Devereaux Parks and Recreation

[More than Music]

Nov 4, 2009 0:42:57 GMT -5 Elda Forever said:

OOC: Guys, I looooove these interactions, but they are way behind a lot of stuff. Can we get re-meetings later, and have these over with? BTW, MTM and I talked about who could/should win the tennis match, so it's not godmodding or anything really. Just wanted to toss that out there. If there's a problem/issue/question, let me or MTM know please. BIC:

Yukito Maki

"You got the point. You serve next." Yukito tossed it back, and the guy caught it easily. Yukito couldn't keep himself from asking, in a solemn, challenging tone of voice, "Is that your brother?"

Eyes narrowed in his direction. They both looked over at Timothy. The kid's eyes were huge and nervous. Yukito stared back at the older kid, quick to take his eyes off Timothy while he could. He really had nothing against either of them, but he hadn't liked the way the older guy kept bossing Timothy around. Now this was getting really weird.

"Yeah, half-brother," he said. It was a contemptuous statement. "Same mom. Different dad though, thank God." Now, who else on earth would get that sort of reaction from the guy? Yukito pursed his lips. It was one of those situations that he kept repeating in his head but didn't actually compute. He wanted to ask, 'Who is he? What is his dad's name? Who?' but he saw no point now.

"You ready?" Yukito nodded, and they continued to play. The match was actually quite short, but to Yukito it dragged on forever as his mind twisted around his options. He could freak out - a natural reaction - and find out if this Timothy kid really was who he seemed to be, or he could ignore it and walk away - an easy reaction - and forget about it, if that was possible.

The match was close. Yukito hadn't met with an equal match very often, and for a long time neither of them were able to score any more. They were both sweating by the time they got down to the final point. They were tied. Yukito swung his racket hard. Why are things so freaking complicated? The ball careened across the net and bounced once, twice. Point. He'd won. It hadn't been by a long shot, certainly, but he was able to let out a proud sigh. He met the older boy's eye and nodded, adding with honesty, "Good game."

His eyes automatically fell on Timothy then. He didn't say anything as he walked over, his racket held limply in one hand at his side. Yukito stopped in front of the edgy-looking boy just out of arm's reach. He didn't smile, but held an expression of solemn disbelief. His mind just kept rejecting it, over and over.

"What is your dad's name, Timothy?" he asked, his voice sounding hollow and far away. His cell phone rang in his pocket, twice. But he ignored it. His next words crackled, foreign to his own ears as a language he hadn't learned. "Is it Yukito Maki? Is Yukito Maki your father?"

His expression didn't change, but the racket fell from his hand with a clatter.

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

The air was knocked out of his lungs. That wasn't normal. Leaning on his racket once he realized there was no way he'd catch that shot, Clarence looked over at Yukito with an interested smile on his face. "Woah, man."

"Good game."

Clarence nodded. "Yeah. I guess you earned that one. But a rematch is definitely in order."

But Yukito ignored that. He went over to Timmy, and Clarence felt his head begin to pound. There was an undeniably wrong feeling surging through his whole body. It was screaming 'get him away from Timmy', but Clarence kept himself back. 'I need to back off. It's not like he's gonna hurt the kid, right? If he did, then I'd just have the right to hit him. I'm not very strong or weighty, but I'd definitely pack a harder punch than this scrawny punk. I can knock his father back a little when it comes to protecting Timmy, so I can definitely fight this guy off. I just need to back off until its necessary. I'm kind of winded. Taking five won't be life or death.'

"What is your dad's name, Timothy?"

Maybe that was wrong. Clarence's eyes widened, and he fought harder to keep himself in one spot. He could see Timmy was nervous. "Timmy..." The rest of his words failed him.

"Is it Yukito Maki? Is Yukito Maki your father?" As Yukito's racket clattered to the ground, Timmy looked ready to bolt. Clarence moved over as slowly as he could make himself.

"You don't have to answer, Timmy." He met his brother's eyes evenly. "It's okay." Clarence stepped between his opponent and Timothy. "Yes. That's his name." With that, he turned to Timmy. "Come on, Tim, let's go." The kid, shaking by now, ran to Clarence's side, taking his hand and staring up at him with eyes already full of tears. Sighing, Clarence gestured behind him. "Limited time offer. Take it or leave it."

"...Sure..." Timmy kept glancing over at Yukito. Fear had come back into his face, but mixed with curiosity; he wanted to know how this stranger knew his father's name. 'Simple kid... he should have picked it up by now.' Lifting Timmy onto his shoulder, Clarence glanced back to Yukito. There was one thing he wanted to say... he wanted to ask but couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Yukito," he called. "If your dad comes around you while he's seeing my mom, I... I want you to tell me. We're down on 1356 Constance Street. If you think it's stupid, it's not. Maybe you don't get it, but it's pretty much life or death for us. So don't chicken out, got it? Just do it."

Forgetting Timmy's racket, and the other things they might have brought, Clarence took Timmy away from the courts. They weren't a block away before Timmy spoke up in his tiny little voice.

"...Clarence?"

"Yeah, Timmy?"

"...You... he looks like Dad."

Clarence frowned. "Yeah he does."

"You think he'll... you think he's like Dad?"

A dark expression came onto Clarence's face. "If he is, Tim," he said, his voice very serious. "Then I'll take him out, just like I will your dad. Promise."


Clarence - and Timothy - have left the Tennis Courts

Nov 21, 2009 15:04:15 GMT -5 The Phantom of Paris said:

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

She had to change the subject, and in Cassie's family, doing that usually involved some sort of food. Reaching into the picnic basket, she pulled out the first thing her hand came into contact with--a chocolate bar. She tore it open, quickly enough so that he wouldn't notice how much her hands shook. "Life is short, eat dessert first," she said lamely before taking an enormous bite. It was good, chocolatey with nougat and a hint of something else...slightly bitter but still appealing at the same time. I don't think I've ever had this kind before...pretty good...

Kagayaki reached forward to grab her wrist, and Cassie had to fight the urge to tear herself away from him. She focused on her chewing, which she noticed was becoming a bit more labored and difficult to do. There must be caramel in here somewhere...something sticky. "What?" she tried to say, but what came out was a garbled syllable from the chocolate in her mouth.

She was still chewing that first bite, and her neck itched for some reason. She slowly reached up to scratch it, noting how her body seemed to have slowed down. Weird...

Kagayaki took the rest of the candy away from her, but by that time Cassie hardly noticed. She couldn't swallow it. Why couldn't she swallow? Was she really that nervous about the whole date thing? Or...

Oh no.

She couldn't breathe.

Because she was having an allergic reaction.

Because she'd ignored what she'd been taught her whole life, to carefully check the labels on everything she ate.

And there had been nuts in that candy bar.

"Alrengy!" Kagayaki cried, apparently on the same wavelength as her. "Bad! Bad! Cassie!"

She couldn't breathe, and his voice sounded far away. With shaking hands, and far too slow, as if she were watching the scene from above, she reached into her purse and pulled out her epi-pen from it's special pocket. "It--will--help," she managed to choke out. Her throat was starting to close up, she could feel it. Cassie mimed sticking a needle into her leg with her finger while holding out the epi-pen for him to take. "Then--call--help..."

How could I have been so stupid?

Kagayaki Aidou

"Alrengy! Bad! Bad! Cassie!"

It was so scary to see her tense like that. Kagayaki's heart was pounding so loud, he could barely hear Cassie when she spoke. "It--will--help," Horror came onto his face when he realized what it was. He carried something like this around, just in case, but he didn't need it that often - thank goodness, because injecting it was brutal. Now he had to use it on his girlfriend.

He wasn't sure what sort of forces were in charge of the world right now, but he was sure they didn't like him.

"Then--call--help..."

"I... I don' know..." he whined, holding the needle in his shaking hands. 'I can't stab her in the leg! But... if I don't... what'll happen? She looks so... so... I have to help her!' "Oh crap!" he choked, sticking it into her leg. He couldn't even hear the phone ringing as he stuck it to his ear.

"Yuyukun!" he cried, his throat tight with tears that he now felt slipping down his cheeks. Voicemail. "Crap! What's the use, anyway? Screw it!" He was almost screaming now. He got to his feet, in a blur, almost not aware of what he was doing as he took her into his arms. Kagayaki found himself unstable, which didn't surprise him; he wasn't very strong and he was trying to support the weight of both of them when he had no business trying to support his own. He looked around desperately. "Help!" he choked. "Help!"

Someone ran over, panicking as much as he was, asking him what they could do.

"Call help!" he managed. "She... she's havin' a... Augh! Allerngy! Call help! NOW!"

They called someone and he found himself holding Cassie's hand in an ambulance. He was still crying and was beginning to feel numb. He knew he was breathing too fast, and he was about to pass out but he couldn't.

"I am here," he whispered in his heavily accented English, staring down at her face. "I am here, Cassie..."


Kagayaki is done here

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"What is your dad's name, Timothy?" he demanded quietly, the boy's eyes raised to his in fear and wonder. The lack of an answer made his blood start to boil. "Is it Yukito Maki? Is Yukito Maki your father?"

Timothy didn't say anything, but the fact that he didn't somehow confirmed it. Yukito felt every muscle in his body release, and the racket somehow slipped out from between his fingers, falling to the ground noisily and making Timothy react. As if he needed any more confirmation. He was staring down at himself, and it was stranger than anything else he'd experienced.

"You don't have to answer, Timmy. It's okay." The older kid interceded at last, trying to be reassuring to the kid. Yukito stepped back in the same moment that the guy stepped between the two. "Yes. That's his name."

He's me. He's my father, too. He tried to tell Timothy with his eyes, You're my brother... Where did you come from? There was fear in the boy's eyes, mingling in with the tears, and he had a good guess as to why. It was painful to think that it was the face they shared that was scaring the kid, and neither of them could do anything about it.

"Come on, Tim, let's go." The kid, shaking by now, ran to Clarence's side, taking his hand and staring up at him with eyes already full of tears. Sighing, Clarence gestured behind him, offering the boy a ride. "Limited time offer. Take it or leave it."

"...Sure..." The two of them kept meeting each other's eyes. Yukito slowly bent down to pick up the tennis racket by the wrong end, rising to hold it out to Timothy, offering it back to him. Timothy crawled onto the older kid's shoulder. The latter started to leave, then called back to him.

"Yukito," Never before had he acted the injustice of being named after his father more than now. "If your dad comes around you while he's seeing my mom, I... I want you to tell me. We're down on 1356 Constance Street. If you think it's stupid, it's not. Maybe you don't get it, but it's pretty much life or death for us. So don't chicken out, got it? Just do it."

He didn't respond, just watched them walk away. The court was empty, but it seemed very full with the overload in his mind. Why did he want me to tell him if my dad comes around? Why did he ask me to do that? My dad is seeing his mother...does that mean those two are brothers or something? The idea of walking around the park and running into your half-sibling - or half-siblings? - was enough to make his head spin. When his phone rang, he was mentally a light-year away, and it made him jump to hear the distorted guitar rhythms. He yanked his phone out of his pocket and shoved it against his ear like a lifeline, his eyes glassy as he stared at the spot where Timothy and the older kid had vanished.

"Yeah?"

"Yukito, where are you?" Erin's voice was like a cold shower on his senses, bringing him gratefully back to reality. "Come back, it's so boring here without you and this weird girl wouldn't quit asking me stuff about you, and she said you were kinda friends which I don't know what that means 'cause I don't think she really knows you at all, and I want you to come back, Yukito. Please? I miss you."

"Yeah...I'm on my way." he managed, still feeling dizzy. "I'll...I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" His feet were already pulling him towards where the swingset was. It wasn't even very far. He'd practically forgotten about the ice cream he'd gone looking for. What was he gonna say to Erin? Sorry, I went to find ice cream and found my brother instead.

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

By the time she saw that Kagayaki realized what he had to do, Cassie could barely breathe, let alone think. "I... I don' know..." he seemed to say, but Cassie had to have heard him wrong. He couldn't be hesitating, could he? He knew better than that. He had allergies too--surely he knew what would happen if he didn't inject her with the medicine in the epi-pen? Every second counted. If he didn't do something soon...

"Oh crap!"

Surprisingly, this time Cassie hardly even felt the injection. In her out-of-body experience she just saw it going in, felt the reaction slowly become more manageable. It didn't hurt, it didn't bleed--or if it did, Cassie didn't notice. She could breathe just a little easier now, the adrenaline coursing through her veins, but it was too much effort to move.

Dimly, she heard the sound of a phone number being dialed, frantic Japanese as he called--was he calling Yukito? Cassie almost laughed, but she couldn't. He lifted her off the ground, Cassie's arms dangling uselessly at her sides. "I'm okay," she tried to whisper, but her throat was still too swollen to make out what she was saying. "Help! Help! Call help!" he managed. "She... she's havin' a... Augh! Allerngy! Call help! NOW!"

A 911 call, an ambulance. Cassie had done this all before, knew the familiar routine. But her last reaction had been years ago, before Katrina even--after she turned thirteen Cassie had decided to take a more active role in her medical care and start being more vigilant about what she ate. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid as to not to check the label.

And she'd never had one this bad before, to her knowledge.

"I am here. I am here, Cassie..."

Opening her eyes just slightly as the EMTs tried to keep her stable enough until they got to the hospital, Cassie managed to whisper, "I know."

Cassie has left the park.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

It felt like the phone had already rung too long by the time Yukito finally answered, even though it was only a few rings, really. "Yeah?"

As soon as she heard his voice, Erin showered Yukito with her questions. "Yukito, where are you? Come back, it's so boring here without you and this weird girl wouldn't quit asking me stuff about you, and she said you were kinda friends which I don't know what that means 'cause I don't think she really knows you at all, and I want you to come back, Yukito. Please? I miss you." She knew she was pouting and maybe a little whiny, but he'd left her for much longer than he'd said, and then that weird girl Amane decided to bug her the whole time, and she was kind of irritated about the whole thing. Not to mention that mentioning sweets and drinks and such to Yukito made got her thinking about them more, so now she wanted it...

"Yeah...I'm on my way." She frowned, sensing indifference. What have you been doing? "I'll...I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?"

"I can come find you!" she chirped, hopping up from her swing. Erin headed down in the direction toward Yukito at a fast pace. When she finally saw him, Erin's last few steps were almost skipping. Thrusting her phone back into her pocket as she came to an abrupt halt, Erin rested her hands on his shoulders and grinned. "You are so slow, Yukito. Did you find something more interesting than me?"

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"I'll...I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" he told her, still feeling spaced.

"I can come find you!" she chirped, and he continued walking until she came into sight. She seemed unaffected and still as chipper as before, even skipping the last few bounds before she reached him. Yukito hung up his phone and put it in his pocket as she did the same. Erin rested her hands on his shoulders and grinned. "You are so slow, Yukito. Did you find something more interesting than me?"

He didn't answer her at first, trying to smile. "Sorry, I got a little lost." Boy, did I. Maybe I'll tell you about it. Maybe. But what would he say? As much as he wanted to, he couldn't find the right words for it, couldn't find a way to explain it. "I didn't find what I was looking for, though." Ha. Definitely. He shrugged, then attempted to explain his absence as honestly as possible. "I heard an ice cream truck, but I couldn't find it anywhere..."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"You are so slow, Yukito. Did you find something more interesting than me?" she joked, holding Yukito at his shoulders.

"Sorry, I got a little lost."

"Lost?" Erin echoed incredulously, chalking his comment up to a joke. "Yeah, okay. Really, what were you doing so long?"

"I didn't find what I was looking for, though."

He shrugged with Erin's hands still on his shoulders, and she pursed her lips at his evasiveness. It bothered her. A lot. And she was already a little wary because of the whole weird interrogation from Amane....

"I heard an ice cream truck, but I couldn't find it anywhere..."

"Aww, you're sweet for trying, though!" She kissed his cheek. "You wanna go get some ice cream, then? Like at the actual place?" Erin's hand found his, and she walked with him back to the swings and slipped her shoes back on. "Let's go!"

On the way back to his car, Erin piped up curiously, "Do you know some girl named Amane?"

Erin is done here. : D [/u]

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"I heard an ice cream truck, but I couldn't find it anywhere..." he explained at last, and received a kiss on the cheek for his troubles.

"Aww, you're sweet for trying, though! You wanna go get some ice cream, then? Like at the actual place?" Easily, her hand found his and her fingers fitted between his, locking with such conviction that he was sure they wouldn't slip away from him. He nodded at her. They retrieved her abandoned flip flops before she added, "Let's go!"

On the way back to his car, Erin piped up curiously, "Do you know some girl named Amane?"

He looked over at her with a confused expression. "Amane?" He paused to think, "Maybe..." He slipped into the car and wordlessly pointed at her seatbelt. By now, he would have hoped the buckling would be a habit, but she forgot half the time. "To ice cream we go," he stated, gunning the engine to life. Before he turned to pull out, though, his eyes caught sight of the swingset. Erin, I think I have a brother. He looked over at her, and felt himself starting to smile, regardless. Later.

I believe Yukito is GONE from this place

[More than Music]

OOC: Planned Cassie/Clarence : D
BIC:

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

This wasn't any fun. Clarence gripped the chains of the swing, his whole body shaking. His heart was pounding, and he tried to tell himself how ridiculous that was, but he was a hard nut to crack.

'Why am I so afraid, anyway? It's just the cold. It gets cold every year. Now, not necessarily this cold, but still... I can't be afraid of the cold.'

He bit his lip, making himself sit down on the freezing cold swing. Clarence refused to give in to this fear. Because fear was weakness, and he wasn't allowed to be weak. He'd learned that much.

'This is so ridiculous! Why can't I just be brave? I'm such a pansy sometimes.'

But he couldn't help the fact that he was shaking uncontrollably, that he was afraid, whether he liked it or not. Freezing to death was his greatest fear, and since they lived in a place that didn't get cold all that often, he'd managed to skirt it. Still, whenever it got cold enough to snow, he had these panic attacks. He just kept imagining himself slowly freezing over, completely helpless to do anything, the immense pain of losing blood flow to his limbs closing all around him.

The memory of the winter there hadn't been any heat in the house was coming back to him. It had been so cold he remembered crying, and that hadn't been in his nature - even as small as he'd been. Clarence gripped the chains of the swing tighter... and tighter... His fingers were going numb but he refused to just let himself be scared. It wasn't like he wasn't dressed warmly, because he was. It was more his fear than the actual cold that was chilling him to the bone.

He was staring at the ground but he couldn't see it.

'If I did die here... would anyone care? Timmy, maybe. Mom would probably act like it mattered. Dad, not likely. Silhouette? No, Silhouette hates me. She said so. She wouldn't care if I died. She'd probably rather I did.' His eyes flashed. 'Well, that doesn't matter. Because I won't die. I won't let myself. It's not an option.'

'Fear hasn't gotten the best of me yet. I won't let it now.'

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

Cassie shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket, murmuring angrily under her breath. She had left her good gloves at school that day, and the only other pair she owned had been stolen by Shelby on the day that they went on that hay ride, and her sister refused to give them back for reasons that Cassie didn't even want to know. So now, thanks to her sister's stubbornness and Cassie's own stupidity, her hands were so cold and chapped they were beginning to hurt, and Cassie wanted nothing more in the world then to go home.

But 'home' on a Friday meant the new house with Dad and Ilaria, full of Christmas cheer to combat the never-ending awkwardness of having a new stepmother. Cassie wasn't sure she could stand another forced conversation with Ilaria today about decorating the house, or school, or what she and Shelby wanted for Christmas, or--God forbid--names for the baby. I still can't believe she's pregnant. And she's due just after my birthday...which totally sucks. I've never been more jealous of Shelby with her Christmas birthday... Home also meant more studying for exams that in truth would never get done, because Ilaria interrupted every two seconds to 'chat' with her stepdaughter. No, Cassie couldn't handle being home right now. So she had escaped.

It was strange seeing the park so empty and cold. Cassie had avoided coming here since the disastrous allergy-date of over the summer, so she wouldn't have to relive how irresponsibly she'd acted. Summer...that was so long ago. Before Mike, before Phantom, before Ilaria, before Erin and Yukito moved in together. It seems like we were still kids back in the summer, all four of us, and over a few months we all just sort of grew up. I hate that. I hate that we all had to grow up. Couldn't things have just stayed the same for a little while longer?

A creaking sound reached her ears, and Cassie looked up. Someone sat on the swings, hands gripping the chains as if by letting go he risked his own well-being. Cassie looked curiously at him until she recognized the forlorn figure. Clarence Morgan, who she hadn't seen since after Phantom had wrapped up filming. That's weird...what's he doing here?

"Clarence?" she called, walking over to him and taking her hands out of her pockets, rubbing them together for warmth. "You okay?"

[More than Music]

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

Sometimes his stubbornness came back on him from behind. This was one of those times.

He hated the cold. He hated it so much. The idea of ending up like those people that have frozen to death haunted him to a level where he wondered whether he'd rather face the cold or his father. And that was something he hoped he'd never have to decide between. In his mind, that situation left no room for the lesser of two evils.

'If I died, if I died today, would anybody be left missing me? Would anyone feel empty inside forever after losing me? Would anybody really care?' He kind of smiled at that, but his lips were quivering now and it made it hard to smile. 'Ha, that only sounds like a million rock songs I've listened to. That stuff must be rubbing off on me.'

"Clarence?" The sound of a familiar voice made him look up. 'Speaking of rubbing off on me... here comes the theatre geek herself.' It was Cassie, looking like she was kind of cold herself. Clarence tried to steady himself, pride kicking in as she asked, "You okay?"

"Of course," he told her, trying to disguise the shaking in his voice. "Just... taking care of something." 'You can be afraid. You have friends, family, and that dorky Asian guy that's your boyfriend or whatever. I don't have that. I mean, I have Timmy, but... he's just a kid. And I don't want him getting the idea that he should be this way too. I kind of want him to learn to be weak sometimes. I want him to be stronger than me, to be more open than me. Less of a failure than me.'

'You have a younger sibling. You know how it is to rather they turn out less messed up than you. You know how it is that you want to give up your whole heart and world for them, but you can't. Selfishness. Pride. The world we knew before they came around. We can't let go of that stuff, and it feels okay enough of the time that we never even really try.'

'So don't look at me like I'm a freak. We're more the same than you'd like to think.'

"I can't believe it snowed the other day." He managed to smile this time. "Yeah, I'm definitely glad I didn't go out that night. Since when did my subtropical habitat become an antarctic frozen hell, anyway?" He winked to show this was in jest, nodding his head towards the swing next to him. "Wanna stick around? It's frosty and miserable, but if you get me started, I might just be able to provide enough hot air to return this place to a more comfortable temperature. Whaddya say?"

'Come on, I might as well make you suffer along with me. It's easier to get through when I can be a pompous jerk sometimes.'

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

Was it really worth it to be freezing her fingers off outside? Probably not. But she needed to get out of that prison of a house, or she would explode. It's kind of sad...I always say that I hate Mom's house, because it's big and empty and it scares me. But it's the fullness of Dad's house that scares me. It's the togetherness of it all, the perfect happy little family he's got over there now. I can't even decide which is worse anymore.

At the sound of someone on the swing set, Cassie looked up, wondering what sort of neglectful parent in their right mind would let their child go to the park in this weather. The sight that met her eyes, however, wasn't a little kid, but Clarence Morgan. She raised her eyebrows, wondering what he was doing there and why he looked so upset, holding onto that swing for dear life. "Clarence? You okay?" Because it's okay if you're not. Because I'm not either.

No one is. Even at Christmas, nobody is totally okay. Which is crap, because Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy and wonder and all that, not loneliness and suckiness and...it shouldn't be that way, but it is. It just is.

"Of course," he said, his voice trembling a little from the cold. Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Because you look like you're drowning and that little swing is your life jacket. You're lucky you're wearing gloves, or your hands might freeze and get stuck to the chains. Like in 'A Christmas Story.'" She laughed, a little cynically. "Mind if I join you?" Before he could respond, she settled herself onto the swing next to her, taking her bare hands out of her coat pockets and blowing on them to produce a little more warmth. "My sister stole the only good pair of gloves I've got left, since I left my others at school," she explained.

"I can't believe it snowed the other day," Clarence commented casually, a smile coming over his face. "Yeah, I'm definitely glad I didn't go out that night. Since when did my subtropical habitat become an antarctic frozen hell, anyway?"

Cassie shrugged. "It's freezing, but we're pretty lame about cold, when you think about it. This would be warm to some of my cousins who live up north."

"Wanna stick around? It's frosty and miserable, but if you get me started, I might just be able to provide enough hot air to return this place to a more comfortable temperature. Whaddya say?"

Cassie smiled. "Sure thing. But only if you explain your strange attachment to that swing of yours."

[More than Music]

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

"Clarence? You okay?"

"Of course.' It was a lie, but he didn't care. He'd lied before.

Cassie didn't seem to believe him though. "Because you look like you're drowning and that little swing is your life jacket. You're lucky you're wearing gloves, or your hands might freeze and get stuck to the chains. Like in 'A Christmas Story.'" Her laugh seemed to warm the air a little, and Clarence smirked.

"A Christmas Story... that show reminds me too much of my childhood," he told her, shaking his head. "Freaky, no joke. When I was thirteen, the Christmas before Timmy was born, I swear..." His words trailed off into a chuckle. "Gun and cussing and fighting, everything."

"Mind if I join you?"

"I don't own the park," he said with a shrug.

"My sister stole the only good pair of gloves I've got left, since I left my others at school."

Clarence pouted. "I'm not giving you mine." He held the chains of the swing tighter. "It's cold enough with them on." Sighing, he looked around, a strange smile on his face. "I can't believe it snowed the other day. Yeah, I'm definitely glad I didn't go out that night. Since when did my subtropical habitat become an antarctic frozen hell, anyway?"

Cassie shrugged. She liked to pretend she was so 'okay' and ambivalent, but she wasn't. She was one of those people that either cared too much or... way too much. "It's freezing, but we're pretty lame about cold, when you think about it. This would be warm to some of my cousins who live up north."

Clarence shook his head. "No way, babe, don't talk about it getting colder," he laughed, though there was a twinge of something in his voice he didn't like. "No way." He looked at her for a moment. She was pretty. Not exactly the star performer, no, but not old cat lady material either. "Wanna stick around?" he offered, feeling a little nice right now. "It's frosty and miserable, but if you get me started, I might just be able to provide enough hot air to return this place to a more comfortable temperature. Whaddya say?"

That earned a smile. Good. That was good. "Sure thing. But only if you explain your strange attachment to that swing of yours."

That earned a frown. Not good. That wasn't good at all. "Attachment?" he mocked, releasing the chains, fighting the screaming inside of him to hold on for dear life. "God, it's a swing. I'd rather practice my death-grip on something nicer." Clarence winked at Cassie, rubbing his hands together and trying to keep himself warm. His teeth started involuntarily chattering, as much as he tried to keep them still.

Letting silence settle a little, Clarence took a deep breath. "What's your greatest fear? I mean, cute girls are afraid of plenty of things, right?" He felt himself smiling. "You, off all people, probably know how pathetic it makes you feel to be afraid of something that happens naturally, right? I mean, with all hell breaking loose with your folks and everything."

He leaned back in his seat a little. "Thing is, I don't think you know what it feels like to not let yourself be afraid. You know, knowing that if you show fear, there's somebody out there that's gonna beat it out of you?"

Suddenly, he leaned close to Cassie's face, eyes full of childish delight and wonder that didn't linger there often. "What do you think would be the worst way to die?"

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

"My sister stole the only good pair of gloves I've got left, since I left my others at school," Cassie explained, rubbing her hands together for warmth as she tried to hide the resentment in her voice. She didn't know what had happened to make Shelby keep those pink gloves and treasure them like they were diamonds, but she didn't like it, whatever it was.

"I'm not giving you mine," said Clarence, apparently thinking that was helping. Cassie gave a disdainful roll of her eyes. "That's not what I meant." Contrary to popular belief at school, I don't need any rescuing all the time. I wasn't talking about my gloves to go all damsel-in-distress on you. "It's cold enough with them on. I can't believe it snowed the other day. Yeah, I'm definitely glad I didn't go out that night. Since when did my subtropical habitat become an antarctic frozen hell, anyway?" Cassie's only reply to that was a lame attempt at the age-old 'things could be worse' tactic. He didn't seem to think she was helping any more than she did. "No way, babe, don't talk about it getting colder. "No way."

Cassie raised one eyebrow and said nothing. I am not your 'babe'. I am not anybody's 'babe'. I hate that word so freaking much...

"Wanna stick around? It's frosty and miserable, but if you get me started, I might just be able to provide enough hot air to return this place to a more comfortable temperature. Whaddya say?"

Cassie snorted with amusement before she could stop herself. "That's what she said." Okay, that was stupid...I've been watching too many reruns of The Office. It's better than homework...is that joke still cool, anyway? God, I am such a dork. A dork with a dirty mind, apparently. Again, I blame The Office. Curse you, Michael Scott. Curse you and your adorable awkwardness, and your That's What She Said jokes.

She smiled. "Sure thing. But only if you explain your strange attachment to that swing of yours." She pointed to him. Because it's really starting to freak me out, to be perfectly honest.

"Attachment?" Clarence said, releasing his hold on the swing. "God, it's a swing. I'd rather practice my death-grip on something nicer."

"Again, that's what she said," Cassie told him, this time with a straight face. This is way too easy...that's what she said. Oh God, I'm stuck on That's What She Said. Fantastic. Stop. Stop! "I just thought it was kinda weird for someone to be holding onto a swing like they're drowning and it's their life raft...at least, someone over the age of, let's say, six," she challenged.

"What's your greatest fear? Clarence asked out of nowhere. "I mean, cute girls are afraid of plenty of things, right? You, off all people, probably know how pathetic it makes you feel to be afraid of something that happens naturally, right? I mean, with all hell breaking loose with your folks and everything."

Cassie looked away. "I didn't know word had gotten around like that," she mumbled. You don't know anything. Finally deciding to take him up on his bizarre invitation, she took a seat on the swing next to him.

"Thing is, I don't think you know what it feels like to not let yourself be afraid. You know, knowing that if you show fear, there's somebody out there that's gonna beat it out of you?" Suddenly, he was looming over her, and Cassie had to fight the urge to shrink away. C'mon. You're stronger than that. "What do you think would be the worst way to die?"

"Suffocation," Cassie answered automatically. "Being smothered. I would say drowning but I'm a fantastic swimmer, so it wouldn't happen. But having all the air sucked out of you like that...yeah. Why the question? Is perhaps your greatest fear death by...swings?"

[More than Music]

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

He was talking pretty smooth here. "No way, babe, don't talk about it getting colder. No way." Cassie raised an eyebrow at that. ' Okay, not as smooth as I thought...' So tried something a little different. "Wanna stick around? It's frosty and miserable, but if you get me started, I might just be able to provide enough hot air to return this place to a more comfortable temperature. Whaddya say?"

Cassie snorted. Clarence had to smile at that. "Did you snort?" he teased, leaning forwards. "Did well-to-do, raised-prim-and-proper, Cassie Wright, just snort?" He leaned back. "Awesome." 'I like girls that aren't afraid to break category, just a little.'

"That's what she said."

Clarence raised an eyebrow. There was that again. Someone else had said it to him, earlier. What did it mean, anyway? Maybe he needed to get out more...

Cassie smiled, recovering herself. "Sure thing. But only if you explain your strange attachment to that swing of yours." She pointed to how his hands were gripping the metal tightly.

"Attachment?" He let go of it real quick. "God, it's a swing. I'd rather practice my death-grip on something nicer."

"Again, that's what she said." That kind of ticked him off. 'Say what you want to say, instead of stealing someone else's words, already.' "I just thought it was kinda weird for someone to be holding onto a swing like they're drowning and it's their life raft...at least, someone over the age of, let's say, six."

Clarence's eyes flashed. "Thanks, you're so uplifting, babe." He looked away for a second. Then he realized it... she was getting to him. He was letting her get to him. That wasn't an option. "What's your greatest fear?" He wanted to surprise her with something, and an inner power was pushing him forwards. "I mean, cute girls are afraid of plenty of things, right? You, off all people, probably know how pathetic it makes you feel to be afraid of something that happens naturally, right? I mean, with all hell breaking loose with your folks and everything."

She looked away. HA, now he'd hit HER sore spot. Victory! "I didn't know word had gotten around like that."

"Thing is, I don't think you know what it feels like to not let yourself be afraid. You know, knowing that if you show fear, there's somebody out there that's gonna beat it out of you?" He leaned closer to her, and she seemed to move away. 'Oh, are you worried I'll do something?' "What do you think would be the worst way to die?"

"Suffocation." She'd answered quick. Too quick. He let his surprise show a little.

"You think about this sort of thing too?"

"Being smothered," she continued. "I would say drowning but I'm a fantastic swimmer, so it wouldn't happen. But having all the air sucked out of you like that...yeah. Why the question?" She seemed to be getting back in the game. He raised an eyebrow.

"No real reason." Which was a lie.

"Is perhaps your greatest fear death by...swings?"

He laughed. "Oh, ouch." But he shook his head. "No, not exactly." Clarence glanced around the park, feeling the cold getting to him again. "Freezing to death," he finally admitted. "I think that's somewhere near suffocation, isn't it?" He met her eyes daringly. "I think, feeling everything inside your body stop working, feeling yourself grow cold and stiff, and slowly weakening until you die..." He was leaning closer to her with every word. "That would be the worst way to leave this world. And, to add, I think cold is the worst sort of weather created. I hate being cold." He gestured around. "I'm out here, facing my fear, because I refuse to be weak."

Smirking, he leaned just inches away from her mouth, eying her lips like he always did girls when he got this close. "Don't you think that's brave?"

Then it happened again. He felt that feeling up inside of him, like it had many times before. That was why he couldn't count how many girlfriends he'd had: he just couldn't control himself sometimes. That was also why he couldn't count how many times he'd been slapped or rejected, too. But he was stronger for it.

Meeting her lips for just a moment, Clarence smiled and pulled back. He leaned away a little, his eyes dancing around her face, waiting for the reaction. That was the best part. Sometimes.

[The Phantom of Paris]

OOC: Please let me just say that this was the point that I lost all control over my charrie, and her actions confuse me just as much as you, don't worry... BIC:

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

"Again, that's what she said," Cassie deadpanned. She couldn't be sure, but it was almost as if Clarence seemed angry at her for making the joke. What, does that offend you or something? I thought everyone found That's What She Said's funny...or does he not get it? "Okay, please tell me you know what a That's What She Said joke is, before I feel like I'm a total pervert who watches too many episodes of The Office, please?" she asked with a sheepish smile on her face. God, this is bad...

She changed tactics, bringing her attention back to Clarence's swing. "I just thought it was kinda weird for someone to be holding onto a swing like they're drowning and it's their life raft...at least, someone over the age of, let's say, six."

"Thanks, you're so uplifting, babe."

"I'm not your babe." It wasn't an accusation, or an angry outburst. It was just a statement, nothing more. I'm not anybody's, if that's all right with you?

"What's your greatest fear?" he attacked. "I mean, cute girls are afraid of plenty of things, right? You, off all people, probably know how pathetic it makes you feel to be afraid of something that happens naturally, right? I mean, with all hell breaking loose with your folks and everything." Taken aback, Cassie only had time to murmur a lame little excuse before Clarence plowed right on. Thing is, I don't think you know what it feels like to not let yourself be afraid. You know, knowing that if you show fear, there's somebody out there that's gonna beat it out of you? What do you think would be the worst way to die?"

"Suffocation," was Cassie's response.

Clarence seemed a bit shocked. "You think about this sort of thing too?" Cassie nodded. "A lot more than I care to admit, actually. "Being smothered. I would say drowning but I'm a fantastic swimmer, so it wouldn't happen. But having all the air sucked out of you like that...yeah. Why the question?"

"No real reason."

"Liar," said Cassie defiantly. "Is perhaps your greatest fear death by...swings?"

He actually laughed at that, which Cassie wasn't exactly sure was a good sign or not. "Oh, ouch." But he shook his head. "No, not exactly. Freezing to death. I think that's somewhere near suffocation, isn't it?" He looked up at her. "I think, feeling everything inside your body stop working, feeling yourself grow cold and stiff, and slowly weakening until you die...That would be the worst way to leave this world. And, to add, I think cold is the worst sort of weather created. I hate being cold. I'm out here, facing my fear, because I refuse to be weak. Don't you think that's brave?"

She didn't realize how close he had gotten until that moment, but for some reason, she didn't freak out as much as she would have normally. It was as if the cold had numbed her reflexes, her adrenaline, her brain. "Well, I guess so. Depends on your definition of brave, doesn't it? I mean..."

And that was when he kissed her. Her mind froze, but more in surprise than fear, which was a totally new experience. Exactly what made his kiss any different from Mike's? Less force, definitely, but what else? His hands weren't on her shoulders. What made it different from one of Kagayaki's many kisses? Maybe it was the uncertainty. He kissed her like it was a totally new thing. Mike had kissed her like he owned her, like she was just some prize for the taking, and Kagayaki...he was too comfortable with his kisses. Yukito's kiss was something else entirely...Cassie just wasn't sure what. Dimly, it dawned on her that over the past six months, she had kissed three people who were not her boyfriend. What kind of person does that make me?

He pulled away, and Cassie looked at him for a moment. "What," she whispered, "was that?"

Before she knew it, though, she was kissing him, her hands moving to either side of his face and running through his hair. She was kissing him back, and it was unlike any kiss she could remember...at least recently. She couldn't even describe it.

Finally, she pulled away too, eyes wide. "Clarence..." she said breathlessly. "This is crazy."