Well, If This Isn't Awkward...((TAG: Aladdin & Penelope))

"Translated as: 'well, as long as you understand that I am way more important than you'," he said, straining his voice in an attempt to mimic hers. It didn't even come close to sounding like a girl's.

"Oh, and why am a I not surprised he'd try and take credit for his brilliant sister's work? I'm pretty sure he despised me," he chuckled. Though he could clearly remember how protective Mikey'd been of Penelope, one of the boy's best qualities, as far as Todd was concerned. "He threatened me on more than one occasion."

"Now, Miss Penelope, I am incredibly drowsy, but I'm afraid my psychic powers are telling me that I won't get a wink of sleep tonight. See, my brain refuses to shut up, and seems to be particularly talkative tonight," he replied, raising his eyebrows at her. Of course Penny would be worried about keeping him up, but he knew that no sleep awaited him in his dorm. "Though, if you would like some privacy on this here couch! I'd be happy to hustle on up to my room." He wondered, vaguely, whether Jim might be doing something with Evaine tonight - nothing terribly dirty, probably, but likely something he wouldn't want to walk in on.

Penelope looked at him for a moment, blinking before letting another giggle. "W-was that supposed to be me?" She questioned, still laughing. He wasn't very good at girl's voices, now was he? Although, perhaps that was a compliment then?

"What? Really, I'm sure he didn't despise you," Penny told him. She widened her eyes. "He threatened you?" She really wasn't all too surprised at that; Michael was protective, after all, but still. She let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "He is so dramatic." He really was. He took everything to the next level, especially who he thought was a threat. Obviously, from what she could tell so far, Todd was a good guy. Michael really needed to lighten up - though, Penny had a suspicion that he had a bit since her accident.

"O-oh, n-no," Penny shook her head. She quite enjoyed Todd's company and not being alone really helped. Penelope couldn't help but blush a little bit. "I-I w-wouldn't mind if you... stayed." She smiled a little bit. It looked like they were in similar boats, though. She was exhausted and her head was a bit dizzy, but if she was left to her thoughts she might not be able to get them to shut off.

Todd blinked; he thought he'd been at least somewhat convincing. Obviously, from the giggle that emitted from Penny, he was wrong. "You know what? You are being such a bully. From your sassiness to your making fun of me making fun of you, it has just escalated in aggression! I feel victimized, Book Girl. Victimized." He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face, though; really, he supposed that at least he was good at boy voices, considering he was one.

"Oh, I'm sure he didn't mean them literally. More like, if I hurt his sister in any way he would make sure I had to walk to class with one leg, or something like that," he replied, and couldn't help remembering the lake incident. No, you are not going to think about that after all this time. "And, really, who could blame the guy?"

Todd smiled, glad to hear it. "Then stay I shall." It was hard not to think about how familiar this was - sitting with Penny on this couch, the fire dutifully doing its job of keeping the room nice and warm. But, no, he had to remain in the present, dwell on the now.

Penny sat up a bit, pouting out her bottom lip just a bit. "Aw, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. How can I ever make it up to you Sir Schmucksalot?" She asked, batting her eyelashes. It was taking everything for her not to break out into a large grin.

"Possibly," Penny murmured, but she wasn't so sure. She hadn't had much experience with guys and therefore, not many chances for Michael to get protective. However, that didn't mean he didn't do it over microscopic things. Penny let a small blush cross her face again. "Y-yes, well, still... I, uh, I apoligze on his behalf... he can be... intense sometimes." She sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Michael had to know that she could and needed to fend for herself.

Penelope smiled, glad that he was staying. She glanced down, playing with the fabric of the blanket. "Good," she said, her voice in barely a whisper.

Todd widened his eyes into a 'puppy dog' face and shrugged, attempting to look as pitiful as possible. "Well, I dunno," he muttered, swaying slightly from side to side and injecting a childish tone to his voice. "Can you buy me a pony, pwease? Or a choir of kitties? No, no - a two-story tall museum dedicated to the preservation of bunnies' habitats. Pwease?" Though, it occurred to him that perhaps he should have asked for something a little more evil - he was the villain here, right?

"And I accept that apology on my own behalf, though there's really no need for it," he said, figuring that was just a sibling's job. Being the youngest in his family, he'd always had his brothers to back him up in a sticky situation, and that was really a wonderful thing to have.

Penny tried to bite back her laughter; oh, she had tried so hard. She pulled her knees up, hiding behind them as she laughed. "I-I thought... you were a villain..." she giggled before peeking over her knees. "I-I don't know if I can get you any of those... but, uhm, hmn... w-would... a sugar quill do?" She questioned, her eyes light with humor. That would definitely be easier for her to obtain than a two-story tall museum dedicated to the preservation of bunnies habitats.

Penny shrugged lightly. "Well, I still think it may have been... uncalled for... y-you are very nice... a-and he really shouldn't have... worried so much... I guess," Penny said quietly, fighting back her blush with all she had. Really now, why would her brother be such a nuisance like that. She hardly got protective over him with Alex; Alex was a nice guy, there was no point. Now, if it were over Willow's boyfriends, that was different... she always picked sketchy guys.

Todd bit his lip, trying to contain his smile just at seeing her laugh. "Villains have passions too, Penelope dear," he mused, desperately clinging to his puppy dog face for as long as he could. At her suggestion of a sugar quill, he let out a groan and flopped onto his back, covering his face with his hands. "You just don't get it! Do my cute and cuddly aspirations mean nothing to you?" he exclaimed, though his grin was evident in his voice. "One measly sugar quill could never live up to that...two maybe, but never one!"

"I was more of a nuisance to you both at first, I'm sure," Todd chuckled, remembering how he'd even dirtied up a pillow just to get on her nerves - oh, was he sure glad he'd changed since then. "And anyway, you've always been far nicer than me, so the comparison is probably what made him think I was a Public Enemy #1 type."

Penelope giggled and pushed him lightly with her foot. The puppy face was very, very hard to resist. "I suppose they do; I, uh, just never imagined them to be so fluffy," she teased lightly. "What about if I offered three? Will that be enough to replace all that is cute and cuddly?" She questioned, pursing her lips, though the ends were starting to turn up into a grin.

Penelope moved slightly, re-positioning herself. She moved the blanket so that it was now draped over her shoulders and she brought it together in front of her. She was sitting up a bit more, resting her back against the soft pillow behind her. Her knees were up, but not enough to block her view of Todd. She had removed her shoes so that she was more comfortable and that she wasn't dirtying the couch anymore than she might have had already.

Penelope raised her eyebrows. "Were you?" She questioned. Though, she had the slight memory of him already telling her about their first meeting in the library. Something about dirtying books... and a pillow? Penny blushed a bit. Michael was always doing that, though she thought perhaps he might have softened up a bit since the accident. When she mentioned Todd, on occasion, he hadn't seemed harsh or anything... she thought she would occasionally see a bit or pity or sorrow. Perhaps Todd had once been Public Enemy #1, but she didn't think Michael would wish what Todd was going through on anyone.

Penelope looked down, tracing circles on her legs. "Well, you, uh, may be a... villain... but... uhm... hardly Public Enemy #1..." She shrugged, offering a small smile up to him.

Todd pursed his lips as if he was deep in thought about that. Finally, he let out a long, dwindling sigh that ended in a grumble of, "Well, I guess." He propped himself up on his elbows, unable to contain his smile anymore as he beamed at her. "Three sugar quills for every fluffy dream I've ever dreamed, and I will additionally forgive you for being such a bully to me. You are quite the negotiator, Miss Baudelaire."

For a moment, it took all his self-control not to lean over and kiss her. She looked so very adorable, just sitting there, wrapped up in that blanket. But he knew he had to contain himself. Which, really, didn't feel all that fair. That Aladdin guy couldn't have known Penny for more than a day and he was already all over her. Nope, nope, not thinking about that right now. He really did seem to have trouble staying the present these days, didn't he?

He smiled warmly, extremely glad to hear her say that. It certainly meant something to have someone like Penny say you weren't Public Enemy #1 - though, since he was a villain, wouldn't he want to be? "I suppose I'll just have to try harder, then," he said with a grin.

Penelope shrugged. "Having a few siblings will do that, I suppose," she smiled. "Okay, so, three sugar quills? Just name when, and I'll get them for you. I only have one left, so I'll need to stock up." She was a sugar quill addict. She quite enjoyed them, though she never ate them in class. Nibbling on them when working on essays, though, was her favorite. It gave her something to do while she mindlessly tried to think of what to write next.

Penelope studied him, leaning her head to the side to rest against the couch as she did so. She couldn't help but notice the small turmoil he seemed to be in, but it went away as soon as it came and he was now smiling again. She wondered what he had been thinking of, but decided not to raise the question. She smiled in return. "Yes, I, uh, I suppose you should other wise I might need to look for a new archenemy... and... we, uh, we don't want that." She told him, smiling a bit more.

"Considering you're the one who got me hooked on those in the first place, I reckon that serves you right," he conceded, though he'd probably just by a bag for himself - and for her, of course, considering how much she seemed to love them. "Though I insist you eat at least half of them. So, one and a half sugar quills for the both of us."

"Oh, yes! Anything to prevent that. You're the only so-called superhero who can handle my extreme evil abilities. If you weren't there to stop me, I'd destroy the world, and I secretly love the world so that would not be ideal. I also secretly love dried fruit, and it happens to be my weakness, but if you try to defeat me with this information, I'll be super mad and I will refuse to do this back-and-forth business for at least a day."

Penelope blinked a bit. She had been the one who had gotten him hooked? She smiled a bit, looking down at her hands. Oh, what she would give to remember their times together. She would honestly give anything... just to remember those fond times they had seemed to have had together. "Okay, sounds like a plan." She smiled, looking back up at him.

"No, we wouldn't want you to destroy the world, not at all," Penny gave a small nod, trying to look serious once more. She then raised her eyebrows and pouted a little bit. "Wha- you can't... you can't just tell me that and then tell me not to use it to defeat you." She continued to pout. "That's not... fair..." she paused for a moment, tapping her chin a little bit. "But really? Dried fruit huh?"

Todd shook his head resolutely. "No, no, no, I told you that in confidence and I expect you to live by your Hero's Code or whatever," he said in a faux firm voice. "And, yes, more specifically dried mangoes, which taste like heaven has descended upon your very tastebuds. For some odd reason, they hav decided to take them off the shelves, as if my dedication isn't enough to keep the business alive," he sighed, then realized that he was getting way off topic in his drowsy state. He could write a speech about dried mangoes on his own time. "But if you use that to cripple my evil schemes, I swear, I will throw such a hissy fit that you will not be able to control me."

Penelope pouted once more before letting out a sigh. "Fine, I suppose I must follow the code. I am a hero and not a villain, after all," she shrugged. She then smiled. "Dried mangoes?" She had never actually tried any dried fruit before and therefore was unsure as to whether or not they were good, but she'd definitely take Todd's word for it. It was a shame that they no longer sold them... maybe she'd be able to make some, magically of course. She'd have to keep that in mind.

Penelope giggled. "You're such a child," she teased, pushing him slightly once more with her foot.

Todd nodded enthusiastically before gasping as if he was terribly insulted by being called a child. He lightly grabbed her foot as it nudged him, a teasing smile on his face even as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Hey, now! I'm not the one who thought a bag of candy was more important than the safety of endangered rabbits!" he said, though he wasn't at all sure if there was a species of endangered rabbits. He supposed he should hope not. "Plus, I'm not the one who keeps pushing handsome villains with incredibly adorable toes!"

Penelope let out a noise of surprise as Todd lightly grabbed her foot. "B-but I f-figured the candy was easier to get," Penelope tried to explain, laughing slightly. She was incredibly ticklish, and tried to bite back her laughter. Penelope blushed, feeling self conscious of her toes all of a sudden. "M-maybe that's my... uh... my s-secret weapon?" She shrugged. "I, uh, n-nudge h-hand... handsome villains a-and then... I... I uh, defeat them..."

He grinned at her and shook his head 'solemnly'. "You need to learn that, when it comes to my desires, there are no limitations!" Todd declared and, after a moment of debate, proceeded to tickle the foot in his grasp. "If that is your secret weapon, I'd advise you on getting a new one, because your secret weapon seems to be very ticklish..."

"A-ah, I see," Penelope giggled. She was about to say something else when her blue eyes widened considerably. He wasn't going to... he wasn't... oh Merlin, he was! "N-no, T-Todd," but it was too late and she started to laugh uncontrollably. She squirmed, trying to get her foot away from him. "T-Todd, n-no, s-stop," Penelope managed between laughs. She was almost afraid that she might accidentally kick him in the face or something with her squirming.

Todd chuckled, finally letting go of the foot when he was satisfied that he had sufficiently tickled her. He loved the sound of her laugh, and now he knew what her feet felt like(not bad, not bad at all). He bit his lip, trying to contain his amusement as he discreetly placed the pillow between them, just in case she felt like retaliating any time soon. "Now, what have we learned today?" he asked slowly, trying oh so hard to keep a straight face.

When Todd let go of her foot, she tucked it under herself out of safety, laughter still fresh upon her lips. "That you're mean?" Penny pouted, sitting up more now then she had been before. She made sure to keep her feet far away from Todd, just in case he decided to attack once more. She noticed that he had placed a pillow between them and she raised an eyebrow. Did he really think she was going to tickle him? No, she grabbed the pillow and decided to toss it lightly at his head. "Tickling superheroes is not nice, Todd!" She pretended to scold him.

Todd couldn't help the laugh that sprang to his lips. "No, silly, that I - hey!" he exclaimed, trying to duck from the pillow. It hit him square in the face anyway. "Why would I possibly care about what's right or wrong? The villain thing tells me that if tickling is ever an option, I must do it. Especially if it's a superhero! And even more especially if they've got a lovely-sounding laugh." He nodded in conclusion to his side of the 'argument' and situated the pillow back behind him.

Penelope giggled lightly as the pillow hit Todd square in the face. Bulls-eye. She shrugged. "Well, the hero thing tells me that it is not nice and that you should be punished for tickling someone," she told him with a curt nod. When he said something about a lovely-sounding laugh, Penny blushed madly. Why did compliments do this to her? "O-oh, w-well..." she tugged gently on the end of her hair. "Y-you still h-have to be punished... o-or something."

Todd smiled, leaning forward a bit and raising his eyebrows. He noted that her stuttering was starting back up again and came to the conclusion that she'd never get used to receiving compliments - though she would be receiving quite a lot of them, if he had any say in the matter. "And what kind of punishment do you have in mind...'or something'?" he mused, genuinely curious.

((Oh, my gosh. The word 'smile' pops up so much in this thread. Like, there are way too few synonyms for that word! I hate being so. Damn. REPETITIVE. Thesaurus.com comes up with no assistance either.))

Penelope pursed her lips in thought. "Hmn, uhm..." she muttered in thought. How could she punish him? How would a hero punish a villain? Most likely they would throw them in jail, but it wasn't as if Penelope had a jail ready at her command to throw Todd into. Pen bit her lip. "I could... uhm... oh, humph, I don't know," she huffed, resting her chin in her hand in defeat. She glanced around for a moment, noting the pillow that was behind her. A small smile tugged at her lips once more and she reached back to grab it. "I guess I can just keep throwing pillows at you, though," she let out a small giggle before throwing the pillow at Todd once more.

[OMG! I kno[Only admins are allowed to see this link] There's smile and grin and the occasional smirk, and then that's like, it. THEY'RE JUST TOO SMILEY ASHLEY. WHY?!
And laughing. They laugh/chuckle/giggle way to much. xD]

((WORDS. WE NEED MORE, ORDERED ON A HOT PLATE OF LITERATURE.
I would try using 'simper' but I've never used it before and therefore am not confident of the usage.))

Todd smirked, ready to announce her defeat when another pillow was suddenly flying towards his head. "Rude!" he cried out, letting out a soft groan as it crashed harmlessly into his ear. "I will start crying and wailing if you keep this up! I will wake up this whole tower if it means that I will get relief from the pillow assault!" He forced himself to frown and grabbed the pillow, which had fallen to the ground, and hugged it stubbornly to his chest. "You are not getting this back until you stop this ruthless bullying."