melodiesofkupo | [open video, 4/20 squeaky voice]

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[open video, 4/20 squeaky voice] | Skill Sharing!

[ The screen blips on to Hunk, reclined across a couch. Balmogra the moogle's pom-pom occasionally drifts into the top of the frame, and Hunk's eyes keep glancing towards it. As he starts talking, he's entirely oblivious to the fact that his voice is high-pitched and squeaky. ]

Hey, so with other people asking about things like our stories, our worlds, and our jobs, I realized that we don't actually know a lot about what we can all do! Like... I learned that some people have never been grocery shopping before! Or some can't cook! Or some people don't know how technology here works. Since we're all stuck here, we might as well try to help each other out, right? So what are some things you know or want to know?

Me, I know about cooking and engineering and mechanics. But I don't know anything about magic. Or how to defend yourself from a monster that's up close and trying to eat you. Or how to use a giant fork in a fight? Or why they use forks here to begin with.

[ He pauses for a moment, looking almost uncomfortable, and then- ]

And if you're embarrassed to say something you can't do, you can always send it to me and I'll mention it for you!

( This is super open and threadjacking is possible and totally okay! )

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[Hunk doesn’t know what caused the shift or has any idea why. He won’t get those answers from Hunk. He looks up at the ceiling and lets that go.

He needs to talk to Keith. Shiro shifts tacks as smoothly as he can, latching onto the subject of the Galra.] Who is Lotor and what is the status of the Galra Empire right now?

What happened to Zarkon? [He’ll ask about the fact they found him Through clues in a Galra Fighter in a moment. That better not be what he thinks it means.]

[ Hunk smirks at Shiro's mention of Lotor, of the Galra, of Zarkon. It worked, they don't have to talk about Keith anymore! So the Yellow Paladin looks tense for a moment, both from bottling his sigh of relief and, well, the tension. ]

Lotor is Zarkon's half-Altean son. [ And Hunk pauses, because that's a bombshell. ] After you disappeared, Zarkon was out of the picture for a while, and Lotor took over. We really didn't like each other. [ And Hunk pauses again, holding something in, until he just sighs. This conversation is exhausting. ]

Zarkon got better, because of the Space Witch and her quintessence. And he branded Lotor a traitor, a criminal. [ He looks away, clearly annoyed. ] Team Voltron and the Coalition, including Pidge's brother Matt, got a big win against the Empire because Lotor came in and helped us at the last second. Enemy of my enemy and all that.

[ He rolls his eyes, and then closes them tight. ] So Lotor worked with us. As a prisoner, feeding us intel, then as an ally. Zarkon wanted to trade Pidge's dad for Lotor, but it was a trap. You, Pidge, and Matt took out the generals who betrayed Lotor and you rescued the Commander. And Lotor took out Zarkon. For good.

[ And he gasps, catching his breath for a few seconds. ] We're not even to present day yet, but you gotta have questions. It's still crazy when I think about it.

[He drops his gaze to the floor to let himself deal briefly with the entire Kerberos team being alive. They all made it. Battered, likely different, but alive. Later he will process that as long as it deserves to be.

The war is always too important to permit himself to slow down. Hunk is hiding things. He doesn't fault him for that. There are clearly details that need to get directly from Allura, Keith, and Matt himself.

Shiro raises his head, watching Hunk's reactions. He isn't happy with Lotor. Shiro himself has very mixed feelings about an heir to the throne of their enemy among them.]

Let's start off small. Do we know anything about why Lotor was branded a traitor? Why did he even bother to help us? There has to be an objective or reason behind that.

You don't turn against your own for nothing or feed the other side intelligence without a goal in mind.

[He needs to know everything he can to put him on decent footing to handle their possible ally. And so he can anticipate if that's a real alliance or if he has to shield Hunk from a knife headed for their back.]

Well, Zarkon is crazy and terrible, and Lotor was running the Galra Empire. [ Hunk's eyes narrow, and despite the obvious snark, he's being completely serious. If anything, working in broader strokes makes Hunk a bit more comfortable. Less pressure, less scrutinizing. ] Zarkon blew up planets for energy, do you really think he'd be okay with a replacement emperor running around?

[ And then Hunk laughs, because what a wild time that all was. ] Lotor was in exile for a while. [ And he shrugs, nonchalantly. ] I don't know all the details, but it might have something to do with the fact that Lotor doesn't like destroying planets for Quintessence, and that he wanted to usher in an age of peace.

[ But then his demeanor turned decidedly neutral. Sterile. ] So as soon as he became the Galra Emperor for real, he and Allura started working on that. Fix the mistakes of the past. And that's where we are now. [ And Hunk smiles- it's a little forced, a little uncertain, and pretty weak, but it's there. ] Lotor's an ally, believe it or not.

[ But not a friend. Not yet. He tried to kill them too many times for that. Maybe if he ever started cracking some jokes or having some fun. ]

So, [He starts and he silently adds Lotor to the list of people he'll need to have a long discussion with should they ever show up here.] Should he show up here, we'll either be dealing with an enemy or an ally.

[He believes Hunk. Who he's not sure of is Lotor. But...he killed his own father. That is a level of dedication to a cause is undeniable. He feels uneasy about it. He'll have to see the man for himself and judge based on his actions.] Whether I trust him or not will depend on what I see. I do believe you, but this world isn't ours. He could change his mind here. We'll see.

[Zarkon is a power hungry tyrant with an obsession over the Black Lion. He pushes away from the wall. He won't need it at his back and this is more like a debriefing by now.] Thank you for telling me all this. I have a clearer picture of the state of the Empire and our team. Can you tell me about the state of the rest of the universe?

With Zarkon down and Lotor in power, that has to have caused wide sweeping changes. And a power vacuum that needs filled.

The rest of the universe is pretty fine, but... [ Hunk raises a hand, gesturing for Shiro to stop. If Lotor showed up from the past? That could be a massive problem. Given how much Shiro grilled him on Keith? He won't let his friend be unprepared. ] There's more you need to know about Lotor.

He's smart. And clever. [ But then he starts counting off on his fingers, and his demeanor becomes more stern. ] He's got purple skin, long white hair, yellow eyes, and pointy ears. He beat Zarkon in that crazy suit of armor, with all his quintessence, using just a sword. [ And while the hand goes down, Hunk locks his eyes onto Shiro's. They're already breaking the time-space continuum like a Jenga tower, may as well go all-in. ]

The worst thing is what he does to you. [ And then his expression turns angry, and those tears he was holding back start to well up again. ] You snapped at us. You yelled at us. You disregarded the entire rest of your team to take Lotor to the Krav Maga, and both of you almost died! [ Hunk realizes he's shouting, and his hands fly to cover his mouth as he blurts out a frantic "S-sorry," as if that'd stop the volume. A second later, they go down, but the tears start to flow and it's clear the only thing with composure right now is his volume. In fact, it's sunk to a pleading whimper. ]

If you find him... please be careful.

What? [He stares at Hunk in alarm, eyes slightly wide and leans back away from Hunk's anger. He's seen him annoyed. Been considering a mute button on his com a few times when he fixated on how he was right about Rolo. But this? This is his fault or will be. Guilt wars with self loathing and confusion. He stands there unsure what to do until the tears start to fall.]

...it's alright, Hunk. Stand here for a moment. [It's hard to walk away. He slips into the bathroom and gets a wash cloth, he returns and offers it to him. The short walk gives him time to think about what to say.] First, I'm sorry.

No matter who caused that, we are a team and a team discusses the course of their actions together. I should have listened to all of you and I should never have raised my voice at you. You have a right to be angry.

[Why...would he fly off the handle like that? He has never lost it at the team. Once at Slav but Slav is confusing, self focused, ignored all but his own needs while his team and friends, what he has in this universe were in danger. No matter what he did some ridiculous remark came up and he'd snapped. But the team is different.]

I have something important to ask you. ...If you don't have an answer that's okay. But it may give us a clue to what's going on. I'll give you a minute before I ask. [He waits that moment and takes the bayard from his belt. He holds it up.]
Has the Black Lion ever responded to Lotor?

[ Hunk just stands there for a moment, but as Shiro leans back, it's too much for him and he forces his eyes shut with every muscle he can muster. He can't bear to see Shiro's reaction to this, it'll just make him feel worse. When he hears his leader step out of the room, it makes him want to cry, and while he'd normally have no problems with that, it's Shiro who needs the support right now. Not him.

Then his teammmate comes back with a wash cloth and apologizes, and Hunk opens his eyes. They're red, puffy, and glossed over with tears, and he blinks twice before he can see what's offered. With a shaky but emphatic nod, Hunk takes the rag and buries his face into it. He just listens, hoping that his occasional muffled, hiccuping sobs are as close to silent as he can get. Hunk wishes they weren't there, but there's a lot of his negative emotions at play, especially once he hears about his right to be angry. He can't imagine how much this news hurts Shiro.

And at his friend's mention of an important question, Hunk finds himself hastily trying to dry his eyes, to wipe away the snot, to look as presentable as possible. The wash cloth rests in his hands, and he looks Shiro dead in the eyes, save a glance towards the bayard, and he listens.

A moment passes, and Hunk scoffs, going so far as to chuckle. A smile flashes across Hunk's face for a moment, a glimpse of relief, of hope, but he sighs and wills it into submission. This isn't about him and his emotions. ]

Not a chance. [ The tone is incredulous, but there's a hint of amusement. It's not gonna stay doom and gloom today. Not if he has anything to say about it. ] He tried to kill us, and I don't think any of us would be comfortable with him calling the shots. Ever. [ And then Hunk actually smiles. But it's faint, weighed down by the emotional strain. ] Being an ally means he's part of the Coalition, not Team Voltron.

[ At least... as far as Hunk's concerned. ]

Zarkon was able to get inside my head and through me the Black Lion. Who says the reverse isn't possible? His tie up until the end of the fight was still there. But mine was stronger.

[He clips the bayard back on his belt. It has become a habit to run his fingers over it. He's never been one for comforting himself like that. He forces his hand away from it. He won't lose it at his team. Not here. That he can promise him.]

But it can't happen here. My arm, our armor, and the bayard are all inert. If I was being controlled by magic. It will fail. I will never yell at you here. I'll get annoyed, maybe angry, we're people and sometimes we'll come to disagree. People argue.

But I will never raise my voice unless I need to catch your attention quickly. It will never be a yell. [He holds out his hand, the human one. His promise lies in the air. Seeing Hunk upset and afraid of his reactions had hurt. He refuses to allow that to happen here. Not without a fight.]

I don't know why it happened in my future. If I ever find out you'll be the first to know. [Shiro takes a breath adding softly.]

I won't ask for you to trust me. I know I have to earn it. But you don't have to be worried about how I'll react. I promise.

[ Shiro's the one who needs the support. That's what Hunk keeps telling himself as his friend promises that what happened in their home universe would never happen again. He got the apology- he's fine. It's water under the bridge, unless they learned what was going through angry Shiro's head.

So it hurt to see his friend so worried and penitent. If Hunk hadn't said anything, Shiro wouldn't be hurting like this... but then that burden would've stayed on his own shoulders. But right now? ]

Shiro... [ Is the one who needs the support. Hunk is still concerned, and his voice shows it even as his hand meets his friend's. But there's a stern sort of confidence now. He knows what's important. So he pulls on the hand with his own, using the momentum to close the distance and give Shiro a hug. A big one, even though it's just with one arm. ]

You don't have to earn my trust, you already have it. [ And Hunk laughs, because really, Shiro? ] Why else do you think I told you about what happens in the future? About what you did? I know you'll do the right thing, even if, y'know, it's weird. [ Weird in this case probably meaning a stable non-parallel time loop that they'll both laugh about when their timelines sync up after this mess. ]

It's gonna be okay. [ He gives one last squeeze for the hug, and starts to let go. There's a moment of hesitation, of slowness, just in case Shiro needs to pull him in for a longer hug. Shiro's the one who needs the support, after all. But Hunk's feeling better. There's even a smile; a real one. They can do this. They're both going to be okay. ]

[He clasps Hunk's hand trying to convey with how careful his grip is that he won't bring him harm. He lets out a surprised sound as he's drawn into a hug. He stills for a second then he wraps his free arm around him and commits to the embrace. It's exactly what he needed. If he had to guess it does them both some good.]

This whole situation is weird. But, at least I get the opportunity to apologize for it. [It will be alright. He'd make sure of it. When Hunk lets go he slowly does the same. He'll really think about what he's been told and what it means later. Hunk looks to be doing better. Shiro smiles just a little.]

It will alright. We'll do everything to make it that way. Here and at home. Thank you for telling me all you could. Should...certain people arrive. I'll have to have some discussion with them as well. [He holds up both his hands before any protest can be uttered.]

I will be careful around Lotor.

[ Of course, Shiro's right back to focusing on the task at hand. On surviving here. It's good to know that some things never change. But he's smiling. They know more about where the other stands, both in terms of adjustment and the timeline (who'd have thought?!) so... he's right. They can do this. ]

Thanks for just rolling with the fact that I'm from the future. [ And he laughs, though it's still awkward because this whole conversation is just a lot to take in. ] I have more stuff to tell you later, but right now?

[ He cracks a toothy grin. ] I think I'm gonna go for a walk- stop staring at the screen, maybe see if anything tasty's in the market. [ See: parse his thoughts so he doesn't gush on the Mognet and get the stuff for some catharsis baking. ] Unless you have any other questions?

[ Because Shiro seems good. But he might not be. Things might not be fine. So he'll leave the option open. He has to. ]

I'm good. If I think of anything I'll bring it up later. For now I'm going to think over everything you've told me. It's a lot to process.

[He smiles reassuringly and tilts his head to indicate his bedroom.]

And some exercise will put it all in order for me. As always, you're free to come to me at any time to tell me the rest of what you have to say. ...and thank you, for telling me how Commander Holt and Matt are.

I worried they- [He cuts himself off and shuts his eyes. No. He won't voice that.]

Nevermind. I'm happy they're alright. If I'm not here when you get back I went to the library. [There's so much he has to learn to keep them safe. Answers are eluding him and that never feels right. But he has to be patient. They're out there and scrambling for them will do him no good. So he'll study and gather knowledge. Waiting is never easy but he's done so much of it.]

There's a lot of research to do. Like being a cadet again in a way.

[ He just listens as Shiro speaks, as he talks about thinking over everything, coping with exercise. Hunk's heart catches in his chest the moment Shiro cuts himself off, because he knows what he almost said. And he couldn't blame him. But he shrugs it off. Finds a reason to be happy. And apparently he's looking to do some reading. ]

If you figure out how magic works, let me know! [ And he chuckles. ] People tell me it makes no sense. [ And with that, Hunk turns to put his slate safely inside his backpack. ]

Or, y'know, tell me whatever else you're working on. Two heads are better than one. [ And he starts to stroll towards the door, slinging the pack over his shoulder as he turns to look at Shiro. ]

So I guess it's like we're both cadets again. Huh, weird. [ Shiro was an ace pilot, but the idea of him poring over musty books was... unusual. Kind of funny. ] Good thing there's no tests.

[ But even as he opens the door and it rests a few inches ajar, Hunk still finds himself standing there. Hesitating. They're both saying it's fine, and Team Voltron means nothing if they don't trust each other. So Hunk glances back to Shiro, a smile on his face as he nods. And then he walks out the door and closes it behind him. It's time to put aside the tangled knots his gut and nerves had become, and trust that Shiro will be okay. ]

Yeah, I'm pretty glad there's no tests. That was enough the first go around. [That they can see. He knows how quickly a test can happen from life itself. Shiro holds up his hand in farewell until the door closes and Hunk's footsteps fade away. He turns and walks into his room, closing and locking the door behind him. Once he's in his space away from prying eyes he leans back against the wall and scrubs at his face. The storm of questions and emotions churn inside him like a hurricane. The world doesn't feel quite so stable under his feet.

One wrong step and he'll plunge straight down into the future that yawns frighteningly wide before him.

Keith found a distress signal you left in a Galra fighter.

He knows the Blades are good people. They would have told Voltron if they found him. That leaves only the empire. He drops his hand from his face to stare at his hands. It takes him a second to realize they're shaking. It's such a faint tremor that anyone else would miss it. Keith will leave for the Blades.

And he will behave completely unlike himself. He should be grateful that Hunk missed one possibility that should have been right there at the front of the lot. Instead he's worried. So very worried. Shiro drops his hands and stares at the ceiling without really seeing it.]

Witch... [He whispers and pushes away from the wall, grabbing a black journal from where it lays, flipping it open. There's nothing he can do from here. Nothing he can fix. Even the theory itself can't be confirmed. But he can start a report and lay out plans for how to take him down. If he's wrong he'll burn it. If he's right...

He'll have done all he can.]

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[open video, 4/20 squeaky voice] | Skill Sharing!

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