outdistanced | turbo heaven 🌼 chrono

[ what's this "if he makes it back" nonsense. ]

Good for her, then. But you must miss her, too.

[ it sucks when a friend just leaves! even if it's the best thing for them! ]

...You did say you don't mind explaining things to me. [ thoughtful... ] I never used to want to travel anywhere, maybe it would be alright. As long as there's less cursed food and stuff.

[ he's not genreblind after five weeks is what it is ]

Yeah, all the time. We talk a lot, still. Group chat, video calls, y'know, but it's not quite the same.

[ he was only depressed for like three months when she left the first time it's fine.

that comment does make him laugh, a little, turning the blissfully uncursed orange in his hands. ]

Definitely less. And I really don't mind explainin' at all, even if I'm not the best at it. [ he pops another segment of fruit in his mouth, then flexes his empty hand. ] Going somewhere we could actually choose. Doing somethin' without all this hangin' over us. It'd be good. Easy. That's what I mean.

[ the look on his face says he does not know, actually, because almost everyone he knows lives in the Tower so there's no real need for long distance communication. based on experience in Heaven with writing those letters, though, he can guess how it is - never quite enough to make you stop missing the ones you care about. ]

You've done fine.

[ he falls silent for a moment, turning that idea over in his head. somewhere they could choose... where would that even be? laurence doesn't know enough of the world to even have an idea of where to start with that. every time it came up before, he'd always dismissed the idea outright. ]

...I do miss when we didn't have to think about all this stuff. [ when the biggest of his worries was an exam in class or how to train for the next race and not... someone being kidnapped or mind controlled, or who would die next. ] Yeah. It might be nice to do something like that, if we could.

I miss it too. Days like this aren't enough.

[ not when one of them was so injured it was only painkillers and bandages keeping him moving. not when there were the shadows of five deaths barely hours behind them. not when there was the promise of more ahead, as inevitable as they'd always been.

not when they were having this conversation as if japan to france wasn't long distance enough. like there wasn't going to be time and space as a barrier between them, once this was over.

his chest aches. ]

...if I did somethin' selfish, like try to reach out... [ he reaches out now, open-palmed. take or don't take, the invitation is there. ] I just hope you'd be able to hear me, somehow.

Edited 2025-03-18 14:01 (UTC)

No, they aren't. Just a few days a week before the cycle starts all over again.

[ absolutely hateful. the most they can hope for is to just... enjoy these few days while they can, and pray they aren't next, by some stroke of luck. even if they aren't a victim, what if they're the next one possessed? then they could be the ones dying right in front of all their friends. the odds grow slimmer every week.

...ahhhh, he really doesn't want to think about this, right now. he takes a deep breath, and tries to push it all out of his mind. therapy later, italy now. ]

I don't think it's that selfish. [ missing a friend. wanting to see them again. if it is, laurence has been pretty selfish for a while now.

so after a moment of consideration, he does reach out to take chrono's hand, holding it loosely in case he wants to go be a monkey again or something. ]

I don't know how it works, exactly, but I hope I'd be able to hear it, too. Maybe I'd be able to do more than that - I don't know.

[ he did tell chrono about that last week... daphnes jumping straight to someone they care about. the question is, how far could that ability extend? it sounds a little impossible to teleport across space-time, but... it's a comforting thought, still. ]

[ the fewer of them remain, the more apples that appear on the fucking tree, the more difficult it became to understand the actions being undertaken by whatever entity saw fit to shove them here in the first place... it was all terrifyingly present. it doesn't take emotionshare to know they're feeling the same way, only hearing the tone and that deep, grounding breath.

he does remember, the detail about daphnes. he'd poked at it just enough to have laurence fluster a little. and there wouldn't have been any blame for him not taking the offered hand - it could've been just a gesture, the way chrono had framed it. but there they go, so... he winds their fingers together. right now he's not going anywhere. ]

I don't know either. I think we could work it out, but just in case. [ he leans into laurence's side, and looks out at the water. ] We need to make the most of now, too.

[ and after a long, thoughtful pause, he'll look back over his shoulder, the way they came. ]

D'you wanna keep going up?

[ you ever just get really codependent because of all the trauma and almost all of your emotional support adults dying (: we're fine. what's a handhold or two in this murder economy. ]

We are, aren't we? [ that time chrono made everyone curry, the parties to commemorate the dead, the ball... ] That's what checking this whole place out is about. And you still have to show me what a festival is like, but we can do that later.

[ for now, he just nods. ]

Yeah. It'd be cool to see the whole place from above, if we can.

[ kind of like home... but a little more free. ]

[ fuckin apparently. we're okay. it's nice to be close, and reassured a little. we're still here. ]

...yeah. Guess we are, huh?

[ it was hard to remember everything, after a weekend of such horrifically low points. but as he looks back through the rows of vines, down the hillside, the excitement he'd felt before he'd dragged it all melancholic again... yeah. making the most.

he shoves the last bit of orange in his mouth and nods. ]

Okay! Back to it!

[ and he'll set off at some kind of mid-pace downhill, still slow enough to be clear he's keeping injuries in mind, but nonetheless dragging laurence with him by the hand. ]

[ he's still munchin and suddenly chrono is dragging him back the way they came. gooby ocean ]

Alright already, I'm coming!

[ laughing a little along the way ]

I think this is the first time I've seen you this excited about a new place.

[ they'll see it again soon!! ]

Maybe it's because I feel less like we've been thrown into a horror movie setup with this one, man. [ especially after last week. ] And it's so big!

[ if he shoves some grapes into his jacket (around his waist, this takes a bit of fumbling) pocket for later no one has to know. ]

I really missed seeing somethin' normal.

Hey, the beach and the garden weren't so bad.

[ he wouldn't call them normal but his perspective is so different from most people's. they were nice. at least the beach was before all the murders there. ]

I still can't believe this is all inside of a train car. [ time and space really mean nothing here. ] You're just going to live here all week, aren't you?

...the garden's still nice, yeah. But it's not like this.

[ the murders at the beach have really soured his opinion of it, though he'd still go walk there occasionally. that's probably going to stop now.

well there's an idea ]

I hadn't thought of that. I could, huh? There's enough buildings for there to be a hotel in there somewhere. [ hm ] But, nah, I'll come back at night still at least.

[ definitely not thinking that this place will only be nice until someone inevitably murders here this week!!! it's always the new locations and the beach!!! wow!!! they better not ruin that perfectly nice vineyard ]

Probably? I don't know, though... Taair was pretty excited about this place, too, so he may not even notice if you did. He's been going on and on about how awesome the ruins are.

[ absolute fucking nerd. laurence is so fond of him. disgusting. ]

[ hah. yeah, he's immediately making a stupid fond little smile as well. their nerd mother hen. he adores taair so much. ]

Yeah, I went over there with him, too. The Roman Forum. I actually know a bit about it [ boys think of the roman empire once a day joke ] so it was nice to be able to help him, for once.

[ but. shrugs, kind of too casually. ]

It's not just because he'll worry, though. I'm still not exactly keen on bein' alone.

You do? [ what's he so surprised for when chrono and taair are roomies. they probably nerd out about stuff all the time. ] I guess this place really is a paradise for a historian, though... Good for him.

[ nods absently. ]

Me, either... [ still gets caught up thinking too much about what happened if he's left alone for long. ] And I don't want to worry anyone. I have a feeling Yves would hunt me down if he couldn't at least check in on me.

Just a bit. Most history's boring as hell, but that bit of it's pretty cool. The ruins are really interesting. Taair definitely seems to think it's paradise.

[ he hums in agreement as they arrive back to the road, and the scooter that is thankfully still there. with a thoughtful look, he passes laurence the helmet. ]

...maybe, Thursday night?

[ they did say somewhere quieter, after all. ]

I guess I just never thought about it much aside from reading about the myths... They didn't talk that much about it in our classes, beyond the basics.

[ pauses as he takes the helmet. ]

You sure? I wouldn't mind it, but don't they usually focus on the new areas that night...?

[ the murders, he means. ]

Not like it's important as far as everyday life goes, so that's not really surprising. But ancient history like that's more interesting than other parts. Like Egypt, too.

[ he seems to shrug off the concern a little too easily, but then gives laurence another thoughtful look and something falters in his expression. swallowing, he turns to hop onto the vespa again before replying. ]

...yeah, you're right. We were gonna go back to the garden anyway, right? That still sounds good.

I never knew you were into that stuff. No wonder you guys get along. [ that is not why

he's giving chrono a quizzical look as he just shrugs that off and then seems to rethink it within seconds?? what?? ]

I just said I don't mind. And this place is big enough that we may not see anyone at all even if we do stay here.

[ sense of shame is slowly returning so he hesitates just a smidge before retaking his spot behind chrono. ]

...Are you feeling okay? You've been acting a little weird.

It's not like I'm into it. I like how ruins and old buildings look, that kind of thing, so I just read about it a bit when I was younger.

[ it's part of the goth addition to the jock/nerd assessment

chrono just kind of. hums, tilting his head to both sides as if he's cracking his neck, waiting for laurence to settle as the turns the engine back on. ]

Sure, but I don't wanna risk you bein' here if there's even any more chance of somethin' happening. [ hmm. ] I guess I feel a little weird? Can't put my finger on it. Probably nothing major.

I don't get it. What's so special about how they look? They're ruins.

[ just a buncha old rocks? ]

That's what you're worried about? Nothing's going to happen if we're just sleeping. Are you sure you weren't cursed?

I dunno, man. I just think they're cool. Quiet, y'know? And you kind of see echoes, of how people used to live.

[ alright let's get back on the road. more up. there's more vineyards, eventually giving way to an area more dense with trees. ]

Of course I'm worried. I don't want anything to happen to you. [ ... ] I don't feel cursed. D'you even know, if it's not a big one?

You really are starting to sound like Taair. He said something pretty similar. [ hmmm. ] I guess it isn't that bad, here.

[ the nature and quiet are surprisingly okay, for someone who's never even considered it before heaven.

well he's not going to bring the mood back down by reminding them about sleeping through murders. ]

Right... I'll be fine, though, really. [ he is staying out of trouble! ] Well, I haven't been cursed, but I think they only realize it after it wears off?

Worse people to start soundin' like, that's for sure. But if I start to get too wordy you can just hit me. Taair's got that part covered.

[ it's not like he's forgotten about sleeping through murders but the key part about now is sleeping through them and not getting murdered. well, not getting laurence murdered. he's not too concerned about himself right now. ]

Guess I'll find out later, then. I don't think it's that bad, though. Just kinda weird, like... lighter? A bit.

[ the cover of trees casts dappled light on the road, and ahead there's a low fence that might have held a gate at one point. through it, they're on a flat plateau, with an unmaintained garden of mostly dry grass and thriving flowers that are probably weeds. there's a bench, and a clear view out over the ocean and back to the coastal town. ]

Edited 2025-03-19 02:34 (UTC)

You don't have to worry about that.

[ getting too wordy or laurence hitting him? who's to say. be a little more concerned about yourself also what the hell man. ]

Then... maybe it's okay? It better be. [ or else

looks at this new place. it's a far cry from the big garden in oz, but it has the view. that isn't a bad thing. still, ]

Maybe they do need more people here. This place is kind of a mess.

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