"Press some buttons, wave your magic wand, sing a lil' song I dunno," Alex gestured to the entirety of Red with the dagger, sighing, "Guess we've just gotta try 'em all out and see what works. Anybody got any spells or somethin' we can try?"
"Actually-" Cammy started, only to be cut off by Pidge.
"Don't get her started on any of those, please. She'll gladly do any of those with way too much enthusiasm. Singing, button pressing, waving whatever." He said, the tone of his voice making it obvious it had happened one too many times. "Even spells. She reads more than she lets on."
"I do not! Reading is for nerds, like you!"
"Guys, can we not start this again, please?" Hunk sighed, looking around. "Let's focus on this, instead. We need a solution. Let's try flying around in formation, see what happens?"
"Thank you, Hunk, for being the only person with any good ideas so far," Shiro rolled his eyes at Alex's comments, starting up his lion, "Paladins, in position!"
"Position? There's a position? This was not covered in the user's manual-oh, wait, that's right. There is no user's manual." Cammy grumbled to herself, following the others as they got into the only formation they could really think up. The one they'd flown in during the fight. "So, we just fly around now?"
"Unless you have any other kind of idea Cammy then yes we just fly around," Alex sighed, "I still think we should say some kind of magical incantation."
((do we want to maybe fast forward through some of this?))
(Sure, when to?)
((i can't remember much of the things they did for team bonding, but the mind-link issue could be fun, or the food fight))
(I'm good with either of those so you pick)
((gotcha, let's go to the mind-thing then? your start or mine? also, i swear these aren't dying, i just get really busy and have to be picky with responses here and there. i'm trying to balance it out between all of them, and not just the ones people keep bumping))
(Lol, it's all good, I completely understand. And your start, please)
"We're doing what?"
The look on Cammy's face was, to say the least, mildly panicked. Her mismatched eyes were wide, something that might have been horror—and something even deeper—flickering in them. She shook her head, too quickly. "No. Nope. Absolutely not. I'm not linking my goddamn mind to anyone else. Especially not to give them full access to it. Alex, back me up here. Please." She turned pleading eyes on him, looking like she'd do just about anything just to get someone on her side. And he was her best shot. Because she knew he had his own secrets he wanted to keep secret.
When the activity in question was brought up, Alex had been immediately put on edge. For once, he was in agreement with Cammy. Even though he tried to look somewhat calm and collected on the outside, his eyes were clearly panicked, "I'm with Cammy on this. I'm not participating. You can all go ahead and have your little bonding moment but I'm not taking part if you do."
Shiro looked between the two of them, hands on his hips, "The team isn't going to be able to form Voltron and trust one another if two out of five are keeping secrets. You guys have to participate."
"Shiro. I love you. You know that. I've made it pretty fucking obvious that you're one of my idols. But this-" Cammy waved frantically around at the set up the team was standing around, ignoring Allura's unimpressed gaze and Hunk's concern. "-is a line. Like right in the fucking sand. You see this? A line." She used her foot, drawing an imaginary line between herself and the rest of the team. Curiously enough, Alex was on her side of it. "Big fucking line. And this line says 'Cammy's got things that nobody can know!' and 'Cammy is not interested in her dirty laundry being aired in front of her friends, idol, and rival!'"
Alex crossed his arms over his chest, the muscle in his jaw flickering ever so slightly, "I agree with Blue over here. There's no way in Hell you're strapping me up to that thing so you guys can see all my deepest darkest secrets and shitty past. I'd rather vote for Boris Johnson then that."
Shiro took a step forward, "You don't have a choice in the matter, guys. This will bring the team closer together. No secrets. That's what a team is."
Cammy pressed her lips together, shaking her head vehemently. She didn't trust herself to speak, leaving her unable to get her point across. She looked once more to Alex, as though hoping he could convince Shiro, before taking a hesitant step to the high tech set up. Her hands were shaking. The things she wanted to keep secret….imagining them being found out was terrifying.
"Let's just this done, huh?" Cammy finally got out, gone missing it's panic completely now. Jovial, even. A complete lie.
Alex was still very hesitant, clearly mad at Shiro for forcing the two of them to participate when they didn't want to. But, he followed not long after, "How do we do this Allura?"
"You put the devices on, like this." Allura instructed, demonstrating by placing the device on her head. She fastened it in place, then removed it, handing that one to Shiro and motioning for the others to put theirs on as well. "They will create a connection between your minds, linking you in the most vulnerable way."
"Oh, great." Cammy muttered, hunching her shoulders and scooting away from Shiro, further from the circle but slightly closer to Alex. "Next thing you know, we'll be re-enacting Human Centipede to connect us physically."
"Let's just get this over and done with," Alex mumbled, doing as Allura said and attaching his own device to his head, "The quicker this is over the better."
"There's no better, just not as bad." Cammy grumbled, plopping the device on her head and hoping that she got a miracle. Maybe it would break. Maybe it would malfunction, or she could suddenly get sick enough that everyone refused to be around her. But no, there was no miracle. Instead, she was stuck setting up the blasted piece of technology.
As soon as every one was connected, Allura stepped away, to watch from the sides of the room. Leaving the Paladins to explore each other's minds, everyone seemingly unaware of Cammy's shaking growing worse.
Alex felt immediately uncomfortable, having his mind open for everyone to explore was not something he ever wanted to do again after this. He made an effort not to look in Cammy's mind, know she, too was also very uncomfortable with the whole idea.
He mainly looked to Shiro's seeing all the memories from before he was taken by the Galra, all the memories from the academy.
((god i am the worst partner ever anyway i love these two so much and have literally like, not stopped thinking about them))
The first memories that showed in Cammy's mind were happy.
Images of the beach, warm golden sands and the ocean, kids running around in brightly colored bathing suits and her mother, a kind looking woman with earth-brown hair and tanned skin, calling after them to be careful. Slowly, the memories changed, the children growing with them. There was one, of a small-ish kitchen packed full of kids all clambering over one another to mix things, crack eggs and pull pans out of the oven, all overseen by their mother.
And then, a tombstone. Ironically, it had rained the day they buried their mother. The skies were overcast and seemed almost projected, by the kids surrounding the grave, hands clasped. Dressed in black, with accents of bright color.
Then began the meeting rooms, police cars and men and women dressed in business casual, Cammy and her siblings fighting tooth and nail to keep with each other before suddenly, Cammy was all alone.
The first foster home was fine, if a little cold. Maybe that had been her fault.
The second one was full of arguing, slammed doors and Cammy ushering kids into bedrooms and telling them stories, to distract from the sounds of unhappiness downstairs.
And then-
(Same, still one of my OTP's, still have so many ideas for drama with Alex's galra heritage that will get hella bonding moments between the two of them)
The memories. Cammy's memories were too overwhelming to ignore. The memories of how happy her and her family had been that had slowly turned into a whirlwind of unhappiness were only a gentle reminder of his own fucked up past. His own memories that he tried so desperately to keep out of his mind so the others wouldn't see. Only with no luck.
There had never been much happiness in his household. Not after his step-dad had arrived and turned what had once been a many happy family into anything but. He could still taste the smell of the cigarette smoke. Hear the screams from his mum and sister. See all the abuse that he went through for them. And for what? Nothing, only to have them die and him left alone.
If he had tried harder, fought harder maybe they wouldn't be dead. Maybe his sister would be alive. His mum. Maybe his dad would have wanted him if he hadn't been so weak. If the bastard had stuck around for that long, anyway.
((oh hell yeah, i'm so looking forward to it!! cammy will give many a hug, paired with the most sarcastic sounding but genuine advice and reassurances))
Cammy's memories continued to decline, until the blended with Alex's. Indistinguishable, if not for the people and settings. Violence, blood, hers at the hands of people who weren't her family. It ripped at something in her chest, catching glimpses of Alex's memories, all tainted by someone who was his family. She could barely breathe, hands grasping at her chest as her own memories showed a glimpse of a dark room, of footsteps outside her door and the creak of it opening, her eyes suddenly squeezing shut-
Right as she managed to rip the headgear from her temple, throwing it as far as she could as she scrambled back from the group. Part of her was relieved for herself, but another part of her, strangely, was focused on Alex. That's where her eyes were. Wide, panicked eyes, searching for a sense of understanding, even as Allura's upset voice carried to her, getting on her for suddenly stopping.
"I'm not doing this. None of us should have to do this. Bonding is one thing, but this is…some things are better left buried." She spat out, dragging a hand through her hair as she tried to control her shaking.
(Man the amount of angst that is going to happen, the amount of bonding moments oh boy I cannot wait)
Alex was slow to rip his headset off, even as the memories of his step-dad's beatings continued to play over and over, getting worse and worse. Unlike Cammy, for once, he had his anger under control. His face was blank, a mask of what he was really feeling on the inside. Shiro had been the only person who had known what had happened, and now everyone did.
He didn't glance at Cammy. At Shiro. At anyone but the ground as he regained some sense of composure before he spoke again, "I agree with Cammy," He said, voice strangely level and calm for what had just happened, "Any other bonding exercise but this." A muscle flickered in his jaw, the only sign of discomfort, anger, of any emotion.
Allura, it seemed, had given up now that two paladins had decided and down right refused to participate. She dismissed them, probably for the better as they all needed time to cool off.