522/Cheeky Kitty

Cheeky Kitty
Date of Scene:	28 September 2023
Location:	Mitakihara Ward
Synopsis:	Cat Noir ambushes Naru on a run. There is no kidnapping!
Cast of Characters:	Naru Osaka, Adrien Agreste

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Naru Osaka has posed:
It's not a usual thing that Naru is out for a run in the evenings, but tonight? Notes could wait. The last of her homework could wait. Naru needed a bit of run therapy, and so she's out for a run.

Leggings, a cropped top, running shoes. Her running belt holds her phone and some water and gels, indicative that she's not planning for a short trek. It also shows that her time in the gym is paying off. School uniforms do not show quite how many muscles she's developing, but damn girl.

Naru runs through a quiet section, skirting the worst of the busy roads as she keeps a solid pace that she can keep up for ages and ages.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
To be fair, Naru wasn't the only one that needed to escape for awhile to get some fresh air and exercise. It was always a good type of therapy. For Adrien though it was just the fact that he hadn't really had a chance over the past week to get out and BE Cat Noir.

There was something so very freeing about running and leaping roof to roof, using his staff to high-jump, or just freefalling until he catches himself and swings off a lamp post acrobatically back to his feet. Perhaps it was the wind in his hair and adrenaline rush that he found so positively exhilirating, and freeing.

The fact that much like a cat he had night vision (darkness vision?) was an equally interesting trait that allowed him to better enjoy the romp through the city tonight as he keeps eyes and ears peeled for any possible trouble.

Or familiar faces?

Spotting a familiar curly mop of hair he heads for a lamp post just in front of where she's running to swing upside down on it. Held in place by his feet o the lamp, his arms cross lightly over his chest so that he seemed more bat-like than cat-like for the moment.

"Well, it's not every evening I run into a lovely lady out on a run," He greets with a rakish grin.

Naru Osaka has posed:
It's a testament to Naru actually being pretty good about paying attention to her surroundings that she doesnt' startle when there's a dangling kitty not so far ahead of her.

She does pause, breathing heavily as she looks up at him. "Either you dont' get out much, or perhaps I already know you?" Naru spectulates. "Now comes the exciting game of.. are you just hanging around being adorable on the light side, or the dark side."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Cat Noir lifts a clawed hand to clasp over his heart as if he were having vapors at her mention of not getting out much. "You wound me! There's plenty of lovely ladies in this city, just not usually out running this time of night."

The question of being light or dark though? That earns another grin. With a little quick flip he comes down from the lamp post to land on his feet sweeping an arm across his waist to bow toward Naru in a knightly sort of way. His free hand sweeps out to catch at his belt 'tail' which is twirled around a time or two.

"Black doesn't always mean 'dark', I assure you. Cat Noir at your service! Though there's not really any need for that right now, I admit."

He rises again giving a wink along with a playful, "Do you want to know me?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru has largely caught her breath, even if she's not quite standing wholly still. Muscles that have been working as hard as hers have been are not fond of stopping quite that abruptly.

Naru laughs warmly. "Alright, if you're about to kidnap me, at least I can look forward to good conversation. A pleasure, Cat Noir."

The wink is returned with an impish smile from Naru. "Do you already know me?"

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Cat Noir gives a quick bark of laughter at the very idea of kidnapping him. It's apparently enough of a surprise reaction even to himself that he claps a clawed hand over his mouth just a moment as he devolves into a more subdued chuckle. "I think kidnapping you would be a *very* poor decision even if the company would be most pleasant."

His head shakes a little bit and his weight rocks back onto his heels so that he tiiips back to impact with the lamp behind him taking up a very leisurely leaning. "I've seen you around a bit. I'm not really supposed to say who I am, though. It's safer that way. Though, if you're ever in trouble again, I would be delighted to help if I can. I've heard you're one of the few that kind of..." Again a hand lifts, making a vague gesture. "Know about things. I don't get to chat with many when I'm out like this, and I rarely can stay around long after a fight. So I thought I'd just pop down and say hello."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"It did not end well." Naru confirms on the notion of her being kidnapped with a bright smile. A smile with just a touch of an edge to it.

"You are under no obligation to share who your alter ego is." Naru points out as she continues to move lightly, keeping herself from stiffening up. "Although I will advise that if you are devoted to keeping them separate, for the love of everything, get a burner phone so I can text both of you as needed." She smiles easily as she provides the way to make this easy on the mundane. "I am indeed, in the Know, and I can try and help keep you in the loop, if I have a means of contacting this side of you. Or if your alter ego lets me know that they are also magic aware.. without who.. then I can keep you in the loop that way." She grins at him. "I mean, unless you're dark side and about to drain me, but you seem to /happy/ for that."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"That... Is actually a really good idea, and I will see about getting a phone soon," Cat Noir has to admit with a solemn nod as he clearly hadn't considered that option. It was a *very* good idea. And it WOULD help out if she was offering to help keep him in the loop so... That's a good thing, right? Ladybug would be okay with this. Yes.

"Right, excellent idea!" He confirms again with a light pound of his closed fist into his opposite open palm. "I'll do just that."

Seeing the little moving around to keep warm and recognizing it for what it is, he pushes off from his lean to start walking backwards as if leading her on. "We can keep talking while you jog if it helps, I don't want you to lose your 'zone' or whatever." That's how joggers spoke, right? "Also... Yeah, you have a point, I can't recall a single time I saw a *happy* youma or akuma around. It's usually negative emotions."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru replies to the offer of chatting while running by going back to her run and just assuming that Cat Noir is going to keep up with her. She slows down the pace, it wasn't really conversational before, but clearly she is interested in chatting.

And laughing as she teases him. "I do occaisionally have good ideas, you know." Naru quips back at him. "Just text me when you get your new number, cause I'm going to assume you have my number already."

"Dark energy generally comes with an extra dollop of crappy emotions, they are pretty intertwined." Naru speaks confidently on the nature of magic for one who is clearly not actually magical herself. "So yeah, I don't know a lot of really happy dark energy users. Some of them fake it better than others.. but if you're faking it, good /job/."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Cat Noir twists around to jog beside her, a bit leisurely on his part, though he does make sure he keeps the pace that she sets. "It's generally how I know things to work. I mean, sure, there's times I'm not in a great mood but I assure you I'm one of the hero types. Maybe you've seen My Lady out and around already? Ladybug, that is," he adds with a large grin.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Ladybug.." Naru considers that and then shakes her head. "Nope, doens't ring a bell. I try and stay out of too many bigger fights, for obvious reasons."

"I mean, not always in a great mood is just a sign of being human, not quite the same." Naru agrees after a few paces. "My apologies for whatever youma I attract, usually I just divert around them." She explains as she chooses their route wiht some level of familiarity.

Naru glances sidelong to him and smiles. "You've a Lady friend and you're still out flirting with random runners in the street? Cheeky Kitty."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"Not any random runner!" Cat Noir shoots back grinning broadly. "Just the best one. As for Ladybug, she's hard to miss. You'll know her if you see her someday," he assures with a little sigh as if he were about to start going on about her virtues. Maybe he was, or would have, if not for the tease.

"She, ah, doesn't quite return my feelings. I'm trying to move on." A pause, as he just gives a little forward leap to grasp and spin around a post before relanding to run beside Naru again. "Or at least keep moving. Maybe some day."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Flattery will get you many places." Naru notes to him with a waggle of her finger. She smiles more gently at the sigh, when cheeky kitty becomes a little bit of dreamy kitty.

"Did you ask her, or did you assume she didn't?" Naru asks as she watches him frolic while she jogs. "And vague hints that are not easily interpreted do not /actually/ count as asking."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"I'd like to think I'm a little more mature than *that*," Cat Noir professes, as if he were well aware there were a lot of parts of him that weren't mature at all. Which was pretty accurate most of the time. "We spoke about it. A few times at this point. She has someone she cares about and it's... Well. It's safer we aren't together."

"We fight a man known as Hawkmoth. He can empower people with his Akuma and turn them into creatures we fight against when they have severely negative emotions, or anger. If he were to ever manage to take over one of us it would be disasterous." His ears do'nt lay flat. They can't. But somehow it seems as if they SHOULD be right now.

"Enough about me, though!" He blurts out looking up brighter at Naru again. "I should let you finish your run. And maybe look into that phone idea."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Alright.. point to you." Naru has to conceed that and she glances sidelong at him. "Hey, actually asking is huge. Further than I ever get." She notes and then seems to realize that she actually said that out loud.

"Alright, I'll add Hawmoth to the list." Naru comments as she listens to that. "Cause that sucks, although it sounds like a variation of dark energy. Once he empowers someone, can you kick the Akuma back out?" She asks curiously.

She gives a little shake of her head with a flash of a smile. "It's alright, take off when you need to. But do get a phone, if you want to be found at all."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"It's not easy to do. I'm sure you'd be brave enough to do it if there's someone you like, though," Cat responds trying to be both encouraging and kind at the same time. It was hard to do after all. "I still feel good for having done it, even if the result isn't what I want. Letting someone you care about know is always something to be proud of. If you ever need an ear about such things, though..." He trails off on the offer leaving it hanging should she want it.

Thankfully the talk of confessions can be dropped momentarily in favor of other things. "Ah, yes! There's usually an item important to them that's been posessed, and once it's broken we can free the Akuma and the person. Ladybug can purify the Akuma even." A pause, and he adds, "Unfortunately my power is just destruction. As well as being dashingly handsome and hugely skilled in fighting."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Then you'll need to get that phone." Naru points out on his offer to be an ear to her confessions with a twist of her lips in a smile.

"Purifiers are super handy. So are healers for that matter." Naru might claim to stay out of fights, but she has a lot of opinions on handy people to have in said fights.

She laughs warmly. "Dont' forget terribly humble in your awesomemess." Naru turns her attention back to where she's running. "I have no powers." A simple enough statement.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"It's all right, I won't hold it against you," Cat Noir quips with a lopsided grin. "Seriously though. I didn't until recently myself. I can easily say you don't always need powers to be awsome. It does help in some areas, you know the whole monster fighting thing. But I think there's still a lot to say about what a person has to offer in general."

His grin fades to a more serious one, his voice softening a bit. "I've seen so many people hurt and angry and afraid or lonely that Hawkmoth has used against us. If they'd just had someone to help them to begin with... I think so many of them could have been 'saved' without myself or Ladybug having to be involved. That's just as important."

Realizing he's gone all philosophical he clears his throat. "Right, then! One phone, can do!" As luck would have it they were passing a shopping center right about now where something like that could be found. So he lifts a hand to tap two fingers to his temple in a little salute at Naru. "CAT you later!"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm pretty alright with it." Naru comments on her lack of powers. "Generally."

"There's a lot of hurt and afraid and angry out there." Naru has to agree. "You should get your new phone." Naru watches him give the little salute and then she smiles. "Be careful out there. Now more than ever. Please don't get shot. Text me when you have a number."

Perhaps a cliff hanger worth of information will entice him to actually message her.