It should be better than this.

10

Ice's eyes widened. "Would you? That would be amazing." She glanced to Lou with a questioning look. "You mind if he helps out?"

"It wouldn't be the first time." Lou replied, barely able to hide his relief. "I'll show him where the crates are stored."

Nolan and Lou manoeuvred through the throngs of dolls, Nolan briefly spotting Moxy giving him a smiling, encouraging thumbs up. He chuckled and shook his head, before jogging to try and keep to the side of the pacing blond.

As they continued to move the crates to their designated spots, Nolan couldn't help but notice the tension between Lou and the other dolls - the dirty looks and small whispers they would shoot his way, all causing him to keep his head down and hurry on in silence. It began to remind the mix-matched doll of the graffitied wall of insults spread across his home's entrance, giving him that same uneasy feeling he felt when he first bore witness to it.

"...Hey," Nolan spoke up, "Uh... Do you want to watch the race once we're done?"

Lou turned to Nolan, raising his brow in confusion. The latter stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

"Well, I never actually watched any of the boat races before, so... You want to come with? I think I know a good spot to watch it from..." Nolan explained sheepishly. "Unless you're busy, of course."

"No, no I'm not busy." Lou's response was immediate, "...Sure. Why not."

Once they had given Ice Bat the final crates, Nolan took Lou to a tall, rounded building, built with purple fabrics, and stitched in yellow stars, running up and down the slanted building.

"This is usually an observatory, but since no one's here, I thought it would be a good place to watch the race instead." Nolan stated, gesturing inside the structure. They entered, climbing the wooden ladder, and finding themselves in an observation deck that overlooked the beauty of the docks - showcasing the glistening ocean as it rhythmically rose and fell, with the ships of all shapes and sizes dancing to the rhythm.

"Huh, didn't know this place existed." Lou commented, leaning on the metal railings, and gazing out at the ocean in slight awe. He had to internally admit that this new Institute was much more visually appealing than the one he was accustomed to for so long.

Not too long after they arrived, the two watched as Ox waved the checkered flag, the boats speeding across the waters, each one leaving a massive wake in its path. As the boats made their way around the course, the crowd roared in excitement. The dolls were frenzied with anticipation, as each boat jostled for the lead. Nolan leaned on the rail in amazement as the boats raced past each other, all nearing the finish line. The crowd grew louder with each passing second. Nolan watched the boats cross the line one by one, the cheers of the crowd deafening him as the winners were announced. Lou couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the brunet's enthusiasm, watching as he clapped and cheered along with the rest of the dolls.

"That was incredible!" Nolan exclaimed, "I can't believe how quickly those boats were moving!"

"It sure is impressive." Lou replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I've seen glimpses of the race, but never fully took my time to properly watch one."

Nolan smiled at him, feeling a sense of pride when he managed to elicit a smile from the otherwise stoic doll. To be honest, his purpose in bringing Lou here was twofold: to watch the race, of course, but also to spend time away from the judging eyes and mouths of the other dolls.

A peaceful stillness took over them for a moment, simply admiring the view from the observatory deck. Eventually, Nolan settled down in his usual cross-legged pose, and began to ponder something.