1705/Minions care too!

Minions care too!
Date of Scene:	27 June 2024
Location:	Mitakihara General Hospital
Synopsis:	Adrien comes to visit Hinoiri while she's in the hospital. The two talk for a bit and he even gets permission to slap her, if it ever comes down to it. It's doubtful he would, but you never know. She also gets a new plushy from a new friend.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Adrien Agreste

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Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara was doing... better. Not a lot better. She still hurt like heck. Every bit of her body hurt in small, but uncomfortable ways. But she was still doing better. A ton of sleep. The painkillers helped. And she'd likely be out soon. Her doctors said it was nothing short of miraculous.

Of course, they didn't know the truth. Magic worked like that. She was fine, though. Even if she couldn't see them at the moment, she knew someone very special to her was nearby and more than happy to ensure nothing bad happened. So, right now? She was focusing on more important things...

She had one of her school's textbooks out in her lap and was doing her *homework*. The lord of the rings that Rashmi brought her was on the bedside table, a bookmark inside it. She hadn't gotten far but well... she couldn't JUST do work. Probably.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
A light rap comes to the door announcing the presence of another visitor. With it was a perhaps familiar smell as well: Coffee. It wasn't much, really, but Adrien is there with a couple of cups in a carry tray. Two hot, two iced, just in case she had a preference one way or another. He offers a hesitant smile.

"Hey you. I thought you could use a pick-me-up. I only just heard about you being in here the other day or I would have visited sooner." And really he would have. A lot of things had gone on of course, but he would have made time.

"I wasn't sure if you'd like a hot or iced coffee, or flavored or regular, so I brought one of each," he explains in regards to the cup holder he carries.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara glanced towards him, opening her mouth and... just froze. "Wait... what?" she asked. "Whyt are you... you came to visit *me*?" she asked, her eyes going wide. "Why would you want to visit me? After all the..." she trailed off. Then sighed. "Honestly, considering the last time we talked, I was.... kind of a jerk?" she asked, still... just staring at him. A little, actually, quite baffled to be honest. She hadn't... she wasn't... particularly the nicest person at even the best of times. And lately? Especially in regards to him? She know she'd been kind of a jerk. Calling him her lackey amongst... other things. After all, well... She'd then snuffed out the sun. And attacked so many people...

"I figured you were one of the ones who hated me now. I... guess... thanks. For um, not. I mean. So uhhh... thanks," she said, blushing a little and rubbing the back of her head. "Hot, please. Regular. I haven't been in a particularly.... sweet mood as of late. And the coffee they keep trying to give me is more akin to syrup than liquid."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste regards Hinoiri quietly as she works through the realization that he'd come to visit. Even as she does he moves further inside to her bedside, setting the carry case down as if this were the most normal thing in the world. All he does is offer her a smile at first until she requests which coffee.

"Black, no sugar, like your soul," he offers holding the drink out. Only for his expression to turn a little guilty at that. "Sorry, that was a joke. It's how a friend of mine used to order it. He was one of the nicest guys though so it wasn't true at all."

Sinking down into a seat next to her bed he takes up one of the coffees for himself opting to choose an iced for now. It was warmer outside than in the hospital itself after all. "I also don't think it's true for you even if... Yeah you were kind of a jerk." He smiles again, reassuring. "But you know? You were sick for a very long time. Not physically maybe, but there's other types of illnesses and it sounds like you had a lot of hurt and pain that made you make some pretty bad choices."

The blonde pauses a moment to consider before speaking again. "Dark Energy makes you do a lot of awful things by playing off the worst parts of you." His gaze lifts to Hinoiri again with lips pursed in a tight line. "Back in Paris, Hawkmoth would turn people into Akuma when they were at their weakest, or angriest, or most hurt. I... Have been changed a few times by that myself. And I've hurt people when I was."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a light chuckle. "I... guess. In my case, probably a bit more accurate," she said sheepishly, taking the coffee before sighing. "Thanks, though. Ummm... yeah. Sick might be a way to put it. I just... I thought it would be okay, you know? Sure, I knew I was hurting people. But I knew it wouldn't stick. I thought in the end, the pain I caused would be outdone by the good I'd do..."

"And the worst I got, the more... assured I became that I was doing the right thing. I told myself I, and I alone, could handle it. I was the *strong* one. I was the *durable* one. I could handle *everything*. Then, when it was all said and done? I... I lost control. I fell apart and crumbled. All it took was the right push and I just... failed," Hinoiri mumbled before taking a small sip of the coffee. Ugh. It was disgusting... but fine....

"... I'd burned myself plenty of times, but I'd never... what Chaar did... feeling helpless, chased through a market, burned... this was the kind of thing I'd been doing to other people. How I'd made *them* feel. I... don't... want to be that person anymore. Ever again. I won't be..." she stroked her geode. "But... yeah. It does mean I have no more power. And ummmm, if you've come to take me up on my offer? Realllllly bad timing," Hinoiri said with a small smile and nervous laugh.

"And... yeah. Hawkmoth is... a character. Never really talked with him much, only saw him on occasion. Surprised he never tried to Akumatize me. Maybe even he thinks it'd be a bad idea," she joked.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste laughs at the mention of taking her up on the offer of teaching him to use dark energy, which just earns a shake of his head. "No, that's okay. I'm fine how I am. I've definitely had my fill of coming down from those moments and feeling guilty that I don't think I'd ever touch dark energy." Among other reasons, but he was being honest, too. There *were* a few times he was akumatized--As Cat Noir. That part remains unspoken.

Instead he smiles a bit at Hinoiri with a mixture of concern, sympathy, and perhaps even some bit of pride? "It's hard to admit you were wrong about something. I'm proud of you for realizing that you were going down the wrong path--Even if it took some time."

Lightly he clears his throat and sits up a bit straighter. "So then. I think this is our first official meeting while your not clouded with dark energy."

Again that smile as he offers out a hand as if to shake. "It's nice to meet you Hinoiri. Would you like to be friends?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a soft sigh, shaking her head. "Yeah... Uhhhh... For ummm, what it's worth? I... never actually saw your dad in the dark energy sections of Obsidian, so I don't think he's actually a part of all that." Oh, how little she knew.

"I mean... I don't know. I think most people might realize they'd been going a bit... too far once they put half their friends in the hospital and snuffed out the sun. But who knows? Maybe most people aren't as quick of learners as me..."

She flushed and reached out a hand, shaking his and... "I... guess I would. Though, I should probably warn you. I'm a *terrible* friend. And if your groupies keep trying to cut my hair or shove me around, I'm going to keep stuffing them into lockers."

Midway through the shake, a... delivery arrived. With flowers. And sunflower seeds. And chocolates. And a mug with 'Progress over perfection'. And a giant plush sun. She opened her mouth, paused. Blinked. "... This... is going to be bad, isn't it?" she asked nervously, opening the letter, half expecting it to explode and...

"Oh. Oh thank goodness," she whispered, once she read the now.

Hinoiri,
While we have not agreed, Sayaka is a decent judge of character. And if she believes you will, then I will as well. Back home, our greatest champion was once a villain. Perhaps you will follow the same path.
Take care.
- Bow

"It's Sayaka's boyfriend. Okay. So not poisoned, not..." Pause. Glanced to Adrien. "Sorry, a lot of people have been trying to kill me lately. So I am, just a tiny bit, antsy about... gifts. Want a chocolate?" she asked.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste actually does look quite a bit relieved at that news. He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding deep down in the confines of his heart into a sigh of relief. "I never thought my father was... But that doesn't mean I don't worry that he might become wrapped up in something, too. Thanks. I mean it."

The delivery comes then. He hops up from his seat to help bring it in, setting things down carefully and offering over the note so that she can read it.

"Oh, Bow? I've met him, nice guy." One he really ought to spend more time with. Lately he'd just been so caught up in work he was beginning to think his father had caught on to his dating life and was trying to drive a wedge into it through working him so much.

A little chuckle comes awkwardly as he admits, "I guess you did make a lot of enemies. Though I don't think any would send chocolate? I mean. I hope not," he reasons while snagging a peice since it was offered.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a soft sigh and looked at the chocolates. "Yeah... I guess... here it doesn't happen as much, huh? Sometimes other students would send me things. I thought they were being nice, once. But the 'laxatives in the chocolates' trick only really works once. I got more cautious after that. And it wouldn't surprise me to find out my old coworkers from Obsidian are trying to poison me." She tossed one of them into her mouth.

"Sorry, I wish I could say more about him, but I didn't really see him much. Obsidian is... well... they are a company. I know there's a business side, but aside from Easter I didn't really interact with it. Even then it was mostly because they didn't have a lot of people with them who could do magic. They needed someone who understood it and could help them get all their stuff sorted." Pause. "Man, my coworkers were.... really not the best, quite a bit." Pause. "Intelligence wise, I mean. Like. A lot of them were jerks, but... I guess that was already... kind of known... I don't know what I'm trying to say, honestly. You sure you wanna be my friend still?"

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste pauses with the chocolate melting in his mouth at the mention of laxatives. Well, he had already committed to eating it at this point. "That's kind of awful. I'm sorry you went through that. Even if you weren't exactly a 'people person' that doesn't mean you deserved to be bullied by others, either." He's a bit reminded of Chloe though she was usually the one doing the bullying and he was trying to stop her.

"Honestly my father usually tends to just deal with things via facetiming. Usually it's Natalie or one of the others that does the running around work. I'm sure he does plenty himself, of course, but he rarely seems to leave his office."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small shrug. "An overworker, huh? Yeah... I can understand that. While I was working with them I'd sometimes just disappear for days in my work, even skipped class more than a few times. So... I get it, at least. Sometimes you need to make sure everything is done by you, because you can't trust others to get it done right."

"Or may it's thoughts like that which made me so 'popular' back home. I just... got so used to everything being a competition I forgot what it was like to just... do... things. To just... accept help and stuff like that. I'm... I'm lucky I didn't kill somebody. I probably came so close, so many times. It's a miracle I didn't... go to far." She took another drink of her coffee.

"So... thanks. For... still wanting to know me, I guess. You really are one of those sweet guys, aren't you? This world seems to be absolutely filled with them."

"So! How's work been? Go on any wild modeling jobs? Ever actually talk to your dad about what *you* want?"

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste chuckles quietly with a shake of his head. "I'm hardly perfect by any means. You see how easily I cave to my father when he really insists on things. I have gotten to go to school though, and make friends, and I even have a wonderful girlfriend now. I'm getting better at speaking up when it matters."

He takes a sip of his own coffee considering only to grin. "Plenty of modeling jobs. Nothing really interesting lately though, just the usual seasonal stuff. I'm supposed to make a few fan appearances soon and do some signings to help promote some products."

"I'm not as much of a pushover as you think though," he adds staring intently at Hinoiri now. "I know you want to do better. I'll help. That includes pointing out when you're slipping though. If you ever go back to what you were before, I don't think I can be friends with you any more."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara blinked a few times, her eyes narrowing on him. "Are you... threatening me?" and there was that tempter. But then, she sighed and shook her head. "No... no, I guess that's not... really a threat, is it? More of a warning. And I, if anyone, probably need it. I've made enough mistakes at this point, best I don't risk slipping up and ruining the second chance I was... lucky enough to get, huh? If I go back to that... at least slap me once before you go? I'll need it."

"... I don't... I really don't want to be that way. I never... things got so out of control, and I was so stubborn and stupid. I made excuse after excuse. But... there's... no excusing what I did. I can't... go back and explain it away or say it's okay because... just because I was stupid. I can't control dark energy. And who knows? Maybe... one day I'll find something I *can* use. But I won't use anything that tampers with my mind again."

"... Buck. We had stories back home about that kind of dark magic, you know? How there was always someone who believed 'They' and they alone could handle it. I was just stupid enough to buy it. Despite everything I said, everything I did, I just... I'm just another one of those fables. At least we'll never have to worry about you being that dense. You've never really struck me as the.... 'Go mad with power' sort."

She then gave a light yawn, drinking a bit more of her coffee. "... Would you believe, despite the coffee, I'm still kind of tired? I blame all the painkillers they have me on..."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste tenses marginally when Hinoiri starts to take it as a threat only to correct course. A small smile comes back, and he shakes his head a little. "Setting boundaries. I had to do the same with my childhood friend, Chloe, back in Paris. I didn't really want to have to get to that point. I don't want to get to that point now, either. She was shutting herself off from everyone and being a bully to a good many though. I couldn't just ignore it and keep being her friend."

His gaze goes far off a moment. Sad. "I've known her since we were little. She really was my only friend for a long time because Father just didn't let me out much, but her Father is the mayor so she was 'of proper status' to be a meaningful connection."

He pauses. Considers, and shakes his head with a frown. "I'm sorry. I'm getting distracted. That was awhile ago now."

"I think maybe what you're describing is the first symptom of Dark Magic. That's how it tricks people into using it. Like a drug. First taste is free, after that, there's a price that gets steeper and steeper."

Cracking a smile he nods and stands again. "You've been through a lot, Hinoiri, both physically and emotionally. It's okay to let yourself recover. Pushing yourself too much before you properly recover will just reinjure yourself. Getting some good rest will help you come back better."

Lightly he pats her shoulder, gentle and careful of any lingering injuries. "You've got my number. I'll be around."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara blinked a few times before snorting. "Ahhhhh. 'Of a proper sort'. I've met the type. More focused on their parent's and family's legacies and assuming it makes them special? Yeah... Kirakirafantastica was filled with them. I can't tell you the number of ponies who tried to 'explain'," she even used air quotes for that, "How lucky I was that I was Sora's student, otherwise they wouldn't deign to speak with someone like me." Then, she smirked. "Still crushed them all in every subject, so it was... fine."

Until she was banished.

"Yeah... it's... been a lot. I'll... I'm going to try and do better. But... ummm... Adrien? If I start... being that again? If I behave like that again? Can... you... just... do the slapping thing, instead of the going away thing?"

"... I really... don't... want to be that person again. And I think... I think isolating myself is the second step to going down that road..." she mumbled softly. Even if she couldn't trust herself, she could at least hope other people would keep an eye on her. And out for her... And pull her back before she fell.

"Apparently I have a pretty slappable face, so I imagine it can't be that hard, right?" she offered in a joking tone, before laying back down...

Hugging her new sun plushy to her chest. This... this was better. It wasn't GOOD. But it was better.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste pauses at the question about slapping her instead of going away. His expression softens once more, and he nods a single time. "I won't go away instantly or anything, don't worry. I will point out what you're doing though. So if I tell you I think you're going to far, I hope you'll listen? But I'll be here," he assures again with a chuckle.

"I don't know that I would slap you though. Maybe send my fans after you," he jokes in an attempt to lighten the tension that was there. For now he just gives another nod and adds, "I'll let you rest up. See you later, Hinoiri."