Thursday- Acceptance

Sometimes it's nice not to think.

Adrien relished in being Chat Noir. He loved his city, and even though he's only recently been able to enjoy it like a normal kid his age (to an extent), he's come to love the people in it. (He steals a glance at Ladybug as they patrol and thinks some more than others.) The ability to defend it is something he holds dear. (He also thinks of Plagg and Ladybug here, knowing that these two are in the precious things he holds closer to him than even the city.)

The freedom, too, was alluring. The ability to not be Adrien Agreste was a beautiful thing. Every step against a rooftop, every swing of his staff, each and every time the transformation sequence swept over him allowed him to notice how tight his leash actually was and the more he felt the need to break it, or loosen it in the slightest bit.

But one of the best things about being Chat Noir (besides meeting Plagg and Ladybug) is the ability to act.

Every single hit he had taken for Ladybug had been an impulsive move, his body becoming a shield out of instinct. His actions in battle were trained, but the way he acted was not. He saw and reacted accordingly.

His comments were spur-of-the-moment, taking only half a second to pass through minimal brain-mouth filters before becoming spoken syllables.

He didn't have to think. He didn't have to preemptively gauge possible reactions to something he might say, didn't have to make sure that any words coming out of his mouth could be considered in the least bit offensive, didn't have to keep his tone neutral and humorless. He could slip in puns and only be greeted with eye rolls and groans instead of incredulous looks and lectures on "appropriate" humor/behavior.

Chat Noir spoke his mind, whether it was a good thing or not. Adrien Agreste couldn't.

Later, Chat will think that maybe it wasn't the fact that he didn't have to micro-analyze everything he would say or do, but the fact that people accepted that he didn't. It wasn't weird or improper, it was just that underneath the mask and suit and magic there was a teenage boy and no one ever really questioned it.