009; (Voice)

[andblockbuster]

[This is that moment in a horror movie where comms just start going staticky like crazy and you're sure there's actual talking going on, but it's almost entirely garbled, either because of the mass panic of the person the other end or because it's plot convenient. WHO KNOWS. Either way, Topher's comm is doing a lot of static and the only thing that actually gets through in the haze is a single sentence.]

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░DID IT HAVE TO BE RATS?!


[Congrats, TQ. Now everyone knows of Topher's rodent problem. For the record, he's sequestered in a far corner of the genetics labs to avoid the rats and most of his shouting is telling people THERE ARE RODENTS HERE. GET THEM GET THEM. We can assume someone dragged him bodily out of the labs later, but for now? HE AIN'T MOVIN'. Or contributing.]

Comments

[theyalldieforme]

[Some days John feels like he's Topher's personal bodyguard, but at least he likes Topher, so that's not so bad. He sees him freaking out in the corner of the lab, and being a man of foresight, he has his AK-47 with him.

He kills the rats around Topher - sorry, they had to die - and moves up to grab him by the arm]

Come on.

[andblockbuster]

[Topher has found a cabinet to perch on and is doing quite well for himself despite the hyperventilating and panicking and generally hating everything is concerned.

He covers his ears at the gunfire and glances up. And it really says a lot about his life at this point that he's not really surprised it's John.]

What? No "come with me if you want to live." You're holding out on me, John. [He's being sarcastic when he should be thanking him, but he's terrified and even the thought of stepping onto the ground with the bullet-ridden ROUS corpses is a problem, but he clambers down anyway, albeit with hesitation and fear.]

[theyalldieforme]

If you want that you'll need to get Cameron.

[Okay so maybe that was a bit too much information, but considering Topher is Topher, he figured he should have been more surprised that it didn't happen earlier.

He takes his handgun from the holster in the back of his jeans and hands it over]

Don't make me regret giving this to you.

video;

[pitied]

[The reliability of these things is still shoddy at best. Still someone is amused.]

At least this time you know it wasn't me.

[andblockbuster]

[Normally, Topher's a little nicer about the fourth wall, considering how often he flails at Josh and Mike, BUT NOW IS PANIC. PANIC MEANS NO MAS NICENESS.

Topher stares at the gun and then at John.] I actually get a gun?

[HE NEVER GETS A GUN. SUDDENLY THE CLOUDS HAVE OPENED UP AND SOME AMBIGUOUS DEITY SAID, "HERE TOPHER, YOU HAVE EARNED THIS."]

video;

[andblockbuster]

[The video's pretty garbled, but you can still see Topher's unimpressed face.]

░░░░░░░░░ou ░░░░░░ not this sa░░stic.

[theyalldieforme]

[He'll chew Topher out later. Instead, right now, he looks at him, slings his own gun over his shoulder and clicks the safety off]

I will take it away if you start looking like you're going to shoot something that isn't a rat.

[voice]

[testgasm]

░░░op--stop screaming and take th░░ ░░░ift back up, you're not ░░░░░ing any good ░░░░ming, that's how they ░░░░ind you.

Also, I ░░░eed you in Med░░░░░░.

video;

[pitied]

[His face only makes her smile again. Her image flickers before she speaks.]

You mean changing something's dynamic to make it different? No, that's your field, Dr. Brink.

[video]

[glassesonachain]

[Bennett just looks at him, slightly confused for a long time.]

But they're...they're just rats. Why are you afraid of them?

[Video]

[tables]

[ . . . ]

Rats?

[voice]

[andblockbuster]

░░░░░░ Are you ░░░░░░ kidding me? ░░░░░░

[WE HAD A MOMENT...]

[voice]

[andblockbuster]

░░░░░░tant rats. My worst ░░░░░░mare.

[voice]

[andblockbuster]

[SOB BENNETT. Hold on he's not talking about that.]

░░░░░░nent? ░░░░░░ou okay?

video;

[andblockbuster]

░░░░░░even remotely what I ░░░░░░aid.

[andblockbuster]

I'm not gonna shoot anything if I can help it. [Something scurries by his foot and he FIRES AT IT... But does not hit it or anyone, so there's that. He gives John a sheepish look.] That was a fluke! I get one fluke.

[theyalldieforme]

[John actually winced at that.]

If I have to drag you out of here because you shot yourself in the foot, I'm making Cameron sit on you.

[andblockbuster]

[John, do you really want to contribute to his sexual frustration? He cringes.] Please choose better words. [MOVING ON.] I'm fine. Just... lead the way. I'm done with creepy labs and monsters. I was done the first time this happened.

[theyalldieforme]

I chose the exact words I needed.

[The answer is yes.]

Stick close.

[He shrugs his gun off his shoulder and has it in his hands again, and he's moving fast enough that they're moving but slow enough that he can watch what's coming around the corner]

[testgasm]

░░o, or course I'm not ░░dding you, it's very import░░░░░░.

Sto░░ ░░░eaming.

[voice]

[tables]

[Damn.]

Assistance?

[Marius attempts to keep his responses short and to the point, to avoid getting cut off. The malfunctions seem to happen in long bursts of communication, anyway.]

[voice]

[glassesonachain]

I'm fine. But you didn't answer my question.

NOT HERE.

[northerner]

[ because robb is otherwise occupied, but topher jesus christ you are the worst bannerman ever. ]

voice;

[leaps]

St--reaming a--gher ground!

[ hikaru sulu: giver of helpful advice. ]

[andblockbuster]

I'M ░OT ░░░░░░EAMING.

[Well... Now he is.]