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Entry tags:

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Who: shiro + keith
When: perm log for these idiots
Where: all over
Summary: say, say o playmate from the august tdm. the butcher's camp from the september tdm. quarter pounder from the september event. keith's birthday. hermy the wormy from the december tdm. in the hive from the december event.new year, new you from the january tdm. end of january, references january event.
Warnings:
say, o say o playmate: hallucination, blood, ritualistic sacrifice, claustrophobia.
the butcher's camp: animal death, animal mutilation, both human and animal butchery, implied cannibalism, stripping ( nsfw ).
quarter pounder: blood, animal attack, consumption of human flesh, violence, gore, body horror, potential for severe injury, including puncture wounds and broken bones, potential for choking, potential for animal death.
keith's birthday: boys being stupid.
hermy the wormy: worms, decay, altered mental states/compulsion, emotional corruption, potential for violence, body mutilation, attempted murder.
in the hive: insects/swarms, bites, vomiting, body horror, death ( npcs ), mental and physical trauma
new year, new you: self-doubt, body dysmorphia trauma, cringe talk about sex safety, hook-up culture, body modification ( steroid and synthol oil use ), mention of drug use
end of january: implied animal death, self-doubt, body image issues, body dysmorphia, self-harm, body mutilation, skin burning, drug use mention ( tren steroid ), implied extreme dieting ( starvation & dehydration ), nsfw ( heavy petting and nudity ). reference to shiro's scars.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ ah, dogtown. it is quickly becoming shiro’s least favorite place. after the incident with the nudist monsters, shiro’s less than pleased to be tromping along this particular park trail again. nonetheless, preventing an apocalyptic event by running recon for adi does take precedence over any uneasy feelings he or keith have. not to mention, adding more cash into each of their pockets doesn’t hurt in sweetening the deal. afterall, monster blood has a way of staining, so shiro would benefit from making another trip to marshall’s.

this mission is meant to be simple -- though, adi has a habit of downplaying the risks involved, as seen by the clusterfuck failure of finding a portion of their team lodged in seal skin. it’s been just over a week since the mission to essex bay and shiro still doesn’t know what to make of it. he’s seen some pretty horrific things in the past, almost, two years; he’s even bore witness to inexplicable weird shit too. but people masquerading as seals…?

he puts the pin back in that thought and as he has been for the past week, abandons making sense of it. at present, he gives the big, bold never try never win a passing glance and huffs a barely there laugh. hopefully they don’t have to try to the same caliber as last time they were here. well, not here here. they’ve come to the trail from a different part this time. they’re up higher, off dogtown road, whereas last time, they were closer to the babson reservoir.

so shiro isn’t expecting the trail to open a few yards after they’ve ascended an incline and he certainly had not expected a playground to be located off to the side. for this being a relatively popular trail, it’s surprising at how dilapidated the playground is. the wood structure housing a green, plastic slide is worn from weather and misuse. there’s a steel swing set nearby with a singular seat, held aloft by rusted chains. and off to the side there’s… ]

Hey, check it out. [ he grins, abruptly changing the direction of his steps to beeline it for the spring rocker. he remembers these. the design is different but the idea is the same and he laughs a little looking at the kangaroo and her joey. yeah yeah, he knows they’re here to document paranormal activities but… let him have a moment of nostalgia okay. ] Do you think it’s strong enough to hold either of our weights?

[ getting attacked by kelpies has a way of putting a damper on keith's general enthusiasm for poking around dogtown, but putting all misgivings aside, there's easy cash to be made here. cash that will see great use in purchasing more bulletin boards, push pins, sharpies, and a cheap printer.

granted, it's become very apparent that it's best to assume that murphy's law applies to adi's missions just as much as they did with team voltron's. the familiarity isn't one that brings any kind of comfort though. what does however, is going about this with shiro. while there are certainly other folks in the agency that keith can cooperate with fairly well, there's an ease to mission work with shiro that lends itself to relaxing.

which is to say, while he's peering this way and that, trying to decide if a deep gouge mark left on tree bark is indicative of local wildlife or some freakish monster, he's not worrying about what his mission partner's going to do if something does turn up. the playground is just as surprising to keith, and he straightens up from his moose vs spook debate to jog after his friend. despite himself, keith has to laugh at shiro's delight. tucking his phone away in his pocket, keith gives the kangaroo's back a firm push with his gloved hand. the playground looks as though it's fallen into disrepair for some time now, but even so the roo and joey bounce back up without a single squeak or other unreassuring noise. ]

Heh. Looks pretty strong to me. [ one hand becomes two and he gives the ride another push to similar results. ] You gonna ride it?

[ is he going to ride it? psh. is that even a question? ]

Of course I’m going to ride it.

[ actually, it should be a question and one that shiro would be wise to reconsider. they let their guard down once before on this trail and got some horrific memories for it; staying on task and finishing out this documenting mission in quick order would be the responsible thing to do. he knows this and yet, he smirks and shuffles closer to the marsupial pair, swinging a leg over to perch himself into the seat.

given the design with it’s sloping neck and mostly open back, shiro actually fits. still, it leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to comfort. these were far more fun to sit on when he was somewhere around three feet shorter and minus one-eighty pounds. it’s a call-back to a far simpler time though and for that, shiro softens on the next breath, shoulders momentarily relaxing and gaze growing distant. but by the next inhale, he snaps back to attention and tosses a glance over his shoulder at keith. ]

Pull me back. [ he puts one foot up on the straight bar rest, his other still keeping him steady. both hands curl tight around the handlebars and then he’s hunkering down for what he can only assume is going to be a wild ride. ] Try to launch me.

[ the question had been asked largely in jest, so the enthusiastic affirmative makes keith pause and stare as shiro climbs on the ride. the sight is almost comical -- the rocker is meant for kids a quarter of shiro's size and seeing this much muscle mass balanced on the narrow back of a metal kangaroo and joey just looks... disproportionate? whatever it is, seeing his friend's grin reflexively makes keith smile right back.

for a moment, it's almost like being at home -- on their earth, rather than lost on an earth from an entirely different reality facing its own terrors. when was the last time shiro had seemed so carefree anyway? keith wants to date it to something more recent in his memory, but if he's being honest with himself .... it was probably well over a year ago. back before voltron and the galra. hell, even before kerberos, when it was just the two of them recklessly racing out in the desert.

there's an unexpected pang in his chest then and it takes an extra moment to place. homesickness? maybe. keith had always thought he'd warded that off better than the other paladins. hunk, lance and pidge all had families and friends who missed them, but all keith has waiting back home is a shack in the desert. but he's getting lost in his own head again. keith gives himself a quick mental shake, crossing over behind shiro, resting one foot on the kangaroo's tail both hands slamming down behind shiro to crank the spring back. ]

Hang on tight. Wouldn't want you flying off, old-timer.

[ again, for a playground that's so clearly been long abandoned, the give in the spring is malleable and the tension easy to load. no signs of rust, no creaking, no nothing. keith adds an extra bit of force with his foot to really put his weight into this. ]

Lift off in 3. 2. 1

[ he jumps back with a laugh. ]

[ old-timer, eh? shiro tightens his grip to that familiar tease and sets his stabilizing foot on the rest bar as keith continues to drag him backward. for a handful of seconds, shiro’s gaze fills with blue, open sky and unbidden, he finds himself wondering when was the last time he did this: look up. he’s been in space for so long, fighting, always fighting for someone or something, and he can’t remember a moment when he took a breath and indulged in the simplicity of watching the sky. it must’ve been launch day, huh? he remembers standing there on the tarmac, dressed in his g-suit and helmet lodged under his arm, looking up at the blue and thinking he did it, he was going up there and beyond, to grab at a dream and make it his.

heh. didn’t quite go as planned.

this does though. there’s one and then he’s released with a hard forward thrust. his kangaroo pitches down and shiro sees only the ground. the spring of this roo is strong though. it drags him right back and as the disorientation of that first pass eases into repetition, shiro bursts into laughter. he’s moving with it now; he throws his weight where he needs it to go to maintain momentum and he stays on the contraption longer than a grown man ought to.

but as delighted as he is with turning off all thoughts of responsibility for a good twenty seconds, shiro is still very much shiro and inevitably, he gives up the push and lean of his body. the momentum slows and as the spring rocker comes almost vertical, shiro sticks out his feet to catch himself and still it completely. ]

Ha! Almost hit 4 Gs there. [ he’s grinning wide, expression remarkably carefree and bright with playfulness. he swings his leg over and then he’s standing beside the kangaroo, hand plopping on top of its plastic head, rubbing it in some play at petting the thing. ]

The Garrison should’ve filled a room with these guys, instead of the Centrifuge. Would’ve prepped us just as well for takeoff.

[ and for space aliens, because y’know, joeys. ]

[ there's something truly tragic about the fact that keith finds shiro throwing his weight around a playground ride more surreal than piloting a quasi-sentient alien warship. hell, when did normalcy get so fucked up and twisted around the relative insanity of a space war, anyway? mercifully, shiro paints such a ridiculous image in keith's head that he actually bursts into laughing instead of brooding. ]

I dunno, Shiro. If that were the case and I got an eyeful of Iverson bouncing around on one of these my first day, I think I'd have walked right back out of the compound.

[ grin widening, he gives shiro's shoulder a playful bump with his fist, expression turning very slightly conspiratorial as he shoots a sneaky glance across the playground. ]

Might've stayed if we're talking swings though.

[ shiro's already tset some sort of precedent for fooling around on the mission, so keith strides off towards the swing set with a clean conscience. it isn't a tire swing like the one outside his house, but the chains holding up the seat seem sturdy enough. without missing a beat, keith hops on and swings his legs. of course, he could lurch about and generate the momentum needed himself, buuuuuuuut. ]

Your turn to launch me.

[ fair point. shiro may have spoken too soon, because yes, now that he’s constructing the mental image of five by five rows of kangaroos, each one carrying officers and instructors in a steady back and forth… -- hell, the sound alone would be maddening. right. none of that. the wrinkling of his expression and following grimace are his responses of choice, though, the shoulder bump does knock him closer to neutral. further than neutral actually, because keith’s got that daring look about him and instantly, shiro finds himself following keith’s gaze until it lands on the swing.

oh. so it’s gonna be like that, eh? kangaroos and joeys gone from attention -- but never forgotten -- shiro follows after keith at a more leisurely pace, grinning wider to give into a short, breathy chuckle. look at that: red paladin of voltron, protector of the universe, perched on a child’s swing, kicking his legs with nonchalant sweetness. he looks -- innocent. normal. shiro wonders if he gave off the same impression rocking around on the kangaroo.

close now, shiro grasps one chain as he passes by and as he pivots around to face keith’s back, he grabs at the opposite chain. keith’s not all that heavy to begin with, not to shiro, so it isn’t all that much effort to pull the chains in closer to his sides and lean down into keith’s space, teasing with a: ]

Take a deep breath. The air’s about to get pretty thin.

[ because he’s about to launch him into the stratosphere; ha. predictable joke, maybe, but shiro thinks he’s hilarious and feeding off that enthusiasm, he straightens up and starts stepping back. the further back he steps, the higher keith has to go and it does eventually hit a point when the strain of his arms -- which are now extended and lifted high -- becomes too much with that much weight.

pausing, he keeps his voice steady here though. ]

Three. Two. One -- blastoff.

[ he jumps with the last word to get those few extra inches and on the drop, he slams his hands down to take full advantage of it. keith goes swinging forward and shiro immediately gets back into position, ready to give keith’s back a push because the height still isn’t good enough. he can get keith higher than that. ]

[ when shiro goes for something, he really goes for it, huh? despite the incredible cheese, keith is grinning from ear to ear as shiro gears up, pulling the chain back and high. enthusiasm is infectious and the added force to the push makes keith whoop and laugh as te swing accelerates down and completes a solid arc up.

it's been a long time since he'd bothered with swings on a playground, and even longer since he's had somethere to push him up higher and higher. he leans back, instinctively, trying to build up more momentum as he kicks up his feet to play an old game of blotting out the sun with his shoes. the most poorly documented cosmological phenomenon of all -- the sneaky eclipse. it holds for a blink of an eye and then the swing starts to arc back, and keith straightens up, shaking windswpt curls out of his eyes.

the hands on his back to give him yet another push come as a bit of a surprise. figured he'd only be getting the one boost, but it's the kind of surprise that has keith shouting in delight as he kicks his legs on the upswing. ]

Hey! You're gonna make the swing go above the top! [ a prospect that, if the tone of keith's voice is anything go go by, doesn't actually bother him as much as it should. ] If I have to jump off, you're obligated to catch me!

[ he was right: he can get keith higher. ridiculously, he wants to take that warning and put it into a challenge. if he pushes hard on the next pass and then breaks into a sprint, he could probably cross the necessary distance to turn and catch one red paladin right before he crashes to the ground. not that keith actually needs him for a save; even without the jetpack, keith’s a bit of an acrobatic.

however, shiro only indulges one, two more pushes to get keith just high enough that he’s nearly parallel with the ground and then he steps back. ]

Fine. [ he draws out the syllable, playing up an exasperation that isn’t present. ] I’ll let you enjoy your swinging in peace.

[ though, enjoy seems like an understatement. keith’s whooping and laughing and kicking out his feet seemingly without a care in the world. it’s… bittersweet. sure, there’s been pockets of carefree moments during their time with voltron but more often than not, they're interrupted by their responsibilities. shiro knows this playground business will be much the same. they do need to get back to this recon for adi, preferably sooner than later, but…

just a little longer.

so hopefully keith takes advantage of those full swings, because on the next arc that has keith dropping for the propel forward, shiro steps in and grabs at one of the chains. briefly; he never truly grasps it. it’s nothing more than a hook of his hand to abruptly twist the swing that way. so as keith continues with momentum, albeit at a slightly slower speed, the swing is off-centered and rocking back an’ forth to the sides, trying to find equilibrium. ]

Oh no. What happened? [ shiro’s acting is on par with those seen in a b movie. ] Your ship is out of control.

[ has anyone ever told shiro that he's got a promising career ahead of him in a fucking cheese factory if this black paladin deal doesn't work out for him? because they absolutely should. it's a big, heavy responsibility, but it's not one that keith steps up to because whatever game they're playing right now tickles him just right. grip tightening on the chains, keith sits up straighter as the jerkier angular momentum of the swing lurches back and forth.

Unexpected pocket of turbulence -- nothing this ship can't handle.

[ but on the next diagonal arc forward, keith's foot comes into contact with the support pole and well... the rest, as they say, is history. ]

Wait, I've been hit. Mayday, mayday! Requesting an emergency extraction!

[ sometimes it amazes shiro that keith has a reputation as a bad boy. alright, punching out a fellow cadet and being bailed out of disciplinary action gives that perception some weight, but even team voltron hasn’t given keith much credit these past months, what with throwing things around like emo and suggesting he’s mean-spirited by intentionally being uncooperative. keith’s a prickly thing, shiro’ll give everyone that, but he wishes people would take the time to look beyond assumption, because underneath all that, keith’s just one, huge nerd. a funny one too. right here, he gets shiro all too easily and of course shiro is laughing, trying to keep up with this charade keith’s put together.

if shiro was considered a bad actor before, he’s only worse now that he can’t keep the amusement out of his voice. ]

We read you, SS Delinquent, emergency extraction underway.

[ keith goes swiveling by on a backward swing -- ] The GG GoldenBoy will make contact in three, two -- [ and as he comes back down for the next forward arch, shiro steps in behind him on the pass, snagging one of those chains again. ] -- Gotcha. [ this time, his hold keeps and while it initially whips keith, shiro is quick to grasp the other chain to level out the twist and stabilize keith into an abrupt stop.

he gives it a few ticks and then: ]

Status report. [ both hands still around the chains, shiro grins wide. ] You okay there, flyboy?

[ jethe ss delinquent? gg golden boy? the names leave so much to be desired, but one thing leads to another and before keith put together some joking rebuke, the swing comes to a jerky stop as shiro grabs one chain, then the other. so this is where keith ought to take his cue to give shiro a light roasting about how a good commanding officer should know the proper name of the ship he's rescuing, but instead there are several beats of silence.

keith tilts his head to look up, only for the back of it to bump lightly against shiro's chest. for a good moment, all he can think is oh as he stares up at shiro's amused grin. briefly, he's reminded of the time they messed around with the flight sim's difficulty levels and ended up creating some eldritch nightmare of their own where asteroids would seemingly come out from nowhere to hurtle them into mission fail screens in record time.

keith probably ought to sit up straight, stop leaning and answer the damn question in kind, but he doesn't really want to move. nothing about this world fosters a sense of complacency, which means keith ought to stay focused, but right now? it feels... safe. he smiles up in kind. ]

Yeah. Keith reporting in. A little disoriented, but fine otherwise. Looks like the SS Speed Demon came out of this in pretty good shape, too.

[ .... because of course, shiro wasn't getting away with that ss delinquent joke. ]

Heh. Good to be back home.

[ oh sorry, ss speed demon. the correction makes him roll his eyes and give a brief shake of his head, all the while still grinning. the mood is light and addictive, and shiro is ready to stretch this stupid joke until it produces groans of cringe rather than laughter, but there’s a heh and a slight pivot in direction. home, eh? it has shiro pausing and thinking, right, they are home in a way, aren’t they? on the wrong coast and a bit mixed up in the time continuum, sure, but they’re back on earth with at least some semblance of normalcy. if he lets himself overlook the situation with adi, it’s almost nice being planetside. either way, it’s nice being with keith.

looking down at him looking up, head tilted and resting against his chest, shiro feels the amusement shift as he softens under a gentle upwelling of affection. so -- good to be back home? he loses sight of the joke and what comes out is something more vulnerable in its honesty. ]

I’m glad you’re here, Keith. [ his feet are rooted to the spot, as not to dislodge keith or himself from the comfortableness of this moment. however, his hands do slip lower on the chains to rest closer to keith’s, just to hold the swing steadier.

with his face fully tipped down to keith’s now, it’s more plain to see how his expression pinches in the aftermath of that admittance. they’re here to do a job. and once they leave here? they’re off to do another job. their responsibilities are seemingly endless at this point; this isn’t supposed to be fun or a walk in the -- heh -- park. shiro doesn’t fully understand how time works here or back home; he and keith aren’t exactly aligned in timeframe either and what’s that mean? that voltron is down a paladin in two pockets of time? he shouldn’t be glad they’re here together and yet --

the wrinkle eases from his brow, smile small but grateful. ]

That’s probably selfish of me to say but… this would be a lot harder without you. [ and he doesn’t just mean in fighting off supernatural monsters. there’s immense value in having someone he knows he can trust and depend on, and keith fits that to a t. ]

[ o-oh. there's an almost imperceptible shift in the atmosphere when shiro tips his face to look down at keith smiling up. proximity has a way of feeling awkward quickly with keith and he feels as though he ought to look away, but for whatever reason he doesn't. the smile on his lips holds, warming on the knowledge of mutuality. ultimately, there isn't anything surprising about hearing this. getting caught up in some interdimensional wormhole is bad enough, having to traverse the world with every face a stranger's would be even worse.

but keith catches the way shiro's expression falters right as he talks about selfishness. is it really? the war with the galra back home makes that question simmultaneously easy and difficult to answer. keith would need a holt to explain whatever's going on with the disrupted passage of time, but even then he doubts he'd understand. "space bullshit" has been keith's convenient go to explanation for most phenomena of late, but there's still no question about the urgent need to go back home. whether that's a home that's missing one paladin or two -- functionally, keith doesn't think it matters much.

their clusterfuck of a team is going to have it rough, but with the princess rescued, they'll be able to evade the galra for a while. play defense until either keith and shiro find their way back or the team finds replacement paladins. of course, finding a leader won't be so easy though, and ultimately keith thinks that if anyone's being selfish here, it's him for being grateful that voltron is missing its figurative head.

and yet....]

Hey. [ releasing one chain, he reaches up and behind to pat shiro's prosthetic arm. ] Don't think like that. Neither of us chose to be here. It is what it is, and we're doing what we can to try and get back. [ a beat. ] It's better that we at least have each other to count on, amidst all this mess.

[ and with that said, he laughs -- it's a little short and wry, but a laugh nonetheless. ]

Besides. Imagine how much more negative energy The Lonely or whatever the ADI guys are calling it would have to feed on if it was just one of us stuck here. Can't go around making some cosmic leech stronger.

Edited (/o\ i am too sleepy to be editing efficiently) 2021-08-15 07:20 (UTC)

[ keith laughs and shiro doesn’t. there’s no real humor in the sound of it, but shiro can’t even bring himself to match it, even the slightest bit, especially when in the next breath, keith is making light of the situation in terms of the lonely. the entities are a subject shiro has perpetually put a pin in. the briefings from adi have sounded too fantastical to be real, but even without the bizarre events he’s lived through in the last year, the kelpie disaster alone is enough to have him reconsidering. obviously, the unexplainable and the impractical are possible phenomenons. as far-fetched as entities existing outside the realm of understanding and pulling power from the manifestation of different categories of fear sounds, they’re likely a legitimate threat they’ll have to deal with in some capacity.

and here, he wonders if he should deal with it now. because there’s two ways he can approach this: laugh it off as some look on the brightside joke as keith is or address a deeper issue, one that he’s been putting off. keith was pretty isolated once he was kicked out of the garrison, huh? lonely? they haven’t talked about it much and shiro can only wonder how bad it was. sure, shiro’s always known keith to be the type to keep to himself, but there’s a difference between being private and careful around others, and being absolutely alone. he’s fine now though, right? he wouldn’t be susceptible to the lonely now that they’re together and a strong team, yeah?

they should talk about it. knowing you should do something and actually doing it are not one in the same, unfortunately, and once again, shiro talks himself out of it, thinking that a park setting in the midst of a recon isn’t the best place for any meaningful discussion. later, always later, and with that, he swings back to option one: keep it lighthearted. ]

You make a good point. Best if we stick together. [ he smiles and straightens up then, giving the chains a tiny push to get keith swaying again. he sidesteps as soon as his chest is fully his own again and circles around the swing seat. ] So where I go, you go and where I’m thinking of going right now, is down that slide.

[ he nods toward the plastic tube and then spins around to face keith, even as he continues to walk backwards toward the wooden structure. ]

You in? [ they knocked out the kangaroo rocker and the swing, might as well finish the playground experience with one slide run, right? ]

[ glancing towards the slide as its indicated, keith lets out a huff of amusement. the wooden structure supporting the plastic slide looks to be in about the same neglected condition as the rest of the playground but it looks sturdy enough. it gets pretty high up too, which immediately gives it that extra sprinkle of appeal. the bulk of keith's amusement, however, is coming from the image of shiro scrunching himself up small to slide down the tubing. in a beat, he jumps off the swing and grins. ]

You're on.

[ he quickly catches up to the few strides that shiro's gained on him, but at the final moment gives his best friend a light shove backwards as he runs full tilt to the wooden steps. ]

Race you to the top!

[ ridiculous counter challenge issued, keith laughs as he takes the tiny wooden steps two at a time on the mad dash higher and higher. ]

[ keith is, comparatively, small. nonetheless, he hides away a surprising amount of strength in that narrow frame of his. that combined with the suddenness of the push actually has shiro stumbling one, two steps before he catches himself. he whips around and: ]

Cheater!

[ the reprimand isn’t much of one when he’s laughing through the syllables. as for the completely unfair and totally rude head-start? keith better enjoy it while it lasts because shiro’s across that distance far too soon and bounding up the stairs just as quick. keith might edge shiro out with those long legs of his, but shiro’s got a long reach and hopping up three tiny steps to then pitch his body forward and extend his arm out -- ]

No you don’t -- !

[ as soon as keith gets to the top of that staircase, shiro snags his ankle, trying to trip him up. either way, he’s unlikely to let go, so good luck getting anywhere, keith. ]

[ there's no real chance of shiro being actually offended by the shove and headstart keith's given himself, considering this is the same guy who'd cheat his way to the finish line of a race by driving a hoverbike straight off the top of a cliff. hell, keith doesn't even feel bad about it, knowing that shiro's just going to find a way to get back at him later.

but in this case, later comes a little sooner than keith would like and he feels the grab and tug on his right ankle just as he lifts up that leg to clear the last step up to the top. maybe if he hadn't been practically throwing himself up the stairs, the sudden jerked stop to his momentum wouldn't have made him start losing his balance, but alas keith doesn't exist in that reality. ]

Woah- [ he windmills his arms a little, but he's lost his center of gravity and ends up pitching forward bumping his knee on the second to last step as he comes down laughing. ]

Hey! Let go! My hand touched the top platform first so I win anyway!

[ timbeeeer -- down he goes! truthfully, shiro does feel the slightest bit sorry about that knee bump, however, considering keith is laughing through all of the windmilling and crashing, shiro is nowhere near offering up an apology. in fact, he merely tightens his grip on his ankle, sidelining any possible assumption that he is going to set keith loose. ]

What? [ it comes out on a surprised laugh. ] Since when?

[ since keith decided to start changing rules on the spot, apparently. double cheater. he huffs and shifts closer, getting his other hand on keith but higher on his opposite leg. the plan is to keep keith stationary by immobilizing his legs there against the steps… but shiro still needs to get up those steps, which results in him mostly using keith as a ladder. ]

The finish line has always been the bottom of the slide. [ which he is intent on getting to first. so hand from right ankle to right calf and then hand from left calf to the back of the left knee, shiro is just going to part climb, part manhandle keith in hopes of keeping him still long enough to get over him and ahead. ]

[ keith snorts with laughter as he squirms. ]

I said I was racing you to the top! You're shifting the goalposts, old-timer!

[ not that any of this sounds like actual complaining, judging from the brightness of his tone. though now that shiro's made his gameplan of pinning his legs down clear, keith immediately pushes his torso up, arms straightening out just in case shiro gets some funny ideas about climbing over him. with that measure taken, the next step is to free up his legs... which he does by kicking them out in a wide v to throw off shiro's balance a little. it isn't a perfect maneuver, and shiro's simply got the weight advantage here, but the swift jerk is just enough to get his left leg free to tuck his knee into his core and unsteadily push himself back up to partly crouching. ]

But if you really want that second chance, I'll beat you at that, too. [ he twists around to poke at shiro's sides. if he can't muscle his leg free from shiro's galra arm, the next best alternative is to tickle the guy into submission. obviously. ] C'mon, let go!

Edited (Shhh) 2021-08-18 07:54 (UTC)

[ the top -- of the slide! which then leads to the bottom. shiro is valid and shiro is right -- keith is a cheating cheater. if that isn’t case and point, then here is another example: keith kicking his legs out and trying to knock shiro off the steps. ]

-- Woah! [ balance successfully compromised, shiro grips hard at the leg he still has a hand on and throws his weight forward. he overcompensates and more so, crashes right back into keith and the stairs. it’s such a mess of uncoordinated momentum that he almost slams his face into keith’s ass. thankfully, he catches himself with his free hand, braced there against the top step. the next part comes on fast and before shiro knows it, keith is twisted around and jamming his fingers into his sides. immediately, he squirms. ]

Hey! That’s playing dirty!

[ it’s difficult to sound indignant when it’s said through laughter. he doesn’t dare let go of keith’s leg, because he’s certain the moment he does, keith will tuck it in and be to the slide within three seconds. so that leaves him with only one hand to bat those prodding fingers. ]

You just said you’re gonna beat me. Not a lot of incentive for me to let you go. [ still laughing. he’s running out of options though and so, he goes for the hail mary. tightens his grip, angles his feet for a better push off and throws his weight back, jumping off the staircase and yanking keith with him. perhaps not the smartest -- or safest -- plan, but shiro’s desperate for the win. ]

[ there's no other way to describe it. keith is looking damn near radiant when shiro starts squirming. victory seems imminent and the prospect of winning in this very small, inconsequential way makes keith grin wide from ear to ear.

it's just such a shame then, that he doesn't see shiro's next maneuver coming. it can barely even be called a strategy considering how it could potentially end with both of them hitting their heads and returning to adi with nothing but concussions to show for this field mission, but it's certainly one way of getting keith further away from the finish line. ]

Come on, isn't my -- [ and then keith cuts off because suddenly he's no longer perched on the steps and the unpleasant lurch of falling makes keith grab at empty air. thankfully (?) he manages to land on something soft for his troubles as keith finds hiself straddling shiro's thighs when the world settles again. he blinks, staring down at shiro's leg in complete confusion. ]

Did you just launch yourself off the steps and drag me with you?

[ help him understand what life has become shirogane. help him decide if he ought to be amused or concerned. ]

[ listen. shiro has utmost faith in their combined flexibility, maneuverability, adaptability…? they get tossed around all the time, not just in sparring, but out on the field too. allura literally threw him across a galran cruiser’s escape hatch once without a stitch of warning and look, he came out of it unscathed. okay, sure, most of these acrobatics involve armor to soften the crash, but the physicality is the same. ~~besides, everyone knows keith is indestructible.~~

the point is, when he throws his weight back and pulls keith with him, he’s anticipating a mid-air recovery or a body roll crouch once they hit the ground. he does not take into account keith’s surprise or how they aren’t all that far off the ground, which means, he’s barely let go of keith’s leg before his back is slamming earth. weight flops down on him within the next second and punches out what little air he has left.

genius plan. winded, he delays in opening his eyes, especially with how incredulous keith sounds. yes, yes he knows; that’s not the typical move the tactical brain of one takashi shirogane would normally come up with. these are not normal circumstances though. encouraged by his own inner monologue, he quirks a smile and blindly now, pats his hands up to touch first keith’s thighs and then further up, to hold his hips.

he flutters his eyes open then, immediately breathing out a chuckle. ]

Don’t give me that look. It worked, didn’t it? [ it being…? his expression tightens and the smile curls hard on a smirk as he pushes keith off of him, knocking him to the side. he wastes no time in getting to his feet and now he’s the one in the lead, booking it up the steps. give him six more seconds and he’ll be at the slide, and keith better believe shiro won’t hesitate in jumping straight down it. ]

[ it worked, didn't it? good grief, is that seriously all shiro has to say for himself here? keith looks over his shoulder, expression growing judgier by the secon. not that shiro gets the full brunt of the effect seeing as he's all but tossing keith off of him in the next beat.

keith's expression doesn't even budge from sheer wtf when his butt finally makes contact with the ground and the head of voltron takes off like a bullet. out of the six seconds it's going to take shiro to get to the slide, keith wastes about three of them frozen in incredulity. shiro must really want this??? for some reason?? maybe after that talk about normalcy seeming unnatural this ought to be taken as a good sign??

whatever the case, keith is slow, even to yell an obligatorily outraged: ]

Hey!

[ even that still sounds a pinch confused, but the rest of his actions are far more decisive. keith bounces back onto his feet, charging right up the steps up to the top of the slide, still three seconds behind and not quite managing to close the gap between them. however, he is just barely able to grab shiro by the back of his shirt just as he loses a tick or two getting seated and rounding shoulders to fit down the plastic tubing. ]

And you tell me nott to be reckless.

[ not that horsing around on the playground is at all analogous to dealing with naked horseladies, but shh. ]

Give me one reason why I should let go.

[ demand issued, keith huffs. but there's...something odd about the slide, isn't there? like the longer he's just standing there at the top, the more he actually just wants to slide down himself. ]

Edited 2021-08-20 06:08 (UTC)

[ almost had it! if the slide weren’t so tiny, he would’ve been half-way down it already. the fact that it’s so obviously made for people not shiro’s size should be a sign in itself that he may be approaching this racing game between them with more enthusiasm than someone his age should, but with him now one push short of victory, any chance of slowing down enough to evaluate what this has become is long gone.

he turns his head to peer over his shoulder, fixing a misleadingly sweet smile to his face. ]

Because… then it’ll be over and you won’t be knocked off your feet again? [ whether keith lets him go now or hauls him out, shiro is set on getting down this slide one way or another before keith. which is a stupid goal, he is aware. but he’s already set in his mind that this is it. this is the end of the playground reprieve and once he’s to the bottom, it’s back to business as usual: sober up, focus, and finish up this recon mission.

he turns forward again, staring at his outstretched legs and the tight swirl of green plastic. he laughs then, giving his head a brief shake and patting the sides of the tube, just to hear the sound echo down the narrow space. ]

Or how about… I’ll likely get stuck, so I need you to go after me to kick me free?

say, say o playmate

hours later i am STILL yelling i'll have you know

i have no idea why you're yelling

SURE.

i feel wrongly accused right now???

:/

it's ok. they can't hurt you anymore.

you say that and yet it brings me no relief.

it still feels like such a missed opportunity that he didn't say yeehaw while roo riding

lol it kind of is tbh

... it's ok. the yeehaw option is available elsewhere.

im gonna yell if that actually happens btw

... are you yelling?

a little bit yeah

this pleases me.

ofc you are

keith should be disqualified for cheating.

shhh

i'm trying v hard to be serious here. you are not helping.

listen im just being encouraging???

i resisted the dta. be proud of me.

you just pushed the responsibility onto me!

i'm glad keith has met prince everhard.

a fated encounter

Hey!

the first of many encounters i'm sure.