Second floor common room [morning]

[momslilassassin]

Ben hadn't exactly been getting a lot of sleep these days, so he finally gave up on trying and wandered into the common room barefoot in search of coffee and something other than the list of Fandom students and alumni who hadn't made it back to the island by yesterday evening to keep his mind busy.

He flipped the television on...and found that it was showing a gremlin-bite tape of his father and Gavin Kriffing Darklighter thinking they were gay German magicians.

"Poor Artoo," Ben murmured, a small smile playing across his lips.

This was certainly distracting, but Ben might not be so pleased the next time a Skywalker gremlin bite came onto the screen.

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[dollpocalypse]

Topher pointed at the screen as Artoo made a spirited attempt to flee.

"It's escaping."

[lockestheway]

"Quickly, Skywalkers," Peter called, uninterested in the tiny detail that that right there was only 50% Skywalkers in action, "Run! Catch it! Onwards!"

[dollpocalypse]

"Go, robot, go!" Topher cheered.

And it was intercepted.

"Aw, man."

[lockestheway]

Peter grinned. "I knew the Skywalkers would win," he said. "They're wily. Wiry. Full of pluck."

[dollpocalypse]

Topher blinked at him.

"...are you high?"

Look, it merited being asked.

[lockestheway]

"No, I'm making fun of everyone involved in this endeavour," Peter said cheerfully.

[dollpocalypse]

"It's a good thing the TV hasn't --"

But then the TV did.

"Whyyyyyy?"

[lockestheway]

Peter blinked.

Then stared.

Then started laughing.

[dollpocalypse]

Peter's shoulder, meet Topher's hand.

"Shut uuuuuup!" Topher whined, attempting to whack Peter in the shoulder a few times in succession.

[lockestheway]

"Hey, hey!" NO TOUCHING!

Peter reached out to grab Peter's wrists pretty hard. "I'm no--" Snicker-- "Python!"

[dollpocalypse]

"Ow!" Topher yelped, trying and failing to free his wrists. When did Peter get so strong, anyway? "Look, those pythons were really scary, okay?" he whined.

[lockestheway]

"You mean you were out of your mind," Peter said, rolling his eyes. He let go of Topher's wrists. "Don't touch me."

[dollpocalypse]

Topher made an annoyed little noise, then glanced down.

"Sorry."

[lockestheway]

Peter rolled his shoulders and got his equilibrium back. "Also, is that Tony Stark?" he asked, as if nothing had happened. "Ha!"

[dollpocalypse]

Topher shifted slightly on the couch. Peter seemed fine now, but Topher's wrists still hurt, and that moment was serving as a reminder of how ticked Peter could get.

It... didn't exactly comfort him, no.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "This was, uh, before we were friends, I'm pretty sure."

[lockestheway]

Yeah, well, Topher attacked him first.

He was about to say something, and then Tony slapped Topher. "... Oh, ow, that looks like it hurts."

[dollpocalypse]

No one said Topher was sensible. Feeling like a complete idiot for managing to piss him off this much, yes. Reasonable when it came to his Peter issues? No. Not at all.

"Preeeetty much," he agreed. "He's pretty strong."

[lockestheway]

"Oh, and enter Kenzi!" Peter chortled. "Why didn't she ever tell me about this?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Because!" Topher exclaimed, perking up at that. "Friends! Keep... secrets... or something!"

Topher, settle.

Very seriously, he informed Peter, "I would never tell anyone anything you didn't want me to say to people."

Because that was both totally convincing and completely relevant, right?

[lockestheway]

Peter paused, and finally pulled his attention from the screen to... give Topher a funny look. "Well, that's good to know."

[dollpocalypse]

"I thought so!" Topher squeaked agreed. Then the TV did him the small mercy of changing back. "Oh, good," he breathed, relieved.

Was it insanely hot in this room all of a sudden? It felt that way.

[lockestheway]

"What's got you so jumpy, Toph?" Peter asked. Very idly. "Or should that be Nikki?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Oh, you know," Topher lied. Badly. "Um, the whole... possible world-ending thing, plus I think I scratched my meta for, yep still being lazy Skyrim disc, and, uh, it's supposed to rain on Tuesday..."

Like anyone would ever believe Topher cared about the weather outside.

[lockestheway]

Yeaaaah, it was the weather thing that made Peter lift an eyebrow. "Real subtle, kid."

[dollpocalypse]

"I don't know what you could possibly mean!" Topher squeaked. "I, um, have to go... study!"

Yeah, the excuses just got better and better.