Groovy Tunes, Thursday

[wasthecuteone]

Petra was rocking out as she worked at the store's computer, singing along with the Petey Sci-Fi soundtrack in preparation for play rehearsal. But she gradually got the sense that something was...watching her. That crawly feeling on the back of her neck.

She turned around to find a creepy doll sitting in the middle of the store. "Ma-MA?" it asked, and rose to its feet to toddle closer, and Petra yelped, "Holy mother of God!" and scrambled up on top of the counter.

It seemed like a logical reaction at the time.

Groovy Tunes is open. The clerk might need some assistance.

Comments

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Okay, Tony had been followed by some sort of clown thing this whole time, so getting into the store had been a blessing.

Kind of.

"Um."

[wasthecuteone]

"HiI'msogladyou'reherethere'sacreepydoll," Petra said from her perch on top of the counter.

Tony could probably see the creepy doll, since it was in the middle of the shop and advancing on the counter. "Ma-MA? Ma-MA?"

"I'm not your mama!" Petra told it.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Okay, let's just put this outside," Tony said, walking toward the doll. Because he was insane. And suicidal.

So... he was Tony Stark.

[wasthecuteone]

"Don't touch it!" Petra protested, flailing a little and then having to grab onto the edge of the counter for balance. "It's evil," she hissed. "Look at it!"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony looked from her to the doll. The creepy, creepy doll. "How else are we going to get it to leave?"

Oh god, was it walking toward him now?

[wasthecuteone]

"Well, I don't know!" Petra said. "Wait. Distract it and I'll get the broom?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Distract it?" Oh god, it was trying to hug his leg. "Shoo!"

Tony kicked at the thing's head, not deterring it in the slightest.

[wasthecuteone]

Petra scrambled down off the counter and hurried to the back room, returning a few moments later with the broom and a report that, "Aaaahhh there are more in the back." She tried to use the broom to knock the doll off Tony's leg. "Back! Get back!"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony made a high pitched noise, reaching down to yank the thing off once that swipe with the broom caused it to... "It bit me! What is wrong with these things?"

[wasthecuteone]

"I don't know, they're evil," Petra said. It was pretty much all the explanation she needed. She whacked the doll with the broom a few times, which seemed to disorient it, and started...sweeping it toward the door. About halfway there it started getting lively, and she had to pause to hit it some more. She finally got it out the door, which she slammed and yelled, "And don't come back!" through the glass before racing to the counter, opening a drawer and grabbing the keys, and running to lock the door to the back room.

Then she came back to stand in front of Tony, holding her broom as casually as she was able right now, and asked, "What's up?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Other than being attacked by crazy dolls?" A beat. "It's looking in the window."

[wasthecuteone]

"Don't look out the window," Petra advised. Then something thumped against the door to the back room and she jumped about half a mile.

"Ma-MA?" could faintly be heard through the glass.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that wasn't weird at all.

"...did you want me to walk you back to the dorms maybe?"

[wasthecuteone]

Kind of yes, but, "I have play rehearsal after this. I'll find somebody to walk back with..." she trailed off, then added, "especially since it'll be...after dark...I think I've seen this horror movie."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Good." You go be a hero, Tony. Against the toys. "I was actually hoping to talk to you about something the frat was planning for Valentine's Day."

[wasthecuteone]

"I need to talk to you about something, too," Petra said. Her tone suggested he might not enjoy the experience. "But you go first, yours sounds more promising. Valentine's Day?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"A secret Valentine thing," Tony replied warily. "If you could maybe let your club know about it."

[wasthecuteone]

"Oh, that sounds like a great idea," Petra said, breaking into a smile. "I think. How's this gonna work?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Well, people would sign up and we'd pair them at random to have someone to celebrate the holiday or dance with."

[wasthecuteone]

"Yeah, that sounds great," Petra said, "we're totally in." Then the smile fell off her face and she said, "So I had a guy at the Pride meeting yesterday who said the only reason he was there was that you told him to come, what the hell?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

How many people could that be?

"Topher?"

[wasthecuteone]

"Did you tell a lot of people to come to Pride?" Petra asked. "Yes, Topher."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Because he likes guys," Tony protested. "And I thought it would help him calm down about... all of that."

Or encourage him to date Billy. Who knew?

[wasthecuteone]

Petra sighed and untensed a few notches, then explained, "Look, if someone's at the stage where they're not even willing to tell the freaking Pride group that they're at the meeting because they like guys, and they're just claiming they're there because someone else made them come for some reason...I don't know how much we can do. Especially not without turning into the handholding Topher hour. Everyone else there has issues, too. God knows I do." See also, yelling at Jono the day before yesterday. "I mean, if he wants to be there, fine, maybe he'll get something out of it, but if he's only there because you're making him go..." she shrugged. "Not wanting to say yet is one thing but claiming someone else is forcing you to be there is...pretty far in the closet, you know?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"And you're mad at me about this?" Tony asked slowly. Because wow, when did he turn into a magnet for lectures from blond girls? "I suggested he check it out. Just like I suggested it to Ben."

[wasthecuteone]

Mostly she was freaked out about the dolls and taking it out on a target that didn't bite, but, "Kind of? That's not what he made it sound like, he made it sound like..." Petra sighed. "Okay, I was being kind of stupid. But he really was just like, 'I'm here because Tony said,' and, I don't know. It was a little weird. But I'm getting the impression Topher is a little weird? That came out wrong."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Topher is... a lot weird. But he's a good guy," Tony replied with a sigh. "He takes a lot of patience to get to know past all the... weird."

Said the billionaire inventor who fought crime.

"He has a little bit of a crush on me, so sometimes he takes what I say a little overboard."

UNDERSTATEMENT?

[wasthecuteone]

And now Petra was back to giving Tony the side eye. "He has a crush on you so you told him to come to Pride?" JUDGING, Tony.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Where he could figure out if he wants to actually date guys," Tony pointed out. "Without wanting to date the guy who has a girlfriend."

[wasthecuteone]

"Okay, you know that that second part is not something we can help with, right?" Petra asked. "I mean, I'm sure it's awkward for you and speaking as your friend, you know, sorry, dude, but it is sort of categorically not Pride's problem as an organization."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Well, duh." Even if that would be awesome if they did. "But isn't that where he should go to figure out what he wants, you know, that way?"

[wasthecuteone]

"Kind of? I mean, mostly we try to be supportive of whatever people decide, but I'm not, like, going to try to steer him toward one of the other guys there for you or anything. If he decides what he wants is to totally have a crush on you...still your problem. Have you tried letting him down easy?" Petra suggested.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I got that part already," Tony replied dryly. "And yes, I have."

[wasthecuteone]

"Okay," Petra said, because something was still thumping against the back room door and the doll was still peering in the window and saying, "Ma-MA?" and Tony's love life was an excellent distraction, "have you tried letting him down hard?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony sighed, rubbing his forehead. "No, I'm leading him on for the fun of it. Yes, I really have. I think I'm the first person he's ever thought about in that way, to be honest. Which is where I was hoping Pride could help him figure that stuff out. If I'm wrong, just tell me."

[wasthecuteone]

"Well, I mean, we'll try," Petra said. "But I make no promises." Because, Topher.

There was a somewhat louder thump against the back room door.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

If he ever went back at this rate, that is.

Tony gave her a look, jaw tense for a moment before turning toward the noise. "Maybe you should head to that practice where there are more people. Safety in numbers?"

[wasthecuteone]

"I think that's a great idea!" Petra agreed. "Seifer totally won't mind. And if he does, he can answer to the dolls." She paused halfway to the counter to get her bag. "What about you? Are you gonna be okay?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I'm a fast runner," Tony assured her. Thank you, Mr. Rogers.

[wasthecuteone]

"Okay, good," Petra said as she grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She had her keys in one hand and the broom in the other. "Okay, let's..." she cast a dubious glance through the window. "Get out of here."