now I ain't tired of sweating for blood and dirt ( OPEN )

[galrarm]

Who: Shiro and YOU.
What: re-arrival.
When: End of September.
Where: Enso
Warnings: None now, will update if necessary.

[ Well, then.

When he wakes, there's a sense of peace--one he, truthfully, has felt little of here. That's his own paranoia's fault, really, but it's still odd. He's aware that he's likely been gone for some time--since it moves differently, here. It's hard to tell, exactly, how long it's been. Shiro hopes it hasn't been very long, but until he finds a certain someone, he won't know for certain.

So. Shiro looks, and until he's finished that task, he won't really be talking or interacting with anyone. It's remarkable how much of a one-track mind the man can have. The first place he searches is the house, which seems...

Hm. Still. He hopes Keith's here; otherwise, it might take some more effort to find him. Not that he'll complain about effort when it comes to Keith.

After that, though, he's free game--probably a day later, to be honest. Either way, Shiro's around all of Enso, re-familiarizing himself with his surroundings. Anyone he sees, he'll raise a hand in greeting. ]

Hey.

[ And those he does know, he gives a broad grin. ]

Long time no see.

Comments

[galrarm]

[ He leans into the touch easily. It's always easy with Keith, no matter what; Shiro never has to worry about that. He just wonders how long it's been. ]

I'm sorry I left. [ It's not his fault, they both know that. Still, Shiro pulls back, just enough so he can look at Keith. ] How long has it been?

[thermalwind]

Months. [He says as he leans most of his weight into Shiro. He hasn't gotten drunk in a while but, breathing in Shiro's scent and knowing he's in his arms makes his head spin. And he knows how bad things must look that his stressed state is on display.

He looks pretty close to the self of ten years ahead. His ears come to a tampered point and his eyes are too yellow. Keith closes his eyes and breathes in. There's just him and Shiro.

It takes a visible effort to return to looking just as human as his fiance. Stress does that to him. He's been on edge for ages.] It's okay. Leaving wasn't your idea and things seem to be cooling off right now.

[galrarm]

Months.

[ Can Keith hear the distress in his voice? He must. It’s not even that Shiro’s so transparent, sometimes, in his grief. He is. But it’s more that Keith knows him better than anyone. He’d know even the most subtle shift in Shiro’s body language. The tiniest change in his voice. With Keith, Shiro wears his heart on his sleeve. Why wouldn’t he? He has no reason to hide things from him.

Not after everything, after all.

He holds Keith a little tighter. He never wants to let go. ]

Still--my being gone that long, it...

[ It’s clear in the way that Keith is physically different. Gently, Shiro drags his fingertips along the side of Keith’s face. He’s still Keith, and no matter what he looks like—hell, he could turn into a potato and Shiro would be stupidly in love with him--he’s still Shiro’s Keith. ]

It’s been tough, hasn’t it?

[thermalwind]

A bit. [He leans into Shiro's touch and reaches up to catch his hand and keep it against his cheek.] I've got a lot to tell you about. But I've mostly kept the house just as it was when we were all here.

[Keith had removed the lion plaques but, they're tucked securely away. The armor and bayards are stuck away inside Lance's old room. Except for the two black bayards. Keith slips out of Shiro's hold but reaches for his hands to pull him towards their room.]

Let's lay down. I can tell you everything. I made sure all our stuff is safe. [It hurt but he kept Shiro's things in their room. He just couldn't bring himself to move them.]

[galrarm]

[ Gently, he brushes his thumb along Keith's cheek. ]

It's just you now, huh.

[ There's something so sad about that... that Keith should be alone again. It's no one's fault, but Shiro wants even more to stay here as long as Keith is. He'll follow him anywhere. Like, right now, to their room. ]

I'm sure a lot's happened. [ He's quick to lay on the bed and pull Keith close, against his chest. Their hearts beat together. ] I'm not planning on going anywhere for a while. Take all the time you need.

[ As if they won't be kissing every chance they can get, too. ]

[thermalwind]

Yeah it has. You missed some deep sea exploration. [He says as he sits up long enough to pull his shirt up over his head. He has a pattern of burn scars now and some new claw marks on one side of his ribs. But that doesn’t matter. He lays down with Shiro and there’s enough skin on skin touch that he relaxes entirely for the first time in quite a while.

Shiro is here. His lover isn’t going anywhere at least for a day and a night.] The Jormun came and told us a city below the waves was one of ours. They have use some stuff we could use to change our shape and go below. He turns slightly and points to a necklace hanging on a small hook by his two sets of armor.] It only made me look pretty Galra.

Anyway, the city was Tempide. The one the people from Umui escaped from. The library has the details we found and the spheres that contain memories. [He leans up to look at Shiro’s face and surrenders to the urge to kiss him, he’s hungry for it now he can touch him again. He should be all business and careful because his heart still hurts from the loss.

But it’s like Shiro is putting the pieces back in place just by being there.] Takashi, I missed you so much.

[galrarm]

[ Shiro's gaze lingers on those scars. Gently, he traces them, fitting a hand against the claw marks. He shifts, just to slip his shirt off, too, and holds Keith close. For a while, he just listens. Takes it in.

And when Keith kisses him, Shiro returns it all too eagerly. Then, another, as he pushes the hair out of Keith's eyes. ]

Sounds like I missed a pretty big adventure. [ He touches his forehead to Keith's. He can touch and kiss Shiro as much as he wants. He's got to be starved for it. Shiro can understand that. ] I'm here now. It feels like no time passed for me, but...

I missed you, too, if you can believe it.

[thermalwind]

Why would I doubt you? [He can’t. Not only because it’s Shiro but the ghost of ten years living and loving this man curl in his mind. He presses their foreheads together again shifts so he’s settled in top of him. It’s still not enough. He wants and needs more than this.

But that has to wait or he’ll be utterly useless in bringing Shiro up to speed.] The new island that came after that is dangerous. We found a damaged memory sphere. It broke and everyone was brainwashed by the memories inside. Some Sirens made it worse. I wasn’t affected and some others were clear of it too.

We smashed the sirens but...not in time to save everyone. [And it haunts him. It always will. Fire has been terrible before. It has been ironic that fire became his partner and friend in the red lion. But that hasn’t been the worst of it. It was once again having to fight friends and allies.] After we looking for traps.

[He sighs and reaches back to grasp Shiro’s hands and guides them to the burn scars splashed like flame across his chest and back.]

Woke up a giant fire dragon and its kids.

[galrarm]

Fair enough.

[ He kisses Keith's forehead and listens, yet again. He's glad to hear it from Keith; he knows he'll be thorough, after all. Comes from being a leader. ]

Memories... [ Mm, he can't help but think that maybe it was a good thing he wasn't around for that. Despite the strides he's made, there are still moments when the darkest memories resurface and threaten to pull him under.

Gently, Shiro traces the scars, a frown pulling the corners of his lips down. He watches Keith as he brushes his fingers along his skin, and we wishes he could have been there to help fight alongside him. He brings Keith in for a kiss, lingering and warm. When he pulls away, there's still that guilt in his eyes, but it's edged by a little teasing. ]

A dragon, huh. Now I'm kind of jealous.

[thermalwind]

I was glad you weren't around for the sirens. [He admits and sinks into the kiss, lingering in it as much as Shiro lets it last. Yes, he'd been selfishly relieved Shiro hadn't been around when the sirens wailed and the killing field was set up.

He knows Shiro's ghosts because they're his too. Just like he knows his guilt. He shifts his head, nipping at his jaw as he says,] You could have held up one of the small ones and shook it.

[He slides his hands down Shiro's chest now intent on distracting him from the darker places in his head.] We had help from Water. I...don't know what its agenda is. It seems to want to talk to us but, I won't approach it just yet. Want to see, [He rakes his fingernails over skin with a low hiss.]

what it does first.

[galrarm]

I'm sure having you there would've helped, at the very least.

[ He touches his forehead to Keith's, and-- ah, that's definitely distracting. It helps, and when Shiro lets out a breath, it's a touch heavy. But he doesn't seem anything other than pleased. He threads his fingers through Keith's hair. ]

Whatever it does, [ he murmurs, playing with Keith's hair, ] we'll face it. Make it through. Just like we always have and always will.

[thermalwind]

[Shiro's fingers unravel his braid and his hair spills freely over his back and hangs around his face like a curtain. Keith reaches back, pushing it out of his eyes. He's let it continue to grow. Eventually it will be the long braid they both remember from his older self.

His teeth are a little sharper as they find the side of Shiro's neck and scrape on skin.] We will.

We'll make it out just fine. [He considers what else to say but he thinks he exhausted what he knows so far. He touches their foreheads togther and just breathes. Then he remembers.] Oh uh, I think you also missed the clown box thing turning me full Galra for a bit.

[galrarm]

[ The little touches are grounding, even the scrape of teeth that makes him shiver slightly. Shiro runs his fingers through Keith's hair, brushes it out of his eyes. Soaks in how Keith feels against him. ]

We always do. [ And then-- ] Whoa. Seriously?

[thermalwind]

[Keith leans up enough he can stare down at Shiro's face. He missed seeing him like this...seeing him any time he felt like it. He nods, tucking a lock of his hair behind his right ear.]

Some people swapped bodies. Allura was Galra too. [He pauses at that and looks to the side, his expression unreadable.] I didn't get to talk to her about that.

[If she comes back, will she remember? He doubts it. He lays down, draping an arm over Shiro. Then something hits him like a freight train. He jerks up in bed and stares at the far wall as his face pales. Why hadn't he thought of...this? He speaks slowly, feeling out his thoughts.] The clownbox was part of the bee god. Each god has a problem and none of them remember what broke them all.

[He looks down at Shiro and rests his hand on his chest. Touching him is so grounding and he needs it as much as Shiro does.]
...Shiro could it be a god greater than them died or was split apart? Or was storyteller once more than they are? Everything that happens to us affects them. What would losing their own people do to them?

[galrarm]

[ Ah. Shiro presses a kiss to Keith's palm. Allura... He wonders if she'll return like he did, with her memories. Lance too. Everyone, really... Or maybe for once, he'll be the lucky one when it comes to "disappearing then returning."

And when Keith jolts up-- ]

Keith? [ He sits up, too, resting a hand on his shoulder. ] ... It might be. Losing a part of yourself, something that means everything to you... It can do some nasty things to a person. [ He should know, really. ] Asking them probably won't net us any answers if we do try. So I guess we have a lot of hard work ahead of us, huh?

[ But he hardly sounds upset about it. ]

[thermalwind]

[No matter what way he stares at all he knows all he can see is something bad happened. It isn't like staring at the Galra empire and seeing how it became a twisted wreck of what it used to be.

There's just holes and gaps- He scrubs his face and leans into Shiro, shutting his eyes. Instinctively he reaches for Shiro's hand on his shoulder and looks at him.]

I don't think we'll get anything if we ask Storyteller directly. We've been asking for two years.

[The water dragon. No matter where he goes in this world water comes up. His eyes narrow.] We got our work cut out for us alright. If that water dragon tries to talk to all of us, we should do it.

Maybe we'll get answers for once if we ask 'water'.