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[ Marinette is no stranger to electronics-- a few clicks here, a few clicks there and... she pretty much has the hang of it. At least the jist of what she needs in order to use the console.

On the other hand, the speaking part...? ]

Oh... eheheh. Hi, I'm Marinette.

[ She waves awkwardly at the screen. ]

I'm still trying to put everything together but... I think I understand the basics. Since this is my first time out on my own, I thought maybe I should get some help. Where do people live here? [ ... ] And how can I make some money? I'm pretty good with my hands. [ Specifics, Marinette... specifics. ] ...My baking isn't as good as my dad's, but I did learn from a pro. Oh! And I love sewing, so... there's... that...

[ This whole thing has gone pretty smoothly so far. Huh. Great. ]

I think that's... it for now. Anything you can tell me would be really great, thanks!

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[Luckily for her, Adrien does know her well enough to understand that her being able to look where she's going is pretty vital in avoiding her giving herself a concussion on her first day here. As much as he'd like to show her around the clinic, he'd rather it not be with her as a patient. ]

You wouldn't mind? It'll mean we can move a little faster.

[And she won't trip on anything, but he'll keep that part to himself. ]

Not at all! Piece of cake.

[Marinette bends her knees, balancing herself on the balls of her feet. Keeping her legs flat, she gives them a pat.]

Whenever you're ready... climb on.

[They can pretend this isn't awkward afterwards. Yeah. He'll carefully hope up onto her knees, then clamber onto her shoulder, trying not to dig his claws into her. Because again...awkward. ]

Okay!

Where do you want to go first? Cookies or a place to stay. I- well, I mean, if you're really desperate, you can always stay at my place, it's not like I'm really using it right now.

[He's small enough that having him perched on her shoulder isn't bad at all. A few claw marks are nothing. She's used to pinpricks and paper cuts-- this can't be any worse. Although... his voice that close to her ear is definitely going to take some getting used to. Luckily, if she's standing stiff as a board, it seems likely enough that it's because she doesn't want to toss him off.

But okay yeah, that's a good question. It would make sense to grab up the ingredients first and then find a place to stay.

Marinette never has a chance to fully get through that line of thought though before everything grinds to a halt.

Her. And Adrien? Sharing a place??? This is the first time she's really doubted the validity of the turtle because she has to be dreaming. It's way too close to dream territory. The only thing that's stopping her from flying off into some embarrassing fit is the fact that Adrien's on her shoulder and she has to stand still.

This is the part where she needs support. No... no she knows what Alya would say. Go get him, girl. And I mean... the offer was right there! It's now or never. After a small inner pep talk, she makes up her mind. She's gonna do it.]

I'd... hate to impose, but... if you could use a hand-- or two-- the next few days, then... I really wouldn't mind...

[If she wakes up in the next five seconds she's throwing her pillow at whoever woke her, no regrets.]

Or even a paw?

[Adrien now is not the time for your crappy jokes.

He settles happily on her shoulder, glad to be seeing things from a perspective higher than people's ankles for the first time in a few days. It's good.

He's glad he can help her, really. Had the hotel still been as it was, he'd take her there, but it's not- and he wants her to be safe, while she settles in. It's not terrible here, but it's not perfectly safe, either. ]

Great, and don't mention it. It won't be imposing at all. I'd rather let my place get some use while I'm stuck like this.

[...this was really happening. She wasn't waking up. Marinette would be screaming or doing some kind of weird victory dance if Adrien wasn't right there. So for now she has to hold it in.

Right. Right. Paws.]

I think the problem is you have too many paws.

[The right number of paws for Adrien is zero. Still... she's actually pretty happy to hear him joking after how worried he'd seemed earlier.]

Well I guess that answers that question-- I guess we can go looking for those ingredients first then.

Haha, yeah. Too many paws and not enough thumbs.

[Thumbs are the best, Marinette. You have no idea how awesome they are until they're gone. He misses being able to open just about anything. ]

Great! There's a pretty neat market not that far from here, you should be able to find what you need there. My place has a kitchen, it's nothing as fancy as your parent's bakery, but it should cover what you need.

[Say a prayer for your kitchen now, Adrien, because it won't be the same once she's started.]

Alright then! Which way? I'm sure it'll be fine... I don't need anything special. I'm not nearly as good as they are.

[Farewell, kitchen, he hardly knew ye. ]

Okay, you take a left out of here and head up the row of buildings, I'll let you know where to turn.

Well, I don't know about that. I bet you're really good at it.

Okay. This way then.

[Her first few steps are extra cautious... long enough for her to get a feel for just how she should walk with him up there. The last thing she needs is to accidentally drop her crush onto the street.]

This is the first time I've done it on my own in a while, but... I hope they turn out good. [All this praise is so bad for her weak heart, but boy if it doesn't make her feel like she could take on the world.] ...I'll save some for you for when you're back to normal.

[He seems to have this balancing thing pretty down. Possibly a little suspiciously down for anyone who wasn't completely oblivious to these kinds of things (sorry, Marinette). Seems his life as a cat-themed superhero has done him some good when it comes to cat balance. Yay. ]

Really? That'd be great, thank you!

[Delicious Dupain-Cheng baked goods? Yes please. But now, he can actually talk as they walk. ]

So, what's the last thing you remember from home? Apparently it can be a little...different for some people. Time works oddly.

[Or for people who's immediate thought is 'Adrien is just that good'.]

Awww-- it's nothing.

[Just her chance to give you a present you'll actually know is from her.]

Back home? Well... let's see...

[She remembers. But the last of it is the stuff she absolutely can't tell Adrien. After all... the last thing that happened back home was her messing up... bad.]

Oh, that's right. Everyone was really excited about a new girl in school. From Italy, right? I wish I could have met her myself.

[She's trying to sound excited too... is it... working...]

What about you? ...do you really not remember that?

[THAT'S not the thing she's excited about that or anything. Noooooo.]

[He will love and appreciate it a great deal. ]

Lila.

[There's a weird tone in his voice because his memories of that aren't exactly great. His knowledge that Lila had a crush on him and then came to his house as an akuma to...what? Would she have actually taken him, as actual bait for Ladybug? He knows they need to disconnect the person to the akuma victim they become but that one was...hard.

Coupled with his concern over how Ladybug dealt with most of Lila's...Lila-ness makes the entire thing leave an unpleasant taste in his mouth. ]

I remember. When I first came here, the last thing I remembered was that Ultimate Mecha Strike tournament. When you and Max won? But during my time here I got the extra memories back in my sleep. It's...apparently not how memories from home usually come to us but that's how it worked for me for some reason.

Edited 2016-07-27 23:22 (UTC)

[It would be too much to hope he didn't remember that whole mess. She'd really let herself fall pretty low over something as dumb as petty jealousy. But that was something she had to work out on her own.]

Really? Wow... all that time and it was like you'd never left at all.

[He was there for everything in between but also here? She knew it was some kind of weird time thing, but it was still kind of crazy when you broke it down.]

Still... I'm glad you got them back. I can't imagine what it would be like-- missing whole weeks worth of stuff that someone else remembered.

Hm. It was like I was there but...wasn't? But strange stuff kind of just happens here. Like magic.

[He doesn't understand it, and every time he tries, it just gets more confusing. It's best to just...let it be. ]

Hah, pretty weird, I bet. I'm glad we're on the same page- oh, take a right here.

There are some things it's probably okay not to understand. I mean... what would someone like you or I do with knowledge on magic?

[Certainly not go around gallivanting as superheroes. That's crazy talk.]

Right! [Following his directions she turned to the right.] Me too. Although... if I ever fell behind, I know I could count on you to fill me in.

[Stage laugh, such a stage laugh. That sure is crazy talk. They don't need magic. Nope. Not at all. Not them. ]

Haha, I know right? We leave that kind of stuff for the superheroes.

[He'll bump his little kitty side on her head because it's honestly the closest he can get to a friendly shoulder bump right now, Marinette don't judge him. ]

Of course I would. I wouldn't want you being in the dark about anything.

[Other than That Thing. As he promised, some market stalls are starting to come into view.]

[Her stage laugh isn't nearly as good, but luckily it easily passes as just another of those Marinette Things that happen when she's too close to Adrien.

The tiny head bump is followed entirely by instinct by a tiny, affectionate
scratch behind his ear. Human to human interactions are really hard to translate into human to cat interactions and Marinette doesn't know what she's doing with cat Adrien any more than she does with human Adrien.]

Good. I feel the same way.

[Except the fact that she has a huge crush on you. Oh yeah, and that Other Thing.]

An open market? [That really perks her up.] I bet I can get some really great stuff here.

[He really wasn't expecting the ear scratch and he surprises himself with a happy little purr. Well...that was embarrassing. He'll clear his throat and try to push past the awkward. ]

Oh- uh, yeah. They're pretty amazing. You can get all kinds of local stuff. Buuut be prepared to haggle, the market sellers love it. That's why I'm here, to make sure they don't rip you off.

[So brave. Such hero. ]

[There's nothing more awkward than being constantly reminded just how in love you are with someone who's currently a real cat. When your heart flutters because you got a purr out of them, that's when you know your life has gone totally off the rails.]

Then I'll leave them to you.

[There is no star brighter nor hero greater in her galaxy.

...but for now, she should work on making sure she gets everything she needs. With Adrien's help, it's not hard to locate and haggle for the items she needs. Looks like she's going for a raspberry almond variety. Working together it's not long before they're victorious.]

...I think we got it all. Thanks for your help.

[It would have been a lot messier without Adrien to swoop in from time to time. Her form of haggling would have been a lot more... fierce.]

[He does the best he can for her. He's got the patter down well, for such a sheltered kid. Being here, being able to live independently, has done wonders for him. He's really come into his own here.

He's quite proud of the results. They got what they needed and no one got ripped off or had a gang member sicked on them. It's a good day. ]

Don't mention it. My place now? It's in the Sky Sector, so you just keep heading in this direction.

[In a sense, it stunned her. Not that she ever had any doubts, but... even with things working against him right now, he was so well-adjusted that it dazzled her a little. Like she was seeing him in a new light. Adrien would probably never cease to amaze her, though.

Adjusting the bag of purchases on her arm, she nodded. His place... their place for the next few days... She was already trying to picture it. Although honestly it didn't really matter what it looked like-- it was going to be perfect.]

Right! Let's keep moving then.

[She's a little excited.]

Have you been living by yourself all this time?

[Thinking about it... if it weren't for him, she would have been so lonely. She can't help wondering how he must have felt. Maybe he'd liked it. After all, he seemed like he'd done really well for himself.]

[For the first time in his life, he's free to be himself to neither be regulated by the shackles of his father nor the anonymity of his mask. He's still careful, still prudent, but he's learning to live here. Learning to let go more than he would back home. Being free of Gabriel has done him more good than he'd like to admit to. ]

I was living in a place called the Midnight Hotel, up until recently. It was a magical building, and had openings in every district in the city. It was pretty amazing. I lived there with a few people.

[There's a pause, because the fall of the hotel is linked to the loss of Solomon, in a way. They happened so close together that Adrien can't help but remember one with the other. The loss of the man he'd got so close to in such a short time still weight heavy on his mind. ]

...But then about a month ago the man who owned it, Anton- he went home, and the magic of the hotel went with it. It's still there, but it's a regular building now, and in disrepair. A resident is trying to fix it up, I think, but it'll take time.

[Then, a little cheerier:]

Poe offered me a place to stay while I was looking, and I knew plenty of people in the Sky District already- plus with it being so close to work, it made sense to move here. I've only really been living in this place for about a week before the cat thing happened.

[He never thought about being by himself, not once. It was par for the course of his life- better a smaller room or an apartment than a big, empty mansion to be alone in. It made the world of difference.]

[The more they walked and talked the more it became clear just how long he'd lived here. Sure he said it, but as the space of time was slowly filled with stories of unfamiliar events, it started to feel like a much larger gap. That's why she found herself listening intently; trying to take it all in-- maybe help close that gap a little.

She remembered him mentioning the hotel before when they'd been discussing places to live. That was the place he said he would have recommended if it was still there. No wonder, if he'd lived there until recently himself.]

I really hope they can fix it up... it sounds like it was an amazing place.

[But he'd been able to stay near his new friends even afterwards, so... it sounds like he really had been happy.]

So... what's it like? The Sky District, I mean?

[Although she was quickly building her own impressions of the world around her, she was still very interested in Adrien's too.]

[He'd appreciate it. His memory dump from home helped a little, but he hadn't actually left...not really. It's been a while, and he's glad to have her here. A living, breathing piece of home. Someone important to him. ]

Me too. I'm sure Klaus will manage it. Maybe even get the protective spells on i again that made it so safe in the first place.

[And that is quite the question. Before Avery set up shop there, before he was invited to stay there by Poe, and when Bisi moved there- he hadn't thought much about it. It was a quiet area of the city, tucked away. Even when he made up Chat's living conditions, he'd picked the much more exciting Fire district for him. He'd been surprised to find how lovely the Sky sector is...and he has only until recently realised it's because he reminds him of Paris. ]

It's quiet, and pretty. Lots of museums and galleries, gardens and things like that. It's where a lot of Forgeiners set up businesses and homes. The gangs stay away from there, too. It's...a really peaceful place to live.

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