A/N: My first Dollhouse story! I can't believe I wrote about Topher, because he's not my fave or anything, but his little birthday episode inspired me! Please review if you feel like it!
Disclaimer: Joss is boss.
Topher is rarely left speechless, but there's a first time for everything.
He finally manages to blurt out a sentence. "What... is this?"
Ivy rolls her eyes and takes a step back from him. "A cake?" she replies, aping his questioning tone sarcastically.
"I can see that, what for?" He reaches out to touch a tentative finger to the icing, but Ivy pulls it back.
"It's for your damn birthday, OK?" Ivy snaps. "I heard it was today and I knew you would just be sitting around here like a big fat loser, so I thought I'd add a little more fun and a few more carbs to your little plexiglass cocoon." She frowns, her eyebrows going down below the top rims of her glasses. "You want it or not?" She's stepping back toward the doors, clearly prepared to make good on her threat of leaving.
"Yeah! Yeah, sure, I want it. Carbs are always good, right? But now I have another question." Topher raises one finger didactically, and Ivy tilts her head in a way that says as clear as words, "Go on, then. Idiot."
"What is this cake supposed to be? It looks like... an awkward gray window."
"It's a computer! I got it a cheap place. I think they tried to make a monitor circa 1990." She looks ruefully down at the chunky gray-frosted square.
"Hey, more cake for us, right? Let's cut this bad boy. I've got some sporks in my desk."
After some careful spork maneuvering, both Topher and Ivy are seated vaguely across from one another, each holding a styrofoam plate with a hefty chunk of cake.
"Sooo..." Topher says after a minute of eating silently. "How did you know it was my birthday?"
"You make me manage your schedule, remember? You had this day marked in your planner. With a big anime smiley face."
"Oh, right. Heh."
"Do you have any plans for later?" She's leaning back, seated in one chair with her feet in another.
"Oh, no, no, not really. You know how it is, busy busy!" He seems suddenly absorbed in cutting a perfectly rectangular bite of cake.
After another moment of awkward silence, Victor enters the door. Topher jumps up to greet him.
"Hello, Victor."
"Hello," the sad-eyed Doll replies, looking around the room with the utter complacency that hangs like an aura over the Dollhouse. He starts to walk toward the chair automatically, but pauses and looks back obediently when Topher speaks.
"You know what?" Topher blurts out, glancing from Victor to Ivy and back again. "I actually don't need you right now. You can go back downstairs if you'd like... make some pottery or something."
"That sounds nice," Victor says agreeably, and a moment later, he's ambling out of sight.
"What was that about? I don't remember anything on the schedule for him today," Ivy says, glancing toward the desk.
"Yeah, it was a sort of... experiment. Something I was going to work on after you left. But you know, actually... I'm good. This is good."
"Ah... yeah. Good cake." She raises her fork in a little salute.
"Very good cake, indeed." He smiles.