revivalproject | Back on Temba

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Back on Temba | OTA

WHO: Radley and everyone
WHERE: Temba and Glitter Food
WHAT: Making food, mostly
WHEN: February
WARNINGS: None, probably

Radley decided to go back to Temba. Everything has gotten too complicated for him and he’s growing frustrated and discouraged with the increasing number of issues. He hates to think that everything they’ve been doing on Temba is for nothing in the end, and that they’re no closer to getting home than when they started. He hopes that going back to Temba will make something make sense again.

Which, it really doesn’t. If anything, it just makes it even more discouraging, seeing all their hard work and wondering if Temba will never even be inhabited by anyone who would be using all the buildings.

But he bottles up his feelings, as usual, and keeps working at the diner, smiling and greeting anyone who comes in and making sure there’s always food ready.

He does go back to the ship sometimes too. So many decided to stay on the ship or even the Agrii ship and he gets lonely. He was already pretty sad about so many disappearing, and seeing Temba even more deserted than usual is depressing. Sometimes he just stays in his room on the ship, staring at the ceiling as he lays on his bed or playing CDs and DVDs he found at the space station.

Usually, however, he tries to keep busy with food-related things. At least food is always something needed, so he never feels like he’s doing something pointless there.

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"Yeah, I imagine," Keith said with a small chuckle. "But I'd say it's a success." He gave a nod. "Thanks."

There was one last thing he wanted to ask, though.

"How are you doing?" he said quietly. "Like, you know... after all the... stuff? The ghost guys haven't like... tried bothering you or anything?" So far, Leo and Donnie had both been okay as far as Keith knew at this point. He'd talked them both back on the Agrii ship. Radley was the last one he needed to check in with. Keith had wanted to make the rounds, so to speak. It was something he'd started doing with Voltron when he'd come back and moved back into the Black Paladin spot. It felt... important.

"Sure," Radley smiled.

He looked surprised at this, but then smiled again. "I'm okay. They've left me alone, for whatever reason. And I probably got hurt the least of us in that mess. I'm fine."

He may be telling the truth, or he may be hiding something. He was the type who would.

The phrase 'I'm fine' always triggered a little bit of doubt in Keith's mind because it was something a lot of the people on his team back home used to cover when they didn't want others to worry. It showed on his face as he furrowed his brow a bit with a slight frown.

"You sure?" he asked softly. He didn't want to push too hard because he really didn't know Radley that well, but it was something of an automatic reaction to those words.

Radley honestly usually felt the same about the phrase, and he realized his mistake using it almost immediately.

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "Everything's cool. Thanks for asking, though. How are you doing?"

Quickly turning the topic around.

Keith shrugged, getting the hint. Radley didn't want to talk about himself. Fine. He understood more than Radley might thing, so he'd go along with it.

"Getting better," he said. He knew he couldn't really say 'fine' since he wasn't completely free of any visible injury yet thanks to the knee brace, but he wasn't exactly lying, either. He also didn't want people to worry, though. "It's a little rough restricting myself on what I can do still, but I'm getting back to my normal levels. Only a matter of time, now." And, thanks to his Galra half, he was actually a really fast healer, so he actually was doing pretty good, all things considered.

"That's great," Radley said with a sincere smile. "Yeah, not being able to do everything you're used to is frustrating. When Scotch got hurt back home, oh wow, I had a rough time keeping him still until he was well enough to really move."

"Yeah," he admitted. "I'm usually pretty active, and I get restless easily." Keith shrugged. "Having to stay off my leg was definitely hard." It had taken maybe a week before he started getting board of not being able to get around easily. And it only took that long because the injury actually hurt a lot, he couldn't move the knee well or support his weight on it, and it was very obviously swollen and bruised. Once he started noticing enough improvement that it wasn't quite as difficult to get around, he got antsy, even with the potential of getting the attention of the ghost guys.

Radley nodded. "That's how it was for Scotch too. I never like being laid up myself. There's too much to get done. Drives me nuts thinking about everything I've gotta do and can't."

Keith nodded.

"Though, I will say this..." he continued. "I've learned the hard way that it isn't always the best idea to push things too fast." As frustrated as he was, he was definitely trying to behave this time. He pointed his spoon at Radley with a knowing look. He wasn't completely off the hook. "If you still need to take it easy, do it," he said seriously. "We're no help to anyone if we keep making things worse by pushing ourselves too soon." He watched Radley closely as he went back to eating, almost finished now.

Radley sobered at that. "Yeah, you're right. I'd tell Scotch things like that a lot." But had he followed it himself? He knew he probably hadn't always. He'd tried to gauge things better here, knowing that with their dire circumstances they couldn't afford extra injuries if he pushed himself too fast. He hoped he hadn't misjudged.

"I'm okay, really.... It's mostly nightmares these days."

More to add to the collection. He still had nightmares about being trapped in the mines.

Keith nodded.

"That can be rough, too," he said. He knew that feeling. It wasn't a new one for him, either. "I've been struggling a little with that, too." The idea of getting caught in a burning building as it collapsed on him hit really close to home... it was how his dad had died when he was really young, and his dad had been a firefighter on the job when it happened.

"Have you talked about it with anyone?" Hah. Like Keith was good at that... talking, comforting... but he was good listener if people needed to vent.

Radley nodded. "Getting trapped like we were was pretty terrifying." He was honestly amazed he'd kept as calm about it as he had. Something like that could have pushed him to his breaking point, like realizing he was a prisoner in the mines back home had.

And an awkward smile. "Nah.... Not really my thing. I listen if other people wanna talk, though."

So he and Keith were similar on that point.

Keith actually snorted slightly.

"Yeah... I'm kinda the same way." He shrugged a little.

Radley laughed. "That makes it pretty hard to open up unless one of us gives in, then." And he was fine with it if Keith didn't feel up to that. Unless someone was clearly in emotional distress from not opening up, he didn't feel like pushing it.

Keith took a breath, letting it out in a sigh that sounded almost sad and resigned. No, he wasn't ready to go that far right now. But, deep down, Keith knew he did better when he had someone to support him, someone he could support in return. He'd need to find that again eventually if no one else from his own world came back again.

He just wasn't ready yet to start looking outside the people he used to have that with.

"Yeah... I guess so."

He swirled his spoon in the remaining gravy from the stew, then placed it aside to just drink it from the bowl like soup.

"At least we know ourselves well enough, right?" He managed a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes before pushing the now empty bowl back towards Radley.

"Thanks, though. The stew helped."

Radley would be happy to start getting closer to Keith if Keith ever wanted that.

“Yeah, I guess that’s better than a lot of people,” Radley mused.

He smiled. “Sure. Anytime.”

Keith gave him a slightly crooked smile and then eased himself off the stool. The sitting had gotten his leg a bit stiff, but that was the reason he'd picked the stool instead of one of the regular height chairs or booths. It would have been harder to get out of those.

"See you around," he said, and headed out, Kosmo getting up as Keith came outside and following him away.

”See you,” Radley said with a wave. He took the bowl and spoon to wash them.

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Back on Temba | OTA

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