What we think, We become (Shallurklance)

10/10: Seasons

Having seven people living in a giant ship designed for several hundred was a bit of a weird experience.
For one, they were never quiet sure where everyone was. Rooms that they all thought were unique turned out to be identical to several others spread across the castle; Keith once said he was spending the afternoon in a training room, only for Allura and Lance to traipse through no less than four training rooms that were all clones of each other, before finally finding him in one on the sixth floor just above the hangars. That made it hard to keep track of quite where everyone was, meaning Coran had to break out the bio-scanner just to call everyone for dinner.

For another, there were so many details around the castle that, even after living there for a while, there were still things hiding in the nooks, crannies, and Altean computers that they still didn't know what they did.

One day, Lance and Allura found a wardrobe.

Well, if he was being honest, it was less of a wardrobe, and more of a room lined with rows upon rows of clothes, all obviously made for alteans. There seemed to be everything and anything, from long, flowing ballgowns in a plethora of colours, to tight little tops and shimmery skirts that looked perfect for the summer, that Lance just wanted to try on.
With an easy laugh, he slipped his hands behind his head and wandered over to one rack. "Holy crow, 'Lura, you've kept this secret," he said with a laugh, "this place is incredible!"
"It's not something I thought necessary to remember," she admitted with a giggle, "I'm glad you enjoy it though, my maids always picked my clothes, so I shan't say  I've ever completely been in here."
Lance hummed in response, but he seemed to be preoccupied with flicking through the racks of clothing, sometimes pulling out items to hold against himself or Allura, or to hold up in the air. It was a funny sight, and she couldn't help but laugh at her boyfriend's ecstatic reaction to, what was to her, a room of clothes.
"Do you think Kashi would look good in this?" Lance asked, pulling out a large black and gold three piece suit, with floor-length tails and wings embroidered on the back, "it kinda' looks like it was made for him."
"That's because it partially was," she replied, stifling a laugh and holding a sleeve out, "this is a ceremonial suit to be worn by the Black Paladin during the festival of Nik'quinex, wherein-"
"Babe," Lance cut her off, gasping slightly in amazement, "what's Nik'quinex?"
Now she had to laugh. "It's a festival of love in the equivalent of your Earth summer," she told him through quiet giggles, "where people would wear nice clothing and make specific foods to appease their lover, and eventually, mate."
The suit was hung back up with haste, and Lance looked back at her, wide-eyed. "So Zarkon probably-"
"It's highly likely."
"Kashi must never wear that. Ever."
"Agreed."

They hung around for a little longer, checking out the clothes on the other side of the room, Lance piling his arms with small pieces of clothing that he decided he would wear around the castle. "I bet summer on Altea was lovely," he mused absentmindedly, adding a long blue skirt to the pile and showing her a grey striped t-shirt, "would Keith like this?"
"He probably would." She felt the material between her hands. "Although it might be a big baggy for him, he likes his tighter clothing."
As Lance put the shirt back with a nod, she sighed quietly. "And yes, summers back on Altea were lovely."
"What were they like?" He asked gently.
"Warm, and carefree," she eventually replied, "it was one of the only times of the year that Father would allow me out of the castle with my friends rather than a bodyguard, so some of my best memories come from those times." She stopped for a moment, just to gather her thoughts. "We'd go swimming, or shopping, run around trying to find the most unhealthiest snack in the surrounding village, silly stuff like that." She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, memories of Altea coming back as she stood, but Lance's soft cough brought her back.
"Back where I come from, summer is a bit like that as well," Lance replied softly, shifting the clothes in his arms so he could link one hand with hers and run a thumb over her knuckles, "but they were a bit more busy than yours, I think. We lived on a beach, so summer was tourist season?" He chuckled slightly at the memory. "I spent most of my summers helping at my aunts café on the seafront, since they had so many visitors she always needed help with staffing the place."
"It sounds like a lot of fun."
"We'll take you there one day," he stated, a steely promise in his voice, "and we'll go surfing, and have ice cream at my aunt's place. And Kashi will take you to meet his family and try all the local foodstuffs he keeps going on about, and Keith will wanna' show you the deserts and forests and mountains, because he loves those kinds of things, and Hunk and Pidge will-"
She shushed him with a hand against his cheek, placing the clothes on the floor and pulling him into a hug.
"I can't think of anything I'd rather do," she murmured into his hair, "you will go back my love, I promise."
"Thank you."

The clothes could wait.

~

"No, trust me, it's the best place in this castle!"
"I'm sure it is," Keith replied dryly, rolling his eyes but letting himself be tugged down a corridor by Lance. Shiro was following behind him, chuckling slightly as Keith tripped over his own feet to keep up with Lance.

They turned the corner of the long corridor into the wardrobe-room, Shiro could hardly believe what he saw. He hadn't seen this many clothes in one place since the malls his family used to drag him too; he didn't think Keith had ever seen anything like this at all. Inside the room, Allura and Hunk were already there, helping Pidge with the buttons on a gilded green and silver jumpsuit. She seemed pretty happy with it, her grin being visible from the doorway, and soon they were being beckoned over to the others in the centre of the room.

"See?" Lance exclaimed, throwing his arms wide to indicate the contents, and Shiro didn't think he'd ever seen Keith look so bewildered.
"I see, but why do you need all these clothes?"
"Because I'm a princess," Allura stated plainly, wandering over from where Lance and Hunk were fawning over Pidge's dress, "that, and the weather always changed fast on Altea. Father was insistent on having clothes for every occasion."
Shiro, apparently, had gone to check out the rows of clothes himself, for when Keith turned around, he was over on the far side of the room, thumbing through hangars curiously.
"Takashi?"
As soon as he'd called his name, the other paladin turned, holding in his hands what looked like a red and black silk blazer, embroidered with many different coloured patterns.
"Try this?" Shiro offered, holding it out.

The jacket fit like a glove.

"Hey Keith!" Lance called out from across the room, "you look fine in that!"
Keith felt his face heat up with a blush, sending a grateful smile over to where Lance was grinning bashfully, and a black suit on the rack nearest him caught his eye. It too was embroidered, with what seemed to be the black lions wings.
"Yeah? Well, I think you should try this on."
He didn't expect a peal of laughter to erupt from Lance and Allura, reaching for each other to steady themselves. Shiro looked as confused as he felt, raising one eyebrow despite the slight smile. "It's nice," he mused, holding up a sleeve.

"Lance, bro, is that the one you were talking about?"
"The exact one."
Hunk and Pidge joined in the laughter, causing Keith and Shiro to share a look. They didn't know what brought on this laughter, but if it caused their friends and loves to laugh so happily, then, who were they to judge?