Semi-Meme (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
semimeme) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
bakerstreet2016-10-03 05:34 pm
semimeme) wrote in bakerstreet2016-10-03 05:34 pm
Roommates
Perhaps you were best friends who decided to make rent cheaper by living together, a couple who took the plunge and moved in together, or you could just be some random people thrown together by circumstance and really needing a place to live.
Either way, you're sharing a flat (or maybe even a room) now! What's going to happen?
You know this drill:
- Post your character name, series and any preferences.
- Go to RNG (1-12) and tag around.
- Have fun!
PROMPTS:
( moving day )
Boxes. So. Many. Boxes. Whether you're moving in or out, they've got to go. Is your roommate willing to lend a hand?
( chores )
Whose turn is it to take out the trash? How about the dishes?
( pets )
Not only are you sharing a living space, you're sharing space with an animal. There could be allergies, behavioral issues, or an unexpected exercise partner. Most importantly, do you have to hide them from the super? Hmm, maybe not the fishtank.
( uninvited guests )
Could be a party, could be a significant other that seems to have moved in... you just weren't expecting company tonight.
( the noisy one )
Is there anything worse than paper thin walls and a noisy flatmate? You can hear everything they're doing... even (or especially) the TMI.
( the friendly one )
Oh, lucky you, you've scored someone who wants to try and make things as good as possible for you both! Don't waste this now. It might just be the greatest thing you could have.
( the tmi one )
OH GOD why did you walk in during that? Nope, backing out now... unless you're into that. Why do they keep telling you things, as well? Gosh.
( the disaster )
There's not even words. These are the ones the internet warned you about. A little TMI or noise? That is nothing compared to the crazy you're stuck with right now.
( a night in )
Game night, movies, TV marathons, whatever you like. You and your flatmate are going to hunker down with some popcorn and have fun.
( the fight )
Chore chart not working out? Someone is always late with the rent? It just isn't working out. Time to have that confrontation you're been putting off. Good luck.
( shopping )
Whether you're going for groceries or furniture (or fun!), you and your flatmate are hitting the shops and spending some cash.
( the other )
Thought of something not on here? Go for it! Mix and match your options or anything else!
MEME ORIGINALLY BY
attentionboys. with minor modifications
no subject
[Once it seems like he's in the clear and it's safe to do so, he pokes his head further into her room, a tiny, tired grin stretching his mouth a bit.]
I should be asking you the same thing. You do know that the human body needs some sleep, right?
[Despite his grin and the playful tone in his voice, it's obvious he's concerned -- murder week got its name for the hell it put the cadets' bodies and minds through, and none showed evidence of that more than Lisa herself.]
I just got back from a group-study session. Are you almost done? Please say you're almost done.
no subject
[It's - really nice watching his frame fill up her doorway. Solid and reassuring and familiar.
He completely avoids her question though and turns it around on her and she's tired enough that she quietly coughs something that sounds like a laugh, holding up a single slender finger at him and waving it.]
Mr. Pot talking to the kettle. [It comes out too fond to be accusing. He pushes himself just as hard, harder, and she knows he should have been in bed hours ago given his early rising habits. She'd thought he was in bed, coming back to their dorm late and assuming that his closed door meant he was actually getting some sleep. She really should have known better.]
I'm almost done. [She's no where near almost done as far as she's concerned. But she has a terrible time telling him no, especially when he adds please to any request. If he's tired enough she might get away with the lie and be able to get back to studying once he's in bed. And yet, she really can't find any motivation to get back to the books in front of her.] Do you have anything left to test in yourself?
no subject
Hey, now. I'm done for the night, unlike some people I know.
[Announcing his earlier departure would have put his absence from the room in the midst of all of her other concerns, so Shiro, in his infinite wisdom, figured it would be much easier to just simply and quietly duck out without her knowing.
Now that he's back, and she's looking as exhausted as he feels, if not more, he thinks maybe he ought to have said something after all. Wincing guiltily, he shakes his head.]
Sorry, no. I'm pretty sure if I see another formula or the word 'physics' in written form, I just might lose it completely.
[He tilts his head, thumb hooking over his shoulder and pointing towards their laughably small kitchen area.]
Care to take a break, at least?
no subject
[Caught. And she can't even feel guilty about it. They know each other too well.
It's reassuring.
But he's finished with his exams at least and that makes her feel better. That means once she kicks this last one, they'll both be free until graduation ceremonies and that sounds like heaven, especially at that moment.
Her eyebrow does arch for him though at his invitation and her smile goes a little sideways. She knows exactly what he's doing
...
and if she didn't already like him so much, she'd find a way to like him even more for it. Because they both know she's going to fall for it and the smile that spreads over her face matches the almost silent, surrendering laughter as she pushes out of her chair, setting a pad across the book she had open to save the place. She is not abandoning her studying. ...but a break will probably do her good. She stretches up onto her toes with a wince and then pads over to follow him into what they try to pass off as their kitchen.
He's not the only one with a penchant for trying to take care of other people though and so her first question is:]
When was the last time you ate? I spoiled myself and picked up something on the way back from the library. I made sure there was enough to share.
no subject
Last time I ate?
[He stops once they get to their kitchen space to consider that. With all of the hustle and bustle of murder week studies and others taking up so much of his scant free time, he simply...forgot. Not that he'd risk her wrath by telling her. So, he shrugs, reaches in their puny cupboard for some mugs.]
Had a protein bar around midnight or so.
[But he does perk up visibly at the possibility of actual, cooked food.]
What did you get? Is it in the fridge?
[Their tiny, little fridge that can barely contain anything.]
no subject
[She makes a 'tch' sounds at him and reaches up between his arms as he gets the mugs to give the lock of hair against his forehead a very gentle tug, affection and chiding, before turning to their fridge. But she also laughs, a quiet ripple through an exhale as she expertly maneuvers the styrofoam container out of the carefully packed mini-fridge.]
Stopped at St. Elmos. So just noodles. [Except she's underselling it. St. Elmos is a favorite spot for warm, delicious comfort food and it shouldn't be surprising when she opens the large box that its something she knows is one of his favorites. She moves around him in the small space with the smoothness of long habit and experience, letting him handle the drinks while she gets down two bowls for their meal. Shoots him a smile over her shoulder and doesn't look quite as tired around her eyes as she did before he dragged her away from her work.] They always reheat well.
How was the study-group? Do you think everyone's going to pass their test in it?
no subject
[A clever tactic she employed there; hard to get back at her if his hands are too preoccupied with gripping glass mugs while making sure he doesn't collide with her smaller frame...even if they've gotten so acquainted with this routine after living together for so long.
But he'll get back at her soon enough. For now, there's St. Elmo's to be had.
Already he can smell the noodles, and the sauce and spices, and if his stomach grumbles a little with anticipation, then so be it. He sets their drinks down -- cold water for him, green tea for her -- then takes the seat on his designated chair: the sturdier one, with the steel legs.]
Mn, I think everyone's reached cognitive overload.
[Shiro grins, starts ripping sheets of paper towels out for them to use instead of the flimsy St. Elmo's napkins. Really, all that greasy food and they couldn't be bothered to get thicker napkins?]
But I think they're all going to do fine. And if Keith doesn't ace it, then obviously the system's rigged.
no subject
or because she hears his stomach rumble.
Either way she doesn't usually verbalize it when she's adding a notch to her side of the score sheet and this time isn't any different. Besides, he knows that smile well enough to hear it without words anyway.
He's also sweet enough to get her her tea, knowing its exactly what she needs tonight and so once the noodles are heated she reaches over his shoulder from behind him to set his bowl in front of him when she brings them over, just so she can bump her chin lightly on top of his head in thanks.]
He's really surpassing everyone's expectations, isn't he? [She knows Shiro's proud of Keith. He has every right to be and she settles down in her own chair in front of her bowl, passing him a set of chopsticks before breaking apart her own.] I heard some of the first years talking. He aced his solo flight tests like a pro apparently.
[Which she's pretty sure Shiro already knows but she enjoys the way he lights up when he brags about someone he's proud of. Seconds later she's habitually tucking her legs up comfortably as she takes her first taste of the noodles. Lisa was taller than most of the girls and some of the boys in their class. It still puts her quite a few inches below Shiro but as if to make up for her height, she has the habit of tucking her legs whenever she was sitting, making herself smaller in a way she couldn't when she was standing. She gestures with the chopsticks.]
Do you know if any of the underclass have any celebrations planned for the finish of the semester?
no subject
[Breaking apart his own chopsticks, he inhales deeply, the scent of the food almost enough to make him salivate. But even then, he doesn't dig in just yet.]
Which, of course, means he's also angry at the world and gets into fights all the time. But once he gets his temper under control, there's no doubt that he'll be one of the best pilots to come out of this Garrison.
[For now, though, the instructors are going to have to take Shiro's word for it. All the talent in the world didn't mean much if you weren't willing to follow protocol and discipline.
But enough about him.
Shiro scoots up in his chair, shaking his head as he swirls the noodles around with his chopsticks, gathering enough up for what's sure to be a healthy bite.]
None that I know of. Usually, the plan is for them to go out into town and go into any establishment and just party themselves into a near stupor, isn't it?
[His head tilts as he regards her, a tiny grin forming.]
What's your plan?
no subject
Just wondering how many times we were going to have to go out on emergency runs to rescue people and bring them home.
[Her eyes are laughing though. She enjoys being able to be there when someone needs her and - she remembers when she had been just a cadet and making decisions that, while smarter than a lot of her peers most of the time, she could still look back on and cringe over.
And then her smile spreads in response to his grin, washing warm and bright across her face.]
You mean other than sleeping for a week? Why? Did you have anything in mind?
no subject
I hate to be the one to break it to you, bu~t, it doesn't end, you know. You're married to the job now.
[Of course, she knows that, but it's been a thing of theirs to rant and vent about the repetitive and intensive nature of just training for their chosen careers. Why stray from the script?
Shiro brings a healthy lump of noodles into his mouth, making sure to slurp quietly and chew and quickly.]
Sort of like how I am, right now. I get only a couple of days free before I'm thrust into more demos, evac training, briefings, and helping around with repairs and instruction. You know, all the great stuff instead of resting or partying like everyone else...
[And because he's pretty sure he sounds like he might be complaining too much, he props his chin on his palm and adds--]
...but I love my job, I really do. S'why I married it.
no subject
Which means there's a good dose of understanding humor in her eyes at his reminder and a snort into her noodles. One long leg unwinds to nudge his leg with a foot enough to rock it slightly.
Some of the careless relaxing fades though and she sits up just a little, listening to his list. The upside of coming out of elite training was that there were already positions lined up for them. The downside... there were already positions lined up for them and they had to hit the ground running. Which wasn't exactly something either of them were unfamiliar with by this point at least.]
Of course we do. No one that didn't love this kind of thing would be crazy enough to stick all the way through. [Married was a good word. The career track, and then career, certainly had a way of swallowing you whole. Still - ]
How many days can you squeeze of freedom? Exactly.
no subject
And he's grateful for it.]
How many?
[He considers this.]
Three. Three and a half if I'm lucky.
[Which hasn't been the case lately. But still.
He brings his water up for a sip, squints at her over the rim of the mug.]
Why? Are you planning something?
no subject
Shiro's the strategist, but she's always had a good ability with logistics. Three days. Three and a half. She can work with that.
A couple good hours of sleep and she can even have an extraction plan.]
Do you remember that beach in Mexico, the one you have to hike through the jungle to get to? We followed that weird roommate our second year who swore the path lead to a great restaurant and ended up there instead. We could catch a flight from base headed that way, get a ride to the town. Bring our dive gear for the reef and bring an overnight kit. Spend a night, two days, get you back here before roll call with a sunburn and a smile. [It was actually enough to have her sitting up in her chair, mug of tea in both hands.] Who knows when we'll get schedules that sinc up again. And we deserve some kind of celebration. We made it, well - you, soon me. That calls for something other than hanging out in the dorms and sorting old school gear, right?
no subject
[Shiro says it, rather than asks it, and if his tone is a little deadpan, he'd chalk it up to his disbelief in the whole concept. Not that it's outrageous or totally undoable -- they had gone down that way in the past with a small group of their peers and accidentally stumbled across that majestic, private little place. They had fun and, most importantly, Shiro forgot about the heavy weight on his shoulders. If even for a little while.
He'd be a liar if he said he didn't think of that place time and again.]
Sounds kind of spontaneous, don't you think?
no subject
No. [A quick mental check. Just to make sure and yes, yes she's right. She exhales the admission.] It sounds desperate. And probably pretty tired.
[Her lips offer him a crooked smile and she tucks down a little, drawing her legs up closer. One of her fingers that had been curled around her mug lifted though to wave at him.]
But considering we're both aiming for different planets as a career line, a trip to Mexico in our free time is pretty tame. We had fun there. You had fun there. It's one of the reasons I still think about it sometimes. Shiro... if we don't go and do the things we wish we could do now... when are we going to find the time to later?
no subject
And Shiro's considering it, in all honesty. She's right: with the rate things are going now, this could very well be their last chance to ever break free from the mind-breaking work that consumes them on a daily basis, and they did have a lot of fun last time....
He sighs a little, slumping in his seat and letting his head lean back until he's satisfied with a small crack.]
...hm. Guess we're going to Mexico, then.
no subject
It's easy to plan things together when you're both students. Once mission assignments start coming in now though, especially to some of the other planets, that's months off planet, much less in a different part of the world... She's gotten so used to Shiro as a constant in her life. She's not looking forward to losing that. Not looking forward to empty rooms and one set of shoes at the door and extra food because she's made or brought home too much out of habit. No oversized jacket to grab on the way out the door because it was closer, no sound of another voice just filling the silence even if it was in another part of the apartment and unrelated to conversation with her. No smile, no easy dance around each other in the kitchen, no one to watch out for her while she was watching out for him. No comforting just being there. She's aware of it all even if she's firmly ignored the person sized hole she can see in the future. Life doesn't slow down. Not for them.
One side of her lips lift sympathetically when she hears his neck crack. God... do they both need a break from things before they collapse entirely... if he doesn't go to Mexico she's going to have to find a way to sit on him to get him to give himself a break before his assignments start.
His answer has her smiling, tucking her head down to drink her tea. She is so, so tired and its what she blames the little burst of giddiness in her chest on. If she was more alert she could probably tease or joke something but it just comes out a content, quiet:]
Thank you.
no subject
[And there's always a but, isn't there? A stipulation, a quid pro quo. Just another habit picked up from Garrison life. But at least Shiro has enough sense to smile at he and clue her in.]
Only if you head straight to bed after we finish here.
[The likelihood of Shiro holding their proposed trip hostage is incredibly slim and Lisa would no doubt see that, but there's also no doubt that his concern for her current wellbeing is genuine. And more important to him than the trip itself. It wouldn't feel worth it to him to go if he knew she'd hurt herself -- slowly but surely -- in the process.
He tips his head down, looks back at her.]
Deal?
no subject
[Her eyes slide sideways at him at the but
and then narrow down as he lays down his terms and conditions before flaring at the end.
And then narrowing down at him again.
It's an entire silent conversation that starts with a suspicious 'what', moves into 'that's not fair' and then straight into what she thinks of his fighting dirty like that.
By the time his head tips down she's somewhere between still eyeing him over the rim of her mug with her opinion of his dirty fighting
and some really tired amusement at being cornered like that because she knows exactly why he's done it and its hard to be angry at someone that's doing something because they care about you. Still, her need to rehearse everything over and over again until she knows it instinctively is strong and even if she's been over those books and the formulas in them multiple times, one last round could only help.
She could call his bluff or at least what she's sure is his bluff but - he's doing it because he's concerned about her and when Shiro's concerned about someone he did tend to stand by it. Which doesn't make Mexico the important factor. It makes the fact he thinks its important enough that hes going to fight dirty to get his way about getting her into bed the real factor.
She gives him a dirty look.
He's been her team leader often enough that she automatically pays attention when he makes a call on something but she's lived with him long enough to trust those calls.
One more canvas through her course though will help cement anything she's shaky on. Long fingertips tap against the glass of her cup.]
Shiro, that's cheating. [An exhale through her nose and then] I'm going to need you to define 'finished here'.
no subject
[Words don't have to be exchanged in order for them to have conversations. Lisa's expressions alone are enough to convey what she's planning and, of course, what she feels. Shiro's learned to read her through the months he's spent guiding her team and the years he's spent sitting across from her, just like this, eating and chatting about life and whatever else.
He's also learned how to maneuver through those talks and what makes Lisa tick and...
He winces, only slightly, when she calls him out on his bargaining chip.]
...it's the only way I'd win, Leese.
[He braves another look at her, and is even looking a little like he regrets taking it there.]
And by finished here, I mean exactly that. Finished here, with this talk, with all of this food. I'll clean up and then you can go bed straight away. All of that studying and memorization won't mean anything if you're too exhausted to even stand or think.
no subject
[Lisa can be stubborn. You have to be stubborn to make it all the way to the end of a major like theirs. Persistence and determination is practically a necessary trait, an over the top trait sometimes, in the kind of career they've both chosen.
But so is intelligence. And she's always had the extra trait of wanting to find the 'why' of a situation to work out the 'how'. Her lips stay in a frown but she doesn't look away from him when he talks, dark eyes already switched over and watching the 'why' of him.
She knows Shiro. She knows Shiro possibly better than she knows anyone outside of her family. And she knows he's not a bully or a dictator, he doesn't do things for selfish or usually even personal reasons. If he's fighting dirty, it's because he intends to win and he's comfortable enough letting people make choices on their own that when he fights to win it means its important. He wouldn't corral her into something unless he thinks its important.
He's also not in the habit of underestimating her.
She leans forward and unwinds her legs, setting her mug down. And she reaches out for his hand. Her lips twist wry.]
I look that bad, Takashi? [It's said softly, gently. And her dark eyes say she understands the 'why'.]
no subject
[His eyes flicker downward to his hand captured within her much smaller, more slender one, the tanned fingers looking heavy against the paler ones beneath them. It's the only way he'd remain resolute in the face of her not only giving him That Look, but also referring to him by his name -- his real name.
He might fight dirty, but she's not exactly countering with fairness either.]
You never look bad.
[And that's it, though. She hides her problems, her tiredness, well.]
But I know you're tired. We all are.
[He looks back up, just as his hand twists around so that it's not blanketing hers.]
Could you at least do it for me?
no subject
[That's the hard thing about sparring with someone you know so well. They both know each others weak points and have lost defenses against each other. If they didn't care so much about each other, they could hurt each other badly.
But she knows he cares about her. And he's taken up too much of her heart for her to ever want to see him hurt.
His hand isn't heavy against hers. It would never be heavy.
The sounds she makes is somewhere between a laugh and an exhale of her opinion on his theory that she never looks bad though.
But her face softens and so does the weight inside her chest and when he looks back up at her, all that's left on her face and in her eyes is that she understands him completely and the deep affection that lays warm over all of that. Her fingertip taps his palm and for just a second, she doesn't pretend.]
You know I would. [Her hand slips away and she curls back up in her chair, reaching for what's left of her noodles. She doesn't let go of her obsessive need to repeat studies easily. If it was anyone else but Shiro, she wouldn't have. But she doesn't trust anyone the way she trusts Shiro and his judgement.] I will. I promise. We can finish up here and then I'll go to bed. But [The twist of her lips and the way she slides him a look from the edges of her eyes says she's just paying him back for earlier.] After the dishes are done, you have to go straight to bed too. [There's nothing but flat factuality in her words as she tells him.] If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me.
no subject
[Despite the quiet and understanding moment they've just shared, Shiro can't help but let out a snort of a laugh, then has the nerve to look sheepish and apologetic when he realizes just how loud it is in the relative quiet of their private space.]
Mmph. Yes, of course.
[She has to know how much he hates doing the dishes if she's willing to make that her Final Strike. But he'll oblige her, because he always does.]
It shall be done. I promise.
(no subject)