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.]]

Comments

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

It could be worse. Ace kind of really had been afraid for a second he was going to drag them toward the cliff.

Still, she couldn't let this fly without at least a token protest. "Oi, watch it! He's still primed to go off!" He being the clown doll in Topher's hands. Though it also applied by necessity to Topher, since he was holding it.

[dollpocalypse]

"Wait, seriously?" Okay, clown doll, you were getting tossed into that clearing while they were still close enough for that to happen. "And can we stop with the stretching my shirt? This is new!"

[justlurkinghere]

"Not until you're gone," Derek hissed, twisting his fists into the fabric harder.

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

From the clearing below, came the sound of "Ahehehehehehe it's CIRCUS TI---EEEE"

It was hard to punch the air when some freakishly muscled shirtless bloke was swinging you round by your collar, but Ace managed it all the same. "YESSS! Perivale one hundred million points, evil clownbots, nil!"

[dollpocalypse]

Ace's enthusiasm might have been a little contagious, because Topher contributed with a "Suck it, clown fiend!" and sticking out his tongue. Maturely.

[justlurkinghere]

Which would be why Derek yanked both of them higher up. Because walking on your toes was totally cool when dealing with a rocky cliff, right?

Right!

"Out. Now."

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"At least let me get my grappling hook! Those things are expensive!" Ace assumed. It had looked expensive when she nicked it from the IceWorld Security supply closet on Level 16B.

[dollpocalypse]

"I'm pretty much ready to get down as soon as you let us!" Topher added, because, you know, being lifted by one's shirt did make that difficult. "Also, would the preserve be okay for exploding things, or is that yours too?"

...Hmm. Maybe he shouldn't have asked that.

[justlurkinghere]

"I don't care. Just never come here again," Derek snapped, dragging them right along. He was surprisingly surefooted on his way down. The other two... well. At least they had some support? "I will know if you come back."

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"Leave off!" Ace could feel the collar on her jacket starting to give, and what would she then, huh? There wasn't room for any more safety pins! "We're not coming back."

She was totally coming back. Grappling hook.

[dollpocalypse]

"The terrain sucks," Topher agreed. "Kind of a crappy place for real estate, unless you're worried about flooding. Noooo need to worry about us showing up again."

Unless, you know, flooding happened.

[justlurkinghere]

He was just going to murder people here, wasn't he? DAMN IT, GUYS. HE TRIED REALLY HARD TO JUST BE CREEPY AND THREATENING WITHOUT ACTUALLY HURTING PEOPLE.

Derek politely ignored them both, not pausing as he essentially dragged the pair down to a safer area. That was further from his house.

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"Pleasure to meet you, though?" Ace tried, because... mostly because it was funny, if only true insofar as they had been having fun until he came along. "Mister... you didn't tell us your name."

They needed to know whose class not to take if he turned out to be a new teacher, after all.

[dollpocalypse]

Ace was very wise.

"By the way, I'm... Chris," Topher informed their new friend. It was good to be prepared in case Derek wanted to keep tabs on them based on their names, after all. "And she's, uh... Shane. Or something."

Yes, the best code names were always butchered versions of people's actual names. Duh.

"Nice to meet you?"

[justlurkinghere]

He let them both go with a shove. "Go."

That was totally not his name.

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"Is that first name, last name, or both?"

ACE.

YOUR LUCK.

STOP PUSHING IT.

[dollpocalypse]

"Yeaaaaah, I think we should go," Topher decided. Even he could tell they'd outstayed their welcome, Ace. Really now. "Let's go try the preserve."

HOPEFULLY THE LOCAL WILDLIFE WOULD BE MORE HOSPITABLE.

[justlurkinghere]

IT PROBABLY WOULD.

Derek rolled his eyes, already slipping back into the treeline and out of sight. Because he was the best damn creepy hermit in the woods the island ever had.

Yeah, that was counting Jolee.

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

Jolee wasn't creepy, Derek. He was just old.

Ace watched him go because again, possessed of eyes, then said cheerily, "That went well!"

[dollpocalypse]

"Yeah, but it would've been cooler to actually see the clown blow up without being carried off like that," Topher grumbled, sans ogling Derek. Ace could have that lovely view all to herself, thanks. "You know. Ideally."

Damn it, sourwolf.

"So, preserve?"

[upmysleeve.livejournal.com]

"Preserve. I'm coming back for that ladder, though. He doesn't scare me." ...Much.