outdistanced | turbo heaven 🌼 chrono

[ gives him a Look. he hasn't believed a word the angels had ever said, pretty much. ]

I've tried to talk to them. I like Ramiel, but I've been through the catch more flies with honey thing before. They're at least not telling us everything.

[ shudders. ]

Yeah. Heavy-handed, and I'm off apples forever.

I think they're trying to help how they can, but it sounds like they have their own rules to follow.

[ snorts. ]

You and me both, man.

I think those rules should've been nixed the second at least the second person died.

[ sighs. he's so tired and it's not even noon. ]

Apple pie... miss you already, bud.

Sounds like they can't... But all these rules are stupid, anyway. Making us try to find a murderer or two in only nine hours? And we almost didn't, last week.

[ and that's the scary part. what if they fail? what if they get it wrong? ]

Today's message was... different, too. All those emojis.

[ after a moment of contemplation, he sits up slightly and looks at laurence with a frown. ]

...hey, did you wake up with anythin' weird in your pockets this morning?

Yeah, I've been trying to figure those out. Some of them make sense, but the rest...

[ what the heck do all those things mean? ]

...No, nothing I didn't have already. You did?

Someone unknown at this point is suspicious as hell.

[ after another moment, he nods, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a whole corndog. it's wrapped in cling film. ]

Really not sure what to make of this, but none of the options are good.

I'm wondering if it's a different angel we haven't met or something. It does start with the emoji with pigtails, like Mary.

[ their Wednesday bonding time angel.

...god okay. he stares at this entire fucking corndog. ]

What the hell. Is that supposed to point us to the fair? But we already knew Elysia was found there.

More of 'em, huh. Seems likely, but the other angels didn't seem to know 'em either.

[ also stares at it, nodding vaguely. ]

I wrapped it up just in case it was important, once I read she was found there. It was just... in my pocket, but I've got no damn clue how or why.

They can't know all the angels in heaven. Or... maybe they're not in heaven.

No, it's good to keep it just in case. They'll want to know tomorrow. I mean, if we already know she was found there, and someone else was awake looking around again... maybe they want us to look closer at the corndog stand or something? Like we had to look inside those chess pieces last week.

[ puts it. back in his pocket. it's weird carrying it around but it'd be weirder not carrying it at this point. ]

Yeah, but... why me? I didn't know Ms. Elysia all that well, an' it's not like I'm attached to the fairgrounds. [ rubs his face. ] Did someone jus' think I was fussy enough to hang onto it like this?

Well, if that's what they thought, they were right.

[ you are holding onto it my man. ]

It could be random, though. Or maybe they thought you'd want to try to help solve this and wanted to give you a clue. Who knows? Hopefully we'll have answers tomorrow.

...maybe. There's another option, too, but I don't really wanna think about that one.

[ said like someone who's definitely been thinking about it already. ]

Hopefully. Ugh, I feel like I need to pass out again.

It'd be a stupid way to try and frame you, if that's what you mean. You wouldn't be telling anyone if you were responsible for what happened.

...It always feels that way on Fridays, waking up to news like that.

Can't believe corndogs are joinin' the "stuff this place ruined" list.

[ he sinks heavily back into the couch and closes his eyes with a sigh. ]

At least... last night was nice. Before we went to sleep.

Heaven's pretty good at that, isn't it?

[ stares up at the ceiling. ]

...Guess that's really the best thing we can do. Make it a good night, just in case the worst happens and we don't have another chance.

[ he hates that a lot, though. ]

[ oh that's bringing the sting back to his eyes. ]

Laurence, I really need you to not say stuff like that right now, man.

[ sighs and covers his eyes with one hand. ]

Sorry. It's just... hard not to think about it, right now.

...yeah.

[ quietly. ]

I'm gonna really miss him.

[ laurence has to squeeze his eyes shut beneath his hand, fight back against more tears and the knot in his throat before he can even think about replying. ]

...Yeah. Me, too.

[ elysia, too, but... zhongli was the closest thing laurence has ever had to family. ]

[ he doesn't look over because he's just going to start crying again if he does, but he's going to reach an arm around laurence's shoulders and pull him to his side in a half-hug. ]

[ these depressed teens. he'll allow it, he's just taking some deep breaths to keep from crying.

quietly, ] We've gotta find who killed them. Somehow.

[ goin through it this morning!!!!! he'll just hold him there until prompted otherwise. his own breathing's not much better. ]

Somehow. We can figure it out. Everyone's gonna be trying.

As long as we don't get caught up on the wrong person again...

[ they came so close to voting for yves last week. ]

turbo heaven 🌼 chrono

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