886/Overly Worried

Overly Worried
Date of Scene:	10 June 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	In which Aspen water-bends a rose for Adrien, and Adrien wants to SCIENCE! Or with great modeling comes great responsibility.
Cast of Characters:	303, 142, 251

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Darkedge (303) has posed:
Bryant Park. Runway day. The tents cover the area. They've been set up since the day before and now, at 5 o'clock in the morning, the designers and models are starting to make their way to the tents.

A sleek silver-grey Bentley pulls up, and Adrien steps out. He's dressed casually, jeans and a tshirt, speaking in french to the car's driver.

"Go ahead and go back for her, please? She needs to be here by seven forty-five, exactly, or they won't let her in," are his words to the driver, who seems annoyed but drives away when Adren closes the door. The blonde model adjusts the strap on his messenger bag and starts for the tents.

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
Bryant Park. Runway day. The tents cover the area. They've been set up since the day before and now, at 5 o'clock in the morning, the designers and models are starting to make their way to the tents.

A sleek silver-grey Bentley pulls up, and Adrien steps out. He's dressed casually, jeans and a tshirt, speaking in french to the car's driver.

"Go ahead and go back for her, please? She needs to be here by seven forty-five, exactly, or they won't let her in," are his words to the driver, who seems annoyed but drives away when Adren closes the door. The blonde model adjusts the strap on his messenger bag and starts for the tents.

Aspen (251) has posed:
Aspen can blend in when she wants to. It's really not that hard. Especially when the almost blue colored hair is hidden in a hoody.

We're not going to discuss how long she's been waiting there for the boy. And it took her a bit to track him down too, oddly enough. Once the driver pulls away, the hood of her jacket is tossed back. "You know... For a kid who has his plastered everywhere on ads, you're a little harder to find than I was expecting."

This as Aspen falls into step beside him after pushing off the tree she was using as a shield.

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
Adrien had been setting an If-Then on his phone 'If it turns 6:30am, then text Contact: Mari<3=Good morning, beautiful. Runway day. Bryant Park. Wake up.' when Aspen spoke. Green eyes lift from his phone and Adrien turns to look at Aspen.

"...oh! Mademoiselle Matthews! Good morning... I ... what are you doin ghere?" he's confused, very clearly so.

Aspen (251) has posed:
Aspen chuckles softly, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Checking on you. You went through hell... I was worried. I wanted to make sure you were alright." The grin turns into a smirk. "And it's just... Aspen." She turns to look at him fully, shrugging off the too warm jacket. "So... How are you doing?"

In reality, if it weren't for the fact that she was dressed in cut jean shorts, a tank top and sneakers, she'd likely pass for one of the models. "Looking a little better than the last time I saw you." Yep. Nothing but wry amusement there. She doesn't blame him for what happened in the least.

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
She's not the only one that blames him for what happened. That honor goes to himself.

"I'm.. okay. Thank you... Aspen," Adrien says, looking down and away a bit as her easy going questions.

"I'm.... feeling better. I've gotten sleep and some food, so..." More sleep than he's had in weeks, more food too. And.. other things. But let's not mention!

Aspen (251) has posed:
Brows knit and Aspen frowns slightly. "Hey... Don't do that to yourself, alright? Beating yourself up like that... It won't do any good. You can't change what happened, Adrien. Take comfort in the fact that you didn't seriously hurt anyone okay?"

She stops and turns to face him. "Take it from someone who has been used as a living weapon to kill people... The guilt you seem to be carrying around... It's poisonous and if you don't let it go... It will seep into every part of your life."

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
Again, she's not the first person to tell him this. Adrien's steps stop and he looks up at Aspen. A soft smile is on his face.

"I know. It's.. complicated. That's all. I'll be alright. I am glad no one was seriously hurt, and that everyone was healed," he says. The smile is more genuine, eyes a bit warmer until she mentions having been used.

"OH! I'm very sorry, Aspen."

Aspen (251) has posed:
Cerulean blue eyes warm to the young man who, really, is much taller than she is. "Thank you. It's... Not something I tend to share with everyone. What I am... What I can do... It makes me dangerous and I've learned to live with that. It also means a lot of people want to use me. A lot like the way you were. So... I get it, okay."

She turns to start walking again. "I'm not going to tell you not to feel bad. That's stupid. You're going to feel bad no matter what I say. And I won't tell you not to feel responsible because even if you were being controlled... You're going to feel like you should have fought harder... I will tell you o drop the guilt. Don't let that weight hang on you."

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
"What.... you can do?" Adrien asks, head tilting. He walks when she does, listening to that very sage advice. It's similar to what he's already heard, but put just differently enough that it, along with the rest, have him nodding and feeling lighter.

"Thank you. But... what do you mean? What you can do?"

Aspen (251) has posed:
Aspen's eyes slide up to the young make and she smirks mischievously. "Control water, water based storms, ice, some energy manipulation, heal from just about anything - my body was blown up once, very unpleasant -, shift into a water or energy form, control pretty much any liquid you can think of... I can even make water solid enough to walk on without turning it to ice." It's... a very basic summary of what she can do. Too many details could scare him.

"Just know... You've got someone in your corner who's been through it and gets, okay?"

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
The litany, given so easily, is a surprise. He had expected to get told to mind his own business or that it was dangerous if he knew or... something.

"Wow. Yeah. Okay," he says, eyes wide. "So.. you're like... a ..water bender?" Because The Last Avatar is an awesone anime!

Aspen (251) has posed:
Aspen blinks before her eyes shoot wide. "Oh! The Last Avatar." She chuckles softly and nods her head. "Yes, something like that. I'm not ... Human." She runs a hand through her hair. "I'm a mix of two very old water dwelling races most people don't even realize exist."

A shrug of her shoulders. "But, I suppose it's easiest to compare it to water bending, yes. I actually hadn't ever really thought of it that way before."

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
Adrien's turn to blink, head tilting.

"You mean... like... Atlantis had people survive after it sank?" he asks naively.

"Well just... the way you described it. That's what I thought of. That's.. really cool, actually." and he's not afraid of her at all!

Aspen (251) has posed:
A sly grin and Aspen's eyes twinkle. "My people... well... the races I come from... They were around long before Atlantis."

And then she giggles. It sounds so much like water tinkling along a brook. "It's actually a pretty apt descriptions for what I can do with water, really."

Her hands lift and between them, a ball of water starts to form. When it's about four inches across, her top hand moves along the surface, the ball rippling and shifting. When her hand pulls away, it's a perfect rose. Just the flower. No stem or leaves. And it's promptly held out to him.

"Here."

Should he take it, the flower keeps perfect form. Solid enough to be held and shifted and yet, the water seems to wave within the form.

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
"Oh." Adrien replies of her people before smiling at the sound of her laugh. He stops walking as she starts to create water, then as it's shaped. Wonder plays across his face. Wonder that turns to surprise as she holds the rose out to him. He very gingerly reaches out for it, murmuring something awed sounding in french as he looks at the water sculpture in his hands.

Aspen (251) has posed:
It's not often that she gets to use her abilities for something like that so on those rare occasions that she can, it makes Aspen really happy.

"I have no idea what you just said," is offered through a laugh as she starts walking again, "but I'm very glad you seem to like it." Reaching out, she touches the center with one finger tip and the edges of every petal frost over, little fractals of ice crystals showing clearly on the edges.

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
"C'est magnifique. It means: Magnificent," Adrien says, repeating what he said before translating. As Aspen starts walking again, Adrien does as well. His eyes stay on the rose, wonder on his face that grows as she frosts the petals.

"Oh, wow. Yeah. This is really cool."

Aspen (251) has posed:
"I still have quite determined how long it stays for after I'm not longer within eyesight of it though..." Aspen shrugs slightly. "I don't get to do things like that often enough to really test it." And then she's grinning. "So this is what you do, huh?" Her eyes flit to the tents and the models and the cameras. "You're a hell of a lot braver than I am."

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
"Sounds like we need to test this," Adrien replies, sounding excited by the prospect of doing SCIENCE! Mind already trying to figure out a test, he double takes as Aspen mentions where they are and what he's about to do and he chuckles rueful with a roll of his eyes.

"Yes. I dn't know if it's brave or not. I just go, let people put makeup on me, do my hair, and then wear whatever they ask me to wear and walk down a dead end sidewalk, stop and let them take some pictures, and then turn around and walk back. That four or five times, before I go, shower, and do it all again. I'm scheduled for five different shows today," he says, not really sounding as enthused by any of it. Not the way he had when he nerded out over testing Aspen's water-bending. In fact, by the end there's almost a tone of not looking forward to that much work. NOne of it is glaring, however, as Adrien sees this as a job, and it's clear that he takes his responsibilities seriously.

Aspen (251) has posed:
"YeahNo. I'll skip getting undressed in front of strangers, letting said strangers get all touchy feely with me and ... Just.. No. Besides, Dean would probably be... hmm... Less than pleased anyhow."

She smirks. "No. I'll stick to my sciences and vehicles. And the water. Those are my happy spots."

And then her eyes cut up to him and she smirks. "You know... If you want to help me test it... You could stop by Stark Industries one evening and we'll give it a go..." Temptress! Wicked little woman!

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
"Dean? Your brother?" he asks. It sounds equal parts dense and innocent, even as he's nodding to her happy spots.

"Really? You mean it? Wait.. Stark, I know this name. Any connection to... Tony Stark?" Adrien asks, steps slowing.

Aspen (251) has posed:
"Boyfriend."

And then she's nodding. "Tony's my boss. I head up the Aquatics Division at Stark Industries." She slows with him, smiling. "It's okay. He was more upset that Thor crushed his car than anything else, Adrien. Don't sweat it." She gives a soft chuckle, leaning in to bump him lightly. "Come by some time... We both know you want to..."

Adrien Agreste (142) has posed:
Boyfriend. Adrien smiles and nods. But then Aspen is confirming that the man he attacked, like the reporter Lois Lane, is her boss and Adrien starting trying to find a way to decline the invitation he very much wants to accept. It must've shown on his face as Aspen is telling him it's okay.

"If... if you're sure... I... will have to... make an appointment... that ..fits my schedule..."

Aspen (251) has posed:
"You'll find very few people who are as protective of Tony as I am... Trust me, it's fine." Aspen ca't help but grin. "No appointment needed. When it fits into your schedule, you stop by." She pauses and turns to look up at him. "And no backing out. I'd hate to have to drag a portal lab out and find you again." She's teasing and the smirk she gives as well as the wink will help make that clear hopefully.

"Seriously though... It's all good, Adrien." Her eyes flit back to where things are being set up and then up to him. "I gotta run and it looks like you have work to do but... Remember what I said, alright." And then the girl who seems to have personal space issues steps in and reaches up to hug him. "You've got someone in your corner who gets it. Reach out ay time, alright?"