purusha | closed.

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[ Pidge, in accusation: ] "Lance, where are we?"

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[ Lance, with concern: ] Allura, where are we?

Edited 2019-02-05 01:41 (UTC)

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[ Allura removes her hands from the pedestals and the glow dies down. She looks at Lance with equal parts concern and confusion, before stepping forward to the viewport. The region is certainly beautiful and there are small flashes of stars being born in the distance. ]

I know this place...

[ But why? ]

But...I--I'm not sure if it has a name. This isn't home. I'm...I'm sorry.

[ She's just transported everyone to who knows where. That feels pretty awful.

But Allura is, if anything, stubborn, and she turns immediately back around to take her position again. ]

--I'll try again!

Woah, woah, woah, [ Lance catches her at the waist before she can take her place again. ]

We should figure out where we are first. Pidge, are you able to look at coordinates from here?

"Only slowly. Shiro will probably get to us before I can pin point our location. Aaand there he is now." [ Pidge pauses, thinking. ] Okay so we're in the Florian Quadrant, subsection Galak-Urlay, division-."

English, please. [ This is not said in Altean, but rather, Annoyance. ]

"We're in the Allura Nebula. About half the distance we were from Earth, but also on the nearly opposite side of Altea and Earth. I guess Allura's got the juice just not the accuracy to put us where we need to go."

...Okay, cool, how do I say like any of that in Altean.....

[ She's stopped, and looks at Lance with a frown. (Or a pout, it's a pout.)

Okay. Figure out where they are. Florian registers, but she can't really place where it is. She'd been part of all universes, which weren't all laid out the same way. Perhaps she shouldn't be too surprised that her alignment is a little off.

Allura Nebula. ]

What?

[ She looks back out the window. ]

Is this where I was?

[ The part of her that touched this universe? ]

I followed my own Quintessence signature...

[ Allura turns around in Lance's arms. ]

You are home. Perhaps I can follow yours instead?

[ Lance frowns a little. He's grown up a lot, learned his own strengths and weaknesses, understands himself better than ever, but.... there's creeping doubt in his belly. He's never done much with the quintessence left behind for him, he'd hardly believe he had any power over it. He turns to Pidge, who clearly has no idea what's going on, but asks, ] "Sounds like she picked it up, anyway?"

Yeah.... We've never warped in this ship before, right? Could it be the Atlas's fault that we ended up this far out?

"Seems likely. We can't calibrate something without any initial readings to go off of, so it could be a combination of the two. Coran and me can check it out together, see if there's anything we can adjust now that we actually have something to go off of. I think we're closer to Hunk's coordinates now too, so he'll be able to help. Whatever the case, it'll be at least a day."

[ Lance pauses, reluctant to deny Allura this, but... He's not sure he can be that much help. ] Pidge says it might be the ship. We should wait before we try again. You already brought us a lot closer to home now, anyway. [ He smiles, feeling guilty, but there's warmth there. ]

[ Allura looks back and forth between Lance and Pidge with growing confusion and a little discontent. Neither of them are looking particularly excited, which only means bad news for her. And sure enough, when Lance speaks to her in Altean again, she deflates. ]

They have been successfully piloting this ship before I arrived, I was the one who changed the course. Perhaps if I just had a heading--

You're fine, Allura. We can trust our friends to get this sorted out and we'll try again tomorrow. [ He smiles, kissing her softly as a comfort. ]</small

[ Any further protests die with that kiss. She sighs when they break apart, the nods. ]

Very well. I will trust them and you.

[ She nods at Pidge as well, acknowledging that she understands what's going on. ]

[ Success! He steps back enough to take her hand. ] We can see more of the ship now. Pidge, you wanna' come with?

[ But their friend declines, saying she wants to start on the ship calibration as soon as she can before the night cycle begins. The remaining hours are spent bringing Allura to see each person he remembers her being friends with so they can talk again. Veronica comes eventually, who's happy to see Allura, and ribs into Lance endlessly as they chat. All in all, it's peaceful, and Lance is eager as ever to show her everything. He even highlight the stop they first kissed on the ship, as if it was some how exceptionally important. --Although, it would be fair to say that every kiss had become exceptionally important to him. Memories of her lips were all he had these last seven years. He was prepared to spent many more years with only that. When Hunk arrives, they eat as a family. Lance's lips are against her ear more often than not as he relays dialogue to her. Even in just a day, his Altean seems to have cleaned up a lot; he must have known more before it went into disuse. Keith, as it's told, likely wouldn't be able to meet with them until the morning cycle began later, if not before any reasonable person was awake for the day.

The rooms they had once stayed in are no longer available; always redelegated to different crew members for each mission, so he passes up both of those rooms with some regret. Instead he leads her to his current room, no different than the rooms they both shared some years before except for a few personal effects. The blue lion plush he won for her on Clear Day sits on the dresser, which probably doesn't hold as many clothes as it could considering a lot of Lance's clothes are on the floor. There are some books around, Altean history books specifically. A few photos of family, some of the paladins. The photo closest to the bed is of him and Allura, the same as the one in his pocket, less bent. Between the dresser and the bed, a ukulele is propped up, clearly with a lot of love poured into it. ]

Er... sorry it's kind of a mess. [ He'll start cleaning now..... ]

[ Allura loves the tour. She likes meeting the people, basking in their energy and trying to find something she recognizes in it. Veronica is someone Allura takes an immediate liking to and, even if Lance doesn't translate all the remarks she makes, she gets the idea well enough.

Hunk is someone who makes her feel like a friend from the moment they meet. His warmth and his eagerness are difficult to ignore. During the meal she has an image of all of them, plus one more--Keith--around a table covered in green go. When she voices as much it brings up laughter and a discussion of that specific training episode. She likes listening to them all talk--as family. Close and cared for.

Lance's room is, somehow, predictable. The mess makes her raise her brow at first, but she finds herself smiling at how he begins to tidy up immediately. She immediately makes her way to the photos, picking up the one she recognizes the least--his family. She sees Lance and Veronica, but many of the others are new.

Or, they seem new, but... ]

I've met them before, haven't I?

[ Lance straightens up with an arm full of laundry, peeking into Allura's hands and he smiles. ]

Yeah, they're my family. Our first date was at my house and you met everyone there. [ They've all grown up considerably, his niece and nephew the least recognizable of everyone, for good reason. He points each of his family members out and names them, ending on himself whom he describes as: ] And this handsome man you are already acquainted with. [ He grins. It's a little hard to flirt in Altean, but he tries. ]

It'll be nice once you remember our date. It was the best night of my life; until today, I think.

[ She smiles, repeating after him and committing those names to memory. If she can't remember them all from before, she should certainly start learning, shouldn't she? When he points to himself, she has to raise a brow with a light smile of her own. ]

I believe I am.

[ He certainly does try. ]

I did feel something when you showed me that first picture. I...remember a large tree. And light being all around.

[ Lance nods with a hum. ]

When we first got to Earth, the Galra did a lot of damage. A lot of the things there had died or were dying. I didn't know how you did it, then, but you placed your hand on the tree and brought the entire park back to life.

... It was more than beautiful. [ He pauses a moment, eyes on the picture of them together. There was a time when he was ready to give anything to go back to that day. It felt like the last day he saw Allura really happy; so much of what followed only hurt. In that way, he sort of understands what Haggar was trying to do. The sorrow shows in his eyes, and for a moment it becomes obvious that the years had been hard for him.

He turns briefly to kiss her head and moves around her to throw the laundry into a basket appropriately. ] It'll be fun bringing you home again. Mom really liked you.

[ "You need to move on, bug...." ]

Edited 2019-02-05 07:06 (UTC)

[ Allura smiles down at the picture, placing it carefully back onto the shelf. ]

I would like to visit this park.

[ It's hard to miss the look in his eyes, though. Once he's deposited the clothes, he'll find Allura right behind him, ready to place her hand over his heart as she looks up at him. ]

You say it was beautiful, yet you're in pain right now.

[ Lance stares for a moment, no longer hiding away the sadness. How does he put it..... ]

Sometimes.... most of the time, it feels like that was the last time you were happy.

[ His gaze shifts aside, eyes contemplative. He doesn't take her hand, guilty settling in. Allura wouldn't have wanted him to go on the way he did, but it isn't as if he wanted it. ]

After that, everything was hard. Difficult decisions. Painful outcomes. It was war. I figured that's just how it is. That we would all be sad until it was over; and it had to end eventually. We had to win. It didn't make sense that we could lose after how hard we all tried.

I'm a dumb guy, Allura. I never believed your life was at risk and then suddenly it was and already I was too late. I... I should have tried harder for you. To make you smile and to make you stay.

[ He rubs his eye obtusely and sniffles. His voice drops to a strained whisper, trying to smile. ] I'm such a dumb romantic, Allura. I just couldn't get over you. [ He sniffles again and feels the choke of a sob, but holds his composure. His hand steals hers at last and he takes a breath as he squeezes it. ] I wanted so badly to see you happy again like that night in the park.

Edited 2019-02-06 07:56 (UTC)

[ Her face falls instantly as he speaks. His pain, his regret, it's palpable. She wants to stitch together the frayed edges she sees unraveling in front of her. When he takes her hand, she squeezes back, but not without moving the other to cup the side of his face. ]

You have made me happy. This whole experience could have been confusing and terrifying, but it hasn't been. Thanks to you.

[ She rubs her thumb along the blue crescent on his cheekbone.

I wish I could take your sadness away.

[ Lance smiles a little bigger at the paid compliment. ]

You have. I just need some more time. [ After a beat, he kisses her forehead, purposefully and warmly. ]

[ She doesn't feel very convinced, but just like remembering her previous life, this is likely a process. So much has changed in such a short amount of time. Allura leans up on her toes to place a kiss on his opposite cheek. ]

Are we to spend the rest of our time in here?

[ And she has every right not to be convinced!! ]

Just for the night; we can go around the Atlas tomorrow. Who knows, maybe we can find you better clothes than my sister's nightgown.

I guess you probably don't remember what sleeping is?

[ Allura shakes her head. ]

No.

[ No, no she does not.

But she is glad for one thing. She steps back, pulling away from Lance so that she can finally pull that nightgown over her head and off.

Freedom.

And puts it where Lance put his clothes. Because that seems to be the proper place. With that done, she turns back to Lance, taking up his hands as it's a gesture he has been doing often with her. ]

How long is the night?

[ Like. He shouldn't be surprised. And like. It's definitely not the first time he's seen her naked by a long shot. But, well. He supposed he hadn't quite anticipated how eager she would be to get back out of those clothes again. Nor how abruptly eager it made himself.

He stares for a moment at her and then stumbles over his words. ] Buh, Uh, It's uh....

Like? Ten varga? You've been awake around five or six now?

[ Allura takes pause, considering how long it's felt since he found her. ]

Mm...So we have twice as long as what we've spent before.

[ She tugs at his hands, leading him back over to the dresser, to the photos, and to the blue lion plush. ]

Tell me more about these.

[ She is curious, but perhaps it will help him think of something happy. ]

Ack, they're just nice pictures honestly. I get home sick easily so these help. It's always been that way. But, uh.... [ He may as well run through them all. There are... quite a lot of them, actually. ]

This one's a picture of us the first week we all met. Coran wanted commemorate the formation of a new team of paladins. This one's of me and Hunk back when we were still at the Garrison, pretty sure we're like 15 here. He's been my best friend since day one. Me the day I got accepted into the Garrison.... [ A lot of memories. As he talks, his voice clears up; he seems to have at least forgotten his sadness for now.

He stops on the blue lion and breathes a sigh as he picks it up. ] This is actually yours. I won it for you at a festival. It's the Blue Lion of Voltron; I flew it when I first came to space, and then later you flew it. Here, [ He hands it to her. ] Cute, right?

Edited 2019-02-07 04:17 (UTC)

[ Allura happily goes from one image to the next. It's interesting seeing Lance in different stages of his life all at once, something she might not have been fully able to imagine without reference. It helps put a timescale that's something shorter than eons into perspective, if just a bit.]

Hunk is a very nice person.

[ That she can certainly agree with.

The lion, though. She looks between Lance and the little blue lion, holding her hands out to accept it. ]

It's very cute--

[ --Suddenly the room is a little different. There's a pink jacket laid across the bed and Lance is handing her a the small blue lion, saying that he's sorry that it's "not something shiny". But she's all smiles.-- ]

--..."Clear Day"?

Sounds like some things are coming back to you. [ He smiles softly; alas, the memories there are as sad as the others. ]

I always wished you'd have come down with us but you were stressed. I wanted to make you feel better and this seemed perfect.

I'll take you to the next Clear Day festival. Should be later this year, if I remember right.

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