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Who: Elliott, Yotsuyu, Lisa, Clarence, and Emberto
What: Elliott's 18th birthday!
When: September 2nd, early evening
Where: Naeuri residence, Queens
Warnings: n/a probably

After far too much thought about how he wanted to celebrate such a milestone birthday, Elliott settled for inviting his closest friends for a low-key celebration at him and his mom's apartment. Before the Bureau, he might have thrown something a little wilder with far more invitations to go around, but he wasn't eager to test exactly how few of the Different trusted him anymore.

He'd stopped just shy of inviting Erik, recognizing that it would be weird to attend the private birthday party of someone he just met. Still, he wished he could have come, excited to introduce him and get to know him more.

But this was nice enough, he decided, beaming as the last of his friends arrived.

"Everyone's here, Mom!" he called through the apartment as he led his guests to the living room.

"Thanks for coming," he said, grinning. "We've got some snacks and oh, shoot- I forgot to bring out the drinks."

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Arrival
Clarence fretted over and over about Elliott's birthday "party" as it was... There was going to be other people here. Not just Elliott and Yotsuyu. Lisa would definitely be there and maybe some others. If it were anyone else Clarence probably would have declined, but then again, if it were anyone else he probably wouldn't even be in this situation. Well, it was only a situation if he thought of it as such. Things would be fine, should be fine. It was just a gathering of friends. Just... friends.

Looking down at the aloe vera plant he had chosen as a gift, Clarence grimaced. Sure, Elliott was big on plants and a healer of sorts but maybe this was a little on the nose. But he couldn't just give Elliott a sketch or a painting or whatever weird art he decided. That was just... well...

Common spaces
Clarence scrunched down in his hoodie, trying to make himself smaller as they shuffled into the living room. God, how was he going to survive small talk like this? There was only one other person here that Clarence didn't recognize, an older man, and he couldn't help but wonder how he had managed to get drawn into this group. Just another person Elliott was close to that he hadn't felt the need to mention to Clarence before today.

He sighed, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pocket. He shouldn't be uncharitable, especially on Elliott's birthday and towards Elliott of all people. He was probably bringing down the mood with his sour expression but he was just so bad at these kinds of things.

Clarence wondered how long he should stay before he could make up an excuse to leave. Claim Kris called him home to handle chores or something.

Kitchen
Not able to stand the tension any further Clarence retreated to the kitchen, hoping to find something to clean or something to keep his mind off his twisted feelings about today. Yotsuyu had done so much to try and bring today together for her son, so maybe she'd be tired enough to leave something free for Clarence to handle for her.

Elliott grinned when he saw him and would have moved in for a hug if not for the plant held between them.

"Ooh, a succulent? It's adorable." He laughed brightly. "Is it looking for a new home?"

Clarence smiled faintly, bolstered a bit by Elliott’s enthusiasm.

“I guess you could say that,” he said, holding it out a bit further. “Um, happy birthday?”

At least Elliott thought it was cute.

Elliott took the pot with a bright smile.

"This is a great gift, thank you. Just going to have to find a good place for her."

He stepped out of the way to let him in. "Come in, come in. Mom's cooking something good, but I don't think it's ready yet. Do you want anything in the meantime?"

Elliott's smile was always so soothing, even when Clarence was at his worst. He felt himself relaxing little by little.

Her! Elliott decided it was a her! Clarence grinned, unable to help himself.

He muttered his thanks as he stepped in, slipping out of his converse at the door. "It does smell good... how about some water? Or juice if you got any." At least while it was just the three of them he could let his guard down.

"Yeah, I'll get you a glass. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable in the living room, and I'll find a temporary home for this girl until I've Googled her ideal growing conditions."

Elliott cast a look around the apartment and wandered near a few windowsills, muttering to himself.

"Ygglith? How about Ygglith? I'm sure you want some kind of sun, but I dunno how much.. Partial sunlight for now?"

He set the plant down with a few leaves in the sun, then left for the kitchen. He returned with a glass of juice for Clarence and a cola for himself.

"Hope orange juice is okay. Helps me wake up in the morning. Can you believe school starts in like a week?"

Clarence nodded, moving comfortably through the house with a gentle greeting for Yotsuyu before making himself comfortable. Wiggling his socked feet against the carpeting, he could hear Elliott muttering to himself as he bumbled around with the the plant. Clarence kind of wished he had brought Cheddar with him but there were supposed to be others here and he didn't really want to deal with someone complaining about potential allergies.

He smiled at the sound of Elliott's voice, turning back to his friend as he returned with delicious juice. Clarence took a sip, humming appreciatively. "Oh, jeez, don't even remind me of that."

He rolled his eyes and settled back into his seat on the couch even further, practically melting into the cushions. "I kinda wish I could blow it off. Just spend all my time in Kay-Boz, crafting and kicking it back with juice."

Elliott took a seat next to him with a laugh.

"Yeah. It'll be hard, with how so much has changed. I actually had to talk to my mom about going back this year. I really don't know how I'd deal if you weren't there with me. Probably actually drive me crazy."

He sighed, but smiled again and held out his can of soda in a mimicry of a toast. "It makes me really glad we met."

"Oh? What did you talk with her about?" Was Elliott... nervous? About going back to school with regular kids? Or about graduating?

He hadn't expected that level of... well, not sure what to call it. Clarence rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand and raised his own glass of juice.

"I'm... glad I met you, too." It was an honest, embarrassing admission but Clarence realized he would probably be in a bad place if Elliott hadn't been there to talk him through so many things. He wouldn't have even tried going to prom. Or visited the beach at all. Maybe he wouldn't even have Cheddar, though he owed that more to Yotsuyu and... Crowley. Ugh.

Still, he wouldn't have had nearly so much fun this year. Or cared about much, either.

"Feeling a little overwhelmed?" Yotsuyu asked as Clarence slipped into the kitchen. She gave him a look of concern and an arched brow, but handed him a dish towel nonetheless.

"If you are here to help, and get a breather from the party, you dry while I wash." It was an easy assumption to make--and one she'd done herself. If only in part because she had a good two decades on most of the younger set, and didn't want to be a party pooper.

He nodded, gratefully coming over to take the drying rag from her. He settled in quietly next to her, taking plates and bowls to dry as they were handed to him. He should be trying to make small talk but he wasn't very good at that and besides, he had more things on his mind that he didn't really want to accidentally let slip.

But awkwardness always had a way of forcing his hand and he couldn't stand the quiet sounds of rushing water and tinkling glass for long.

"So... um, Emberto seems... nice." The only person at the party that Clarence didn't know much at all. "Where... did you two meet him?"

"I met him in the other world, actually," Yotsuyu said, plunging her hands into the soapy water and washing the dishes with wry enthusiasm. "I have no memories of him." By now, with all the memories Elliot has been experiencing, she is fair certain that whatever their other selves are, they are not from the same place.

On one hand, it's annoying to her. On the other, it concerns her greatly, because what does that even mean?

"I do get the gist that they...share a lot more than even I suspect." Her lips are set in a thin line, but she isn't about to let her displeasure at such threaten her son's happiness.

"Really? That's gotta be tough..." He wondered if Emberto had memories of Yotsuyu then. That would be... rough. Being remembered but having no memories yourself, like an inconvenient form of amnesia.

He took another dish from Yotsuyu and wiped it meticulously, making sure to dry all areas evenly.

Her final thoughts on the matter were disturbing in their vagueness. Clarence frowned. "He actually does seem nice. Are you worried he's got an agenda?"

Clarence couldn't really see it, but then again, most trash adults he had met were pretty forward about their terribleness. Either dropping their goody-goody act behind closed doors or else overtly not smiling with their eyes, but Emberto did smile with his eyes. He seemed genuine, as far as Clarence could tell.

Yotsuyu shrugged a little, then. "It is what it is, I suppose." But she laughed at Clarence's next question, turning a fond smile on him.

"Everyone has an agenda, my dear. It's the motives in the end that are what truly concern me. Does he have Elliott's best interests in mind, or are there other things? Without a long sit-down and discussion, I'm not certain I trust him entirely."

Which might come as a shock to that too-trusting son of hers, but it may just be that it was her careful guardianship that allowed Elliott to be so trusting--he knew she'd protect him to the best of her ability.

It was the fact that she had a difficult time trusting that hurt Emberto, though the man didn't know it. Nor was it his fault--she'd just had a bad past, that Yotsuyu tried to block everyone else from.

"Tell me, though, Clarence--how have you been?"

He hummed, taking her words in and to heart. He didn't doubt there were often people trying to get things from others, material or otherwise, by interacting with them. That was why Clarence did his best not to interact with others if he could help it.

"I didn't get any bad vibes from him," Clarence said, tilting his head to the side. "But I guess if someone is really determined to hide something dark, they could do it without me picking it up."

For now, Emberto seemed nice enough but like always, Clarence would take that with a grain of salt. He'd dealt with enough foster homes to know not everyone liked to project their untoward emotions and thoughts all the time.

"Me?" He wasn't sure what to say, taking another plate and drying it thoroughly... only to stop a moment later, staring off with the dish forgotten in his hands. "... I guess I'm a little confused lately."

That had her brows flying up again. "Confused? How so? About what? Is there anything specific?"

There was a part of Yotsuyu that was reluctant to pry--she'd noted his reticence in the past, and yet that seemed like something that made her feel closer to Clarence, at least.

"I would like to help if I may, and yet, if the subject cuts too close, I do understand if you'd rather I just drop it." She was equally good at keeping secrets, after all.

While Elliott was busy elsewhere, Emberto took it upon himself to introduce himself to the young man who seemed to be trying to do his best impression of a turtle. He approached and offered a friendly smile. "Hello there," he said. "I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Emberto Alegre, though if Elliott's mentioned me, it's likely by the name Sylvando or 'Sylv'. And you are?"

Oh great. An adult. A friendly adult. Cool accent though, but he’d made that mistake with Crowley and he wasn’t about to let it happen again.

“I’m Clarence,” he said, then with more annoyance added, “But no, Elliott hasn’t mentioned you before, so what would you rather I call you?”

More things Elliott didn’t care to let Clarence in on. Just business as usual.

If Emberto was at all put off by Clarence's attitude, he didn't show it. "Whichever you like," he said. "I've been Emberto for much longer, but both Sylvando and Sylv have grown on me since meeting Elliot. Or rather, meeting him again, if the memories of our previous lives are to be believed."

"Either way, it's good to meet you, Clarence. And good to know that Elliott has friends his own age too. I'd been a tiny bit worried about that, honestly."

Huh, so Elliott and this man shared memories? Clarence wondered if that meant they both also shared the same dark one that sent Elliott into a downward spiral only a month ago.

Turning from that pessimistic thought, Clarence frowned and quirked an eyebrow. “Of course he has friends his age. He’s like, the most magnetic person ever.”

Even if this guy was familiar with Elliott from his past life, at least Clarence could say he understood this. “Just because he’s also a busybody who tries to be the most responsible person in the room doesn’t mean he’s not popular. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t voted Mister Congeniality out of our graduating class.”

Edited 2020-09-06 05:47 (UTC)

Emberto chuckled. "Very true," he said. "But he's managed to ruffle quite a few feathers among the 'Different' without meaning to. And there's no telling how suddenly being thrust into what sometimes feels like an episode of the Twilight Zone might affect someone's social life outside of our little group. I'm lucky enough to have a group of very understanding friends and colleagues, but not everyone is."

“Yeah, guess it would be different for people who had friends before everything happened.” He shrugged, not really having considered many people before Elliott as a close friend. At least, not in recent years.

“I wouldn’t bring it up too much, though. He hates it if people worry about him.” As if Elliott felt the weight of the world was on his shoulders and there was no room for anyone else to try to lessen the load. Honestly, it made Clarence feel a bit... lonely.

"Well I'm afraid he's just going to have to get used to it," Emberto said. "I've found that the people who like that sort of thing the least tend to also be the ones who need it most, at least from time to time. But that's also part of why I'm glad that he has a number of friends. Many hands make light work, and someone as earnest as our dear Elliott may require a bit more looking after than most."

"He tries to take on far too much sometimes, as you seem to have noticed. And he's recklessly kind, which is a wonderful thing- there aren't enough people in the world like that-, but is also something that could be taken advantage of. A few steadfast companions at his side, ready to give him a nudge in the right direction or take up a bit of the load he's placed on himself now and again are exactly what he needs."

“Preaching to the choir, man,” Clarence sighed, waving his hand almost impatiently but he seemed to be softening up. “I’ve been telling El he’s going to get bitten in the backside one day but he continues to be so blissfully positive about stuff.”

He glanced away, eyelids lowering. “Though... I guess he’s already experienced some of that firsthand with the whole working for the Bureau thing. He really shouldn’t have but people are stupid.”

Guess he couldn’t really hate the guy for being so concerned about Elliott. And it seemed like genuine concern but Clarence couldn’t know for sure. He frowned, still wary. “It’s a nuisance but I can’t be mad at Elliott for that. I just can’t.”

"Yes, it is rather hard to stay angry at him, isn't it?", Emberto said, mildly amused. "Especially when you're actually around him. He just has that sort of presence, you know?" It was odd, but Elliott always seemed to project a sort of calming aura, even when he himself wasn't calm. At least from Emberto's perspective; he wasn't sure if others had noticed it.

"I won't deny that I'm concerned about his choice to remain with the Bureau, though. I understand what he's trying to do, and can respect it, but... he may well be playing with fire. And he's placed himself in a situation where getting burned could have serious consequences."

"Still... without more solid evidence of skulduggery on the Bureau's part, I suppose there's nothing to do but trust him, and hope for the best," he said. "After all, if there was ever a time to make mistakes, it's when you're young, and our Icarus has us waiting to catch him if he flies a bit too close to the sun."

Clarence nodded, definitely understanding that feeling. So Emberto or Sylv or whatever did seem to be a decent guy. He had Elliott down to a "T" anyway.

"All that adult politics stuff just irritates me," Clarence said bluntly. "If Elliott thinks he's gonna bridge a gap then he might as well try. No one else will, so..."

The boy lived to be a sacrificial lamb in several ways.

Clarence reached up and swiped his bangs out of his face, only to have them waft right back to where they were before. "So... you make a lot of mistakes while you were young, or are you just saying the same stuff all other adults say?"

Emberto gave a bit of a wry smile at the comment about politics. "Frankly, the business of politics irritates most adults too," he said. "We're just usually less able to avoid it. Though that's part of why we often try to keep young people out of it; they have their own problems to deal with without having to take on ours as well."

As for the question about mistakes, he shrugged slightly. "A bit of both, really. I'll let you in on a secret; every adult you've ever met or ever will has likely done a few things that in hindsight were very foolish when they were too young to know better, myself included. Sometimes these things work out. Often they don't. And while we can try to keep the young people in our lives from repeating our mistakes, they often come up with entirely new ones that we never thought of."

"I think it's a good thing, and a vital thing, to have that time when you're too young to know better though. The chance to make those mistakes. After all, if not for young people taking risks that someone older and wiser might avoid, then it's likely nothing new would ever be tried. And then where would we be, eh?"

Emberto was, well, perhaps nailing things a little too directly on the nose, but Clarence couldn't help but appreciate hearing it. Maybe this was what it was like to meet a kindred spirit?

... Nah. Couldn't be. "Nice to hear you're honest, at least."

Lifting his hands above his head, Clarence stretched, then released the tension, falling into a more relaxed sitting pose. "The children are the future, huh? Well, can't argue with that."

His gaze followed Elliott off to the corner where he was talking quietly with Lisa, then turned his eyes away. "Especially when there are people like him leading the way."

"I try to be, when not on the stage," Emberto said. "Acting is hardly the same thing as lying, though they do share a few similarities."

He followed Clarence's gaze, his own also landing briefly on Elliott and when he turned back, his expression was a fond smile. "That's certainly true. I may only have a portion of my former self's memories back, but even from the few I have, I can tell this much; he would have followed the young man who Elliott once was to the ends of the Earth and beyond, no matter the danger. And though I'm not nearly so equipped as my former self to back up such a pledge with a sword, I'm beginning to feel the same about our dear Elliott himself."

"Oh. You're a performer?" Another type of art that Clarence could enjoy, even if sometimes stage art brought up painful memories.

It was fine. He was fine.

Someone who fought alongside Elliott's other self. That was auspicious. Clarence smiled. "Well, I think it's fine if you don't have to actually take up arms. Elliott will probably beg to spar, but for now I don't think anyone is going to ask you guys to go, I dunno, fight a war for them anytime soon."

Or at least Clarence hoped so. And so far the Bureau, while attempting to be hands-off stuff with K-Boz, hadn't done more than try to monitor their comings and goings from the place. Though he wondered... would there ever be a portal to a place that did need to be protected, or worse, fought against? That wasn't a pleasant thought.

Emberto nodded. "I am," he said. "In fact, I own and operate a little theater called the Brava over on the West Side. And as for sparring, we've already done a bit." He gave a somewhat wry smile. "My past self may have been quite a swordsman, but I'm afraid I still need some work."

"Since we don't have a show on at the moment, I've been letting Elliott use our stage to practice. You can feel free to drop by some afternoon too, if you like. Not to practice, of course, but to watch or just to talk and have a bit of fun. I'm usually around the theater, if I don't have something pressing to do elsewhere, and if I'm not immediately in evidence, whoever's manning the front counter will likely be willing to give me a shout."

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Arrival

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kitchen of course

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Common Space

Re: Common Space

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