1453A Annunciation St - Wahei Residence

[More than Music]

Clarence Morgan

So, things had been going pretty well with Jessica. Besides the Formspring picture disaster, which Raiu was still sporting a sore eye from his black eye, and the idea that Raiu had been going places with Jessica and Quinn. Easily, the idea of his cousin worming into Clarence's hard-earned little 'family', was worse than anyone seeing an embarassing picture of him as a toddler.

But he couldn't bring himself to be angry about it. Because, when it came down to it, if Jessica wanted to be with Raiu, that was how it would be. It frustrated him that he had no say, but he couldn't change it. It wasn't like him and Jess were together anyway. Still, they had a daughter together, and he was being as good of a daddy to Quinn as he could.

That should could for something, he just knew it.

He heard a knock on the door. "Raiu! Someone's at the door!" he yelled from where he laid on his bed, hands behind his head. No sound of movement. Clarence frowned. "Raiu!" He knocked on the wall between their rooms.

"I'm busy," came the barely audible reply, deadpan and low. "You're closer."

"By what, three inches?" Clarence argued, sitting up. "Anyway, I'd have to put clothes on."

"Oh, imagine that. You, wearing clothes. What a pain," Raiu complained. "Just get the door. It might be Jessica."

Rolling his eyes, Clarence got up, muttering a few things he'd like to do to Raiu with that door. Slipping into a pair of jeans and a teal shirt he hoped was clean, he sighed and opened the door. He stepped back a bit, holding it open for the girls, eyebrows high at the extensive outfit Jess was wearing -- would he ever get used to them again?

"Oh, it is Jess. Psychic," he said, glancing behind him for a second. "So," he began, speaking to Jess now. "How's it going? Nice dress, you going somewhere with Raiu?" Normally, the words would be teasing, but there was just something unfunny about them today. He smiled when he looked into Quinn's face. "Hey, there, baby girl. Getting bigger every day, aren't you?"

'Let's hope your mommy lets us spend those days together, instead of apart, okay? Because I love you more than anything, and I'd hate to lose you.'

[issie]

Jessica Seeley

It was a moment before the door finally opened and she was about to knock again, thinking they might not have heard her. But then Clarence opened the door, stepping to the side to let them in. He looked almost like he was in shock, his eyes on her and Quinn.

"Oh, it is Jess. Psychic," he said, glancing behind him for a second. She arched an eyebrow at him, hearing an almost hateful tone in his voice. Had she come in when they were fighting? She didn't necessarily want to ask, knowing that he could very well bring up what that argument was about and ruin her stay entirely. Plus, it was probably something stupid like him refusing to do the laundry or something like that. "So," he began, turning to speak to Jess. "How's it going? Nice dress, you going somewhere with Raiu?" There it was again. That tone in his voice, not to mention the fact that he didn't really give her much time to answer between the two questions that he asked. Interesting.

"I'm okay." she said carefully, studying him for a moment. Something was up. She knew it. Then, like he was bipolar, he looked at Quinn and smiled like he wasn't just acting like a time bomb. "Hey, there, baby girl. Getting bigger every day, aren't you?"

"Yes, she is." Jess replied, moving to kiss his cheek briefly. "How have you been?" she asked, expecting him to tell the truth, but not to the point where it causes him to start up another fight with Raiu. But overall, there was no way he was perfectly fine and dandy with that kind of tone. It was almost like he was massively bitter about something. "You seem..." she tilted her head to the side briefly, "Edgy." That was an understatement.

"So what is uncle Rai up to today?" She asked Clarence with a smile. Jess was hoping he'd get a kick out of the name like she did whenever she first thought of it. Originally, she wanted to come up with a name that would be as easy to say as mama or dada, and so she shortened it as much as she could.

[More than Music]

Clarence Morgan

"Oh, it is Jess. Psychic," he muttered, looking back towards Raiu's room. That guy loved to keep stuff from him, didn't he? Well... whatever. It was his family, not Raiu's, when it came down to it. "So," he began, turning to speak to Jess. "How's it going? Nice dress, you going somewhere with Raiu?" It came out as kind of a frustrated sigh. He hadn't meant to. But it was getting harder and harder to pretend.

"I'm okay." Her eyes studied him, her tone slow and careful. He just sighed. She hadn't answered his question about Raiu. Unanswered questions were never comforting.

But he turned to Quinn, not liking that 'I-can-see-through-your-armor' look that Jess was giving him. Seeing his daughter's face helped him smile. "Hey, there, baby girl. Getting bigger every day, aren't you?"

"Yes, she is." Jess leaned over to kiss his cheek, and, for a moment, he felt ashamed of himself. Was he overreacting to this whole thing? He didn't know, he just knew he liked it better when he was with them, rather than wondering where they were at. "How have you been?"

Clarence shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "Fine, I guess. Warm. The air conditioner has decided it's about ready to give up the ghost." He looked towards the table. "Is it too warm in here for you? I can bug Raiu about it."

'I could really use the excuse.'

"You seem..." She tilted her head to the side, and he just raised an eyebrow, slipping behind her to shut the door.

"What?"

"Edgy."

"Pft, I'm fine." He waved away the idea briefly. "Just, things have been a little weird between Raiu and I lately. You know, considering." He leaned over to kiss Quinn's cheek, and she reached for his face, not really to hold on, just to touch. Smirking, Clarence drew away, not wanting her to pull on his nose or something again. He took a deep breath, then placed a kiss next to Jessica's lips, just for a moment, then pulled back and turned towards the table. "You wanna sit? I'd like to hold Quinn, if that's alright."

'I bet Raiu doesn't even have to ask, does he?'

"So what is uncle Rai up to today?" Jess asked, looking a bit amused.

He chuckled a little, running a hand across his forehead. "Uncle Rai. Nice. He's fine, if a bit grouchy today, I think." He rapped on Raiu's door. "Hey, Shadow Man, Jess is asking about you."

Instead of arguing, like usual, Raiu just came out, closing the bedroom door behind him. He smiled slightly for Jessica, a bit wider than usual. Clarence tensed, reaching over to play with Quinn's hand.

"How are the lovely ladies?" Raiu asked, politely, hands going into his pockets. "Is it too warm in here?" He looked to Clarence. "Did you make sure they weren't too warm?"

Clarence frowned, not looking at him directly, focused on Quinn's tiny fingers. "Yeah, I did," he muttered. "I'm not stupid."

'I bet Jess doesn't call you stupid either. I bet she doesn't have to go round-about to compliment you either. Well, this is my family. Get out of it.'

[issie]

Jessica Seeley

"How have you been?" Jessica asked, wondering why he was acting so strangely.

Clarence shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets like he usually did. "Fine, I guess. Warm. The air conditioner has decided it's about ready to give up the ghost." He looked towards the table. "Is it too warm in here for you? I can bug Raiu about it."

"I'm fine, thanks." she replied, feeling the familiar small tug on her hair from Quinn's small hand. She always loved playing with her hair, and Jess didn't mind, so long as she didn't hurt her. She could handle how warm it was, she knew, and her baby would get fussy if she was bothered by it.

"You seem..." She tilted her head to the side, and he just raised an eyebrow, slipping behind her. She heard the door shut as she searched for the word to describe what she thought his attitude was like.

"What?"

"Edgy."

"Pft, I'm fine." Clarence said, waving away the idea briefly. "Just, things have been a little weird between Raiu and I lately. You know, considering." Her eyebrows furrowed a little, was he talking about the air conditioning going haywire? That could raise tempers fairly easily...

His attention was turned back to Quinn as he leaned over to kiss her small cheek, and she reached for his face again. She really liked his face, didn't she? Every time she saw him, she always went for his face. Almost like she always went for her mommy's hair. Smirking, Clarence drew himself away, causing her to squirm a little in Jess' arms and reach for him. He took a deep breath, then placed a kiss next to Jessica's lips for a moment and she smiled up at him. He really was a flirt, wasn't he? Turning towards the table, he said, "You wanna sit? I'd like to hold Quinn, if that's alright."

"Of course it's alright." she said, moving over to the table to hand Quinn over to her daddy. Even if he seemed ticked off, he knew better than to act out when their baby was in his arms. And if he didn't, then he would learn. Fast.

"So what is uncle Rai up to today?" Jess asked, amused by the 'name' she had made for Clarence's cousin.

He chuckled a little in reply, running a hand across his forehead. "Uncle Rai. Nice. He's fine, if a bit grouchy today, I think."

He's not the only one. she thought, knowing better than to say it out loud. He knocked on what she assumed was the door to Raiu's room. "Hey, Shadow Man, Jess is asking about you."

"Shadow Man?" she asked, not getting the nickname for him.

Raiu just came out, closing the door behind him. Silently, she wondered what he was working on in there. WAs it another piece of art? Or was he just laying there like most guys liked to do sometimes. He smiled at her slightly and she smiled back at him in a friendly way. Out of the corner of her eye, Jess could see Clarence tense, playing with Quinn's hand like it was helping him calm down. That was good.

"How are the lovely ladies?" Raiu asked, his tone polite and not grouchy like Clarence had said earlier.

"We're fine." Jess answered, going over to him to give him a hug, kissing his cheek but for a shorter time than she did Clarence. "Is it too warm in here?" He asked her, but looked at his cousin. "Did you make sure they weren't too warm?"

He frowned, and she saw that he wasn't looking at him directly. Silently, she was thankful that Quinn was in his arms, because he looked like he was ready to beat someone up. She had seen that expression before and she knew better than to antagonize him when she didn't want to start a fight. There was definitely some tension there. "Yeah, I did," he muttered. "I'm not stupid."

"We know that." Jess said in the best calming tone she had, walking to him again, trying to help him chill a bit. She had learned a lot in the way of patience from Quinn, thankfully. "He did ask us, thanks." She said to Raiu, still smiling but worried that they would be at each other's throats if one wrong thing was said. "She's good about letting people know if she's uncomfortable, just like her mommy." she joked, straightening a side a Quinn's dress that had come up a little.

"So have you been working on anything new?" Jess asked Raiu, trying to create small talk so the awkwardness would at least go away for a bit. She had remembered being in situations similar to this one, and she was determined to have a good time visiting them. The last thing she wanted was to have them trying to kill each other like mindless man retards in front of Quinn. If they did, she just might have to kill both of them. "Have you seen some of the things he's done?" She turned to Clarence, smiling at how their daughter was grabbing for his lips again. "They're pretty good. The best I can do is a glorified stick figure, if I'm lucky."

[More than Music]

Clarence Morgan

"You seem..." He raised an eyebrow and she tilted her head, and he slipped behind her to shut the door -- she didn't care about cool air getting out, but he did.

"What?" Was he that easy to read? He hated that.

"Edgy."

He was. Great. "Pft, I'm fine," he said, waving away the idea with his hand, like it would help. "Just, things have been a little weird between Raiu and I lately. You know, considering." He saw her eyebrow furrow, like she didn't understand. Oh yeah, like would believe that. There was no way she could think her and their baby going places with his cousin -- and not him -- would have no effect on him. Seriously.

Clarence knew focusing on it wasn't good for him, so he turned to his daughter -- their daughter, did she think about that like he did? -- and kissed her cheek. Quinn's tiny hands reached up to touch his face, and he had to smile. He didn't want her fingers to catch on what she might find interesting, so he leaned away, looking at her mother. Taking a deep breath, he kissed next to Jess' lips, just for a moment, before turning to the table.

"You wanna sit? I'd like to hold Quinn, if that's alright."

'I promised I'd learn to control my anger. I found out Quinn is perfect for that. I bet Raiu doesn't need her like I do. He couldn't. There's no way anyone could love her like you and I do, Jess, don't you get that?'

"Of course it's alright." She followed him to the table and handed Quinn to him easily, so he sat down and watched the tiny, contented baby in his arms. "So what is uncle Rai up to today?"

He chuckled a bit, feeling a searing pain across his forehead. Probably just warm. "Uncle Rai. Nice. He's fine, if a bit grouchy today, I think." He stood up, careful of Quinn, and knocked on Raiu's door. Interested, Quinn tried to do the same, but lacked the knuckles for it. He laughed a little before calling out to his cousin. "Hey, Shadow Man, Jess is asking about you."

"Shadow Man?" Jess queried.

Clarence hesitated a bit. Well, there was no way he was going to say 'the voodoo guy from the Princess and the Frog,' so he came up with a quick escape. "You know, the shadow people? Quick and only seen out of the corner of your eye? Like that."

Raiu came out and offered a friendly smile to Jess, who returned it. Clarence sat down in his chair again, feeling the muscles in his neck tense and his posture curl just slightly, almost protectively, around Quinn.

'You can get to Jess, but you have no claim on Quinn. She's ours, a part of us you and Jess will never have in common. Being Quinn's dad, I understand Jess in a way you never will.'

"How are the lovely ladies?" Raiu asked, nicely, if quietly.

"We're fine." Jess gave Raiu a hug and Clarence saw her lips linger for a moment on his cousin's cheek. He kept his opinions to himself, but one word to describe how he felt at that moment... disgusted. He looked back at Quinn, playing with her tiny fingers with utmost care.

"Is it too warm in here?" Raiu asked, and he felt his cousin's eyes on him. "Did you make sure they weren't too warm?"

'Not like I could change it, smartie. You're the one with the busted air conditioner.'

Frowning, he kept his eyes off of Raiu. Holding Quinn was slowly easing his posture, keeping him below his anger threshold. She was all that mattered anyway, right? Who cared anyway, if Jess liked Raiu? Not him. No sir. "Yeah, I did," he muttered. "I'm not stupid."

"We know that," Jess said, coming over.

"Funny, you tell me I am," he said, his voice lower still. Quinn's curious eyes made him sigh, releasing a little tension as he smiled a bit. "You're so beautiful, baby girl."

'You're a life saver, literally, do you know that?'

"She's good about letting people know if she's uncomfortable, just like her mommy," Jess said, straightening Quinn's dress a little. Clarence leaned back a little, taking in the outfit while trying to get out of Jess' way.

"Well, that'll come in handy some day," he put in, smiling.

'She won't get to the point where she can't say a word without ticking someone off.'

"So have you been working on anything new?" Jess asked Raiu, making him perk up a little.

"I've been experimenting with combining several mediums. Such as water colors and charcoal. Recently I've taken to making collages with photographs and drawing them." He smiled slightly... mischievously. "I think you'll like the one I'm working on right now."

"Have you seen some of the things he's done?" Jess looked over at him, catching him at a bad moment -- Quinn apparently thought he was too tall for her to inspect his lips properly.

"Plenty," he said, in a low voice. "It's all over." He gestured around them with one hand, quickly returning it to Quinn.

"They're pretty good. The best I can do is a glorified stick figure, if I'm lucky."

He smirked a little. "Well, everyone has art in their own way," he said, glancing up at her, then thinking maybe that was too bold of a statement, so he looked back at Quinn. "I mean, like, there are plenty of different art forms."

"I think Clarence means to say he thinks you're an art form just being alive," Raiu said, bluntly, making Clarence glare over at him. 'I don't need a translator, Asian Man.' Raiu was watching Jessica in a way Clarence didn't like. That soft look. He didn't like it a bit. "Speaking of art forms, though, he has an interesting way of explaining things. You really should read some of the writing he does."

"Sneak," Clarence hissed, bouncing Quinn a bit on his knee. He put on a more baby-friendly voice, smiling at his daughter, who smiled back as she bounced. "Your Uncle Rai is a sneak, Queeny. He most definitely is. He just needs to do other things with his time, like fix the air conditioner, mm-hm."

'And keep his hands off of your mommy, or I might rip them off, and then the only thing he could make art with would be his own blood, mm-hm.'

[issie]

Jessica Seeley

"So what is uncle Rai up to today?" Jess asked Clarence, trying to lighten his mood by using the name Quinn would call him when she learned how to say it. He chuckled in reply, but he still didn't seem amused. She could tell something was eating him up, which is part of the reason she handed their baby over to him. Because she seemed like she was the only one that could put a cap on his anger and calm him down a bit.

"Uncle Rai. Nice. He's fine, if a bit grouchy today, I think." He said, standing up carefully and going over to knock on Raiu's door. Quinn immediately tried to do the same, her little hand reaching out and touching the wood of the door. It didn't make much of a noise, but it was extremely adorable which caused Clarence to laugh. Maybe he was finally calming down? Hopefully...

"Hey, Shadow Man, Jess is asking about you."

"Shadow Man?" She asked, not really sure what the nickname was for.

Clarence hesitated a moment, possibly caught off guard by her question. Some nicknames came with long stories, she knew. So she assumed that's why he paused before answering her. "You know, the shadow people? Quick and only seen out of the corner of your eye? Like that." She nodded slowly, once, trying to imagine Raiu as a shadow but failing.

Slowly, he came out and offered a friendly smile to Jess, who returned it. She saw Clarence sit down again, seemingly more tense than before. Well that was settled, Raiu was without a doubt the source of his cousin's anger and tension that day. His posture had even changed, practically curling around Quinn like he was protecting her from a person firing a machine gun. It took her a moment before she decided to dismiss it, thinking that he was her dad and he could do it so long as she wasn't getting hurt by it. If anything, she looked more content, making her little baby sounds at him and enjoying his touch.

"How are the lovely ladies?" Raiu asked nicely, not seeming like he was very grouchy at all. Was Clarence entirely sure that he was the one that was mad? Or was it just him?

"We're fine." Jess replied, giving him a hug and a very brief kiss on the cheek. She didn't mean anything serious by it, they were just friends and that was just what she did to say hello to people who were close to her.

"Is it too warm in here?" Raiu asked, but his eyes turned to Clarence and she followed Raiu's gaze. He looked sick, sitting there with his daughter on his lap. "Did you make sure they weren't too warm?"

Jess watched him frown in reply, making a point to keep his eyes off his cousin, who seemed entirely complacent, standing there. Unlike Clarence, who's posture had eased a little bit, but still looked like he was either going to be sick or tear out someone's throat. Or both.

Slowly, she moved over to stand by him, partly to make sure he didn't accidentally hurt Quinn trying to get to Raiu and also to try and be able to calm him down. "Yeah, I did," he muttered almost spitefully. "I'm not stupid."

"We know that," Jess said, using the best soothing voice that she could.

"Funny, you tell me I am," he said, his voice low but angry. Didn't he know that she was just playing sometimes when she said that? Or that when she said it seriously, it was because he was actually being stupid and she wanted him to know that and stop? Quinn looked up at him curiously, obviously sensing that the tone in his voice wasn't what she was used to hearing. He sighed, relaxing a little more as he smiled a bit. "You're so beautiful, baby girl." Jess would have smiled if she wasn't slightly ticked at him saying what he did.

"She's good about letting people know if she's uncomfortable, just like her mommy," she said, reaching over and straightening Quinn's dress a little where it had come up. Clarence leaned, giving her room while taking in her outfit at the same time.

"Well, that'll come in handy some day," he added, smiling. Jess made a mental note to remember that talking about their daughter made him smile, no matter what. She may need it if things kept going like they were. The tension was insane.

"So have you been working on anything new?" She asked Raiu, causing him to perk up a little.

"I've been experimenting with combining several mediums. Such as water colors and charcoal. Recently I've taken to making collages with photographs and drawing them." He smiled slightly, almost mischievously as he stood there . "I think you'll like the one I'm working on right now." She nodded, turning her attention to Clarence.

"Have you seen some of the things he's done?".

b]"Plenty,"[/b] he said, in a low voice, that angry tone still audible. "It's all over." He gestured around them with one hand briefly before bringing it back to Quinn. He seemed almost bitter when he spoke. It was starting to get on Jess' nerves. She didn't come there to hear them bicker like children.

"They're pretty good. The best I can do is a glorified stick figure, if I'm lucky."

He smirked a little in reply. "Well, everyone has art in their own way," he said, glancing up at her. Jess' brows furrowed again, wondering what exactly he meant by that. What kind of art did she have? "I mean, like, there are plenty of different art forms." She was about to ask what he thought her's was, but Raiu started talking again and it was rude to ignore.

"I think Clarence means to say he thinks you're an art form just being alive," Raiu said, bluntly. If looks could kill, Clarence would have obliterated his cousin, right there in his own apartment. "Speaking of art forms, though, he has an interesting way of explaining things. You really should read some of the writing he does."

"He'd show me if he-" She was cut off by Clarence, who practically hissed at his cousin.

"Sneak," He bounced Quinn a bit on his knee, and Jess backed up a step, getting a good look at the both of them. He put on a more baby-friendly voice, but there was a bit of a mocking tone in it that raised Jess' temper a little bit more. "Your Uncle Rai is a sneak, Queeny. He most definitely is. He just needs to do other things with his time, like fix the air conditioner, mm-hm."

Jess knew he was acting entirely too rude, he was determined to stretch her patience to its limits that day, wasn't he? "Oooookay." she drew out the word, trying to think of what she could say after that. What the heck COULD she say that wouldn't end up with her at his throat?

"Quinn was missing you." she mentioned, poking him in the forehead, trying to get him to calm down. "She kept picking up a photo of you and saying 'dada.' So I figured it was time to pay you a visit." She shrugged, "And I figured that it wouldn't hurt for her to see Uncle Rai again," She added, not wanting to be rude and leave him out, considering this WAS his apartment and all.

"So what exactly is it that you've been working on, Raiu?" she asked, taking a seat at the table. Her posture was practically perfect, she always made sure of that when she visited another person's house. She didn't want them to think that she was a slob or anything. She was curious to know why he thought that she may like it. "Can we see it now or is it one of those things that we have to wait and see until it's finished?"

Suddenly, a thought hit her. Clarence seemed testy when she was around Raiu... Was he jealous? She had been spending some time with him, trying to get to know the better side of his family. It made sense and all seemed to fit, really. But assuming that could prove to be dangerous, especially if that wasn't the problem. So she kept her mouth shut, for the moment at least.

"Do you have any plans for today?" she asked Clarence, crossing her legs for a moment.

[More than Music]

Clarence Morgan

"Have you seen some of the things he's done?"

"Plenty," he said, darkly. "It's all over." He gestured around the room, not wanting to linger on it long before holding Quinn again. The baby looked at him, curious, not sure what to make of his tone.

"They're pretty good. The best I can do is a glorified stick figure, if I'm lucky."

He smirked, not keeping himself in check for a moment there. "Well, everyone has art in their own way," he said, looking up at her for just a moment before looking away. "I mean, like, there are plenty of different art forms."

Raiu was quick to scoop that one up, of course. "I think Clarence means to say he thinks you're an art form just being alive," he said, earning a glare from Clarence, but since Quinn and Jess was there, nothing more. Plus, Quinn was in his lap. That kept him still. "Speaking of art forms, though, he has an interesting way of explaining things. You really should read some of the writing he does."

"He'd show me if he--"

This wouldn't fly. "Sneak," he hissed, bouncing Quinn on his leg, nervous energy finding an exit within her tiny laugh. He looked down at her, adopting a baby-friendly tone as he spoke to her. "Your Uncle Rai is a sneak, Queeny. He most definitely is. He just needs to do other things with his time, like fix the air conditioner, mm-hm."

Jess looked at him funny, and he just shrugged, looking back at Quinn. "Oooookay." He just smiled a little, not wanting to say anything right now. "Quinn was missing you." She flicked him in the forehead, and he frowned for a moment before rolling his eyes. Of course she had, he was her daddy. "She kept picking up a photo of you and saying 'dada.' So I figured it was time to pay you a visit." She shrugged, and he sighed, laying his forehead against Quinn's. Then he furrowed his eyebrows and glanced over at her.

"You have pictures of me?"

"And I figured that it wouldn't hurt for her to see Uncle Rai again," she said, looking over at Raiu, who just smiled a little.

"Can she say it yet?" Raiu asked, taking his glasses off of his shirt, where they'd be carefully clipped, and putting them on to come over and look into Quinn's eyes.

"Why weren't you wearing your glasses while you were working in there?" Clarence asked, more confusion than anger in his tone now. Raiu needed his glasses. He was far-sighted. Raiu just met his eyes for a moment before looking back at Quinn, kneeling down in front of where Clarence was sitting to play with the baby's growing blonde locks. Clarence signed, turned Quinn around, making sure to place her skirt right when he set her down.

"So what exactly is it that you've been working on, Raiu?" Jess asked, sitting down close-by. Clarence's eyes lingered on her for a moment, taking in how she looked, sitting there. Something about it... angry. Very angry. He shifted a little, knowing Raiu was watching him more than he was watching Quinn.

"She asked you a question, sporty," Clarence muttered, avoiding Raiu's eyes.

"It's a bit of a secret," Raiu admitted, looking over at Jess, one hand still on Quinn's arm that she was carefully inspecting.

"Can we see it now or is it one of those things that we have to wait and see until it's finished?" Jess asked, and Clarence wondered whether she was actually interested or just trying to make small talk.

'She looks uneasy. Couldn't be because you're the jerk of the century, could it? Control yourself, idiot.'

"It really is something you'd have to see finished. It's an entirely new technique I'm playing with, so you'd probably think I'm crazy if you saw all the brainstorming in there," he said, his voice growing a bit softer as he rose to his feet, one hand on Clarence's chair. "Plus, it's hard to understand things like that. I mean, even a living piece of art like you."

Clarence nudged Raiu with his elbow, not hard, but just as a reminder. Used to it by now, Raiu just shrugged. "Give him an inch..." He smiled a little, kissing the top of Quinn's head, giving her his hand to inspect. It ended up in her mouth though, but he didn't really react, because Jess spoke up.

"Do you have any plans for today?" she asked, crossing her legs. Clarence's eyes lingered on the smooth, exposed skin there before he looked in her face, shrugging.

"Nothing more important than you and Quinn," he said, eyes immediately going back to Quinn. He felt Raiu's eyes on him again, and it made his shoulders tense.

'Yeah, yeah, I know I was going to talk to those people at the radio station like you suggested. But this is kind of more important, don't you think? Why don't you go work on your secret project or something?'

"Have your interview with Mister Charles?" Raiu said, a bit of teasing in his voice. Of course he'd say something like that. "Or should I give you the kick and be done with it?"

"No kick, just..." He shrugged. "Haven't actually called in yet." Raiu tilted his head back just a bit, light crossing his glasses like his eyes were flashing. "Hey, don't hassle me, I'll call, but this... this is better." Quinn looked back at him, so he smiled a little. "Hey there, gorgeous. " A brilliant smile crossed Quinn's face. "What are you up to?"

"Dadadadada," she said, patting her hands on her legs, turning to look at her feet, falling into other ramblings. She'd decided it was her turn to talk, he guessed. He smiled, kissing her cheek.

'I can't speak... I can't make a sound to somehow capture your attention... I'm staring at perfection... That's our song, you know, beautiful. And it'll be our little secret.'

[issie]

Jessica Seeley

"Speaking of art forms, though, he has an interesting way of explaining things. You really should read some of the writing he does." Raiu said.

"He'd show me if he--" Jess began, but was cut off by an irate Clarence.

"Sneak," he hissed, bouncing Quinn on his leg so she laughed a little bit. Then his voice changed into some sort of a mock babyish voice that Jess didn't appreciate one bit. "Your Uncle Rai is a sneak, Queeny. He most definitely is. He just needs to do other things with his time, like fix the air conditioner, mm-hm." Did he realize how rude he was being? She knew that were family and families tend to disagree with each other sometimes, but really?

"Oooookay." Jess began, not quite sure what to say after that. There had to be some way that she could lessen the tension in the room, she knew. But at the moment she couldn't think of anything so she resorted to talking about their daughter. That usually seemed to work.

"Quinn was missing you." She flicked him in the forehead playfully, trying to get an honest smile out of him to try and hopefully calm him down a bit. He just frowned momentarily before rolling his eyes like a disgruntled teen. "She kept picking up a photo of you and saying 'dada.' So I figured it was time to pay you a visit." She shrugged, and he just sighed, laying his forehead against Quinn's. For a moment, it seemed like he was ignoring her entirely. And then it was like realization hit him as he glanced over at her, eyebrows furrowing.

"You have pictures of me?" He asked and she smiled at him almost mischievously before speaking again.

"And I figured that it wouldn't hurt for her to see Uncle Rai again," Jess said, causing Raiu to smile a little.

"Can she say it yet?" He asked, removing his glasses from the collar of his shirt and putting them on before walking over to Quinn, who reached for them immediately.

"No, not yet."

"Why weren't you wearing your glasses while you were working in there?" Clarence asked, more confusion than anger in his tone now. Jess had to admit that it was a tad odd that he would be drawing... or painting.. or whatever without them. If she remembered correctly, he was far-sighted... or was it near-sighted? She couldn't remember. But either way, Clarence wouldn't have mentioned it if he didn't need them. But he didn't say anything to his cousin- just stared at him for a moment before looking at Quinn. Slowly, Raiu sat down in front of him to start playing with their baby's growing blonde hair. Clarence signed at him, turning Quinn around.

"So what exactly is it that you've been working on, Raiu?" Jess asked, sitting down at the table. She was extremely frustrated, yes. But she was determined to make this as close to a pleasant visit as she could and to create small-talk of some variety. There was no reply for a moment, and she noticed that while Clarence was looking at her, Raiu was looking at his cousin, even though he was touching Quinn. The awkward silence was about to drive her insane. She had asked a question, didn't she?

"She asked you a question, sporty," Clarence muttered.

"It's a bit of a secret," Raiu admitted finally while looking over at Jess.

"Can we see it now or is it one of those things that we have to wait and see until it's finished?" Jess asked, silently making it her mission to make sure that the awkward silences were at a minimum. Ever since she was little, she hated those moments. It was one of the things that drove her to be outgoing and learn how to talk to people easily. She never wanted to be everyone's friend, she just wanted to know how to talk to everyone, in case the occasion should arrive in which she had to.

"It really is something you'd have to see finished. It's an entirely new technique I'm playing with, so you'd probably think I'm crazy if you saw all the brainstorming in there," he said, his voice growing as he stood up, one hand on Clarence's chair. "Plus, it's hard to understand things like that. I mean, even a living piece of art like you." Jess smiled at the compliment, but Clarence didn't seem to happy with it.

He nudged Raiu with his elbow, not hard but enough that she could tell that he didn't like what he said. Wait... why can he not give me compliments? She asked herself, eyebrows furrowing again. But Raiu didn't really seem fazed by it. He just shrugged. "Give him an inch..." He smiled a little, kissing the top of Quinn's head, giving her his hand to inspect. The hand that was given to her though promptly ended up in her little mouth. Surprisingly enough, he didn't react and take his hand back to wipe it off like most people would.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Jess asked, crossing her legs. She noticed Clarence's eyes lingering on her exposed skin for a minute. She smiled. He was so predictable, wasn't he? When he finally looked at her face, he shrugged. She arched an eyebrow at him, but made no move to cover her legs up. The point of her whole wardrobe was so that men like Clarence could look at her. If she went around bundled up like a shy Eskimo then what guy would actually take the time out of him day to talk to her? Not many. Plus, she liked the attention.

"Nothing more important than you and Quinn," he said, his eyes bouncing back to Quinn like a yoyo on a short string. Jess watched his shoulders tense again, but she wasn't quite sure why.

"Have your interview with Mister Charles?" Raiu said, a bit of teasing in his voice. What was he talking about? She hadn't heard anything about him meeting someone by that name... "Or should I give you the kick and be done with it?"

"No kick, just..." He began, shrugging. "Haven't actually called in yet." Raiu tilted his head back just a bit, light crossing his glasses. The expression he had was almost angry. Apparently this 'Charles' guy was important. Then it hit her, and she felt completely retarded for not thinking about it before. Clarence was being harassed again about a job by his cousin. He did mention something about that to her, she remembered. "Hey, don't hassle me, I'll call, but this... this is better." Quinn looked back at him. "Hey there, gorgeous. " Jess couldn't see his expression, but she would have bet all of her savings that he was smiling at her. She could practically hear it in his voice. "What are you up to?"

"Dadadadada," she said, patting her hands on her legs a little. She started to ramble again, like she did sometimes when she was excited or just content with where she was at or what was going on around her. It was the cutest thing in Jess' mind. There were a couple of times where she video-taped Quinn's 'speeches' so she could go back and listen to them later. Clarence just kissed her cheek and listened like she was telling him a secret that no one else could understand.

"She likes hanging out with Raiu." Jess said to Clarence, standing up to kneel in front of their baby. Recognizing the sound of her mommy's voice, Quinn looked over and made a short 'uhn' baby sound. Her eyes growing wide as she reached for Jess' face, but ended up falling short and going for her own toes instead. Laughing quietly, she stood again, expertly steadying herself on her high heels. She knew that she made wearing them look easy, mainly because she had been wearing that type of shoe ever since junior high, determined to be the only 'grown-up' kid there- so she had had a ton of practice gaining her balance. Unlike some girls who pathetically tripped over themselves at formal occasions. She never really felt sorry for them, knowing that it was their own faults for not testing them out before-hand to see if they could stand without falling on their faces or not.

"So what job is this Charles guy offering?" She asked, opening the question to either one of them. Jess could still feel a bit of tension in the air as she stood by them, but it was less than before and more easy to manage. She smiled, her shoulders were still a bit tense from what had happened a few minutes before. Jess was hopeful that their visit could still be a good one so long as they didn't do anything stupid and hurt each other's man-pride.

"I'm sure it won't be long until she starts saying 'Rai' too." Jess said, turning to face Raiu. She was a little worried that he was starting to get left out of the conversation, and she didn't want that to happen. "And it's nice that she can have people close to her that care about her. Thank you, Raiu." Her voice was completely sincere as she smiled at him.