bakerstreet | I don't need another friend. I already have two.

I don't need another friend. I already have two.

The Sleepover meme

You all know how it goes. Maybe its a group of teenage friends at someone's house, maybe its adult strangers snowed in at the airport, maybe its a camping trip of kids but for some reason, you're all going to end up spending the night together. Sleep is for the weak and distractions are needed. Will lifelong friendships be forged and broken or will everyone just end up covered in silly string and hungover? Your choice will decide your fate. Better grab your overnight duffle, your favorite pillow, some people to hang out with and choose wisely.

options:

1. Games. Truth or Dare, Spin the Bottle, Settlers of Catan or a vicious game of Uno. Ice breakers, social stand-ins, conversation starters: these are the games we play that bind us together against a common enemy or tear us apart. Is it fair play or can there be only one? Find out who your friends are and keep them close. Nations have gone to war for less than this.

2. Pranks. Get enough people together in a group, add alcohol, or just insane levels of tiredness, and it's bound to happen. Maybe you were dared to or maybe you just got stuck with the phone when it was already ringing but its time to break out the TP and find a house with trees in front or figure out if your neighbor's refrigerator is running. Can things go wrong? Oh yes. Oh yes, very. Hope you wore your running sneakers when Old Man Griminch catches you with those eggs.

3. Scary times. Because really, what's a sleep-over without some fear? Whether its a horror movie in a room with no lights, Bloody Mary dares at midnight or campfire stories about true events that happened on a night just like tonight, a night together with friends doesn't end right if no one's screaming or in tears. Grab those batman snuggies, its time to get creepy.

4. Food! No party is a party without food. Maybe its making chocolate chip cookies at midnight, maybe its a food run, maybe its marshmallows over that aforementioned campfire. Whatever it is, its time to break out the grub and play fluffy bunnies until someone pukes.

5. Make-over! Break out the glitter nail polish and hot irons. This old sleep-over staple is sure to create bonding moments and only mild scarring. Learn to braid hair, learn to apply eyeliner, learn which of your friends has the fashion sense of a 1930s clown. Did someone fall asleep before the rest of the group? Well, that's what sharpie pens, shaving cream and firehouse red lipstick was invented for. The 80s are calling and they're not taking no for an answer.

6. Snuggle pile! That's right. After a hard night of pixy stix and jello twister it was only a matter of time before everyone ended up crashing. Hard. Whether you wind up in a puppy pile or just using a stranger's shoulder for a pillow, at some point one of you is going to wake up enough to steal a blanket.

7. Soul searching. It's five in the morning and everyone else has gone to sleep. Now's the time for deep thoughts, deep conversations and utterly life altering questions. Like 'do seagulls ever get sad?' and 'why are they called 'styrofoam peanuts' if you can't eat them?'. Someone's got the answers. You might have to wake them up to get them but its now or never. Universal truths aren't going to wait for reasonable hours.

8. Grab bag! you do what you want!

you know the routine. Put your character, series and any prefs in the header. Tag around. Have fun. And don't fall asleep first whatever you do.

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[It's nice hearing about Lance's family and Shiro hopes he's not prodding too much by asking the other paladin to bring them up. Shiro loved his parents, and he'd been able to grow up with his grandparents too and he didn't want to change that. But... he'd always envied people that had siblings and Lance and his sister sounded like they had the kind of bond he'd always imagined. It's a bit vicarious, the pleasure he gets in hearing Lance reaccount stories. Shiro reaches across to turn his clock so Lance can keep an eye on the time.]

She sounds like a really good sister And like you're a really good brother. So do we do we do now?

[As Shiro turns the clock, Lance glances at it immediately and the mental countdown begins. Around the time he's done, Shiro would have gotten an extra few minutes, which just means more relaxing. He already knows what comes next in the kit, so he sets it aside for now. Now for the fun part: waiting.]

First time I've heard I'm a good one. All of them just call me a pain. [And he chuckles a little. He's used to it, which is what also makes him probably the family jokester.] But uh... now we really just wait. This is the part where my sis and I would find a video to time it, but since we don't really have cool eyeliner tip tutorials out here in space...

Uh... I spy? Twenty questions? Lance what did you steal from the planet this time? Joke on that last one, and the answer is totally nothing. Or we could just chat.

[Shiro's eyebrows do go up at the 'what have you stolen' but he exhales amusement at Lance's answer and shakes his head. If anyone is taking things, he suspects its Pidge and its tech things that she's not really realizing she's walking off with so much as too engrossed by to think about boundaries.]

There might be some really interesting make-up tip shows out this far. [He grins before he remembers he's trying to keep his face still and stops, but the curve of his eyes says its still there.] Chatting is fine. Unless you want to twenty questions me.

[Lance is pointedly ignoring that look--even restricted in movement, he can tell that's what Shiro's doing, and he's going to deflect it. Shiro doesn't need to know about his slowly growing collection. He's not terrible about it, but small things.]

Oh yeah. I'm going to be in for a world of confusion when we go back. All I know is glitter is forever sequins never die. [Because... it's probably a fact by now that even the sixties couldn't kill sequins and glitter is probably a permanent fixture.]

Hmm... I could just bug you about stuff in general? I don't even know if I could think up twenty questions. I got one, though--what were you reading?

[Glitter certainly seems to have staying power. Shiro will agree to that. He was still finding the stuff in his hair and clothes days after they made Hunk his crown and sash. He decides to save that knowledge however and hums a sound at Lance's question. Reaching out he picks up the book he'd set aside and offers it. It's old and battered, some kind of hard cover that feels a great deal like wood.]

A book of old Altean poetry. Coran found it for me. Even with the translator its slow going but - I've got time. Turns out the Alteans like to talk about flowers. A lot. [He offers a small smile.] I just missed having a book nearby. I never went on missions without one before. Sometimes I wonder what the Galra did with my vintage copy of the Martian Chronicles.

[Lance wouldn't be surprised at all about the glitter. It still rains from a corner in his room since that day, and he's not sure how it keeps finding him but he's pretty sure he's cursed. But he's more interested in this book, all nice and glitter free, and opens it to a page. Already, he recognizes a few symbols, but it has him smiling a little.]

Not too surprised about the flowers. They seem kinda like they would. [From what he's heard, Altea seemed to thrive off of nature.]

Shiro, you're so classy. I didn't know you liked poetry.

[Shiro has to laugh at being called 'classy'.]

The usual term is nerd or dork but I'll take classy. [His grin says he really doesn't mind any of the titles and then he remembers he's not supposed to be cracking his mask and tamps down on the grin so its just a smile.] But I like poetry. My grandfather was a poet. I didn't inherit his way with words but he did teach me to love them.

Summer night:
and in my eyes starlight
hundreds of years old.

[Lance laughs, but he catches himself and tries not to laugh too widely. He couldn't consider Shiro that dorky unless he started walking around in heavy frames trying to turn everything into a math problem. But they went to a school of dorks where the engineering program was a competitive field, and now they fly giant robot cats in space. Lance isn't sure there's anything dorkier than that.]

That's actually pretty cool, y'know. Is that one from your grandfather? Sounds like a haiku... or kind of?

[He kind of paid attention to that unit in English class. Poems were always just easy tricks on flirting with people but he rarely memorized any outside of 'roses are red' ones.]

[Yeah. They qualify as dorks all right. Shiro smiles before remembering to tamp it down.]

Got it in one. It's one of my grandfather's haiku. The syllables are right if you say it in Japanese. [He reaches back mentally, digs through his memories. Smiles.] This one isn't my grandfather's but -

Goes out,
comes back—
the love life of a cat.

Ah... Haikus are the ones with the weird syllable pattern, right?

[Lance takes a moment, but ends up pursing his lips together to stop himself from laughing at that one.]

That's pretty perfect for a cat.

Five, seven, five.

[If someone had told him he'd be doing a beauty routine and quoting poetry tonight, Shiro would have probably taken them to the infirmary to have their head's checked for bumps. But... this is better than an old Altean book and silence. Who knew coming into space would include new skin care routines?]

All right. Last one. Not a haiku.

Come see the thing that dad has caught!
oh, yuck! don't even bother.
It is not dead as dad had thought
and we are minus a father.

Five, seven, five... I'm gonna remember that.

[He might not, but now he knows he'll probably think of Shiro when he thinks of haikus. Or just poetry in general. It's a weird little thing to know, but it's also pretty cool. Lance is in a pretty good mood from all of this.

But that last one has Lance cracking up, face mask be damned. Might nod hold back those laugh lines to smooth back to perfection, but he's alright with that. He's having a world of fun just having their offbeat poetry night, even if it doesn't save his cheeks.]

That's a good one!

[Shiro would consider the crack in tightened pores a worth sacrifice if Lance is laughing and enjoying himself. Shiro knows he's not the comedian of the group and it always gives him a kind of quiet pride and satisfaction when he can make one of them laugh and forget things for a tick or two. It's nice to be able to give Lance back some of what he so easily gives the rest of them. So his smile is proud and pleased.]

Well, half the fun of playing with words is seeing how you can rearrange them into something different. Not every single poem has to be sad and longing. Just - most of them.

[Rearranging words... That a new take on poetry. Lance finally calms down from his fit, still grinning as he looks up at Shiro.]

So I guess there's more to poetry than love sonnets and sad stuff, huh! You're gonna have to write that one down for me. [Animal jokes. Even better.] Do you write poetry too? Or is that, like... some dark, hidden secret you'll never tell? Do you have some sort of locked diary stashed away?

[Shiro gives a shrug and a nod, still smiling loosely, willing to write down poems for Lance if the other paladin wants them. Thanks to his grandfather Shiro has more than is probably normal, or sane, memorized and ready to go at the drop of a hat. While Lance never struck him as a poetry jam kind of person - Shiro's more than willing to admit his teammate surprises him on a regular basis with things hidden in the depths of him. And then he snorts a laugh and only just remember not to rub his nose at the last second.]

Not a chance. I know nothing's safe from you lot. All my deepest, darkest secrets would be painted across the outside of the castle in a day if I did. [His shoulders relax a little and he reaches for his drink, eyes laughing. Shakes his head a little.] Besides, my grandfather was the poet. I can appreciate words but I can paint with them. You've got more talent with them than I do.

That's cruel, Shiro. We wouldn't paint them on the outside of the castle of the ship! ....We'd paint it on the inside, of course.

[But now Lance feels like there's a new mission brewing on the sideline there--find this secret journal and see if it does exist. Or just bothering Shiro into giving him poems.]

Painting with them? I dunno, Shiro, I think you'd be a pretty awesome poet. You want a cheesy roses is red poem? Sign me up. But that's all I've got. [So if you hear him quoting any limericks to any cute alien he meets on the next planet, it'll be obvious where his skill for poetry lies.] You should write some. It'd be a hit with the ladies.

[Shiro considers himself proficient with words and that hasn't been a bad thing in the military. But with the grandparents he had, he knows what real word play sounds like and he knows he'll never come close to that kind of verbal art. It doesn't bother him, no more than realizing he'll never be able to ink paint masterpieces or write a song, but he does appreciate it when other people can. And Lance can.

Not necessarily with poetry. Shiro's not sure he wants to hear what Lance considers an acceptable roses are red poem. Mostly because he suspects it ends with a cheesy pick up line. But that's not the only way to have a talent with words and Lance knows just the right ones to change a mood, to lift someone's spirits, to make someone laugh. That's a verbal talent too. The rest though -

Shiro chuckles and shakes his head.]

I'll leave the romancing to you. I think you're enthusiastic enough about it for both of us.

[Lance just rolls his eyes with a soft laugh. What he has in enthusiasm and backwards charm, Shiro pulls off naturally. Lance will be the first to point out how picturesque his leader is, and how with just a bit of pushing, he'd probably be slicker than butter.

More new missions for Lance. He shakes his head.] Well, I'll make sure some of it rubs off on you. You just gotta test your skills, try out a good line or two, see how it works. I'll teach ya. I'm a pro, but you seem like you'd be a natural. Trust me.

[Don't trust him, Shiro. Well, at least not on that. But Lance's eyes spot the clock again, and he looks over.] Oh! Guess we can wash our faces now and keep going. You first. Feeling a little stiff? It looks like it's getting a little stiff on ya.

[There is just a little spark of warning but Shiro's relaxed enough that he doesn't pay it the attention it probably deserves at the idea of Lance deciding Shiro needs romance lessons. Because that sounds like a really bad idea. Not the romance lessons themselves, though Shiro would suspect that his style wouldn't match Lance's at all in that particular area but more that Lance seems to think romance lessons are necessary.

Which indicates he thinks Shiro needs romance.

Which indicates he might think he needed to help find someone.

And that - that just doesn't sound safe at all.

Besides... that would imply that Shiro was healthy enough for that kind of thing and... Shiro doesn't really think so. He's glad for the distraction with the mask and he reaches up to tap it lightly with a human finger. Moves his nose a little.]

Does feel a little stiff. [He unfolds from the bed and stands up leaning a little to catch a look at the mask in the mirror before giving Lance a smile.] You just want me out of the room so you can look for that journal. [But he grins when he says it and then steps through the small door that leads to his bathroom, not bothering close it behind him. There is no journal. Or not a personal one at least. Like hell would Shiro ever right down what goes through his head where it could be found. But there are several notebooks full of star charts and calculations and notes on planets, people and species they've seen as well as the lions and the castle. He doesn't honestly expect Lance to invade his privacy like that but if he does he's going to be bored out of his mind in short order.

The mask comes off fairly easily with water and Shiro pats his face dry with a hand towel, vaguely remembering something about patting things dry from his mother and grandmother. His skin does feel - strange. Not bad strange. Kind of nice strange and he looks in the mirror over the skin. Well - he's not glowing yet but maybe his face doesn't look quite as tired as it had before. He leaves the towel over his shoulder and pulls down another one to leave on the sink for Lance before he steps out and back into the room.]

Feels better. [A gesture over his shoulder at the bathroom.] All yours.

[To Lance, everyone could use a good romance, but that was in his M.O. He doesn't think Shiro's incapable of finding someone, but that he just isn't trying--after all, Lance has heard some of the inhabitants of the planets they've arrived on, and from what he knows about Shiro, and his own thoughts, Shiro is a bombshell. But to have someone this amazing not even try?! It feels almost like wasted potential to him.

But he doesn't push it. He never does, especially when it comes to Shiro. So instead he laughs, lifting both hands up in peace. He'll let you out of it this time, Shiro.]

Hey now, I was at least gonna wait until you left the room before snooping through your stuff! Give me some credit here!

[Lance just watches Shiro go, but even when the older paladin leaves the room, he makes no move to dig through anything. After all, part of his utmost respect for his other paladins, especially his hero, also includes not digging through their room for something so personal as a journal. He opts instead stretching his back, lifting his arms into the air until he can hear his back muscles pop in relief. Lowering them, he then pokes through the items in the kit again and looks at the labeling until Shiro returns.]

It's nice, right?

[And with that, he slides from the bed and hops off to the bathroom, where it takes him a considerable time longer to wash his face. And even so, once the mask is off and his face is dry, he spends an extra minute or so longer just examining his pores in curiosity. He has A Process when it comes to face care.]

[Lance isn't wrong in the fact that Shiro's not even trying. In fact, in a very subtle, most subconscious way, Shiro is probably actively avoiding. He's pretty sure he missed that boat already and by 'boat' he doesn't think of a person so much as mental stability. He can get his social fulfillment from his interactions with his paladins and the Alteans and, in no small part, to his bond with Black as far as he's concerned. And when Lance goes trundling off to the bathroom, Shiro reaches over to open a drawer on the desk next to his bed and pull out a notebook and pen, shutting it again to settle in, legs crossed, back propped against the wall to write down a few of the poems he remembers and that he thinks Lance might like. His eyes do drift up a few times though, just to make sure Lance hasn't fallen in the sink or anything. He's taking a bit but as long as he doesn't start screaming Shiro figures its part of the beauty routine he's got and far be it from Shiro to interrupt something like that.]

[Lance appreciates that Shiro doesn't seem to have a problem with Lance micro-examining his face in the light. He finally towels off, heading out of the room with a new observation to express, rubbing the towel still gently across his cheek. The material is soft, he appreciates it.]

Hey Shiro, did you notice these things had pore minimizers--

[And that's when he spots the notebook, and his eyes widen a little. He glances at Shiro, then the notebook, then squints towards him.]

The elusive diary... so it does exist!

[Shiro glances up as Lance strolls back in, aware of what 'pore' and 'minimizer' would be and making what he hopes is an educated guess on why those two words together is a good thing when Lance cuts off and gives him the squinty eye. Which - has one of Shiro's eyebrows going up, pen pausing halfway through writing out the 'A Wolf is at the Laundromat' poem he remembers.

He blinks. And then one side of his lips hook upward and he suddenly looks down, eyebrows low over his eyes, at the paper to start quickly scratching out - and reading outloud - ]

oh my gawd! Coran wore his hair the same way I did today. As if! Everyone knows spiked bangs are my thing. He's just doing it to get Lance's attention since Lance said he liked my hair that way last Tuesday when he asked me to borrow my abso-favorite Hello Kitty pencil for the pop quiz on saving the galaxy from Zarkon that Professor Allure gave us. If I hadn't been tall enough to look over the top of her head and read Pidge's answers I'm pretty sure I would have failed.

[Lance has to clamp a hand over his own mouth to stop from laughing too loudly as Shiro did his best impersonation of a teenage girl. There's just something absolutely amazing of the jokes coming from their superior, especially with how into it he seems, but it's just wonderful to witness. He drops back on the bed, holding a hand up to stop Shiro while he just cackles.]

Stop, stop, I can't--I'm gonna explode!

[Shiro pauses as he looks at Lance - and then goes back to the notebook and scribbles in:]

Shiro + Black

[And draws a few little hearts around it for good measure. Then he finishes up the last lines of the 'wash and wear wolf' poem with a slightly neater hand and closes up the notebook. Grinning. Because its not often Shiro gets to be anything but the straight man and getting Lance of all people to crack up is a huge feather in his cap.

He... hasn't felt this good - and this relaxed and happy in a really long time. And Lance busting up on him feels like an accomplishment he can be unreservedly proud of. He waits until Lance can breathe and holds out the notebook.]

I'd hate to disappoint.

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