Well, now that you're dead...

[toastysocks]

The Train to the Afterlife Meme
 

 

Congratulations: You are dead.

Maybe you know how, maybe you don't. Perhaps the memory is fuzzy, or perhaps it's crystal clear down to the look in your comrades' eyes. Maybe it was your time; you've done all you wanted to. Or maybe you weren't at all ready to go, maybe you went out kicking and screaming - but none of it matters. You know you're dead, and the train is taking you to an afterlife. Perhaps an afterlife of your choice; you might've earned that heaven. Or perhaps you've earned something else entirely.

It'll be a bit of a journey, though, so you might as well take your time and talk to the other people in your coach. Death knows no place: most of them are strangers, even from faraway worlds. But death knows no time either, so who knows, some of them may be people you know, even if last you knew, they were alive - or long gone.

Oh look, here comes the snack cart.


All the usual:

• Post with your character's name and canon in the subject line.
• Said character is now dead for whatever reason - canon, AU, what have you. They are on a train with other dead people from many other times, places and worlds.
• Characters don't know for a fact where they're headed - just a general awareness that they're going to some kind of afterlife. Whatever they think it is is up to the player.
• This meme is built especially for cross-canon interaction, and potentially for threadjacking and group threading - if you're interested, may be a good idea to state as much in your subject line.
• Tag around and play nice!
• TRIGGER WARNING: Meme obviously deals with death and may deal with other unpleasant themes as a result. Please be cautious.

Comments

Keith | Voltron: Legendary Defenders

[redpaladin]

[headspacedad]

[He's already seated next to the window, arms folded loosely across his chest, head turned just enough to be aware of the shadow scenery zipping past but he turns at the sound of someone in the passage beyond.

And his eyes go wide

and then impossibly sad and he's standing up, looking the way he always has and his voice is the same way it was the last time it was heard.]

Keith.

[redpaladin]

[Losing Shiro hadn't been easy, especially when that made the second time Keith had to live through his "death", only this time it was ...pretty clear there would be no return for him.]

[He'd barely had time to mourn and the only proof he had was the fist shaped dent in the wall in his room.]

[But he had a team to worry about, that was what Shiro had wanted, right? he had to lead Voltron. He had to carry on this fight without him to make sure he didn't have to die in vain. He had to do him proud, somehow. He didn't think he believed in the afterlife but the idea that Shiro was watching helped hold him together those first few days.]

[When it was all said and done, he likes to think he didn't do too awful of a job. He knew new he'd never fill the kind of shoes Shiro left behind.]

[Keith goes out in what felt like the final seige against Zarkon. It was stupid, he knew, as the leader he shouldn't have been taking a risk like that, but it was fine. He knew someone else who could take his place just as well and with his sacrifice, he made sure they had a means to finish the fight.]

[When he dies, he doesn't feel that bad about it. He might have a fleeting regret or two, but he knows the universe is in good hands.]

[Now that he was here, he was on a mission. So that sound was probably Keith going through all the train cars and looking at all the seats because Shiro fucking had to be here. When he calls out to him he stops.]

[Shiro will note that Keith does look a little bit older than he remembers, his face is more mature and he's gone up a few inches. It looks like he died in his paladin armor, with it damaged and charred. He has a few small visible scars anywhere skin might be exposed. His eyes are hardened and clear all up until he sees Shiro, and then it's like someone pushed him back a few years, eyes wide and sad like the teenager he used to be.]

Shiro!

[He practically throws himself at him, sorry.]

[headspacedad]

[Being dead hasn't done anything to dim Shiro's observation skills and he takes in the changes in Keith in the tick or two that they stand, frozen, across from each other.

And what he sees eases the tension in his chest that's been there since he first came to this place.

In that second or two he doesn't see a broken man, he doesn't see someone that threw their life away in rage. He sees a soldier that's been through fires, that's persevered, that's walked the hard path and found his footing there with earned confidence. He sees a man that holds himself like a leader, like someone to follow, someone worth following. And he sees clear eyes and he sees peace in them.

It's everything he'd always known Keith would become, the fulfillment of the promises he's always been and the swell of that inside him is almost enough to make his eyes burn. So he's smiling, a Shiro smile, the one that says you've done so good and he's so proud and he knew you could do it all along and his arms are already opening as Keith throws himself forward.

The impact even knocks a single laugh out of him and he winds his arms tight and complete around the other man, pulling him in close and not letting go. There's something like tears and laughter and pride... so much pride... in his voice.]

I knew you could do it. I knew you could.

[redpaladin]

[He'd die a hundred more times if it meant he could hear that sound again. He crashes into him, arms latching tightly around him. He's older, he's walked through hell, and he's raised triumphantly against an armor conquering the Universe, but in this moment he clings to Shiro like a child and he lets out one, single anguished sound before he pulls himself back together.]

[But he doesn't let go. He won't let go until Shiro forces them apart, he just wants this moment to last as long as it can.]

Should lay you flat for doing this to me twice.

[There's no actual malice in his words, of course. Doesn't mean he won't still do it.]

[headspacedad]

[Shiro's arms tighten, just a little bit more, on Keith at that escaped sound and the way he holds his friend says it all. He's there. He's not letting go.

He's got him now.

The laugh comes again, a little rusty but straight out of his chest a moment later at Keith's threat and he lowers his head to rest his jaw against the side of Keith's temple. Smiling. This. This is what he wanted... what he hoped for. This is the Keith he'd hoped to see at the end of things.]

I might deserve that. [No guilt or self-loathing in the words, but - understanding. He knows. He's had to make peace with it but he would have wished for more time.

It doesn't matter now. What matters is that the man hugged tight to him is whole. Inside where it counts.]

And you'd have to let go of me long enough to take the swing. [Not a request. Shiro's not letting go. There's pride in his voice.] You look good.

[redpaladin]

[Keith leans his head just a touch into Shiro's and revels in the feel of his laughter. It felt so warm and familiar he could scarcely tell it's been upwards of five years since he's seen him last.]

[Despite his words, Keith still makes no move to make good on his threat.]

I've got time.

[His tone and what he says though, does garner something of a faint fluster out of him. He leans back, not breaking contact, his hands are still securely on Shiro's bicepts. His smile is vaguely embarrassed.]

You think? I'm sure I look like mess right now.

[He glances down at his torn up armor and of the number of burn marks in the plating.]

[headspacedad]

Sure.

[There's no doubt at all in Shiro's voice and while one arm relaxes around Keith's shoulders without letting go, he does free the other one to reach up and push dark messy hair off Keith's forehead. Smiling. So - damn proud. So damn proud of the other paladin.]

Clear eyes. [He meets them with his own - and then smiles and ruffles the hair, smile breaking into a grin.] Your eyes are clear. You found your center, didn't you?

[redpaladin]

[Oh god. He might be older, he might even call himself an adult, but nothing changes how warm he feels when Shiro looks at him like that. His strive at the beginning, coupled in with saving the universe, had always been to make Shiro proud, to make sure he didn't regret his decision to leave him in charge. It paid off and his smile widens, bright and happy before he flusters further, swatting him away from his hair. When he looks up his smile is still there.]

You could say that. I had to make sure I kept my promise.

[A beat.]

It wasn't easy, but we came together. It's been five years, but we were finally able to take the fight to Zarkon.

[headspacedad]

[Shiro lets his hand be swatted away and he laughs. It's... been a long time since he laughed. And Keith is still smiling. Everything else - it's still important but the most important thing that happened is right in front of him. He does sober a little though and his eyes change.

Five years.

Only five years...

He'd hoped - it didn't matter what he'd hoped. Five years had been enough. Keith's eyes were clear, he was comfortable in his body and with himself and - five years. Too short a time. But maybe it had been just long enough. His arm around the other paladin's shoulders gives a gentle squeeze.]

Five years, huh? Sounds like you got a lot done in five years. How's everyone? How's our team?

[redpaladin]

[It was blissfully short, Keith won't lie about that. He wishes he could have seen the end, but he did what he had to in order to make sure there was an end. The others could see it through. Enjoy it for themselves. This had never been about himself, after all. This fight had been for the universe.]

[He gives him a light laugh, quiet and airy.]

There wasn't much rest for us. Everyone is well for the most part. You know us--

[At that point something hits him from behind and he turns to see the train attendant grumpily shoving the snack cart at him since they're both standing in the way. Whoops.]

Ah- Sorry. Should we sit?

[If Shiro wanted an update on the last five years they should probably sit.]

[headspacedad]

[Shiro slides a look over to the train attendant and gives a crooked, apologetic smile. He's not sure they're real. Not in the sense that the people riding this train are real - but they put up with enough real or not to deserve a break. His attention goes back to Keith and he finally lets go enough to retake his seat next to the window, gesturing to the one next to him.]

Yeah. That sounds good. If you want anything, just ask the attendant. They've even got the green goo. [And then he sits forward a little and asks hungrily:]

Tell me everything.

[redpaladin]

Huh.

[He's quick to sit down next to him. He regards the grumbling attendant as they continue down the aisle with some curiosity before he turns back to Shiro. His question gives him a moments pause because he has to think back five years and decide where to start.]

[In the end he decides to just start at the beginning. He explains that when he took up the reigns of the Black Lion that Allura stepped in as a pilot. The five of them continued their assault of smaller hubs and operations in order to get enough momentum for bigger attacks. He tells him how hard it actually was for the five of them to find their center and work as a team between him trying to work out the leader thing and them all mourning the loss of Shiro.]

[He tells him they found the Holts, though they were in rough shape and almost didn't make it out, they did and they were helping them as support from the castle. He tells him about the Galra resistance being run under the nose of the empire and how they gave them tons of insider information to help them stop Zarkons operations before they knew they were upon them.]

[He goes on to mention how the resistance was lead by his father. He let's that sink for a moment or two before he continues on to the operation they were working on before he died. They took down Haggar and with her a ton of Zarkon's power. Keith stayed behind to make sure she would stay down, leaving the team to finish things up with Zarkon himself.]

[headspacedad]

[Shiro doesn't interrupt, not once, just letting the new information flow, but his eyebrows and the rapid rising and lowering of his eyebrows register his thoughts and reactions as each new piece is slotted into place. He's sure Keith is leaving a great deal out in the first telling but he also knows Keith and he has utter faith the other Paladin is giving him all the important facts.

There's a wash of relief almost strong enough to shake him to hear the Holts were found alive and rescued. That had been his first team. He'd never let their loss go.

He knows he gets too much satisfaction from hearing Haggar was destroyed. It's personal and he's never managed to let that go.

But his eyes do sharpen on Keith's face at the revelation about his father even if he stays quiet about it until the end of the report. There's a lot he wants to ask about. He wants more details about the rest of the team because he's always hungry for what he's missed with them. Is intrigued and curious about the Galra underground. ...wants to make sure Keith's not broken about the way he went out. But - first off:]

Your father? How did that happen?