( OPEN ) don't let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy

[bayarm]

WHO: shiro & various
WHERE: around bajikan
WHEN: spread over the duration of the fleet's stay in orbit
WHAT: shiro has a series of Good Days™
WARNINGS: naps happen. and an awkward boner, too.

Comments

— CLOSED TO LANCE

[bayarm]

[ after what happened on the last planet they visited, shiro is admittedly worried about how things will go on this one. the fleet is stranded in orbit and the team sent down is going to barter for materials, as far as he's aware, instead of stealing something none of them have any information about. hopefully, it won't hurt the planet and the people on it. hopefully, this won't be another oros—and hopefully, once the ships are up and running again, the murder series will be cleared up and stopped.

shiro feels like all his efforts to make a difference in that regard have been in vain. more bodies or body parts have been found, someone was attacked. it's disheartening, but he has to try not to let it get to him. he won't do any good to anyone if he gives up. maybe the self-defence lessons make a difference. maybe the patrolling stopped an attack before it could happen and they'll never know.

one way or another—shiro is tired.

maybe that's why he drags his feet a bit when lance comes to him, eyes alight with excitement, after a trip to the planet, telling shiro that he's "got to see this" and "it'll be great, trust me". he does trust lance, though, so despite his exhaustion and lance's excitability, he follows the blue paladin down to the planet and into the acedia district. ]

Are we doing anything in particular here? [ he asks, glancing at a store that sells—pillow, apparently. all kinds of pillows. fluffy pillows, soft pillows, pillows and only pillows. he doesn't manage to sound quite as alert as he would have liked. shiro can't quite pinpoint what it is, but everything seems a little warmer, comforting. hazy, almost. ]

[cargoed]

[ lance loves planets. it's something he'd noticed back when it was just them and voltron and the whole galra issue. it's a place to go outside of the ship, open air and a chance to explore, and you know what was even better? getting out of a really dangerous ship that might have dangerous people wandering around it? yeah. yeah lets escape the violence and explore a little bit, okay?

or at least, that's what lance thinks when they embark on the new planet. he can tell that some of the others who had been there for the previous planet - shiro and allura specifically - weren't nearly as excited about the chance to explore, but he pushes the thought away and goes.

and you know what? it was a great idea. so much of a great idea that lance gets right back up into space to grab shiro, because there's no way he's missing out on this, being the entirety of space's leader/big bro or no. so lance goes and gets him, going almost as far as to push him onto the shuttle down to the planet. and you know what? he's excited. because this idea is great. and if anyone should get to experience acedia, it's going to be shiro. ]

Just wait! [ the feeling is familiar as soon as he steps back into the district, something warm and safe and comforting. but they're not there yet. lance wants to find the very specific place he'd stumbled upon earlier. still, lance tugs at shiro's arm, though the warmth is sneaking up under his skin a little faster, knowing what's waiting for them. ]

I came down here earlier, with the first group and we wandered in here. This place is- [ he yawns, covering his mouth with his hand. ] Is great. Because see there's nothing really to- [ another yawn. ] Do here. Except!

[ as they were talking, lance has been looking around. checking for familiar buildings, landmarks, anything. as he reaches the end of what he's saying, he slows his general pulling to a stop, letting go of shiro to set his hands on his hips - triumphantly. they're standing in front of what looks like a pretty...normal area for this district. a section of the area they're in that's covered solely in blankets and pillows, some of the softest lance has seen. he steps out of his shoes after a second, before walking over closer to where the general area of the space is, turning back to shiro with a grin. ]

Nap. [ ta-da! ]

[bayarm]

[ shiro would probably love planets more if they were just planets, if they didn't come with galra to fight, with genocide and nuclear bombs going off while they race to save as many of the indigenous peoples as they can. he'd like them more if there was less responsibility and saving to be done, if he could explore them just for the sake of exploring. it isn't those planets' fault at all that he doesn't love them as much as he could. circumstances are what they are.

this one doesn't seem to be exploding, no one is blowing anything up, at least for now, and shiro hasn't spotted any signs of oppression or slavery so far. he trusts lance's judgement, at least to some extent, but he can't help but feel wary, given all previous experiences.

but then lance suggests napping, and—those pillows look incredibly inviting. shiro doesn't remember the last night that he managed to sleep for more than five hours at a time or even at all. ]

You brought me here to nap. [ he states, a question that comes out so flatly that it barely even qualifies as a question anymore. ]

[cargoed]

[ yes, well. lance hasn't quite gotten to experience that fun part of it just yet. as far as lance knows about this planet, it's all just fun and weird districts and some crazy...what. drugs? in the air? whatever it is, he's digging this whole nap area set-up and the fact that it can make even people who aren't into the idea into it? yes. yes please.

shiro can be as suspicious as he wants, but lance motions to the mountain of pillows around him looking unnecessarily proud of himself. ]

Uh, yeah? [ okay, so he deflates a little at shiro's tone but after a second he sets his hands on his hips. ] When was the last time you took a nap? For real. Not because exhaustion knocked you out for ten minutes. [ if shiro doesn't move, lance is going to s i g h and step forward, grabbing his arm and pulling him further into the space. ]

Listen, I know you against the whole sleeping for fun thing, but you should really try it. We're diplomats, right? Try the local culture. The local nap culture.

[ lance will walk behind him and push him onto the pillows if he has to. ]

[bayarm]

If your heart is so set on it—

[ shiro doesn't like seeing lance deflate like that. there are moments when lance is loud and obnoxious and annoying, but shiro has never once doubted that his heart is in the right place. he cares, and shiro doesn't want to discourage that. and besides, he really feels like taking a nap right now, eyelids already growing heavy. ]

I guess there's no harm in a little nap.

[ he's not going to answer when he last took a nap. that's not an important question. at all. ]

[cargoed]

Definitely set on it.

[ and lance is pushing him further in, over to a very comfortable set of pillows and blankets. if he were keith, he'd kick the back of shiro's knees and make him fall down into the feathery goodness that is this whole district. thankfully, he's not, so he will just wait for shiro to settle.

and if he doesn't, lance will grin brightly at him, yawn and stretch his arms over his head, before falling back onto the mountain of pillows. the second he hits them, the weight of this oncoming nap slams headfirst into him.

this was a great idea. ]

Just for a little bit, right? Not- [ another yawn. ] Very long. Just a nap.

[bayarm]

[ lance pushes and shiro moves toward that set of pillows and blankets. it does look really inviting and after a moment and another glance at lance, he sits and slowly leans back into the pillows until he's half-lying. it feels a little odd for a moment, like he should be doing something else instead, but the sensation passes after few breaths.

it wasn't a terrible idea, shiro will give him that. ]

Yeah, all right.

[ a nap. sleep. the thought seems increasingly appealing, and shiro closes his eyes for a moment, but still mumbles: ] How did you even find this place?