underwhelms | ( bootycall )

[The best time to probe an angry gremlin about his life: while fucked up with a weird alien sickness.]

...I guess?

[Technically speaking.]

It's not really a big deal.

[BARRING THE FACT THAT HE CRIED ABOUT IT IN HIS VLOG.]

[ It's lucky that Keith won't hit a sick person... Hopefully... ]

It's not?

[ That doesn't make much sense to JJ, but he doesn't actually plan to pester Keith about it. ]

I mean, so... Who...

[ He's not sure how to phrase this. Who do you share your life with?? ]

[He shan't...he'd sooner excuse himself.]

Nope.

[😖]

Who...what?

[Hey, look, JJ has tattoos. Maybe he should bring that up. One's got itty bitty writing on it, hm.]

[ JJ's still not sure if he'd entirely understanding what Keith is saying. He's met people with divorced parents, or who had lost one, but that felt so mundane in comparison to this.

It creates a slight twinge in his chest, though given how dismissive Keith is, he doesn't want to chance finding out how he'd take JJ trying to sympathise with him.

His fingers clutch at his towel over his thighs as he ponders how to word this. ]

Who do you spend your time with? You're not... always alone, right?

[ 8( ]

Well, no.

[But he certainly doesn't mind it when it happens.]

Before we got stuck here, I was...I think I still might be, but I was a Paladin of Voltron. [A pause, just in case that rings a bell. Thus far, nobody's recognized the name...which is fine.] A group of us were in charge of keeping the universe safe.

[Friends!!!]

Some of them are here now...but I don't know much about my family. My mom left me when I was younger.

[And dad's a random Texan hick who made a cameo for five seconds during a fever dream.]

I was just starting to learn more about my past but, that's not really important either.

[Ha ha, no need to get into Galra stuff. JJ's spared five seconds to take that in.]

What are your tattoos about?

[SPEAKING OF HERITAGE.]

[ Paladin?? Of Voltron??? JJ's clueless expression doesn't really fade, because everything that Keith's saying sounds more and more unreal. He's met some hero and military types, but defending the entire universe? How is that... How do you even...

He's trying to wrap his head around this, that Keith apparently hails from some kind of Star Trek-like existence, that his mother left him when he was a kid, and that his own past is a mystery to him.

Keith sounds more like a comic book hero than an actual person, but there he is, real and sitting in front of him. ]

Oh. [ He's gonna need more than five seconds to absorb that. ] Wait, what—

[ OH MAN he loves talking about his tattoos!! But also, this story is still sinking in! ]

Wait, your past, isn't important? Hold on.

[ His head is starting to hurt, and he just lets it fall forward again so that his forehead is pressed against Keith's shoulder like it had been against the wall earlier. ]

That's... a lot. If you jump from saving the universe to my tattoos, they're not going to seem as cool.

[And he didn't even get into specifics of lions or anything...]

Not really.

[He could stand to be less blasé. He glances down at the weight on his shoulder -- JJ's skull.]

That doesn't really have anything to do with me now.

[It's a lot, and a lot's shrouded in mystery too...but it's fine. No use driving himself nuts trying to sort it all out when it'll only screw things up in present.

There's a vague, wry grin.]

How long do you wanna wait?

[His tattoos may not have anything to do with saving the universe, but...simple things -- ordinary(ish) things, they're refreshing.]

[ Damn, that's such a cool line. And he supposes it makes sense, especially now where Keith's past has very little to do with his life in Olympia. All of their histories had been destroyed save for what they keep in their memories, but those were only sentimental. It might be better to just forget about it and remain forward facing.

Besides, despite the heaviness of the reveal, Keith almost sounds cheeky, which prompts JJ to lift his head to check.

He's grinning. Wow!! ]

Okay. Since you're so curious—

[ But then there's a tickle in his throat and his jerking away so that he can cough into his elbow.

There's a few seconds of him hacking like, before he's sighing and straightening up. And continuing on like nothing happened!! ]

I got a tattoo for one of my achievements each season for the past three years. I told you I was a figure skater, one of the best in the world.

[Oh uh.

He'll..sit patiently, wait for him to clear that. He's just about to stand up -- retrieve some water when he just....

proceeds like everything's fine. Whenever he resurfaces, Keith is totally not smiling anymore. No offense sweaty...]

So you were in the Olympics?

[Is that an ignorant thing to ask? He did say one of the best in the world, when you're the best at a sport you usually get drafted into the Olympics. It goes something like that.]

[ Goodbye, Keith's smile ;( ]

Yes! Just last year, I didn't medal though. [ He shrugs, not particularly heartbroken about it. ] But next Olympics...!

[ Just thinking about it is getting him fired up, so much so that he forgets that there are no Olympics anymore. Or competitive figure skating in general.

But that's fine, he can found the competitions on his own. ]

I want to get another one soon. [ He lifts up one leg to point at his calf, though he isn't able to hold the position for long. ]

That one won't have to do with skating. It's going to be about surviving here.

[Rip, 2017-2017.

It's nice anyway, hearing things that relate to Earth. It's been an extra long time since he's seen it or gotten to just...chill out and reminisce about it. Not that he'd ever harbored a burning desire to watch the Olympics, but it's still nice.

Maybe if he ever gets back there, he'll have to start.

He looks to the indicated spot -- plz don't hold that pose JJ you're dyin' -- and tilts his head.]

What's it gonna look like?

[A portrait of Keith.]

[ Just a giant portrait of Keith's face surrounded by poop. ]

I don't know.

[ He sinks back into the couch, slumping slightly. Despite the fatigue, he seems upbeat still, obviously excited by the topic. ]

I asked a friend to design it. I'll see what he comes up with, and maybe change it a little if I want. [ He looks over at Keith thoughtfully, eyes narrowed. ] Do you have any?

[Fucked up honestly...]

I guess it's still early...

[Depending on how long they're stranded; he's yet to find a surefire way of getting the heck offa this planet, so.][He hasn't thought about one either....somehow, JJ's enthusiasm doesn't transfer into burning desire either.]

Early... [ He's not entirely sure what that's referring to. ] Early for what...?

[ It's never too early to think about tattoos! Unless you're... an infant... ]

...You're right.

[He's mistaking that confusion for deep insight. It's too early, they've only just started out here...but they've been here long enough.

Woowao he was getting complacent there for a second, good wakeup call.]

[ the duck is going on ]

Huh? [ That's not an answer to his question... But okay. ] I'm cold, so I'm going to get some pyjamas.

[ He catches sight of the bowl of soup that Keith had brought him as he pushes himself up, realizing that he needs to eat that before it gets cold as well. Smiling, he pats Keith's head as he walks past. ]

And then I can tell you the story about how I almost died at the beach!

[Ah yes...just as planned...go put clothes on wtf.]

-- Alright.

[WHAT EVEN MADE HIM THINK OF THAT? Why did he sound so pleased-?! Maybe he has a tattoo about it? He'll spare a moment to card his hands through his hair, frowning all the while.

He'll...hear all about it in a second. In the meantime, he'll just sit tight, stare around JJ's livingroom for ancient artifacts, mothman prophecies...etc.]

( bootycall )

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