whistle for the choir | clarence

[PIERCE]

☁ Pierce hadn't been out a ton in recent days. When the cold finally reached the Ascendants' territory, and despite having grown accustomed to the cold after having lived in it for the majority of his life, it had taken Pierce's body a bit by surprise, it seemed. He'd been struck with what he assumed was a case of the flu, leading him to quarantine himself until it passed. It'd been a bit lonely, but now that he'd recovered, he was ready to get back out into the clan. Old red scarf tied around his throat, the slender man stepped out of his home for the first time in what felt like weeks. The soft morning sun was harsh against his eyes at first, freckled face scrunched up to block it as he continued out into the rest of the Observatory.

It was rather empty, though that shouldn't be much of a surprise- everyone who was up this early was likely already working or had never gone to bed, and everyone else was probably asleep. A small yawn escaped Pierce's jaws, and he blinked tired eyes as they adjusted to the light, though despite his impaired vision, he continued onward at full speed, which was probably part of the reason he walked right into bump into the slightly larger wildcat before him. "Oh, I'm- I'm so sorry," he murmured, clearly flustered as he took a step back and straightened his scarf before fixing his gaze upon the feline before him.  "Hey, you're that Clarence guy, aren't you?" If not, this sure would be embarrassing, but this guy sure did seem familiar. "I'm Pierce, if you, uh, never caught that. Are you settling in okay?"

"speech"

[clarence a.]

[align=center][div style="width: 45%; text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: times new roman;"] Clarence had been up for hours. At least tonight his dreams had been more varied than usual. His sister had been burning at a stake rather than drowning. What a delightful change. His chest ached when he wondered if his promise had been fulfilled. Had they really kept her safe? Sure, they had promised, but how could he be sure they kept it? They'd tricked him before. What guarantee did he have that it wouldn't happen again? He tried not to think about it too much. It wasn't something he could control, especially now, and he would just have to hope that his family had stayed safe. If, when, he found a way back, he would make sure that promise was followed and if it wasn't... well, he wasn't sure how he'd respond. He could already imagine the pain and anger in such a situation. Anyone could be made dangerous and after the hell he'd suffered in the sea and the oddity that was his entire current existence, it was impossible to say what state he'd be in if he ever found a way home. Even if he did find a way back, there was no guarantee he'd be in his own time. He might just continue to be displaced for the rest of his life until his eventual death, assuming that wouldn't result in him appearing in a place even stranger than the one he currently inhabited.

Clarence's eyes were glazed over in thought and he didn't seem to be thinking much as he walked, focused only on his own thoughts and his routine. Usually there wasn't anyone else around this early in the morning. It was on that walk when he suddenly collided with one of the men he'd met at his arrival. His eyes widened and he stumbled backwards before his eyes fixed on the creature before him. "Oh, uh, don't worry about it. I should've paid more mind to where I was going," he answered quickly, pushing himself back to his paws and brushing off his chest. "Yes, I'm Clarence. It's good to see you again, Pierce. I've been well enough. Better off than I was initially, anyway," he answered before pausing and glancing around before his eyes focused back on the man before him. "Why're you out so early? I'm out often enough because I try to keep to a routine of sorts but I don't usually see many others."

[PIERCE]

☁ Pierce knew what it was like to have your mind constantly clouded by thoughts and memories of those once closest to you, who were so far away and whose wellbeing was entirely out of your control. He'd made the choice to leave his family back in their old home, the one which's name was still lost to him. So many details of his life before Snowbound were blurred, or completely missing, but Clementine and Riddlersgame had always been constants for him - in his memory, in his mind, in his entire life. Not being with them was one thing, but not knowing if they were safe, hell, even if they were alive was another. The worry that had choked him day in and day out had been like nothing else he had ever experienced, save for perhaps the absence of his (ex)boyfriend only a few days after they had finally admitted their feelings for one another. Even Everett, however, had not been as constant in his life as Riddlersgame.

Riddlersgame.

He tried not to think of the man too much, for the last time he had seen him had been their short, curt exchange of grievances - and some shouting on Riddler's part - before the other tabby left him with his daughter in the middle of a clan he still barely knew. Heartbreak should have been something Pierce was used to by now, but he didn't think anything had hurt more than when he had been left by the one person who had always been there. Even when they both fucked up worse than either of them ever could have imagined, they recovered, and now, after just one mistake, he was left alone.

It had gotten to the point, however, that Pierce had decided he had to get over his wallowing in his sorrows. After all, it had been a good few months since the tabby had left. Maybe it was finally time to get over his past, no matter how much it hurt- to move on, and find someone new.

The dappled feline blinked large amber eyes up at Clarence, a pleasant smile finding its way to his features as he got over his initial surprise, though there was still a slight hint of worry for the other tom in his gaze. "Good to hear," Pierce purred, giving a slight, dog-like wag of his tail as he took another half-step back.

"Why're you out so early? I'm out often enough because I try to keep to a routine of sorts but I don't usually see many others."

The truth was, this was pretty much a normal time for Pierce - or, it used to be -, but he figured, with his having not done this in a long time and Clarence being new, the black panther would be entirely unaware of that fact. "Oh, yeah, uh, I actually used to always get up at this time- I was just kind of sick recently, and I didn't want to spread it around, or anything like that." He paused, before questioning, "So you're kinda a morning person, too?"

"speech"

[clarence a.]

[align=center][div style="width: 45%; text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: times new roman;"] Clarence had never had any sort of... romantic partner. He'd expected to get one eventually, sure, but he never really actively sought one. There'd been plenty of nice young women who his mother had suggested, but he didn't find himself drawn to any of them. They were pleasant, of course, none of them had been rude, but he just didn't care to marry them. Then he'd been sent off with the Navy and that'd ended any sort of quest to find himself a wife, if that was even a goal. There were more important things to worry about than his romantic life. Besides, his romantic life in general was a confused tangle of thoughts and feelings he didn't understand how to, or didn't want to, decipher. There had been Thomas. Clarence wasn't completely blind to his own feelings. He understood, to some extent, that what he felt for the other man had been more than what friendship meant to most. But none of that mattered. He was dead and Clarence would never see him again. He was a long dead friend. While he might be able to entertain the thought of having enjoyed Thomas' company more than in the context of friendship here, it was never something he could've even been allowed to think in his own time. His family had enough concerns and rumors around them without Clarence seeking the company of another man, quite frankly. Witchcraft had to take precedence.

When Pierce seemed content that he was feeling a bit better, he simply gave a nod in response before hearing the man's next question. At this, a wry smile spread across his maw and he hesitated. "Ah, I'm not quite sure that's how I would describe it," he admitted with a soft chuckle before continuing, "I've had to wake up during unholy hours for the past year or so and habits are hard to break. While it might have been nearly 200 years for everyone else here, it was only two weeks for me." At the mention of illness, there seemed to be a slight hint of concern in the man's eyes as he regarded the other creature. "Well, I'm glad to hear you're feeling well now. I am- I was a surgeon on the Queen Charlotte. Unfortunately, I'm far too aware of how quickly such things spread."