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Post by skyeknight on Dec 13, 2016 3:22:58 GMT
He was getting better at this – shaking off his body guard Mr. Gorilla that was. However, Adrien unfortunately walked straight into the paparazzi and a crowd of fans. It only got worse as more and more people kept calling his name. It got so bad, that he was completely crowded from all sides. He was left giving fake smiles, posing for pictures and signing autographs while the paparazzi shouted at him, trying to get something for a story. One woman squealed in delight when he signed her arm and she vowed to get it tattooed onto her skin. Another swore to never wash the shirt he had touched when he was forced into a picture, her arms around his neck and dangerously close to trying to kiss him. Heaven forbid. He had to repress a shudder of horror.
Worst of all, the crowd only seemed to be getting bigger. Cameras were in his face. Flashes of light and faces pressed close. There were people asking questions, far faster than he could answer, if he even answered at all. Because honestly, why did the need to know what brand of toothpaste he used or if he was seeing someone? Hands touching, reaching, grabbing him. He almost wanted his bodyguard back. More than that, he wanted to get out of there because he was being overcrowded.
"It’s been delightful," he said diplomatically. "However, I should be going."
That only seemed to set them off. The crowd became frantic, trying to hold him there just a few seconds longer. He had to push a few people’s hands off of his person, stop them from trying to take his scarf or his hat. They would most likely sell it on eBay or put it in some shrine dedicated to him if they got away with it. People were trying to take his picture, snap a selfie and touch him before he left. He struggled to break free of them. They hadn’t been this bad before, but he could only assume it was because of his injury at the LaFayette manor. Their celebrity could have died.
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Post by Zuyuri on Dec 13, 2016 17:01:31 GMT
"ENOUGH!"
The feminine cry was both refined, agitated, and regal. With the yell came a fierce wind. On it, blasts of chills and tiny snow flurries. The palparazzi was figuratively frozen by the sudden cold and outburst. At the fringe of the crowd, in an ice blue dress suited for business and her hand clutching a briefcase while the other hand controlled the sudden temperature drop, stood Elsa Crispin.
Paparazzi had never been this out of control. Some were going so far to break laws all based on consent. If the boy said he was done, then he was done. There was no need for a riot to start. Elsa had no intention of intervening until they started touching after the wrap was called
"He said he had finished. Are you all deaf?!"
Some fans looked down guiltily. A few photographers fiddled with their cameras. One sneered, "who are you, his mom?"
Elsa's eyes flashed dangerously. "No. I'm a lawyer. Who knows when laws are being broken. I also happen to be acquaintances of the Agastes, and if they could, they could turn this into a lawsuit. So, I suggest if you don't want to see me in court, you get out of here."
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Post by skyeknight on Dec 13, 2016 18:53:25 GMT
It might have take a reassuring smile and a few lingering fans, but the crowd dispersed. The mood effectively chilled thanks to the lawyer who had come to Adrien's rescue. He sighed in relief. They had given him his space back. He hesitated before walking up to her. She seemed irate that the paparazzi had been harassing him. However, it was how they made their living. He was on the cover of every magazine and every paper. It was going to end up in the papers today that he had been seen in the park. Maybe it would do good for the small businesses nearby with people flocking there to try to get a glimpse of him. People had to do something while they waited for the star that never came.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I'm sorry if I've been an inconvenience, Miss Crispin."
It was strange using that formality with her, but he only knew her through his father and had never personally met. Wasn't hard to recognize her though since they often frequented the same establishments and the same circles. The whole 'mom' comment was not forgotten in Adrien's mind. He might be younger than Elsa, but he wasn't that young.
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Post by Zuyuri on Dec 13, 2016 19:22:45 GMT
Much to Elsa's relief, the crowd dispersed. Now it was just her and Adrien. At seeing him up close, she felt guilty for the mom comment. He had the baby face, but something in his expression showed maturity. He had apologized, and she waved at the air like she was swatting a bug
"Inconvienence? No, it's not your fault. You have every right to have alone time as anyone does."
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Post by skyeknight on Dec 13, 2016 21:05:25 GMT
"Perhaps." Adrien agreed, "They were excited. I don't get out often."
Adrien, unlike Chat, was a proper gentlemen. He had to make time for everyone. Even if they were nuisances at times. At least no one tried to take his clothes off or give him theirs. Or took their clothes off. He had seen a lot. His fans varied from polite to wildly out of control and restraining order. Luckily, none of his more drastic fans were there today. Though, he had a feeling that Elsa would have given anyone who tried the 'cold shoulder'.
"Nevertheless, I'm glad we ran into one another." he said. "I hadn't seen you since the Lafayette ball a few months ago."
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Post by Zuyuri on Dec 14, 2016 0:13:33 GMT
At the mention of the ball, Elsa looked down. It had been two months since the incident. Couldn't people let it go. Thrax was still a most wanted by the Others Unit , but they had their hands full with the Sapien crisis.
"You know, I thought that topic would have gone when Halloween ended."
She flipped her platinum blonde braid over her shoulder. One good thing about the ball was it gave her cases. Multiple cases. Some lawyers had insulted her in saying she would be the most likely candidate to defend Thrax. She had coldly responded by saying she didn't work with criminals,
"But the past is in the past. How have you been...apart from the whole ducking the paparazzi thing?"
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Post by skyeknight on Dec 14, 2016 13:17:12 GMT
"I haven't been out much since." he explained. "So the media played up my injury."
The media made it sound like some horrific accident. That he was dead and/or dying. They bullied the hospital into releasing his records of the incident. From that, they twisted into a new story to suit their needs and interest their readers. Nothing sold quite like a scandal. They wrote that his broken leg made him so disfigured, he would never model again. There were whispers that he would never walk again. Others read that his leg was horribly scarred and he was undergoing reconstructive surgery. The tabloids posted that he had been cursed by Thrax because he had tried to save Weiss (a far cry from the truth since he had to literally be carried out). It was rumored he had developed a fear of demons and refused to leave the house. Others said that he had suffered a mental breakdown, had started using and abusing drugs and/or alcohol and his father had to check him into rehab. Many others said he fled the country.
Each article was further and further from the truth, each tale more wild than the last. The 'fleeing the country' thing was probably the most accurate. In between his down time as Chat Noir, his father had booked him many photo shoots abroad. The pictures would be coming back sometime next week, hopefully to soothe the wild notions the reporters in Bellerouge City had developed. His father just wanted him 'away from this scummy little Hell hole' as he so eloquently put it.
"I've been busy but no surprises there. Father's newest line debuts next month and he has to have his fashion show." he replied. "What about you Miss Crispin? I hope you're well."
Adrien hated his father's fashion shows. They were boring. He had to play kiss up and suck up to everyone there. The tickets were so expensive and so hard to come by that only the rich and famous could afford them, even if his father did 'raffle' two tickets in a contest he would be hosting. A design contest naturally. But maybe Adrien could smuggle a few out? No. It would only put Chat under scrutiny if he passed them out as his thief self. Weiss would probably already be there. So Adrien had no friends to give them to. He couldn't leave any connections between his thief self and his real self. A cat burglar wouldn't just have tickets to the Agreste family fashion show. Luckily, no one had made any connections between Chat and Adrien. He kept the two personas as far from each other as possible, not even giving the slightest of hints. Not even to Yang. No one knew. He was going to keep it that way.
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Post by Zuyuri on Dec 14, 2016 16:59:29 GMT
Elsa bit her tongue to avoid saying something that could easily be twisted into a half truth. The media was ruthless in twisting words of a minor celebrity. Her status as a lawyer defending Others has gone unnoticed. But she did say, "Why is it the well meaning people have the most lies spread about them?"
And she did not want to talk about the Agaste fashion show. Quite frankly, all the designs looked the same to her. The only fashion show she had been asked to attend and enjoyed was the Elias wedding dress showcase.
Adrien asked how she was fairing, and her hand instinctively went to her neck. The bruises from the assault were gone, but she still couldn't forget that.
"I...had some excitement a month ago. Ralph LaCouer helped me out...it was...touching honestly. No one's ever come to my rescue like that."
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Post by skyeknight on Dec 14, 2016 18:49:41 GMT
"Ah, well, they haven't said many things nice about the police either but they are very hard at work." Adrien said. "The work you do with them is commendable."
She might not have been the most popular lawyer on the circuit but Adrien knew that if he were ever to get into any sort of trouble, he would hire her. No one would be able to argue a case on his behalf better. She had the best success rate. Honestly, no one could compare. He may not have known her on a personal level but her work spoke louder than their knowledge of each other. She never interacted with him as a thief and probably never would. He had no reason to steal from her. Though he might have a need for information. Cases. He had heard rumors about something happening with a bust of a young woman and children. Maybe Elsa knew more. He would have to be delicate about extracting that sort of information. See if it was who he feared it was. But all without tipping her off to anything.
"I'm glad someone was there for you," he said. "You know you didn't do half bad yourself saving me."
Though the worst thing she had saved him from was an over adoring fan and the too insistent media. But her help had been appreciated regardless. He offered her his first smile since the ordeal with the fans.
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Post by Zuyuri on Dec 15, 2016 16:31:48 GMT
Elsa's face broke into a smile. Not many people had nice things to say about the police department. To hear that Adrien respected that they worked hard made her feel better. To get the approval of a rich family member was a sort of blessing.
"Thanks."
That and talking with him just outside of a high society was refreshing. She and Weiss had talked over coffee just to escape pressure of being on a pedestal. Adrien deserved some time to be himself
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Post by skyeknight on Dec 15, 2016 19:04:26 GMT
"You're welcome," he said.
He might not have been sure what he had complimented her on. Her 'daring rescue' or her work with the police? But he was glad to see she was smiling. It was one of the few things 'Adrien' and 'Chat' had in common. They liked making others smile. Adrien never really had a reason to (sincerely) smile often. Chat just liked knowing he helped people out and if making someone smile was all he had to do, he'd crack jokes, play the fool and go the extra mile to make them laugh. The wheels were turning in his head. If he ever met her as Chat, he would call her 'Your Majesty'. The way she held herself was like that of a queen. Supreme being, kind and just in real life and in the court room.
"What brings you out here, ma'am?" he asked.
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Post by Zuyuri on Dec 18, 2016 7:32:48 GMT
What brought her out here? Why was it every time Elsa just wanted to be herself, someone asked her that? It was a question she couldn't seem to avoid. It wasn't like people were accusing her of some sort of crime,but she did feel almost boxed by the incidents. No doubt Adrien had felt that way with the paparazzi swarms.
"I just wanted to clear my head," she answered. Adrien seemed like a trustworthy enough boy. "Between the holidays and cases, it seems I have no time for myself...and spending Christmas alone again doesn't count.
Exaggeration on that part. She had Jenna and Ella, but it wasn't the same as coming to the tree with family.
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Post by skyeknight on Dec 18, 2016 14:51:01 GMT
"It sounds stressful." he said. "So I take it you've got a lot of big cases before the holidays?"
Adrien probably understood that better than Elsa thought. Between every little screw up that Chat had managed to accomplish in the last few weeks and between his father pushing his photo shoot schedule and modeling gigs, Adrien was exhausted. He had wanted time alone but then the paparazzi caught him so that was gone. He was going to end up in the papers within an hour and his father would lecture him for ditching his bodyguard again. As for Christmas alone, that had been the norm for him since he was a kid and his mom walked out. His father would jet off to some 'important-couldn't-miss-meeting' and Adrien would be at the house alone. Maybe Elsa didn't have to be alone? But then again, maybe she didn't want company.
"Yeah," he agreed softly. "Dad left for a meeting in Japan. He's not going to be back until after New Years."
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Post by Zuyuri on Dec 20, 2016 6:31:45 GMT
"At times, it can be a lot of stress," Elsa agreed. 'and the good news is there aren't that many this year. Most of the cases aren't Other related."
Cases that were in no way confirmed to be associated with Others were turned over to her "comrades". She would never attend any pf those trials unless she had been called to assist with paperwork or questioning. A lot of the cases were involvements of hacking into accounts. Technology was something Elsa both loved and hated at the same time. It was a step in the right direction, but something many people could abuse. Not unlike the magic abilities of gifted humans or vice versa.
Adrien's sad voice about his father leaving caught her ears. It was one thing to be an adult and spend it alone, it was another to be a kid. On top of that a kid who wanted more for Christmas than some late tech or yet another fashion shoot. Her eyes shifted a bit. "I'm sorry he did that....maybe I'll come by with hot cocoa and cookies." It was an odd gesture, but the offer of helping was making her feel a bit better/
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Post by skyeknight on Dec 20, 2016 14:08:39 GMT
"That's a relief. I was worried they were overworking you." he said.
Not quite the answer he wanted. But she was a lawyer. She knew that she couldn't talk about her cases with anyone, even concerned third parties. She was bound by the confidentiality agreement between lawyer and the represented party. Elsa was too smart to lose her job over something so trivial as talking to a stranger. Even if they knew of each other, it wasn't like they knew each other personally. Plus, she was one of the best lawyers in the city. Not only because of her success rate but because of how kind she was in court and out of court. She really cared about her clients.
"You really don't have to stop by just for me. I'm sure you have someone else to spend your holidays with." he said. "I could always volunteer at a soup kitchen or something. I'd just have to work on my disguises."
He was probably going to wander the city as Chat Noir, giving out the rest of those 'outdated' designs to the families in need. His father wanted last year's designs destroyed but Adrien had the shipment misplaced into his holdings and had been giving them out. He wanted to give Yang a gift, but that would mean he would have to go near her again. Put her at risk again. He could leave a gift for her with Shadow since the officer seemed to be close with her but then the gift might give her the wrong idea. It might tell her that he wanted to see her again. Don't get him wrong. He wanted to see her more than anything, but with Cinder around, it was just too dangerous.
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