【 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]

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.

[bayarm]

I imagine I will. It's not my first time on a spaceship, at least.

[leaderboards]

Then you're already a few steps ahead of some of the others that've shown up, by the sounds of it.

[bayarm]

Some people have never been in space before, huh?

[leaderboards]

Apparently. I can't even imagine what that's like.

[bayarm]

I can. I've grown up on Earth and space travel wasn't exactly normal there. Still isn't.

[leaderboards]

Really? Must've been ages ago. Or- you know, however different universes work. [ it would have been a long time ago on the earth she knows, at least. ]

My parents were military, so we never stayed on Earth long. It was mostly just bases on colony worlds.

[bayarm]

How many colony worlds are there? My Earth hasn't colonized any planet. Yet, I guess.

[leaderboards]

There's a couple hundred colonies in all- or there were, if you add up all the ones that've been destroyed by the Covenant, which... has been kind of a majority. But I haven't heard exact numbers in a few years.

[bayarm]

I'm sorry.

[leaderboards]

[ there's a long silence from carolina before she takes a deep breath and finally says something, although it's not really a response. ]

If you do get home from here, just make sure humanity does better in your timeline. If there's travel or weapons or armour projects that keep getting pushed back, stop that. Find aliens willing to stand up to the Galra with you. Look for all the ancient artifacts that could give you an edge. Even if you have to make your scientists and soldiers do it yourself. Give them half a goddamn chance.