tramitem_log | ♫The withered leaves collect at my feet♫

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♫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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"Every one who has come in here has given that one a look."

He had almost been invisible standing off the the side of the cages but he spoke as if he had been there for some while, so he had seen the other fellow enter and look around at the cats.

"Grace claims its the eyes that draw you in. I think its because his cage is in the middle... he's been asleep there most of the time. I doubt many have even seen his eyes."

Bobbing his head towards an observation window he indicated one of the side rooms the door of which was labeled with a placard, 'Adoption Room'. They had a few of these along one wall where potential pet owners and their chosen animals could meet and check for compatibility. All of these rooms had one large window so you could see what was going on inside. Two of them were empty but the third contained a laughing blonde woman in a bright blue sweater and a staff member who was trying very carefully to pry one very determined kitten off the other woman's shoulder while another far quicker kitten had already climbed its way to the top and sat proudly perched on her blonde head like a hat. She turned to the window and gestured with what had to have been the warmest smile in the cosmos, but Anthony waved away her request for his help with a smile of his own.

"I would go help her but anytime that door is opened those kitten try to make a run for it. It's probably better to wait until they are finally recaptured."

Anthony smirked as he finally looked away from the window and towards the person he had been speaking to this whole time.

"Grace is thinking about adopting one... Might have to be several the way it's going in there. Is that why you are here or do you just like to visit?"

The boy was familiar. Yotsuyu had come in to buy more fish food and charcoal filters for her fish tank, kept in her home office and home to a pair of separated betta. They were her pampered prizes, and watching them was rather soothing. Though she often thought about getting another pet, it hadn't come to be, yet. Elliott was busy and so was she, and it was rather unfair leaving even a cat to its own devices. They liked it on their own terms, but cats still wanted love and companionship...

Perhaps he was one of Elliott's friends. It might be rude to call attention to that fact, though.

"He is rather handsome, isn't he?" She had her purchases in hand, but Yotsuyu hadn't bothered to go to the front yet. She had to make pssp-pssp-pssp noises at the kittens and flutter the fingers of one hand for them to go wide-eyed at and perhaps even chase.

"He looks like a little tiger, if you ask me. Lazy for now, but if something draws his attention, well! I imagine he'd spring into action, don't you think?"

Clarence jumped when a voice addressed him suddenly, drawing his attention away from the gorgeous tomcat that continued to stare at him. He didn't like strangers, especially older strangers, but the guy was trying to be friendly and he must like cats. That was a point in favor. He dropped his eyes back to the cat.

"I think he looks pretty..." And he also looked similar to the one in his dream. White stripes instead of black, but that cat, her markings were special.

The woman the man spoke of, Grace, now she looked like she was a true cat-lover. Adopting a kitten, or several, sounded like fun, but Clarence was still edging towards the older male tabby.

The man addressed him again and Clarence once again avoided eye contact. "I'm thinking about adopting. I probably won't be able to but I... I really want a cat."

Another adult. Apparently he couldn't get away from them. Still, again, this one seemed nice enough if she liked cats. She was also really pretty but he wasn't going to say that out loud.

Glancing over through the corner of his eye, Clarence regarded her steadily. "He is... I like him a lot."

Biting his bottom lip, he practically had to fight the urge to imagine that scenario. It just made him want a cat more, thinking of how cute they are when at play. "I wouldn't mind if he was lazy or playful. He's so cute..."

The longing was apparent in his voice.

The downcast eyes which never looked at him were a sign he picked up on so he didn't bother approaching. Anthony kept his distance and looked back at the chaotic kitten scene in the adoption room. One of the little buggers had been wrestled back into its cage and was crying to be let out to play again but several more were still on the loose.

"Why can't you get a cat? Is some one in your family allergic?"

That made her arch a brow--the longing, and the young man's wistful expression. "Are you not allowed pets at home?" Yotsuyu asked, sounding somewhat confused.

Her brow furrowed as she thought. As she did so, her gaze traveled over the kittens and the other cats. It was not as if she hadn't been meaning to at least make a donation to the rescue...

"We could always ask if you could fill out an adoption application. I'm aware you'd need your parents' permission, but I can put down the donation to reserve him. And if, heavens forfend, they forbid you, I'd been considering a gift to this rescue in any case."

She didn't need to buy Elliott any friendship--her son was perfectly capable on his own. It was the simple ache in this boy's eyes that inspired this sudden burst of generosity.

"Um... I'm not..." He shakes his head. He isn't going to lie about the situation. "I haven't asked them yet."

The offer threw him for a loop and then some. He lurched to the side, looking up at her in disbelief. "What? No! I can't let you do that!"

Even if they didn't allow it, that was just crazy talk. "You don't even know me!"

"Whyever not? And I may not, but I do believe you may know someone very close to me--I could have sworn I have at least seen you before." Whether that was at that damned meeting, or with her son, it made no difference at all to Yotsuyu.

"Do you know an Elliot Naeuri, perchance?"

And then Yotsuyu gave a shrug. "That is why I said reserve the cat, so you might ask your parents. But the rescue money, and I suspect you may not have enough. If your folks say yes, where is the harm? For myself, I would rather he have a good and loving home--which he would clearly have with you if they permit it--than go somewhere he might end up on the street again. It is money I would be donating to this rescue either way. I see no harm in it if it also makes someone happy."

Her parents never would have allowed her a pet. Even if it was spitting in the eye of their memory, well. Yotsuyu was all for it!

He's taken aback by that. He doesn't know many adults beyond his current guardians or teachers. He looks up at her, wondering if maybe she's talking about knowing Phil or Kris from work. But then she name-drops one of his newer friends and his eyes go wide. "How do you know Elliott?"

Well wasn't she just a good Samaritan? Not that Clarence could complain. Her points were valid, even if she couldn't know if he really would be a good pet parent. Still, the offer was there and it was soooo tempting.

He bit his bottom lip, glancing back down to the resting cat in question. "... I doubt they'll let me but I guess I could ask. Phil will want to talk to Kris about it, so it may be another day or so even if they do say yes."

Watching the babies run around and give the clerk a hard time was infinitely charming. Clarence couldn't fight the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Still, he tried not to encourage the guy to get too friendly.

Clarence wanted to snark back I don't have a family but if this truly was a Stranger Danger situation he couldn't give into that kind of bait. Instead, he shrugged. "Maybe. I've never asked them. But Phil and Kris don't have any animals so I can't see why they'd be open to me getting a pet."

Especially since they wouldn't have to deal with him in about half a year's time anyway.

He was as unfamiliar with the kid's situation as he was in the dark about who Phil and Kris were, but that didn't matter really. Anthony was just passing the time with some polite conversation while waiting for Grace to chose her kitten. It looked like a little gray tabby might have taken the lead on that score as Grace held the little thing very protectively in her arms... course that could also have been to prevent it escaping again.

"Might ask them before you give up on the idea. Never thought I would end up with a cat."

And before this was mistaken as a dislike of cats he carried on.

"New York apartment. They are small things, barely enough room for one let alone a girlfriend and her pets."

He raised an eyebrow and looked again to the golden cat that Clarence was so taken with.

"They're vertical apparently. Grace says all we would need to do is build some shelves, maybe a surround near the ceiling, and the little guy would be happy as... as... what's the word? There is an animal that people are always comparing their happiness to..."

Clarence nods, understanding not everyone could take on cats. People had allergies. Other commitments. Or they liked dogs more. Dogs were fine and all, too, he didn't hate them but it wasn't the same.

"... Clams," Clarence mumbled after a moment. Maybe it would be weird for a Gen-Xer to be corrected by a Gen-Zer regarding something outside of 2010's slang, but Clarence's patchwork history had landed him in a weird place with regard to many things.

He turned finally to look up at Crowley, but his perpetual scowl may not have seemed the most friendly. "She's right about that. You can count on them getting plenty of enrichment if you allow them to have their own furniture to claw at; it'll definitely help save your own. But you'll also need to give them some pets on occasion. If you ignore them, they'll be all that more interested in you so you may as well get used to their attention."

Clarence also knew a few things about cats, to say the least.

"Yeah, clams!"

The age gap flew right on by him without being acknowledged. Anthony was just pleased to have this nagging question answered so it didn't bother him all day in reruns in his mind like the Gilligan's Island theme song.

"That's it! Clams never look very happy to me, no lips. They can't really smile or anything."

The darkly inclined expression leveled at him gave Anthony more pause. It seemed in contrast to the moment really with everyone around the kid in a decent mood, some even laughing out loud at the antics of the kittens, but maybe it was just his way or he was upset over the idea he couldn't take home big orange there. He did seem to know his stuff about cats though!

"I wouldn't mind giving them attention. They are cute enough. I do worry about the furniture. They're always trying to claw things up, aren't they? How do you keep them from ripping apart a bedspread or burrowing themselves down into a sofa cushion?"

Anthony paused and gave a little frown as another more dangerous concern came to mind.

"And they jump like anything. How do you keep them off the stove so they don't get burned?"

Clarence shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

It wasn't anything particularly against the guy. Just typical teenage angst used a way to buffer against... everything.

"You play with them." Clarence finally gave into his urge to reach out and try to touch the cat through the bars of the kennel. The orange boy blinked at him then inclined his head for a few attempts at head scritches. Clarence's voice softened considerably after that.

"You see, most destructive behavior from cats is usually due to stress. Pent up energy they can't get rid of themselves. If you don't think you'll be able to give them all the attention they'll need, sometimes it's better to make sure they have another cat to play with. You'll still have to play with them a bit, though."

He rolls his eyes. "You sound like you're worried about a toddler. Cats are curious but they're not dumb. Usually they'll jump if they think they have a safe space to land. If you're worried about burners, just don't take the pans off the oven until everything has cooled down."

Seemed obvious to him, but he had dealt with cats in the past. This guy didn't seem to have the same background. Clarence worked to be less critical and huffed out a breath. "Don't worry so much about it. You'll work it out, I'm sure."

"Stress yeah," he bobbed his head in agreement, "That can make anyone act out."

Which in that brief pause between sentences made him reflect on his own actions of a few weeks ago. Mr. Fell had only been trying to piece things together and he had acted rather rude to him, hadn't he? What's done was done on that score but... there might have been the briefest moment of guilt before he drew in a breath to clear those thoughts away.

"Well, they are kids at that age. Small furry kids with needle-like nails but they don't have as much sense as an adult cat would."

Peeking in through the glass to see inside the room he caught the briefest flash of a furry tail before the kitten disappeared into a cat crate. It seemed the grey tabby had indeed won.

"Though as small as that I don't imagine they could make the leap from the floor to the counter. They would need to be a little taller first."

The kid seemed a natural with cats just as he was fairly gifted when it came to tended to plants.

"You know..."

The glimmer of an idea was floated as the big orange pressed it's nose against the bars.

"If you asked they might let you visit with that cat in one of the other rooms. They often will let people spend some time with the animals. It's good for them. Gives them interaction time that they need."

And then gradually that idea began to take on more shape.

"They even take on volunteers to help out with that. Might be something you could do... If you were interested?"

Heavens, ain't that the truth?

"You mostly just gotta worry about your pants. But they can retract their claws, so that's a plus." Personally, Clarence found it super endearing when kittens climbed up onto their owners. Such aggressive cuddling.

"Volunteer?" He hadn't really considered anything like that. Probably because he wasn't sure how effectively it would curb his desire for a cat. It may just make him crave one all the more. Still, he considered the idea.

"... I should probably focus more on getting an actual job, but I do like the idea." He smiled, actually smiled, though he wasn't all that great at keeping eye contact. "It would be a lot easier to get permission for something like volunteering."

He looked sideways at the guy. "Who are you, anyway? Some kind of traveling sage hippie out giving kids advice to follow their dreams?"

"Elliott is my son," Yotsuyu says, simply. Her tone, however, is quite dry, though somewhat amused. Not that they look anything like each other, she and Elliott, but they have similar tones of politeness, at the very least.

"If the money is there, they will keep him as long as you need. And no harm will be done if your guardians say no. He will still have care taken of him here, and he will still be taken care of because he will remain here until you pick him up with blessing, or until someone else does."

Though truly, Yotsuyu hoped this boy would be able to take the fellow home. The cat seemed thrilled enough already, and she'd seen him before--mostly an orange lump. The fact that this young man had the cat's attention was heartening to her, at the least.

"What?" Okay, maybe he shouldn't have sounded so shocked, but she seemed a little young to have a kid the same age as Clarence. But maybe she was just good at taking care of herself. And he didn't necessarily have the right kind of background to judge that.

He forced the incredulousness from his face and looked back down at the cat. "Sorry. I just... wasn't expecting that."

He could try. He could. And what was the worst that could happen? Being told "no" was something he was used to, even if he did hate it. But he should be able to survive it if it meant getting a cat for real.

Yotsuyu couldn't help giving Clarence an amused look at his shock. "It's called makeup, darling! With the proper plumping potions, well! That or you can claim I'm incredibly well-preserved." Really, she was poking gentle fun at him, now, and gave him something of a wink. She had no illusions about her age--pushing quite hard against 40, and unhappy about it--but she would accept any joking push back with good grace.

"I understand. But really, it is possible. I promise." Yotsuyu chuckled. "Come now, we can go up and you can fill out the paperwork, and I will write them a check. How does that sound?"

It sounded quite fine to her!

He blushed, looking away. She was so pretty, it was hard to say if anyone could judge him for misreading her age. But maybe that also had to do with good genetics. Speaking of, she and Elliott really looked hardly anything alike, but there was definitely some shared features in how they spoke.

"Really?" he couldn't keep the awe out of his voice. "You're not just joking me here, right?"

Heavens, if she was planning on saying "sike" anytime soon, he would probably burst into tears.

"Yeah, that's me... roving guru with dark shades and a snappy jacket."

Though really he did fancy that idea, inspiring some one to consider a path they hadn't thought of before. He hadn't really done much of that in his life and those few times he had... well, that usually got some one into mischief. The worse time being that moment with Eve in the garden, if that were to be accepted as an actual memory.

"Anthony J. Crowley. I usually give out my advice to plants. I'm the Director of Living Collections at the New York Botanical Gardens and potential new cat parent. And you? What is your name?"

Clarence rolled his eyes, but his posture was a lot less stiff now. Seemed he was warming up, if only just a little.

Hearing that, he perked up a bit further. Gardens were nice. He wondered if he and Phil had ever met. "Oh, um, I'm Clarence. Clarence Blakely. I do art. But I guess I'm just a high school student for now."

"Art? What sort?"

There were so many kinds and they each had their own merits.

"I've always liked art. We had a show of giant glass pieces by Dale Chihuly at the gardens recently and in May we are going to have a showing of works by Yayoi Kusama. Her pieces will be scattered around the park. If you have any free time you should drop by and check them out."

"Sketches. Painting. Sculpting. Whatever, really." Whatever he can get his hands on, but those three are the most common, the ones he's's practically grown up with.

Oh. Names he actually recognized. A little brighter in color than his usual palette, but he could appreciate the bizarre aesthetic of both artists.

"How much is admission?" He was definitely interested, but he might have to ration his allowance to go.

"An all-garden pass is twenty dollars for students with a student ID on weekdays and five dollars more on the weekends. But..."

He glanced back at the window where Grace was apparently shoving a second kitten into her carry case. Two kittens, yeah he'd thought so.

"If you go on Wednesday or early on a Saturday you can get a Grounds-only admission for free. Many of the pieces will be displayed outdoors."

"Twenty most days," he muttered, doing the math. That was doable, assuming he didn't have any other surprise expenses come up. Also meant ramen cups for lunch a few days a week, but he could stomach that.

His own gaze followed Crowley's back to the adoption room and he smiled when he saw Grace pick out a second kitten. Two would be a lot more fun, and a lot less stress, for the kittens themselves. He didn't quite manage to hide his smile by the time Crowley's attention returned on him.

"Free? Really? I'll have to go on a Wednesday then." He could possibly drag Elliott along with him. "A friend of mind is going into environmental sciences or something. He'd probably like to go see the plants."

"Wednesday is really the best day to go anyway, fewer crowds. People always seem to forget it exists, they just skip right over it and think of Thursday."

As it turned out the kid had a nice smile when he used it. And he really had a thing for cats! He and Grace would get along perfectly.

"Might as well bring some friends and make a day of it. There are new things blooming every day now and there will be even more as the air gets warmer."

"I mean, fair. Middle of the week. No one wants to exist by that point." Clarence often thought of himself as someone who lived for the weekend. Kind of a cynical ways to be for someone so young. Especially since he still didn't have anything extra special to look forward to other than a day free from school.

The orange tabby, recognizing a loss of attention, batted gently at Clarence's fingers through the bars of the kennel, begging for more pets which Clarence obliged.

"That sounds nice. I don't think too much about flowers, but they can be pretty." Nature wasn't something you came across much in the rush of New York City, unless you made an effort to go to a park. It would be a nice change of pace.

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?"

By the middle of the week that was true for many people. Not him so much because he actually loved his job but he could see that really being a drag on lawyers and indoor types. Anthony bobbed his head in mute agreement.

"Many people do take them for granted until they see just how many colors and varieties we have growing out there. Then again... there are some that can never see the forest for the trees. You'll know the type when you see them, surrounded by nature but chatting away on their cell phone."

Inside the little meet and greet room the chaos had finally come to the end. Grace's two new kittens had been secured in their crate and the other escapees had been gently escorted back into their cages. And with everyone safely locked away that seemed like his cue to reunite with the girlfriend.

"It was nice meeting you. And good luck with the cat situation. I hope that all works out for the best."

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?"

Clarence nodded, his mind wandering a bit at Crowley's sad and somewhat poetic words. He hoped he wasn't one of those kinds of people. Maybe he should dig a little further into nature for his own inspiration. He hadn't settled on any particular style, not like the artists Crowley had listed before, but he found beauty in a lot of things. Perhaps this would be a new opportunity for expansion.

It was a brief meeting, but definitely impactful in a strange way. Clarence still wasn't sure what to think of the guy. At least he wasn't leaving with a bad impression. "Yeah. Good luck raising those two. Remember, if you need help, you can always ask Google."

"Doctor google," Anthony smirked as he walked over to grasp the knob of the meet and greet room, "I'll do that."

It had been a pleasant first meeting, just one of a dozen small encounters one could have in a day and filled with none of the mental turmoil that might have been had if either of them realized they were one of the unusual. Anthony liked the kid and thought there was a lot of promise in a budding young artist. But, duty called. He opened the door and rejoined Grace so he could meet the two little fluff balls she had decided to adopt.

"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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

♫The withered leaves collect at my feet♫

19th

19th, seems like a good date.

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I actually don't have any non-evil smiling icons /sobs

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Lol! That can be a problem!

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