893/A Catty Christmas

A Catty Christmas
Date of Scene:	17 December 2023
Location:	Dorms #2
Synopsis:	Chrono and Adrien discuss Christmas.
Cast of Characters:	Adrien Agreste, Chrono Harlaown

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Adrien Agreste has posed:
There was a lot going on lately. A lot. Adrien had been part of it in some ways but opted not to get dragged into the midst of attempting to purify temples. That just wasn't what he was good at. While everyone else had been plotting and planning he was just offering backup and being a lookout. Naru kept him updated on the rest.

It wasn't that he didn't want to help, he just... Didn't have his partner who could do the purify thing within easy reach at the moment. So he'd fallen back to playing support without complaint.

This meant he was expecting Chrono to be a bit out of sorts from the mission as well. What better way to support than to offer some small means of relaxation and distraction when he could?

That was partially his excuse for decorating the dorm room they shared for Christmas. A tree had been put up, however small it was, and was decorated with colorful lights as well as some bird-shaped ornaments, and cat shaped ornaments. Oh, and the regular Christmassy sort too of course. Because.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown pushed open the door to the room. He... he looked like hell. He didn't usually look like hell. He looked like NORMAL people hell. Adrien had known Chrono for a while. Adrien had seen Chrono come in, so tired he could barely stand. Yet he still wore that 'soldier's mask'. It usually took a lot of awareness of Chrono to identify all the little signs of his actual state. The twitching eyes. The way his lips didn't fully curl.

One did not need that tonight. He looked stricken. He took two steps into the room. Paused. Glanced around...

"It looks... nice," Chrono finally said. "This world, this magic, is bullshit. Every. Single. Piece of it."

Then, he closed the door, collapsed on his bed, grabbed a pillow, covered his face and just YELLED!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Then he looked up, blinked a few times. "That is how my night was. The shrine went well. Very distracting. How was your night?"

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste was seated at his desk for the moment doing some busywork. There were times you had to just get ahead in your studies to ensure that if you *missed* any time, for reasons, you wouldn't get too far behind. He'd always been ahead of the curve any way.

When Chrono enters his chair swivels toward him to watch warily. "How did..." The question doesn't really get out because of the scream into the pillow moment. With a sigh he closes his textbook and rises to move to the door to ensure it's good and properly shut.

Plagg for his part pokes his head out of the little bookshelf 'apartment' that Adrien had built for him to flit over and hover near Chrono. "Wow you look terrible. Have you thought of retiring and becoming a cheese monger? I hear it's very rewarding. Plus I'd be your best customeeeer."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced up at Plagg and... "I don't even really like cheese. I *feel* terrible. I am going to have a shower once I have the energy to get up. In about a five minute span I murdered Hematite, watched Sailor Moon have a breakdown over it, then watched her bring out a Lost Logia that I think may ACTUALLY be a Lost Logia, one powerful enough to destroy this world, then bring him BACK from the DEAD."

More eye twitches.

"And the worst part? As powerful as that Lost Logia is? It's likely not even the most dangerous one I'm aware of. Hell, it's not even the most dangerous one I'm around *tonight*. Isn't that right, little kawmi of dinosaur extinction?" he asked, reaching up and actually *scritching* Plagg if the kwami let him. Oh, hell. That must have been a night if he was scritching the CAT.

"Retiring isn't really an option, anyway. Even if there's no TSAB, I will be an enforcer until the day the magic leaves my head. Then I'll, I don't know. Maybe I'll just live under a bridge somewhere and yell about trolls. It'll be... restful. Maybe. I could be the insane bridge man. It'll be nice."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Plagg grumbles but also does that little lean-into-it gesture cats do when a spot is hit. At least until Chrono moves his hand away again and then Plagg *dips* down and bobs right back up into the air to hover away. "Well, not to brag, but I *am* pretty powerful."

"Which is why his power has to be filtered through someone like me, so that it's not out of hand," Adrien supplies as he moves to the mini-fridge to pull out a bottle of eletrolytes that he offers over to Chrono. "Which is also why I stayed out of this situation. It would have been a large amount of overkill if I'd joined in, too. Plus I don't really deal with the purifying side of things." A bit worried he asks, "Is everyone else all right? I know Naru was there. ... I haven't been able to get in touch with her."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. "Indeed you are, little furball," Chrono said before taking the bottle. He opened it and just... chugged half the thing in a single go, sitting up and then coughing a bit.

"Everyone is fine. A few wounds, but nothing too severe. Naru is fine. I lent her Windy Echo, one of the devices of the crew. I let her keep it for the night to study applications of midchildian magic I'd been teaching her."

Pause for effect.

"So around now I imagine she is flying through the city going 'weeeeee!'" Just because he could be super srs soldier didn't mean he didn't understand a desire to do all the stupid magic silly things.

"I wouldn't worry about the purifying thing. I can't do it either. It just means I usually take a more supporting role. Help the people who can and ensure everyone is well coordinated. But... everyone is fine. So... that's good. Puts me in a situation, though. Technically, TSAB protocal is clear on this. And were this any other planet, it'd be easy. But it's not. And... well. Tonight has been a whiplash of events. It's enough to almost make me wish I was a normal earthling, not a TSAB agent to begin with... okay, not really."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"You could just consider it under the authority of another nation, and take notes so that the TSAB can have it in their files should a similar situation arise?" It's not the best of suggestions, but it is the best that Adrien can offer given he didn't know every detail of what happened other than 'big fight, lots of chaos, Chrono bemoaning Earth magic again' which usually meant something big outside of his realm of understanding occured.

Moving back to his side of the room he sits down on the edge of his own bed still facing Chrono. "Naru wouldn't do that. At least, not right after a fight like this. She'd probably be just as tired," he points out with a wry grin that fades to a look of concern still. "I'll check in on her later then. Thank you for making sure she has some way to protect herself during... Everything." Sighing, he shakes his own head in thought. "I'm doing what I can to help support, but I kind of wish I could hit a few things too, right now. I feel so out of the loop while everyone I know is in danger one way or another."

"Or was in danger."

Awkwardly he pauses realizing his own complaining isn't helping at all. "Is there anything I can do to help at this point?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked a few times before chuckling. "You know what? I like that. Authority of another nation. Sailor Moon can be a nation with the other sailors. Makes as much sense as anything else in this world. Better than the alternatives, at least." He took another drink before shrugging.

"I don't know. Naru doesn't get a lot of chances to do magic, it might be something she does extra. It's not anything major, but... well... it never feels good to be on the sidelines. Even if you can help that way best, there's always that desire to do more..."

Slow, deep breath. "Which applies to you as well. I know it must sometimes be hard for you, especially considering the lack of utility with your powers. But you are helping."

"In this battle, we all have roles to play. Some of us fighting, some purifying, some helping, some communicating, all of the roles and hats we wear may change on different days. But supporting as best you can is the best thing you can do. It may not be as glorious as running in and fighting things... but sometimes? Just being there to listen to your roommate bitch and getting him a drink can mean a lot more than you'd expect," Chrono said that with a small, grateful smile.

"Tonight just wasn't the kind of night where they needed you. Next time? Who knows. Maybe there'll be a barrier or something that they need the aspect of destruction for."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste smiles faintly at the response. His head ducks down, allowing himself a moment to just let that sink in, and then nods. "Well I can definitely do that," he admits looking up again with a chuckle. "I know it's hard. There's been times I really wished I had someone I could talk to about things, so I get that. Always willing to lend an ear."

"Or a tuxedo, if you need to get fancy for some reason," he adds jokingly recalling the ball not long ago. Maybe helping remind Chrono of the girl he likes will also help cheer him up a bit.

"For now you probably could use to clean up and get some rest before all the adrenaline totally wears off. Been *there*, too," he admits.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gives a low chuckle and nods. "Yeah. That tuxedo was an amazing choice..." He got a girlfriend out of it, even! Well. Sorta. The tuxedo likely helped.

"I should... probably get the wounds cleaned, too. Once I de-henshin. Bandages, cleaned up, all that. Confirm everything else went well with the other team. Though I think they've all gone to sleep by now."

With a low, aching grunt he got to his feet and stretched. "Nobody is an island, Adrien-san. No matter how much we may fool ourselves into believing we are, or how much we may try to 'be strong'. Nobody is strong enough to bear the world alone. We're only foolish enough to believe we are. This goes to both you and your 'friend' with the other kwami." He polished off the rest of the drink before chucking it in the bin. "Okay, I'm going to go clean up and put some ice on the bruises before they become... more bruises, I guess. See yah."

He'd then turn and head towards the bathroom.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"... I agree with you there," Adrien murmers quietly as he stands and turns to head back for his desk. "But it's not my call in this case." He thinks. Maybe he should consider it more. Naru knew, even if it was from having to change around her once, but it was a huge relief that someone knew.

"All right. If you need me to grab anything let me know, Chrono."