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Post by skyeknight on Jun 12, 2017 18:17:53 GMT
Adrien had needed to see Yang.
After his father's death, the media hounded him for weeks. He was cut off from any contact to anyone who might have been able to help him through it minus his staff. Once the media had moved on to another story (apparently some pop star checked herself into rehab), the board of directors and the stock holders attacked. Everyone wanted a piece of him. But the company was officially his. He had signed his last document as of a week ago. The board wasn't happy. The stocks were crashing as share holders were desperately selling stocks to get out of the 'sinking ship' of Agreste Industries. But Adrien needed a day to not think.
He had texted Yang asking if she wanted to come up to his house for a change (mostly because he was not leading the media to her house again) and he could trust Tom to be discrete. He also believed the man was very pleased to be driving something other than the limo. The man had requested the Lamborghini. Adrien laughed and let him go. But he stood, waiting by the window, hoping that Yang would agree to come. He hoped she wanted to see him as much as he wanted to see her. Otherwise, defying his father had been for nothing. |
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 12, 2017 18:48:25 GMT
To say Yang had been frantic ever since Mr. Agreste's death would be an understatement. After hearing about it on the news, she had tried to call Adrien a number of times for a couple of days. But getting a hold of him had been impossible. His line had constantly been busy, and anytime she did manage to get through, she was always met with an automated voice message, telling her to press numbers in order to speak to a desk clerk. She had nearly chucked her phone out the window in frustration. In the end, she had told herself to be patient and wait until Adrien got a hold of her. It was no use running around in circles without a human being she could get a hold of. Getting a text from him, asking if she could come over, had made her feel more relieved than she had ever felt in her life. She'd immediately answered, confirming she'd go see him, and it wasn't until the day of that she realized she was actually going to be stepping foot into Adrien's mansion for the first time. The reality of the situation had hit her when his bodyguard Tom, or the Gorilla as he had nicknamed him, came to pick her up in a Lamborghini. Her anxiety kicked in for a moment, reminding her that she was going to stick out like a sore thumb at that place. But, she told herself to stop being such a baby and got in the car without too much hesitation. Still, she was quiet during the drive, and Tom didn't exactly say much either.
The Agreste mansion was huge, somehow being even more grand than the LaFayette estate. Yang's movements were slow as she got out of the car, her eyes trying to take in everything at once as Tom led her to the front door. Her left arm unconsciously wrapped around herself, her hand softly gripping her right. It was a nervous habit of hers now, her theory being that she was unconsciously trying to cover up where her right hand would be, as if nobody would notice that it was missing. As Tom opened the front door, it struck Yang how quiet the place was. The house was still stuck in mourning it seemed, and Yang wasn't sure how much good she could do to help Adrien get through this. His dad had been an asshole, there was no denying that. But Yang wasn't sure if he deserved to die. She could name plenty of other people who deserved it more. But if she was feeling conflicted about it, Adrien was probably feeling it ten times more. He lived with the guy, after all. Yang shook away the gloomy thoughts and just looked for Adrien, trying not to stare too much at all the fancy decor and stylish architecture.
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Post by skyeknight on Jun 12, 2017 19:06:52 GMT
Tom escorted Yang into the study where Adrien was. It felt like the very breath had been sucked out of the young man. The weeks of stress were starting to get to him. His knees could have buckled from the sheer relief that he felt. So she did want to see him again, or was she here to let him down in person? He wouldn't blame her. Why get involved in all the politics of mass media and the fashion industry? She feared he would leave because of her arm and her social status, but he feared the media would drive her off and she would be fed up with how much he could spend if he so chose to. He offered Yang a watery smile.
"Hey," he greeted. "Uh, thank you for coming. Sorry it's, uh, last minute."
He shifted awkwardly in his spot. He was also grateful when Tom took that as his cue to step out, leaving the two of them alone in the room. But it was strange inviting her to the mansion. She certainly didn't look comfortable, no more than he was anyways. He didn't know what else to do to make her comfortable. Though he supposed fussing over whether she was comfortable was second nature by now. It did take an edge off how he felt about everything that had happened.
"And the media isn't focused on you anymore... So there's a plus..." he said though not enthusiastically.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 12, 2017 20:41:13 GMT
Adrien was waiting for them in a study, and Yang could already tell that he looked different. Sure, he tried to make his voice sound casual, and he gave her a smile, but it wasn't the same. And she felt her heart clench when he mentioned the news not being so centered on her anymore. What did that matter now? Why was he worrying about her now, of all times? His dad had just died! But, that was how Adrien was. He always worried more about others than himself. Without a word, she walked over and wrapped him in the tightest hug she could manage. She knew she couldn't take away any of the bad stuff he was feeling, but that didn't stop her from wanting to try. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice quiet.
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Post by skyeknight on Jun 12, 2017 20:57:09 GMT
When she hugged him he felt himself tense up. His jaw tensed, and quivered as he tried his best not to cry. He had done enough of that in his opinion, over a man who was barely worth the effort of the tears. But as his throat felt thick with raw emotion, his hands moved up and he hugged Yang back, burying his face into her shoulder. He didn't know what to say. Me too? His father was never around so this would hardly be any different. He didn't have any strong emotion towards the man, aside from loathing him for trying to get him to leave Yang alone. And anger for calling Yang a gold digger. But those centralized around Yang. Still, he felt his eyes growing wet. Why was he crying?
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 12, 2017 22:22:30 GMT
Yang could feel Adrien tense up for a moment, but his walls were starting to break a bit. She didn't want him to feel like he had to pretend, not around her at least. He could let it go while she was around. He had a lot of sadness in him. She could feel that even as he hugged her back. And she knew he felt conflicted about all this. How else could someone feel in a situation like this? Mr. Agreste had been a jerk, but it was hard not to have feelings for your family, and with his mom gone, Mr. Agreste was all Adrien had had left. But now, he was gone too. Yang couldn't imagine how conflicted Adrien was feeling. "It's okay to feel sad, you know," she said. "It's okay to miss him."
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Post by skyeknight on Jun 13, 2017 1:57:42 GMT
"I hated him," he whispered. "I hated him so much."
He felt his eyes water and he squeezed Yang a little tighter. He could at least be thankful his last words to his father weren't 'I hate you'. Instead, they were about how his father never listened and ignored him. Adrien seemed to have done the same thing. If he had noticed, maybe his father could have got help. That brought the tears. Now, he was alone. He had Yang, but no proper father. Not like he had a proper father figure in his life before hand but now he was truly the last of his bloodline.
"He wanted me to- He told me... He said you were just using me and I-I saw red!" he stammered out.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 13, 2017 2:08:35 GMT
"I know," Yang said, her voice soft as her hand rubbed Adrien's back, trying to comfort him as best she could. She wasn't sure if there was anything she could really do or say to make this better, but Adrien always said that being around her was enough to make him happy. She hoped that would be the case here. If being here was all he needed, then she would do it. She wasn't surprised to hear that Mr. Agreste thought she was using his son. She'd been expecting that. What worried her more was the anger Adrien felt over it. The only other time she'd seen him close to angry was when the reporters had pushed her too far. This felt different. What Mr. Agreste had said made him feel angrier than anything the reporters had done. "Look..." She pulled away so she could look at Adrien's face. His eyes were already watery, but she looked at them, trying to get him to understand what she was saying. "Feeling conflicted about this is okay. Anyone in your position would. Your dad was...a jerk, and insensitive, and cold, but he was still your dad. You're gonna feel sad about him, even if you don't want to. It's just what happens with family. But it's okay to let this all out, 'cause it's better than just pushing it all away and denying anything you feel." That was what Yang had done, after her parents had died. She had run away, lived on the streets, did anything she wanted, because it made her happy and it pushed away the pain she felt. She did anything she could to escape the world that had hurt her and her family. Adrien couldn't do that now. He couldn't run away from this, even if he wanted to. Because if he ran, Yang wasn't sure if she could follow him, and she didn't want to lose him.
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Post by skyeknight on Jun 13, 2017 14:49:12 GMT
When she broke the hug, Adrien had to hold back a soft noise of protest. He felt like such a little kid, needing hugs and reassurances that everyone would be 'okay'. He couldn't be a kid anymore, not that he ever really was one to begin with. He had to be the company owner. Jobs depended on him and his choices. His reputation meant everything. At the same time the politics made him want to scream. He just wanted to be happy. His father had thrown a wrench in that, even in his death. Yes, he was upset and angry and sad. The whirlwind of emotions did nothing for his temperament. He also felt like he wanted to sleep for the next hundred years.
"I'm... frustrated with everything." he said.
He wasn't used to talking about how he felt. With Yang it was easier. Things were always easier with her. With Yang, he felt like he could take on the world and win. The funny feeling of invincibility she gave him just with a little smile or even the time of day. So he took a deep breath, dried his eyes and tried to put everything he felt into words so she could understand.
"He was never around. I didn't even know he had a heart condition! And now the company is mine, the stocks are crashing, and the investors are getting scared. If I don't do something... We'll lose the
business." he explained.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 13, 2017 17:38:11 GMT
Of course. There was the issue with the company now too. Yang knew Adrien had no real love for modeling or fashion. He had just done it because his dad had wanted him to. Now, he was expected to take charge of it. How could anyone expect him to run a business when his father had just died? He needed some time to grieve and sort things out. Adrien had just from the son of the director to suddenly being in charge. Not many people made a leap like that nowadays. Yang knew she had been hesitant on getting involved with people's problems lately, but she couldn't just ignore Adrien's right now. He needed help, and she wanted to give it if there was even the smallest chance it would make things easier for him. "Can't you take some time off or something?" she asked. "I mean, they're asking you to take charge of a huge business right after your dad died. Can't you get away for a week or two or something? Just get out of the house, out of the town, or even out of the country. It'll give you time to grieve and sort through things and..." She hesitated for a moment before continuing her sentence. "And think about whether you really want to run this company or not." Yang felt like getting away from here might do Adrien some good. And it didn't matter to her whether he stayed at her place, or at some beach on a faraway island. Going away for a little while might help him clear his head a little.
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Post by skyeknight on Jun 13, 2017 17:54:53 GMT
"I want to," he said. "I really do but I can't. If I sit and do nothing then the company dies. If I do something wrong, the company dies. I don't design clothes. I can barely even draw a stick figure let alone a shirt."
Adrien was just a pretty face. He was only good to make the clothes look good, which sold them. But he didn't know the first thing about the business. Or colors. Or fabrics. Or anything. He knew it and so did his investors. Natalie was helping with the business know how but he would have to do something to learn how to take care of the business on his own. Likely going to college for business. Not like he couldn't afford it. But time to get away sounded amazing. He would have offered to take Yang with him but was certain she wanted to stay out of the media as much as possible so he stayed quiet.
"If my company goes bankrupt, a lot of good people lose jobs."
It wasn't about him. It never was about him. It was this sudden burden knowing that if he failed this, people would suffer for it. The slums of the Garcon Perdu already weighed on his mind. He would not be responsible for that sort of economic decline.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 13, 2017 18:02:59 GMT
"Can't somebody else run this thing?" Yang asked. "I mean, your dad had to have an assistant director something, right? Let him take it. Or let him run it until you get things sorted out. They used to do that in medieval times with kingdoms and stuff...I think." She felt like she'd heard at least one story like that. A king died, and the prince was super young and couldn't rule, so the king's adviser ran the kingdom until the prince was old enough to take charge. Couldn't Adrien do something like that? "Look, I know a lot of people's jobs are on the line here. But burning yourself out isn't going to help them. It's okay to get some help. Isn't that what you and everyone else has been telling me?" Taking some time off might hurt things for the short term, but it would be better for the long term. Adrien would be able to help the company better if he was rested and ready, not drowning under a pile of stress and still dealing with the grieving process. Didn't any of these big business people understand that?
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Post by skyeknight on Jun 13, 2017 18:21:30 GMT
"Natalie is helping," Adrien said with a smile. "She was father's personal assistant."
He almost laughed at her 'kingdom' reference. He might have if he had been in a better mood. The hint of a smile traced his lips. It wasn't far off. The Agreste family name was like royalty. At least in this city. He let out another deep breath. He supposed he could talk to Elsa Crispin about legal help - if she wanted to talk to him. She didn't seem too happy with the fact he hadn't gone to Nevermore with her. He wanted to hug her again, simply for just being there, but decided against it. He stepped back, giving Yang her space again. At least with Yang he didn't have to put up the 'strong heir' front that his press team had been feeding the media.
"I'm getting help. But it's a lot at once you know? I haven't even gone through the wills yet... His or my mom's..." he explained. "I just got the company signed over to me last week. And I have to start job interviews for new fashion designers because apparently father did that himself."
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 13, 2017 18:28:42 GMT
Yang bit her lip. An assistant wasn't quite the same as what she was thinking. But Adrien seemed set on running this thing. Could she change his mind? If she could just get him to take a week off for himself, she'd consider that an accomplishment. "Adrien, you don't have to do it just because your dad did it," she said. "Don't you get it? You can do things your own way now. And if your way means taking some time to think things over and get in a better mental state, then do it." She gestured around her as she said "This place isn't a cage anymore. You can leave it when you want, and be in charge of yourself." She reached over and took his hand. "I know you haven't...made decisions for yourself for a long time. But you can start that now. Your dad isn't in charge of you anymore. You are." Everyone expected Adrien to take charge of this company because it was what was expected of him, and his dad probably expected it too. But he didn't have to. He was an adult, after all. He could make his own choices now. Yang just wanted him to make a choice that was right for him.
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Post by skyeknight on Jun 13, 2017 18:40:20 GMT
"I know and I'm going to." he reassured her. "Once the company isn't freaking out about me being the heir I think I'll find someone I can trust to run things from a business perspective. Even Batman had Alfred, right?"
That was the best part. He would be in charge. He could set his own hours and work at his own pace. Go on long vacations if he wanted to. But he needed someone with a good sense for business who wouldn't take advantage of the fact he was giving them that much power or boot him out of his own company. The company was all he knew but he could make the changes he wanted to make. Be more environmentally friendly. Open new factories in the city and bring back jobs. The money was just a means of doing it. He knew he wouldn't do well in the regular work force. That didn't mean he would be devoting all of his time to the modeling industry. He wanted a social life.
He gave a weak smile and squeezed her hand. She worried and he was glad she did. At least he had a few people who genuinely cared whether he was okay. Yang. Weiss. Natalie. Tom. He supposed he could add Shadow and Sunshine but they only knew him as Chat Noir. He would get things settled here and once things were right and proper, he would go on a well deserved vacation. Somewhere nice.
"If... Would you want to... Would you go on a vacation with me?"
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