1142/CATching Up With the Bug

CATching Up With the Bug
Date of Scene:	19 February 2024
Location:	Okujoo Ramen
Synopsis:	Cat Noir reaches out to Ladybug and invites her for ramen. After getting an earful about loaning out the Cat Miraculous, they reconnect as friends.
Cast of Characters:	Adrien Agreste, Marinette Dupain-Cheng

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Adrien Agreste has posed:
Cat Noir had gotten quite used to being out on patrol himself. That didn't mean that he didn't *try* at least to reach out to Lady Bug to see how she was, or if she was around again. He knew for awhile she had to go back to France and was working with The Guardian on something important. It was just that he was also trying not to be the overly clingy cat he had been before by leaving a bazillion messages.

"Hey Lady! About to head out on patrol for awhile. Iiif you're around there's this rooftop ramen place that I know of which is worth a stop by for a break. See ya!"

He glances at his staff hitting the send button only to sigh to himself, and pace toward the edge of the rooftop. It wasn't far off, and he was hungry, but a good lap around the block wouldn't hurt either.

He's springing over the roofs in no time mixing running and leaping, or the occasional use of his staff for a boost where needed as he heads in that direction.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
Ladybug had been dealing with her real life. She hadn't hardly checked her messages let alone been on patrol. The whole thing with Adrien and Naru just hurt a lot but after what felt like an eternity, she finally started to feel like herself again. Was she still lamenting missing out on dating Adrien? Absolutely. She still had gifts for him planned out until he's in his thirties. She couldn't exactly go to Naru and say, "Hey he likes this that and the other thing. If you want I have a bunch of them stored up!" Speaking of those items, she really had to do something about them. So today she took them to dump and got rid of them. Once back, she powered up and checked her messages.

At the message from Cat Noir and the idea of some ramen, she sent a quick response. "Hey Cat Noir, I am on my way. I will see you there. I definitely could use some good ramen after the day I've had!" She closed her yo-yo and took off swinging through the city. The Red clad polka-dotted Ladybug is on the loose. She swings from building to building, avoiding drawing too much attention to herself. Not that anyone would remember the magical girl if they happened to see her anyway.

After a few minutes Ladybug swings to the top of the Ramen shop. She smiles, twirling her yo-yo before slinging it on her side. Not like she has a holster or anything like that. She did have a question for Cat Noir when she saw him. Just one. She had no business chastising him given how her lack of actions were of late. Still she wanted to know the answer to the big question. Who was the substitute miraculous holder and why was she needed in the first place?

Adrien Agreste has posed:
It's mid-jump that the beep-beep alert of a return message sounds out. There's a bit of a jump of Cat Noir's heart in his throat upon hearing it, and he *almost* misses the edge of the roof he was aimed toward. Almost. A good grab of the edge and he hoists himself up properly. The message draws a little whoop as he bounds back to his feet to head for the ramen shop.

By the time Ladybug gets there he's already leaning against the side of the shop, arms crossed over his chest casualy while waiting for her. A bright grin is offered along with a little claw-waggle in her direction. "Long time no see, Lady! Everything's well, I trust?"

He rocks forward to the balls of his feet striding closer to her. "It's... It's been awhile," he adds a bit more seriously. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
As Ladybug comes in for a landing, she smiles a little. Even though she still didn't feel 'that way' about Cat Noir, it was good to see a familiar face. She smiles a little smile to him. "Hello Cat Noir. Yeah Its been a bit. I'm sorry its been so long." She takes a deep breath and sighs. She wants to spill it out that the guy she had a thing for had a thing for someone else. "Everything is okay." She states trying to stifle her frustrations.

"Yeah I'm sorry its been so long. A lot has been happening in my mundane life. Stuff that really stinks but I am feeling better." She states with a smile. "And how about you? I heard that you had a substitute Miraculous holder? I hope everything is alright." She comments sounding quite concerned. "Your secret is still safe, right?" She asks nervously. She would hate to have to get to know a new Cat Noir!

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"Oh? I'm sorry to hear that. I hope things get better for you, Ladybug." He knew how private lives could become complicated. His certainly had, though it was working in a very good way for him lately. He clasps his hands behind his back while listening, giving a nod and smile when she assures him that all is well.

At least until the last questions.

His smile falters to a bit of a nervous expression and his gaze slides to the side. "Aah... That's a story," he starts hesitantly. How exactly did he explain that without outing himself in the first place? A bit of a sigh comes and he reaches back to rub at the back of his head. "I was in a situation where I couldn't change without, well, *everyone* noticing. There was someone nearby that I knew was trustworthy though so I had Plagg take her the ring. Temporarily of course," he hastens to add with hands lifting up in case she protested.

The last though. The last part... He drops his hands, and the smile, to regard her seriously. "She... She does know who I am, though. She knows the need for secrecy, and I trust her."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
"Cat Noir! This is serious. If Hawkmoth akumatizes them they will know where to go for your miraculous!" Ladybug is nervous now. Her eyes are wide. She doesn't want to lose a friend, especially having already lost her dream boyfriend. "I trust you Cat but this is very bad." She frowns and hangs her head for a long moment.

Ladybug takes a moment to recover. "As for the trip to France, I met up with the Guardian. I informed him that Hawkmoth is in Tokyo and he is going to be moving here. He needs to be close so we can get help when we need it. And also not have situations like this happen." Ladybug moves to the edge of the building and sits down. "This is really, really not good. What if he says that you can't be Cat Noir anymore? That would be horrible! I like you as Cat Noir.! You're a good friend but if someone knows who either of us are... That is extremely dangerous. What if she lead Hawk Moth Right to your home?" Its clearly not anger in her voice. Nor is it disappointment. Its totally concern and it is clear in the tone of her voice.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"I know it's serious. I'm not laughing or joking, Lady." Cat Noir follows to the edge of the roof to crouch down beside her. His arms drape over his knees and he regards her with a serious expression. As serious as he ever gets. "There's always a chance that might happen, yes. I can't deny that."

"But Ladybug, There's a lot more magical types here. I know... Gosh, a handful of them by now, and I know their identities. Even so I haven't shared mine with them."

"As for her? She saw me change another time, and I spoke to her about the need to keep the secret. That's why I knew she could be trusted with borrowing the Miraculous when I needed the help."

His head lowers to rest ontop of his knees just sitting there next to Ladybug. "I know it's dangerous, and there's always a chance, and I am doing my best to make sure it doesn't become an issue. ... To be honest though? I think... Maybe, eventually, we're both going to have to trust *someone* with who we are. There are going to be times we'll need help like that. ... Wouldn't it be okay so long as you and I still don't know each others identities in that case?"

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
"I know there are a lot of magical types around here. Right now Hawk Moth is focused on us and our Miraculous. Imagine if he turned his attention to other types. What if there are magical people out there who can do worse than grant the wish of someone who holds the Ladybug and the Black Cat Miraculous. That could be a disaster." She really hadn't thought of this before and now, Ladybug is actually far more nervous. "I think... maybe we need to try to keep Hawk Moth's attention on us. There is no way of knowing just how much crazy magical power is out here. I don't know why he wants our Miraculouses but it can't be good."

She takes a deep breath and nods. "Listen, I trust you Cat Noir. I believe in you. I just need you... to not lose sight of the just how dangerous this can get now!" She trips over her words. Wait Why did she trip over her words! She doesn't do that around Cat Noir! She shakes it off. "I'm not going to ask who knows. I don't want to know because the last thing we need is if I have a link to your identity. It would be a nightmare if Hawkmoth got his hands on the power of Creation. We don't want him to have access to both, no matter the cost." She looks at him, showing that she does trust him and showing she does care. "Try not to let your substitute Cat Noir fill in again. For what we know, Hawkmoth doesn't know about them and for the time being won't be on the look out for them."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Cat Noir gives a bit more confident of a smile in return to Ladybug. "I wouldn't tell you even if you asked, Lady. I can't stop what already happened but I can try to keep it from getting worse. The fewer people that know the better."

Pushing up to his feet he pauses to extend a hand down to her. "For now... Care to grab some ramen with me, partner? It'll be easier to catch up with a full stomach," comes his somewhat playful suggestion. "And I can at least introduce you to some of the other magical types as well so that we have more friends to help. *While* keeping our secret identities," he adds.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
"Good Kitty." Ladybug smirks as she comments with an almost playful tone. "We won't let this happen again if we can help it. The Guardian needs to be here to help prevent these things from happening. Thankfully I think he is coming this week." She smiles and stands up.

Her stomach lets out a loud rumble. "You know I got to try out Indian food not too long ago. We will have to go crash that place soon." She laughs and looks downward. "Yes. Lets eat. I know Tikki will miss out on this one but, she will survive!" Ladybug laughs. At least she didn't go crazy over the Indian food. She did eat a lot of the carryout though. "So there are a lot of Magical types around here? I ran into a few of them. I just didn't really get to talk with them. I mean usually when I am around its because we are dealing with an Akuma."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"Yep! There was a big operation regarding rescuing some people awhile ago and I volunteered to be a lookout while they all made the plans. I figured my power might be a bit too..." Cat lifts a hand to flex his claws a bit. "Destructive to manage with rescuing the people they were after. They'd apparently been brainwashed and needed to be purified too so that left me right out. It did let me see just how many are in this city. Actually," he admits rolling his shoulders casually, "Thaaat probably wasn't all of them. I overheard some of the talk, something about 'ley lines' in the city that help gather power. I guess that's why Japan has so many magical types."

Leading the way toward the ramen bar he continues to talk, pausing only to swing the door open to let her go first with a sweeping bow gesturing her through. "After you. Cosplay is a popular excuse, by the way," he suggests about them being in costume for those that were already in the ramen shop. "If you go on patrol regularily you'll meet a lot more. There's all sorts around. Some use devices, some are aliens if you believe it, some have fairies or change into them even."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
Ladybug listens carefully to Cat Noir about the rescue mission. "I could see how your power might be a little intense for that type of situation. Still I am sure they were really happy for your help." She pauses and thinks. "Ley Lines?" She asks. Perhaps that was something to talk to Master Fu about? Maybe he knew something more about them. After all if there was anyone who knew about magical stuff it would be him right? "Maybe the Guardian will know a bit more about them."

It is an odd thing for Ladybug to just walk into a restaurant without having to worry about changing back. "I suppose with the Cosplay culture in Japan it would make things a lot easier. Though I don't think I have ever seen a Ladybug Cos..." She pauses. "Never mind. We both saw Chloe." She laughs over that. "Aliens? Well A while ago I would have said the same about magic but I guess we are living proof of the magical thing." She speaks that part in French not really wanting anyone to pick up on what they were talking about.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Cat Noir nods in agreement. "It's a lot to take in. I guess part of what we are is believing such things are possible now. Like you said, we're the proof." A wry smile is flashed as he moves up to the counter, holding up two fingers. "I got us today," he assures after placing his own order.

It's easy enough for him to slip into French, and he does so when not speaking to the shop keeper in Japanese. It's a bit of a momentary flip to the languages but he manages easily enough.

He grows quiet a moment, then looks aside to her. "I wanted to apologize, by the way. I know I've been a bit hard to deal with. I told you how I feel but I can't expect you to return that emotion. I'm working on moving on."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
Ladybug winces over that. She takes a deep breath. "I understand. Someone I know would act out when they were around someone they really cared for. They didn't know how to express it. They waited too long and it just wound up hurting them." She shakes her head. Slowly she switches to Japanese to speak to the shop keeper. She orders her ramen and gives a polite bow to them. She switches back to French to speak with Cat Noir, "My friend is working on moving on too. It has to be a really hard thing for them. And you."

She smiles and looks around the room. There are plenty of people eating ramen. She grins, "This place must be quite the shop if there are so many people here eating." She comments as she waits for the food to be served.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Ramen was a quick dish thankfully. By the time the small chat is done, the bowls are brought over, each with their various toppings artfully arranged and steaming hot. Cat Noir picks up his chopsticks to break them apart with a quick twist, and holds them aloft between his fingers. "It is! I've only been here once before but it came highly recommended! Plus it's on the rooftop so it's a great place for, you know." A quick wink is flashed, and he grins again.

"It is hard, but you never know. Maybe your friend will be able to find happiness around her too. Sometimes," he admits quietly, "It's hard to see what's around you when you're staring at only one thing." With that little wisdom he scoops up some noodles to start munching away.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
As Ladybug breaks apart her chopsticks she smiles and breaks the egg there, causing some of the yolk to run into the broth. It definitely makes for a rather decadent looking meal. She begins eating up the noodles. Its clear she really is quite hungry. How she wished she could share this with someone herself. Stop. She thinks to herself. No more torturing yourself. She shakes it off for the moment She can lament later. Right now she is here with Cat Noir and she can't ask for a better friend at this moment.

As Cat Noir speaks, Ladybug listens carefully. "Hopefully." She whispers. "I hope my friend really finds someone special that they can hang out with. Its hard to imagine them looking elsewhere for love but maybe that is the one thing that will change? I hope it does work out for them. They deserve a shot at happiness too." She collects some noodles with her chopsticks and eats them.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"We all deserve that chance. That's kind of what we fight for isn't it? Allowing everyone a chance at happiness," Cat Noir reasons flashing another grin. The topic had gotten a bit... Well. He couldn't share his own experiences some, but he does consider a moment. "Someone recently told me that first loves are always going to be first loves, no matter if you find someone else or not. It's just, part of growing up, I guess."

His eyebrows furrow together while he pauses to jab at a peice of charsui pork dipping it further into the broth. "Growing pains hurt."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
Ladybug listens carefully. She doesn't say anything. At least not yet. Her attention is on Cat Noir's words. There was truth in them. Still it pained her so much. She idly pokes her ramen with her chopsticks. "First Loves..." She speaks softly as she takes it in. A single tear drop forms and rolls down her mask. It drops into her ramen causing it to ripple gently.

She blinks a few times and wipes her eyes. "Yes they do! Growing pains are horrible but we grow through them. Its really hard though. I wish it wasn't but it is what it is right?"

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Cat Noir lifts his gaze in time to see that tear. His grasp on his chopsticks tightens, just breifly. Then he lays them down next to his bowl. Extending a hand toward her he offers silently to take one of hers. If allowed he gives it a gentle squeeze. "It is. ... I wish I could offer more help for you. I just..." His gaze darts all around, before focusing on her again looking a bit red-faced himself. "I know you said there was already someone in your heart when I told you how I felt. I know it's not easy. I *definitely* know it's not easy. I'm not sure I'd be the best person to listen to your problems right now, either. But if you just, you know. Need a friend? To hang around with to get your mind off things?"

A goofy grin is offered. "I'm your cat for that."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has posed:
Ladybug winces. She had hoped her didn't see. Still it happened and as his hand touches hers she closes her eyes tight. Opening her eyes, her face softens. "Its... Its okay. Not anymore. They found someone else. I found out err, When I went to France. I just have been trying my hardest to not let it affect me you know?" She sighs. "I've not really wanted to talk to anyone about it because I am just worried that no one would want to hear me. I had more friends back Paris. Here I just have been having trouble making new friends." She sighs. "I mean being Ladybug is amazing. It makes me someone amazing. But when I am not Ladybug, I'm not really all that special you know?"

"Thank you, Cat Noir. It means a lot." She smiles and uses her chopsticks to eat some more of her noodles.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"I can't imagine that's true. Ladybug, you're one of the bravest, most amazing people I know. You're quick witted, kind, caring, amazing..." Cat Noir pauses clearing his throat and tipping his head upward. "Right, I said that already. I guess my point is, if you can be this amazing *with* the mask, it's just because you're already that amazing to begin with. Don't sell yourself short. You'll fit in fine, I'm sure."

Taking his hand back he gives a quick nod, and picks up his chopsticks again. "Of course! I'm glad we're friends, if nothing else."