tramitem_log | ♫The withered leaves collect at my feet♫

Who: Clarence Blakely and OPEN

What: Clarence desires a cat... badly. Will he get one? Probably not, but a boy can dream...

When: March 16th thru the 21st (Spring Break baby)

Where: Various pet shops around the Queens area

Rating/Warnings: Teenage angst, possible mentions of Clarence's family situation

He had spent all day Sunday doing research, where within the limits of Queens he could find responsible facilities that sourced their cats from fosters. He didn't really want to go through a breeder. A cat wasn't some creature that should be bred to be sold; they were loving companions and thousands of them were born without homes daily. Those were cats that needed homes and he really, really, really wanted to give one a home.

Clarence lingered for several minutes outside the shop, looking through the windows at the rabbits displayed there as he tried to pep himself up.

The problem was he hadn't mentioned anything about it to Philemon or Kris yet. Sure, they seemed pretty chill and had even still given him the same fifty bucks to spend this week as they normally did, despite not having to go to school and buy lunch. But he couldn't just show up with a kitten. Even if he tried to hide it, cats liked to cry when they got lonely. Whatever kind of cat he picked up would eventually make some noises in his room when he wasn't there, and then it would be all over. Still...

Stepping inside the door of a known pet shop that worked with fosters, he moved along after reassuring the clerk he didn't need help. Finding the area of cats was easy. Six large kennels were set off to one side. Two contained batches of kittens, so tiny still but big enough to be adopted out. Each of the other four had an older cat in them, much more docile than the smaller groups but still in need of homes just the same.

"... they're so cute," Clarence found himself mumbling, charmed by all the sweet faces staring back at him. Heavens, but this was the hard part. Even if he decided to take one home, could he really choose just one over all the others? And as much as he liked the idea of getting a kitten, older cats were less likely to be adopted, so he would be helping out further if he got one of the bigger ones, right?

One of the adults, an orange tabby with green eyes, stared up at him sleepily. It was a male and looked quite different from the one in his dreams, but Clarence was still very tempted to ask the clerk if he could hold him.

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She simply smiled. After all, being mistaken for younger? That was a compliment, to her! Oh, she had no secrets--if Clarence was curious and asked, he'd find there was a reason for such a dichotomy of looks between Yotsuyu and Elliott, but she wasn't the type to simply divulge.

"I may joke at times, but to do so now would merely be cruel." And while there were times where Yotsuyu was most definitely cruel, when the need arose, when it came to telling a young man 'no'? With something that seemed so very important? No, there was a point at which things went too far.

"So, no, I am not joking now. I say again, shall we?"

Such an odd person. But Clarence had felt the same way when Elliott had been so friendly their first real meeting, too. Maybe he was just stuck getting to know weird people. If that was the case then... maybe he could get used to it.

Seeming to melt further into his hoodie, Clarence nodded, trying not to get overly emotional in front of this person. She was still mostly a stranger, but he felt like she had to be a good person. Nodding, he spoke softly. "Then... please?"

"Of course! Come with me." Yotsuyu had no issue leading the way up to the store counter--she was used to taking action, after all. It was one way she'd gotten to where she was, after all.

"These are mine--and my young friend would like to fill out an adoption form. I shall be making a donation for you to hold his feline friend, so that he can receive the appropriate permissions from his..." She trailed off, lifting a brow at Clarence. "Guardians? But he does not want to chance losing the cat he wants, so here we are."

She laid her items on the counter, and reached into her purse for her pocketbook, pulling it and a pen out and offering the latter to him with a smile.

Clarence is a little more hesitant but the hope of possibly getting a cat again after all of these years pushes him to scuttle after her. His posture is still closed off, hands in his hoodie pouch and hood drawn down, but it's fine. She handles talking with the clerk, him nodding at the mention of guardians, and they go humming on their way to get the paperwork. Either this clerk was very trusting or Yotsuyu was a familiar face here. Maybe both.

Taking the pen cautiously, he glanced back up at Yotsuyu. "They probably will say no but... thanks again. It really means a lot to me."

The paperwork for the orange tabby--heavens, his name was Cheddar--was set in front of Clarence while the clerk gushed over how excited they were he might be getting a forever home. Clarence felt his face turning dark from the attention but it could be worse. It was just the price he had to pay for indulging in this little fantasy.

Probably both. She'd bought her bettas here, after all, and Yotsuyu bought the products for their care here--and she often made donations so that the cats the rescue brought in were well-cared for.

If Elliott had ever wanted a cat, well, she'd probably have rescued one, but it had never really come about, but it was more a lack of discussion than a lack of desire, most likely.

She just smiled at Clarence a little. "They may say no, but at least you know you've given some help to his care, after all. Even if it is through me. I'd never have done it without your intervention, after all."

Well, that might be a little white lie. She might have, but she might have just breezed in, got her filters and fish food, and breezed right out again. Hard to say.

He bites his lip but nods. It's true, there's nothing to lose after all.

"... Wow, I need to consider what all I'll need after I get him. If I get him, that is." But already his mind is whirling with plans. Obviously he'll need food, a dish for that, water and a dish for that, a place to use the bathroom, litter, toys, treats, maybe a comfy bed, some more toys, more treats, possibly a flea collar if he could be leash and harness trained... So much!

He was getting ahead of himself, but Clarence couldn't help himself. Now that there was a chance he would get a cat he was already putting his heart into it. Now he just hoped Phil and Kris would be cool with it.

"I'll let Elliott know if I get him. And then you'll know if it worked out then, I guess."

"Please do let Elliott know! This way we can give you a little congratulations gift, of course!" This way if all his guardians said was 'yes', well, they could help all those dreams he'd been having come true. Yotsuyu had no real way to read Clarence's thoughts, but they were fairly clearly displayed on his face. Such shining hope...

"I do wish you luck! Though..." Once she was given the receipt for her supplies, she scribbled her phone number on the back of it, and offered it to the young man. "I'm certain that there may be questions. If they pressure you, I would be happy to answer them." And take the heat off of Clarence himself, should that be necessary.

"Oh, c'mon! You've done enough!" But it was nice to think someone else seemed invested on him getting the cat that they might want to reward him further once he got it. If. IF!

Oh jeez. He feels awkward taking her number, but he'll at least be polite about it. May conveniently lose it if nothing comes of getting Cheddar, but he'll just have to see. He doesn't need this random friend's mom coming to his aid over just a cat. Phil and Kris didn't need the extra hassle after having taken him in.

"Thanks, uh, this is really a lot more than I deserve."

For a long moment, at his last comment, Yotsuyu just arched a brow at Clarence. As if she expected him to revise his opinion.

If he squirmed a little, only then did she relent and offer him a slight smile. "From your words, I'm not certain I've done enough. But you do deserve this. Never question that." She herself definitely did not.

"In any case, if we are done here, I should be getting home, I suspect. But if there is any trouble..." She just fixed him with her gaze for a moment. Be damned, Yotsuyu would, if she'd brook any arguments over that.

She's not going to get a revision. He doesn't have the words to really describe why he feels the way he does, not without digging into the whole mess of baggage that is his childhood. He hadn't had much luck with counseling as a kid, being that he was so scared most of the time and stubborn as heck to boot. He wasn't going into all that with a stranger.

But she seemed to let it go eventually. He nodded, not really able to look up at her. "... It's complicated."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it from here." As much as he doubted he would get permission, it was also kind of nice to know someone is in his corner.

"Complicated. Yes. As so many things are, in life." It's not a judgement. It's the simple, if uncomfortable truth. It was so even with her family--aside from Elliott, something she never talked about. For similar complicated reasons.

"Very good. Well. I am certain we shall be seeing you once again, sooner or later. At least, I should hope so! You'd be welcome at our house any time you like."

Unspoken, the invitation that he could come over even if he didn't give warning.

♫The withered leaves collect at my feet♫

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