[Open] Stuck in the middle of the 28th and the 1st

[padadin]

Who: Shiro and you
Broadcast: Yes, fleetwide (morning)
Action: Yes, later at the Iskaulit (evening)
When: Today, March 1st

Hello. This is Shiro, captain of the SS Blameless.

[An introduction he's made before, but hey, you never know when someone new may be getting this. Or someone he's spoken only through text. Anyway, Shiro's sitting on the pilot seat, both hands quite busy as he speaks: one with a mug of tea, the other on his dog's head, which happens to be on his lap right now. Procyon is finally tall enough to reach him, yay!]

I wanted to talk about the security systems on the ships. We were boarded quite easily by those cannibals some months ago, although to be fair our ships were damaged. Recently I've talked with my crew about the possibility of security cameras in the ship's system, and I'm happy to report that thanks to the combination of our communication and engineer officers, we managed to install--

-POP!-

[Shiro's super serious talk is suddenly interrupted by a flutter of confetti exploding above him, and a colorful banner rolling behind the pilot's seat. As Procyon shakes his body to get rid of the confetti, Shiro turns around to see what's going on.]


[...yeah, Shiro is not amused, and it shows. Leap year baby jokes get old fast. He's about to say something else to the camera, but gets interrupted again, this time by an enthusiastic Lance that glomps the hell out of him.]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHIRO!

Lance! You said we would say it together! [Keith enters the screen too, ignoring Lance sticking his tongue out at him and putting a birthday hat on top of Shiro's head with a smirk. Little shit.] Happy birthday, Shiro.

I found this by the door. [Ulaz is the last one to arrive, and leaves a box on the console before turning to Shiro.] Happy birthday, Shiro.

Thanks guys, I--

Is that Atroma's gift?

OOOH! SHIRO, YOU HAVE TO OPEN IT! OPEN IT, OPEN IT!

[Shiro turns to look at the banner again and, after considering Atroma's history with gifts, he reaches the most obvious conclusion.] No.

Come oooooon, Shiro, don't be a spoilsport!

[So Lance being Lance, he takes it upon himself to open the box and take out the gifts. Shiro immediately pinches the bridge of his nose when the teasing starts. They're, of course, kiddy gifts. For the 6 year old. A wolf onesie, glow in the dark stars, a coloring book about space with crayons, toy rockets, the plush of a weird looking alien that a VERY PALE Shiro gives to his dog without a second thought and a NASA kids' program sticker that Lance sticks to his chest. And while the boys keep snickering at the presents, Ulaz -who's been keeping a very good poker face- notices something and reaches inside the box.]

You seem to have forgotten something. [He takes out a book, and proceeds to read the cover with the same poker face as before.] "How to get your sex drive back" by Alicia Gray. The most successful ways to increase a man's libido and--

[OH, LOOK AT THAT, THE FEED IS SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. Oops? (The gifts btw.)]

------

[In the evening, you can find Shiro and the others in the Lion's Den, the space they have in the Iskaulit. Time to party! There's food, drinks and 6 year old jokes, like the cake being decorated for children and a game to put the tail on a donk- no, wait, a lion. Don't ask.

Shiro will socialize with everyone, drink some beer and maybe even dance a bit if you convince him. Come wish him a happy birthday!]

Comments

[universal_charm]

_{[ Kirk arches a brow when he sees him and lets out a tiny wolf whistle. ]}

Didn't realize I was going to have a hot date tonight ~

_{[ Teasing, teasing, as noted by the laugh he gives after. ]}

[padadin]

[He rolls his eyes and nudges Jim, not a big fan of the joke since at home people used to hit on him all the fucking time. But somehow he manages to joke back anyway.]

I knew you were also using me.

[universal_charm]

_{[ You’re possibly one of the only people he knows who would have that complaint Shiro. As it is he doesn’t carry on with it. He just couldn’t resist the initial reaction. He laughed and headed for a booth in the bar, waving to that day’s tender. ]}

For delightful and fascinating company? Absolutely.

All right, birthday boy’s choice. So, what’ll it be, Shiro?

[padadin]

Now you're just licking my boots.

[But he sounds amused! More than before anyway. He shrugs at the question.]

We aren't in a planet so we don't have many options, do we? Let's get that drink.

[universal_charm]

_{[ He had a retort on the tip of his tongue, but kept it back. Barely. Discretion, Kirk. Not everyone enjoys your flirting all the time. ]}

Like I said, whatever you want. It is your day.

_{[ He pushed up to go to the bar and put in the order, coming back with a bowl of nuts too and setting them down between them. ]}

I know I made jokes earlier but - really. Happy birthday, Shiro.

[padadin]

[A bowl of nuts, of course. Maybe they should be more thankful for the Iskaulit, Shiro thinks - it keeps giving them these little pieces of Earth normalcy.]

Thank you. It's a bit weird, I admit. I think my inner sense of passage of time is shaken up.

[universal_charm]

Yeah, being out in space awhile does that, doesn't it?

_{[ He popped a few nuts into his mouth, enjoying the saltiness. It would be perfect when the drinks came over. ]}

Or I guess even just being here. I don't really mark time by my own birthday anymore. It's how long I've been here.

[padadin]

It's a mix of being in space at home, being in space here, and the fact that while being here, I went home for like a year and returned to the fleet where only a week passed.

[A pause. "How long I've been here", Kirk says, it leaves Shiro thinking for a second.]

If we don't count my little trip to home then... I'll have been in the fleet for a year in a couple of weeks.

[universal_charm]

Oh, I remember doing something like that too. I think I was around the same time frame too... or was it a month? Either way it was a lost less than what was suddenly shoved inside my head.

_{[ He shook his head, though he wasn't sorry for more memories of home. He liked to believe they were real and true. He didn't want to think Atroma was that deep inside his head. He'd never get any sleep that way and he already got to little as it was. ]}

Oh? Congrats, I suppose. I'll make sure you get the pin that lets you join the club.

[padadin]

[Their drinks arrive then, so Shiro takes advantage of them to take a sip and think about his answer. His head has been a mess since the Galra captured him (the first time, and the second made it worse) so he can't help to wonder how this whole augment and time passing feels to the others in the fleet. Still weird, for sure, at least that's enough in common.]

I'm not sure if it's something I should be congratulated on, but I'm thankful for the friends I've made here. I only wish I could remember them at home.

[universal_charm]

_{[ He nodded, understanding. He might not have physically gone home, but he had slept for a 'year' at home, or a year's worth of memories, and not once could he recall bringing up the Fleet in those memories. Like it had all never existed at all. And in his coma, he had felt the memories of the people here slipping away. It was terrifying. As much as he wanted to go home, he didn't want to let go of the people here either. Especially not a good friend like Shiro. ]}

Maybe we should all get matching tattoos. I've been thinking of adding the Tourist symbol to mine, actually.

[padadin]

I admit I like the idea of tattoos...

[There's an obvious but hanging in there. He's thought about it, it's no lie - especially to do together with his team. But with his body in the state it is now, he has doubts.]

I don't think they'll stay on us when we go home though, do you?

[universal_charm]

_{[ His eyes drifted up a second as he considered that in his head for a moment, and then finally just shrugged. ]}

If they don't, then it means our memories will probably be wiped and it won't matter. If it does, well - it wouldn't be the first time I will have done something stupid while drunk, which is probably what I'll think, and then just have it removed.

[padadin]

[So either way, they won't matter. But Shiro doesn't want to think about that right now, this conversation has gotten depressive enough. It's his birthday, and Jim has taken him out to distract him, right?]

Sounds like you have an impressive resume of doing something stupid while drunk. Should I ask?

[universal_charm]

_{[ His mouth twitched in a wry smile. ]}

You can ask, but i think for the sake of not taking up your whole night I should keep it to the best bits. I was in the habit of sending the police department of Riverside Iowa holiday cards every year. I can’t say if they found it funny or not, though.

[padadin]

I don't mind stories.

[They make for a good bonding moment after all! Both his eyebrows raise - that's not what he's expecting to hear.]

That doesn't sound so bad. In fact, it sounds like a nice gesture. [Then he teases.] If that's the kind of things you do while drunk, then that resume isn't as impressive as I thought.

[universal_charm]

It would be nice if it wasn't a little bit like poking the bear since I have a rather long rap sheet. It's really not a good thing when you know the officers, organic and robotic, by name and they know you. I have gotten eye rolls before walking in.