♫Please just come back home♫

[hardtoignore]

Who: Clarence with Elliott, Yotsuyu, and then maybe YOU??

What: Attempting to avoid home

When: Early April (the 3rd) and onward

Where: Visiting with the Naeuris, and out at various parks

Rating/Warnings: Teenage angst, possible mentions of previous memory murder

April 3rd-5th, Closed: Elliott and Yotsuyu

Although Yotsuyu had offered to let Clarence come over whenever he wished he hadn't planned on taking her up on it so quickly. Or under such strained circumstances. Though it probably wouldn't have happened at all if Clarence hadn't been on the verge of tears when he first ran into Elliott that Friday at school.

He hadn't asked if he could bring Cheddar with him but he wasn't going to leave his cat at a house he wasn't staying in, even if it was only for one night or two. So now Elliott had to contend with a cat as well as an extra sleeping bag on the floor of his room. Yotsuyu had to find a way to feed another person for the whole weekend. And Clarence... Clarence didn't want to say anything. Just painful things were going to come out of his mouth anyway.

April 6th-10th, Open: Various Parks

There's a thin, scowling teenage boy wandering around parks after school and well into evening for several days over the second week of April. Most notably would be the cat he had harnessed with a lead to take it with him on walks through the park. While the cat seems content enough to flop around in the dirt and grass while stalking the occasional bug, the teenager seems less than thrilled.

Mostly he sticks to sitting on benches or under trees, his backpack next to him while he attempts to do his homework. Occasionally he gives up on this and takes out a sketch book instead, taking time to flex his artistic muscles instead. He seems a lot happier when he's sketching but after a good half hour an alarm on his phone will go off and, scowling again, he goes back to hitting the books.

Comments

At the Naeuris!

[darkenedmoon]

It was true that Yotsuyu hadn't expected Clarence so soon, but she also hadn't expected him to seem upset. The tears had probably been left to Elliott's tender care, but when she saw her son and his friend and his friend's cat, she ushered them all into the brownstone, bidding them remove their shoes at the door as was tradition.

"Well, what have we here? I believe we've some tuna, make yourselves some sandwiches and share with Cheddar. I believe our final guest needs an accommodation! So I shall be back shortly. Would you all care for pizza for dinner?"

That was not a food that appeared at the Naeuri residence often--Yotsuyu herself was not a terrible cook, but if things were wrong at home, she saw no reason to not make things a bit more festive here. But first, a litterbox for their poor feline friend. And so off she went for a short time, letting the boys have some privacy and to let Clarence breathe a bit more. And...so that she could call Kris and Phil and let them know he was safe with her. But she'd gently discourage them from rushing over--if she could.

"Elliot, be a dear and once you and Clarence decide on what pizzas you wish, text me so I can pick them up?" With that, she donned her own shoes, plucked up her purse, and slipped out the door. She'd be back, eventually.

[bearshermark]

"Sure thing, Mom. Thanks."

Elliott led Clarence to his room once she'd left. It was rather small and well-lived in with worn, but clean carpet. Furniture crammed the perimeter and left just square of actual floor room. Cozy for one person, but a little crammed for two.

"Sorry it's small," he said immediately, realizing his overestimation of the size of his room. Clarence's sleeping bag would fit just fine, but it wasn't a generous space to hang out in. "Um, do you think you'll be okay in here?"

[hardtoignore]

Clarence hated this. He had wanted his first time visiting Elliott and Yotsuyu to be a happy occasion. Just having fun with a friend. Being awkward around his friend's super nice mom. General hang out stuff. Not... this. Full of emotional baggage bullspit.

Releasing Cheddar from his kennel, Clarence kept his eyes on his cat while the exchange between mother and son went on. It was easier to watch Cheddar and see his cat gingerly step around, nervous about the new setting than to contemplate his own feelings right now. Scrunched up in a corner, sitting on the ground with his arms around his knees, Clarence hardly looked up when Elliott spoke to him.

"'s fine." He'd definitely slept in worse conditions.

[bearshermark]

He looked awful. His friend didn't look like he was in any sort of mood for questions, but worry ate at him until he could only assume the worst.

Still, Elliott bought himself another minute watching Cheddar cautiously inspect the room.

"Hey," he said finally, crouching with his back to his bed frame. "They uh- you weren't.." he winced. "Thrown out, were you?"

[hardtoignore]

Clarence groaned, wiping his face. Now he feels worse for making Elliott worry, but he isn't going to let that kind of misunderstanding to last. "Nooooo. I just... had a fight with Kris."

He shook his head, gritting his teeth. "I didn't, I mean, it's like..."

He shook his head again. "It's weird. I keep saying stuff I wouldn't normally say."

[bearshermark]

Elliott's shoulders laxed, relieved his friend wasn't facing the worst. He'd be all right, and make it up to his guardian in the end. In the meantime, he didn't mind looking after him.

"That does sound weird," he mused for a moment. "Oh yeah, pizza. What kind of toppings do you like?"

[hardtoignore]

Clarence nodded, not wanting to speak much if he could help it. He wouldn't dismiss anything Elliott said but if he couldn't stop speaking normally, he didn't want to risk it.

"Mmm," he shrugged, not particularly hungry. "Anything but banana peppers. Pepperoni and sausage is fine. Mushrooms if you don't eat meat."

He could eat just about anything, but banana peppers... Why did they have to have banana in the name if they tasted so terrible?

Later/Bedtime-ish

[bearshermark]

When they've finally retired for the night, Elliott set about making sure everything is as comfortable for Clarence as it can be. Which wasn't much more than offering him a pillow and an extra sheet if he wanted them.

"So are you ready to sleep, or wanna stay up for a bit?"

[hardtoignore]

Clarence gratefully accepted the extra comforts, especially since the only pillow he brought was a nigh-threadbare, child-sized pillow that had been sewn lovingly to look like Nyancat. Which he currently had folded in double and tucked tightly against his chest most like a familiar stuffed animal than anything. Cheddar had taken to prancing about on Elliott's bed, bold in only the way a cat can be.

"Feel free to push him over to me if he gets in the way," Clarence mumbled, flopping down with a sigh. "I mean, we can try and sleep, but I don't know if I can right now."

Darn truthfulness curse. And a curse it was, because he couldn't get out of saying unnecessary stuff. He huffed a sigh again, rolling over and clutching the Nyancat all the tighter to his chest.

[bearshermark]

Elliott sat on the ledge of his bed and held out a hand to sniff, then gave Cheddar a few strokes along his back.

"He's fine as long as he doesn't decide to sleep where I need to lay down. Then I'll have to move him."

He glanced around his room for something they could do to pass the time until they were tired enough to sleep.

"We could do my nails if you wanted, or... just chill on our phones til whenever. Sorry I don't really have any games or anything.."

[hardtoignore]

Cheddar pushed his way into the lovings. The cat was a glutton for attention, as long as the person giving it was on the quiet side. Both Elliott and Yotsuyu fit this, making this home fairly comfortable for him despite the suddenness of the change. Clarence could only be grateful for that.

"He'll probably curl up with me after a while, anyway..." Though during the night Elliott might find a bundle of curled fur against him at some point. Cheddar, like most cats, did tend to wander in the dark.

Clarence glances up, brightening considerably. "Oh, I can do your nails now!"

He scooted up into a sitting position, moving his pillow out of the way while he reached for his backpack to find his supplies. "Mind moving down here for a while?"

[bearshermark]

Elliott smiled and moved down, able to see the wisdom of avoiding polish dripping onto his bed.

"So you're staying the weekend, you said? It's pretty cool, I've never really had anyone stay over before."

[hardtoignore]

Clarence busied himself getting out all his materials, knowing he would need to a do a little maintenance before he got right down into it. And this time, he'd also add a clear base to make it easier for Elliott to get off this time around.

"Yeah. Your mom said it wouldn't hurt, and I figured... maybe a little space between me and Kris would be best for now. Give her some time to think about how we can fix this." He would definitely need to make some sort of concession too, but jeez, he didn't want to think about that right now. Best leave the hard work to the grown ups in this situation.

Scooting a little closer, he reached out for Elliott to give him one of his hands. "It's real cool that you let me crash. I won't try to be a bother or get in the way. But I guess if you get tired of me I could at least go on a walk for a while with Cheddar."

April 6th, afternoon; also don't think I don't see what you did there /squints

[traceofeffort]

In a relatively quiet corner of one of her less-usual hangouts, not far from a big tree that's shielding her from the sunlight, Lisa's got her guitar out, of all things. Her playing is not as loud as usual, not as consistent, and her singing is quieter - until someone gets close, when they realize it's also not in English. Her face shifts between concentration, frustration, occasional flashes of a smile when a phrase sounds right, but mostly a distant look tinged with some regret.

After some time spent practicing, she looks up at the sky, with a heavy sigh. "Yukina, Sayo... dammit, you two made this look easy." Movement draws her attention again, though, and she grins when she sees who's walking by. "Hey, look what dragged the cat in," she says by way of greeting. Then she pauses, and after a moment, shakes her head. "Nah, too forced. Hey, Clarence. Hey, Cheddar."

lmao thanks for trying Lisa (also it's a song I listened to in high school sooooo seemed apt)

[hardtoignore]

It was common enough in a big city to have people out and about playing music on the street corners or in the parks to help make some cash, or sometimes just to practice if they weren't shy about it. Clarence didn't actually think much of it at first, but Cheddar's ears perked up at a interesting plucking of the acoustic guitar. He let his cat lead the way closer, more than willing to scoop Cheddar up if he got too curious about the stranger.

Turns out it wasn't a stranger at all. He stopped short at her weird greeting, but managed a smile once the surprise wore off. "Oh. Lisa. Hey."

There seemed to be plenty of space under the tree for a few more to sit around. Clarence settled a few feet away, allowing Cheddar to inspect his new friend. "Hope you don't mind if we hang around for a bit. Or would you rather practice alone?"

sure, sure /points at eyes anyway, points at you

[traceofeffort]

Lisa smiles, though there's a bit of an edge to it. "Sure, you can stick around. I'm cursing out my bandmates through space and time between runs anyway, so it's not super serious." Taking her hands off her guitar, she reaches out to Cheddar, her smile turning a little less worn. "Hi to you too. Or nice to meet you, I guess. Over the network probably didn't count." Glancing back up at Clarence, she giggles. "I think he's cuter in person. You can't really tell how fluffy something is over a video call. Just out for a walk, then?"

[hardtoignore]

"Ah. Still thinking about that memory, huh?" But it made sense. Clarence wasn't able to get thoughts of that one cat out of his mind until he had a cat of his own to take care of. But sometimes, even Cheddar couldn't distract him that much. But only sometimes!

Cheddar tentatively stretched closer and sniffed at her fingertips before leaning closer for light pets. Clarence smiled slightly, but shook his head. "He's much fluffier in person. The best snuggle buddy."

His smile turned strained, knowing what came out of his mouth next wasn't what he wanted to say, but he was going to say it anyway. "Nah. I'm avoiding home. I don't want to speak with one of my guardians right now."

[traceofeffort]

Lisa sighs theatrically. "Kinda, but now it's just realizing that they're really good and I'm trying very hard to keep up with them." That's perhaps not entirely true, but she's not thinking about it at this particular moment, so it counts, right? Right. Totally.

She's about to compliment Cheddar again on being a proper ball of fluff, stroking his fur, when she starts at Clarence's admission. "Oh. Everything all- well, no, it probably isn't. Sorry. Wanna talk about it? You've listened to all my insecurities for a while, I can definitely give you an ear if you want one." She looks back up at him with concern in her eyes, and some curiosity.

[hardtoignore]

"Your music is different, though, isn't it? Country, you said, but they're more rock?" He shrugs. "I don't know if you can judge yourself against them if you're in a completely different genre. Unless, like, she's just better at guitar than you."

That wasn't something he could judge. He wasn't a musician.

He groans, placing an elbow on his knee and letting his chin fall into his hand, slouching over to show just how Not into the whole situation he was. "Do I want to talk about it? Honestly, I feel like I talked enough as it is to Elliott and his mom over the weekend, but I can't seem to stop and I hate it."

He frowned. "But I do appreciate you wanting to help. That's... not why I sat down. But I also kind of knew it might come up."

April 7th

[serpentinthegarden]

Was it odd that he actually spotted the cat first? Anthony had been taking a break from the office and looking after the azaleas. It was relaxing just taking some time away from... everything to pull a few weeds out of the beautifully blooming yellow bushes. There had been one partially difficult thistle that had to have roots that went all the way to China. He had dug around the thing, then found a way under it to victory when it finally popped free! That was when he had come nose to nose with the cat.

"This is a terrible spot to turn into a litter box."

He spoke to the cat, then slowly looked back up the lead towards the one holding the leash.

"Hey, it's you! You got a cat after all!"

[hardtoignore]

Let's be real; in a big city like NYC, Clarence hadn't expected to again run into someone he had met only a few weeks ago by chance at a pet shop of all places. Clarence himself was easy enough to glaze over. Just a run of the mill teen in a black hoodie. Cheddar was certainly the star of the show.

That didn't give Clarence a free pass to miss this particular individual, however. That copper red hair should have caught on to any radar, but the boy had been more or less trapped in his own angsty thoughts. Startled, he almost jerked Cheddar back but then he recognized the man and relaxed, albeit a little warily.

"Oh, uh, yeah. My guardians said it was fine. And, uh, another friend's mom encouraged me to ask so..." Jeez, but he hated this weird thing where he couldn't seem to just shut his dang mouth when it came to full disclosure. He didn't owe anyone answers! But maybe he was starting to feel just a little lonely, having been avoiding his guardians as much as he had over the past several days.

"Mister Crowley, right?"

[serpentinthegarden]

It's a small world after all... Or so the song goes and there were only so many green spaces in New York. Still Anthony might have thought it an odd coincidence too if he really bothered to put much thought behind it at all. Instead he smiled and steered Cheddar away from the petunias with his trowel.

"That's right. And I'm glad to see everything worked out with you and the guardians."

Learning the ways of cats he extended a few fingers to the furry creature to be sniffed or ignored as the cat chose.

"What are you doing out here, taking a walk?"

[hardtoignore]

Taking a cue from Crowley, Clarence leaned down and gave Cheddar an indulgent pat. "No messing with the flowers. Not here, okay?"

Cheddar seems to bask happily in the dual attention, sniffing happily at Crowley's fingers before he presses his face further in for pets.

"No, I'm avoiding home," Clarence said, unfortunately, honestly. He's getting used to it at this point, but it still sucks. He pouts. "I had a fight with Kris."

[serpentinthegarden]

Those fingers wiggling in the air soon found themselves brushing through fur. Big orange was a very friendly kitty.

"You ran away?"

Anthony frowned and looked to the cat just to have something to focus on.

"I used to do that. Just take off and spend a day roving around. You..."

He hesitated as he was a stranger to the kid but sometimes that was for the best.

"Want to talk about it?"

[hardtoignore]

Very friendly. Cheddar was insistent on pets.

He groaned, slumping a little at the same line of questioning he'd had over and over with people over the past few days.

Well, it wasn't awful. Just, it all made him feel so petty, in the end.

"I just need some space from Kris. She got mad because I let her know I wasn't doing my homework all the time." He shakes his head, moving to sit down in the soft grass. Cheddar circled around a bit before finding a place to curl up next to him. "She's very big on education, and I get it, but I'm not going to school after high school so who cares?"