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Trek to the Portal

who: Keith, Shiro
what: Exploration, trying to investigate the portal, but they get interrupted by something else from home.
when: This week
where: Out and about in the woods surrounding the city
warnings: None at the moment

Keith had gathered together some supplies. After their last trek into the woods to that temple, he had a better idea of what to expect and what they might need. Even with their armor, it didn't hurt to have a bag with supplies. Carrying it could prove interesting if they needed to use the jetpacks for anything, but they could figure that out when the time came... if the time came.

He headed upstairs to Shiro's floor. They hadn't moved out of the community building, yet, but it had definitely gone up in priority since the fire. But, there were still other things that were important. Investigating the fact that Allura had been there before them and had apparently disappeared was pretty high on the list, too, and was definitely more important than finding a private place to live.

He poked his head in the door from the elevator lobby, then knocked before calling out.

"Hey, Shiro. You ready?"

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Shiro made his way back down, leading as much as possible. Probably the only reason he was really able to was because Red wa staying closer to Keith. He had a feeling if the lion ran full tilt, he wouldn't have a chance. This was further proven when Black quickly closed the distance with them as they neared the city walls. Yep, even the slower Black lion was able to catch up. No way beating Red if she really wanted to go.

Black was also weary as they entered the city, standing close to Shiro, practically leering at the guards over the Black Paladin's shoulder. So it was a good thing both Keith and Shiro continued to act like this was normal as they headed back to the apartments.

One problem Shiro realized when they neared the building.

"No clue how to get Black up to Floor 15."

"Hm."

Keith stood there with him, staring at the building as they walked towards it.

"Yeah... they're not exactly lightweight, and, well... even at this size, Black is pretty big. I'm not sure if it would fit into the elevator or up the stairs, either. Red might be able to handle the stairs, but..." He shrugged a little.

"There had been that space where Hana had kept her mech in the garage, but..." Keith looked down at Red. He was reluctant to even suggest it, but it would do temporarily, at least, right? They'd be out of the weather if things got crazy. "With them having more autonomy, it seems almost cruel to leave them in there, doesn't it?"

Shiro was considering the same thing. The stairs might be possible for Red, but they'd be more awkward for Black. No one would be able to pass the lion on the stairs. The elevator was probably right out, breaking all the weight limits that they had for an elevator. He didn't even want to try it.

Keith's mention of the parking spot reminded him of Hana's, but it seemed... weird to think about sticking the lion in a parking garage.

"Yeah, it does. They are vehicles in our world yes, but they are acting more alive than they did then." Black came over to rest its head on Shiro's shoulder as though reacting to the comment. "Well, it would be temporary or we might be able to get Black as far as Floor 2 and he could stay with you. Either way, we need to step looking for a new place... and this changes the requirements."

"We can try." Keith shrugged. He was willing to do that much at least. "There's a bit more room lately. A few people have left." Plus, he knew the Black Lion at least trusted him, even if he wasn't the Black Paladin. Black had let him in once before to save Shiro from those dinosaur things, so he knew the Lion would stay put with him if Shiro asked.

With that seemingly decided, Red bounded ahead, stopping at the doors to look back at them, her tail curved up into the air.

Shiro walked over to the building, Black following behind him. He chuckled at the fact that Red and raced ahead. "Looks like Red is anxious to see the new place."

She probably didn't actually need them to open the door, being strong enough and fast to probably get through on her own. But it was a good idea that she didn't get in the habit of simply pushing her way outside or inside. If nothing else, robot lion being on it own in the city wasn't the best thing.

When he reached the door, Shiro opened it.

Red stepped in as Shiro opened the door, and her metal paws immediately slid on the tile floor. She didn't fall, which probably would cracked the tile, but she did leave a few scratches where she used her claws to keep her legs from going out from under her. Keith cringed a little as he opened the other door to see if Black could even just fit in the front, let alone get up the stairs.

"Yeah... you're not going to be able to race around in here, okay?"

Red rumbled at him in response, sounding almost disappointed that she had to be careful.

Oh geeze! Sliding lion! Shiro immediately made an instinctive move to grab the lion, but she kept her feet under her so he didn't actually have to help her. But yeah, there were some nice scratches in the floor now. Well, it was obvious the traction for robot lions wasn't very good here.

But now that Black was going to attempt the building, Shiro held the door open. "Careful, bud. It's slick." No having the largest lion sliding and falling. The lion would be fine. The floor? Probably not.

With a double door, Black could definitely fit inside even if it seem to require ducking a little. Moving at a slower more stately pace, Black didn't have any problem with the floor, but now that they were inside, Shiro could see the problem. Black was fairly wide and it looked like trying the stairwell might be pushing his abilities. These stairs were a little bigger because it was an apartment building, but even so it not be enough.

"I don't know how well this is going to work. Black, we should figure something else out."

This was said as Black turned to face the stairs before looking back at Shiro.

The Lion's broader shoulders definitely posed a potential maneuverability problem, but it was the wings that really did it. Keith wasn't exactly sure just how flexible Black was around the waist in this form, but the wings were long enough that there really wasn't going to be anyway to get the large robot around tight corners in a stairwell. It would be like trying to move a couch up there... long and cumbersome.

He frowned.

"Yeah... I don't think it's gonna happen. Sorry, buddy." He gave the large lion a sympathetic look. Even Red almost looked disappointed in the idea. She lowered her head a little, moving closer to the larger lion for the moment. She wouldn't go up if Black couldn't go. It wasn't fair, and they were basically siblings. She wasn't leaving her big brother alone.

Torso alone was the initial problem for entering the stair well; wings were the problem for exiting the stair well. Shiro felt bad that Black wasn't even able to make it up the first flight of stairs. Whether the lion would be able to make it up the stairs didn't even seem to be something it would attempt, whether that was because of space or calculating that the wings would be a problem later.

Shiro walked over, putting a hand on Black as the lion leaned down to look at Red who had come to stand with him. "We'll definitely have to look for a new place. At least since they are here we can make sure it is lion accessible."

A stranger thing he had never thought he would say, but if it were more than one story, there had to be a way for Black to reach every level.

"Yeah."

Keith sighed a little.

"I guess... it's downstairs for tonight, at least, and until we can find something for them."

He felt bad about it, but they didn't seem to have much else in the way of a choice. Red seemed to be understanding about it, though, even if she didn't exactly like it, either. But she would stay with Black to be fair, even if she could fit up the stairs to get to Keith's space.

"C'mon, guys... it'll only be a little while." And just really when Shiro and Keith were asleep. Keith went over to open the doors again.

Black also seemed to be understanding, though Shiro was sure the lion was disappointed the stair well was not designed in a proper fashion for the winged lion. He was kind of disappointed as well, but it was better in a way that Black didn't try. It would have been bad if the lion got stuck somewhere along the way.

Well, the other bright side was that they didn't have to worry about lions on a tile floor if they were in the garage. That was pretty much the only bright side.

Black turned away from the stair well as Keith went back over to the door, Shiro moving to get the other door for the lion.

"Only at night." And at least they'd be together. He'd feel worse if it was only one of them, but they'd have each other.

"Don't worry. We'll get a new place figured out quickly."

Keith held the door until both lions were back outside, and then followed them out. Yeah... he definitely felt bad about this. Red glanced back at him as if she could sense it, and Keith managed to give her a weak smile.

"Come on... this way." He made his way down to the street in order to lead them to the parking garage entrance.

Shiro walked with Keith as Black followed in order to reach the entrance to the parking garage. The larger lion seemed to understand the situation. That may have been because he had seen the stair well and backed down on his own. Yes, the paladins would have their best interests in mind even if it wasn't the most ideal.

"Just this way," Shiro said when they reached it. As he walked in the large cavernous space, he did notice - oddly enough - there were two parking spots designated for Red and Black.

Well... would you look at that.

"That's..." Keith paused, staring at the spots. "It's like they knew they were coming." He looked at Shiro, curious and kind of weirded out. "I mean... at least there's a spot for them to stay for now, but..." His eyebrow curved upwards a little in concern. "I'm not the only one who thinks this is weird, right?"

"No, you're not the only one who finds that weird. It is very weird." The lions had literally just arrived and between the last time they had been in the parking garage - which granted they'd never really had a reason to come down here until now - and now, someone had assigned parking spots to their lions. "I wonder how they knew."

Something else for Keith to add to his conspiracy board.

Black however walked around Shiro, exploring the garage. There were things in here that were about their size now that would have been too tiny to take notice before. It's a whole new world for miniature lions.

Keith narrowed his eyes a little. He didn't have his board set up, really, because he didn't have space for one in the communal housing, but it was going to happen at some point once they had their own place. No worries, though. He was planning on keeping it in his own room.

Red was also exploring as Keith stared at the spots.

"That's a good question," he said. "I mean... they just showed up. Right?" He glanced back at the two Lions. Red looked back at Keith, as if she sensed his question. After a moment, she turned back to her exploring. "Yeah... they weren't here for long before they picked up on us on the path."

Shiro definitely expected one to appear when they moved into a place of their own. Keith'd had one at his father's house during the year that Shiro had been gone. A rather elaborate one at that. So if he didn't make one here, Shiro would be surprised.

Nothing like watching two robot lions exploring mechs and cars, trying to evaluate them. Black had walked up to a car that was parked there, looking it over. Luckily, not trying to touch it because those claws didn't retract.

"Which begs some interesting questions. If they just arrived, when did they find out they were coming and how quickly did they get this set up for them. Especially since the lions can confirm they weren't here long before they found us." He had gotten same feeling from Black.

"Yeah..." Keith frowned. He supposed there wasn't much they could do about it at the moment, but he'd ask around. "Didn't Hana have a reserved spot, too?"

Red seemed to have figured out the reserved spots, too, and was moving around them, as they were side-by-side, and investigating the area to see if it would acceptable as a temporary solution to their size problem.

"Yeah, her MEKA had a reserved spot. I doubt it would still be here since she moved out, but it seems to be s-o-p to give mech a parking spot."

Done investigating the cars - since the Black Lion has never seen anything like them before and its his job to protect the other lions - Black wandered over to the parking spots as well. Black however paused, watching Red investigating the spots. Shiro had seen the Black Lion be defensive force when the first Robeast had shown up and Black and Green had sheltered him and Pidge. So investigating potential threats in the parking garage seemed to make sense. It did make him wonder if Black stayed back from investigating the spots because somehow that was more a task of the Red Lion or if it was because she had already started it and Black didn't want to get in the way.

"Seems like it." Keith frowned. "I mean, they knew to come find us, right? So, maybe they detected them come through the portal?"

After a moment or two, Red seemed okay with this for now. She picked one of the spots for herself and laid down, cat loaf style.

"If they are monitoring the portal, they would know what is coming through, people and otherwise. Seems strange though that they set up these parking spots and didn't know to tell us they were out here. I'd say they didn't find them, but they are pretty quick."

Shiro couldn't help a snicker as Red laid down in her parking spot. She just looked... rather cute. Black walked over and sat down in the other, looking much more content to look around.

"Well I think it is acceptable."

Keith nodded. It was definitely weird.

Either way, watching the Lions pick which spot they wanted was kind of amusing, especially when Red settled in like that.

"I guess it is." Keith hesitated for a moment and then nodded as Red tried to reassure him that this was okay for now. "We'll come back in the morning." Red purred at them. They'd be fine for the night. Stop worrying.

It was rather cute. Watching as the lions settled in, it was clear that Black was still watching to make sure everything was safe.

"Yeah, I think they'll be okay for tonight. Doesn't mean we can't come back down a little bit later. Check in and see how they are doing. Besides, I'm sure they can take care of themselves."

They were after all, probably the most dangerous mechs in the garage.

They certainly had the ability to defend themselves, especially with how independent they now seemed. As if to demonstrate that they could do it, Red put up her particle barrier for a moment and then lowered it. She was fully functional!

Keith couldn't help the small chuckle.

"Yeah... they'll be okay."

Shiro chuckled as Black glanced over at Red for bringing up her particle barrier. After she lowered hers, Black's flicked on for a moment as well before the lion went back to watching.

"Alright. Let's go back upstairs."

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tempredmental - 2017-10-26 02:11 (UTC) - Expand

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