Room 307, Sunday Early Afternoon

[dollpocalypse]

"Yeah, but you can't just go to bars like that," Topher was in the middle of explaining to Maria over a breakfast of Mountain Dew and Doritos. "They're... I don't know. For grown-ups or whatever."

"Not always," Maria informed him almost a little sharply, though she didn't look like she had an interest in elaborating on that. "And it's not as though I drank. Which I don't, for the record. I just met your friend Kenzi and some Jedi who knows you guys and learned all about the time you shrunk some girl's laundry."

Topher made a face. "You heard about that?" he groused.

"Yep," Maria confirmed. "And did Dad really punch Peter at a dance? Don't get me wrong, it's seriously badass and I'd do it if I went to school with him too, but it doesn't sound like high school-dad."

Topher winced. "Yeah... maybe don't mention that one to him," he suggested. "Just. Eat your breakfast, okay?"

"Then can I look at your computer?"

Topher sighed. "Be my guest."

[[door and post open! yeah, i really freaking love this kid, why do you ask?]]

Comments

[selfhelphero]

Billy was aware that something weird was going on this weekend, and while he hadn't been affected, he knew Topher wasn't so lucky. So, he went by his room and knocked on the door, intending to check on him and see how he was doing. And maybe to just see him again, like a dork.

[dollpocalypse]

"Please don't let it be another kid," Topher pleaded quietly to himself as he got up to open the door. As soon as it was open as he saw who it was, though, he was instantly, visibly relieved. "Oh, good, it's you," he said. "Hey."

[selfhelphero]

"Hi," Billy said, only slightly awkward. "How's it going? I mean, um, how's your morning been?"

[canhasbrains.livejournal.com]

"He hates parenting and wants to sleep," Maria piped up from where she was tinkering with Topher's laptop.

Beat.

"You're obviously Billy."

[selfhelphero]

"Obviously," Billy said, watching the girl for a moment. "What's your name?"

[dollpocalypse]

"She's, uh --" Topher started, looking extremely uncomfortable and starting to wring his hands, but Maria cut him off.

[canhasbrains.livejournal.com]

"Maria Stark," she said, a tiny bit of sympathy in her otherwise neutral expression. "I've heard a little about you. Nice to meet you."

[selfhelphero]

Billy stared back and forth between Maria and Topher, trying to wrap his brain around her name. "Stark? Like Tony? Seriously? Man, that is so not fair."

[dollpocalypse]

"She just sort of... was in the lab yesterday," Topher said, shrugging helplessly. "We're just sort of, uh. Going with it?"

[canhasbrains.livejournal.com]

"I think I'll head back there now, actually," Maria said after giving Billy a thoughtful look. "Got suit schematics to correct and all." Or she just wanted to give this version of her dad a chance to flirt with the guy he was supposedly almost dating. Yeah, probably that one.

She set Topher's laptop to the side, stood up and headed for the door, but then she paused when she reached the hallway. "Think you've got a visitor," she observed.

[borntofangirl.livejournal.com]

Antonia probably should have found her parents before this morning, but once she'd realized where she was yesterday, there'd been so much to see! Sneaking around and getting pictures had been fun, but she didn't want anyone to worry about her for too long, so she'd headed for the dorms. "There you are. Hi!"

[dollpocalypse]

Really? One left and another showed up? Typical.

"Uh," Topher said. "Morning." And that would just be him looking at Billy helplessly because please let this kid be one of his. Three little girls was just too many for anyone to reasonably be expected to handle.

[selfhelphero]

"Um, hi," Billy said uncertainly. "Are you...were you talking to me, or him?"

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Time to see how Topher was handling things. Or, you know, not.

Kenzi grinned as she knocked on the door-frame. Vlad was trailing after her, looking... well, demon-spawned. Predictably.

"Where's Maria?"

[dollpocalypse]

Topher stared. "Uh, here?" he said, pointing to the girl sitting and poking at one of his laptops three feet away.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Hey kid," Kenzi said, waving at her. Then pointing at Vlad. "Can you do a DNA test?"

[stealabeat.livejournal.com]

"Hi Dad," Vlad said, wandering in and looking over Topher's shoulder with interest.

So. Mean.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher choked. "Huh?" he managed, his voice coming out strangled and more high-pitched than usual.

Behind him, Maria rolled her eyes.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Not just me who's freaking out," Kenzi told Vlad. "So I'm thinking, DNA test, prove he's a lying little crazy person."

[canhasbrains.livejournal.com]

Maria sighed. She liked Kenzi, and she liked watching her dad flip out, but come on.

"She's bullshitting you," she commented, not looking up from her coding.

Thanks, Maria.

[stealabeat.livejournal.com]

She wasn't, really.

Vlad, on the other hand...

"He could be my dad," Vlad claimed, unfazed.

[canhasbrains.livejournal.com]

"No, he couldn't," Maria said, her tone perfectly calm. "If f of x equals x to the third minus x minus six, and g of x is its inverse, what's f prime of g of zero?"

[stealabeat.livejournal.com]

Vlad gave her a look that clearly said, Are you nuts? "Something too geeky for humankind. Are you an alien?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Not my kid," Topher declared, just as Maria chimed in, "Not your kid."

And that settled that.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"I'm torn between 'oh Thank Buddha' and 'well shit.'" Kenzi glared at Vlad, who looked up, attempting to appear innocent. "C'mon. TELL ME!"