[Shiro's voice comes out as quietly as possible, while still being audible. The mental image of himself - of waking up looking like a different person, the memories not there to make the pieces fit. From someone he knew to some stranger, the one everyone literally saw now. Heck, he's not even sure anyone would recognize him without the chunks ripped away.]
[Maybe Lance can see that, too, but, Shiro's trying - he's really, deeply trying to keep as much of it shoved back as possible. If only to keep from overloading the poor guy.]
... you don't know yourself like you used to. Everything's... different. The guy who used to be in the mirror feels like he's never coming back.
[Honestly, he'd probably have had more of a breakdown if it hadn't been for the circumstances. How there were a bunch of teens on some kind of crazy alien signal quest - who needed someone slightly more adult, if he hadn't basically been on the run from his old life and...]
[Well he hasn't really talked about this to anyone - except one. But Lance sounds like he needs it. Needs to know he's not alone here. Not with this.]
I don't know how to stop someone from blaming themselves. It's not something... I've ever learned how to do.
... But do know, I still see the guy who flew an alien spacecraft out of trouble on his first try. I see one heck of a teammate. I see... someone who's hurting, but still has enough of himself left to give me a hard time about my coffee, like he always would.
no subject
[Shiro's voice comes out as quietly as possible, while still being audible. The mental image of himself - of waking up looking like a different person, the memories not there to make the pieces fit. From someone he knew to some stranger, the one everyone literally saw now. Heck, he's not even sure anyone would recognize him without the chunks ripped away.]
[Maybe Lance can see that, too, but, Shiro's trying - he's really, deeply trying to keep as much of it shoved back as possible. If only to keep from overloading the poor guy.]
... you don't know yourself like you used to. Everything's... different. The guy who used to be in the mirror feels like he's never coming back.
[Honestly, he'd probably have had more of a breakdown if it hadn't been for the circumstances. How there were a bunch of teens on some kind of crazy alien signal quest - who needed someone slightly more adult, if he hadn't basically been on the run from his old life and...]
[Well he hasn't really talked about this to anyone - except one. But Lance sounds like he needs it. Needs to know he's not alone here. Not with this.]
I don't know how to stop someone from blaming themselves. It's not something... I've ever learned how to do.
... But do know, I still see the guy who flew an alien spacecraft out of trouble on his first try. I see one heck of a teammate. I see... someone who's hurting, but still has enough of himself left to give me a hard time about my coffee, like he always would.