Misty water coloured memories

[purrns]

Characters: Adrien/Chat and YOU - Open to anyone, if we plotted or not!
Date: February 8-12
Location: Various
Situation: Memory share event
Warnings/Rating: Parental neglect, that's about it!



A: Every super hero has an origin story (Adrien or Chat, let me know which flavour you want!)

[Who knows how you ended up coming into contact with Adrien. Maybe he bumped you while serving you some food in the Midnight Hotel, or while he was working in the Healer's Guild. Perhaps he was just a friendly shoulder bump while talking to him. Or maybe you didn't come into contact with Adrien at all, and it's Chat Noir you touched. Either way, a memory is unveiled, if he wants it to or not.

You find yourself in an enormous room. It's filled with many things to occupy a teenage boy, but most of it remains perfect. Untouched. Nothing here is important. Not really. On the floor, rolling along on a recently emptied toilet paper roll is a tiny, cat-like creature. It's also listening to Adrien, who is staring at the silver ring he constantly wears - currently in the palm of his hand.

"But I'm stuck here, I'm not even allowed to go to school," Adrien seems more frustrated than he usually outwardly shows. "What good is a superhero who's imprisoned in his own house?"

"No good! That's why it's all going to change soon. If you're willing to change, that is," the creature watched Adrien slide the ring onto his finger, determined. "Claws out. That's how you transform."

"Got it!" Adrien just barrels right ahead. "Plagg, Claws out!"

Plagg panics, frantically trying to grab hold of the toilet paper roll as he's sucked towards the ring.

"NO, WAIT!!! I HAVEN'T FINISHED EXPLAIIINIIIIIING"

Plagg vanishes into the ring, it turning jet black with a familiar-to-some green pawprint on it. There's some flashy lights and one magical girl boy transformation later, where Adrien stood is Chat Noir, grinning manically at his gloved claw-hands. Wow. Shock. Surprise. No one saw that coming. What a twist. ]

B: 80% of them have parent issues too (Adrien)

[Or maybe you trigger a DIFFERENT memory. Here, Adrien sits at a table, where an older man seems to be arguing with him. A woman with a red streak in her hair stands by, head bowed.

"I already told you that it's out of the question for you to go to school!"

"But Père!" Adrien stands, desperation in his eyes.

"You have everything you need in this house. I forbid you from going outside, it's too dangerous!"

"Why do you always want to shut me off in a cocoon? I'm always alone," desperation has made Adrien bolder, but there's still fear in his eyes- fear to stand up to this man. "Why can't I have friends like everyone else?"

"Because you're not like everyone else," the man snaps back. "You are my son, Adrien. Resume."

The man turns on his heel and walks out. Leaving Adrien where he is, giving no more quarter for an argument. Fun times.

Comments

[unetrustworthy]

[She's always been pretty good with body language, but it didn't take an expect to interpret arms around the torso.]

If he wanted to just keep you safe, then he would say that.

The way he treats you, though...he acts like he owns you. I've seen it before. And that's what isn't right.

[purrns]

[Adrien is trying very hard to keep collected. The facade he's so good at wearing is starting to show some cracks, though. He winces, his lips forming a thin line. ]

He's never good at saying what he means.

[Or...communicating with Adrien in any real way at all. He remembers the incident with Jackady, how his father had actually hugged him, and then instantly turned it about his ring. No feelings spoken. No feelings allowed. ]


It's not like I have much of a choice anyway. He's the only family I have.

[He has his friends, of course. But it's not the same. Better to have an absent parent than none at all. ]

[unetrustworthy]

[She saw the crack. To her, it meant the conversation was about to go one of two ways. Either it would soon turn very badly for her--because she was pushing too far, hurting him--or else it would be a moment for Adrien to have a breakthrough about all of this.]

[She...always liked to think she could be objective when it came to her observations. Not so much when it was somebody she considered a friend.]

Family...is important.

[Her own resolve faltered. She took a step back from pushing.]

When I was little, family was all I had, too. I would have done anything to make sure they were safe and okay. And I did. So I understand that. I really do.

But I also never once doubted that Papa and the boys loved me. Even when the twins stuck their tongues at me when I tried to put them to bed, or steal my second helpings of dinner, or called me names or tried to play tricks on me...at the end of the day, I was still their big sister. And they loved me.

Can you...say that about your Papa?

[purrns]

I-

[He hesitates, and that in itself is his answer. He exhales sharply, wanting to run away from this, to not face it. To just smile and shrug. Make his excuses and just go on as he always has. It's a hard truth to face, and it hurts.

He drags a hand through his hair, ruffling it up in the process (looks kind of familiar, messy like that) and closes his eyes, trying to gather himself again. He can't fall apart. Not now. Not yet. Maybe not ever. ]

I think he does. I just- I think he's forgotten how to show it.

[unetrustworthy]

Family should never forget.

[...was that too far? She hadn't meant it like that. To imply anything. It wasn't her place, and she...she needed to say something to let him know she wasn't trying to imply or mean or...yeah.]

It's not your fault, you know. The fact that he forgot. It's his. He needs to remember on his own.

[Not so smooth, but at least she was being honest about her feelings.]

[purrns]

I know that.

[That it's not his fault. That he needs to remember it on his own. He's just not sure his father ever really will. Perhaps when his mother was still around- things were a little better, then. ]

I'm sure he will, one day.

[It's a lie, but it's one he makes to himself regularly. ]

[unetrustworthy]

I hope he does.

[For your sake.]

[purrns]

[He tries a smile, but it falls flat. ]

Thank you. He's just stubborn, it'll take time.

I have really good friends, back home, in the meantime.

[unetrustworthy]

What about here?

[Friends. In Keelai. She wasn't asking about herself, specifically, but just...in general. And if her name happened to be included in that theoretical list, that was okay too.]

[purrns]

[He smiles, genuinely this time. ]

Oh yeah! I have a lot of friends here, I have you, and Danny. Pepper, Bisi and Zatanna. Elizbaeth...man, I think it would take me ages to list everyone.

[He sounds ecstatic about that. To have SO MANY friends where once he had none. ]

[unetrustworthy]

[The more people he added to that list, the brighter her smile got. Good. He wasn't even close to being alone. She didn't think he would be.]

Somehow, that doesn't surprise me.

[purrns]

[He's surrounded by people who care for him- people he cares ABOUT. It's...a really nice change for him. ]

Oh...um, it doesn't?

[unetrustworthy]

Of course not.

You're nice and you're honest. People like you tend to make friends that much easier.

[purrns]

[He almost looks a little embarrassed. Even after all this time, he struggles to really see his good qualities besides those he's expected to tend to. ]

I...never really thought about it that way. Um...thank you.

[unetrustworthy]

[She could empathize with that; it took her a long time to be able to graciously accept compliments. Heck, it took her a long time to believe a lot of those compliments herself.]

You're welcome.