Third Floor Common Room, Friday Evening

[dollpocalypse]

So for the second year in forever, Topher... was not making it to Comic-Con. Which was traumatizing. Seriously, what was the point of being from L.A. if he didn't get to do his annual four-day trek to San Diego with a tent for camping out for panels, a backpack of inappropriate starches, and absolutely zero qualms about annoying people in front of

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[ultron_junior]

Victor had mixed feelings about being social, but he'd already texted Nico just to make absolutely sure everything was still okay without him that she'd told him to turn off his phone. So he supposed talking to other people won out over hiding in his room for the night.

Also, there was pizza downstairs.

"Hey, Topher," he said, and snagged a slice. "Did I miss anything good?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Well," Topher said, taking a breath -- and then he proceeded to recite a full account of the day's events at San Diego Comic-Con, including, among other things, extensive focus on the happenings at the Lightning Bug panel, no small amount of stories on what had gone on over at Space Battles, and perhaps a surprising amount of detail on the events of the panel representing Adolescent Frankenstein.

Don't you judge.

"Oh," he added, "and a bunch of videos of people getting lost and crying in the hallways."

You could tell he enjoyed those maybe a lot.

[ultron_junior]

Victor blinked at him for a long, long moment before he put it together.

"Oh," he said. "Comic-Con. That's now."

He knew what it was, he loved the concept, he stalked it on the Internet when he could, but he hadn't exactly been paying close attention this week.

"Wait, people tape people getting lost and post it instead of helping them? And you watch them?"

You could tell he wasn't fond of that idea.

[dollpocalypse]

And silly Topher, absorbed as he was in his fake Comic-Con experience, hadn't realized that someone might be looking for updates on the outside world. As far as he was concerned, there was no news besides SDCC this week.

...It was possible that he had a problem.

"I might've... maybe glanced at one or two," he said, shifting his gaze slightly to the side. "They're mostly of the freaking out part, not the actual getting lost. I assume after they're done tantruming someone eventually helps them."

Possibly. Maybe. Topher wouldn't, but maybe there was a good samaritan or two somewhere at the con.

[ultron_junior]

"Huh. Okay." Victor still didn't like it, but his honest interest was limited. "So, things were quiet here? Or just ... not as interesting as Comic-Con?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Oh." So Victor had gone somewhere. "Yeah, no, not too much excitement here."

Right then.

"You went somewhere?"

[ultron_junior]

"I had to go home for a couple days," Victor explained. "I could pretend to be all hurt you didn't miss me."

[dollpocalypse]

"Oooooh." Yes, Victor, your trip home was officially ooh-worthy. Be proud. "Were you superheroing? Wait. Were there Doombots?"

Topher, enough with the Doombots.

[ultron_junior]

"No," Victor said, giving Topher a confused look. "Yes, superheroing, kind of, but no, there were no Doombots. I've only met one Doombot ever."

Just for the record.

"It was an alien invader .... thing." So precise, our Victor.

[dollpocalypse]

"...That's cooler," Topher declared after taking a moment to consider the relative badassery of alien invaders versus Doombots. "And how'd it go?"

[ultron_junior]

That was harder to say.

"Well," Victor finally ventured, "nobody died. But one of our friends went back with them to end the fighting, so ... not great. I stuck around for a couple days until they told me to come back to school."

[dollpocalypse]

"Oh. Sorry." That was actually a lot of sympathy, coming from Topher. "How's your friend supposed to help? 'Cause seriously, a whole interplanetary invasion for one hostage seems a little like overkill."

[ultron_junior]

"That's kind of long and complicated," Victor said, and frowned. "It's not personal. It's just, the whole story involves Karolina, and it feels weird to have it floating around when she doesn't even know ..."

That there even was a Xavin, as far as he could tell.

"Some of the background."

"If it helps," he added, "it was a small invasion. Like, under five aliens."

[dollpocalypse]

"Oh. So... more like a road trip than an invasion, really." Really, Topher? You were going to debate terminology here? "Wait, Karolina who can fly? She's cool. Okay, that kind of makes sense, then."

...Because if he were an alien invading Earth with the intention of taking a hostage, he could see how it would make sense to pick someone with awesome powers. Not like he had ever done that.

[ultron_junior]

"Karolina," Victor said, because it was easier than explaining why she was up for hostage-hood or debating what exactly the incursion of Majesdanians should be called, "is very cool. Yes."

[dollpocalypse]

"And flying in space could be interesting," he added optimistically. "You know. For her."

Topher, stop helping.