the laundromat prompt

[cocksocker]

the LAUNDROMAT Perhaps you live in a dorm or an apartment that hasn't seen renovations since the eighties. Maybe your luck has really dried up and your washing machine at home broke the night before a job interview and you haven't done a load of laundry in two weeks. Whatever your story is you've ended up at the local 24-hour laundromat. It could be creeping in on midnight or three in the morning. Either way, the place is a dead zone. Leaving you floating in a liminal space where reality has been stripped down to the sounds of clattering quarters and the continuous thrum of the machines under the buzz of neon lights. This would be a horrible time to bump into someone you know, or worse - a complete stranger while you're staring into the middle distance in nothing but your American flag boxers reading a paperback. HOW TO PLAY: + Comment with your character, preferences, etc. + Leave the comment blank or be daring and write a top-level starter + Comment to others and play out all those awkward run-ins or strange chance meetings

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Shiro | Voltron: LD

[headspacedad]

[hey, even space pilot/explorer/ex-gladiators need to do the laundry. Open to cross-medium/canon/au shenanigans/timeline jumps forward or backward/stuff too. It's three in the morning, come keep Shiro company while he washes the whole load on cold/cold.]

au team-parents bonding? idk

[sixfeet]

[Who would have thought that all of the washers and dryers in the laundromat would be occupied at stupid o'clock, Tokyo standard time?

Makoto didn't, and that's why he's standing there between the aisle of washers and dryers with his basket of laundry, looking a little lost as to what to do next. Some of the washers weren't even running but still full of clothes, so it's not as if he'd empty them out (if he were the type to do that in the first place, anyway). But he can't wait all night, either. He's got to sleep and study for exams.

So, with a deep breath, he approaches the only other person in the laundromat. It's so late and if Shiro is anything like the typical midnight laundry-doer, he probably doesn't want to talk to anyone, let alone someone like Makoto. But it feels like Makoto's got no choice.]

Um, excuse me? Are you using any of these?

[And he'll point to a couple of the abandoned but occupied washers.]


[OOC; Hope this is okay. If not, let me know and I'll delete/change.]

team-parent bonding is go!

[headspacedad]

[It's late. Really late.

But its not like Shiro had anything else to do. Sleep isn't something he does much of these days, not if he can help it, and he's already caught his snatches of cat naps. The magazines are all hugely out of date and mostly about how to apply eyeliner proper, which he doesn't need but at least the steady motion and tumble of the washers are strangely soothing.

He notices when Makoto comes in but it doesn't really register. The boy isn't a threat and Shiro's mind is on vague auto-pilot until - ]

Those? [A quick glance to confirm and he shakes his head, uncrossing his arms that had been loose resting across his chest.] I think those belong to the goth girl that's out back. I wouldn't touch them if I were you. [A quick smile.] She looked small but dangerous and I think there's some pointed metal in there.

[Tokyo's changed since he came back but it hasn't changed that much. It's reassuring. A quick glance at the other washers shows why he's being asked about the situation in the first place and he gestures to the three spinning washers he's standing in front of.] Mine are almost done though. You can use one of those. You in a hurry?

[ooc: nope its perfect. And hey again! I was that Tifa over on the kissing meme o/ ]

[sixfeet]

[The last thing Makoto wants right now is to be accosted by an angry goth girl with 'pointed metal' -- he'd rather try washing his clothes by hand! But, luckily, it looks like he won't have to wait for much longer for a machine.

He glances back over toward Shiro with a grateful smile and quick bow of his head.]

Thank you so much! You're a lifesaver!

[And with that, he sets his basket down on one of the tables and starts to take out clothes from within, one by one, to sort them out.]

I'm not really in a hurry, no. I'm just not used to coming down here to do laundry yet, so I don't know a lot of the unspoken rules.



[OOC; Hello again! \o]

[headspacedad]

[Shiro's head dips back in response to the bow and the small smile shows up. Doing laundry at o'dark thirty is surprisingly common around here apparently but most of the people he's seen in his last few trips have been - less friendly. Which makes him wonder what someone that can't be more than college age is doing out and about at this hour. He checks the time on the nearest washer and gets the laundry basket from its place on the counter.]

It's pretty easy. Everyone leaves everyone alone and don't touch anyone's things. Those [He points to one of the finished washers full of waiting clothes] have been there for over a week now. I don't want to know what it will smell like when they get it open. I'm Shiro, by the way. [He offers his human hand]

[sixfeet]

[Makoto wrinkles his nose at the thought of moldy, wet clothes; he's quite familiar with that, thanks to an incident involving Nagisa losing a pair of jammers in the swim club room a while back. Ugh, never again.

But even so, he's grateful for the chance to avoid that. Most people wouldn't be so forward and helpful like this, so he makes sure to smile and shake Shiro's hand.]

I'm Makoto. It's very nice to meet you. And, again, thanks for the heads up.

[He looks around them both, head tilting.]

Are you here by yourself?

[headspacedad]

[Right on schedule the buzzer goes off for the first washer and Shiro pops the lid on it. Truth is, he gets lonely on his long night vigils. It's nice to have someone to talk to for a change and more than he usually gets when he's here. Starting to scoop wet clothes into the basket so he can free up the washer he nods.]

Good to meet you too. And yeah. [The small sound he makes is amused. Rest of the squad is out like lights at this hour. What about you? You usually do laundry at this time of the night?

[sixfeet]

[As Shiro unloads the washer, Makoto waits and nods, humming a little acknowledgement.]

Mm. It's usually the only free time that I have, these days.

[A pause, and he pulls out from the bottom of his basket -- filled with mostly swimming-related things like legskins and wetsuits -- an anatomy textbook.]

Studying, among other things.

[But he won't bog him down with all those details. They just met.]

You mentioned squad -- are you on a team, too?

[headspacedad]

[He clears out the first washer as the second one buzzes to indicate its finished as well but all he does is lift the basket and step to the side for a minute.

It's not like he's got a strict deadline on the clothes and a few minutes aren't going to matter. He notes the book and maybe there's the slightest glint of approval in his eyes at it.

He also notes the swim gear. So the question has him smiling a little crooked.]

Going medical or science? [He caries his basket over to an empty dryer he's been guarding most of the night and starts to load it, still close enough to talk without having to raise his voice.] You could say that. Though I think the team you're thinking of has different connotations. Does that wet wear have to do with your team?

[sixfeet]

Um, a little bit of both?

[Makoto's dumping the wet clothes into one of the washers and fiddling with the setting-knobs at the same time. It's cold in the dark, he remembers, while turning the temperature to cold.]

I'm majoring in Physical Fitness and Education. I want to coach swimming.

[With the detergent pack in, the drum full, and the water pouring in, he shuts the lid.]

Um, to children.

[headspacedad]

[Given what little he's seen so far of the other man, the answer isn't exactly surprising but its still nice to hear. To think about life going on as normal and children learning to swim.]

A teacher, huh? [He slides his coins into the dryer and starts it spinning before heading back to start unloading the next washer.] Is that something you've always wanted to do or recently decided on?

[sixfeet]

Mm, a little bit of both?

[He idly watches as Shiro works, and notices, without meaning to, the sliver of something metallic -- a prosthetic maybe? -- on the other man's arm.

Oh.

He averts his gaze, focusing on his own laundry for now.]

I've always enjoyed swimming with my team and all sorts of sports. And when I did some volunteer work at my local swim club, I really enjoyed working with the kids there. I thought about having a career in it, so...here I am.

[A small laugh.]

Doing laundry in the middle of the night and trying to rid the smell of chlorine from my clothes.

[headspacedad]

[Shiro doesn't catch the notice of his arm, too busy transferring clothes of every shape and size from washers to dryers. Some of them are distinctly too small to ever fit on him and some of them look too big. He hums as he works to show he's listening.

It takes a special kind of person to work with kids. He tells him a lot about the guy across from him. That's a good thing. So he smiles and huffs a laugh.]

There are worse things to have your clothes smell like. How far along in your courses are you?