tushanshu_logs | Time to work on your cat call--

Entry tags:

Time to work on your cat call--

Characters: Ladybug and YOU
Date: August 1st
Location: All throughout the city
Situation: Now that she knows Adrien is safe-- the bug is on a hunt for her actual cat friend.
Warnings/Rating: None, G

It was still early in the afternoon when she appeared-- a strange girl clad in a red spandex suit speckled with black spots. Her upper face was hidden by a matching mask; black hair pulled back with trailing red ribbon ties. There's a yo-yo attached at her hip-- a tool that she uses to help her propel between buildings. She's not particularly keeping out of sight. Instead, she seems more concerned with covering more space.

When she stops-- and she's stopped in a number of different places in her search-- she's quick to address anyone who will listen and in fact, her inquiries explain certain aspects of her behavior.

"Excuse me... I'm looking for someone. I was wondering if you might have seen him. He's about this tall, blonde hair-- he's dressed like a black cat..." Trust me. She knows how weird that sounds. But right now she's honestly grateful for how much he'd stand out.

This person is, it would seem, the cause of her concern. She's trying not to seem it, but the truth is she feels anxious to find him. She'd already waited longer than she should have. If something happened then she would feel personally responsible. She never should have abandoned him this long knowing what had been going on the last few days.

Or if she doesn't approach you specifically you might have seen her travelling the rooftops only to land and check her yo-yo... It seems to fip open to something with a strange display, similar to a tracking device. In the process however, it's not entirely unlikely she might bump into you quite literally.

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He can see you taking delight in his pain, mademoiselle. He casts her a look, before folding his arms, letting out a melodramatic sigh. His life, it is suffering and pain.

"It does! Do you know what it's like walking around with cheese stank all the time? I'm amazed anyone comes anywhere near me."

As overly dramatic as ever. At first it seems she's just preparing to roll her eyes and call him out on that, when she stops and gives him a different look before taking a small step back.

"You know, now that you mention it--"

She's kidding. Probably.

He at least seems to take it for what it is (god, he hopes she's joking) and manages to look affronted and amused at the same time.

"You are so viciously cruel, you know that, right?"

He'll put a hand to his head for dramatic effect. To show her how viciously cruel she is to him. So sad. Such a sad, sad story his is.

His facial expressions are very well trained, she'll give him that. Although that's very specifically where she draws the line on compliments when they're in the middle of... whatever you call this.

"And what does that say about Chat Noir, who just likes the attention?"

She won't say he's a masochist but-- she'll imply it very loudly.

He'll just smirk at that one, leaning in a little closer. Same old game. It's a little different, with that month looming over them, but it hasn't changed that much yet.

"You mean your attention, My Lady? Because I can't deny, that makes sure I'm feline fine."

"My attention, huh... Well. The list of people vying for my attention is dramatically smaller here-- you might just be able to hang on to that solid second place you've earned if you keep at it."

Ever so close and yet so far from that coveted and yet completely impossible to achieve first place.

"Second place?"

He might look a little more put out than someone who is play acting. He folds his arms, pouting, giving a soft huff at that.

"Only second place? What about first?"

She thought he'd be pretty happy with that. So the fact that he's so interested in the first surprises her a little.

"Only? You say that like it's a bad thing." It's quite good, all things considered, or so she thought. "The person in first place... well that's-- I mean he's..." No, she needs to get control of her mouth again before she says something stupid. "...i-it's a special case."

He didn't necessarily ask for her attention... might not even want that spot... but there he was all the same. The usually cool and collected Ladybug gets a little flustered talking about it. Hoo boo...

"

Oh no it's a he!!!. Does that mean there's a guy already in her life? A special case guy at that? Ugh. He should have known it was too good to be true. Of course she'd have someone in her life. She's beautiful and funny and wonderful. What guy wouldn't snap her up in a heartbeat?

Still. He kind of wants to punch that guy. Too bad he isn't aware what a Tyler Durden situation that would put him in.

"Oh. Well. Yay for him, I guess."

Yay for-- oh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh nooooooo.

"W-w-wait hold on. It's not-- we're not... I mean, it's not like that!"

Oh god how did this turn on her so quickly? She had to save this situation and fast.

"At least... for him, it's not."

...and depress herself in the process.

Edited 2016-08-10 01:11 (UTC)

That's enough to pull Chat out of his funk. He looks over at her like she's grown an extra head. The idea that anyone wouldn't be able to see what an incredible person she is is absolutely beyond him. What was he? Blind?

He's vaguely aware he should be more glad for that. That this guy isn't technically in competition with him. Or at least, he hasn't put himself in the running. But he's not. He finds himself annoyed on her behalf. That she'd care about someone who didn't feel the same way back.

"Well. He's got to be a prize idiot for that. My Lady."

Her first reaction is practically immediate-- coming out in a sharp tone. "Don't talk about him like that." It didn't matter who it was, she could never just let someone say those kinds of things about Adrien.

But she's not unaware that this whole misunderstanding was her fault in the first place. She couldn't entirely fault him for trying to be a good friend. "If you knew him you'd understand. I wasn't always crazy about him either, but... he really proved me wrong."

It's really hard to imagine anyone not liking Adrien if they gave him a chance. On top of that, the last thing she wanted was the two guys she cared about the most fighting each other-- not that Adrien would ever fight with anyone.

"...besides it's... probably my fault. I... kinda... never actually told him that I like him..."

Not that she hadn't tried. Or didn't want to. It was just-- hard.

Chat knew he had some real jealousy issues. After all Copycat wouldn't have been a thing if he hadn't goaded Theo with his stupid, possessive jealousy in the first place. He knows, logistically, that she has to care about someone. That a person he saw as a real light in the darkness would have shone on someone else.

That it's his own stupid fault for not taking the chance to tell her how he feels every time he's had a chance to do so. So just making it some kind of joke that she'd never take seriously. Stupid, stupid, stupid..

Jealously clutches at his chest regardless. He's already lost her. She loves someone else. Someone who doesn't know, to be sure, but someone who isn't him all the same. And still- still his feelings for her cling stupidly in his heart. He can't shake them. He doesn't even think he wants to.

"Are you planning to?"

At least he's used to being second place. It's something he's had plenty of practise at. It's pretty much his constant state of being.

"It's not like I haven't tried... But that's easier said then done. I told you-- I'm pretty much a walking disaster and around him? It's a hundred times worse."

Admittedly she's improved, a fact she's really grateful for. Because if she was still the same way she was back then, then things would be really hopeless. But there's more to it than that. The situation with Lila is still fresh for both of them, and while Adrien didn't realize she was the one at fault for that, she did. And she punished herself for it enough for both of them. If she stayed the way she was now, who knew what other terrible things might happen.

He deserved someone who was put together. Or at least mature enough not to get him almost kidnapped over her petty jealousy. Oh she wasn't giving up-- not by a long shot. But she also acknowledged that she wasn't ready just yet.

"Anyway... it'll be a while before I can even think about doing something like that."

"I find that very hard to believe."

She thinks so little of herself, it genuinely concerns him. Can she not see what an amazing person she is? How she sacrifices everything for the safety and happiness of others? How that makes her absolutely incredible?

He should be glad for that. To snatch it up as a chance for himself. But he can't make himself feel glad over it. Not when that's making her look so miserable. He loves her too much to want to see her looking like that over anything.

"And here's me thinking there was nothing you couldn't do," he manages a small smile at that, an attempt at comfort.

"I feel a little bad that you were so grossly misinformed."

But it does cheer her up. He's always had a way of doing that. Or setting her straight when she got carried away. There was a good reason he was so important to her, even if she forgot to acknowledge it herself at times. She looks at him for a long time, like she's looking for something and then--

"...You really are something special."

There's nothing joking about it. And it carries with it all the gratitude she feels, an affectionate smile spreading over her face.

"I don't think I'll ever be quite the person you think I am. But don't worry about me. I definitely have some things to work on and I'll probably-- no-- I'll definitely mess up more in the future, but I'm not done fighting by a long shot."

"I'll have you know I based it on a very strong opinion purrl."

There. Throw a pun in. Make it seem at least vaguely normal. That is isn't a very real conversation that they're having. It eases that look she's giving him, too. As he tries to force his heart to stop beating so fast. Don't hope.

There's the temptation to make a joke out of her compliment. To pretend he knows that already, that it's obvious. But it really isn't. He hears that all the time as Adrien. As he's someone who's forced to be perfect in every conceivable way- that's not really him. Not all the way, anyway. So those compliments tend to get brushes aside, they're complimenting someone he isn't.

But to hear one now, for this person who's more like him but not quite at the same time...it's nice. It feels genuine. That for once maybe someone could appreciate him for who he is, rather than who he's supposed to be.

"Thank you," it's mumbled quietly, almost a little shyly. "And I think you already are that person. Besides, it's my job to worry about you. I also know you'll never quit, not ever. You're too stubborn for that."

He says it fondly. It's something he genuinely treasures about her.

Now that's a tone she's never heard from her feline companion before. He always gave off this aura of being unshakable, rolling with the good and the bad with a goofy grin and a few silly puns. Ladybug didn't dislike that part of him. If anything, she admired that part of him. It was like he was saying 'this is me, like it or not-- here I am'.

But this... this was a part of him that she could relate to. And surprisingly she caught herself thinking it was almost a little cute.

Looking at him quietly for a moment, she considers just what she must have done to leave such a strong impression on him. Enough that it balances out all of her less than shining moments at least-- and he had seen more than a few by now. But even though she can't think of a single thing, it does mean more because she knows he's seen those bitter, jealous, painfully human moments.

Rising on her tip-toes she leans in and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"...thanks kitty. I'll try to remember that."

Being stubborn though... that's something she can agree with him on. Although she's not sure that's exactly always as good a thing as he thinks it is. In this case though she'll accept it. She'll be alright with him looking out for her. If she does anything stupid, she knows he'll stop her. And in the same token--

"As long as you don't mind me worrying about you."

She'll do the same for him.

He could have a million different comebacks for anything she could say. If he tried hard enough, he could cover up whatever he wanted to with a cheeky grin and a terrible joke. He likes to think he's prepared for just about anything she could do at this point.

What he's absolutely not prepared for is her kissing him on the cheek. He stares at her like a deer in headlights for a moment, his heart thundering. He has to bring himself back down, remind himself that it's not what he wants it to be. Stop hoping. Don't you dare start hoping.. She feels that way about someone else. Not him. He can't let himself wish like that.

He blinks out of his stupor to put on a grin, rubbing the back of his head. Be cool, be cool.

"I think I can bear you worrying about one or two of my nine lives."

There it is again, that almost too cute to be Chat look.

No. No. Definitely not. Chat was... yeah, he had his moments. He was protective and sweet and funny-- but the thing about love is that you can only have one. And he was also reckless and cheeky and--

Which came out sounding a lot more endearing in her head than it should.

There was no way she could like them both. No... no, this was just the kind of disaster only she could invite upon herself. It would be one thing if she could say she felt any less strongly about Adrien, but she can't. It's just that now there's this crazy other thought in there and as much as she wants to say she hates it, she... can't. The whole time this is happening her expressions keep flickering, like she's having a weird inner battle with herself. Which she is.

She doesn't even know his name. Or anything about him for that matter. It's completely ridiculous to even entertain the idea. Right? Right. And finally-- a few moments too late, she pulls it together long enough to remember she has to say something.

"If you lose more than one or two, then I'm definitely not doing my job."

It's fine. This is fine. She doesn't like him like that it's just-- this is just a weird phase. Yes. Soon she'll be laughing about it like it was all some weird dream.

If only he could read her mind, his heart would go from racing to full on gymnastics. But that is probably for the best. He knows he can't let himself wish for more from her, nor can he allow himself to make her choose between him and...whoever this guy is. He can't hurt her that way, not ever.

He loves her too much for that.

"Well, I'm pawsitive you'll always take your work seriously. You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

Unfortunately her own heart is not nearly so chivalrous or kind and seems to bear no regret over the dilemma it's created. She already felt so inadequately equipped to face her feelings for just one boy. How it thought she could survive some kind of inner struggle between two was beyond her ability to comprehend.

If it seems like she's trying not to look at him, it's because she is. Because she's not sure what would happen if she did right now. Hopefully a moment will be enough to get her heartbeat back in check and her mind from running circles around itself.

"You make it sound like that's all I do." Faking exasperation, she crosses her arms over her chest.

Well, he's not going to miss out on a chance to tease her a little. It will steer this conversation from the awkward and unknown into the hilariously familiar. Just how it should be, honestly, in his opinion.He can deal with the latter much, much easier.

So, with a wide grin, he folds his arms, leaning back casually on the nearest available surface.

"I admit, I've seen you having fun. Like, three times. Maybe four."

Immediately she flashes him with a lock of mock annoyance.

"That's all you can think of? It sounds like your memory is slipping. And at such a young age too... what a shame."

Although she was hoping he was kidding. She could have fun! She was fun. Just... when it was appropriate.

He gets a little surge of glee from that look. It's always fun to play around and tease her, knowing she won't actually take it to heart.

"Well, if you can refresh my memory with any that come you your mind, Bugaboo, I'm all ears."

He'll even twitch his 'ears' to make a point about it.

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