54 (video, open to action)

[horrible_penny]

[Penny is in the Welcome Center looking positively overjoyed. The Center looks nice, too; it seems like someone has gotten a head start on decorating for the holidays. There's brightly lit tree, garlands, cut-out snowflakes, a menorah or two...]Hey, everyone! It's so great to see the City full like this! If any visitors can find the Welcome

Comments

<3!

[horrible_penny]

Great! Pull up a chair and-- [And wait. He looks like Billy and sounds like Billy, but... he's definitely not Billy. Billy doesn't ever look that confident, and she can't imagine him in a suit.] ...I'll get some for you.

[But not naked.]

[horrible_penny]

[What is this, she doesn't even--]

No, really... it's okay. Unless you're psychic, you probably don't know where cups and things are. ...You're not psychic, are you?

[horrible_penny]

[This is weird. Penny suspects that this Billy look-alike is hitting on her, albeit in a rather strange and confusing fashion.]

Instead of that, why don't I just go and get you a drink, okay?

[horrible_penny]

[Well, um... no, but maybe. Mostly it's just freaky because he looks like Billy. Have a somewhat perplexed smile before Penny heads to the kitchenette to get him some cocoa.]

So! Have we... met, maybe? I had a friend who looked a lot like you. Like, exactly-like-you a lotl

l = period, I'm so sorry!

[horrible_penny]

I lived with him for a while, actually. I mean, not in a... you know. Not living with living with.

[She sets a cup of cocoa in front of Barney. Doppleganger is right.]

No! No, he's... no. He's more of a labcoat and goggles kind of guy. Really sweet, though, and he has a really nice singing voice. [Penny eyes Barney, thinking that, perhaps, if Billy comes back, she'll have to talk him into a nicely tailored suit. It would look good.]

[horrible_penny]

[With the initial creepy flirting done and the topic turning to Billy, Penny makes the mistake of letting her guard down. Maybe she just misread the poor guy. It was kind of jarring to meet someone who looks exactly like Billy only... not quite.]

He is! ...Um. Was. I mean, he still is, kind of, but now he's more of an evil scientist back home. Some bad things happened and sort of pushed him over the edge.

...Sorry. I'm babbling and I didn't even--I'm Penny. [She offers her hand for a shake.]

[horrible_penny]

Not really. I've never seen him all evil-scientisty, but he says that's what happened.

Barney... hey. It's nice to meet you. [She lapses into awkwardness.] You're a visitor, Barney. I can't go dumping any of my emotional baggage on you. That would be completely rude.