#1D2951

[paladads]

[ It's his first time posting to the forum and Shiro's hex code is a dark blue, easy on the eyes. ]

Hello! I'm Takashi Shirogane (you can call me Shiro for short), back home I'm the captain of the IGF-Atlas. Some of you may know Keith, he's been around the forums a little more than me, we're both from the same world.

When I got here I noticed that the environment changes around the time those "quests" are completed, always after people have worked together toward a goal ... however weird it may be ... and on a side-note, thank you to whoever had enough influence to turn the harbour so colourful. It looks great.

Anyway, my point is that maybe we could all spend a day getting to know each other. I think it's a good idea for us to stay alert with the trees encroaching on the town but it can't hurt for us to come together and see what outcome an en masse meeting has. Maybe any new friendships formed will affect Chroma in a positive way in the future. In my experience team-bonding exercises can only lead to good things, and I think the community could benefit in the long term from a day spent opening up to each other.

So! I'm not suggesting a wild party, but some food definitely wouldn't go amiss. Would anyone be willing to cook for the town? We could work out some games too, like a competition to draw a town flag or figure out a motto, and music would also be great if we have any musicians with us. Whatever you can think of, feel free to suggest it.

I firmly believe that activities which bring us together can only make us stronger.
I look forward to getting to know more of you.

:)

Comments

[parakalein]

[ Out with it, Romeo.

Keith draws close instinctively, even when he's busy preparing the instant noodles, boiling the water first and setting aside two bowls. When Shiro heads for the stove, Keith gives him a crooked little grin.

Okay, so he kind of likes domestic times with Shiro, where they banter like old friends who have come to know so much about each other. ]

Who's this friend?

[paladads]

[ His head tilts toward Keith to lay against his leg as Shiro continues prodding sticks into their crackling fire, the lack of an arm meaning his cheek smushes against a thigh for balance. That's his excuse. ]

His name is Jiro.

[ His M&M Paladin character, said so smoothly he could sound serious. ]

[parakalein]

Jiro.

[ He says flatly, looking down at him. Keith wasn't there for the M&M thing, but he's pretty sure he's made-up. ]

So who's this Jiro, then?

[paladads]

He's got this thing for a guy called Pe ... ith. Peith. And so, uh, Peith recently found out he was super strong too and I guess they just need a point of reference.

[ The way he smiles up says he didn't, in fact, just spin the worst bag of lies known to the galaxy. ]

[parakalein]

[ ...omg Shiro.

Keith raises his brows at him -- usually he's not that quick on the uptake, but this time Keith is definitely attuned to Shiro's good-natured shenanigans. ]

is that right? So where did you meet this Jiro and uh... Peith?

[paladads]

[ Whining, he turns his face to rest against Keith's thigh, poking his knee with a stick. ]

Can you please just answer my question?

[parakalein]

[ Keith huffs, laughing softly and ruffling his hair with open appreciation. Shiro is adorable when he wants to be, and he chucks his chin playfully. ]

I'm not sure, myself. But I only noticed I could do that during my time on the space whale. But tell me more about Jiro. What's his story?

[paladads]

Well, [ Keith has no idea the nerd he's just unleashed, ] Jiro was born to be a Paladin, chosen from an early age because of the bright spark that lived inside him. Before he could complete his training, however, a leviathan demon attacked the place where he lived and murdered his master!

[ He got really into Monsters and Mana, okay. He's not mentioning the fact Jiro died! ]

Oh, you might know more about Peith than me, though.

[parakalein]

[ Oh, his ridiculously cute nerd. But Keith is more baffled by the whole Jiro thing and how he seems to have come up with a story for him already. ]

A leviathan demon?

[ Okay, they definitely don't have these things. ] Mm, do I know this Peith?

[paladads]

A demon that burns everything for fun.

[ Keith is joined as Shiro stands up, the last of the sticks in the stove to free up his hand, grasping at the front of Keith's top to tug him in for a nuzzle. ]

You get to make up Peith's history, give him a plotline and an endgoal. They're Monsters and Mana characters, everybody sat down and played a few rounds in the castle while you were away with the Blades. I think I should make a new character though, that way we can write their story together.

[parakalein]

Huh?

[ A demon that burns everything for fun, and then something about making up some imaginary person's history, a plotline and what --? Keith stares blankly at him, stepping into his arms easily to wrap an arm around him, resting his chin on his chest as he looks up. ]

You gotta start from the top, what's a monster and mana and how do you play it? You write their stories?

[paladads]

[ What follows is an enthusiastic description of Monsters and Mana as Shiro wraps his arms around Keith and leans against the kitchen counter, describing all the different classes of player and how to build a backstory that can prompt a plot with other players. He loves the imaginative and interactive nature of the game and clearly has fun making up a die-hard Paladin several times over (Jiro's death is revealed), never even considering another type. ]

You should play with us the next time we all sit down for a game, I'd love to weave your character's story into mine.

[parakalein]

[ And Keith listens -- he listens because Shiro comes alive like this, animated and happy to share, and he wishes moments like these could last forever. He might not know the ins and outs of it, but he knows that Shiro likes it, and that's what's most important.

Also, too, that he really, really likes being a Paladin.

He's thoughtful, just for a moment. ]

So maybe Peith needs to be someone who keeps Jiro from dying.

[paladads]

He should have other goals too, but thank you. Jiro appreciates everything Peith is gonna do for him.

[ As evidenced by the way Shiro playfully slides his hands down Keith's thighs to lift him up, repaying the treatment from earlier and depositing him on the edge of the counter. The narrowest counter in the world, perhaps, because he has to press forward to keep him perched there. ]

Will Peith let Jiro show him how grateful he is?

[parakalein]

Peith has goals. Keep Jiro alive, and take down anyone dangerous. And maybe he could have a pet hippo.

[ Okay, so maybe he's warming up to the idea of a baffling game of made-up shenanigans. Shiro is so excited, and it feels like he would be the worst if he pours cold water on what he likes. And honestly, he just wants to cultivate it.

Smiling, all soft and pleased, he captures his chin and draws him closer, their noses gently brushing. ]

He gasps softly when Shiro hefts him up, arms wrapping around him, his legs, too, so he gets to cling nicely while he practically hangs off his shoulder. ]

And also, that depends on how Jiro wants to express himself. Maybe you can demonstrate.

[paladads]

He could get him that pet hippo, for starters.

[ With Keith the taller of the two now, Shiro rests his chin on a chest to look up. ]

Is there anything Peith wants?

[parakalein]

[ He's so pretty like this, he swears, so handsome, so open, his hands come to cup his face. ]

I want so much. [ He says softly, searching his eyes, legs still around his waist. ] I want to get to know everything about you. I want to learn about what you like, what you don't. What scares you.

[paladads]

[ The last request pinches his brows together, Shiro planting his forehead on Keith's shoulder as he squishes him against the counter's cupboards in a hug. ]

You help me forget all of that, Keith.

[parakalein]

But I know it doesn't go away.

[ It never does. Sometimes Keith wakes, half-expecting to be all alone, that abandoned orphan in Texas. Or watching Shiro slip through his fingers. They don't go away. He exhales and cups his face with a quiet sigh. ]

And I want to be there with you, when it feels unforgettable.

[paladads]

[ He shakes his head, never wanting Keith to know what Shiro experienced as a prisoner, as the champion. He can't share that. He can't. ]

It's too much. Please, Keith ... Don't ask.

[parakalein]

[ It's awful, how the look on Shiro's face breaks his heart all over again. He looks pained, ashamed, and he tugs him into his arms more firmly, wanting desperately to comfort. ]

Okay. Okay. It's okay.

[ They have a long way to go with this, together, and Keith has to be patient. He must. ]

You don't have to tell me. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.

[paladads]

[ One day he'll go into it. The bloody battles, the rampant murder of tentative new friends who were fellow prisoners before he watched them literally crushed into mulch by opponents who wanted to do the same to Shiro, being bought for whatever alien wanted to be alone in a room with him whenever he won so that a victory was yet another horrid sentence. All the wishing that he had let himself die in the arena, especially after his initial transfer to Sendak's ship; fur against the back of his legs, hot breath on his neck, and Sendak's voice in his hair ...

Shiro shakes his head and buries a kiss against the curve of Keith's neck, forcing his eyes open to memorise the warm skin that keeps him grounded here. No, he can't never tell Keith about any of what happened during the year Shiro was a plaything of the galra empire, it would put a mark on him he doesn't want to own. He won't let Sendak or any of his other abusers have the last laugh. ]

Let's just make dinner, shall we? Those noodles must be done by now and I'm starving.

[parakalein]

[ His fingers are curling in his hair, cradling Shiro to him as guilt twists in his chest. Things were going so well; Shiro was happy and flirty, and of course Keith had to come and ruin it.

He doesn't have much of an idea of what happened, although he could make pretty educated guesses, but it still won't come close to what he's endured. He sighs, nosing against his ear, hands rubbing down his back as he gives him a squeeze. ]

I'm sorry, Shiro. I'm always here for you. With you. Wanna go clean up first, I'll get the noodles ready.

[paladads]

[ He nods, heading off to their compact bathroom to have a bracing wash and slough off the sombre mood. A little refreshed when he returns, he slings an arm around Keith and settles in besides him. Bad memories fade with greater speed whenever he has Keith nearby and lately their increased intimacy is doing wonders for his aching heart. No surprise there. ]

Hey, chef.

[parakalein]

Hey. [ Keith's not a nickname kind of guy -- he's not very much of an anything kind of guy; he just is, insular, prickly, with a quick temper and an intolerance for stupidity and a great love for the stars. But things change, a little, with Shiro and his pet names. He tests a new one out, and he murmurs. ] Puppy.

[ He feels oddly stupid saying that, but Shiro looks like he could definitely use a pick-me-up after the minefield Keith stepped into earlier. Leaning briefly into him, their noodles already into two different bowls, he nudges at him. ]

You like that?