[That gets a weird sort of squeaky shiver because oh snap, someone has ticklish toes. But that's not the point right now! The point is, dad doesn't know what day it is, oh no.]
Well, it's been like...several days since we did...the thing and then...before that it was like....thirty-something days on...y'know and then...the other place and....
...uh. Yeah. Let's ask Pidge.
oh god i will tag the keith thread later he's so much harder
[The toes will contentedly wiggle their thanks, dad.]
Yeah, when there's like a zillion suns you can't exactly use that as a way to measure time. ["A zillion" being the technical term, of course.
After a pause, during which Lance folds his arms under his head and just. Makes himself comfy here with his feet on Shiro's lap:] Do you think they're looking for us? Back on Earth?
[ Not all of them, given that he's missing and presumed dead, which is really not a comforting thought but yeah. Those of them that had families, he's sure they're looking for them. They have to be. ]
A whole group going missing like that - it's enough for some alarms to go off. Besides, friends and parents and everyone else - if they try to pull what they did with my mission, people won't believe it. Not when it was all three of you.
[ Hey cool exactly what he didn't want Lance worrying about. Good job, Shiro! ]
I doubt they did, or would. A whole team?
[ That's three sets of families demanding answers and no real way to avoid it. They'd have a hell of a time trying to deny it. ]
Think about it. You guys left your rooms with things still in them, in the middle of the night. You guys weren't tenured enough to be running SpecOps, so they can't say you went on a mission that was high-risk. Running away is something you can pin on one person, maybe, but not three.
[ He can't quite hug him or grab his shoulder from here, but he does rest a hand just below his knee and squeeze lightly. ]
Well, they did it to you guys. You'd be surprised the kind of dicks-- uh. Dudes they have in charge at the Garrison these days. [Have a sheepish look, because even semi-swearing in front of Shiro is like swearing in front of his mom.
But the logic makes sense, and even the reassuring knee-squeeze isn't quite enough to chase away all the worry from Lance's expression.]
[ He can remember that much. They'd likely found nothing but the crushed remains of what was there and no bodies. He can't exactly blame them for assuming they were dead, but the rest of it is what's insulting. ]
I don't think they will. [ All this does is solidify his desire to get them home, even for a little while. Long enough to make sure their families know they're alive, no matter how hard it is. ]
...they showed the footage for months. My mom wanted to pull me out of pilot training, but my tia talked her out of it. Said accidents happen all the time, and that if I wasn't flying, I'd be doing dumb stuff like all the other guys in town, like...base jumping from the water tower.
[There's a sad, wistful fondness in Lance's voice, like there always is whenever he mentions his family. Which isn't too often, these days.]
Me neither. I mean, if Pidge's mom is anything like Pidge, they won't. [Have a vague frown.] Hey, uh...tell me to shut up if this is too personal, but, uh...do you have family, Shiro?
[ Shiro flinches but doesn't say anything else. Some part of him wonders if it'd be better if none of them were involved, but no. Either the Lions would find someone else, or worse- they wouldn't, and Earth would have been attacked so much quicker, easier. ]
I don't see her giving up easily, no. [ Just like Pidge. Just like Matt. Shiro drapes his arm back over Lance's legs, fingers tapping idly against the line of his boot once more. ] It's not too personal. I do. They -- probably think I'm dead. If that was broadcast all over, it's -
[ God, they probably had a funeral and his family had to deal with that. It's nauseating. ]
It's a little different than you guys being whisked away in the night. Don't worry, okay?
[Lance is momentarily considering a taller, more-experienced Pidge. A MegaPidge. It's a sobering thought. He's glad Pidge's mom is on their side. Also he's never moving again because this is sort of...comforting? Nice? Like when he'd watch telenovelas on the TV at home with a sibling on one side and five of his little cousins draped all over him. It wasn't until they got into space that Lance realized how much he misses casual touchiness.]
...well, it's gonna be pretty awesome for them when we blast into Earth's atmosphere and shoot the Galra out of the sky and then the collected world leaders give us all medals and parties!
[This is said with a triumphant laugh and quite a few sound effects for the "shooting the Galra" part.]
[ Maybe if he says it enough, it'll start to feel like it. Thus far, it's been a lot less conquering heroes and a lot more like they're flying from issue to issue just trying to stop what they can. Putting bandaids on wounds rather than calling a doctor, but in this case they are the doctor. ]
What do you want to do after this?
[ Is there an after this? Do they stay with this forever, until they die and someone else is chosen? He doesn't know and the realization is vaguely terrifying. ]
[Lance whistles a lively sort of fanfare, stretching and crossing his arms behind his head, feet wiggling around in tune to his made-up theme music.] Think they'll name a high school after us? Or maybe a sports stadium?
[The question gets a momentary blank look.] Uh. Probably lunch? It's almost time for lunch, isn't it? [Bless the lack of long-term plans in teenagers.]
[ because Shiro is the benevolent sort of leader, he allows the squirming and doesn't make an effort to grab his legs again so long as he doesn't kick up too far. ]
I'm sure you'll get a very shiny medal to show everyone.
[ You know, probably. Shiro glances at the clock and shrugs a shoulder. True enough, it is close to food time. ]
I meant after...all of this, but we can go to lunch, too.
Hell yeah I will! [Cue the triumphant fistpumping the air. Lance loves shiny medals.
The question makes him pause, though, thinking.] Uhh...I dunno. I mean, piloting is all I've ever wanted to do and...I mean, I'm doing that. With some, uh, pretty cool people.
[Awkward shrugging.] I mean, I've never really wanted anything more.
[ You're totally getting a shiny medal for your birthday okay he's sure he can make one. ]
They're a good team to be with.
[ It's not perfect, but given what they started with and what they've been shoved into, they're doing the best that can be expected. Shiro's proud of that. ]
Piloting was all I wanted when- [ ...Oh god, he's not going to say 'when I was your age' he's not that bad of a dad okay. ] When I was in the Garrison. Couldn't imagine anything else. Couldn't imagine this, that's for sure.
Edited (tenses are harrrdd) 2016-07-12 07:59 (UTC)
[Lance will legitimately cry okay. It will be the happiest tears ever.]
Yeah, most of them are pretty cool. [Have a grin, and a nudge from one of those wiggly boots.] Never thought you'd be piloting a giant sort-of-intelligent lion robot thing, huh? Where's your imagination, dude?
[Have the least subtle snort/snicker ever. Lance is terrible at playing along, but...he tries, okay.]
Eh, but now you have a cool spacesuit and a cool space robot and lots of cool space adventures and stuff. [A moment of hesitation:] You, uh...ever regret it?
[ Cool space suits and robots and adventures, sure. Mostly, he's just glad he's still alive so he can go after Pidge's family, so he can go after the Galra and stop them from doing this to anyone else. ]
[ oh MY GOD Lance how are you real. Shiro waits a beat and then grabs his feet, tugging his boots off because if he's going to get kicked in the face at least he won't have boots on. ]
How is that a dad thing?
[ ONE BOOT GONE, can he make it to the other--!! ]
It's the truth. What happened, happened. The only thing I can do now is try to fix it.
[JOKES ON YOU cause Lance has the stinkiest feet known to man, so he's going to wiggle his toes and let the stench fly free! Freedom!!!]
Cause, y'know. Dads say stuff that doesn't make much sense but it's supposed to teach you something? I guess? I mean, I didn't know my dad that well, but it's what I've heard.
[Have a cheeky grin.] Gonna give me a foot massage, Mr. "What happened, happened"?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
googling hasn't yielded any answers about bdays whomp whomp
It was earlier this year. You don't have to worry about it for a while.
[ Uh, he thinks. There's a long pause and Shiro tries to remember what day it is, technically, on Earth. He...hasn't really paid attention. ]
I think. I'd have to ask Pidge what day it is, technically.
there's not enough info abt these guys :( i just made up lance's bday XD
Well, it's been like...several days since we did...the thing and then...before that it was like....thirty-something days on...y'know and then...the other place and....
...uh. Yeah. Let's ask Pidge.
oh god i will tag the keith thread later he's so much harder
Seems easiest. Tracking time when you're bouncing from system to system is nearly impossible.
[ He'd tried, on the ship, but when he couldn't make sense of the stars or the suns, he'd given up. ]
tragic emotional little bean
Yeah, when there's like a zillion suns you can't exactly use that as a way to measure time. ["A zillion" being the technical term, of course.
After a pause, during which Lance folds his arms under his head and just. Makes himself comfy here with his feet on Shiro's lap:] Do you think they're looking for us? Back on Earth?
lance is just so much for him
[ Not all of them, given that he's missing and presumed dead, which is really not a comforting thought but yeah. Those of them that had families, he's sure they're looking for them. They have to be. ]
A whole group going missing like that - it's enough for some alarms to go off. Besides, friends and parents and everyone else - if they try to pull what they did with my mission, people won't believe it. Not when it was all three of you.
lance is 2much for everyone tbh
I was wondering...maybe it'd be better if the Garrison told them we....y'know. Died. That way our families could...I dunno. Not wonder.
...that's probably a terrible thing to think, huh?
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I doubt they did, or would. A whole team?
[ That's three sets of families demanding answers and no real way to avoid it. They'd have a hell of a time trying to deny it. ]
Think about it. You guys left your rooms with things still in them, in the middle of the night. You guys weren't tenured enough to be running SpecOps, so they can't say you went on a mission that was high-risk. Running away is something you can pin on one person, maybe, but not three.
[ He can't quite hug him or grab his shoulder from here, but he does rest a hand just below his knee and squeeze lightly. ]
Trust me. They're looking.
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But the logic makes sense, and even the reassuring knee-squeeze isn't quite enough to chase away all the worry from Lance's expression.]
...when do you think they'll give up?
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[ He can remember that much. They'd likely found nothing but the crushed remains of what was there and no bodies. He can't exactly blame them for assuming they were dead, but the rest of it is what's insulting. ]
I don't think they will. [ All this does is solidify his desire to get them home, even for a little while. Long enough to make sure their families know they're alive, no matter how hard it is. ]
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[There's a sad, wistful fondness in Lance's voice, like there always is whenever he mentions his family. Which isn't too often, these days.]
Me neither. I mean, if Pidge's mom is anything like Pidge, they won't. [Have a vague frown.] Hey, uh...tell me to shut up if this is too personal, but, uh...do you have family, Shiro?
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I don't see her giving up easily, no. [ Just like Pidge. Just like Matt. Shiro drapes his arm back over Lance's legs, fingers tapping idly against the line of his boot once more. ] It's not too personal. I do. They -- probably think I'm dead. If that was broadcast all over, it's -
[ God, they probably had a funeral and his family had to deal with that. It's nauseating. ]
It's a little different than you guys being whisked away in the night. Don't worry, okay?
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...well, it's gonna be pretty awesome for them when we blast into Earth's atmosphere and shoot the Galra out of the sky and then the collected world leaders give us all medals and parties!
[This is said with a triumphant laugh and quite a few sound effects for the "shooting the Galra" part.]
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[ Maybe if he says it enough, it'll start to feel like it. Thus far, it's been a lot less conquering heroes and a lot more like they're flying from issue to issue just trying to stop what they can. Putting bandaids on wounds rather than calling a doctor, but in this case they are the doctor. ]
What do you want to do after this?
[ Is there an after this? Do they stay with this forever, until they die and someone else is chosen? He doesn't know and the realization is vaguely terrifying. ]
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[The question gets a momentary blank look.] Uh. Probably lunch? It's almost time for lunch, isn't it? [Bless the lack of long-term plans in teenagers.]
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I'm sure you'll get a very shiny medal to show everyone.
[ You know, probably. Shiro glances at the clock and shrugs a shoulder. True enough, it is close to food time. ]
I meant after...all of this, but we can go to lunch, too.
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The question makes him pause, though, thinking.] Uhh...I dunno. I mean, piloting is all I've ever wanted to do and...I mean, I'm doing that. With some, uh, pretty cool people.
[Awkward shrugging.] I mean, I've never really wanted anything more.
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They're a good team to be with.
[ It's not perfect, but given what they started with and what they've been shoved into, they're doing the best that can be expected. Shiro's proud of that. ]
Piloting was all I wanted when- [ ...Oh god, he's not going to say 'when I was your age' he's not that bad of a dad okay. ] When I was in the Garrison. Couldn't imagine anything else. Couldn't imagine this, that's for sure.
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Yeah, most of them are pretty cool. [Have a grin, and a nudge from one of those wiggly boots.] Never thought you'd be piloting a giant sort-of-intelligent lion robot thing, huh? Where's your imagination, dude?
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[ Another squeeze to his boot, this time playful, not to stop him from squirming around like some sort of fish on land. ]
Somehow, yeah, that's not really where I saw my life going.
[ Despite everything, though, he wouldn't change it. ]
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[Have the least subtle snort/snicker ever. Lance is terrible at playing along, but...he tries, okay.]
Eh, but now you have a cool spacesuit and a cool space robot and lots of cool space adventures and stuff. [A moment of hesitation:] You, uh...ever regret it?
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[ Cool space suits and robots and adventures, sure. Mostly, he's just glad he's still alive so he can go after Pidge's family, so he can go after the Galra and stop them from doing this to anyone else. ]
Regret wouldn't change anything.
[ What a good non answer. ]
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That's such a non-answer, you're like a dad, you never give a straight answer, there's always a moral involved!!
I DON'T KNOW WHAT KEYBOARD SHORTCUT THAT WAS BUT :|
How is that a dad thing?
[ ONE BOOT GONE, can he make it to the other--!! ]
It's the truth. What happened, happened. The only thing I can do now is try to fix it.
IT WAS A DAD SHORTCUT.
Cause, y'know. Dads say stuff that doesn't make much sense but it's supposed to teach you something? I guess? I mean, I didn't know my dad that well, but it's what I've heard.
[Have a cheeky grin.] Gonna give me a foot massage, Mr. "What happened, happened"?
APPARENTLY
Sometimes, I guess? I don't know if that's specifically a dad thing.
[ He eyes those sock-clad toes dubiously. ]
Not likely. I'm just trying to avoid getting kicked in the head.
[ PAUSE ]
Again.
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