Deep Enough In The Rocky Bits For Loud Noises Coming From There To Not Be Terrifying | Friday Noon

[dollpocalypse]

Honestly, if you really considered everything that had gone on this summer, it was kind of surprising that Topher hadn't done this sooner. 

First of all, this summer had been crap, full of people leaving and Topher being evil and oh yeah, more people leaving. Different people. This would've been the perfect stress relief at any of his old schools, where he wouldn't have given it a second thought, but here, where he wasn't even all that likely to get in trouble for it, it was even more appealing. Plus he'd just taken a class that had gone into this kind of stuff, just a little. Or he'd done extra research that hadn't necessarily been encouraged, strictly speaking. Either way: knowledge.

All that, and he'd met someone who liked to play with explosives months ago. How had it taken them even this long?

"Okay," he muttered to his companion see what I did there?. "Think we've scared off all the teal deer?"

[[for one, and then another less-shirt-wearing one! and to be clear, there is not actually going to be dangerous stuff going on; the 'splosives are teeny and will mostly be tossed at rocks and stuff. but people are welcome to overhear from elsewhere if you'd like.]]

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[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

Ace eyed him as she crumpled up the paper even more and shoved it back into her pocket. "You're only not getting punched right now 'cos you're too young to know what Thatcher sounds like." Also because he just gave her the chance to say you're too young to somebody who was actually older than her, which really was funtimes, unlike punching herself in the face.

"Anyway, I reckon they're gone; if the orc family tree didn't draw 'em out, nothing will."

[dollpocalypse]

"I figured just... British," Topher said with a shrug. It was kind of miraculous he even knew that much. "And don't get me started on aging up thanks to time travel, it's way too flawed a concept and you're better than that."

FYI, Ace.

"But yeah, they should be gone."

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"Tell that to the public records that probably say I'm forty now."

Sorry to derail, there, Topher, but... Ace's eyes -- and grin -- widened. "Say, you s'pose that means I could get a real fake ID?"

Because anyone was going to look at a passport with her actual birthdate on it and believe that was her.

[dollpocalypse]

"Like anyone would expect government bureaucrats to understand human biochemistry," Topher sniffed. Sorry, Peter. "But yeah, probably. If you've got a hundred bucks you're not that attached to."

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

Ace snorted. "Only if I sold my phone." Which was not happening, thank you. "Or gave in and started waiting tables again." That... might be happening, no thank you.

She slung her rucksack off her shoulder and dropped to one knee to rifle through it, spreading out various goodies on the patchy grass beside her. "Throw, place and run, or remote control?"

'Remote control' did not equal 'remote detonator.' It equaled a cheap, battered model of a '67 Mustang with a trial-size can duct-taped to the top that said it was Axe body-spray but wasn't.

[dollpocalypse]

"Or you could come work at Stark's and get paid to explode things." Topher, that was not actually your job. It just happened to be what you did all the time.

He knelt down to assess the goods, occasionally tilting his head all impressed-like. "I say remote," he decided. "Asthma and all."

Or he was just a whiner.

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"You really blow things up at work? On purpose?" See how she asked just the right questions, not remotely addressing whether that was his actual job? That's what friends were for.

"We might still have to run a bit with the remote if it gets stuck," she added. "Didn't test it for this terrain."

[dollpocalypse]

"Occasionally," he replied gloated. "And one time I rigged the sprinkler system to shower paint on people. For a game."

...God, Ace should've been around for paintball.

"Hmm." He took a moment to ponder their predicament. "How about we get high up and toss it down there to some of the lower rocks?" That way would involve climbing, which was a deterrent, but still preferable to running.

Ew, exercise.

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"Ooh, brill!"

That was a rope-ladder and a grappling hook Ace was pulling out of her bag, yes. "I love rock-climbing."

...Sorry, Topher.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher was only staring at her a little. Really.

"Uh." Okay, important question first. "Do you always carry that or just today?"

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

Ace might've looked a liiiittle busted. "Ladder, always. Hook... I thought we might need it?"

[dollpocalypse]

Well. That was good to know.

"Dude," Topher said, pointing a finger in the direction of the ladder, "next time the dorms get invaded by... anything besides those mechanical spiders, I'm hitching a ride on this."

He still missed those mechanical spiders. Damn it, Fandom.

"And that includes the fake babies." Beat. "Maybe especially the fake babies."

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"...Fake babies?" Yes, she was attaching the grapple to one end of the ladder as she asked. Multitasking ahoy.

[dollpocalypse]

"Sometimes kids show up that are supposedly your and your friends' future children in an alternate dimension," he explained. "And then they want to, like, stalk Captain America or give you judgey looks while eating ice cream."

Well, that last one was his AU self's fault for procreating with a Wiggin. Really now, Topher.

"Sure you can throw that thing without it hitting you in the face?"

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

Oh, never give her an opening like that, Brink. "Without hitting me? Absolutely."

Said right before tossing it up there, so good luck scrambling out of potential face-range.

Not that it hit anything but the rocks, and Ace gave it a good yank to make sure it was seated well before starting her climb.

[dollpocalypse]

Yeah, he totally flailed a bit trying to avoid getting hit. Mean, Ace.

"Do I wait for you to get to the top, or what?" he called after her when it occurred to him that he was expected to follow.

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"Depends whether you want to look up my skirt or not!" Still mean, yup. Though given she was wearing bike-shorts longer than the skirt, there clearly wasn't anything to actually look at.

Also she was a pretty quick climber, so the question was going to be moot in a minute anyway.

[dollpocalypse]

"Still gross!" he informed her, but the bike shorts kept him from flailing too much.

With that, he set off after her, and if there were tiny whimpery noises at the surprising amount of energy this involved, well... your face.

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

To make up for the meanness a bit, Ace offered him a hand once she'd reached the top. "Long as you don't mind the cooties..."

[dollpocalypse]

"I just climbed your rope," he pointed out in a grumble, taking her hand. And everyone knew cooties could live on rope. So there.

After straightening up and dusting off his clothes to his satisfaction -- it would be a tragedy if this sweater vest got tarnished, you know -- he peered down at the nice spacious area they had for explosive-throwing. Not bad.

And then he got right to the important part.

"Can I throw it?"

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

Down came the bag and out came the booty again. "You can throw the first one." Please, like she hadn't brought more than one can.

[dollpocalypse]

Well, now she was totally forgiven for the teasing. Totally.

Topher took a moment to assess the options, then delicately picked one up. "'Kay, so... stay," he instructed. Probably unnecessarily. And with a nice dramatic wind-up of his arm, he tossed it down to the clearing below.

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"So next time," Ace said conversationally, peering over to watch it fall, "You might want to take the cap off."

Since that was what primed the fuse.

KA - BOOM!!!

"......Or I might want to stick it on tighter."

[dollpocalypse]

"...Yeah, that was intentional," he decided. Lying. Totally lying. "'Cause I saw you did it badly."

Riiiight.

"So that was kind of awesome."

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"Not bad. Good aim." By which she meant he successfully got it over edge and didn't blow them both up, which was all she cared about now that the teal deer were out of danger.

"Needs more destruction, though." Anyone who thought that backpack was empty now needed to go back to the dorms and lie down, because they hadn't passed the minimum brain-cell requirements to play with explosive devices.

They could, however, be forgiven for not expecting Ace to pull out a Hola Gato toaster (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_EpTo-u2xlY/T3WxxdzJs2I/AAAAAAAABJI/2Jkv4A_vGSQ/s1600/hello-kitty-toaster.jpg) with no lever and a frayed, plugless power-cord.

She slid another mini-nitro can into one of the toast slots, jerked the lid off and drop-kicked it over the side of the rocks. "BOMBS AWAY!"