outdistanced | turbo heaven 🌼 chrono

[ nice try. laurence may not know how accurate that is, but he has to laugh a little at the faltering. ]

I guess a fence is a kind of defense, but it's still swordfighting. [ french people please. ]

...Maybe. [ considers this while watching the fight on screen. it's still a little hard to imagine using his powers in everyday life. ] I guess I could always ask Ven if he'd have a job for me with the Moon Mercenaries, but that whole arrangement was supposed to be temporary.

It is. Swordfighting for rich people.

[ oh it's the bit with the sword and the robot falling out of the sky. he's kinda glad they mostly talked over the character deaths. ]

Those people from your memory? [ hmm. ] Can't say that "mercenary" has an encouraging ring to it, since you're so insistent about stayin' outta dangerous stuff.

[ makes a noncommittal noise because he doesn't know enough about the world to comment on that. ]

I know. [ he doesn't necessarily like it, but it's the only option he knows is out there right now. ] But if I'm really going to leave the Tower, I'll probably have to deal with dangerous stuff, anyway. So I'll need to at least learn some self-defense or something.

Plenty of people here you could ask to learn from.

[ so many fighting types. ]

Mm, well, gettin' out's the first step. You don't have to make up your mind now, or anythin'. I didn't start thinking about it until last year, either.

[ he bites his lip, eyes dropping to the floor. ]

Yeah. Guess so.

[ shakes his head. ]

It's fine. I'm leaving once we know where to find Iris and get him somewhere safe. It's just after that that I'm not sure about.

[ ...........ah. after a moment, gently bumps him with a shoulder. an apology without raising it again. ]

Maybe you can work it out together. I know you said you guys weren't close anymore, but... [ the memory... well. ] If you both need to be away from the Tower, that could a way to go.

[ laurence allows himself one more moment to feel things and then huffs out a sigh, lifting his head to keep watching the movie. enough being sad about zhongli, enough feeling weird about iris. ]

We'll see. There's not much point in thinking about it right now, anyway, and Saber said he'd help me for now, so.

[ that's that. ]

[ he sinks into his part of the blanket pile a little more. he wasn't doing this distraction thing very well. shut up, chrono. ]

S'pose not. Wasn't really a smart thing to bring up, huh.

You're fine. I'll have to think about it eventually. [ seems like he's holding something back, maybe, but anyway.

glances at chrono. ]

What about you? You think about that stuff a lot?

[ it takes him a moment to respond, feeling awkward, but eventually nods. there's a lull in the movie's action, anyway. ]

Yeah. My friends have theirs pretty much all planned out. Shion's got his family's company, Tokoha's off in Europe doing pro player stuff before she's even graduated. I thought maybe I'd work for the Vanguard Association, but I really don't want Ibuki [ (derogatory, affectionate) ] to be my boss.

Sounds right for you, though. That Vanguard stuff is pretty much your whole life, isn't it?

No judgment if you're not sure, though. [ nudges him with an elbow. ] We can figure it out later.

I didn't really have one before it. [ shrugs. ] And I'm happy with it, but I decided I just want it to stay a hobby now that things have calmed down.

[ he smiles, but glances away. ]

Nah, that's the thing. I made up my mind - I want to be an astronaut. [ it sounds childish, to say out loud. ] Problem is I'm an idiot, so, y'know.

[ that comment draws a look?? what does that mean? ]

Guess that's understandable. I wouldn't want to go running everyday for a job, either. [ gotta have hobbies.

but... wow. astronaut? i really had to sit here for a minute and debate if he knows what that is but they probably have history books so. ]

Like, going into space? That's insane. I knew about the moon, but I didn't think they still did that. [ he surprised! but doesn't look that judgy about it, just a little confused, if anything. ] Why would that be a problem? It hasn't stopped you before.

[ rolls his eyes. ]

Not literally. I just didn't have any friends or interests. Gettin' into fights was the closest thing until Vanguard came along.

[ pff. okay, that earns laurence a more bodily sideways shove of faux-irritation, but he's laughing mildly. ]

Whatever, man. No, there's a ton of tests and stuff you gotta pass before even beginning to train for it. Physics, mathematics, chemistry, all that.

[ so... kind of like iris, before he left the tower? hm. he chooses not to think about that too hard. ]

Good thing it did, then. Getting into fights is a terrible hobby, man.

[ is shoved, but he laughs a little, too. ]

I didn't know it was that complicated. [ math is one thing, but physics? chemistry? laurence only knows the bare minimum. you only learn that stuff if it's going to be part of your job in the tower, like being a doctor. ] So it just means you have to study a little more. So what? If it's what you want to do, you'll make it work somehow.

To be fair, I wasn't the one pickin' them. Attitude problem, or something.

[ it is why he talks like a delinquent though. ]

I'm trying. My... [ hm. ] ...teammate, he's super smart, so he's been tutoring me for a while. It's helped a lot.

You do have that.

[ an attitude problem... as if laurence is one to talk.

noting the hesitation there and raising an eyebrow. ]

Teammate...? [ me, ray: boyfriend? is he your boyfriend, chrono? ] There you go - a tutor. So those tests won't be that hard.

Hey. It was way worse before.

[ aaya voice look,

huffs and turns his attention back to the movie!! ]

I'm bad at studying, so I'm worried all the time even with people helpin' me.

You haven't started any fights with me yet, so I'll give you that.

[ nods i can't believe snow wants me to homewreck those boys ]

Studying sucks. [ thinks of his stupid book on demiflora with all his notes. he hates every second of that it fries his brain so bad. ] But I think you'll be fine. You don't really half-ass it when you care about things anyway, right? Never seemed that way to me, anyway.

[ to be fair they're doing it to themselves so like. anyway

this half-praise that makes him feel weirdly perceived isn't helping!! he sinks even further into the blankets. ]

W-well, what's the point in half-assing things anyway? If you're gonna put the effort in, it may as well work out.

[ BECAUSE THEY'RE STUPIIIIIIID bongos their heads

it's a little funny to see him get all nervous like that. laurence gives him an amused glance before turning back to the movie. ]

Yeah. So you'll do fine. Don't be such a worrywart about it. [ a beat, then he adds, thoughtful, ] I bet the stars look even cooler from space.

Mmh.

[ he's going to keep worrying anyway but thanks, is what that noise means probably.

oh. chrono blinks, and nods. ]

Yeah. It'd be quiet up there, but real pretty.

Mm. I always liked looking at the stars, but I never really thought about what it's like outside of the Tower until we got here, let alone out there.

[ this has nothing to do with their action movie ]

...you sound like Rapunzel, dude.

[ this is said with about half the usual snark. he's contemplative, eyes on the tv but not really absorbing anything. ]

It's scary, that openness. But it's not empty. There's a lot to learn and explore.

Wha- Hey! Can you guys all stop saying stuff like that?

[ it's starting to get tiring. or maybe embarrassing. it does bring a faint flush to his face. MOVING ON, ]

...You would be the type to want to check that stuff out, though, wouldn't you. Especially with your whole [ gestures vaguely ] thing with Dran.

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