Ic Inbox - Prismatica

[epistemically]

Inbox

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Krolia ⬤ Voltron
residential district ⬤ text
moonblessing ⬤ Sanguis

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[bitchilived]

Hm...

[He holds his for a second, then looks around the room.]

What's the toast to?

[epistemically]

We can toast to the amount of alcohol I have purchased and to how much we plan on drinking.

[ A good plan. A good toast. ]

muffled bnl "alcohol" in the other room

[bitchilived]

Sounds good.

[He lifts his towards her.]

To alcohol.

[epistemically]

To alcohol.

[ She downs the tequila quickly, slamming the shot glass back down as she licks her lips. ]

Tell me. How would the lime help with this one?

[bitchilived]

[He knocks his back just as quick, setting his glass down a little more gently, grimacing just a minute.]

Helps cut the burn aftertaste.

[epistemically]

I see. [ She picks up the bottle, looking it over. ] I will bring the lime next time. Does this go with other drinks? Or do you just drink it straight like this?

[bitchilived]

You can mix it with other drinks, but usually people do it straight. It's one of the stronger liquors.

[A beat while he considers his glass.] Usually when someone wants to not feel anything or forget things.

[epistemically]

Well. Then let's work on not feeling. [ She pours both of them another shot. ] Life is complicated and it's better this way.

[bitchilived]

Yep.

[As soon as she's done, he takes a breath and knocks it back.]

...He'll come back. [He says it more for himself, because Keith has to come back.]

[epistemically]

I think so. He'll come back. Things will go back to normal and it will be like he never left.

[ She doesn't mean to sound so dry, but it will be business as usual. Keith will be back, everyone will be less worried and stressed, and it will be okay. ]

To Keith.

[bitchilived]

[He takes a second to think about it, then raises his glass to meet hers.]

To Keith. He brings out the best in us.

[epistemically]

He does. [ She smiles softly. ] I am glad I was able to meet him. I was worried I never would.

[ Something she never has admitted before, taking her shot. ]

[bitchilived]

[He takes his at the same time, setting the glass down a little harder.]

I'm glad he was able to meet you. I ... know it weighed on him a lot. Back on Earth.

[epistemically]

I wish I stayed.

[ She grabs the bottle of bourbon, sitting down at the table. ]

What would be different if I had stayed? [ Let's get Shiro's mind off of the other things. She'll focus on her issues. ]

[bitchilived]

Mmm... [That's something to think about. He only knows the broad strokes of Keith's life; he's sure if he asked Keith would tell him, but he also knows Keith values privacy too.

He stays with the tequila for now, hoping it'll get him drunk quick.]

I don't know if it would've kept his father alive. But I know he wouldn't have been alone for so long.

[epistemically]

[ No. It wouldn't have kept his father alive, would it? She would still be without him, but she would have her son. ]

I'm grateful that we spent time together. And I'm glad you were there for him.

[bitchilived]

Mm. [He intones and feels that first wave of liquor hitting him. He pours another shot and downs it before sort of sitting back into the couch.

He's quiet for a few minutes, just... thinking. How would his life have been different if he hadn't met Keith? How would Keith's life had changed? They do bring out the best in each other, the farther back he looks. He knows Keith would do - did do - anything for him. And by the time they'd crashed on that planet alone, he knew he'd do anything for Keith just the same.]

Was there ever a time you remember before the Galra empire being the way it is now?

[epistemically]

[ What an odd question. She contemplates it, however, glancing at her shot glass. Did she remember the Empire being any different? Once, perhaps, when she was too young to understand but did that count? The Empire was vast as it was cruel. She had seen many in the Galra command get cut down simply for disagreeing with a comrade or a superior officer. ]

Once, as a child. My mother was a lieutenant under Zarkon's right-hand man. Before Sendak rose up through the ranks and found the Red lion. She was fierce, strong, but starting to see the empire for what it was. Unfortunately, she was not trained in espionage, so acts of sabotage were noticed quickly.

I remember the night she died so vividly compared to most. She disobeyed a direct command to not rescue the head technician. Her commanding officer ran her through and left her to bleed out on the bridge. Until that day I had believed we were doing the right thing with the Empire. That the universe needed our guidance and aid to uplift them -- yet she died, eyes open, watching as those she believed she trusted move forward without her because she was weak.

[ Krolia grabs the bottle of bourbon she bought herself, pouring herself a shot before she takes the slightest of sips. She rolls the liquid on her tongue, enjoying the burn before she sighs. ]

I was what you would consider a teenager when I sought out Kolivan.

[bitchilived]

[Shiro keeps his peace, watches her as she calmly explains how she had to watch her own mother be killed for not agreeing with an order. So it seems like as far back as the oldest person he knows, the Galra have been like this... He wonders what the empire was truly like before Zarkon twisted it to what they know it as now.

When she finishes, he eyes a different bottle and considers picking it up.]

It sounds like you've made your peace with it by now. But for what it's worth, I'm sorry.

[epistemically]

Peace is relative. It simply is and was. Unfortunately, her eyes were open too late, but she helped me realize what I must do. [ She takes another sip of the bourbon. ]

If you want stories before the empire... Kolivan would have them. He is not forthcoming with those stories, but he remembers a time before the Empire when Zarkon was more benevolent.

[bitchilived]

Maybe I will if I see him again.

[Whiskey, looks like he picked up. He carefully pours that into his glass, something he can sip more slowly as he feels his muscles getting looser now. What a strange feeling, knowing his muscles are fine. They aren't at risk of spasming or hurting anymore unless it's routine overuse.]

I don't remember my parents.

[epistemically]

Maybe. [ There's a pause before she chuckles low. ] He would hate this place.

[ She loves the warmth that settles in her stomach, keeping her glass full. ]

Do you wonder what kind of parents you would have had?

[bitchilived]

Sometimes.

[He takes a slow sip of his, feeling it burn the way down.] I have to look to my grandparents to even guess what they were like, and trust their stories they told me.

[epistemically]

I hope they were kind.

My mother was kind, at least as kind as one can be in the Empire. [ Her father, however, was cruel, wanting to rise above his station by any means necessary. ]

Tell me about your grandparents.

[bitchilived]

[Well - that gets a smile. Thinking about his grandparents isn't something he's had much chance to do since everything started going off the rails for him. But they're a soft thought for him.]

They were kind. Took in their young grandson without a second thought. They understood some of the ... difficulties I had, and agreed to take them on without hesitation. [A slow sip of his whiskey.] When they saw I had an interest in flight, they encouraged it, did what they could to get me involved and into the Garrison so I could be on that road.

[He wishes he still had a picture of them.]

They were kind, hard working. Determined.