View source for 2903/Dad Punchers Anonymous

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2026/01/01
|Location=The Shed
|Synopsis=After learning the devestating good news about his mother being alive-but-sick, Adrien reaches out to Kazuo and some other friends to talk at the Shed. They run into Takuto, and Sugata fresh from testing the training rooms containment ability and the four chat about the pros and cons of punching fathers.
|Cast of Characters=37,150,58,197
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>So-- all is quiet on New Year's Day.<br><br>Lies: there's an explosion in the Shed, a muffled magical WHUMPH that shakes the ground a little, but enough to be felt almost as far as the quad. Entrapta hasn't had her shop set up there in months and months, though.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:150|Adrien Agreste (150)}} has posed:'''<br>The sunrise that many Japanese stayed up to enjoy on the first day of the New Year had already passed. The day itself was still young, but it wasn't crack-of-dawn early at the very least. There's a series of texts sent out to several people that Adrien called friends requesting (if possible given the holiday) a meet up to talk. <br><br>TXT: Sorry for the early message I know it's a holiday<br>TXT: Had some news<br>TXT: If anyone can meet up to talk? i can bring coffee or something<br><br>Followed by the most awkwardly long of pauses before another text of:<br><br>TXT: major drama trauma @ shed (signed with a pawprint emoji)<br><br>Plagg was helping. Trying to at least, as he flits up near Adrien's shoulders, darting from one side to another with more energy and concern than the Kwami ever shows. With good reason it would seem. The ever put-together and polished Adrien was damn near *disheveled* at this point. He'd thrown on a jacket that didn't match his outfit and forgotten his hat and his hair was a mess. As were his pink and puffy eyes.<br><br>Silently, diligently he makes his way toward the shed with hands gripped around the coffee thermos he typically brings with him to help energize himself or Naru in the mornings. He almost makes it to the shed when that *WHUMP* hits finally snapping him out of his haze to stop in front of it staring blankly at the wooden door.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo is not one of those suddenly checking phones to see if there was a little unexpected seismic event. If there were, either Mamoru would text him, or Usagi would text him panicking about Mamoru's reaction. (Possibly both.)<br><br>Instead, he's approaching the shed in response to a ''different'' text. (His return TXT: coffee is always an excellent bribe ) And stepping up behind Adrien. "I don't think it's mined," he says thoughtfully. "If you're concerned, I can do the door-opening, just in case."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>There's... coughing, from inside. And then a doorslam, internal. And then footsteps. And then, looking like he got blasted with some kind of Big Ol Beam and looking ''really sketchy'', the Ginga Bishounen opens the Shed door in front of the two of them. His eyes widen. He closes the door.<br><br>He opens the door again, then grimaces. "It's not ''broken,''" is how he opens, before opening the door wider and stepping aside to let them in. "But uh I wouldn't go in there for a while, it's in cleanup mode."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:150|Adrien Agreste (150)}} has posed:'''<br>Adrien Agreste glances toward the far taller Kazuo. He'd grown in height since they first met but he was in no way shape or form that tall yet. It was at least less of a neck-craning event than it used to be. A wan smile is offered in greeting.<br><br>"Thanks for coming out, Kazuo. I think I can manage that at least-" He begins only for such a thought of opening the door to be interrupted by the coughing, and sudden opening of the door by Ginga Bishounen.<br><br>The blonde stares at Takuto a moment, blinking in turn as he shuts it then re-opens it. The thermos he carries is held up indicating it.<br><br>"That's fine. We were just going to talk and have a drink."<br><br>A dark shadow flits away from behind his head breifly with a mutter of, "A cheeseboard would be better~" but that might have just been the wind.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"Are ''you'' not broken?" Kazuo inquires of the Ginga Bishounen, but it's in a mild tone. The Star Driver is, after all, walking and using at least one arm! Positive signs.<br><br>Kazuo does not, alas, display signs of having a cheeseboard on hand. Perhaps that should have been requested in the text messages. Cat thoughts for later.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>"Oh! With me? Or should I get out of your hair?" Takuto asks, not dropping henshin, just wearing it like it's clothes to him. He smiles crookedly and shrugs at Kazuo. "I'm fine, I just ate one of my own finishers, oops. The mirror target angled left when I expected it to angle right." The smile turns into a grin-- but it dims as he focuses back on Adrien. "Are you all right?" He glances at Kazuo to get a read on him before attending Adrien once more, hand on the door.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:150|Adrien Agreste (150)}} has posed:'''<br>The series of questions earns a single shake of Adrien's head meant to answer both, frankly. Even so he attempts a smile. It's tired. It's fake. It's *trying* so hard not to be fake.<br><br>"The more the merrier! I just..." The words struggle to come out further and his shoulders drop a bit. "I'm not okay at all. Can we go inside? I don't mind if you stay and listen," he assures Ginga.<br><br>"It's about my parents."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"He got bad news this morning," Kazuo says. He's not avoiding Takuto's eyes, and the comment about eating his own finisher just gets a wry little nod. Doubt that Takuto was also midair at the time: ''absolutely zero.''<br><br>It's the body language that's the tell, at least for someone who's sparred with him as often and as long as Takuto has. He's not in the behind-and-to-the-right position of backing Adrien up - or in the straight out behind position of following him; he's just a little to the left, and angled. Protective. Watching out for him.<br><br>Of course, the pink and puffy eyes on Adrien might also be a clue there.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>"Ohh," Takuto says softly, and he shuts the door behind them as they come in. He's not sure yet whether this is a 'man, fuck parents!' thing or a 'shit I'm sorry for your loss and shouldn't have been so facetious' thing, so he stays quiet on that, but yeah: it's bad, he can see that. "Hey yeah, sit down, my dude. Let me get cups out--"<br><br>And off he goes across the room to root around in the cubbies until he finds disposable cups, which he KNOWS are there because he STASHED them there, and-- yes good there they are. (He was absolutely midair.) He's halfway back across the room before he realizes he's in henshin and drops it, looking only scuffed and hair-ruffled now.<br><br>He keeps his words brief, though, lets Adrien talk.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:150|Adrien Agreste (150)}} has posed:'''<br>Adrien Agreste follows into the Shed while he allows Kazuo to stand bodyguard. It was odd, not being the one doing that himself, but comforting in it's own way. At least once they were inside the Shed there wouldn't really be fear of any outside interference. Other than more mahoujin showing up.<br><br>While Takuto rummages for cups he sinks into one of the chairs in the room. The thermos he brought is plunked on the tabletop, and he swings his messenger bag around to drape over the back of the chair out of habit. It's only once he waits for the other two to be seated that he speaks.<br><br>"... I should be happy, actually," he starts out as if to apologize for the fact that he was going to vent. His voice had already changed years ago but it cracks here breifly as he sinks his head forward into one hand propped up on the tabletop with his fingers sunk into his hair.<br><br>"My mother went missing a bit over three years ago and my father kind of shut himself away after that. He shut me away too. I had to fight just to get to go to school with other kids, or have friends."<br><br>"I thought he was just trying to protect me since..." The hand slips away to wave breifly in the air as if indicating the prior mention of what happened to his mother.<br><br>"He wouldn't talk about her at all. Forbade me from watching her movies. Just anything that reminded him of her he removed except her painting. I'm not stupid. I know the longer someone is missing the more likely it is that they're ... gone. I just assumed he was trying to protect me from that in his own way."<br><br>"So I say she was 'missing' but I always assumed that after this long..." His breath hitches.<br><br>"I told him this morning he didn't have to keep protecting me from the truth. That it was okay. I understood. But he... He told me she's alive and just very sick? He knew where she was this whole time."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Takuto brings cups back; Kazuo opens the thermos while he's doing that and pours, settling cups where they can be taken and held for warmth, fussed with to buy time, maybe even actually drunk from. He reverses a chair and seats himself with one of the disposables in hand - in both hands, once he's settled, arms over the back.<br><br>And he listens.<br><br>'I should be happy, actually' gets a wry expression of its own. Nothing that starts with that is ''ever'' actually happy. And he listens.<br><br>There are a couple of bits and pieces of this he's heard before, courtesy being around Adrien and Naru. No mention of mother. Having to wrangle time out with other human beings. There are other pieces he hasn't.<br><br>And then, of course, there's the key piece.<br><br>"-- and he didn't ''tell'' you?!" That ... that is a surprisingly familiar-sounding kind of shock. Not just the surprise that would be a normal person's; not the casual tone that Kazuo takes about most things. The sound of someone who understands exactly what having a missing parent is like.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>Takuto's patient, listening; his face twists in sympathy and shared pain, the story that starts out as 'I should be happy' and then goes to 'my mother went missing'-- his own mother left and changed her name as soon as he was born, but that's... different. He can imagine it, though, and he does. He imagines having someone other than his grandfather, who stopped being around-- he imagines finding out that Jii-chan had been hiding Natsuo, letting him think he was dead, instead of Natsuo actually...<br><br>Takuto shakes his head and puts the cups down next to the thermos, and takes one for himself, and he sits back and drags his hands down his face. He looks at Kazuo, listens to that tone... this is why he wasn't sure if he should get out of their hair. Because his first earnestly businesslike offer is, "Do you want help caving his face in? I'm good at punishing incredibly shitty dads."<br><br>There's a thump from the door leading to the Zone. Takuto casually gets up and leans on the door, arms crossed.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:150|Adrien Agreste (150)}} has posed:'''<br>The cup that was filled is reached for automatically as the reactions to this long winded revelation come. Adrien's hand lingers there around the familiar warmth of the cup pulling it closer to almost hug it to himself. Right now would be the perfect time for a plush or a pillow to squeeze the heck out of. The warmth of the coffee cup would suffice.<br><br>"No, he didn't. He was actually angry that I had 'given up' on her." <br><br>Adrien's face contorts with a mixture of fury, and agony. The emotions that were warring in him right now would make him a prime target for anyone wanting to make a youma. No doubt a reason he had considered before retreating to the safety of the Shed. Who knows what would happen out in Tokyo.<br><br>"How could he have, this whole time? I thought he was protecting me not *lying* to me."<br><br>Green eyes raise to regard Takuto and his suggestion as if seriously, very seriously, considering it. Idly he begins to fiddle with the silver signet ring on his hand twisting it round and round his finger with the press of his thumb.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"Given up," Kazuo repeats. "He decided not to bother telling you that she was alive. After three years, and his behavior. And then he decided to be ''angry'' at you for ''behaving like a reasonable human being''?"<br><br>Coffee splashes over the rim of his cup. He puts it down hastily, and brings his hand to his mouth to remove the spill barbarian-style. Appropriately enough, given that the coffee had been nowhere near before the rim before his hands started tightening.<br><br>His own glance to Takuto is ... thoughtful. Possibly considering the all-important (for people who are not Takuto) How Not To Get Caught.<br><br>That, or wondering what's thumping. If it's Adrien's dad somehow, well, at least that will make decisions easy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>"You gotta punch him in the face like he's a youma trying to mack on pre-henshin Naru," advises Takuto. "Make him understand your displeasure on a visceral level. It'd be so cathartic for you, too. But you have to be able to throw a good punch."<br><br>The red-haired red-eyed boy picks up his coffee and salutes Kazuo with it as he skitters back to the door. "Can you pull your punches in henshin? Could break into your own house. With a getaway friend who can like... superspeed you out. Or teleport. Your dad has that giant bodyguard right?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:150|Adrien Agreste (150)}} has posed:'''<br>Adrien Agreste swallows a lump he had felt rising in his throat only to realize his mouth was suddenly dry. It made the available coffee all the more useful as he pauses to take a sip of it, ignoring any burn it might bring. It was the usual heat of the brew from his espresso machine at least. His gaze slides to Kazuo.<br><br>"So I wasn't over-reacting. I knew I wasn't. It's just good to hear with how messed up this morning has been," he admits with a breif toss of an attempted smile that fades to the more serious meign he'd been displaying this whole time.<br><br>"I can fight, in and out of henshin," he admits even as he draws a deep breath. His gaze drops to the ring on his hand. Cat Noir would *never* assault an innocent--! But. BUT. The temptation was certainly there in this instance.<br><br>Plagg flits out of his hiding place in Adrien's bag at this point. The little black cat kwami with glowing green eyes flies in front of Adrien's hand to place his paws on the ring as if staying that thought. "Y'know guys, I'm always up for a good bit of deserved destruction, but this miiight not be a good idea." The Kwami squeaks out in his not-quite-deep voice. <br><br>"Though it's better he do it than me. Last time I got yelled at over the whole 'extinction of the dinosaurs' thing," Plagg adds with an exagerated roll of his eyes and a sigh. Such old news.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo inclines his head gravely to Plagg. "Wreck one planetary ecosphere and you never hear the end of it," he agrees. Absolutely deadpan.<br><br>Then glances up at Adrien. "You're not over-reacting. If you need to break some things that aren't people, out of henshin, there's literally a rage room built into the apartment I live in and Mamoru semi-regularly makes comments about how I never use it; I'm more than willing to lend some of my share of the time."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>Takuto leans harder on the door, and it thumps behind him. Takuto grimaces while laughing, eyebrows up, like, this is going to be violent hee hee hee, oh shit--<br><br>He does not get Kazuo's joke, which is a crying shame.<br><br>"I'm not talking about wanton destruction, I'm not talking about using powers. I mean, I think it would be cathartic for you to do it, but you can also just ask me to do it. Like, I could just stalk him and punch him as soon as he leaves the house, then fly away. I'd be happy to do that. I should put 'punching dads' on my business cards next batch-- the point is this isn't okay, and he's-- he really doesn't sound right in the head, Agreste-san."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:197|Sugata Shindo (197)}} has posed:'''<br>The door that Takuto has been casually leaning against is finally forced open. This ''might'' knock Takuto down, or away, but it at least reveals that in the Range was Ginga Kingu, who straightens the collar of his military style coat before dehenshining with a pointed glance at Takuto. <br><br>The glance says 'I understand why you did that and you were right but I am not amused'. <br><br>"Takuto has excellent prior experience in punching fathers best described as 'complete shitheads'," he says dryly but sincerely, making it clear he'd heard the whole tale.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:150|Adrien Agreste (150)}} has posed:'''<br>The thumping of the door that Takuto is leaning against has at least become a bit of a distraction for Adrien who is currently watching with growing suspicion. It's not really a huge surprise when Sugata finally pushes his way out of it. If anything it earns a quirk of his lips in a ghost of an actual smile--Something he had been fighting to find again for a good part of this entire conversation.<br><br>"I hadn't really thought of hitting him, to be honest. I wanted to yell at him a bit more than I had at least." His head ducks down to stare at his coffee cup, and Plagg, just a moment. "It's hard for me to stand up to him. My friends in Paris told me that a lot too, and I know I kind of just cave to whatever he says usually. This is too much, though." <br><br>His grip tightens around his cup while Plagg pats his hand again. "Three years. I would check up every week with the police just in case they found anything. THEY didn't even tell me there was no missing person case on her. Then again, Father always did have a bit of a hand with the police there." Suddenly it was all kind of adding up in sickening ways.<br><br>He looks up again, opens his mouth, shuts it. Then remarks, "I feel like doing something he wouldn't approve of at least."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Punching dads on a business card. Kazuo mentally files that away on the vanishingly miniscule chance he'll ever have cause and opportunity to invoke it. In the mean time: "Shindo-san, good morning. Would you like some of Agreste's coffee?"<br><br>Then to Adrien: "If you can't stand up to him face to face," Kazuo says, "write to him. Write everything you want to yell. Then put it away for three days and see if you still want to give it to him. The words you've already written can't cave."<br><br>He does not suggest getting a tattoo to tell his father something obscene. That would be less than artful, which truly doesn't sound like Adrien.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>The door opening behind Takuto makes him exaggeratedly stumble away, and the look he gives Sugata is affectionate and apologetic. He leaves it there, attention falling on Kazuo after the comment about the rage room. He looks momentarily interested, then glances at Sugata and squints thoughtfully. But his gaze turns back to Adrien. "Yeah, you're in a different situation than mine: it turned out my dad is a supervillain."<br><br>He looks at Kazuo again and nods, agreeing, then sips his coffee while he thinks. Then he snappoints. "We should break in somewhere! Like an Easter warehouse or something."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:197|Sugata Shindo (197)}} has posed:'''<br>"So far what you've said your father disapproves of is your having friends and going to school. Are you wanting to get in trouble as Adrien Agreste? Or to release your energy?" This is important to establish before he suggests anything, though he looks interested in the break in plan. <br><br>"Saitou-san's suggestion is the most clear-headed; he's correct in that you can at least keep your words consistent if you right them now, while your blood is boiling."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:150|Adrien Agreste (150)}} has posed:'''<br>"Writing things down. I can do that," Adrien agrees with a slow nod of agreement. It was a logical solution and one that was more up his alley. Though he didn't think his father would *read* a note. He'd written his father notes before.<br><br>A breath is let out at the questions that were all good at helping him to narrow things down. "I do need to let out some energy, whether in or out of henshin. I could really use to fence some right now. Or go roof running. Either one would work without being destructive. If I need more after that, a 'rage room' sounds like it would be useful."<br><br>Eyes peer from beneath his bangs toward the others. "Thank you all for listening, and helping. I think I need to burn off some energy before making any potentially lasting bad decisions."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Random warehouse breakins! ... clearly Takuto wants new music? Or something. It's not that suggestion that prompts Kazuo's slight frown - it's the way Sugata puts the things Adrien's father disapproves of. Pairing them ''quite'' so explicitly manages to put Gabriel in even a worse light.<br><br>"Well," he says, "you're in good company for roof running or swordwork. Or both, in whichever order." He doesn't know how long Sugata and Takuto were celebrating the new year by training, but there's at least one person here who can volunteer even if they were falling on their faces.<br><br>... huh. ''Does'' Takuto ever fall on his face. Or, indeed, sleep. Not a question he's about to ask. Maybe he can bribe Wako.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:37|Takuto Tsunashi (37)}} has posed:'''<br>Takuto looks, on the whole, faintly disappointed -- Kazuo gets a rueful look -- and then he reaches to pour himself more coffee from the thermos. "Yeah I can go again," he finally says, cheerful again, "we can do pairs. In henshin! It's fine in there now right, Sugata-kun?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:197|Sugata Shindo (197)}} has posed:'''<br>"Yes, Takuto-kun, it's fine in there, now that I cleaned everything," Sugata says, very dryly. "You team up with Saitou-san. Agreste-san and I will put you both through the floor." <br><br>A challenge but he's sounding dry and amused rather than angry or truly upset. He nods towards Adrien, and inclines his head towards Kazuo, respecting that he was the deft hand and level head at work here.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:150|Adrien Agreste (150)}} has posed:'''<br>Plagg siiiighs heavily as he flits away from Adrien and the coffee to descend again into the bag where he typically hides. "They'll be at this all day. Don't wake me unless you need me. Time for a much needed cat-nap~!" Perhaps this is where Cat Noir gets all the cat puns from.<br><br>Adrien does look just a bit cheered at least. The coffee is drank in one smooth gulp, and he flashes a grin worthy of the camera making him seem at least a bit better. "Honestly that sounds great. In henshin or out? I don't have a sword in henshin, but I can always use my staff." It was so ODD having people know who he was! And a bit of a relief, too. Now people didn't think he was dating himself.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"Neither do I," Kazuo says to Adrien about swords in henshin. "So at least the teams would be fair." He sounds rather amused. Probably at the image of what would happen to their practice swords if they tried to use ''those'' in henshin. Splinters and metal pretzels, at best.<br><br>... or maybe it's at the suggestion of his team being put through the floor. Ahem.<br> <br>
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