Trooper Station, Friday

[firstofitskind]

The construction noises were back. Because of course they were. He didn't begrudge Amaya's need to build... whatever it was she was building next door, just the fact that the majority of the work always seemed to happen on days when he was here.

Add to that the fact that one of the Troopers kept complaining about a missing helmet, and, well. It was no surprise that Liam was starting to get a headache. And he couldn't even take anything for it, ugh.

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[seriesofbaddecisions]

Really, it was their own fault. When a teenager with a dislike for stormtroopers and a healthy distrust of authority was given an opportunity to steal a trooper helmet, she was going to steal a stormtrooper helmet.

And paint it.

But because she couldn't resist taunting them a little, today Sabine was here, holding a helmet covered in bright pink and yellow swirls, with extra detail around the face. It did look cool, at least. "I just so happened to find this outside. Anyone missing one of these?"

[firstofitskind]

"'Just happened to', huh?" Liam echoed, giving Sabine a once-over. Teenager with brightly colored hair and armor, bringing in a helmet covered in bright paint. Hmmm.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Okay, maaaaybe I gave it a little polish before retiring it, but I think we can all agree it's an improvement," she said.

The white was boring. So boring.

[firstofitskind]

"I don't know if he'd agree," Liam said pointedly, nodding over at the one helmetless Trooper in the station, who was scowling in Sabine's general direction.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"I put a lot of work into it," she said. "You don't have to thank me. That look of gratitude is thanks enough."

Sabine.

[firstofitskind]

Liam was trying very hard not to laugh, because... well. It was a nice paint job, she wasn't wrong there.

"You did take Station property without permission, though," he pointed out, because no, he absolutely was not buying that flimsy 'found this outside' excuse.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Borrowed and improved," Sabine corrected the stealing part, but she'd kinda done it in broad daylight?

[firstofitskind]

"And if I check the security footage from Wednesday, that's what I'll see?" Liam checked. "You borrowing it?"

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Does that matter when you have proof of me bringing it back?"

Because the footage would be of her yelling "GO GO GO" and bolting with the helmet and probably surprising her teammates.

[firstofitskind]

"Yes," Liam said pointedly. "And unfortunately, borrowing without permission from the Trooper Station isn't something I can just let slide."

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Oh. Well, I'll remember that for next time." There round be a next time. "Anyway, bye!"

She turned to the door, like bring cute and breezy would work.

[firstofitskind]

"Not so fast." And there was a pair of Troopers blocking her escape the door.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

Sabine was pretty sure she could get out of this if she tried, but this was a small island she was stuck on, and besides, she mainly just wanted to make an artistic point.

"Do you want yours done, too?" she asked, too innocently to sound like a threat.

Even if it kinda might've been.

[firstofitskind]

"If you're so keen on painting," Liam said, after a pointed moment of silence because neither of the Troopers at the door felt like gracing that question with an answer. "I've got a job for you, actually."

[seriesofbaddecisions]

There was instant suspicion at that.

"What kind of job?"

[firstofitskind]

"The cells need repainting." And he'd been meaning to make Calvin do it, buuuut.

This worked out better.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

More suspicion.

"I'm sure I can improve those too," she said evenly.

[firstofitskind]

"I'll just bet you can," Liam said, walking over to where he'd left the paint supplies.

Which consisted of a roller and a can of boring institutional grey.

"Take care of this and we'll call it even."

[seriesofbaddecisions]

Sabine walked over, and checked on the color. "You've got to be kidding me. This is an affront!"

Sure, her walls were gray, but it was as the base for color!

[firstofitskind]

"It's a jail cell, not a bed and breakfast," Liam pointed out.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"That doesn't mean it has to be boring!"

...kinda did, Sabine.

[firstofitskind]

"Pretty much means exactly that, actually."

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Ugh," she said, picking up the paint can. "Fine. I'll do it. But this is no way to thank me for my artistic favor."

And if someone didn't watch her, she was going to draw cartoon-y gremlins around your cells with a paint marker.

[firstofitskind]

"How about if I bring in lunch from someplace in town for that?" Liam offered. Because really, it had been a pretty good paint job.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"...Okay."

It didn't make up for the gray. But she liked the semblance of praise there.

[died8yearsago]

"Hey, boss," said Rosa at one point, "head's up."

And flying toward him through the air (in a gentle underhanded pitch, don't worry) was a set of noise-cancelling earmuffs.

His were the bright pink ones.

[firstofitskind]

Liam was secure enough in his masculinity that a little bit of bright pink wasn't a problem.

"And that's why you're my favorite," he declared, giving Rosa a grateful look. Well, okay, it was one of many reasons. Including the fact that she was capable of holding a conversation about something other than whether or not raccoons were recyclable. Or the fact that she actually did her job. Or-

Well, you get the idea.

[died8yearsago]

Was it really a compliment anyway, considering what she was up against?

"You think this is going to be going on all summer?" Rosa asked, gripping her own earmuffs (black, duh), ready to put them on as soon as this brief conversation was over. "It's almost enough to make me regret saving her ass with those skinless booze hounds."

No, no, no, she was kidding, she didn't mean that.

...mostly.

[firstofitskind]

"Ugh," Liam shuddered at the reminder of the skinless booze hounds, because those had been the worst.

"I'm pretty sure she's using her workshop as a source of free labor, so my suspicion is yes," Liam said. "Or at least for the next three weeks. She might do something different for the next half of the summer." There was that small glimmer of hope!

[died8yearsago]

"That's dumb," said Rosa. "Who'd want a bunch of kids building their building? Maybe she'd got good insurance."

Doubtful.

She quirked her chin up. "How's your sign language?"

[firstofitskind]

Good question, Rosa. Liam thought about that one for a moment.

"I know the alphabet in BSL?" he offered. And a few other non-sound-based languages, but none that originated on Earth. Maybe they could communicate via note-passing?

[died8yearsago]

That...could be workable, if they needed it. And there was a good chance they might not. So Rosa just shrugged. "Good," she said, lifting her earmuffs to put them on and secure them, looking faintly blissful for a moment.

I could really get used to this, she signed with a satisfied grin before heading over to get some coffee and looking forward to a day of pretending she couldn't do anything to help the troopers if she couldn't hear anything they were saying.