Room 307, Thursday Morning

[dollpocalypse]

Topher had just discovered something surprising. Apparently, there was a school trip in a few days.

He'd been kind of planning on hacking into the database of eligible students for a science fair in Baltimore whose competition was next week, but now he had to choose between science and travel. That was ordinarily an easy decision. Science won out.

'Science' was pretty much the direction he was unequivocally leaning now, in fact, but then he actually started working on that hacking project and was surprised at how difficult it was. "Science fair in Baltimore has more security than the space army," he muttered to himself, annoyedly typing away. If this took more than another half hour, he might just sign up for the trip already and save his ego this unnecessary trauma.

[[open door and post!]]

Comments

[ultron_junior]

Victor hadn't seen Topher in a while, so he stopped off on his way back from class.

"Working on anything interesting?" he asked from the doorway. "And hi."

[dollpocalypse]

"Trying to find an alternative to Fandom-sponsored vacationing," Topher said distractedly. "The internet is being a jerk about it. What's up?"

[ultron_junior]

"Nothing, that's why I'm bugging you," Victor shrugged, moving into the room. "You don't want to go to Turkey?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Weather.com says it's gonna be hot," Topher complained. "And I don't really like boats. Are you going?"

[ultron_junior]

"I like hot and I've never been on a boat long enough to know if I like them or not," Victor said. "So that's a yes. When's the next time somebody's going to offer me a free cruise, right?"

He leaned over to try to see Topher's screen. "What were you going to do instead?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Very possibly in the fall," Topher pointed out. Because Fandom. "There's some science fair in Baltimore that took sign-ups like a month ago," he said, tilting his screen so Victor could see. "Just public school kids from the city. But I figured if I can get in, I'll probably win, and the prize is a robot that makes ice cream, so..."

So: hacking.

[ultron_junior]

"So, you're going to sign up and cream everybody," Victor summarized. "Nice. Know what you'll submit?"

[dollpocalypse]

"There's so many options," Topher sighed dramatically. "Maybe this 3D handheld game I've been working on. Or the repulsion gel I made with Ace last week."

[ultron_junior]

"Jarvis was still bitching about the gel when I came in on Tuesday," Victor told him. "Stuff sticks like crazy in the corners."

This was not a 'so don't make it', simply a complaint.

[dollpocalypse]

"It washes off with water, he should quit complaining and just set off the sprinklers," Topher dismissed. "...Maybe when you're not there."

[ultron_junior]

"Shop's empty at night unless Tony's working there," Victor said. "You would think his AI could figure out that's a good time to rinse things off, but..."

[dollpocalypse]

"I guess Tony's creation isn't so smart after all," Topher concluded. "You're much more sophisticated."

[ultron_junior]

"Weird compliment, but I'll take it," Victor decided. "Though to be fair, I didn't think of trying water on the gel either. So."

[dollpocalypse]

Oh. Well. That was a good point. "Well, it's more his job than it is yours," Topher decided. "You couldn't do it without getting wet, and he's... a computer. So."

[ultron_junior]

Victor blinked briefly at Topher. "And I'm only half a computer," he said. "And I look a lot worse with wet hair."

[dollpocalypse]

"Exactly. His appearance would be untarnished."

Victor was half a computer with much better hygeine. It was a whole thing.

"The way I picture Jarvis if he had a body, he'd probably be fine with the wet hair thing," Topher mused. "I'm picturing kind of an old British dude who wears a suit and stands by a lot of doors."

A... butler...?

[ultron_junior]

"Like Ratman's butler?" Victor mused. "I could kind of see it. Like a Michael Caine type."

{OOC: Night!]

[dollpocalypse]

"Definitely," Topher nodded. "Possibly with a cane. Or -- ooh. A monacle."

[[night!]]

[selfhelphero]

When Billy got back from his morning run, he showered and then went to find Topher. "Hey," he said, peeking inside the room. "What are you up to?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Trying to assert intellectual dominance over this website," Topher reported absently. Then, glancing up: "Your hair's wet. It looks good. Hi."

[selfhelphero]

Billy snickered and ran a hand through his hair self-consciously. "I find it hard to believe there's a website smarter than you," he said, sitting down on Topher's bed.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher scooted closer to Billy automatically, because duh. "I know, right?" It was sigh-worthy, Billy. Sigh-worthy. "This science fair really does not want its participants list amended." You mean 'hacked,' Topher. "I might just have to suck it up and go on the school trip instead. Are you going?"

[selfhelphero]

"Yeah, I figured I'd go. It's that or go home, and it's not like I don't talk to my parents all the time, you know?" Emailing counted, right? "Are you trying to add yourself to the science fair list, or take someone else off?"

[dollpocalypse]

"I guess technically both," Topher said thoughtfully, tilting his head. "If there's only so many spaces... well, one of these girls made a potato clock. She clearly doesn't deserve a spot."

[selfhelphero]

"Why do you want to be in a science fair? Besides, you know, obviously getting to show off all your smarts?" Billy asked.

[dollpocalypse]

"The prize is a robot that makes ice cream," Topher shared. "Like with hot fudge and cherries and everything."

So... he needed five.

[selfhelphero]

Billy laughed. "Okay, I think you need to win one of those, even though I think you'd have fun on the trip."

[dollpocalypse]

"But," Topher pointed out, looking up from the screen briefly, "if I don't do the science fair, I could hang out with you on a boat."

So.

[selfhelphero]

"You cooould," Billy said with a teasing tone. "It's gonna be warm. And I'm sure there'll be fun things to do."

[dollpocalypse]

"And I guess it's not like you can get lost on a boat," Topher mused. "That's one travel concern accounted for. And... there probably won't be swimming."

Since it was a boat and all.

"You know, I bet I can make my own ice cream robot."

[selfhelphero]

"I have no doubt that you can," Billy said supportively. "You're the smartest guy I know."

[dollpocalypse]

"Seriously?" That was high praise, Billy. Topher was totally preening. "Even smarter than Victor and both Tony Starks and that bad guy who makes those killer robots?" Of course Topher would lump all of those in the same category. Of course. "And Kate?" he added.

Sigh.

[selfhelphero]

"Well, Kate's a different kind of smart. She's more... crafty than robot-building," Billy said. "Do you like her? It's kind of weird that she's here but I'm so, so glad."

[dollpocalypse]

"She's pretty cool," Topher replied. "She was super surprised about me dating you, but other than that, she's okay."

[selfhelphero]

"Yeeeah, she was surprised at me too." Billy thought about mentioning why, but maybe bringing up Teddy wasn't the best idea? "I mean, she knows I like guys. I think maybe she's surprised I actually got one, as socially uncoordinated as I am."

[dollpocalypse]

"But you're way more coordinated than me," Topher pointed out. "I thought you were, like, impressive levels of social coordination. No?"

[selfhelphero]

"Compared to some people." Not that he was going to name names, Topher. "But sometimes the geek takes over and I don't know what to do."

[dollpocalypse]

"Just use big words," Topher advised. "That's my strategy for when people make that face like they want me to contribute to the conversation more."