Scene #2958: A miraculous favour

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Adrien Agreste	School hadn't even started yet when a text dings Masato's phone asking if he's back in Japan. A few texts had been sent out but this was at least someone that Adrien felt he could trust. Not that he didn't trust others as well, but the favor he was about to ask would come with a little... Cat-ch. It really wasn't like Adrien to skip school, yet here he is at Masato's apartment currently leaning against the little bartop area that he has built in there. "Thanks for meeting, Masato. I'm really sorry about bothering you so early," the blonde offers with a tight smile. "Something came up with my father that I need to take care of immediately."
Masato Sanjouin	It had been a short while since Adrien and Masato had the time or opportunity to catch up, and it wasn't unwelcome. Both of them had been busied, Valentines day had come and gone so quickly, Masato gone to America briefly to sell off some of his cars, and now the final march-- no pun intended-- towards the end of the school year had begun. When Adrien turned up during school hours, it didn't stike him as immediately out of place. Perhaps had a shoot wrap up not too long ago. Masato himself often and increasingly had to step away from his schooling to attend management and investment matters, on his own end. But Adrien seemed a little more on edge, today. "If this is about a shortage of models for the Spring collection," Masato scooped ice into a shaker, prepping refreshment with a click of his tongue, "I'd be happy to help. But something tells me this isn't just about my dashing good looks." Sapphire eyes gave him another quick lookover. "Still... I know how things with business-minded fathers can be. What is it?"
Adrien Agreste	"No!" That comes out more forcefully than Adrien had intended as he stiffens with both hands raising up in a 'stop' gesture! He catches himself before he continues on in such an emotional way. A quick breath, and he tries again. "No. No, please don't ever work for my father. I'm fairly sure I don't want to work for him anymore, either." Hands drop down to the countertop only for one to lift immediately to rake fingers back through his bangs. Which promptly fall right back into place thanks to top tier hair care products. His green eyes are filled with a mix of emotions. "At New Years my father and I had a talk, and I told him I was old enough to know the truth of my mother's disapearance. I thought-" He can only smile wistfully. "That he was trying to hide the fact that she'd passed away to protect me. Apparently he was hiding the fact that she's alive, just in a coma." Very, very quietly he murmurs, "I had been mourning her for years." His father had a lot to answer for. He was getting off track, though.
Masato Sanjouin	The sharp turn in Adrien concerning his father spoke volumes, immediately. Not a good sign. Certainly brought some meaning to the sense of urgency. Masato paused in making the drinks for a moment, setting down the bottle of butterlfy pea syrup Makoto had gifted him recently to furrow brows. He studied the Miraculous user closely, letting the gravity of that information fall into place. "That's... terrible," Masato offered firstly, "Not that she survived, obviously, just the situation-- but even then. He really hid that from you?" It didn't make sense. "Why?"
Adrien Agreste	"It's okay. I get it. It's good news and not good at the same time." Adrien had a couple of months now to let the news settle and it was still messed up. "My mother's health had been failing for awhile. She was in a wheelchair by the time she 'went missing'." There's no need to raise his fingers for air quotes; they were almost audible the way he spoke. "Apparently, she had told father that she didn't want me to see her health failing further. Father thought they would find a cure for her reasonably soon so he kept it quiet. Trying to help her, and being such a workaholic, it apparently didn't occur to him how it would look from my point of view." "I made a mistake this morning though. I told him I wanted to see her." It's now that he allows his gaze to wander away from Masato directly to the concoction he had been mixing up for them with the interest of someone who could, probably, really use a drink.
Masato Sanjouin	A short nod let Masato weigh that out, understanding fully what it was to watch a mother's health fail, and then to suddenly be without her. Though he'd only been very young, and much of those memories were addled by his time in Obsidian and perhaps even the strain of the dark magics he took on across lifetimes, recent events had him thinking about his own mother more. He sympathised easily. He doubted his own father even noticed his mother was seriously ill, until she was already too far gone. But it had been somewhat sudden and perhaps mystically accelerated. These were not easy things to have on one's mind, and Adrien's father had always seemed to be a mysterious sort. "Naturally," Masato granted, as if anyone would've been foolish not to expect Adrien to say so, "He owes you that much, at least..." But he caught the look, and moved to resume making the drink, grabbing up a bottle to splash into their glasses. It changed into a marvelous mixture of hues, like a gradient. "So, what? Was he angry? Did he refuse to let you go?"
Adrien Agreste	Adrien Agreste bobs his head a single time in agreement with Masato. He did owe him this at the very least. From a point of a father-son relationship it made sense to ask what he had even if he was now regretting it. "Actually, that's what brings me to visit you today." His hands come together on the bartop as he talks. Fingertips grasp the silver signet-style ring on his opposite hand fidgeting it while he continues. "He said he'd bring me to see her after school today." The very school he was skipping right now. "The problem is, he's a Director at Obsidian. I didn't really realize the seriousness of that until I spoke to Mamoru and Sugata the other day. I just thought he was put in charge of his own division because he ran his own brand and company before." "And ah. He's keeping her in the infirmary at the headquarters." Green eyes dart up to Masato as he hesitates, then speaks. "I can't risk being caught if I go there. I was wondering if I could leave something very important with you for safe keeping?"
Masato Sanjouin	'He's a Director at Obsidian'-- Sapphire eyes snapped back to Adrien's face immediately at that, widened and staring as he held his tongue. ''Which one,'' was what he knew his face must be screaming, but it was there in his expression just as it must have been for the others. That was a very serious thing to not know about one's own father, and a particularly dangerous new light to be shed upon things. $r$rHe capped the bottle off and set it down. "I see." Masato's jaw tightened, and he reached for the shaker mechanically. "That's an un-enviable position to be in. Between your mother and... that. There's really no other option, if he's taking you there. Even that much is dangerous for you in several ways." He shook the silver cannister for a few rounds, and sighed when he stopped. His eyes closed. "Well, I won't refuse a request like ''that''. How could I? If Obsidian wants to get their hands on it, then of course I can't allow that."
Adrien Agreste	Adrien Agreste gives his ring one more twist before sliding it off his finger to gently rest down on the surface between them. It was just a simple ring: Silver with a large round signet style in the shape of a paw with four toe pads. All silver, so it doesn't stand out much. "Thank you." The obvious relief in his voice isn't something he even tries to hide. "My father ran a fashion company. I know what Obsidian does, but I also knew they had legitimate branches. I thought that was what my father was doing." His lips twitch a bit. "It seems I keep giving him the benefit of the doubt only to be wrong about things. I need to be more careful from now on." "This is the Cat Miraculous, the Miraculous of Destruction."
Masato Sanjouin	A humourless puff of breath left Masato at that. Of course, Adrien would hope as much-- that his father might be connected but not ''deeply involved.'' It wasn't naivety, so much as it was the dread of the opposite being true and the sheer disbelief of what it revealed about his own father. It was one thing to be contracted in a cover operation or a plant on the economic side of things-- he'd done plenty of work in that front, himself. It took a certain kind of mind. But Director? Yes, that was a different thing to swallow. Sapphire eyes fell to the ring. The Cat Miraculous. Such an innocuous and plain looking thing, too, but he could hardly talk-- his own transformation item was a literal ''rock''. He clicked his tongue. "Cat Noir... pity I couldn't guess it before now." That was one game, gone. He poured from the shaker, tossing mint into the glass. "Get that into you."
Adrien Agreste	Cat Noir indeed. Adrien's grin deepens to the point that it might at least be slightly recognizable at this point. Usually he only wore that particular expression when he was transformed after all. "It was a little awkward when everyone thought I was dating Cat Noir and Naru. She got a laugh out of it at least." More seriously he continues, "It's one of the Miraculouses that Hawkmoth has been searching for. If someone gets both it, and Ladybug's Miraculous, it allows them to make a wish that can re-write reality in not-so-good ways. So you see why I can't risk having it on me when I go there."
Masato Sanjouin	"Of course it does that," Masato murmured flatly, sparing the ring another dirty look before bending behind the bar, "Why wouldn't it do that? Reality's a sketch book." Despite the dour tone, he brought up an odd looking lockbox and set it onto the counter. Dark lacquer held sheen, an almost voidal black with constellations of stars scattered here and there across it. Each point gave an odd, magical glow and it didn't appear to have a hinge or any sort of oppening, at first. "Taking that into Obsidian is asking for trouble, yes... nevermind possibly outing yourself. But more than that," Masato frowned lightly, and considered the other boy carefully, "If your father really is a Director-- and whether you know which one or not, I get it if you can't tell me-- then just the fact that you know that much about him puts you in a vulnerable new spot. It's a liability, one way or the other..." He touched the top of the box and the stars on its surface glowed. Masato whispered something suspiciously Greek sounding, and the constellations swirled, gathering into a magical looking circle beneath his fingers. When he lifted them, the seamless square opened. Into the abyss of it, the ring was set, sinking into the shadow to disappear securely, and the box closed itself to return to the way it was. "Do you have an escape plan for if any of this turns sour, tonight? Does your father plan to keep you well out of any of this, or does he suspect you of anything magical?"
Adrien Agreste	Adrien Agreste relaxes his shoulders significantly seeing that box open, and the ring put away safely. Very safely. He was right to ask Masato it seemed. It wasn't just a case of hiding but hiding magically and that would make a huge difference. Including making a sleeping kwami very cross later but he'd placate Plagg with cheese at some point. "I don't know what he's director of in all honesty. He's still producing a fashion line so there's at least that actual business. So," he pauses, thinking. "As far as I know he's never dragged me into things before. I don't think he would now. I hope." "Usually I'm kept so busy with modeling, school, and the extra-curriculars he wants me to take that I don't have much time to question." "As for a plan?" All he can do is shake his head. "I didn't expect to be told she was being kept there. I only have a few hours left. I guess my best bet will be playing a dumb blonde and pretend to be oblivious."
Masato Sanjouin	"Right. Look pretty, act dumb. Be upset. That's believable." Masato said, not unkindly but certainly bluntly. He'd know a thing or two about being mistaken for shallow, due to good looks, after all. "It depends on how well your father can catch a tell, but given he is a workaholic-- no offense-- maybe he doesn't know yours well enough." Even so, he considered this much, eyeing Adrien closely. "It's a worry to think he might rub shoulders with Hawkmoth often enough, though. No longer working for your father is one thing, but he's surely got enemies-- and even inside Obsidian, rivals-- who might be willing to use you against him, regardless of magic." A short grimace took him. "Even Izou-kun had his emotions twisted, not so long ago. If Hawkmoth caught wind of any of this, with all the grief and mistrust and despair that must come with it... Well, people might notice a Director bringing his son in and take note to target you, anyway." His shoulders rolled gently. "Just be aware of eyes on you, through this. I'll get the Miraculous to the Shed for an exchange when you're ready."