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[sub]Interacting with: [@Smike] [@Landaus Five-One][/sub]
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[color=Silver]	A voice. Voices were common, obviously, even in the quiet spaces of the open area Laurence worked within. It took him by surprise however, as it seemed directed at him. He'd been making some notes on his laptop, brainstorming yet another film idea. A documentary, perhaps, but it was all drawing up as blank. Then the voice came. American, unsure of what state. Laurence looked up, more out of courtesy, and looked at her. Immediately, he was hit with several questions. He wasn't sure if it were his polish culture confusing him or there being a new normality to the university life, and so he mentally began to think to himself. Up and down, subtly, he took a second to check who she was. Interesting. Had a cane. Two great dogs. Two? Already, he was lost for what to say. She spoke with relative informality, as did any university student, and took about a casual pose from what he assumed was a slight physical difference. All fancy, all glamour. Even in normal clothing, he felt a strong sense of a figurehead, a tip to the pyramid he'd so helplessly slid down.[/color]

[color=87F64F][b]"Hey, I'm alright. How's things?"[/b][/color] [color=Silver]He always felt a little awkward. A very slight accent always peeked through the cracks of his false East-Anglo tone. Again, he had no clue who this girl was. Well, sort of. Chances were he'd passed her several times, giving the odd welcome or nod of introduction, the common courtesy of a passing pedestrian.[/color]

[color=red][b]"About as well as can be expected, under the circumstances. You?"[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Confirming his suspicions, there was most definitely an [i]issue[/i] at hand, something of a burden to her way of life. Even if not physically, it struck a chord with Laurence's psyche, something he wasn't quite prepared for. It took him a second to gather his thoughts as he stared at the ground. She'd gestured to her leg with a free hand, leaving him to take in the confirmation with a level of uneasiness. He didn't feel sorry for her. Feeling sorry for her wouldn't make her feel better. Instead, he empathised, just on a completely different plain of thought.

	His eyes moved to her dogs. Two of them. It still filled him with a small level of cultural confusion. Once more, it wasn't an impossible feat to find a blind or disabled student in the university. Off of the top of his head, he could name three who were reliant on a service dog. All of them were Labrador Retrievers, or Golden Retrievers for pedantic eye, and were dressed in the usual service dog outfitting. Two of those students were blind and thus had used them as a source of guidance, whilst the third relied on them as a combatant of anxiety. Truly, Laurence was surprised as to how much trivial knowledge he had held in the back of his mind. All of these people who he'd acquainted with, but never made friends with, all stuck to him like quotes from Shakespeare during an exam. In a way, it was a foul taunt towards him, the personal information that he shouldn't necessarily know unless he was their friend. And in truth, no one really was. He was just glad that she was talking to him.[/color]

[color=87F64F][b]"I'm just...getting by. Sorry, I have the tendency to stumble on my words when not properly focused."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]He couldn't draw his eyes from her two pups - the dogs, not the... They weren't anything like the standard dog by any means. It just felt odd, peculiar. A common explorer inside of him beckoned for the inquiry, and his temptation delivered as swift as it had manifested.[/color] [color=87F64F][b]"Sorry to ask but...how come you have two dogs? And of such different breeds?"[/b][/color]

[color=Red][b]"I get it, day's still early and all. They're service dogs, help me by getting things and letting me lean on them and stuff. They're also trained to defend me since I can't really run away from anyone with the whole leg deal. This is Turner and the other is Basker. You can pet them if you'd like?"[/b][/color] [color=Silver]And even in explanation, he couldn't quite point his finger onto it all.[/color]

[color=87F64F][b]"But don't you usually get one dog? Sorry, it may be rude of me to ask. Can't pet them either. My guardians all taught me never to interrupt a service dog."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Finally, he left an awkward smile as he rubbed the back of his head. Her occasional gestures towards to each of the puppers had at least given him a solid response - which one was which. In the end, he thought best to drop the subject for something a little helpful, or at least something to take his mind away from the confusion which was international culture.[/color] [color=87F64F][b]"So, Turner and Basker? And so who might you be then?"[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	There weren't many times where Laurence was curve-balled in a social situation. Rarely had he been broadsided with a sudden emotional distress or buzzword that stumped him in his tracks. He was usually reliable. Usually. It was out of character for him to face a problem without an open mind, expecting the worst and simply taking the beating as it came. Laurence [i]didn't[/i] expect the best though. And when it showed, it [i]showed[/i].[/color]

[color=Red][b]"Usually yes, on both accounts. But some lucky little bastards get two of them. In my case Basker is more for mobility while Turner is more for emotional support and making sure I take care of myself. And if their owner is telling you to touch them, go right on ahead."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]She'd smile back at him, looking him up and down.[/color] [color=Red][b]"Fidelity, Fiddle for short. Who are you, handsome?"[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	He followed her words with intrigue and interest, right up until she unveiled her name. Fiddle. A nice nickname. A lovely one in fact, one that definitely held some sort of ironic meaning. Twisting it into some pretentious meaning was easy; take the instrument and forge it into a name, a playful tune that would associate itself with how she acted, how she dealt with other people and how she entertained. Everything seemed in order. A normal conversation. Her eyes, he slightly followed, but didn't quite catch their direction, right up until she dropped the final word.

	He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say in response. His cheeks flushed themselves a bright pink and his voice went from clear and well-enunciated to empty and staggered. A smile battled his face for its presence, the compliment taking way more of an impact than he'd have initially imagined. Firstly, he thought that it would be such a tease, a trick given by the freshers as part of some stupid dare. Sure, he'd been called handsome before, but by passing individuals like the elderly or the guardians he had moved between. This, however, was a complete broadside, an unfair barrage of pure emotional turmoil as he'd been hit by something that could've meant anything insignificant. He dug deeper than he should have, or was he not digging deep enough? His eyes darted from the dogs to her, back to the floor, his work laptop, the dogs, and her smile. If there were ever a time of confusion over his emotions, it was that one moment.[/color]

[color=87F64F][b]"I...uhh..."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Clearing his throat, he tried to recompose himself and adjust his seating, find a way to comfortably hide his inner anxiety over the menial compliment.[/color] [color=87F64F][b]"That's a very pretty name. Uhm...I'm Laurence."[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	Without hesitation, he stuck with his English name. It had become instinct, almost unavoidable. The true self, hidden behind a veiled lie that the university just accepted. If he didn't want to be called Laka, then so it was. He couldn't face it, so why should've anyone else have cared about it? Instead, he just sat still, his hand in his lengthy blonde hair as to give it something to do. A distraction.[/color]

[color=Red][b]"Well thank you very much."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]She'd sit down next to him on the bench-chair thing, prop up her bad leg on a stool.[/color] [color=red][b]"Laurence. Handsome name for a handsome man."[/b][/color]

[centre][hider=Oh shit oh fuck][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qXmxVySMzw[/youtube][/hider][/centre]

[color=Silver]	Internally, he began to scream. She was being too flattering, adorable if he were to return the compliment, but his voice stuttered at the thought of even saying anything. He'd spent a lot of his time away from such beautiful tidbits in life. A drive away from love, from blossoming comforts in life, had always stagnated his very existence. A desire to not end up like his father, he couldn't tell if the situation was exciting or absolutely terrifying. In a way, that made it all the more enjoyable. As she sat beside him, he couldn't quite imagine what to say. His mind told him that it was nothing more than a need to relax her leg, nothing out of that. His face still remained as pink and crimson as before, his eyes darting from her face and looking toward his laptop whenever he could. The uncontrollable smile still toyed with his morning confusion. Surely it was a prank. Surely...[/color]

[color=87F64F][b]"That's...extremely endearing...coming from-"[/b][/color] [color=Silver]The balance of disaster or ultimate success from flirtation was interrupted by a new voice, one that came from a timid first year searching for their class. It was an opportunity for him to turn his eyes to another topic, something that he couldn't embarrass himself as much on, presumably. He stood up, courteously nodding again and trying so hard to stop smiling over the things that had been uttered from his newfound acquaintance. He barely looked at the second girl, and just pointed to a nearby desk.[/color] [color=87F64F][b]"Uhm...there's a small uni map on that desk! I'll be...back. I just need to get a drink of water, sorry Fidelity. I'll come back, soon."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Leaving his laptop behind, he rushed away, the same smile still on his face from when he was first complimented. Without him realising, it wasn't to be the most unusual thing to occur that day.[/color]