【 VIDEO 】un: paladin

[bayarm]

[ yet another new face. but someone familiar with it might recognise that shiro is presently inside the castle of lions. ]

We’ve all been told about the anomalies; I got the welcome package same as everyone else, I assume. But I’m wondering — is this still the same galaxy? The same universe? Before I came here, I was falling through a wormhole.

[ for a moment, his expression shifts from neutral to something sad, almost pained. it doesn’t last very long. he wishes he knew where the rest of his team was, whether they’re all right. at least allura is here, but pidge, keith, hunk and lance? he can only hope they're okay, and the forced inactivity doesn't sit well with him. ] I come from a planet called Earth, but I recently learned that there are a lot of space-faring races in the galaxy and that most of the galaxy has already been taken over by the Galra.

Does any of this sound familiar?

[ from what he's seen on the network so far, the question will likely be answered in the negative, and so a moment later he adds: ] If it doesn’t, and this is another universe, — any ideas on how to get back?


( ooc; and for all your ooc plotting needs, shiro on the intro/cr meme! )

Comments

[leaderboards]

Just a big collection of pretty unpleasant aliens who tried to exterminate humanity as soon as they found us. It was pretty messy for a while there.

[ her tone is almost... too even, there. as if she has to be careful to make it just information and no opinions. she really doesn't like to talk about the war, but it's necessary for the sake of information exchange. ]

[bayarm]

Ah. [ just a noise of acknowledgement. after a moment: ] I'm sorry.

[leaderboards]

I'm sure humanity's just as tough in your universe as it is in mine. It's alright. [ no, it's not, but war never is. ] What are the Galra like?

[bayarm]

Physically? Tall, somewhat purple. Some of them have scales and some fur. They're also cruel and exploitative.

[leaderboards]

They've got that in common with the Covenant, at least. I'm guessing you fight them?

[ him specifically, she means. not humans on the whole, because she knows that they'll always find some way to fight back against anything that comes at them, no matter what size or colour of monsters they are. but she's suspecting a personal edge from him, too. ]

[bayarm]

[ is he that transparent? probably he is, though at least half of that personal edge just comes from having been in galra captivity for a year. ]

I am.

[ a beat. ] And you the Covenant?

[leaderboards]

Sometimes. [ it's complicated. that war isn't really the one that's been on her radar these last years, but the the covenant can't really be trusted so if she hadn't been so messed up with project freelancer, then revenge, then charon's manipulation of chorus- well, she's sure she would have been fighting aliens at some point. ]

Humanity's been doing a lot of infighting on top of what the Covenant throws at us. Insurrectionists and pirates are threats a little closer to home.

[bayarm]

That doesn't sound good.

[ infighting happens, shiro has no illusion as to humanity's goodness in that regard, but he can still regret it. ]

[leaderboards]

It isn't. I've seen a few bad fallouts by now, but so long as people on different sides keep thinking different things, there's nothing to be done about it outside of just surviving.

[ which is a monumental task in and of itself, some days. ]

[bayarm]

How bad is it?

[ "just surviving" doesn't ever mean good things ]

[leaderboards]

Depends on the planet. We've got a lot of colony worlds and some of them are doing better than others. Before I got dragged here, I was trying to help take back a planet where civil war was being manipulated by a corporation and its hired help, so they could take over the ancient artifacts on that world. [ and damn, she really does hope chorus is going to be alright. they were so close. what if she never gets to see the outcome? ] Similar and worse things have happened all over.

[bayarm]

That sounds like the kind of thing the Galra Empire does in my universe. Exploiting planets that can't help themselves.

[leaderboards]

Assholes are a constant no matter where you are, I guess.

[bayarm]

( shiro wants to believe in the good in people, but not to the point of wilful blindness. )

Unfortunately.

[leaderboards]

[ there's a beat of silence from carolina, then an audible breath. ]

If any of your Galra-fighting friends show up, I hope it's a happy reunion.

[bayarm]

( that gets a smile from shiro, audible in the way his voice warms. )

One of them is here. ( and he still worries about the others, but — at least allura is no longer alone. at least he isn't. that's something. )

[leaderboards]

Ah. [ she catches that warmth and it makes her feel a little less glum about their topic of conversation. ] It's good to have someone watching your back. I'm glad you do.

[bayarm]

How's that for you?

[leaderboards]

Two of my old team is here. It's complicated.

[ with one of them, at least. ]

[bayarm]

Do you want to talk about it?

( complicated rarely means anything good, does it? )

[leaderboards]

Didn't leave one of them with the nicest goodbye, the last time I saw him. Let's leave it at that.

[ for now, at least. she probably should get it off her chest at some point, directed at someone who doesn't have any sort of project freelancer bias, but it's still pretty raw. ]

[bayarm]

Of course.

( part of shiro wants to ask more questions, to get a better grasp of who she is as a person. he won't, though. ) Have you been here long?

[leaderboards]

No, just a few days. You?

[bayarm]

A few hours.

[leaderboards]

You'll adjust.