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Log Title: Comfort

Setting: Caddy's apartment, early afternoon

Log Cast:
Catherine
Trace
Caddy

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Catherine closes the door very gently behind her, and looks into the room, while she asks Caddy with a giggle, "You mean to say you stayed up the entire night? I mean, I know it's weekend.. but I usually fall asleep even if I try to stay up past midnight.."

Trace is huddled up in one of the corners, his back to the painted grasses of the wall-mural at the far end of the apartment. Jason has left for awhile, off doing Mysterious Jason Things, as is his wont. The bluecap has his legs drawn up close to his chest in a tiny bundle of limbs and braids, chin rested on his knees. He seems an unhappy little artist indeed, and reddened hazel eyes lift to the door once it opens, but he doesn't lift his head.

Honey, I'm hooooome. A weary Caddy shuffles inside in front of Catherine, dropping her apartment keys on the floor unceremoniously along with her backpack. A little black case is in her hands, though. And that she keeps with her. "Well, you know..." Is the only reply she offers to the other girl's queries. Red just likes the night life, maybe. "So, d'you wanna...?" Probably gonna offer a drink like the good little hostess she is, but emerald eyes that had been searching for the bluecap finally hit home. And it isn't a pretty sight? "Trace?" she asks, furrowing her brow, squinting to make sure it's really him. "Trace? What...? Are you okay?" She takes another hesitant step toward him.

Catherine is in a bright mood, happily chatting with Caddy on the way over, but her eyes follow the path of the keys, onto the floor, and once she looks up over to the corner, she recognises Trace, and ends up looking straight into his eyes when they open. She blinks, and even if Caddy started to ask or offer something, it doesn't quite register. She stands fairly still for a moment, and Caddy is the first to move. But then Cathy follows her again, over towards the bluehaired boy. "Trace? Uhmm.. did we wake you up?"

Trace drudges a weak smile finally, shaking his head gently, giving his braids the slightest rustle about his face. "Naw. Ain't been sleepin'." He knuckles at his eyes, which while they are now dry, do sting from a recent overdose of salt. "M'jest... it's startin' t'look like I'm gonna be needin' to mooch on yer hospitality fer some time now, Caddy." He smirks bitterly. "Not that I kin' do that. Guess we need to start lookin' fer alternatives. Coz it's not.." He gives a shudder of a sigh. "S'not lookin' like things is gonna clear up with.. with my family. Ex family."

Well, there's something Caddy can identify with. Not sleeping. She apparently hasn't been to sleep in awhile, either, although probably for an entirely different reason than Trace's. "I'm sorry...." she offers simply, squatting down in front of her fellow artist with a slight frown. "But...you can stay here, Trace. As long as you need to. Really, I mean, I'm not gonna say it anymore. I -like- having you here." Case closed. The black case gets shifted from hand to hand as she regards the bluecap, uncertain of exactly what to do or say. Comforting words are not her forte. "Do...do you want some juice, honey?" There. Maybe OJ will make it better. The panacea.

Catherine kneels down next to Trace, and looks at him, a worried look on her face as she sees the tearstrains still fairly obvious on Trace's cheeks. She turns to Caddy, but doesn't really know what to ask there, so then just looks back at Trace again. "Uhmm.. something bad has happened? I mean.. I really don't know all that is going on.. but I thought your family.. They were supporting you.. Weren't they?" The question comes out a little hesitatingly, not sure if it's a good one to ask right now. She smiles a little as she now looks back again at Caddy, admiring the way she stays cool and logical, offering an orange juice to Trace.

Trace nods, and he must be nodding to both orange juice and Cathy's statement about his family, because he glances between both and doesn't clarify. Finally a heavy sigh is breathed past dry lips, and he says quietly, "Things happened, and Jason and I were upset and we left... Didn't say goodbye. And, and took some money from Walker to pay for a motel room that night. I went to pay them back the fifty we took outta his bag, and gived it to him but... But he was pissed and he'd thrown all our old stuff. Even.." he sniffles. "Even Jason's flute and panpipes!"

Caddy, although she has only a vague memory of Walker's and has never actually met the man, offers..."Yeah, you know how Walker can be." Don't you, though? The girl purses her lips, nodding as compassionately as possible at the rest of the story. But for some reason, as the last part is blurted about Jason's musical instruments, she seems to be supressing a laugh. Just kinda came out of nowhere, and you have to admit panpipes is kind of a funny name. Before she can start to giggle too much, though, the girl gets up and starts toward the kitchen to fill the OJ order. "I got you a present..." she mumbles on her way, holding the black case up. So that's what's in there. A present for Trace.

Catherine blinks at what Trace says, eyes widening a little, before she asks, "What? You mean.. you left there just for a short while and they threw out all kinds of stuff? And Jason's flute? I mean.. I don't even know Jason all that well and even I know how important that thing is to him... How could they do that?" She looks genuinely shocked, and shifts back a little, so she can sit down on the floor. She looks over towards Caddy, watching her go to the kitchen, but the contents of the black case doesn't have too much of her attention. She turns back to Trace and gives him a gentle shoulder pat.

"It's not funny, really," Trace admits quietly, lowering his eyes. "Jason was really good at the flute. He useta play and I'd try ta draw what I heard in it." He looks up to the kitchen's entrance, watching for Caddy to reemerge. "So why'd ya get me a present?" he wonders, and now does smile a little. Gosh. A sketchbook, a painting, and now this. Caddy must be the most generous girl alive. "What is it?" Boy can't wait a whole damn thirty seconds for it, apparantly. He's the type who rattles christmas presents to pieces and tries to peel back the wrapping enough at the seems to get a little peek at what's inside.

This is probably how Caddy deals with these things. Laughing. Admittedly, it can be enraging at times. But perhaps she's under the impression if she tries to treat it lightly, so will Trace. At any rate, the girl wanders into the kitchen, looking around for some sort of clean cup. A huge shortage of them has been happening lately, with the influx of people and all. "You'll see in a sec, sweetie..." she calls, making a disgusted face. She might actually have to -wash- a cup now. Horror. The fridge opening can be heard, a wedge of light being thrown onto the wood floor. Liquid getting poured into some container, a hollow sound as the now empty jug hits the garbage. In a moment, the redhead reappears with the drink. Not exactly in a cup. It sort of looks like a cream container, for dumping milk into coffee. Technically, these aren't for drinking out of....but hey, it works, right? Just ignore the spout in the front and the handle on the side, and we're set. "I got it from DreamDancer. They let me take whatever I want, and I saw it and thought of you. I thought it would be nice." The drink and the mysterious case get extended for the boy, one in each hand.

Catherine sighs softly and looks at Trace, as she asks, "Uhmm.. how.. personal was that flute to him? I mean... would he still be able to play as nicely when Jason gets a new flute? Or was it something that was a long time in his possesion.." She shifts a little away, giving Caddy room to move in with the present she has for Trace, now slowly getting more curious as well. She asks once Caddy returns, "Uhmm.. DreamDancer? Where is that? That's a store or something? Sounds a little weird, like they would sell that New Age stuff there.."

Trace gives a small, grateful smile and takes both the glass and the case from Caddy. The orange juice is set down in favor of presents, and his hands run over the smooth black case curiously. One glance up to Caddy, waiting for permission to open the thing, but he says to Cathy at the same time, "I don't mind New Age stuff, I guess. S'neat. Dreamcatchers and heart stones and stuff. S'like magic fer older people." He grins at the idea. Everyone needs magic, right? Well, enough waiting, he carefully opens the case and peers inside with interest.

Inside the shiny case is chalk. Lots and lots of chalk! It's not designer chalk, or anything, but it is new. Long and slender stems yet to be raped by hard pavement. And a myriad of colors, too. An assortment of hues. A pretty little package, all in all. "It's where I work. It's an art gallery, store, teaching kinda place," Caddy offers, retreating from the corner to drop herself onto the comfy couch. "I got your sketchbooks there, too...." she admits, smiling a little. You can afford to be generous when it's free, and the redhead won't pretend these presents she doles out on the two of you are expensive. "Maybe that'll cheer ya up a little, Trace."

Catherine shakes her head quickly and says softly, "Dreamcatchers aren't like New Age in that they were invented then.. It's something that is really old, what always has been used.. I have a dreamcatcher, or rather, it was a gift to me.. and I think it really does work.. I haven't had bad dreams since then.." Her eyes widen as she sees the contents of the case, then smiles brightly and says to Caddy, "Wow, that's really great.. It sounds like that's a store I should visit sometime.. Though I don't usually use more than just some paper, a pencil and an eraser.." She looks back to Trace, hoping it is cheering him up.

Trace's eyes widen at the sight of the new set of chalks. It's such a beautiful sight compared to his sad little pile of teeny chalk stubs he carries everywhere. Hazel floods and shines, but he smiles, and touches fingertips across the rainbow row of sticks. "Ohh.." He looks up at her with wonder. "That's so great, Caddy. It's... thank you. Can't thank you 'nuff." He feels an urge to just leap up and hug her, but that's not the kind of thing Trace can do with many people so he stays planted and just lets his appreciation shine all over his expression.

Caddy smiles back at Trace, picking her jean clad feet up off the floor to rest them on the couch lazily. "I knew it'd make you happy," she murmurs, reaching a hand into her jacket to produce a pack of cigarettes. The business of lighting one of them is undertaken, lips pursing slightly as she inhales. "Okay...so....what happened? I mean....before Walker threw all your stuff on the ground? Something else must have happened for him to do that...." She doesn't know him, of course. But she seems to think tossing a kid out on the street for snagging some money is harsh. "Before you took the cash. Were y'all having problems?"

Catherine leans in closer again once Caddy sits down, and she nods in agreement, asking as well, "Could you tell what happened? Don't if you don't want to, I mean.. I can imagine you wouldn't want everyone just to know about everything that might be happening.. But.. well.. Why are you sleeping here and not in the apartment.. and what's going on with you, Jason and Walker? I know it's none of my business, but I have to admit to being curious as hell. And I really hope he didn't do all that over just fifty dollars.. Not that I hope more is going on, but I hope he's not that shallow a person.. Fifty dollars is pretty much, but it's just money, and hardly as possible as possesions."

Trace sighs and huddles up a little, gently setting the chalks down, and it's clear by the care he puts in the simple action that the little case is already precious to him. "It's a horrible, huge mess," he says quietly, a belying sorrow beneath the calm. "I guess.." He looks down. "It's kinda hard to 'splain. Les' jest say that it was Benjamin's fault that Jason broke up with his lover. Totally his fault. An' Walker is Ben's husband. So... so Jason was really hurt and felt betrayed and stuff, that his relationship got ruined. So he took off, and I hadda follow him, coz..." A pause. Why did he give up his home? Well... It doesn't take long before the answer rings clear in his mind. "Coz I'll follow Jason anywhere. There's no one I'm closer to." His arms fold in his lap, tightening the huddle. "Ben feels terrible. But Walker's pissed that we stole from him and didn't say g'bye an' everything. An' now he keeps his door locked, and..." His voice is picking up in speed, in small-voiced panic, "and when I came to pay him back the fifty dollars, he said I could look through the trash fer my things, and he shouted, and called me by my real name.. and it was all jest terrible." He shakes his head as though denying the memory.

Caddy continues to smoke her cigarette through the monologue, brows knitted as she takes in this information and nods faintly. "That sounds horrible...." she murmurs quietly, a slight frown creasing her lips. The redhead flounders for a minute, probably trying to come up with something terribly comforting or wise to say. "I mean, I'm sorry." That's all she can think of, but she seems somewhat pleased with it. Seems better than going on about how tragic it all is or offering advice. "But....if you can't go back to the apartment. Feel free to stay. Hell, you can live here. It's not like y'all are any trouble." Did she say she wasn't g oing to say it again? Oops. This just seemed like a good time to reiterate.

Catherine listens very quietly and keeps staring off to the ground, but finally looks back up at Trace's face, while he tells his story. She looks a little sad, and just lightly nods, a wry smile on her lips. Well, she did ask to hear all this, so now she got it. She frowns, as she ordens her thoughts, then says, "I think you did the best thing.. and a very brave thing.. Sticking with Jason I mean.. It's easy to stay in a safe home and for that try to ignore others, but I think it must mean a lot to Jason that you followed and helped him.. And Walker is just all wrong.. And pretty insensitive as well.. If his husband thinks he did something wrong and feels bad about it, he should be trying to make things better, not aggrevate the wounds.. The stupid jerk.." She leans slightly over, knowing not to hug Trace, but she gives him a light squeeze on the shoulder, showing she understands. (Or at least tries to.)

Trace's eyes widen a little, but he nods faintly. "I, um. We'll see. I dunno." A little chuckle.. Jason and Caddy keep missing one another. They probably ought to meet and see if they even get along before they go moving in permanently. But he still smiles gratefully for the offer. As Caddy gets up and bustles off to work, and Cathy squeezes his shoulder, he looks over to the younger girl and gives a smile that tries to be courageous. "Thanks, Cathy," he murmurs. "I guess... He didn't useta be a jerk, but he's got me so hurt and confused right now. I guess I really jest need time away from his stormy emotions t'jest get my head straight an' figger everything out. An' help Jason learn t'smile again."

Catherine shifts her position slightly, sitting sideways now, legs sticking out to the side. She watches Caddy head out, looking over her shoulder until the door closes with a soft click, then turns back to Trace and asks softly, "So.. howis Jason taking it? I mean, I know not too good, probably, but do you feel he'll get over it, as soon as people like Walker stop poking around at the sore spot?" She smiles back at the smile, and says, "Well, perhaps the marriage has changed him somewhat.. Or.. well.. I guess everyone is pretty protective over the others.."

"Jason's not taking it well," Trace admits hushedly. "He.. he useta be so fulla mischief an' fire, y'know? He jest.. He really loved this person. An' now it's all ruined, and he feels like his family betrayed him." A little shrug. "He thinks Walker was a part've it somehow. And Glass admitted he helped screw things up. And that's jest practically our whole family right there.. All shattered, when we was all so close." He picks up the forgotten OJ and sips at it, eyes dark and thoughtful. "Well... We still got friends. And Caddy's been so nice about her place, and it jest gives me hope that thing's'll still be alright. There's other folks out there what care 'bout us.."

Catherine nods slowly and she wrinkles her nose a little, when she mutters, "Well, Glass is good at that.. Messing up things I mean... Or perhaps that's just a personal opinion... sorry.. I shouldn't be saying that.." She shakes her head quickly, then sighs, "It's just that.. I can relate a little.. I know how it feels when you think you have all these people around you.. and before you know it it all falls apart and you don't see or want to see anyone anymore.." She smiles now when she says, "But Caddy's been great, I think it's really nice of her to let you stay. You do have a blanket and everything? If there's some way I can help, let me know, please?"

Epilogue: Trace admits that they don't have blankets or pillows actually, but they do alright just lying close together. Later that evening she drops off two pillows and two blankets for the boys. Awww. :)