself occupied and perhaps even sane while his life became literal hell. out of everything though, keith seemed to pop up with the most frequency and when he did, kept shiro’s attention the longest. all their shenanigans on garrison grounds, their adventures out into the desert, the dreams they shared, how they could be themselves around each other – there was endless material to revisit and analyze. but mostly, he'd worried and hoped in equal parts. he'd worried that keith would take the failure of kerberos hard but he'd hoped he’d realize he didn’t need shiro in order to succeed and achieve his dreams. beyond that though, he'd worried that the galra would inevitably visit earth but he'd hoped and hoped and hoped that keith would be okay.

it still feels surreal that they’re here together, after everything that’s happened in the last couple of years. ]

Then you found me and… [ gosh, is his voice getting thick? maybe he’s far drunker than he thinks he is. he huffs and breaks out in a smile, hands at the back of keith’s head dropping to refold more securely around him again. shiro follows the motion and hugs himself in, hooking his chin on keith’s shoulder and – not quite nuzzling, but resting his face closer to keith’s neck. mumbles: ]

I’m lucky to have you. [ here. anywhere. as an ally, as a friend, as family. ]

[marmoron]

[ the seconds pass slowly, heart pounding in doubletime behind his sternum as they briefly lock eyes and then shiro draws him in closer to put lips to his forehead. again, keith closes his eyes, sighing contentedly through the contact. his arms are straining just a little, but it's hard to mind when he feels so at east with the world at large.

it's a peace that doesn't last especially long. keith's own head had been stuck in the not-so-distant past of the last hour in the noisy bar and he honestly doesn't follow what shiro's talking about at first when he says don't wanna miss you anymore. hyperbole much over the brief separation during the eating contest much? he smiles though, something a little dopey with fondness ... that is unti something about shiro's tone and expression shifts grey with melancholy and keith lookd up at him looking worried.

i'm right here. and i'm never letting you go.

he thinks the words, feels it feverently down to the marrow in his bones, but then the phrase you found me finally pushes a gear into the right place. compreension has keith briefly looking doe eyed and then... it hurts. the year and a half that shiro had been absent from earth is something keith doesn't remember in its entirety -- days blurring from boredom and loneliness until brief set in and bled the colors out from his life. but that's just one side of it. shiro's side is still a giant mystery, and one that his best friend has only ever voluntarily brought up once since being stuck in this reality.

does keith tense up a little bit? of course he does -- just slightly, his arms tightening a pinch further around shiro's waist. somehow it hurts to think shiro missed him all that time that everyone else had been trying to get keith to accept his best friend and only remaining family was gone forever. swallowing hard, he can't help wishing he had that third arm again to hold shiro that much tighter to his chest. ]

Hey now. You found me first. [ quiet but insistent, keith nuzzles his cheek against the side of shiro's head. ] All those years ago. [ when he was just some scrappy kid staring out windows instead of giving the famous astronaut the time of day. not that finding each other is any kind of competition, but it's good to set the record straight. keith turns his face just enough to whisper into shiro's ear. ]

But you found me and I found you. Let's stop playing hide-and-seek, okay? I want to be by your side always.

[earthshine]

[ they did find each other, didn’t they? kind of poetic, how they managed to be there, at the exact moment they each needed a helping hand extended out to them. fuzzy-brained and riding high on the accumulation of delight found in this moment, shiro doesn’t talk himself down from his role in keith’s life. usually, he’s quick to minimize this supposed integral role. he helped keith onto a path of success and ultimately, paved the way so it was a bit easier to navigate, but shiro’s always believed keith capable of finding his own way. if anything, perhaps shiro sabotaged keith in the end, by unintentionally inserting himself too closely into the folds of keith’s daily life at the garrison. if he had left keith more to his own devices, perhaps he wouldn’t have become so attached to him and taken kerberos so badly as a result. perhaps he wouldn’t have gotten the boot from the program and found himself alone in a desolate nowhere.

so maybe keith caring so deeply for shiro isn’t something to be celebrated.

that’s a possibility to be debated later, when he’s void of drink and confined in the dark of his bedroom, waiting for dawn to crest as he stares up at his ceiling. at present, shiro is safe from any thought that delves too deep and so, he smiles into keith’s shoulder, breathing out a heh.

does this count as hiding? he grins and tilts his head, not wanting to dislodge keith from breathing close, but also wanting to peek one eye up at him. his fingers curl closer to keith’s nape, gently playing with the flared ends of his hair and – there, okay, he turns his face more, eyes soft and voice earnest. ]

That spot is exclusively yours. [ his right side. his left side. both. any. he’s taking it too literally; he just knows he wants keith forever close. ] It’s where you belong.

[ the look holds, with him staring sweet and hopeful at keith for a long tick, and then there’s another heh, smile curling wider on an upwelling of amusement. ] But I like you at my front too. [ like this, though, he supposes he’s been flush against and wrapped around keith in other scenarios too. ] Never thought I’d like being carried but – this is nice.

[ shiro is, unfortunately, inattentive to the strain he is putting on keith’s arms. ]

[marmoron]

[ it's where he belongs, huh? it's a sentiment keith held close back in the garrison days when going off base to go ride hoverbikes with shiro was practically routine, but since kerberos and the space war his place has always fit into some bigger picture. a paladin of voltron, a mission partner for non-steak ventures. though he's never felt that their friendship is contingent on any externalities, it's sweet all the same to bask in hearing the words and knowing that his presence there makes his best friend happy as well. he smiles, expression soft as he stares up at his best friend's face. ]

I like how you fit in my arms.

[ a statement that surely any passerby would find hysterical considering shiro absolutely does not look like he should fit draped over keith's more slender frame. the humor, however, is completely lost on keith who is just a little giddy on the tentative success of their outing. ]

But I don't think I can carry you back the whole way like this without bumping into more things. [ which is true enough, but somehow a little easier to own up to than the burn of his arms. ] What if I carried you on my back instead?

[earthshine]

[ bump into – right. shiro’s practically forgotten about the street lamp. he even forgot about the soreness of his back. attention brought back to it however, he tilts his head to blink up at the street lamp, reconfirming for his addled brain that yes, yes that did in fact happen and the culprit is still very much there. ]

Oh. [ he looks to keith, stares for a beat and then nods. ] Okay.

[ agreement comes easily in his current state. he has no mind for appearing any which way or proving that he’s entirely capable of handling himself. the concept of walking home on his own two feet isn’t occurring to him. he has a ridiculously large blindspot for it and instead, letting keith lead seems to be what he’s favoring tonight. so, with the idea of draping himself over keith’s back taking hold, shiro begins unwrapping the lock of his legs. ]

As long as I’m not too heavy. [ it seems important to say, but it doesn’t come across genuine. it’s empty and reluctant, like it’s offered out of a reflex for politeness, even though it’s quite obvious he doesn’t want keith reconsidering shiro’s size and the amount of blocks left to their apartment.

both feet on the ground now, he stays close to keith, next uncurling his arms to ghost his palms over his shoulders. ] I know you’re – strong. [ again. again he wavers before the word, strong coming out, ironically, weak. as for those moving palms of his? from his shoulders down to his arms, he actually pauses there to grip at keith’s biceps, giving twin approving, tiny squeezes. with shiro’s back to the street lamp, hopefully the majority of his face is left in shadow, because his cheeks are likely flushed and not wholly from the nip in the air either.

he’s in the middle of talking, isn’t he? he seems to remember this after a blatant hiccup in his train of thought and finishes somewhat lamely: ]

But I’m… big. [ precisely; that’s the reason keith gave for wanting to change up how he's carrying shiro. so – what’s shiro trying to accomplish here? frankly, he can’t remember. ]

[marmoron]

[ ir it weird that it's been all of two seconds and keith already misses koala-mode shiro? probably. even in knwoing shiro isn't going anywhere any time soon, keith can't stop staring as shiro stands tall, illuminated by the warm glow of the lamp above. the whole of him fits within the shadow his best friend casts and something about this in conjuction with that akward i'm big makes keith laugh, warm and sunny. ]

Yeah... yeah you are.

[ reaching up, he mirrors shiro's gesture and sets both hands on either bicep. maybe it's weird to be standing outside squeezing each other's arms, but it feels right in the moment and keith wonders if shiro also has a bit of a flutter in his stomach. ...heh. maybe that's just wishful thinking considering his own arms aren't quite as sculpted, but the thought carries him through the moment until a brain cell fires several seconds late. ]

..Big, I mean. Not heavy. [ he blinks, caught again wanting to overexplain but tides the feeling over with another squeeze of bicep before releasing. how to recover.... ] I like that.

[ is this helping? he couldn't say, but he hurriedly takes a few steps fo the side, away from the street lamp and turns his back to shiro, knees slightly bent. glancing over his shoulder, he tacks on: } So climb on?

[earthshine]

[ it’s only natural to flex his arm muscles when keith starts squeezing. it’s not like he’s trying to impress him or anything; he’s simply giving him something more solid to hold onto. not that his right arm needs any help. with the majority of his bicep severed and reforged with replacement tech, he feels lopsided, doesn’t he? not that keith shows any indication of noticing or caring for that matter. he smiles and squeezes again, saying he likes that.

oh…

shiro’s already proven that he’s a bit of an emotional drunk and here he proves it so again by going soft-faced and moony in two seconds flat. keith’s already pulled away but that’s okay, shiro is completely caught up in the knowledge that keith likes him this way. big. shiro likes it too or as much as he can considering the why and how he's ended up this way. he’s always liked being big though, even back at the garrison, only in that it made the diagnosis of his disease feel less threatening and the eventual degradation of his body so far away. he likes being big for other reasons too, he thinks, one of which has to do with how he fits against someone in particular. he’s big enough to serve as a mattress for keith. he’s big enough to work as a blanket for keith. he’s big enough that when they share their nightly hug, keith nestles just right under his chin.

size is an important aspect in any relationship. er – friendship.

he narrows his eyes, suddenly lost on where his thoughts have led him. however, before he fumbles too terrible, keith saves him per usual. ]

Right. Okay. [ getting on is easier said than done. last time, shiro didn’t think a thing about his own weight and keith’s size until they were already tangled up in each other. this time, he’s actively trying to be careful in how he settles on keith’s back. he’s also drunk though, so that care only extends so far. inevitably, the gingerness of his leanings end up with him draped all over keith’s back, legs slid into place for keith to hold on. his arms loop around keith’s neck next and finally, shiro settles, laughing softly as a thought occurs to him. ]

Seems like a missed opportunity to not say form Voltron.

[marmoron]

[ as shiro settles into place, keith hooks his arms under knees. he doesn't wobble, but it it takes a beat or two before he's used to this new distribution of weight. of course, no sooner than he's gone and experimentally hefted shiro higher up onto his back, there's a terrible joke thrown out there that makes keith snort with laughter. ]

SO what. You're the head and I'm... the arms and legs?

[ not that he actually has use of his arms at the moment. glancing down at shiro's legs straddled around his sides, he gives his best friend's right knee an affectionate rub with his thumb and starts walking down the street towards the adi housing complexes. the town of gloucester is fairly small and quiet -- the latter of which is probably a bit of a mercy as keith grins. ]

Heh. But I guess since you've converged on me, I'm the head.

[earthshine]

[ there’s such an easy way to ruin the moment. it’s a lay-up opportunity; keith has unknowingly set it up so perfectly and all shiro has to do is follow one thought of how keith being the head of voltron is by no means a joke. it’s shiro’s back-up plan. his safeguard in case all goes to hell and he’s taken out before the war is won. he’s yet to say as much to this keith and…

he will continue to not say it to this keith. no, not because he consciously chooses not to in this moment. instead, the opportunity is missed simply due to drunken amusement. he follows the sound of keith’s laughter and is blind to all else other than keeping it going. so he huffs, grins and kicks his feet out, jostling himself against keith’s back. ]

That doesn’t sound right. I can’t be the legs.

[ see? see them uselessly flop forward and back? keith’s the only one capable of doing anything worthwhile with his incredibly long legs. to further his point, shiro straightens up from his hunch, straining a bit for the reach, and – plop. he sets his chin right on top of keith’s head. ]

And – see? My head is higher. That means I’m the top.

[marmoron]

[ there's a tiny glance down as shiro swings out his legs and though shiro can't see keith's mischievous grin, he can almost certainly hear it in his voice. ]

Uh-huh. [ sounding entirely unconvinced, keith makes a show of jostling shiro by hoisting him higher up on his back. ] You might be on top right now, but I'm the one in control here.

[ he clears his throat then, but still can't keep himself from a quick huff of amusement before: ]

Activating thrusters!

[ what the hell does that mean exactly? well shiro's about to find out as keith starts running full tilt down the next block. ]

[earthshine]

[ he anticipated blow back… just not of the thrusters kind. for the record, he does not squeal. though, he does make some sort of noise that is, perhaps, of a higher pitch than one would associate with someone of shiro’s stature. is it weird that he finds this impressive? carrying shiro’s weight with one, measured step after the other is one thing. running while holding two-hundred and twenty something pounds of dead weight on his back is another.

weight that is being jostled about in a rapidly concerning way. shiro’s given up keeping his head on top of keith’s – the first bump had his teeth clipping – but his arms are still looped around his neck, the fold tighter as he tries to control some of that bounce. it’s not an obnoxiously obvious bounce… but there’s friction in how his body is made to move against keith’s and… well, he does have his legs spread wide around those hips.

the high ring of his voice that’s given into laughter begins to trail off and all at once, something clicks in his brain. ]

Oh. [ a beat. another unintentional rub. ] Oh.

[ abort, abort. get those long, great legs to stop running. also, don’t think about them in that way. hastily now: ]

You win. Okay, you win. You’re the head.

[marmoron]

[ that squeal is something keith will immortalize forever in his memory, thank you very much, but the downside to the sudden rush of laughter it brings about is that he can't laugh and breathe and run all at the same time. no potentially half alien cheats on this one very important function, apparently.

momentum makes it impossible to stop immediately, but a few more shuffling jog steps and a stitch in his side later, and keith ends up panting heavily for breath between laughs. ]

Heh. [ sounding both far too pleased with himself and entirely out of breath, it takes a couple of seconds before keith manages to get his breathing back under control to even attempt talking again. ] ... Okay, okay. So now that I'm leader, that means you gotta call me sir from here on out.

[ grinning wide, he gives shiro's knee a pinch between this thumb and index. ]

And rub my back when we get back to the apartment.

[earthshine]

[ shiro feels winded too and he isn’t the one who packed in the cardio workout. he doesn’t know which is worse, that high, giddy feeling that’s bled into toe-curling warmth pooling low in his belly or how his stomach is now rebelling after having its contents thoroughly sloshed and blended. don’t be sick, don’t be sick. the queasiness, thankfully, doesn’t endure any longer than it takes for keith to regain the steady rhythm of his breathing and as it ebs, it takes with it all of shiro’s inappropriate attention centered around his crotch pressed into the small of keith’s back.

he’s in the clear. he’s fine. – up until, of course, keith decides to start talking.

the sir is in and out of his consciousness without problem. the potential of it doesn’t grab at him; surprising, maybe, considering he has all the makings of a man made for authority kink. the second part is trickier. rub his back makes shiro think massage. massage has him thinking bare skin and a relaxed, laid out body. laid out makes him think bed. and – yeah, it unravels from there. ]

Like a massage?

[ mercifully, what keith calls him out on has nothing to do with the breathiness of that question. instead, there’s a quip about a missing sir. somehow, that works to right everything. they’re back to their playful arguing, shiro withholding sir for no other reason than because keith wants to hear it. not so agreeable anymore, is he? the subject wanes toward the end of the next block and with the next, shiro begins to quiet more. the excitement of the evening seems to be catching up with him – or more so the alcohol – and being rocked with the sway of keith’s body has him feeling too comfortable.

he’s dozing by the time their apartment complex comes into view. they make curfew by a few minutes and then it’s to a3. from there, it quickly becomes all about getting shiro ready for bed. it’s how shiro finds himself sitting on the edge of his bed, coat hung up and boots pulled off, watching keith straighten back up to stand before him. oh – the massage. it comes to shiro abruptly but even as he offers, it’s waved off. another time. hm, maybe, shiro is pretty useless right now; he’ll be able to do a better job when he isn’t full of drink and balls. he must have said as much aloud because keith laughs and then there’s a long moment where they stare at each other, neither willing to break eye contact.

but – goodnight, shiro. ah. right. he’s supposed to go to sleep.

there’s a feeling inside him though, a stubborn sort of guilt. that keith carried him all this way and shiro’s given nothing in return. well, if keith doesn’t want his back rubbed right now, then shiro can at least give him a: ] Goodnight, sir. [ he smiles lopsided on the title. there’s nothing mocking about it, but there is a levity to it that almost becomes a laugh. ]

[marmoron]

[ by the time keith has safely deposited shiro onto his bed, he feels just about ready to go drop onto his own mattress, curl onto his side and go to sleep. or so he thought until he lingered just a little too long and gets a little lost in studying his best friend's sleepy face. it's nice -- keith thinks -- just looking and knowing that the exhaustion is from a mostly normal night out, rather than the lead-limbed weariness after a battle. maybe that's a weird sentiment to be having, but he can't help feeling a little protective here. although normalcy is just about the last thing shiro ever wanted for himself back home, keith can't help cherishing the small pockets of it they have from time to time.

of course, that's not a valid reason to linger on the edge of shiro's bed. the fort-mattress on the floor of his room is less appealig by the second, but it's time to say goodnight. y'knw, before anything else can happen. what that anything else might even be at this point is hard to fathom, but the testicle festival was certainly eventful enough to make anything else seem possible.

turns out that this "anything else" is actually a bit of a pleasant surprise. after all the ribbing and teasing about who has seniority and who calls who sir, shiro finally concedes. of course it's nothing more than a joke, but there's a curious swoop and rush in his chest and an all too happy sile blooms on keith's face.

at the end of the day, of course titles and ranks don't matter between them, but it sounds .... nice hearing it said in shiro's voice while they're smiling at each other. is that weird? keith inches in just a little closer, gently covering shiro's galra hand with his own as he leans close. ]

Oh. You're finally acknowledging me. [ he grins, giving shiro's prosthetic fingers a gentle squeeze. then with a laugh, he adds: ] Guess that means I should acknowledge you, huh?

[ whatever that means. qualifying it even to himself just seems like a bad idea though. it's really just the outline of a familiair routine tha keeps his tone relatively normal as he asks: ]

Close your eyes?

[ it's the brief lull that comes afterwards where shiro complies that makes keith jittery from the inside out. slowly, carefully he brings both his hands up to cup his best firend's face, touch gentle and light, like he's holding something rare aand precious. thumb brushing along shiro's cheek, he pauses at the corner of his lips. voice whispersoft and heart pounding hard in his chest, hhe leans in close enough that their noses touch. ]

Does this feel natural to you?

[earthshine]

[ he did just call keith sir, he supposes that means he’s outranked and devoted to following the orders of his commanding officer. wordless, he plays along and closes his eyes, face tilting up just so in a show of attention, as though awaiting his next order. one never comes. instead, hands touch his cheeks and smooth closer. an ingrained sense of duty to follow authority, even the fabricated kind, keeps him from snapping his eyes open, however, the rest of his face doesn’t harbor that same kind of restraint. his smile slips in favor of his lips going lax, mouth parting open around a silent oh and it feels – what?

natural? ]

Yeah.

[ he breathes it out and finds a fresh smile, one that widens quickly, just so he can feel it stretch under the thumbs caught at the corners of it. there’s a boundary here that they’re crossing. or is it recrossing? they’ve been toeing the line of their friendship for some weeks now by adding kisses and proximity that never quite pass the test of being purely platonic despite how much shiro’s deluded himself into believing so. if a completely sober shiro can hold keith to his chest and press a firm kiss to his temple without batting an eye though, a drunk shiro has no hope of preventing whatever this is.

all he knows is that he likes having keith close to him: at his side, in a hug, nose to nose. being together, that’s the part that feels natural and when it’s that simplistic in his head, the rest follows suit far too easily. in fact, he wants him even closer.

they said goodnight. they’re supposed to hug, aren’t they? that’s been the routine for ages now. so still with his eyes closed and face obediently tilted up into the nudge of keith’s nose, shiro blindly reaches with both hands, finding keith’s hips. palms settle there and he holds gently, giving the smallest of tugs to encourage him to… what? bend closer for a hug? crawl into his lap for a hug? either or, he just wants – needs keith that much closer. ]