Stashing

Date/Timing: 16 January 2019; shortly after "Diverting"
Setting: Chuck's room, Lucky Seven suite, The Shed; Vaucluse, NSW, Australia
Note: This ficlet has been made redundant by "Diversionary Tactics"
.
Chuck sighs into his hand, standard three-Jaeger formations dancing across his tablet.
Max snores under the desk.
The screen suddenly flashes red.
Chuck startles, nudges—
Max whuffs, waddles out of kicking range.
""You have mail. You now have a proper excuse for procrastination,"" drawls AGNIS.
Chuck grumbles his way into his email.
From: James Walker, Handler (V-JWAL_409.21-T@ppdc.mil)
To: Charles Hansen, Cadet (C-CHAN_512.66-D@ppdc.mil)
Subject: Tonight
Your favourite Rangers will be out of the 'Dome until curfew and I happen to know you
a) value loyalty to one's team and no one else's
and
b) own at /least two tshirts in a specific blue-orange palette.
If you wanna get stuff gone without heckling, tonight's your night!
- Walker 
Chuck frowns. Then he shrugs, takes his mobile out, texts away.
chuck_hansen: My room asap!
chuck_hansen: Bring boxes
The response is immediate.
derek_jones: Rt away sir
Chuck preens, pushes back from his desk.
chuck_hansen: How's the homework?
p_a_vos: >_<
chuck_hansen: I'll help later
p_a_vos: NO!!!
p_a_vos: Gotta learn
Chuck rolls his eyes.
chuck_hansen: We're a team
p_a_vos: Nice try
p_a_vos: Gonna do it myslf
p_a_vos: U finish pckng
Chuck scowls—
Doorbell!
—darts to the suite door, flings it open.
The Squire, clutching a bunch of flattened cardboard boxes.
"Get in here," barks Chuck,
Squire squeaks, trips inside—
Chuck snorts.
—trails Chuck to his room.
Max woofs a greeting, wags his tail.
"You're gonna help me pack."
"Y-yessir."
"You better not tell anyone ... or else," growls Chuck.
The Squire cringes, mumbles, "'a course, s-sir."
Chuck slides open one of the drawers under the bed.
Stuff in /Gipsy royal, /Lucky khaki, and /Triton navy peeps out.
Squire works a roll of tape off his wrist, pops open and secures the bottoms of two boxes.
"Should probably just bin the clothes," mutters Chuck.
"Umm ... 'scuse me, sir?"
"Yea?"
"May ...." Squire swallows. "Maybe Pietr's family can use them?"
Chuck considers, shrugs. "Doesn't hurt t' ask, I guess."
chuck_hansen: Yr family use some kids clothes?
Chuck sorts tops, bottoms, and outerwear into separate piles, starts in the second drawer.
/bweeet
p_a_vos: Sure!!!
p_a_vos: Thnk u!!!
p_a_vos: ^u^
Chuck huffs, tucks the mobile away. "Right, then."
The Squire attends.
"All the clothes go to Pietr's people. Books and posters into storage." Chews his lip. "I'll sort the rest."
"Yessir." Squire lifts a handful of tees and tucks them into a standard shipping box.
"Why'd you bring shipping supplies? You knew I was moving," Chuck challenges.
"Y-you just a-asked for boxes, sir, so I-I brought a few of each kind."
Chuck deflates, grunts.
Squire swallows, packs some /Gipsy blue pajama pants.
Max inspects the half-full box.
"Outta there, boy," Chuck chides.
Max woffles, picks his way around the piles, plops next to Chuck on the floor.
Chuck scratches his ears, contemplates three chibi Jaeger plushies.
Max pants happily.
Squire tapes the first box closed, assembles a second.
Chuck sighs, texts again.
chuck_hansen: How bout toys?
p_a_vos: OMG YES!!!
p_a_vos: Yr teh bestest uncle evar!!!
p_a_vos: <3
Chuck's face heats, so he grumbles, "Pass me a shipping one."
Squire does.
Chuck dumps the plushies in.
Poster tubes (full of images of /Gipsy and /Lucky and a couple of /Coyote) to storage.
Adds boxed models of the Mark I series to the plushies.
Reconsiders, shifts /Lucky and /Coyote to the storage queue.
A couple of unused colouring books enter the shipping box.
/Gipsy model to storage.
Chuck contemplates the two empty drawers.
"Is that everything, sir?"
"Yea," sighs Chuck. "You'll take care of it?"
"Yessir." Tapes the remaining boxes.
Chuck rubs his neck. "You need help carrying 'em?"
Squire startles. "N-no, sir. I have a handtruck outside."
"I meant lifting 'em."
"I c-can manage, sir. Th-thank you." He stands, hoisting the heaviest of the storage boxes, shuffles for the door. "B-but, if you could, umm ...."
Chuck pushes to his feet, gets the bedroom door—
"Thank you."
—and the suite door.
Squire stacks the boxes one-by-one, puffing a little when he's done. "I-is there anything else I can do fer you?"
"Nah. I'm good." A beat. "Thanks."
Squire brightens a little. "You're welcome, sir. See you in the morning."
Chuck acknowledges.
Squire and boxes trundle off.
Chuck heads back to his room and his pointless tactics homework.
Tags: Ficlet, Skeleton Key, Sydney Shatterdome (setting), Chuck H, Chuck H's POV, Chuck H (ficlet), Max, Max (ficlet), AGNIS, AGNIS (ficlet), Jamie, Jamie (ficlet), Conversations via email, Jones brothers (mention), Conversations via SMS, Derek, Derek (ficlet), Pietr, Pietr (ficlet), Vos family (mention), Chuck H was a fanboy, Ficlets with images, Chuck H was a fanboy
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Category:Ficlets with comments
Category:Ficlets (incorporated)
Category:Ficlets made redundant