539/It's Raining Cats

It's Raining Cats
Date of Scene:	21 May 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Not to be confused for when it rains men. ..oh wait. It's Vorpal. It could be raining cats AND men.
Cast of Characters:	142, 87

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Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
"..ah blah. What I should be hearing is 'here's more cheese."
"You've already eaten half a wheel, Plagg."
"Which means there's a half wheel left."
"No. You ate that half last night."
"I did?"
"Yes."
Thoughtful silence. "Does this mean we're out of cheese?"

Adrien huffs lightly, leaning on the edge of the low wall that surrounds the rooftop garden of the top floor to the Bedford Apartments in the Upper East Side. By his left elbow is a plate with a partially eaten sandwich (hearthy whole grain artisan bread, deli sliced organic meats, locally grown garden veggies. And celetry sticks.) Next to that is a wrapper for a wheel of camembert cheese.. and a small black cat no bigger than a week old kitten, IN the wrappers. As he huffed, Adrien had rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed by the words coming from the kitten's direction. He just brings the wine glass he's been sipping from to his lips. Dietician lets him have one a day. This? Is his one.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
It had been a hard battle- a rookie like Vorpal isn't supposed to be made to handle much at the start. And yet, here he was, at the top of a building that was strangely familiar to him but which he couldn't place right away. He had darted across many rabbit-holes trying to pursue this being, who could 'blink' through great distances at a thought. Vorpal had lost his bearings of where he was.

"Alright, this is your last stop, you creep!" he says. He's bleeding from several cuts to his arms and his bodysuit is torn in several places. But he's gotten somewhere! The crystal that he holds in his had should work. Or, at least, it should according to Madam Endora.

Here goes nothing.

The creature, really a manifestation of a fifth-dimensional pet that decided to wreak havok on this world, is very hard to see. It hurts the eyes to look at it directly, because it lacks the coherence of higher intelligences to coalesce itself coherently in the third dimension. But he doesn't need to look at it too long to be able to throw the crystal at it, which he does-

And the explosion isn't really that big. It isn't an explosion so much as different planes of reality re-arranging itself on one spot and booting the foreign element back into its proper place, several dimensions above. It's more like a loud *pop*.

What IS unfortunate is the dimensional backflow that occurs, which creates a wave of force that extends outwards and catches Vorpal in its almost-too-fastt-to-see wave.

And then, the next time anyone sees Vorpal, he's falling down onto a balcony below, too surprised to react. As he crashes onto the table and breaks it, the last thing he sees before blacking out is cheese.

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
Pop? What was... CRASH! Adrien spins toward the sound, his eyes wide and his body tense. The wine glass is hastily set aside, not fully on the low wall for it topples and falls. He was going to reach out for the kwami when his eyes fell on..

"Vorpal!" the name was a soft worried exclamation. Worry fuels him, bringing Adrien toward the fallen kitten to quickly check him over. That's when it occurs to Adrien. Too dark for him to see... because he's Adrien right now, not Chat. A quick check reveals Vorpal is unconscious, so Adrien powers up long enough to get Vorpal inside, and so the bed. Because comforters can be replaced and washed of blood. Sofas cannot.

A second later, Adrien drops the transformation, shooing Plagg to his hidden sleeping area in case the tabby wakes up while he finds a first aid cut and things to clean Vorpal with.

How.. how do you put a bandaid on FUR!?

Vorpal (87) has posed:
The cheshire cat groans frowning for a few seconds before his eyes open slowly. His head aches and his body hurts like hell. He is, also, fairly disoriented. He tries to focus his attention on something near, and sees...

"... Adrien?"

He tries to focus on him, but gives up and closes his eyes. His hands move and grasp the soft material of the comforter underneath. He digs his feet into it, to make sure he's not hallucinating.

"Wh-where am I"

He moves his arms. Okay, nothing broken, or so it feels. He moves his legs-

Wince. Ankle. Sprain? Broken? He's not sure yet. He just knows he doesn't want to move it again, for a bit.

"... what hit me?"

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
"Shhh... Don't move too much. You're in my apartment," Adrien replies, noticing Vorpal moves his legs and wince. He'd turned on some indirect lighting so he could see better, and so he shifts on the edge of the bed so he can check thing knee calf ankle. He doesn't REALLY know what he's looking for but... it's better than doing nothing, right?

"I don't really know, to be honest. There was a pop, then you fell on my table," he replies, not answering the 'then how'd I get into your bed' question at all!

Vorpal (87) has posed:
" 'partment... oh. I knew it looked familiar..." Vorpal doesn't react until his ankle is touched. This time the wince is much less intense than before. Likely more of a sprain. "You brought me in?" He tries to sit up but... bad idea. Okay. Not doing that. He looks down at his chest and groans. "I'm getting blood on your stuff." He doesn't as why his uniform is unzipped down to the waist. There's a cut across his chest and there's blood, how else was Adrien supposed to dress the wound otherwise?

The wound isn't dressed. Oh, right. "... the fur, right?" he asks.

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
Adrien winces when Vorpal does even if it's not as bad as before. He had an instant cold pack, so, turning away for a moment, he grabs the thing, reads the directions quickly, then punches then roll sit in his hand before very very lightly draping it over that ankle.

"You've been here before?" Adrien asks as he shuffles back to Vorpal's upper body and gently eases him back down.

"Yes. I wasn't going to leave you on my patio. I'm not really worried about the blood. I can replace everything," says the blonde as he frowns at the bad bandage work. It LOOKED good when Vorpal was still. Now that he's moved...

"Umm... Yeah. I ...I don't know how to... If you do... can you talk me through it? I was about to check You Tube..."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
".... ah." the cat says and closes his eyes. Guilty as charged. QUICK! THINK!

"I recognized the apartment from the pictures. The selfies you and Tommy took when you were studying?"

Okay, this could work, let's see. "Hard not to recognize you. Tommy doesn't stop talking about you. Like. At all. We had lunch the other day and he told me about some crazy chick who floated onto your balcony."

He chuckles, "Guess that's two crazies falling into the balcony. Fur's... tricky. I had to learn it myself on my first injury..."

He knows the process. It's the same as bandaging a pet, and he guides Adrien through it.

He doesn't also admit that his heart leaps a little when Adrien bandages him. Hey, it's contact.

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
"Oh. Okay. That makes sense," Adrien says, accepting the story easily. Recognized by his face again. He recalls those selfies. He had posed as he was supposed to, refraining from nudging Tommy into the best poses, though he had helped him slightly. More with positioning the camera and turning them toward light sources. That whole mini-not-really-a-photo-shoot-photoshoot was embarassing, and a light pink dusted Adrien's cheeks as he chuckles.

"Well, two people falling, yes," he admits, then focuses on following Vorpal's directions. Two things become clear: Adrien is very worried about Vorpal and he's never had a pet in his life EVER. (Plagg doesn't count. Maybe.) He's having to forces himself not to pause to pet the fur now and then. because it's fur and soft and is this what petting a car feel- THAT'S A PERSON! OMG ADRIEN YOU FREAK!

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Slowly coming to his senses, Vorpal notices some of Adrien's body language. He is somewhat amused, and once his big wound is dresssed, he relaxes a little more.

"You've never had a cat before?" he asks, and reaches over- very slowly, because body hurts- and grabs one of Adrien's hands. He brings it up to his chest and says, "It's ok. We cats like contact. Except when we don't and claw your hands out. But I promise you I won't claw anything." He grins, and then closes his eyes for a second. Hmm, headache. He opens his eyes again.

"I'm lucky I landed in your balcony and not somewhere where they might've pitched me over the edge. Tom's right about you."

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
"Umm. No. I.. I wasn't allowed to-" his words fall away as his hand is taken and set to chest. Soft, furred chest. Unsure what to do, Adrien just leaves his hand there for a moment, chuckling at the 'claw yours hands off' comment. Yeah. Plagg's exactly like that. (Am NOT!)

Recalling how he'd like to have fingers run through his hair, especially as Chat, Adrien curls his fingers lightly, starting to scritch.

"Right? About me?" Adrien blinks, hand stilling as his green eyes flit up to Vorpal. Questioning, head tilted, faintly blushing. He wants to know, but he doesn't want to ask.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Vorpal purrrs quietly and exhales, relaxing visibly under the touch.

"He says you are a great guy."

He pauses. "You can continue scritching. Unless you can only do one thing at a time," he teases. "You weren't allowed to have a cat? Pfff. Dog? Hamster? Gerbil? Lizard?"

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
A great guy? Hardly. And yet, Adrien smiles, head bowing slightly. He resuming petting lightly, eyes watching how the fur falls and moves under his touch.

"...No. No pets. At all. Any kind. There.. wasn't time for them," is the softly spoken reply, somehow managing not to sound bitter.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"You've got time now," Vorpal observes. The impression that Adrien's life wasn't exactly his own was one that has been forming for a while. He can't resist but injecting a little rebellion. It's who he is. "You're a grown boy now, you can make your calls." He reaches out and gives Adrien the hair equivalent of a scritch, reciprocating. "... not trying to tell you what to do, y'know. Just making an observation..."

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
Hair played with, Adrien's eyes close and he almost leans toward the touch before his eyes open again and he smiles lightly. It doesnt' really reach his eyes.

"No. I really don't. I'm too busy, there's to much asked of me, too many times that I have to catch a plane I didn't know I had to catch an hour before I was told I had to be on said plane," he replies without a touch of bitterness at all, not even one little ounce, are you believeing me that he said that without sounding like he was upset by that fact? Yes? Oh good! Because it is totally the truth, yes sireebob. No sarcasm here at all! This is not the sarcasm you are looking for.

Adrien takes a breath and pulls his hand away to start cleanging up the dirty bandages and realizing he has blood on his hands.

"It's fine, Vorpal. I've juggled this way of life for a while now," he says softly as he stands to go to the bathroom. Oh shit. Wasn't supposed to know the - fuck it. Chat told me. Tommy already thinks Chat and I are BFFs and if Tommy can tell Vorpal all about us here, then... so can Chat.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Sounds like there's a lot going on..." Vorpal says quietly. "... you need an ear? I've got two. And they're economy sized," he says when Adrian emerges through the bathroom. He's not surprised that Adrian knows his name. Once he found out he's linked to the Chat, well...

"You've tended to me. Allow this gatecrasher to return the favor? My lips are sealed." He gestures... and a zipper appears over his mouth! It disappears when he grins again. "Cats are good secret keepers."

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
Adrien chuckles again, pulling a chair over so that he's not sitting on the bed, so he's not tempted to continue petting. There was something... calming about it.

"Oh, I'm aware. But, it's fine. Really. I don't... really like talking about my personal life. I get that I have it a lot better than most so anything even slightly not positive might be thought of as whining," Adrien shakes his head. "It's really, not a big deal you have to worry about. Just... rest for a bit," he adds then.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Everybody needs someone they can talk to." Vorpal points out and leans back, exhaling a bit, but keeping his eyes on Adrien. "... it's very hard for you trust, isn't it? You're very much... like a cat, that way. But you're not a cat. Don't go locking yourself up in your own neurosis, you might end a cranky old man while still young..."

He offers him a soft smile. "You have to live a little. Break some rules. Saving yourself to an old age full of regret... you deserve better than that."

It seems the cat knows a little more than he lets on. Or maybe he's just good at identifying the signs of a chafing soul, being a creature of chaos that he is.