[closed] Long live the pioneers rebels and mutineers

[galrad]

Who: Keith (galrad) and Shiro (baeyard)
When: A few days after Shiro's arrival
Where: Wilders' Edge and the surrounding forest
What: Two bros catching up
Warnings: None at the moment, will update as necessary

[ It was disappointing to know that Shiro had made the decision to say with Allura in the city. It made sense, of course it did- but that didn't make it ache any less for Keith's offer to have been rebuffed. Silly as it was. Still, that had been days ago now. And at the very least, the invitation for Shiro to visit at any time remained. That, at least, had been accepted. It was fair, Keith supposed, that Shiro would want to check out the sort of life Keith was carving out for himself in the backwoods of Aefenglom. All things considered, Keith was quite proud of what he and Hiccup were creating for themselves.

So it was that Keith had made the walk back to the city walls in order to pick the other up. After all, their place wasn't exactly the easiest to find if you didn't already know where to look. That was something Keith had liked about the location in the first place. Keith's hair was pulled back; he'd already been up with dawn's first light working on taking down another tree so that they could start working on making the outside look a little- ...nicer. It was a work in progress, but it was his work in progress. And it would get there.

Eventually.

For now, though, he came to where the woods thinned, and the slums began. Walking through them, Keith couldn't help but stop and offer the parcels of excess meat and fish that he had brought along for just this reason. He might have been a little late picking Shiro up but- the other would understand. Having a dragon, a space wolf, and two experienced hunters all gathering food made for an excess of what they could eat before it spoiled.

Free of the collection of brown-wrapped packages he'd brought, he finally reached the city gates, a little flushed as he had been rushing towards the end of his packages, doing his best to give them away quickly so he wouldn't be much later. So there he came, running up to the gates and waving once he spotted the other, just a little out of breath. ]

Hey! Sorry I'm late. I got- caught up with something. [ He gave the other a sheepish half-smile, before letting out a slow breath.] So uh- ready to go?

Comments

[galrad]

[ He was glad that the other had taken care of himself at least. Any time he'd been in the city looking for building supplies, trading for tools, or taking in a magic lesson or two he had made sure to check in on the other; to at least stop by and say hi, and assure the both of them that no, Keith had not died out in the woods yet thanks.

Warmth bloomed in Keith's chest to see the other- hair cut neatly, and dressed-

Well.

Keith felt supremely under dressed all of a sudden. ]

See you took to the native fashions quick enough. [ Keith shot the other a teasing grin, raising his eyebrows a bit, before waving for the other to follow. ] Come on, it's a bit of a walk- but it's worth it, I promise.

[ Keith could hardly keep the excitement off his face, proud of what he and Hiccup had been working on. Sure, it may not have looked like too much from the outside yet- but the inside? The inside was really coming along well. Could almost be called homey, at this point, if still a little rustic. ]

How are you feeling? [ It was all too easy to fall into step beside the other, leading their way through the slums in the shortest path Keith knew thus far through the sprawling makeshift shacks and tents that grew haphazardly beyond the walls. ]

[baeyard]

[ Shiro grins as well, a laugh reaching his eyes. No sense dwelling on it, but he had his qualms. Following in time with Keith, he keeps his eyes on the path and particular marks, memorizing the route that they'll take so he wouldn't need to inconvenience Keith just to visit him. Granted, he had every intention to see his friend as close to daily as humanly possible. ]

Good, [ he answers, his expression closer to neutral than positive. ] Doctors said everything looks alright, except I'll have a scar on my leg even after it heals over. Not exactly anything different than the rest of me.

I went to talk to the Coven to ask about how I'm aligned: sounds like I'm a monster. Not my first choice, but it'll do. [ he turns and smiles a bit at Keith. ] Other than all that, I'm just happy to be with you guys after so long.

[galrad]

[ Keith was more than a little eager to show off what he and Hiccup had been building, with a little additional help from Newt with some healing plants beginning to grow in small pots in the windowsills and outside on the dilapidated and unfinished deck, until such time that they could till enough soil in order to get a garden going properly. One project at a time, Keith often had to remind himself. First and foremost had been reinforcing the structure itself, then repairing the peeled-off back wall. The flooring had been refinished, Hiccup and Keith had finally gotten the second level to a suitable living state after finishing the repairs on the roof-

Who knew, another few weeks and maybe they'd start working on acquiring more furniture- making the place truly a home, and not somewhere they were camping out part-time.

He hadn't missed the tension in the other's expression, no matter how Shiro might have tried to hide it. He knew enough at least not to ask- just rose an eyebrow, and let Shiro say as much as he wanted to, or didn't. ]

Still, I'm glad you're okay. When I showed up I was in pretty rough shape. Concussion, bleeding, exhausted. You know, usual day in the life of a Paladin. [ He gave the other a thin smile, before shrugging his shoulders. ] Good thing the healers here have a firm grasp on what they're doing, or I probably wouldn't have bounced back so quickly.

[ He's quiet though as the other spoke to the alignment, and shrugged his shoulders. ] Monster is a pretty strong term when half the population is one or the other. Seems a little- [ He paused, definitely wanting to say racist, but thinking that that wasn't quite right, either. Speciesest? Humanist? Something like that. ] ...messed up, if you ask me.

I've been trying to get this whole magic thing under wraps since I got here, but it's still a work in progress. I'm not exactly used to having fire literally at my fingertips. Accidentally burned a guy's eyebrows off sparring with him to figure out my own alignment. [ Sorry Symon. ]

[baeyard]

[ At the end of it, Shiro smiles and then starts to laugh, soft and easy. ] You haven't changed a bit.

[ When he recovers, the smile still hung on his lips, he pauses thoughtfully and muses: ] Well, no. I shouldn't say that. You're as much Keith as I remember, everything I expected, and even more than I could have imagined. I just wish I could have seen it all. [ He turns to share his smile with Keith, eyes a soft shimmer as they reflect Keith's countenance. ] You'll have to show me a little of your magic later.

[galrad]

Probably not, no. [ Keith agreed, a helpless smile spreading over his own lips. Just to have this, to be walking through the woods with Shiro talking about the ridiculousness that was suddenly having magic- turning into a different type of creature.

He met Shiro's eyes, smile softening fractionally before he nudged his elbow into the other's side. ]

Well, hopefully there's still plenty to see. I'd like to think I'm not a one trick pony just yet. And lucky me, you got to miss all of the idiotic mistakes I made too.

[baeyard]

H-hey! [ He laughs as he's elbowed, returning the gesture likewise with, perhaps, a little more gusto put behind it. He pulls Keith back in, however, wrapping an arm around his back and pulling him into a side hug. He grins. ] As if I wouldn't have been right there with you.

[ It's been years since he could ease back like this. For a moment, he's reminded of Adam and their days together as much younger men. Before Kerberos, before falling in love, just a breath away from diagnosing his illness. He will never know how to put his life into words, what gratitudes and regrets will linger with him at each point in his life, but he thinks as he glances down that he's very lucky Keith has been in his life for so long. His hand frees Keith's opposite bicep, pats his back affirmingly, and at last drops back to his side. ]

So tell me about this place of yours. I probably cast more doubt on it the other night than it deserved.

[galrad]

[ Keith huffed with laughter at the other's returned ribbing, smile spreading to a grin as the other threw his arm over him, pulled him in. ]

I dunno Shiro, seems to me you've been trying to do more of the talking me out of mistakes, rather than enabling me into them these days. Though I guess I probably could have swayed you. I even managed to get Kolivan to crack a smile- once. [ And Kolivan, whoof. As much as Keith admired the Galran, he was as serious and severe as they came. ]

It's a work in progress, sure- but Hiccup's been a great help getting it to something livable. And I think... when we're done it'll be something we can both be really proud of. It's quiet out here- the kind of quiet that reminds me of when my dad was still around. Different than the desert, but... the same sense of serenity, if that makes sense. [ For all that Allura and Shiro had razzed him, and had maybe worried just a little- Keith couldn't help but be overwhelmingly fond of the place that he and Hiccup were building. In an ideal world, where the war was over and there was no more work to be done, his shack in the desert was what he would have liked to retire to. Fix it up, make it more than just livable- really invest in making it a home, something he hadn't had in a long, long time. ]

[baeyard]

It does. [ It's just like Keith, honestly. He reflects fondly on the house and the number of times they'd escaped the Garrison for a getaway. Run down, sure, but it wasn't anything that bothered him. ]

You mind if I ask who Hiccup is? Someone special? [ His brow lifts. ]

[galrad]

[ Run down, but home. That was something Keith had been looking for, for far too long.

Funnily enough, more often than not he was starting to think he'd found it in an unexpected place...

Glancing to Shiro, Keith couldn't help the chuckle that left him with the other's question, shaking his head. ]

Nothing like that, no. He's got a fiance back home that he's looking forward to getting back to- nah, he's a friend. Viking dragon rider to be exact. Chief back home, though apparently, he's new to the job. I keep finding we've got a lot in common.

[baeyard]

Viking dragon rider, huh? [ He smiles. ] Can't say this place isn't diverse. Can't wait to meet him. [ Even if it's not this time around, he's sure he'll bump into him in the many times he'll b visiting Keith in his home.

A new question blooms in his chest as his other two are closed off. Someone special... he wonders if, in two years, that has changed at all. Even without being completely introduced to this new, older Keith, he's sure any person would be lucky to call their own. But he doesn't ask, letting the thought hang in the air; if Keith were seeing someone, Shiro's sure he'd find out in time. Shiro had never been one to pry into Keith's heart and by now he's come to understand that Keith would show it himself when he's ready.

Which, reminds him: he's rather relieved to hear that Keith is making friends, even if he's a little disappointed he hadn't stayed with Allura. Neither of them needs to baby the other, but it leaves a bad taste in Shiro's mouth not to have them together. If something were to happen... ]

I'm glad you're getting along with folks, but after this long, I probably shouldn't be so worried about you making friends.

[galrad]

Diverse- that's a word for it. [ Keith chuckled a little, before biting at his lower lip to try and keep his own smile down. Despite all of the complications that came along with Shiro- with this Shiro arriving, Keith still couldn't help but feel grateful to have him there. Clone or not, he was still Shiro, and always would be in Keith's eyes. Having Shiro there made Keith feel... well, just a little more complete. ]

I can't say that I've gotten that much better at it, but... I suppose Lance has rubbed off on me a little. [ Social butterfly that he was. He'd always been good with people; with making friends. With dragging Keith into being social whether he liked it or not. ] It helped that our first couple of nights' stay here we were essentially forced to share a bed with strangers if we wanted to sleep under a roof.

...They weren't exactly prepared for the influx, or at least that's what they keep telling us. [ But Keith wasn't so sure.

Keith was a little quieter then, as they rounded the large boulder set into the hill that marked the curve before the shack. ]

Well... here we are. There it is. [ Keith said proudly, gesturing towards the shack, where parts of the building still looked more reclaimed by the forest than not. It was coming along, though. The roof bright and new in spaces where they'd spent days patching the holes, tearing off entire spans in order to replace it entirely just to make sure. It definitely probably looked a little suspect from the outside, but... well, like everything, wasn't it the inside that counted most? ]

[baeyard]

[ Shiro cocks an eyebrow. Forced to share beds...? There's a question in his expression, but if he has one, he lets it fall to the wayside. ]

... It does seem... somewhat suspicious, [ he notes, his own mood reflecting Keith's. It's not worth it to cast judgment on them now, he thinks, but it's hard not to. The silence isn't unwelcome. He admires the yellowish woods and the way the light permeates the canopy and brightens their path. Briefly, he catches Keith's gaze as they walk and smiles softly at him; it's good to be at his side. His friend looks quite nice against the scenery, he notes as his eyes are distracted by the rock and then....

Shiro stops as he sees the shack. He's not sure what he expected, but he supposes this is exactly what he had imagined it would be. There's a stern silence as he rests his hands on his hips and casts his judgment on the space. He doesn't have much of an eye for decor, but: ]

The location is nice, [ is that reluctance in his voice? ]

[galrad]

The whole thing stinks. They just have a convenient room full of mirrors prepared, but oh they had no idea it would draw people through them? Yeah, sure. And the sky is red. [ Keith's lips drew into a thin line, brows knitting in concern. ] ...One thing that a time, though. We'll get to the bottom of it, whether they like it or not.

[ Keith can't help but watch the other's face as he takes in the shack and- well, it's not that he wasn't expecting the other to be somewhat reserved, but the reaction was still... a little disappointing. Swallowing, Keith plowed on despite the other's reluctance. ]

You should have seen it when we started. The forge- well the skeleton of one anyway- that's all Hiccup. [ He waved towards the outdoor space where his roommate was building bellows and the other necessary equipment to build his magical enchantments and intrepid inventions. ] We've got the plumbing rebuilt, that was a must, and we patched up the roof so it's no longer raining on us inside. The outside is still a work in progress, obviously- [ Because yes, even he could still see that it looked like crap. ] -but the inside is coming along really nicely. Newt even was kind enough to bring us some plants and seeds for when we get going on the garden.

[baeyard]

[ From the corner of his eyes, he watches Keith, gaze turned periodically toward the "abode," as Allura so gracefully named it. His determination is all too apparent, and it isn't exactly that Shiro disapproved, but it worries him. At the wave, he moves toward the forge with curious eyes, peering at it and letting his eyes follow up the questionable-at-best exterior of the home. ]

You're really going to grow a garden? [ He smiles, probably more amused than he should be by the thought of Keith gardening, but charmed never the less. ]