outdistanced | turbo heaven 🌼 chrono

[ with hardly any concept of what a festival is supposed to be, laurence watches it bloom out of the clouds with wide eyes. all the lights, the decorations, the color. it's all so different from anything they have in the tower, even those elaborate balls that madam and the other leaders put on. it's... a little overwhelming, prompting him to take an unconscious step closer to chrono as the crowd appears, illusion or not.

and the street itself naturally draws his eyes further down, questions appearing briefly in thought bubbles above his head as he takes it all in - what are those things on the trees? what do streamers have to do with reuniting lovers? do they really need so many lanterns?

eventually, his gaze lands on the tower, where it lingers a little longer than it probably should, considering everything else in front of them. it takes a minute to find his voice again. ]

This is a festival?

[ it's. it's a lot. but he doesn't hate it, he thinks. ]

Yeah. Kind of a small one, but... I think it gives a good idea.

[ anything bigger would've probably been too overwhelming for the both of them. this might not cover some of the sights he wants to try and show, but... who said this whole thing had to be totally accurate? it's his imagination, they can do what they want. ]

This is Kappabashi Street. It's a really long street for this part of the city, and the festival runs pretty much the whole length of it. My apartment's not too far from here. [ he tips his head to the left, like that helps at all. ] All the decorations are mostly just to make the place prettier and more lively. It's a pretty boring street most of the time. I'll show you some of the more important stuff as we go.

[ then, following laurence's gaze... ah. yeah, maybe he should've left that part out. ]

That's the Tokyo Skytree. It's for broadcasting and tourism, really. The temple and the river are in that direction, so I thought we'd head down that way, but we won't be going far enough to be right in front of it.

[ automatically looks in the direction chrono indicates as if he could see the apartment. idiot. ]

Couldn't be more boring than the alleys I saw in Seattle.

[ not that he knows enough about streets or cities in general to judge. it's a relief that this "skytree" doesn't seem to be for anything like his own tower... but laurence still only has the vaguest idea of what broadcasting or tourism even are. he is so extremely out of his element. ]

Temple...? [ what TEMPLE. okay, no, he shakes his head. ] Okay. Lead the way?

[ watches this happen. smiles a bit. cute

he nods, then... hesitates, for a moment, before taking laurence's hand to lead him as requested. this was a date, after all. and if this crowd was real, there'd be no questioning having to hold hands anyway.

the stalls have various foods, especially grilled meats, for sale; there's fabrics with stars and fireworks printed on them; the occasional game, with small prizes to be given out. chrono stops at a small stall selling pressed papergoods, with some of the heavy-hanging tree branches around it. ]

It's a common thing to write wishes on paper strips and tie them to the tree branches. Luck, money, romance... all kinds of things.

[ laurence lets himself be pulled blindly through the phantom crowd while he takes in the sights. it's just an illusion with no scents or physicality, but that just makes him even more curious about it all. the food looks better than anything they have in the tower. the games... he doesn't recognize any of them. it's utterly fascinating how unfamiliar everything is to him, while chrono navigates it so easily. ]

That's what those are? [ glancing back at the trees, all brimming with those little slips of paper. ] Is it supposed to be good luck or something?

[ the maintenance of an illusion like this is coming surprisingly easily, given how complex everything around them is. as they move, though, the background does tend to fade out a little, and there are lulls in the crowd sound as chrono focuses more on certain details.

he nods, and raises a hand as if to brush one of the tanzaku with a finger. of course, it goes right through. ]

Yeah, for good luck. A blessing during a time when everyone comes together.

[ he turns away, and there's the sound of shamisens and drums. it's not a perfect recreation of the music, but a little parade fills the street behind them, musicians followed by awa-odori dancers. ]

[ the illusion is more than enough for laurence, but as chrono's hand goes right through that piece of paper, he wishes for just a second that it was real. the idea of blessings like this... it's kind of sweet, and it looks like chrono really does enjoy it.

ahhhh but that sound. the sound of a shamisen is just as new to him as all the decorations, and it doesn't need to be perfect to grab his attention instantly. laurence watches the parade in bewildered silence. ]

That's the dance you were talking about before?

[ it looks simpler than the ones he knows for ballroom, maybe, but definitely not for a partner dance. ]

[ for a brief moment, the figure leading the parade seems to come into focus. green hair, amber eyes, a broad grin on her face. a girl a little younger than chrono is now, around the same age as the one from the nightmare?, dressed in traditional garb with a braided hachimaki around her head. but she blends back in quickly. ]

Haha, yeah. [ he looks a little sheepish. ] It seems like a dumb comparison seeing it like this, but the pace and movements... you know?

[ the dancers pass, but the music remains in the background longer than it likely should. he squeezes laurence's hand, smiling gently, and moves them along toward the end of the street where the crowd starts to thin. ]

[ oh. he remembers this girl, from those brief moments in chrono's memory. she's a dancer? he watches, curious, as she fades back in with the others. ]

It's still pretty different, but I think I can see what you mean?

[ the constant movement, the cadence... though the setting and the details vary, but any dance has its own flair. so he nods in agreement to that, squeezing back as they continue down the street. ]

Where exactly are we going, anyway?

[ she was not with the awa-odori dancers, but with the leading procession, though her excitable movements did match with the pace of the music. she belonged there, once. hope she's doing well in europe.

the stalls are much of the same the way through, one of the disadvantages of a smaller festival. he wishes at least something could be tangible, so they could take a lantern or a mask or a kerchief of starry fabric with them, but... visuals are all he can provide. ]

To Sensou-ji. It's a famous temple around here. There'll be a bit more to look at, and I can show you Kaminarimon - the Thunder Gate. Not really festival-specific, but since it's where we are...

[ his home. he wants laurence to see the interesting and important parts, lit up their best with the mood of festival season. ]

And then, the river? We can eat, and I'll show you something cool.

[ ah. so she's the one in france. she might have faded out already, but his eyes linger where she was for just a moment longer.

continuing may not show a ton of variety, but it's plenty for laurence. he's still brimming with questions, about the masks, the story, and everything around them - his own latent sense of curiosity awakening for a the new experience. it's even brought a faint, awed smile to his face, like the days when he wasn't so painfully aware of the rules and expectations in the tower. ]

It doesn't have to be part of the festival if it's what you want to show me. [ what's so special about a gate, though? ] A temple's like a church, right?

You mean the fireworks? [ he hasn't forgotten that part, but he nods. ] Okay.

It's a bit of both. The temple... well, you'll see.

[ the end of the street as it opens up to a crossing is absolutely crowded with wish-laden bamboo branches. they make it past the intangible crush of people, the lighting of the sky dimming slightly faster than natural. where the lanterns and stalls thin out, the city feels quieter. more like a place to live than visit.

it's a lull, as they cross the streets. asakusa station is off to one side, a few small staircases signed to indicate the stairs to the subway. lanterns still hang from eaves, evidence of the time even as they're away from the thick of it. ]

Did you like the sights so far? [ he bumps laurence lightly with a shoulder. ] You look like you've got a lot of things to ask. Now's a good time.

[ still not really sure what a subway is... he just thinks that's a different part of the festival, for now. the quiet out here almost reminds him of the tower at night, though - where there's always some ambient noise, but quiet enough to let you relax at night. ]

It's... a lot. We don't have anything like it at all back home. It's so colorful. [ it's still a little overwhelming, but here, at least, the sensory overload is starting to wane. ] But I think I like it. It's just... livelier, than home. Even though you said it's a small one.

What are all the masks for?

Mhmm. Lively and loud. I can only stand it in the crowds for a little bit, as well.

[ it's not a long walk from here to kaminarimon, but chrono lets them slow. the road ahead has a crosswalk, but he stalls them at it and lets his imagination create a few cars to wait for. the detail at the far edges of the illusion swirls with fog, but directly around them it's clear and sharp. ]

The masks? I don't really know, actually. [ laughs. even he's still not totally knowledgeable. ] There's probably some traditional explanation, but the plastic ones are mostly for kids to run around and play with. Pretend to be heroes and stuff.

I can handle crowds, I've just never seen something like that. Is that what a parade is? Just a big performance like that?

[ what is a crosswalk. he looks at it with blatant confusion, jumping slightly when the first car appears. a little image of the van at the beach appears above his head. they really do move wow... it's his first time seeing that, too. ]

Oh, okay. So it's not that different from having stuff like toy swords. Is that what all those games and stuff are for, too?

Pretty much, yeah. Music, dancing. Sometimes there'll be something flashier or fancy costumes.

[ it's a zebra crossing with the little indicators - red for don't walk, right now. chrono squeezes his hand again when laurence startles, amused at the association with the beach van. these ones are cars. ]

You got it. Festival games get played by all ages, but they're more popular with kids. Probably the strangest thing you can win is... like, live goldfish?

[ the crossing indicator flashes to green, and a car slows at the edge of the crosswalk as chrono guides them across. ]

They get even flashier than that? [ all the lights, the music, the movements... what do you mean More?

watches the cars go by in fascination. so that's a car. huh. do they still have those, in his world? any daphne could just teleport somewhere, but not everyone would know one. he has no idea how rare they might actually be. ]

A live fish? Is that like... okay?

[ CANNOT IMAGINE JUST. WINNING A LIVING CREATURE THIS IS SO WEIRD. ]

Oh, absolutely. There's some that go for ages, with hundreds of people. Confetti everywhere.

[ he's not so into those. they're always a loud mess and made it difficult to navigate the city. but they're impressive, for sure.

in a world with teleportation, mundane transport does seem a bit redundant. but surely humans without demiflora powers have to get around somehow? and certain idiots have to fall asleep in back seats and make things difficult somehow?? anyway ]

I think so? I never did it when I was a kid, since the orphanage would've had trouble keepin' tabs on us all in crowds like that. Or let us look after fish.

[ shrugs. they're nearly there. the vaguely-established crowd seems to gather here, as well, as they turn to see the lit gate of kaminarimon. chrono glances at him, keen on this reaction. ]

That's a little hard to imagine...

[ this is already so much for laurence? he'd probably agree with chrono that the small functions are better tbh. not too much to get lost in. ]

I don't think the Tower would've let us have fish, either... [ they don't even have cats or dogs. none pets, unless penny counts.

ahhh, but there's the gate, and it's... huge? and intricate, truly nothing he's ever seen before, so used to modern architecture as he is. but he's a little impressed, and slows his step a bit to soak in the details, head canting to the side just a bit. ]

That's... a lantern, right? Why is it so huge? [ too curious, he doesn't wait for an answer before adding, ] And what are the statues?

I don't know why it's so big. Just to be impressive, probably?

[ with a grin, chrono releases their handhold to go and stand under the lantern, hands on his hips. kaminarimon wasn't his favourite place in reality, usually too full of people, but the gate itself was always such a sight even as a local.

another figure does swim into clarity for a moment, amidst the indistinct crowd - nearer to laurence, a tall young man with an excitable expression, seemingly also taking in the details of the gate. but after a moment he blends back in, too, as chrono beckons laurence over. ]

The statues are Fuujin and Raijin, the gods of wind and thunder. And, look-- [ he points up to the base of the lantern, where there's a dragon carved into it. ] Cool detail.

Hah. Maybe. It definitely accomplishes that.

[ watches chrono with a small smile as the lantern absolutely dwarfs him. the new figure distracts him momentarily - laurence doesn't know that one, another friend of his? - but they're gone too quickly for him to linger on it.

he takes another look at the statue before following over. ]

Is the whole temple for them, then? [ it's like a church, right?

this dragon, though? holy shit. ]

...It is pretty cool. [ looks like something iris would make. ] You seriously see things like this every day?

Nope. The temple itself's for Kannon, a goddess of compassion. These guys are guarding it, maybe. [ he's not entirely familiar with the mythologies surrounding the various gods represented here. ] But this is where I live, so... yeah. [ ... ] Sounds like Iris and I might've got along, huh?

[ he turns so they're looking through the other side of the gate, where the temple's even larger inner gate and pagoda are visible past the green roofs of nakamise-doori. the shop stalls here, while permanent fixtures, are also decked in festival lanterns.

and after a considering glance, because this is a date and they're standing in an interesting spot right under the lantern, chrono will pull laurence down by the shoulder and press a light kiss to his cheek. that's what people do on dates, right? ]

We'll head through here down to the river, okay?

Edited 2025-03-27 16:53 (UTC)

A goddess of compassion, guarded by gods of wind and thunder? How do those things go together? [ he's mostly joking, these things never make sense so whatever! ] I'm almost a little jealous. The Tower's so boring in comparison.

[ at least by his own standards. it's beautiful in its own way, ornate and made to impress in the community areas, but otherwise, he's too used to it to care. this is different, fascinating and new.

but at that, he snorts. ] You two would get along. Too well, maybe. He'd probably ask you a million questions about Dran and Cray and everything, too.

[ and that would be so bad for laurence he doesn't want to think about it. thankfully he doesn't have to, because the kiss is unexpected and makes his thoughts static out for a second, a light dusting of pink coloring his cheeks. technically they may be alone, but it doesn't necessarily feel that way with the crowd weaving around them, however indistinct. ]

O-Okay. [ get it together, laurence, they aren't even real. no one is here to perceive. anyway! looks at the stalls! ] Is this all stuff for the temple?

You're just used to it. I'd really like to see the Sky Dome, if you'll show me sometime.

[ maybe, if everything works out, we really could meet some day. it's a thought he's had before, one truly not impossible if their determination meant anything. he gives laurence an amused look, taps his arm, and starts them along the hazy-edged illusion of nakamise-doori. ]

Nah, this place draws in tourists like nothin' else. It's nearly all traditional souvenirs and craft stuff, so visitors from other places can see it all... and spend money.

[ they'll take a slow stroll down the connecting street. despite his cynicism, there's the usual detail to the illusion, a path tread many times. there's snacks - taiyaki and monaka. there's stalls with samurai costumes and fake swords, as well as more traditional yukata. there's a place making wax replicas of vegetables, and notably, chrono lingers by a stall making amezaiku, the candy sculptures lined up on the counter. there's one there that's much less pretty than the rest.

at the other end, the second gate and pagoda. houzoumon is a larger gate than kaminarimon, but chrono doesn't come past it as often - some of the details are fuzzy, if focused on too long. ]

The river's not far, but! [ a smile, inviting. ] Question time, again, if you've got any burning ones.

I guess. If you really want to see it, then I don't mind showing you.

...I hope so. [ just a murmured thought as chrono starts leading him down the street. is the main part of seattle similar to this, he wonders?

as a teenage boy, it's mostly the food that catches his eyes, but the swords also pique his interest, even if they are fake. he's only ever used fake ones, anyway, but those look a little like mizu and uruha's? ]

So it's mostly trinkets. [ except for whatever that is chrono's looking at...? more sculptures? ] But people like all that stuff.

[ the other gate is just as imposing, even for the lack of detail. laurence stares up at it for a moment, unsure where to even start with questions this time. ]

Why a river, anyway?

[ he's never seen one outside of heaven and has no clue what the appeal could be. it is just water. ]

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