( weathering social gatherings for the sake of keeping up formal appearances ( see: every single thing he's ever been strong-armed into back at the garrison ) is one thing, and a thing he's more than gotten used to. being forced into such a thing with no option at all of ( even politely ) declining?

he's not exactly uncomfortable, but it's just a little unsettling, and having his clothes taken away and replaced with an oversized tee is enough to find him scowling down at his clipboard when it's given to him. and what thing, you might ask, does that tee want a random stranger to inquire about?

ask me about my ptsd.

he's scowling at that, too, because of all the things he would willingly talk about just for the sake of playing along, of playing nice in order to get out of a less than preferable situation, of all the things he doesn't actively sweep under the nearest rug, because out of sight, out of mind. it had to be that, didn't it?

great. )

( it isn't like he isn't cooperating entirely on purpose. some things are just difficult to talk about, you understand — and maybe it's because he toes the line of truth in whatever answers he gives, or maybe he just doesn't give the kind of answers that end up being good enough to give the powers that be what they want.

as it so happens, he ends up in one of those get-along shirts with whoever else might not have participated well enough, or at all, and. here they are. he might be looking a little sullen, which is a different look on him, but it stands to reason that he's convinced he's justified in thinking that this is a little extreme.

after a small stretch of silence, he tips his head in the direction of whoever he's gotten himself trapped with. ) I'm not … entirely sure what they're expecting from us. ( he admits it with a small shift in his expression, the edge of his mouth getting close to curving upward in a half-smile. that looks more like him. ) But I'm easy enough to get along with, I think? ( shiro.

now is not the time for your terrible sense of humor. )

( the choose-your-own-adventure option! if you'd like to do something you don't see up there, hit me up; this is basically me being like 'come at me if you want literally any part of the long way around because i'm too lazy to write up specific scenarios for each of them', and i'm not ashamed to admit that. i'm also not trying to write a thousand words for a freaking test drive top-level. questions, comments, concerns? poke me over at problematic anytime! )