The Roof, Sunday Morning

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

With Mom working nights and Dad . . . never around, there was usually nobody to stop Stephanie if she decided she wanted to climb up on the roof at night and watch the sky, hoping Superman or Wonder Woman or Batman or someone would come to find her and take her away from home.

Climbing up to the roof here meant a lot more stairs and a lot less sneaking (and she couldn't decide if that made it more or less fun), but she'd gone up last night anyway, with a pillow and some blankets, and fallen asleep curled up against a planter full of funny-looking plants.

Her neck felt funny 'cause of the weird way she'd fallen asleep, and that was why she woke up, yawned, rubbed a little fist against her eyes, then hopped up. Pulling the pillowcase off her pillow, she tucked it into the collar of her shirt to form a makeshift cape and then contemplated climbing up onto the roof ledge to pose dramatically. 'cause she could! It would look cool, and she could play superhero lots better if she looked cool.

Uh huh. That sounded like a good idea. If only she could just scramble up onto it . . .

[OOC: Will be in and out a bit today, but open if occasionally SPish. I love that I discovered this bit of canon. :D]

Comments

[dollpocalypse]

Topher was still looking for his new friends when he found himself on the roof. There wasn't anybody there except...

A SUPERHERO! Or at least someone who was playing at being a superhero! But either way they had a cape and that was really really cool because superheroes were awesome and he'd always wanted to know one.

"Hi," he said shyly, backing up against the door he'd come from. "Are you real?"

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Never mind trying to climb up on the ledge now.

"Who are you?" Stephanie demanded with a dramatic spin, trying to sound as booming and tough as she imagined Superman must sound. "Hey, you're not a bad guy, are you?"

[dollpocalypse]

Well. Not yet, anyway.

Topher quickly shook his head. "I'm Christopher," he said softly, which didn't mean anything. "Are you a real superhero? Your cape isn't colorful."

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Is too," Stephanie insisted, then frowned, because she knew it wasn't. "If you close your eyes. Jus' pretend, 'kay? I'm --"

She was about to tell him her real name, but reconsidered. "You can jus' call me Soooooooooperman."

[OOC :JAYSUS, INTERNETS, WORK WITH ME.]

[dollpocalypse]

"Wow," Topher said, awed. "Hi, Superman." He took a few steps toward her and away from the door, then asked hopefully, "Can I help play?"

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

He'd called her Superman right off! That was just fine.

"Sure," Stephanie decided, nodding. "'s not playing, though! 's justice. Gotta stop the bad guys from stealing from banks an' stuff."

Like you, Dad.

[dollpocalypse]

"And from people!" Topher piped up. "Like bullies. Do you stop 'em too?"

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Bullies too," Stephanie declared, doing her best to look Imposing. "'cause bullying's not part of the 'Merican Way."

Please don't ask her what the ''Merican Way' is . . .

[dollpocalypse]

"What's that?" he asked curiously. Not because he could read narrative, just because he was already growing into his future annoying self without even realizing it.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi noticed the boy after a little bit, and said, "Superheroes aren't real. Not really real." Too bad, too.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher took a few quick steps backward, instantly on edge.

"Yes, they are," he said, very softly.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Nuh-unh." Kenzi folded her arms, looking incredibly skeptical. "How old are you?"

[dollpocalypse]

"I'm seven," he whispered, then quickly looked away. She was bigger than him and scary.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"I'm nine. Almost ten." Kenzi relented though, and said, "I used to think they were real too. 'Cause it would be cool if they were." This kid probably still believed in Santa!

[dollpocalypse]

"They are real," Topher said again, wondering if he should try to run away or stick it out just to get hurt. "Or else people who get hurt wouldn't ever be better."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Right." Kenzi blinked at him. Wait. Oh, he thought things got made better! She... didn't know what to say to that. "Oh, wow." She'd make fun of him, but he was little!

[dollpocalypse]

Topher picked at the bacta bandage on his hand and didn't say anything.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi bit her lip, feeling bad. "Well. Ratman could be real. 'Cause... he's rich. And smart. And really tough."

Man, she felt like a wimp, caving to a little kid's sad face.

[dollpocalypse]

"Yeah," Topher said softly. "And smart, too."

In spite of himself, he had to crack a private little smile, glancing down into his lap. He wanted a superhero.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"And he has cool toys," Kenzi had to admit. "Like that car!" She grinned a little. "So Kittywoman can be real too!"

Shush! She could be a cat burglar when she grew up if she wanted to!

[dollpocalypse]

"Maybe," Topher offered hopefully. "But she wouldn't be as smart."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"But she'd be faster," Kenzi argued. "'Cause she's a kitty-woman. And sometimes she'd kiss him." Ha!

[dollpocalypse]

Topher's eyes widened.

"Ewww," he pronounced. "That's gross."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi giggled. Easiest way to gross out boys ever! "Just so he'd go 'ew!' and let go so she could get away." Because boys were also gross. Though maybe not Ratman so much. "And then climb high high high high!"

[dollpocalypse]

"Climbing's no fun," Topher said softly. "You fall an' get hurt an' people make fun of you."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"I don't fall," Kenzi told him. To prove it, she jumped up on the railing. Ha! No grown-ups to stop her! No grown-ups to pick her up! "You can come up here!"

[dollpocalypse]

Topher knew better than that. He would get up there and then she'd just push him and he'd get hurt.

"I don't wanna," he whispered.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi put her hands on her hips, and then stood on just one foot. "Are you scareda heights?" she asked, pitying him. Kittywoman was so going to beat Ratman forever.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher bit his lip, looked at her once, then twice, thought about Ben's advice to avoid bullies --

-- and then scrambled away and darted back down the stairs to his room.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi jumped off the railing, shaking her head, puzzled. Little kids were weird.

Then she jumped off and on the railing for another fifteen minutes, amusing herself.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi had slept over at Bo's and had so much fun, but now she was curious and exploring the dorms again. High places!

She contemplated the girl trying to get on the ledge. "What're you doing?"