Room 307, Thursday Evening

[dollpocalypse]

Fact: Research sucked.

But here Topher was, doing it anyway. Because Peter had told him to, and that was enough, most of the time, to get him to do things. Sad but true.

And... maybe Topher was a little bit more inclined to do as Peter said this week in particular for another reason too. Which would be the need to appease him in light of the terrifying possibility that maybe, just maybe, Karla had blabbed the contents of their conversation the other day and now Peter wanted to kill him and get a new tech person and not be his friend anymore and and and --

Anyway.

Researching.

It was hard, with the siren call of meta for Skyrim beckoning to him, but Topher was managing.

[[open door, open post]]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Karla said archly. Dammit. She was going to have to distract Topher with boobs or something. "It was why my first spar with Professor Max ended with a draw instead of my ignominious defeat, and in Fight Club, I had to wear a special glove, just in case. Tyler, Tony's boyfriend, insisted."

That's right, Karla. You throw that 'Tony's boyfriend' thing out there for him.

[dollpocalypse]

If Topher's heart did a weird little flip at the phrase Tony's boyfriend, it was... completely obvious for a few seconds, and then he went back to working this out.

"So people aren't cool with you just whipping it out," Topher assessed, too focused on this to be aware of the possible dirtiness. "Like you might get in trouble with the school for threatening someone?"

Be relieved, Karla: Topher didn't quite get -- and probably wouldn't get, so long as it was just him thinking on this -- was that Ender would be upset at her for threatening him.

[glacial_queen]

By all means, Topher, don't hurry to discuss this with anyone else!

For a moment, Karla was tempted to deny it further. But then she realized that Topher would probably keep worrying at this if she did, and the more he thought about it, the higher the chances were that he'd figure something out.

She'd throw him this bone to keep him off the track, absolutely.

"Maybe," she said, trying to look sullen. "I mean, you got detention just for getting punched by Ramona, right? Though I'd make sure I took you right down with me."

[dollpocalypse]

"For... looking up Ender's files," Topher repeated, to clarify. "Is that the same thing?"

He really wasn't sure. Oh, Fandom disciplinary code.

[glacial_queen]

"Hacking into the accounts of a huge military complex in order to satisfy your curiosity about the personal information of another student--which, if you get caught, could lead to said military complex yanking him out of school?"

Karla was nothing if not capable of over-dramatizing things for her own end.

"Compared to one little threat? Yeah, kind of. Sure."

[dollpocalypse]

"Oh."

Huh. Well. That was unfortunate.

"'Kay."

[glacial_queen]

"Now do you get all the the multiplicities of reasons that was a horrible idea?" Karla demanded. "There are so many consequences of your one little action--most of them are ones you didn't even think of."

Well...The lesson was right in the main, if nothing else?

[dollpocalypse]

"But you said you won't tell Peter," Topher reminded her. "So if you don't say anything to him, who cares?"

Topher. For the love of god. Get your heart off your sleeve. Please.