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[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

[bigbrained]

[Looks around...] We can't exactly catch any animals right now, and I don't know if we can even eat the animals around here...but I do know the plants.

Gimme ten minutes. [There's a wooded area further back from the cliffs, and already Hunk sees a few things he can use, so here, have that water and just hang out by the fire, he won't go too far.]

[whatsacactus]

...Right.

[He watches Hunk go and some part of him is worried already. But he shouldn't be. Hunk's been shown to take care of himself just fine, he just... Wishes he could get up and go too.

He focuses instead on what he can do, and after a solid twenty or so minutes, he gets a small fire going. Makes sure it's covered from the cliff as best he can with some underbrush and rocks and leans back against the biggest rock nearby.]

[bigbrained]

[Keith's got nothing to worry about; Hunk comes lumbering back with an armful of forest goodies, which he drops down next to the fire as he sinks to his knees and starts preparing. Look, this is cooking. He can't fight and he can't be brave and he can't start a fire, but he can carry stuff and he can cook. Just those fruit things, as good as they are, won't be enough.

He spreads out two big leaves before taking various mushroom-looking things and plucking off stems and leaves, breaking bits in half. There are a couple nutlike pieces that he cracks under a rock before crumbling the insides over the chunks and then he wraps them both up in the thick leaves to make two packages and then just chucks them right into the fire.] There! Let that cook until those leaves go black. It ain't steak and potatoes, but it'll be pretty good.

...or it should be. I'm experimenting a little, tell me what you think.

[whatsacactus]

[When Hunk comes back, Keith's eyes shoot open. He definitely didn't fall asleep again, not at all. He can smell some of the things Hunk brought back, but he watches eagerly what Hunk does to prepare it all.

It's all new to him. Honestly, back on earth, his favorite food was beans straight out of a can cold, so everything Hunk does? Amazing. Whatever comes out, he's sure it'll taste delicious.]

I will.

[The silence is comfortable though, now with that crackling of a fire so it's not too eerie.]

[bigbrained]

[Keith......no.............never say that aloud or Hunk will openly weep]

...you wanna sleep while we wait? You did the most running around today and you were on patrol before that.

[whatsacactus]

[Hunk you saw his shack, his table was cinderblocks and a piece of plywood. What else would you expect.

But he looks at Hunk, kind of glad for the dark so it's not so obvious how exhausted he is.]

You sure? Could keep you company. [He worries.]

[bigbrained]

[don'T SAY IT]

I'll wake you if I get scared. [He will, too. He'll wake you and he'll cling to your arm.]

[whatsacactus]

[The corner of his lip turns up in a little smile. With that, Keith settles in against his big rock and watches the fire. Watches the flames flicker and Hunk's face on the other side of it, glad they're at least safe. They'll figure all this out.

They'll be fine.]

[bigbrained]

[Hunk spends his time alternating between stripping them some twigs to use as chopsticks, taking a drink of water, finishing that fruit gourd he'd started on earlier, and watching the firelight flicker against Keith's armor and face, like he belongs to it. It's really peaceful for a while.

...for a while.

After a moment though, Hunk comes to realize that he can hear some kind of animal cries echoing up from the forest below. Probably normal nighttime stuff. Maybe like, lizards looking for girlfriends or boyfriends or something. Totally just lizard mating calls, or frogs, or not a grunting growling reptilian monster waiting to scale the cliff with its razer sharp claws to feast on a chunk of Hunk.

...........OH WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT THE LEAVES ARE DONE, gonna nudge Keith before fishing those out with a couple sticks.] Okay, food's up, also what do you think that sound is? Probably just a little frog, right? Space bullfrog?

[whatsacactus]

[He jerks awake at the poking, still tired and bleary eyed and trying to get a read on the situation before he settles down again. Right. Cliff. Hunk. Waiting for the team.

He sort of smells what Hunk's cooked and watches him fiddle with getting it out of the fire, but Hunk is doing that thing when he's nervous and asking a million paranoid questions.]

I don't- I don't know. Probably?

[bigbrained]

Yeah it's probably a frog. [There we go, got those out. Opens one of them carefully with a set of chopsticks; it's steaming and smells kind of like vegetable curry, and he sets it down on the ground in front of Keith and hands him the chopsticks. Do you know how to use those buddy? Hopefully because Hunk is still babbling to himself as he gets his own meal ready.] Yeah, I mean, the frogs back on earth always sounded like bloodthirsty monsters, especially during mating season, who doesn't sound like a bloodthirsty monster during mating season? Humans do it too, totally, definitely, yup.

[whatsacactus]

[He takes the sticks and.. assumes they're meant to be chopsticks. He sort of learned from Shiro back at the Garrison but whether he's any good at it now will be realized as he tries to position them in his fingers.]

I wouldn't know. I mean, about the human part of that.

[Wait for it.]

Being Galra and all.

[Look! He's making joke at his own expense for you, Hunk!]

[bigbrained]

[bigbrained]

.....heh.

Ah haha...! I get it, I get iiiit. Galra Keith is so self-aware.

[bigbrained]

[Digs into his food with gusto] I wish everybody else got to see more of this side of you, but at the same time, I'm kinda glad? Makes me feel all special.

[whatsacactus]

Stop calling me that. [But Keith is smiling when he says it; there's no heat or frustration, it's just their Thing now. It's honestly sort of good, having Hunk point out the different aspects of him. Parts of himself he forgets sometimes with everything going on and what's expected of him.

That comment though - Shiro always knew this part of him was here. He picks at the food, just... sort of thinking about it.]

Not like they give me much chance to.

[bigbrained]

Ahhh, it's not all their fault. You were kind of a legend at the Garrison, y'know? Like a cryptid. [Blows on a piece before popping it into his mouth. Hmm, not bad.] All the pilot cadets wanted to be you, everyone taking self defense wanted to watch you... It's hard to just walk up and make friends with a guy like that.

Let's face it, if it weren't for Voltron, you and me would probably never have talked.

[whatsacactus]

What?

[He stops eating and watches Hunk. His voice is genuinely surprised. He had no idea that's how people thought of him back there. Most of his memories of the Garrison are his times with Shiro and getting kicked out after Shiro left. Not much paid attention to anyone else.]

Is that true?

[bigbrained]

[Yeah, still, it's tried and true that the Garrison's management wasn't exactly the best and the brightest. Or the most honest.

Hunk lowers his leaf packet and gives Keith a quizzical look.] Well...yeah. Why d'you think Lance was always at your throat at first?

[whatsacactus]

I... I dunno.

[Well now this is embarrassing. He focuses on eating instead of how apparently he was that well known and didn't even realize it. Shiro probably knew, holy crap.]

Figured he just liked fighting. [Keith was always just reactionary. He never really cared one way or the other.]

[bigbrained]

...well, I didn't tell you this, but it's because he saw you as a goalpost. He got so frustrated when you got kicked out... [Shakes his head and sighs.] He turned it into an 'I hate Keith' thing because that's just how he is. [Y'know, stupid.] And then you didn't recognize him, which probably hurt his feelings- he can be really sensitive.

[whatsacactus]

[He takes another bite; honestly it's delicious but they're having a serious conversation so he can't just interrupt that and derail as much as he'd like to.]

Well that's stupid. The 'I hate Keith' thing.

[As far as he's concerned? It's all in the past. They're paladins now, working as a team as equals. That's all he cares about.]

It doesn't matter now anyway. [Still. Something is weighing on him that normally wouldn't.] You've known him a long time huh?

[bigbrained]

Mm- I dunno if that's the case. We got paired up for a couple exercises, then stuck together after that. Wannabe pilot, wannabe engineer...made sense. [It helped Lance that Hunk was smart and it helped Hunk that Lance was funny and didn't mind him rambling or being an airsick space cadet.]

[whatsacactus]

You're not a wannabe though. You are an engineer.

[Absolutely no hesitation on that. Hunk you are so much smarter than him sometimes it astounds him that you remain friends with this idiot.]

[bigbrained]

[Shrugs a shoulder uneasily.] We're all paladins of Voltron now. No rank at the Garrison can beat that.