Trooper Station | Saturday

[knife_bender]

Diego was going on his first ever vacation and he was spending today making sure the troopers could handle things while everyone was gone. Mostly this included notes on how much running they should be doing and how to break into Danny's desk for snacks.

It was a productive day.

[Open]

Comments

[defenderofdesmoines]

When Annie turned up to visit, she was bearing two coffees. (And while she had gotten the baristas to write their respective names on them, Annie personally was completely to blame for the little heart that dotted the I in Diego's name on his cup, because she was so gross.)

"Leaving instructions for the guys while everyone's gone?" she guessed. She, of course, figured they were actual police business instructions. Probably raccoon-related.

[knife_bender]

"They'd be lost without me." Just ignore the fact they had gotten along just fine without him for years.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm sure," Annie agreed sincerely, taking a seat. "I mean, it does seem like an ideal time for, like, a raccoon takeover, with all of you guys gone and just the troopers left."

No offense, troopers.

[knife_bender]

"That just means we have something to do when we get back," he said, eyeing his coffee. "Is that you or the barista that has a crush on me?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Me," Annie told him with a smile, sipping her own coffee. "I have a crush on you."

It was a very secret crush, obviously.

[knife_bender]

"Really?" Diego asked, pretending to look surprised. "I had no idea."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I've been pretty subtle about it," Annie assured him with a solemn nod. "But you know, I decided that making my feelings known via coffee cup was the most romantic way to go."

[knife_bender]

"Consider me thoroughly wooed," he said with a grin. "I'm really glad it wasn't the barista flirting with me, by the way."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, obviously I'd fight them for you if I had to," Annie replied lightly. Which, honestly, would not really be fair to that poor barista, so it was good that she was mostly kidding. "Are you like, packed and everything? 'Cause I brought a list of last-minutey things I thought of."

Of course she had.

[knife_bender]

"Sort of?" He had his bag out. He would just throw stuff in it tomorrow before they left. "What kind of last minute things?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie pulled out her phone, flipping through screens for a moment before she found the list she had written out. "Do you have sunglasses besides the ones Klaus left here?" she checked.

Though if he wore his hangover shades in Hawaii, Annie would at least find that pretty entertaining.

[knife_bender]

"...no," he admitted. "I actually didn't think to pack sunglasses at all."

But he did look pretty good in Klaus' sunglasses, so.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I think it's pretty bright in Hawaii," Annie noted, lifting a brow because see, this was why she made lists and checked these things! "I'm bringing, like, three different kinds of sunscreen, so we're okay there, at least."

Did they really need three different kinds of sunscreen? Probably not.

[knife_bender]

You know what else Diego hadn't considered packing? Sunscreen.

"There's different kinds?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Different SPFs," Annie replied. "And I got one specifically for my hair that'll do stuff for the humidity, too, 'cause I guess it rains, like, every day."

So she had also packed a light jacket.

[knife_bender]

"You are way more prepared than I am." Let's not even go into the fact that he didn't own a single pair of shorts.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That's why I made a list," she admitted with a little smile. "I kinda figured. But I've done this a lot when Mom and I were taking all those pageant trips. Nothing worse than realizing you left something you really wish you had three states back."

[knife_bender]

"Well I feel a lot more prepared with you along," he teased. "But it's not like Danny wouldn't have some of this stuff at his house."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I don't want to be an imposition," Annie said, looking a little worried about that. "Danny and Steve are already so nice to have invited us to stay with them -- I don't want them to even know we're there, much less using their stuff."

Of course she assumed Danny and Steve lived together in Hawaii, too. Why wouldn't they?

[knife_bender]

"They invited us," Diego said. "So I think they're okay with us imposing a little bit."

Diego also thought Danny and Steve lived together for some reason.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"It's beside the point that they invited us," Annie decided. "I should buy them flowers or something once we get there."

Annie was also going to, like, clean the kitchen or something.

"Oh, that reminds me -- who's gonna water the plant while we're gone?" Because Annie had already asked around a bit, and it seemed like everyone she'd trust with their very important plant friend was going to Japan.

[knife_bender]

"Can't it just survive on its own for a bit?" This is why Diego wasn't allowed to have a pet.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie gave him an appropriately disapproving look. "No. It'll die."

Or at least it wouldn't thrive, and that didn't seem fair to the poor plant, either.

[knife_bender]

Diego really hated this plant. Which gave him an idea.

"We'll make Five take it." That way either Five's tortured with it while in Japan or the plant dies and Diego no longer has to deal with it. Win-win!

[defenderofdesmoines]

"To Japan?" Annie asked skeptically. "Okay. But if Five brings it back dead, I'm going to be upset."

Might as well make sure everyone was aware of her expectations, here.