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

[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."