(no subject)

[bigbrained]

[Being core members of the Voltron coalition meant that sometimes the team had to spread their forces thin in order to take care of everything that required their attention. Sure, they had other allies who could hold their own -the Blade of Mamora for example- but it had a little more impact if the paladins themselves saved a colony or planet, as opposed to more Galra.

In other words: politics.]

I mean, I understand what Coran was saying but I still think it's kinda dumb, right Keith? [Undeterred by Keith's noncommital 'uh huh's and 'yeah's, Hunk continues on as he follows Keith's lead and slows down his approach. They're going to have to try and sneak up on this installation or risk the Galra retaliating against the captured techs for calling for help.] They've been around way longer than we have, and fighting for way longer too! It kinda feels like we're shoving them out of the way to get all the glory. Not that that's what we're doing, but it sure feels like that's what we're doing. I guess in the end it doesn't really matter who gets the job done so long as the people are saved, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Right? Do you have a bad taste in your mouth too, Keith?

Comments

[whatsacactus]

[Keith watches because, hey, the way he did that will probably be useful later if he remembers it. He leans against the tree for support and scrapes out a little bit of the inside with his fingers to eat.

The reaction's immediate, he likes it. Not at all what he expected, and he really should stop expecting things of alien food.]

And you've had this before? Like, this specific thing?

[bigbrained]

Yeah, uh, remember that shopping mall we went to a while back? When I was working at that food court place? [Cracks open one for himself and starts picking out gobs of seeds. Mmmm. Everything is better with food, and that's science. Or psychology, pyramid of basic needs, something-something.] Vrepit Sal's had a bunch of these. I looked them up later and apparently they're pretty standard flora for this quadrant.

[whatsacactus]

Nope. [He doesn't remember that; he'd been caught up in some mess himself right from the start until they were running out of that place. But the thing (fruit? vegetable? who knows) is good and there's at least good company. Which makes any food better, in his opinion.]

At least there's that. [Keith looks skyward, hoping maybe he'll spot a flash of Black or Red. Maybe that weird beam did something to their bond as well.]

[bigbrained]

[keith]

Yeah, so we won't starve. Good news. [...okay, so this is where his usefulness ends.] So, uh...which way should we go?

[whatsacactus]

Well.

[He looks at Yellow, then at the path she made when she crashed. And then the opposite direction. He feels like now is the time he needs to be smart. Make a good plan. Think about every angle.

Yeah, he's bad at that.]

Better question. Do we wanna hide out and wait for the others, or do we wanna figure out what that thing was?

[bigbrained]

I vote hiding. [keith
was that even really a question]

[whatsacactus]

[Maybe he wanted to give him a choice!!! But it's unsurprising. He takes one more look at Yellow before looking the opposite direction of the outpost.]

Okay. So distance then. Let's go. [Don't mind him, he'll just hobble a few steps a minute.]

[bigbrained]

[Rolls eyes before coming up beside Keith and pulling his arm over his shoulder. Leaning, remember? Hunk can totally just slurp this fruit thing like some kind of savage as he helps Keith walk.]

[whatsacactus]

Oh-

[Yeah. Yeah, okay. Hunk's a little taller so it's only a little awkward, but they make it work. The forest doesn't even feel a little like it'll try to eat them, so that's a plus. And it's quiet. Honestly, under better circumstances? This would be really nice.]

It's not bad out here.

[bigbrained]

[Yeah actually, the shoulder thing is awkward. Going to just re-situate and hold onto Keith's side opposite his broken rib- there, that's actually a lot better. Keeps him from having to hunch over too, which had been not-fun.]

Y'know I'm not much of a camper? I like the whole...working kitchen appliances and indoor plumbing thing too much. But sure, in a peaceful nature walk trying-not-to-die-by-Galra-tech way, it's not bad.

[whatsacactus]

Gotta take you camping sometime or something.

[Shit one of the only things Keith is actually good and proud of being good at besides flying. But he'll just ignore how big Hunk's hand is against his side and how warm he is. Because that's just normal stuff to notice about your friend right? Right, totally.]

We'll just. Find somewhere to lay low and in sight of Yellow and go from there.

[bigbrained]

[At least Keith isn't insisting they go check out the Galra base, hobbling around and wounded as they are. He must be thinking of Hunk, which is sweet. And actually quite Keithly, contrary to what other people think.]

Okay, so...whaaat about a cliff above where we crashed? That should work, right?

[whatsacactus]

A cliff?

[Okay wait. He takes a look around and - yeah, there is the cliff that can overlook the yellow lion and where he presumes the Galra outpost is. Maybe. At least the general direction. He was hoping for something with a little more cover but it'll do.]

Yeah. Yeah, that'll work. We can climb up and set up some kind of camp.

[Nevermind how he's supposed to climb up there with this leg.]

[bigbrained]

[Excellent, a plan of action. He's always better with a plan of action.] Alright, to the cliff it is! [Those painkillers are really coming in handy, and though it's slow going due both to their injuries and the terrain, eventually they make it toward a somewhat climbable section of the slope up to the plateaus.]

Huh...Keith, think you can make it up that? I could carry you on my back, but I'm worried about your rib...

[whatsacactus]

Uh.

[Okay, in his defense, it looked more climbable from a distance. Maybe he chose poorly.

He doesn't want to make light of Hunk's concerns before though. Both of his injuries and how he treats the team when it comes to asking for help.]

..If you can carry me on your back, don't worry about my rib.

[bigbrained]

[. . .]

[bigbrained]

Are you saying that because you're Keith, or are you saying that because you don't think your rib will suddenly fracture and puncture your lung, causing you to drown in your own blood while I hold you in my arms and do nothing but develop severe PTSD that will affect me for however long I have left to live?

[whatsacactus]

[. . .]

[whatsacactus]

I'm saying that because normally I'd do it by myself, but you're here and I trust you to carry me up without me getting hurt.

[He feels like he should add to this.]

If you wanted.

[bigbrained]

Cool. Cool cool cool cool cool. At once both reassuring and terrifying, a Keith Special. [PRESSURE'S ON, but at least Keith doesn't think he's so hurt that he'll definitely get hurt MORE.

Hunk situates the survival gear so that he's carrying it across his chest before lowering himself down to a knee and holding his arms out.] Ah, uh, be careful of my left. S'better with the drugs, but, y'know...

[whatsacactus]

[It's cool. Just one guy giving another guy a piggyback ride up a treacherous slope, nothing to worry about that.

He carefully climbs onto his back, arms around his neck loose and makes sure he's not digging his knees into Hunk's sides. He feels secure so.]

Okay. Okay, got it.

[bigbrained]

[Hunk hefts him up like it's easy, because it is. Keith isn't an inconsiderable amount of weight, but compared to Hunk he might as well be. Whether or not he was carrying anybody it would still be treacherous, and he has to test every footstep not just because falling down could actually be fatal for people in their condition but also because he's Hunk and scared.

He doesn't fall, though. And he keeps at least one hand hooked under one of Keith's legs at all time, two when he can spare them. At least this is distracting him from doom and gloom!]

[whatsacactus]

[The whole way up, Keith keeps mostly quiet so he doesn't distract too much. Talks every now and then when the silence is too much though, mostly about flying. It's something he knows and is good at, so it's easy one sided conversation when Hunk can't respond.

At the top though, he's realized how tired he still is. He's almost asleep on Hunk's back but wakes again when there's open air blowing at them.]

Great job, Hunk.

[bigbrained]

[Truth be told, even if Hunk was breathing too hard to keep up decent conversation or concentrating on not dropping Keith, their supplies or himself, his voice in his ear was...soothing. It was just Keith, talking about something he liked, just making conversation like they're just hanging out and not struggling to survive.

Keith always does that, and it's something he shares with Shiro; they have a way of making the terrors in Hunk's head quiet down for a minute, have the ability to grab him from whatever tunnel he's burrowed into and make him see the bigger picture before breaking it into sizeable chunks.

It's nice. And honestly, if he had to be stuck in a situation like this with anybody, he'd choose Keith. As long as Keith is conscious, is doing okay, Hunk's gonna be okay too.]

Oof, thanks, [Hunk pants, carefully letting Keith slip from his back before bending over with his hands on his knees. No, wait, supposed to lift your arms, so he reaches up and takes a few deep breaths before taking his helmet off and looking around f-]

Oh man...oh man, we really crashed crashed. [The trench dug by Yellow's collision with the jungle is huge and long, and the Galra base is barely visible in the distance. They'd gotten far.]

[whatsacactus]

[He sits before he lays on his back because exhaustion is a real thing happening here. He feels bad for it because he's barely done anything to warrant it, but here he is, struggling to keep his eyes open.

But at the mention of their crash, he sits up on his good elbow and looks over the side.]

Jeez... I knew it was far but... It might take them a little while longer to get to us than I thought.

[Well. There's not much they can do about that. He looks around the area and there's enough suitable drybrush around, so he pushes himself up to start picking up what he can reach without standing.]

Okay. Fire for now. [A small admission that... yeah he's really cold without actually saying it.]