earthshine | ⊚ noctium ic contact.

[ and cue another ass drag. he blows out a breath, uncrosses his arms and wrinkles his nose, not at all displeased but playing it up as keith comes to stand in front of him. shiro doesn’t understand. he’s finding it difficult to follow point a to point b of keith’s plan. nonetheless, palms go to keith’s hips anyway and he grips gently. ]

Okay.

[ the word comes out dubious; between that and the knitting of his brows, it’s clear he’s confused. it only worsens as keith begins to… change. shrink. a handful of seconds and all of a sudden, keith disappears into that borrowed shirt. ] Woah--! What… [ part panicked, he fumbles, briefly, with the bundle, only to pull back the shirt a moment later, letting it fall to the floor as he takes in the sight of… ]

You’re a penguin. [ he stares unblinking, arms outstretched and hands gripping underneath those little, oddly cute flippers. that’s probably not the most comfortable; the thought comes to him and he quickly pulls keith in, cradling him in the crook of his left arm, palm now supporting behind his webbed feet. ]

A penguin. [ he says it again, as though to make sense of this. except, then his breath is catching on a laugh, one that continues to grow the longer he looks at keith. ] -- With hair!

[ keith gives his head a quick bob up down, then a left right shake as the now even baggier shirt comes up over his head. he blinks up at shiro, letting out a super attractive SQUAWK

a beat later, be instinctively tries to bring a flipper up to his beak, but finding that penguins aren't adapted to move their arms that way, sheepishly ends up tucking his face (and alleged hair) under said flipper instead.

a moment later, there's a telepathic groan in a familiar voice.]

I want my hands back.

[ but the question is... does keith realize he's sending telepathic messages? the answer is a big no. ]

[ … okay. was that actually keith’s voice or did shiro imagine that? it seemed distinctly not shiro, but he’s failing to see the connection between telepathy and a penguin. too weird. he’s… been stuck in this doorway for too long. clearly the pressure on his antlers is reverberating down and into his skull, rattling his thoughts to the point that he’s filling in substitutions for that horrific squawk.

yeah. that… makes more sense. which brings him back to the issue at hand: he needs to get unwedged asap. only problem? he doesn’t know what is going on in that bird brain. really wishes keith had told him the plan before penguin-ifying himself.

he sighs and pokes at keith’s flipper with one, metal finger, silently coaxing him to stop hiding. ] Hey, come on now. If you hide away, I’m a lost cause.

Okay, okay.

[ Squirming the poked flipper out of range with another telepathic groan, keith attempts to stand up right. still unaware that he's broadcasting any kind of message, keith flaps to try and convey some kind of point about vertical motion. ]

Just gotta get him to pick me up and put me on those antlers so I can peck a little at the wood. Why did he have to take off the shirt though....

[ tmi? ]

Edited 2021-06-03 20:50 (UTC)

[ so he’s reconsidering his earlier dismissal. that’s way too coherent, way too detailed, way too keith’s voice for shiro to be imagining it. apparently, this bird monster transformation comes with a nice magic trick -- who knew. shiro didn’t, meaning it’s going to be a hard couple of seconds for him to process it as he stares, wide-eyed. ]

Uh. Keith? I can hear you.

[ upside? he now knows the plan, not that he’s following it just yet as he keeps keith tucked into his chest. downside? confusion, so much confusion. ]

[ the ineffectual flapping stops and shiro's getting a head tilt. ]

What now?

[ then in afterthought: another squawk. this one somehow more inquisitive than the first. is that what shiro means? or is it more like: ]

What number am I thinking of from one to ten?

[ now if the answer happens to be nine cuz that's apparently the number shiro's gotten himself stuck with by association, that's not keith's fault. ]

[ alright. perhaps shiro wasn’t as clear as he could have been. use your words: yeah, he should, seeing as he’s the one who can actually put voice to anything. the squawk doesn’t count. definitely doesn’t count.

slow squint. though, if keith wants to do it this way then… ]

… Nine? [ a beat. ] Though, the fact that I’m answering a question you didn’t speak aloud… shouldn’t that be confirmation enough?

Oh....

[ great. so he's broadcasting thoughts. wonderful. this would actually be kind of cool if he knew how to filter properly, but as it stands keith's caught between trying not to think anything in particular out loud (so to speak) and trying to figure out how to respond to that. the one saving grace here just may be that penguins don't emote particularly well so the blush is purely psychosomatic. ]

That's just a lucky guess, right? And not because of... [ fuck, nope nope, nope. no thinking. ] Pick me up?

Edited (birds can't talk i am my own rp poolice) 2021-06-04 05:30 (UTC)

[ nine is a wonderful number. impressive. satisfying. pro… portional? sure. shiro doesn’t put the pieces together right off the bat though. those transmitted thoughts taper off and shiro frowns at the omittance. because of…? because of what? but then keith is telling him to get a move on and shiro goes about obliging. ]

Right. [ adjusting his grip, he gently handles him on both sides of his miniature body and lifts him up. holding high, he steadies him there near the doorframe where one antler has stuck itself into the wood.

one, two, no -- give him four ticks and then: click. ] Oh. You picked nine because… [ he does the exact same thing. one because and he’s trailing off, part amused, part reluctant to spell it out. though, he does laugh soon after. ]

That really made an impression on you, huh. [ voice teasing and his smile a touch sly. look, he’s stuck in a door -- he has to take a win when he can. ]

[ and up keith goes. trying not to squirm around too much, he squints this way and that at the door frame. the four ticks of silence he gets for unimpeded focus are juuuuust enough for him to work out where he ought to peck, but then shiro has to tease, huh? ]

Babe.... [ dismayed, keith kicks webbed feet in protest. ] Don't call me out like that.

[ can he really be blamed for being a little hung up on the topic? hmph. if he weren't a penguin, he'd be grumbling, but as it stands he merely channels his irritation with malachite's impeccable sense of timing into a solid peck at the door frame beneath the wedged antler. on the bright side, it leaves a splintering crack that should make it easier for shiro to yank himself free. on the not so bright side, penguins aren't woodpeckers and the impact feels about as great as you'd imagine. keith flinches back, giving himself a shake.]

Ow.

[ good thing he's used to getting smashed into things face first from being red's paladin, eh? just like old times or something. ]

[ … hell. he should not be so enamored with those webbed feet wiggling about. it’s cute. though, in the same breath, also weird to be called babe by a penguin. by keith, he amends a moment later. not that arguing that his boyfriend is said penguin makes any of this less strange. ]

You’re the one who brought it up. [ he’s on his way to a smile, voice uneven on a laugh that hasn’t fully formed. but he loses all of it when there’s a crack or more specifically, an ow. concern floods his system and then he’s lowering keith down -- quickly. perhaps more quickly than is comfortable. sorry for the slight jostling there, keith. ]

What happened? [okay. he knows what happened, however, it slips out anyway as he looks his face over. frowning, he hefts keith into the crook of his arm again and gently touches the upper bill, not entirely sure if rubbing it works in the same way as it would with a jammed joint or muscle. ]

You okay? [ poor keith, slamming his face into a doorframe and shiro hasn’t even given the slightest appreciation for it by testing the give of his antlers. priorities. ]

[ the sudden drop in altitude gets a startled squawk and ineffectual flapping before shiro manages to cradle keith back in close. keith's experienced plenty of weird things in his life, but somehow getting a beak rub while he's a penguin from his semi-moose boyfriend manages to be some new high or new low. he's not sure what to categorize this as. either way, the contact makes him grimace, though he doesn't move away from the touch. ]

I'm fine... think it's just bruised?

[ which he didn't know was even a thing, but that's how it feels. ]

Can you move yet or do I have to peck some more?

[ uh. is it actually a thing? shiro’s frown deepens. ]

It looks fine right now. No discoloration, but I guess that would come later… if beaks do that. [ in other words, this transformation may become even more fun in an hour or two. if keith stays a penguin, that is. though, they can probably work out some healing synchrony even if one of them is pint-sized and feathered, right? yeah. not that he’s going to let keith make it any worse in the meantime. ]

So no more pecking. You’ve done enough. Just let me… [ he cradles keith in closer, trying to steady him, protect him as shiro’s free hand goes to the doorframe. digs his heels in and leans his weight back, body bowing as he pushes with his arm. ] Should -- just… [ rocks his head, the give starting small and then gaining a little, a little more, and then hitting the angle just right with the compromised wood to have him yanking free.

he stumbles backwards, his feet working overtime to make up the difference. inevitably, he does catch himself in the midst of all that momentum and he comes to a stop.

straightens his height, gives his head a brief shake and then he exhales heavy on a laugh, tipping his face down toward the penguin still tucked in against him. ] You did it!

[ keith buries just that bit tighter into the safe spot between shiro's chest and arm, and doesn't poke his head back out until there's laughter. cautious at first, but he takes one look at the ruined doorway and the bits of wood dusting shiro's head and shoulders and has to laugh as well. ]

That was mostly you. [ penguins don't smile, of course, but it's audible in his voice somehow. ] You're a mess, big guy.

[ never mind what made shiro run for the bedroom in a rush because keith has managed to put that out of mind.

and it will continue to be out of keith's mind because before he can request for shiro to put him down, the door bell rings. now who could that possibly be.....]

[ first babe, now big guy. shiro’s still a huge fan of the affectionate names but he’s gotta admit, they hit much differently when it’s a penguin face staring back at him. he smiles though and he’s just short of a retort when there’s that bell ring. it’s automatic: he pivots and turns his head further, looking to the door. a blink and then it’s back to keith. who…?

he never quite loses his smile, although it softens on the beat of curiosity as he bends down to set those webbed feet on the floor. straightens up and gives a cautionary brush of his hands over his hair, then his shoulders. ]

Hopefully not too much of a mess. [ he says it as he heads to the door. giving himself one last moment to gather some sense of dignity, he unlocks the door and then swings it open.

oh. mail? ] Jamieson -- hey.

Hello Shiro. Got some good ones for you today. [ annnnd taking a stack of junk mail: coupons, real estate magazine, auto parts advertisement -- nice. shiro smiles. ]

Thanks. [ a beat. ] You know you don’t have to hand deliver it. [ it’s been hit or miss. usually shiro isn’t here during the work week. but ever since that time two weeks back, when he’d gone down to grab the mail out of their mailbox and happened to run into mailman jamieson, well… jamieson seems to think he needs to bring it to the door? maybe it’s because sometimes, with the craziness of this world, they forget to clear out their mailbox and it’s been wedged full, so jamieson is trying to help them out? shiro’s been better about trying to check it everyday though. ]

It’s no problem. Besides, it’s always good to see you. Especially now -- nice rack by the way.

[ tips his head and -- oh, he can feel the weight. laughs. ] Right. The antlers.

Yeah. The antlers.

[ feet make contact with the ground again, though looking up at shiro when you're barely two feet tall is a real pain. a literal pain even. it was much more pleasant being held securely in shiro's arms, so whoever this person at their door happens to be? they're already on keith's shitplist.

but dutifully he starts waddling to get to shiro's shirt so he can turn back into a more humanoid bird. never mind the inherent fuckery of the phrase "more humanoid bird" -- normal is relative. for better or for worse though, he's not exactly agile in this form and he manages to awkwardly wobble two steps closer to the shirt when the conversation out in the living room picks up.

wait. an actual conversation and not just a quick hi/bye? keith changes direction and peeks his head out to take a gander at shiro's possible friend. if that's nosy, well... yeah, he's nosy. shut up. double shut up because he has no regrets about snooping.

why the hell is the mailman hand delivering the mail is the first question to come to mind, but that reasonable question is quickly overshadowed by irritation. why's that guy not leaving? why's he smiling at shiro like that?

rack.

fucking. indignant, keith toddles out to the living room like he's competing in the penguin olympics for sprinting. if he was in his normal body, he'd be yelling. as it stands.......]

AAACK! KWA!! KWAAA!

[ by some miracle, keith doesn't actually trip. flippers spread wide, he comes charging forward like a shufflin bullet to position himself between shiro and the interloper yelling what can only be interpreted as fuck you in pengunspeak.

fuck if he's gonna put up with people hitting on his boyfriend under his nose. beak. whatever.

if shiro doesn't grab the bird, jameson's getting a pecked kneecap for all his troubles. ]

Edited 2021-06-06 05:52 (UTC)

[ what… the fuck is that sound? shiro’s part convinced he’s having a stroke, because for the longest time, he can only stare down at the absolute rage in penguin form now standing in front of him. clearly, there’s something wrong with his brain processing if no further reaction is forthcoming. standing at a non-impressive two foot something, keith’s spread flippers and puffed chest could be considered hilarious, cute even, but with shiro just barely remembering his bearings, no smile and no laughter come. instead, he ends up on panicked embarrassment.

oh. my. fucking. god. ]

I’m so sorry! [ he’s talking to jamieson, not keith. he bends down and grasps keith from behind, right there under his flippers. see, he’s managed to survive his mini-stroke and yes, he does realize that he probably shouldn’t leave keith within striking distance. what’s the equivalent of a sucker punch to penguins? pecking the shins? biting the ankles? ]

I don’t know what’s gotten into him. [ he hoists keith up as he straightens and then he has keith tucked into his chest once more, supported along the length of his forearm. he looks down at keith and… he’s not glaring. he doesn’t even look mad, particularly. the wrinkle in his brow and the frown at his mouth are mostly concerned. confused too. what’s wrong…? ]

It’s fine.

[ snaps his gaze back to jamieson, subconsciously loosening the tight hug of that penguin body. ]

No, really, he’s usually not… this. [ a penguin. rude. well, at least to the extent of squawking -- yelling, at strangers who haven’t done anything. maybe it’s a side effect of the transformation? weird penguin, uh… hormones? ]

Shiro, forget about it. I’m sure your pet is as sweet as you are once you get to know him.

[ pet. wait. he thinks keith is his pet bird? great, the stroke is back. talking suddenly seems so difficult, his mind too stuck on repeating what to think to verbalize it and correct things before the assumption sticks.

which is, of course, a mistake, because jamieson leans closer, forearm braced against the door jam in a casual show of familiarity that doesn’t really belong here. ] But actually, I was hoping to get to know you better, so I was thinking… [ and as he starts saying things about dinner and he knows a nice place, shiro can only think oooooh, this is why keith is so mad, isn’t it? ]

[ feet pedal mid-air as shiro plucks keith off the ground, making keith twist around to glare (or at least do his best approximation of glaring) at shiro. but it isn’t until shiro actually apologizes to the homewrecker that keith finds his voice again. ]

What do you mean you’re sorry—

[ thoroughly indignant, keith actually stops wriggling. that is until the words “your pet” come up. that loosening grip coincides exceptionally poorly with another burst of rage as keith swivels forward to face jameson once again.

The only dinner date you’re going on is with my fist!

[ never mind the fact that keith doesn’t actually have fists much less a good plan of attack here. with a thrash, he manages to slip over the lock shiro has around his torso, then kicks off hard from shiro’s chest to launch himself across. with a battlecry squawk, keith scores a peck at jamesons’ thigh then lands with a soft thump on his butt. ]

[ alright. shiro underestimated the striking distance. his bad. more shocked than winded from that webbed kick-off, shiro watches part mesmerized as keith catapults, hits and… does not stick the landing. huh, so he’s just as acrobatic as a penguin. it’s almost impressive, save for the yell it rips from jamieson. ]

-- What the fuck? Stupid bird!

[ he does have a point. physically assaulting someone is stupid, keith, when they’ve done nothing other than shoot their shot at an uninterested party. so shiro may have apologized on keith’s behalf again. may have even offered some currents in compensation for the inconvenience. if jamieson had kept his cool.

but he didn’t. the words are barely out of the mailman’s mouth before his weight redistributes and he swings his leg back, going for the punt. but then shiro’s there, stepped over keith and in front, giving jamieson’s chest a hard, one-handed push. leg still cocked back, jamieson just barely catches himself with a quick fumble of steps, all of which leave him a good couple of feet into the corridor. ]

You should get going.

Shiro -- but --

Stick to the mailbox from now on. [ between the glare and the rejection, jamieson seems to think better of any argument and huffs through the annoyance, turning to limp toward the elevators. shiro watches him go for a few moments and then tips his head over an’ back, looking down at keith. he sighs, only to turn -- carefully, no need to knock his antlers into anything or worse, get stuck again -- and crouch down to keith’s level. ]

You okay?

[ ah, that's a foot coming for his face. this is probably a good argument for why you don't go picking fights with things three times your size, but that hasn't stopped keith before. it won't stop keith even after the kick lands and sends him flying across the room either, truth be told. but that kick never comes because shiro is there to intervene.

almost sheepishly, keith hops back up onto his feet, though he doesn't relax until after jameson disappears inside the elevator. then finally, he lets his head droop and gives his beak a quick rub under a flipper. no regrets for jabbing the guy with a bruised beak though.

straightening right back up, keith starts with an unrepentant: ]

He deserved it. [ which doesn't answer the question, but that's not important. ] Are you okay?

[ shiro's poor rack getting all objectified like that.... ]

[ deserved it, right, of course he deserved maiming for showing interest. shiro’s exasperated, but the ridiculousness isn’t lost on him either. everything about this is ludicrous. the antlers, the penguin, the crush, keith’s fucking squawking to his beak turned weapon… it sounds made up and yet here they are, sitting out the aftermath. shiro hates that a part of him is oddly amused. it helps in softening him, which in turn keeps him from launching into a lecture. no frown, no stern stare, nah, none of that. instead, shiro’s expression is relaxed. ]

I’m fine. [ his concern continues to remain on keith, mainly that beak that’s been getting a beating in the last few minutes. however, he does little other than a visual glance over. satisfied for the immediate moment, his attention returns to the still open door. he’s back on his feet and once they’re both out of the way, he closes the door.

he locks the deadbolt and there, finally, he sighs. ]

You know I would’ve told him no. [ the words lack the tone, the one that is shiro’s patented lecture voice. there’s no real desire to berate keith here. it’s only said as a reminder; a reassurance of sorts. he back steps and once he’s clear for the turn, he pivots back around to face keith, face dipped down toward him. ]

You didn’t have to hurl yourself at him. [ and hurt yourself is the part left unsaid. ]

Yeah because he was totally going to listen.

[ penguins can't roll their eyes, so keith's flat tone is doing the heavy lifting here. that doesn't necessarily diminish shiro's point, of course, but keith is still feeling pretty unapologetic. an undercurrent of territorial drive to protect his "nest" isn't making his judgment any better, mind you, but protective instincts aren't usually impulses keith tends to question. especially when there's a recent run-in with a pushy unicorn in the elevator on the mind that's souring his opinions on people making advances.

with a bit of a disgruntled chirp, keith starts the long wobbly walk back to retrieve his shirt from the bedroom floor. ]

Should've pecked him in the dick.

[ why wouldn’t he listen? jamieson hadn’t given off any creep vibes; surely he would’ve taken a rejection with as much grace as anyone can in that kind of situation. though, on second thought, he did go to kick keith, which in itself is a red flag. so maybe keith has a point? unconvinced, yet unwilling to fight keith on that particular point, shiro merely frowns as keith turns away. picking up the dropped pile of mail, shiro stands up and…

wow, that’s kind of adorable.

keith’s only managed to put about two feet between them when shiro glances to him again. each waddle of his feet have his little, pointed tail-feathers swishing side to side and shiro just barely keeps himself from laughing. least to say, he’s in no rush to pass keith and so, he measures out each step, adopting a very slow, very indulgent pace behind him.

he drops the mail off on the counter as he passes, shaking his head at that last comment that pops into it. ]

I think you’ve abused your beak enough as is. [ he really ought to look at it; he doesn’t quite buy keith’s brush off for his earlier concern. ] Would you really want your mouth anywhere near that?

[ oblivious to his swishing tail feathers getting an ogling, keith keeps up his slow waddling stride, head held high and proud. at least until the question makes him pause to do a whole body shudder. ]

Ok. So maybe I didn't think that one through all the way.

[ reluctant admission is reluctant. once again, the penguin's inability to blush is proving clutch here as keith continues the trek back to the bedroom. it's pretty bad that that's the closest his face has ever been to anyone's crotch, huh. trying not to dwell on that thought, keith sighs. ]

But maybe putting that head out of commission would have made him a better person.

[ maybe? probably not. once he's close enough to the shirt, he flops down onto his belly to pick it up with hia beak and turns to present it to shiro. help him dress, big guy? ]

[ keith talking -- transmitting?? -- about pecking dick had been bad enough, but now he’s putting specifics to it with head. it's just… not something shiro necessarily wants to think about. it has shiro pausing mid-step, grimacing in the form of hunched shoulders and a pinched expression. however, keith plops down and shiro falls right back into step, finishing off his slow trailing to stand a few feet away.

there’s something sweet about keith presenting the shirt to him, wordlessly asking for help. keith doesn’t have hands, so it’s more practical than sweet, he concedes; nonetheless, being able to assist in keith feeling more comfortable has shiro smiling. taking that offered shirt, shiro turns it right and pulls the neckline wide to fit it easily over keith’s penguin head.

he smiles a little wider and adjusts the lay of the fabric, which amounts to nothing in the end. the shirt is far too big and there’s too much fabric for it to look presentable in any way. ]

What would make him a better person in your opinion? [ and now he’s moving on to help keith fit one flipper through the armhole. ] Being uninterested in me? [ his voice pitches, carrying teasing notes as he moves onto the other flipper. ]

i approve of your life choices.

this feels like a fever dream just fyi

just wait until the mail arrives.

I AM PRE CIRNGING

i cringed super hard. and have now slightly recovered.

i have not recovered in the slightest

i still can't believe how much that dumb comic impacted your rp life.

i'm honestly ont sure what happened

the rp police. you've become what you hate.

i don't like this plot twist

ig i need to start watching what i tag around you. since you're a rp copper now ://

yes be on your best behavior

my best behavior is still such a low standard.

guess you're going to rp jail then

take me away copper.

/throws away the cell key

so this is where i die.

it was nice knowing you :c

i'm surprised to hear you say that.

if it unsettles you i can take it back

you should. it wasn't midnight.

oh true. consider it removed from the record.

everything is as it should be.

yes, can't go upsetting the natural balance of the universe

i wonder if there's a universe out there where we're nice to each other all the time cept @ midnight