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[shiro2hero]

[Deep breaths. This is fine. This is all going to be fine. They can do this.]

[But if he broadens the search pool, the better the chances of this working out. As much as he hates to think about what he'd learned, as much as he wants to pretend it's all okay...]

[His voice is steady as ever, over the TAB. Despite the late hour.]

I'm looking for someone good with data extraction and compilation. Especially someone who can do that for alien or unfamiliar tech.

Maybe even translating unknown languages. I can't say for sure.

I'll take any help you can offer.

Comments

[shiro2hero]

[Someone had to do it. Isn't that how he always felt? Someone had to do it, might as well be him. He was what there was. All they had. And he had to fight to live up to this standard. It's not something he wants to force on anyone else, to place on anyone else.]

[Least of all someone who doesn't want it.]

I'm proud you've thought this through so much. Good work.

[And he means that. Completely and sincerely. Carefully squeezing the tense muscle under his hand. It's okay.]

It doesn't have to leave you. It could leave Allura. You have a choice here, now. While we're here now.

[But god is he proud of him. Proud and impressed. And when the answer comes, he ends up bowing his head. Breathing in slowly. Okay. Okay, there's the choice.]

[There's the answer.]

... then we'll consider this a practice run. For however long we're here.

[businessinfront]

[ Keith nods in acknowledgement; he tucks that 'proud of you' away somewhere private to look back on later, when he needs it. He's quiet for a moment, collecting his thoughts before looking back up at Shiro in a sidelong sort of way. ]

Well, sure... it goes without saying that Allura's in charge.

[shiro2hero]

[Honestly, he'd say it a hundred more times if he could. But he nods, thoughtfully.]

Meaning... if you really, really don't want to take this up, Keith... I don't think you have to.

But for now, let's just keep treating this as training.

[businessinfront]

[ He shakes his head, steepling his fingers and rubbing the bridge of his nose. ]

This is coming out all wrong. I was trying to offer to take some of the load off your shoulders, not make you reassure me.

[shiro2hero]

You're not making anything come out wrong, Keith. If I'm trying to be reassuring, that's... just me.

I can't help that, I think.

[businessinfront]

[ Keith lets out a quiet huff of an exhale. It's almost a laugh, except for how nothing is funny at all. ]

I know. That's just the way you are.

[shiro2hero]

[No. There's nothing is funny in the slightest. But... it's morbidly ridiculous. That they have to have this conversation at all. They should be making battle plans, training plans.]

[Instead... he's here making what amounts to a living will.]

It'll work out. Okay?

[businessinfront]

... You know you're more than just our leader, right? I mean— the team could still function, with someone else in charge. We're not even the first Paladins.

But... there's only one Shiro.

[shiro2hero]

[Part of him knows that. He's heard it from Pidge. From Lance, Hunk... it's impossible to deny anymore. Maybe Allura is the only one who just sees him as the head. If even that, anymore.]

Yeah, I... sort of found out more about that the hard way.

[The first Paladin part, anyway.]

And this one Shiro doesn't want his right arm to have to change himself too fast or too hard. [Get it? That's a terrible joke. To lighten the mood.] There's only one you too, man.