Two hours of meditating, explaining, exchanging, confusion, dumplings, and a tinie-tiny box later, she was skipping her way down the sidewalks. She'd had a bath, (not as good as a shower, but it would have to do for now) gotten a tiny jewelry box with red carvings in it- (she wasn't stupid enough to guess or even try to process why at the moment..) and a small suitcase type bag with her freshly cleaned clothes in it, also with a few casual yukatas. That dude, she grinned in silence as she walked down the streetwalk, was definitely one of her most favorite people in this place.. Even before all of the.. You know, falling thing..
She had a few choice steps to take to get to the point she needed, and wanted, to be at, but she figured that baby steps were the only practical way to go. Hence, showing up outside the gate of the infamous Agreste mansion. She took a moment to admire the gate's carvings before she rolled her eyes, pressing the doorbell briefly and biting back a squeal when the detachable camera zeroed in close enough to molest her face. "Holymothballs- Ahem.." she cleared her throat quickly, "I have a package for an Agreste.. Gabriel..? Or.. is it, Gabri..ella..?" her eyes slid away from the camera to not-so-subtly 'check the address' on the package she was holding.. A package which contained one of the three copies of the prints she had made early that day. Blackmail had it's perks.. "Well, I need a signature of delivery for my supervisor, so.." she shrugged her shoulder, giving off a slow, bored yawn a she popped her neck to the side.
"He's not in," the voice spoke, firstly. She rolled her eyes, holding up a hand in a dismissive wave, "Listen, lady.. I couldn't give two cares for this deal, but my boss said he was supposed to have this design thingy yesterday.. He's real pissed about it and if he waits any longer he'd start cutting people off.."
It was a tense silence for a minute, before the camera retracted, and the gate slid open with a groan, the teenage girl with her makeup highlighted for maturity and disguise giving the camera a brief, thankful nod before she strolled inside, the gates shutting behind her with a click.
"These are my demands," she tossed the packet onto the desk casually, leaning back into the seat across from Gabriel Agrestes' desk chair calmly, one leg over the other in a silent stance of firm control. Oh how she wanted to lunge across that glass surface and fist her fingers into his scalp.. Maybe slam his head into the glass repeatedly until she had felt sorry for the table and turning her ministrations to the floor.. Or the walls.. Maybe ending with a body-thrown out of that reflective, gorgeous view of a window.. But she couldn't. Not yet, any way…
"And you expect me to just give in to this.. This petty garbage?" he sneered, glaring sharply at her from behind his glasses, the wrinkles around his mouth growing more pronounced. She huffed, waving a hand in the air casually, looking up to the ceiling in absolute boredom, "You do if you don't want Ladybug to have not only photographic evidence of you as Hawkmoth, during the transformation. Directions to your home and hideout, and the name of your Kwami, as well as a detailed list of things that can be used to not only lock you away, but permanently strip you of everything, including your family.. How would your dearest little Adrien react if he found out his father was the one putting so many people in pain and fearful misery, I wonder..?"
She was such a badass.. She couldn't keep the sly, cheshire cat grin off of her lips, her pearly white teeth flashing in the shine of the glass windows as she strolled through the halls of the Gabriel Agreste's mansion, occasionally peeking into the rooms as she passed them, her eyes slipping from one thing to the next in an attempt to memorize the pathways of the maze-like abode. She was careful to smile towards the buttlers and maids slipping by almost unnoticed as they cleaned, tilting their heads in wonder at the stranger as she strolled around in an almost regal fashion. Toward the end of the hour that she had spent there, she had finally picked a room to claim, not bothering to check the others around her as she opened the door to be greeted by silks of greys and neutral creams. Score.
"This place is swank, chill, and balanced," she sighed happily, moving to pass through the doors of the Chinese-temple themed building. She breathed in the scents of Jasmine and incense, her eyes fluttering closed as an aura of peace, enveloping her, holding her in a familiar, loving embrace. "I think that I've fallen in love.." "
"One does not know if they have fallen in love.. It is the moment before they lose it that they realize it, fully.." "Wise words from a wiser man," she smiled, folding her hands above her chest and bowing respectively to the shorter, balding man. "If I could request that we discuss an urgent matter.. I am in dire need of advice.."
"Come," he motioned for her to enter the healing room after a moment of pause, to survey her wind blown, and rather worse for wear appearance. She had to force her eyes away from the record player as she followed him, taking a kneeling position across from him. He looked to be meditating, and she knew better than to speak without prompt. As if he could sense her unease, though she doubted he couldn't, he spoke only moments later. "What ails you, child..?"
"Fear, imbalance," she couldn't help the way her toe had turned bitterly hopeless as she listed off her fingers, "Indecision.. Mostly imbalance, though.." "Aah," he nodded, letting out a slow, deep breath before he continued. "And what do you usually do to find your balance?" "I listen to music," she murmured after a still moment, "Instrumental to completely relax, fast-paced to cheer up.. Slow to calm me down only slightly.."
"And why have you come to me?" he sighed through nose after several minutes of silence. Her patience was admirable, he held back a smile, "Most people become antsy after several minutes of this.. You are calm.." "To be true," she whispered, turning her eyes to the floor, "My mind is in absolute turmoil.." "..and honest," he he chuckled, relaxing from his meditative position to calmly face her, "You have come to me about the Miraculous, yes?"
"Yes," she sighed, bowing her head, "Forgive me for the lack of foresight.."
"Foresight, shmoresight," his scoff made her glance up quickly, "You fell from a giant Akuma rift. Not many live to tell the tale.."
"Thanks to your soldiers of creation and destruction," she joked slowly, a hand unconsciously rubbing at her chest, "They were the correct choice, not just in my own safety.. Mine put aside completely, for Paris.. The world.."
"I believe so, as well," he nodded, smiling slightly, "But you are oozing indecision, despite your belief.." "That would be the fear.." she groaned, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles, "I don't belong in this world.. My world.. As awful as hindsight has made it appear, sees this world as a fictional show.. A source of entertainment.."
"All worlds are connected," he answered after a moment, drawing her eyes to his calming smile, "Everything is real, and not, in the same way.. It is that realization that allows our world's to coexist with balance.."
Iknowiknowiknow
I suck for updating this since i wont be able to update any stories for several months, but hear me out-!
I promise to stick with this *crosses heart* On my honor as a writer, I. Will. FINISH THIS.