[voice message]

[hardtoignore]

[The sound of Clarence's voice is somewhat hushed but obviously annoyed. In the background could be heard the droning of a bathroom fan and water running as though a shower were being had.]

So my phone got destroyed in the hubbub we had to deal with and, lucky me, I got chewed out the moment things went back to normal for running away, like I had any freaking control over whateven that was. The only thing that kept Phil and Kris from throwing me out for being an ungrateful urchin was that I started bawling my eyes out the moment I got home and suddenly they thought I got mixed up with, I dunno, a gang or something?

[Clarence is a bit breathless now, his voice pitching mildly hysterical, but after a moment of just breathing on his end of the line he seems to regain himself.]

Anyway... I've basically been under house arrest and have been stuck playing board games and crap with whichever one is home to make sure I'm not, I dunno, shooting up cocaine or whatever they think I was doing all the time away. But the worst thing is, I can't even tell them what the heck happened for reals, so they're just left wondering if I'm hiding something from them and that's... that's just really crappy to do but I...

[Where he had been worked up before, it seemed like Clarence was losing steam. His voice dropped lower, sounding far too much like the lost teenager he was.]

... What am I supposed to do about this?

[[OOC: It can be assumed that anyone who wants to remain in contact with Clarence after this can get his new contact information by handwaving that they PM'd him after this post.]

Comments

She's leaving a message, probably.

[darkenedmoon]

Oh, no, Clarence! Why did you not just tell them you were at our house?

[Yotsuyu looks horrified at that.] You know we would have covered for you as much as we could!

[Cocaine? Really? Clarence would never. Yotsuyu wouldn't say that she knows the young man well, but she knows that like she knows the back of her own hand.]

Do you have any thoughts about what to do?

Makes sense

[hardtoignore]

Because they called your phone and couldn't get through; you were literally the first person they claimed to have reached out to while I was gone. But it doesn't seem like any of the other Different could contact anyone here during the whole... whatever that was.

[He sighs, then takes a few minutes to respond.]

I mean... I just... I don't want them to hate me, or think I would just run away when they've literally done nothing bad. They're the best guardians I've had, like, ever.

[darkenedmoon]

They probably did, but considering I was having my own issues, well. I did try to contact them as soon as everything went back to normal--or, well, what we like to call normal.

[She tries to soothe him, now.] I doubt they would hate you, 'tis not as if you planned this! Neither of us had any control over any of this. If I thought they'd believe the truth, I'd thrust it in their faces.

[She has a souvenir or two, after all.]

[hardtoignore]

They were probably too busy freaking out about me to really want to take your call. Sorry about that.

All I have to say is that I lost my phone and couldn't get back home, and, and they know! They know I would never just leave Cheddar! But I think... I think they're still upset because they don't really want me to leave the house right now.

[He chuckles humorlessly.] I mean, I'm pretending to take a shower just so I can talk with you guys for a minute without them hovering. Jeez...

text;

[howkickassiam]

Whoa, man, I hope they ease up quick. Nothing worse than dealing with a punishment you don't deserve.

[hardtoignore]

It's not the punishment I'm upset about. I get why they would be upset, but there's literally nothing I can say to make them stop worrying that I did something crazy, or got mixed up in some shady stuff. There's nothing TO say.

[howkickassiam]

Oh, I see. It's more the powerlessness on your part that's bugging you, then?

[hardtoignore]

I...

I didn’t think of it that way, but yeah, that makes. A lot of sense.

[howkickassiam]

That's the biggest problem I had with being an older teen, myself. My mom was always on me to go into pre-law and that's about the last thing I wanted. So I left as soon as I graduated.

Not that I'm saying that's what you should do, just explaining what happened to me.

[hardtoignore]

>Kris is on my case a lot lately for my grades but I mean, it’s my last year so I should probably attempt to graduate at least.

No, I got what you were saying. I don’t think I want to leave soon if I can help it, but I dunno, maybe they do want me gone the moment I

[There’s a break and several of those “the other person is typing dots” before Clarence finally finishes and sends his next message.]

>I’ll be 18 before the end of the month. I don’t know what I’ll do if they want me to leave then.

[howkickassiam]

Look, I don't know your foster parents at all, but if they cared about you being gone all week I doubt that they're going to want you to leave the instant you turn 18.

[hardtoignore]

[There’s another long pause before Clarence finds the right words to answer.]

But they aren’t obligated to care after that. I don’t know if I’m worth the effort. Not after this.

[howkickassiam]

Mm. I don't know, man. I've never been a parent but I think if they care about this, they'll keep caring even after you turn 18.

[hardtoignore]

I hope you’re right.

[howkickassiam]

I do too, friend. I really hope that for you.

You seem relatively happy there, so.

[hardtoignore]

Happy? I... guess.

[He couldn’t really say if that was what he felt about the situation. It was definitely the best one he had dealt with since he was eleven, but putting words to it that simple was... well.]

Things are always more complicated than that.

[howkickassiam]

Yeah but like, it's better than being stuck on the streets or homeless shelters, right? And it's good they're concerned about what's going on, and not just letting anything happen without questioning it.

[hardtoignore]

Oh definitely. I'm sure they won't kick me out immediately or anything, but I just kinda wonder if it would be easier on them to cut ties after I'm gone for good.

Concern isn't something I'm used to dealing with from guardians. This latest pair has been... an experience.

voice;

[bearshermark]

Oh my god, you're okay. You weren't on the list, but I was worried when I couldn't reach you for awhile there. Thank the Goddess.

[hardtoignore]

Yeah, I was just with the Bureau but then they brought me home and I've basically been under house arrest ever since. Phil and Kris only now just got me a phone again but they're kinda monitoring me so I, uh, am pretending to take a shower right now.

[not_as_i_do]

Oh, dear boy, I'm so sorry to hear that. I know we don't know each other very well, so I'll leave the advice to those better suited. But perhaps, for the future ... a list of varying reasons that those of us on the network could vouch for?

I'd certainly be happy to, ah, quote-unquote, volunteer my services as a science tutor.

[hardtoignore]

[It takes Clarence a moment to respond, shocked as he is.]

... Oh wow, that's... that's really nice of you, Doctor Whitly. I don't think being tutored in science will cover such a long time away, but yeah, if something happens just over the course of, I dunno, a day, that might be a good idea.

Kris is always asking me to keep up with my studies and I am... trying.

[not_as_i_do]

I can only imagine how hard it must be to balance an education with all these strange memories flooding in. If you'd like to actually make it a practice and not just a cover story, I could help with a subject or two.

[hardtoignore]

Really? You'd offer to tutor some delinquent in, what, chemistry?

back from hiatus with Starbucks

[not_as_i_do]

Now, now, delinquent is such a negative word. But - yes. Chemistry, biology ... either one, really.

o/ good to see you again!

[hardtoignore]

Haaah, it was the word one of my guardians used. But I mean, I was missing from home and class, so y'know. It applies.

Well, I have chem this year. Bio was last year.

ty! <3

[not_as_i_do]

A fair point.

Chemistry it is. First year? Or have you already studied a little?

[hardtoignore]

First year. Chem II is for the honor students.

[seawalled]

Hullo, we've not met: I'm Ellie, Anthony's cousin and Alec's sister, f'you know them. Sounds like you're in a right bind. But I'm curious: where did they think they were while all this was goin' on?

[hardtoignore]

Hello Miss, um, ...Crowley?

[She can't see him but he's grimacing a bit saying the name.]

From what I understand, things for anyone who isn't one of the Different went along, like, normally. Like, even though it seemed we were invaded and buildings were falling down and all that, it wasn't actually happening. Not in the real world or whatever you want to think of this place as.

Kinda like... like we all became ghosts or something, who couldn't see or interact with what was happening here, but we were still in the same... space? Ugh! I don't know! It's weird!

[voice]

[smilingarmor]

First of all, thank goodness you're alright, Clarence darling! I was worried when I didn't hear from you after everything that happened.

[The fact that people had actually died as the result of all that madness left him more shaken than he cared to admit. And more guilty that he hadn't been of more help.]

And I doubt your guardians would have thrown you out, regardless of tears; they sound like good people who genuinely care for you.

As for dealing with future... incidents... if there are any, though, I believe that Doctor Whitly may have the right idea. And I may just be able to provide you with another alibi as well before long.

[hardtoignore]

That’s... well. I guess normally I would check in with others. Sorry if I had you and the Naeuris worried.

Oh... um. Yeah. No, you’re right, they probably wouldn’t. I’m just....

... what do you mean by that?

[smilingarmor]

It's alright; nothing that could really be done about it in this case. It's just good to know that more of us are accounted for after all that.

As for what I can do to help provide you an alibi, well, I do run a theater, you know. One what will shortly need to start gearing up for its winter show. And while my troupe is quite talented, we always do try to take on a bit of extra help for our main shows, both onstage and otherwise.

I'll be making an official announcement both on the network here and in other places once we decide what show we're going to produce, so if you're interested... Well, I hardly think your guardians would object to you taking on a part time job, eh?