Interactions : cris à Doris et à Fletcher 
Lieu: Appartement Balcony -> Hallway




" Assez de temps pour comprendre / Comment chasser mon blues / Je me suis bien débrouillé jusqu'à présent / C'est la lumière du jour qui me montre comment / Et quand la nuit tombe, la solitude appelle "

Les week-ends n'étaient pas à lui. Enfant, le vendredi à venir s'est effondré de toute résolution que Clarence avait eue. Les serrures occupaient diverses invitations, lettres et notes professant l'amour enfantin, et les couloirs brouillaient après la dernière cloche avec des enfants qui avaient des plans. Les fêtes. Des accrochages. J'ai promis d'appeler. Amis. Clarence avait son livre et un chat paresseux et n'avait pas l'œil droit pour le tenir compagnie. Clarence redoutait les week-ends, qui restaient inchangés. Cette fois, cependant, il a eu des amis, ou du moins des gens qui ont toléré sa présence pendant plus de quelques minutes. Le week-end, il les avait encore et ils n'hésitaient pas à le tenir compagnie. Cela ne réparait pas la question d'une présence qu'il désirait surtout : ses filles.
Il y a un peu plus d'un an, lui et son ex avaient tous deux accepté les conditions. Elle ne pouvait pas s'occuper d'un enfant à plein temps, même si elle aimait Arianna tout de même - Clarence a soutenu qu'elle ne l'aimait pas assez. Bien sûr, ça ne voulait pas dire qu'elle ne voulait pas voir sa fille, tant que ça voulait dire garder Clarence hors de vue. Donc, trois jours sur sept, elle avait leur fille et les autres étaient à Clarence. Malheureusement pour lui, son travail exigeait qu'il travaille ses cinq jours tout au long des jours de semaine. Du lundi au vendredi, avec presque une garantie d'heures supplémentaires au moins un de ces jours, s'il a eu de la chance.
La plupart de ses matins de week-end consistaient à dormir, juste pour ce fait. Il avait un jour de congé, ce qui signifiait qu'il n'avait absolument rien d'inquiétant son temps. Aucune distraction n'a signifié une anxiété épouvantable et cela signifiait presque certainement descendre à la station-service la plus proche pour commander un paquet de Marlboros ou deux et ensuite perdre la journée en les fumant sur son balcon. Pas aujourd'hui. Clarence refusa absolument de succomber à son habitude.
Cela signifiait se réveiller tôt, se forcer à faire de l'exercice et manger un repas important qui n'était pas sorti. Avec cela fait et encore, Clarence se laissa paître contre les rampes de son petit balcon pour prendre dans le ciel ecchymose et la navette matinale paresseuse. Cet été était passé si vite et c'était une merveille qu'ils aient laissé un nouveau venu comme lui prendre même un jour de congé. Apparemment, le chef avait une faiblesse pour les petites filles qui pouvaient utiliser la beauté comme arme. Peu de gens s'attendaient à ce que sa petite fille connaisse les arts de la manipulation si tôt. Un cuisinier a écrit la mort de l'homme et il a laissé Clarence une semaine de congé pour passer du temps avec sa fille. Il n'était pas difficile de se rappeler la semaine laxiste, ou du moins se détendre quelques jours; leur entrée dans des vacances nécessaires a commencé par l'agitation des parcs d'attractions. Cela s'est transformé en un agréable séjour dans un hôtel avec une grande piscine et un grand parc où ils avaient passé la plupart de leurs jours. Il s'est terminé par un dernier tour dans le parc d'attractions et une soirée tranquille a passé à regarder des films.
Même avec un travail stable qui a payé assez bien pour vivre confortablement, Clarence n'avait pas exactement le changement de poche pour aller quelque part plus grand, plus cher. Cela signifiait que Disneyland et Disney World avaient été hors de vue et une tonne d'autres choses. Mais Aria n'avait pas pensé, après tout, à un enfant de six ans, un carrousel était un carrousel était un carrousel. Tant qu'elle pouvait monter sur la licorne, elle était heureuse. Et c'est vraiment tout ce qui comptait. Dieu, était-il heureux qu'elle n'ait pas pris beaucoup pour plaire. Mais si elle le demandait, il trouverait un moyen. Avoir une fille comme une faiblesse paralysante signifiait un portefeuille souvent vide. Une bénédiction déguisée qu'elle n'exigeait pas beaucoup.
En rentrant chez lui, Clarence s'est dirigé vers son placard et sa douche. En prenant un rapide, Clarence passe le reste de son temps à se toiletter. Ça s'est terminé plus vite qu'il ne le voudrait à la raquette simultanée du bout du couloir. Il maudit, ramenant le rasoir trop fort contre sa mâchoire. Une légère litanie de malédictions suivit tandis que Clarence termina. Paranoïa l'a exhorté à mettre la petite blessure dans l'antiseptique avant de la couvrir d'une petite bande d'aide de bande de Batman (Arianna a insisté et il s'est indulgent parce que, pendant qu'elle regardait les spectacles de gamins typiques, elle avait une fascination pour le super-héros et attribuait souvent tout ce que Batman avait à son père).
En quelques instants, le regard d'acier de Clarence sortit de sa porte d'entrée, se préparant déjà pour le froid de septembre avec un pull marron et un pantalon noir serré. "Qu'est-ce qui meurt?" il murmura et glissa pieds nus et légèrement confus. La première porte à laquelle il est arrivé, et la plus proche, s'est avérée être Doris' d'où la plupart du bruit a soufflé. "Hey Dory", a-t-il frappé et secoué en place, a-t-il l'intention de refuser un peu? J'ai du café chaud et je vais, euh, regarder dans l'autre sens s'il arrivait de vouloir voler une photo de mon bourbon pour ajouter un peu de "arôme"." Honnêtement, l'alcool n'a pas l'air trop mauvais, mais malheureusement il en a surtout gardé dans sa maison pour la compagnie - il ne pouvait pas vraiment boire lui-même. Les gens aimaient l'appeler léger et il ne voulait pas le nier, parce que ce n'était pas tout à fait faux. Il n'a pas pu s'empêcher que son foie refuse de traiter les choses.
Après un moment d'attente, il aperçut la porte de Fletcher à peine ouverte et roula les yeux pour y jeter un coup d'œil tranquille. J'espère qu'il est revenu d'un jogging ou autre et qu'il a oublié de le fermer. Que Dieu l'aide s'il ne l'a pas fermé la veille. S'il pouvait presser quelqu'un pour l'inquiéter inutilement, ce serait Fletcher... ou Max... ou Lewis. Il s'est serré la tête et a glissé dans l'entrée de l'appartement pour appeler son couloir. "C'est Clarence! Vous pouvez vous joindre à nous pour prendre un café dans mon appartement, si vous voulez." Dieu savait que Clarence avait besoin de la compagnie. Il a fini par : « Et la prochaine fois, vérifiez votre porte d'entrée. Pour toutes les fois que j'aimerais avoir à choisir une serrure, c'est probablement la seule fois. »
Avec cela, Clarence agita les quelques résidents qui passèrent avant de retomber dans son propre appartement. Il a laissé la porte ouverte alors qu'il était rembourré dans sa cuisine, et a rapidement allumé la télé comme il l'a fait. Le babble insensé d'un télédiffuseur a permis à Clarence de débarquer pendant qu'il faisait les quelques tasses de café. Il a pris place sur le seul tabouret de bar à l'extrémité de l'île et a laissé les deux autres ouverts pour quiconque voulait le rejoindre. Clarence s'est amusée, éteignant la télé en faveur de la radio, laissant sortir une douce explosion de Whitney Houston et se retrouvant tout de suite en train de s'élancer jusqu'à ses tonalités fulgurantes. "Tu veux danser avec quelqu'un," a-t-il cru, calme pour qu'il entende, "je veux sentir la chaleur avec quelqu'un."
⧉ Send My Love - Adele ⧉ Stone Cold - Demi Lovato ⧉ Yellow - Coldplay ⧉
"Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously near to wanting nothing."
- Sylvia Plath


  
❱ ❱ ❱ N A M E ❱ ❱ ❱
Clarence Crawford Daily
❱ ❱ ❱ A G E ❱ ❱ ❱
32
❱ ❱ ❱ G E N D E R ❱ ❱ ❱
Male
❱ ❱ ❱ S E X U A L I T Y ❱ ❱ ❱
Homosexual
❱ ❱ ❱ O C C U P A T I O N ❱ ❱ ❱
Police Detective



  
❱ ❱ ❱ A P P E A R A N C E ❱ ❱ ❱
All strapping lad and charming dad in one complete package. There's something compelling in the arched back, wide set shoulders, and small waist of Detective Daily. Covered in pinstripe suits (on sale, of course) and pomade, with a spritz of cologne that smells undoubtedly like a JC Penny's, Clarence Daily doesn't necessarily command that great of a presence. However, it can't be said that he doesn't demand some kind of attention. After all, despite the cheap businessman knock-off he has going for himself, some of his 'charm' owes a lot to his inherent confidence. Or rather, his astuteness in his own field - everything else is up for question.
Outside of his professional getup, Clarence commands a better eye for casual detail. Days spent with a friend making sure his closet didn't scream 'DAD' means Clarence treads the line of 'Too old for hipster crap' and 'Mid-life Crisis Frat Boy' very, very carefully. He cut the line at skinny jeans and it's helped tremendously. Shirts that are this size too small in the summer, with jeans that hug but don't constrict, a pair of cheap glasses that fake expensive Aviators with the best of 'em, make up most of Clarence's closet. He contains a whole other collection of winter wear, from regal pea coats to fluffy jumpers, and a number of sweaters that range from stylish to comfortably worn.
On a man his size, it doesn't do harm to lessen that intimidation factor by layering on a ton of winter clothes. Despite a chubby phase through the beginning of college, Clarence didn't do quite so bad when it came to his genes (determination being a prominent one). From a glance Clarence cuts a fine figure: torso heavy with sinewy arms, a skinnier waist than usual with legs that have seen their fair share of 5K's, an abundance of muscles that aid in giving Clarence a wide birth. Pale skin covers heavily in his features, with fine hairs coating his limbs and a spatter on his chest and stomach. Careful consideration in clothing choice and it's not hard to fill out most of his clothes in just the right way.
With a face of mostly hard, defined angles and low hanging, square jaw it's hard to see the smoothness in Clarence's complexion. The sharp nose, jutting over a wide, cupid's bow pair of lips throw heavy shadows on the curve of his cheeks. Shrewd eyes sink beneath crisp line of his eyebrows, plagued by the purple bruise of bags and the stretch of crows feet that hang a dullness over the vibrant blue. Though masculine in feature, Clarence can't deny the gentle contrast of long eyelashes and smooth skin only moderately addled by age lines that mottle his forehead. The glow of health only intensifies under the paleness of his features, even beneath the brush of facial hair that sometimes dusts his cleft chin and hardened jaw. Most of all that's apparent is the tired hang of laugh lines, the upturned curve of his lip, and the hunch in his shoulders that give a close inspection a clue as to how much stress comes with both the job of a detective and the title of a single father.
❱ ❱ ❱ H A B I T S ⥌ Q U I R K S ❱ ❱ ❱
❖ Smoking; it's an awful habit that's he's trying to get rid of.
❖ Has a tendency to take things literally - to an insufferable degree.
❖ Chews on whatever's in his hand at the time. Most everything, at least.
❖ When using a blanket, Clarence has a habit of wrapping his entire self in the covers.
❱ ❱ ❱ L I K E S ❱ ❱ ❱
❖ Flowers; things move too fast sometimes, so there's something to be said about caring for a plant. They demand without force and need without want beyond the necessities - plants expect simplicity and that's enough for a man bogged down in everyday complexities.
❖ Winter; cold weather calls for bundling up and there's nothing better than the comfort of layers to add a modest security. If the world stretches thin with paranoia, at least their's the certainty of warmth for the cold.
❖ Warm Drinks; nothing warms the soul like a good, hot cup of anything. He's currently weening himself off of smoking and Clarence finds warm drinks (like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate) have the most positive effect for him.
❖ 80s Pop; a weird one, but one he finds gets his blood pumping for a work out. Also helps lighten his mood and his limbs. Just don't catch him dancing; his face turns a magnificent color red.❖ Sweaters; any kind of sweater is a good sweater, but mostly those fleece or wool sweaters. Those are the goddamned warmest.
❱ ❱ ❱ D I S L I K E S ❱ ❱ ❱
❖ Smoking; it's a bad habit and he avoids smoking like the plague.
❖ Abandoned Coffee; nothing tastes worse than lukewarm coffee. That washed out taste not only ruins his mood, but ruins his breath (more than regular coffee would, in the first place).
❖ Clutter; due to his more than clumsy nature, Clarence has a tendency to stub his toe more on average than a regular human. So, to minimize the risk, he minimizes the amount of stray corners he can nearly break his pinky toe on.
❖ Off-white; it's a weird dislike, but it reminds him of clouding an apartment in smoke and seeing the once crisp, white, plaster walls turn a sickly off-white yellow. He's disliked the color ever since.
❖ Losing Things; Clarence has everything filed down to a T, so losing things infuriates him.
❱ ❱ ❱ B I G G E S T F E A R ❱ ❱ ❱
Complacency; not necessarily in his own achievements but in a mediocre living. He's afraid of becoming complacent in a life he didn't want to begin with, or in simply being content with a life where he has yet to achieve his goals - where he'd abandoned his goals for lesser ones. Ones he didn't come up with in the first place. Living with parents who always thought they knew best and who urged him to do things he never wanted in the first place cultivated this fear in his early teens. Only when realizing he'd succumbed to those fears had he realized his own mistakes. Occasionally, Clarence becomes desperate to keep himself from sinking to those lows ever again and often loses sight in himself and others around him.
❱ ❱ ❱ P E R S O N A L I T Y ❱ ❱ ❱
As a young boy, it's not hard to find a dream - or multiple ones. For Clarence that dream fluctuated often; a constant up-down dynamic with each phase lasting years at a time. Clearly, he'd found his passion quite early on and, even in finding a depression in it, he held the torch of his early dreams close to his chest. The skills he learned, the talents, often carried him through life easily, while, on occasion, also burdened him in other areas. Both the pursuit of knowledge and the drive of curiosity featured heavily in Clarence's personal building blocks - his foundation, as a person. That, in itself, lead to a numerous amount of accomplishments and further building of knowledge throughout his years in education.
However, that drive had a knack for lacking an off-switch. Thus, Clarence found burnouts often and with a frequency that shoved Clarence in a bed for days on end. Studying, homework, research not only got done in advance, but despite this vigilance, they continued to pile. Clarence thrived on work, yet he worked endlessly. Diligence drove Clarence into the ground more times than he had fingers and toes. This not only branched into his academics, but further spread into his social life. Relationships meant tireless work and that held his partners, his friends, to an extremely high expectation. He wasn't one for perfection, but Clarence couldn't simply sit around doing nothing. (When the show Parks and Rec hit daytime TV, many of his friends were quick to label him the male version of Leslie Knope; he wasn't one to refute the notion, though he knew he couldn't achieve that much whimsy.)
In older years, when the time came to settle down, Clarence had an undeniable fear towards his own acceptance. By his family. By his friends. By society, as a whole. Though his drive and determination were one for the record books, not much could be said for his own self-confidence. He succumbed to the pressures of his mind and of his family, settled down with a girl, got an office job, and ran himself into the ground. A degree for criminal justice hung unused in his office and his dreams had slowly been swallowed by his own fears. It took years into a marriage before he could start climbing back up, which started with quitting his job and stirring a boiling pot with his wife. It took another year before he became a detective for the local police force and by then he'd already dug his own life into an early grave. A daughter on the way caused him to hesitate until four years into her life, he decided to come to terms with himself.
Now free of burdens, Clarence gained a new found wisdom in life. Complacency isn't a thing to be proud of, but neither is tireless work with no pay off. It took a bit of conditioning before Clarence allowed himself little moments to relax. Whether by watching the sunset or watering his plants, Clarence always took time to wind down and allow himself to appreciate having something to live for. Having the confidence to be who he was always meant to be and chase a dream still alive in his mind and his heart. Sure, that burned a lot of bridges, but it eventually created new ones and he hadn't lost everything he'd built up. In fact, everything he did lose just made room for things he actually cared for. Like a home to himself, a job he's wanted since he was a kid, and the opportunity to watch his daughter grow up.



  
❱ ❱ ❱ B A C K G R O U N D ❱ ❱ ❱
Uneventful, mostly. Summed up, Clarence adolescence up to his high school years ended up mostly with his nose stuck in a book. Academics had always been an important part of Clarence's life and quite early on, he learned to have an appreciation for learning. In all honesty, Clarence was kind of a boring kid. He was the type to spend most of his days studying, reading, and generally being a good student.
The introvert in him shied away from most socialization, preferring solitude and close friends over crowded events. Thus, the relationships he did make, though few and far between, tended to last. Those with his family, however, seemed more than strained. An overall conservative family with a flair for tight-knit, neighborhood community blew all the energy out of their eldest child all for the sake of coaxing him out of his shell. And yet, in spite of their comforting words, they only thinly veiled the judgment inherent in their personalities - after all, living in a community driven suburbia fueled gossip like no other. As he grew older and the years drew shorter, Clarence drew further in when it came to his confidence and self-assurance - only ever pressured by his parents when it came to living up to their expectations.
The only saving grace came with having understanding siblings with similar minds. Though both had outgoing personalities - or appeared so, in Murphy's case - they hadn't appreciated the pressure wrought on by both parents. The need to represent an ideal family, one molded in the image both mother and father demanded, worked less to unify and more to estrange their children. It further drove them to seek other forms of acceptance, in each other first and then in the friends they made as they moved on from the household. With connections maintained (somewhat with their parents) and their own goals to pursue, it gradually got more difficult to reach the kind of understanding they had as kids. Still, when one needed the other, they'd reach out and they'd listen. What mattered was the attempt to understand and even in their own disagreements, they did find solace in each other.
As time continued stepping forward, Clarence eventually let himself dig too deep. In doing so, the rope that tied him to each of his loved ones grew taught and thin. Crowded in himself and the subconscious need for acceptance, Clarence succumbed to his parents' wishes; after the numerous calls and conversations over holiday dinners, the pressure burdened his shoulders far too much. Giving up his dreams was only the first step and eventually Clarence found himself settled down with someone whom he could likely never love. Someone he grew to resent despite her effort. The steady climb started out of a burning guilt toward himself; he'd lost so much to crippling fear - to pressure - that he couldn't live with himself if he simply grew complacent with a life he didn't want in the first place.
Eventual responsibility hindered his pace - even if the child that came along would never be a hindrance to his goals. That responsibility lay in providing a family and a good, ample space to grow up. That slowing in pace didn't do well for Clarence's mental health and despite his improving career and the steps he took to achieve a dream he'd had since his younger days. The opportunity to finally break off the cycle of pressure, fear, and stress didn't come until much later in his daughter's life.
He'd asked himself many, many times how he could smile so brightly when filing for divorce. Any other person who'd caught their spouse cheating would have taken the ordeal a hell of a lot worse. And yet, Clarence felt like he was signing some kind of emancipation. The real ordeal had been in fighting for custody and actually splitting the money evenly. While he achieved a majority of Aria's time, he still had to wallow in the weekends he could no longer see her. Despite the stress of trying to achieve full custody, Clarence spent the days he could mellowing out. That meant buying a new apartment, coming out to both friends and family, and finding a job with coworkers he actually liked. That last part's still in the works, however.
Settling down in Eden Gardens had been an obvious choice. Despite its close proximity to the university, it also boasted a rather safe neighborhood. Even if the rides to Aria's elementary school took longer than necessary, the opportunity to raise his daughter in a healthy environment was too good to pass up. Even with the college residents, he found enough peace and quiet in his daily routine to alleviate the built up stress and allow himself a decently healthy lifestyle. Or, at least, enough to keep from drowning himself in work until he nearly died of exhaustion - he had a kid to take care of, after all.
❱ ❱ ❱ R E L A T I O N S ❱ ❱ ❱
Relationship Status - Recently Divorced
Partner - N/A
Father - Ronald Daily 
Mother - Delilah Daily 
Siblings - Roger Daily ; Murphy Daily 
Pet/s - Ginger Rogers
Other - Arianna Daily-Pierce 
❱ ❱ ❱ E X T R A ❱ ❱ ❱
❖ Clarence has slight heterochromia. Both eyes are a crisp shade of blue, but the left one contains a large chunk that's dark brown.
❖ Clarence is allergic to alcohol - or rather, he has an alcoholic intolerance. The enzymes in his liver can't convert alcohol into acetic acid, making it rather toxic to his body - at least, in moderate to high doses.
❖ Clarence's Spirit Animal: Eagle.
❖ Arianna takes quite a bit from her father, yet what he lacks in creativity she more than makes up for. She's quite the imaginative girl, a little too curious for her own good, and, while intelligent for her age, isn't way above par compared to other kids in her class. Most of all, she's somewhat aware of her father's situation and does her best to help out when she can - even if it's just by drawing a picture or helping out with breakfast. Aria's a tad stubborn, though, and even when told something doesn't work, she likes to figure it out for herself; she's got a little independent streak going for her that can end up rather aggravating.

  

"Sweet kid. Couldn't see him hurting a fly, unless that fly personally assaulted his sister. Real good with kids, or at least with Arianna."
Nothing much to say here, other than Clarence appreciates every bit of work Alex does for him, even if it mostly consists of watching Aria when Clarence has her for the weekdays. It's not usually an issue for him, seeing as she goes to school and he comes home just an hour after classes end for the day. She stays at the after school care for most of the time. However, there tends to be days where Clarence can't see himself coming home anywhere near on time, usually he knows when those days happen in advance and is able to call either Alex or his sister to see if they can pick Aria up at 4:30. It's only happened occasionally, once every few months, but the times work springs up on him with little warning are the days he cherishes the twins, especially Alex. He's been nothing but kind and courteous and an absolute godsend on days he can't make it home until late at night and is unable to give good forewarning.
He makes sure to tape a bar of chocolate on their door and a thank you note (after paying them both, of course) as often as he can spare. Weather and AC permitting, of course.

"A misanthrope. She's got some fire, at least. The good thing, though, is that she stays out of actual, real trouble"
A girl with distaste for authority. Or, at least rules and guidelines. Honestly, though, for all that fire and distaste, Clarence hasn't actually witnessed Abby do anything... truly illegal, in the sense that she's a dangerous individual. She's just blunt, a rebel, and extremely stubborn. She watched her closely the first time he met her, earned her ire for it, and backed off when he figured she wasn't looking to actually go around acting like a hoodlum. He does his best to give her a wide berth and just generally give her space she both needs and wants. Not necessarily ignoring her, but then again, Clarence is 100% positive she'd prefer that to anything else. Despite accusations of bribing her with delicious snacks and Clarence's denial and constant excuse of, "They just gave me more than I ordered," he still always makes room in his carry out for Abby and Alex.

"If I can count on anyone to both simultaneously look at me as if I've grown a second head while also undressing me with their eyes, I mean... Cassandra's got that covered."
Being a year long resident, Clarence has known Cassandra for the entire month she moved in. Doesn't know much about her, but he knows her. He does his best to make nice with everyone and is kinda the type to spend money getting people food. Being the wall of muscle he is, Clarence volunteered to help move most of Cassandra's heavy furniture into her house and offered to do so again any time she required the assistance. Afterwards, he bought her a whole pizza and sat in silence while they both ate. She has a tendency to look at him funny, and it's hard to tell whether she's spaced or is actively staring at him. Clarence, however, is definitely used to it by now.

"You get used to the 'Dad' thing. Luckily, Jack only ever calls me 'Officer', though the 'Sir' is kind of pushing it."
There are a lot of people in the complex that call him Dad - and few he's urged, very sternly, not to call him Daddy - so it's no surprise that a few look to him as a father figure. A lot of them tend to vary around college age and most actually do attend college. While it's obvious he isn't quite old enough to be their actual fathers, Clarence has no qualms with potentially being considered such. One person he definitely has no issues with: Jack. Not only is Jack undoubtedly kind, he's smart and really good with his daughter. Arianna's creative, but she's always taken to building things and her curiosity is insurmountable. Jack does a great deal sating that curiosity and she always comes back asking her questions he has absolutely no answers to. It's nice when your own kid stumps you with trivia on a weekly basis, means she's gonna go far and has more than smarts to take her there.
He's mistimed it a few times, but Clarence is usually punctual whenever he leaves a carton of ice cream hanging on Jack's door handle after one of his classes.

"Kid's a ghost. Literally. Any time he sees me he looks about ready to drop dead."
The most likely scenario for Kimberly's attitude around him: he's got weed somewhere in his apartment. When he doesn't actually see Clarence, Kim's usually calm and abnormally quiet. He's still quiet once Clarence passes, but he's more than likely to retreat into meerkat mode and slink back into his apartment. Literally, all the cops he knows has at least done something terribly stupid within the day, so Clarence understands what mistakes are. Hell, most of them smoked marijuana through out their high school career. So, to try and stave off any worries about getting caught doing something likely benign, Clarence tries his best to be a calming force whenever he roams the halls and catches sight of Kimberly. Of course, he doesn't really know why Kim acts the way he does and isn't one to pry, so he leaves the kid to his own devices.
However, any time he makes a pass by the local coffee shop or Starbucks, he makes sure to order an extra if he knows Kim's due home from work the same time he is. Those days, Aria usually blackmails her dad into getting her an extra chunky chocolate chip muffin.

"I don't mind her. Doesn't mean I talk to her."
To an investigative mind like Clarence, Quinn isn't exactly the enigma she claims to be. Or rather, she doesn't claim to be anything but herself. Still, a lot of people don't know her or her motivations - Clarence only mildly included. He doesn't like to pry when he's not welcome and with Quinn, he's usually not welcome to do anything but spare a passing 'Hello'. It's a weird kind of agreement. They don't hate each other, but they don't like each other either. She's nice to his daughter, at least, whenever she has the time to say hello, at least it's in a sweet voice.
On occasion, he's dug enough into a background check ('cause he's not dumb and he screens a lot of the residents himself, despite it... kind of being illegal. He doesn't go too far, just enough to determine whether they're not going to be of any harm to his daughter) to eek out a journalism degree, but that's really it. Again, Clarence still values privacy, but he can't help digging just a bit - so far it's usually only past criminal records, jobs, and education. Regardless, he's at least attempted to slip in some connection to places she might not have checked in order to help her push herself to achieve her own dreams.

"Hey, so, don't let the daughter fool you, but I'm gay."
His likely first words ever, to her. On occasion, he'll remember and laugh about it in private, but Clarence assumes it's still a rather big embarrassment for Doris. Still, he likes talking with her and her blunt nature can provide some pretty decent laughs. It's nice seeing assholes fall flat on... well, their asses when they're persistent and Doris is obviously not interested. They get along rather well, despite their first fiasco, and Clarence appreciates her company probably more than most in the complex.
Often times, he'll tune in when he knows she's working and occasionally that means during his usual Friday Nights spent making homemade pizza with Aria. He'll dance with his daughter, jive, and sing his absolute ass off. And when she happens to be home, unlike most residents, she'll join in from across the hall 'cause he happens to listen music she actually likes. On occasion he'll ask her what musical she suggests 'cause he so happens to maybe wanna see something sometime whenever and totally not because he enjoys her enthusiasm for theatre and music, in general.
Because he's apparently the resident dad, Clarence obviously doesn't help himself at all when he sits down for an entire day off without Arianna and listens to entire tracks to Broadway musicals. Then he proceeds to walk precisely when he knows Doris is up and awake down the hall to start out a morning jog and belts out whatever musical he's feeling that day, throughout the hall (this is usually when everyone is awake, luckily) and happily continues when he hears her join in.
Yeah and he wonders exactly why everyone calls him Dad all the goddamn time.

"It just takes a little push."
All these college kids and every one of them thinking he's some special guy with all the answers. Well, truth be told, Clarence doesn't know shit, but at least he's kind enough to actually tell them he doesn't know rather than feed someone bullshit. Of course, what he does know, he'll gladly give advice for and what he does know is diligence and the importance of hard work. For Clarence it's extremely easy to take a stern role in Max's life, while also not coming off as overbearing. Being an investigator makes it easy to read people, sometimes, or at least, easy to read body language and cues. Most of the time, he knows when to back off.
Knowing Max has a bit of a party issue, Clarence took a few... liberties stealing his school schedule from under his nose the moment he got it, printing off a copy, and making sure the guy's up and off his ass an hour before class starts. As long as Clarence can find time to do it, he has no qualms with busting in and dragging the kid into a pair of clean clothes and risk being late to make sure he actually gets to class on time.
But, he's also one to make sure Max understand the meaning of food and indulges him in family size packs of chips or an entire bag filled to the brim with chocolate. Hey, a guy who's rather in shape can risk a few empty calories here and there.

"It's that judge a book by its cover and then totally regret ever judging another human being again kind of situations."
One thing Clarence prides himself on: being able to read people and do it well. It's why he's an investigator. Clarence has an eye for picking out things people miss and not giving up when things look simple, plain, and 100% discovered. Unfortunately, he does have his slip ups and Nathan is a prime example of that. He considered the guy a dolt when he first met him, and wondered exactly how he could ever walk two feet out of his front door without creating an entire disaster.
And boy was he wrong.
After spending a year in Nathan's company, Clarence has gotten a quick dose of reality. The guy's a genius, self-sufficient, working on his PhD, and can support himself alone working as a barista. And here Clarence is with a daughter he shouldn't have (but would die for), years of his life wasted in an unhappy marriage, only just now able to chase his dreams, and trying to support his daughter while also taking on the burden everyone else carries?
Seriously, no one appreciate's Nathan's company like Clarence does. A good laugh does him good and Nathan's helpful nature has gotten Clarence out of a tight spot more times than he can count. To be honest, yeah Clarence is kinda looked on as the father figure by other people, but the real Samaritan comes in the form of a goofball barista willing to drop everything to help out a stranger. And a lot of the times, he goes unnoticed for that. Clarence makes sure Nathan knows he's got a friend in him, one who appreciates the things he does.
On the weekends, whenever Clarence is feeling down without his daughter should she be at her mothers, he often finds himself at Nathan's door with a bag of groceries for whatever dish he's feeling. Nathan doesn't seem the type to turn him away and he usually doesn't, so they end up cranking the volume on the radio or iPod, cooking a meal for two, and hanging out watching whatever dumb show's on Netflix. Clarence has no funny ideas about Nathan's sexuality, but if he did swing that way, Clarence would have probably asked the guy on a date the second time Nathan tried to impress him at Mundo. He's certainly a catch, in spite of first impressions.

"People don't realize it, but it's pretty easy to tell when someone's checking you out. I'm pretty sure if I came out naked, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference."
Just looking at the kid makes Clarence frown. But not out of contempt, or anything petty like that, but mostly of concern. He's fairly new and he's refrained on any background checks; to be honest, the kid looks more of a danger to himself than anyone else. Of course, Clarence doesn't mention that. It's rude and kind of disrespectful to expect someone to air their grievances just because someone notices. He doesn't mind the stares, though, he understands and has been on that side of the fence plenty of time. Hell, just the other day he's pretty sure he... uh...
Anyway, Clarence does his best to do little things for the guy. Whether that's making sure he's had his dinner, letting the kid mooch off his Netflix account and wireless internet, or just smiling at him. Letting him know there's someone just a few doors down that's willing to at least bask in good ol' comfortable silence. Of course, most of that silence is probably going to be filled with Lewis attempting to be subtle while trying to fantasize what it's like to have someone as tall and imposing as Clarence hovering over him in a totally sexual way. As long as the kid doesn't call him 'Daddy.' His daughter calls him that... please... for the sake of his sanity...

"I... I don't like owing people things. I just hope the day I decide to take him up on his offer, that those pictures aren't exactly on the house. Just in my house."
Well, Clarence doesn't exactly know much about Rucks other than that he's a pretty friendly guy. Good to talk to and takes amazing photos. Really, between what he does for everyone, his daughter, the whole fiasco with his ex-wife, and his job, it's hard to make time for... well, everyone else. Of course, Clarence does make sure he takes the time to speak and do something for everyone that's on his floor, at least. Rucks happens to be one of those people and, well, he really doesn't know Rucks enough to aid him with much other than that he likes taking pictures. If he finds Rucks inspired by moment Clarence happens to be right in the middle of, he does his best not to notice 'cause candid pictures are usually the best. At least, that's what he heard. He's not the time to preen, either, and kind of shies away from cameras. Of course, any time Rucks offers, Clarence usually declines unless Rucks actively states a dollar amount. In which case, Clarence has no issues shelling out money for a few photos of him and his daughter. Of course, he's pretty sure Rucks knows he won't say no as long as he gives Clarence some kind of price. It's left Clarence with way too many pictures to hang around the house and leaves him suspicious that Rucks is purposefully selling him these pictures at a highly discounted rate.

"I'm mildly glad people go to her for desserts. I'm a terrible baker, but hey, at least I can make a mean risotto."
Meeting Vanessa was a bit...
Well, it was kind of...
To be frank, Clarence really...
What's a good way to explain. Really, incredibly awkward? Kinda like talking to someone who thinks every word they say is some kind of flirtation that's unwanted. However, that was only the first meeting and Clarence quickly bulldozed over any kind of awkward advances by straight coming out to her. It's made interactions between them a lot easier and smoother, for the most part. She's still quiet, kind of tends to look at things deeply and for long periods of time. After a few times hanging out with her, eating her food and letting Arianna help bake, he's noticed Vanessa isn't exactly what everyone presumes her to be. Now, Clarence doesn't exactly know what that entails, but he thinks she appreciates that he doesn't see her as a stereotypical introvert. Just because it's hard talking to people doesn't mean you don't want to, is usually the point.
Because Vanessa is the type to share food willingly and overcook for that exact reason and Clarence hates owing people things for longer than a week, he's usually at her door the next day with a plate of dinner hot and ready just for her (and by extension Nathan because he often falls right in line with Vanessa in those regards). He likes it when he's got Arianna and she's getting ready to make some kind of dessert 'cause it means he gets to see her in an environment she most likely prefers, is comfortable in, and is willing to let herself indulge in what she wants out of a relationship. That's likely mostly Clarence's doing, as he tends to push her into asking what she wants, rather than telling her what he wants because most of the time Clarence just wants to see his daughter enjoy herself and Vanessa provides that plenty.
He loves coming by whenever he's got a great baking recipe he found in order to convince her to make it. For... for Arianna, of course. Definitely not for his own consumption.

"I... w- um. Well, okay. Deep breaths, Clarence. One. Two. Three."
Alright, so their first incident didn't go off so well. Living next to a guy that literally uproots his entire house just to find a pair of keys doesn't bode well for anyone involved. Especially when you're the sole reason why a six year old little girl is smacking her father on the cheeks and telling him he needs to go stop that rude man from playing whack a mole with his floorboards. "Moles are people too," were her exact words. Not only did he make sure his knocks were heard, but the moment Fletcher opened the door to his absolute hell house, Clarence knew this man needed something. Whether that was a firm punch to the face or some HGTV renovation crew, Clarence didn't know. It took him about two seconds to find the guy's keys, all of which Fletcher spent his time staring at the redness of Clarence's chest and face.
Their second meeting, however, went off a bit better, with a formal apology and bribery of cookies for him and his daughter dangling in his face. Okay, so the guy isn't half-bad, but Clarence has his reservations.