Trooper Station, Friday

[firstofitskind]

There was shawarma in the station today.

Not because anyone had done anything so pedestrian as order it for lunch, oh no. There was shawarma because Fandom was up to its usual nonsense and every time anyone had their hands free, suddenly they... didn't.

So there was shawarma. And a lot of doing paperwork by hand once Liam and the Troopers had figured out the trick to not ending up with more shawarma.

Although every so often someone would mutter a "Damn it" or "Sithspit" under their breath as they forgot to keep their hands occupied.

Comments

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan stopped by to see Liam, because it was Friday. He blinked at the shawarma. "That's a lot of food, buddy."

[firstofitskind]

"Tell me about it," Liam groaned, dropping his pen on the desk so he could pinch the bridge of his nose.

And then realizing his mistake just a second too late as he pulled his hand away only to find himself holding yet more shawarma.

"Hungry?" he said, offering it to Kaidan. Look, if he stuck around in here much longer chances were he'd end up with one in hand anyway. Might as well get on with it.

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan laughed and took the offered tinfoil-wrapped thing. "Sure. Thanks. Does the jinx follow you if you work outside the office?"

[firstofitskind]

"Probably not," he admitted. "But I also don't want to come back to a station filled to the rafters with meat, so I'm keeping an eye on it." And that pen was already back in hand, because he'd learned his lesson, thanks.

At least until the next time he foolishly forgot.

[spectre_alenko]

"Your life is just never, ever boring, is it?" Kaidan asked, trying not to grin about it.

[firstofitskind]

"You could at least just try not to look so smug about that," Liam said, shaking his head.

[spectre_alenko]

"Really couldn't," Kaidan shook his head, "I'm pretty sure as soon as the island acclimates to my presence, I'm in for my own rasher of weird. For now, I'll just vicariously enjoy yours."

[firstofitskind]

"Ugh," Liam said. "You're the worst." In a tone that (hopefully) made it clear that he really was not.

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan grinned at him again, "I know. I revel in it." Unwrapping part of the tinfoil, he took a bite of the pita..sandwich..meat..thing. Tasty.

"You have plans this weekend?"

[firstofitskind]

"Nothing in particular," Liam said with a shrug. Possibly a patrol of Baltimore with Verity one night, if she wanted the company, but nothing set in stone. "Why?" he asked, curious.

[spectre_alenko]

"Should be over the exercise restrictions," Kaidan said, "Thought maybe we could go for a jog or something?"

[firstofitskind]

"Sure," Liam said with a grin. "I'd like that."

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan took another bite and when he finished it, nodded. "Good," he offered with a smile, "It'll be nice to hang out. I'm trying to make a better effort to actually see people."

To leave his apartment. To be outside without getting twitchy about it.

[firstofitskind]

"You have been a little squirrely lately," Liam said mildly. There was no judgement, but he hadn't exactly missed the way the other man had practically been hiding behind him at the picnic the other weekend.

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan shrugged a shoulder, "Agoraphobia. Leftover shadow bullshit. Sky, trees, shadows kind of tweak me out right now. It's why I'm making an effort to get outside at least once a day. So it doesn't get worse."

Not that it was really helping. He was fighting a holding action.

[firstofitskind]

"Makes sense," Liam nodded. He had dreams, sometimes, dreams that left him trying to find words in a language nobody but Liam spoke anymore. Dreams that left him antsy about being closed-in, where the walls might start to shake and crumble around him again.

Made it difficult when he also enjoyed cave-diving.

"My go-to is to take my shuttle for a spin, but I don't know if that'd actually be of any help, in your case." Still, the offer was there.

[spectre_alenko]

"If it's ex-atmo capable, shit yes please get me off this damn rock," Kaidan said, just a tad bit plaintively.

Space didn't bother him. The stars were home.

[died8yearsago]

It was really nothing more than Rosa's own stubbornness and disdain for how ridiculous this was that her desk was now covered in more shawarma than paperwork, until she got frustrated enough to do something else about it.

And that something else meant getting the hell out of the station today.

"I'm going to take some of this next door to Blackstone," she decided, gathering it up as best she could. "That woman's psycho for any meat off a stick. We need anything sharpened while I've over there?

[firstofitskind]

"I don't think so, but maybe double-check the armory just in case?" Liam said. The Troopers (and Liam himself) tended to favor energy-based weapons, but there was a good stock of swords and axes and the like for those times when they were the only thing that worked.

[died8yearsago]

"Nah, they're good," Rosa said, without missing a beat. Because she'd just been in there earlier that week...er...checking on them. Taking stock. Imagining potential scenarios where she might actually get to use them all, and other hopes and dreams.

"But before I go, just to make sure..." She paused, looking pointedly at the shawarma in her hands. She looks at the shawarma still on her desk. She looked at the shawarma that had just popped into Ralph's hand.

"...why?"

[firstofitskind]

"Why does anything happen around here?" Liam asked pointedly.

[died8yearsago]

"Yeah," said Rosa, "I kinda figured as much, but I thought I'd ask anyway."

[firstofitskind]

"It's better than the music, at any rate," Liam pointed out. "At least this is good food."

Even if he was going to be, in all likelihood, pretty sick of it by the end of the day.

[died8yearsago]

"You always seem to get the interesting ones, boss..."

All Rosa got were arsonist cats and surprise visits from the mayor.

Although, okay, maybe that last one wasn't that bad.

"I kinda want to add something witty or sarcastic or snarky now, but I know whatever I say will just turn around and bite me on the ass on Monday, so..." Keeping that mouth shut.

[firstofitskind]

Liam was also partial to hot blondes dropping by the station. Or one in particular. Who actually didn't happen to be the mayor, so never mind.

"You're holding back from saying something witty or sarcastic?" Liam said, eyes going wide. "And I thought the constantly-appearing-food was weird."