Work Text:
"Hey, what's this?"
Iris and Laurence are sitting on the floor in Iris's room, playing a game one of Laurence's other friends came up with. In Laurence's hand is a blue paper, filled with sketches and components labeled.
"Oh! That's Penny. See, she's a robot!"
"That's weird. Why would you name a robot 'Penny', of all things?" Laurence raises an eyebrow and looks up at Iris. "You should name it 'Laurence'. See, she'd be totally cooler with a name like that."
"Well," Iris thinks out loud, "maybe I will." He laughs a bit and moves a piece on the board.
---
"I thought you weren't allowed to do that?"
Iris and Laurence are in the cafeteria, now. Iris is sketching a toy, windup monkey. Several paragraphs detailing the monkey's ability to throw things are scattered about the paper.
"I'm not really, but if nobody finds out it's me..." Iris trails off in thought.
"Iris, stop. If you know you're breaking the rules, then you can't do it. It doesn't matter who finds out." Laurence crosses his arms, a slight frown on his face.
"If you really think so, then I guess I won't," Iris sighs.
---
"You can't."
"Why not?"
Iris and Laurence are in Iris's room again. Iris is sitting at his desk, chair turned towards the room. Laurence stands in the doorway, a scowl on his face and a hand on his hip.
"Madam said you can't use your powers."
"But I'm not actually using them, am I? Technically, it's just—"
Laurence cuts Iris off. "Iris, the technicals don't matter. You're always like this! Always going on about this or that like," Laurence starts in a bad imitation of Iris's voice, "'Well, this isn't using my powers!' even though it actually is, and you know it is!"
Iris is shocked into silence for a moment. "I didn't know you cared about what I used my powers for so much."
Laurence shakes his head and says, "Forget it." He turns to leave.
Iris calls out, "No, don't forget it. Why are you so invested in what I do, actually? Why does every move I make have to be—I don't know—scrutinized?"
Laurence turns his head to look back at Iris again, and sharply replies, "I said forget it!"
When Laurence turns to walk out again, Iris doesn't interject.
---
On a blue piece of paper, a robot arm is detailed. Crossed out above it is Laurence.