[It's the night before Christmas and a man in red has come to Adrein's residence, not to steal, but to leave presents! It's rather late at night, when people should be asleep though, as he's not supposed to get caught. The gifts will have a tag included saying "From Santa".
His gift comes with a pair of mittens and a kids sized fishing rod with the appropriate tackle, courtesy of Mrs. Bradley and Noctis.
With his his task complete, he'll soon disappear into the night...]
[Adrien is quite lucky in terms of gifts this year. From Marinette he'll receive a dainty little package delivered via carrier pigeon, wrapped in nice paper and with fancy little ribbons. Inside is a handmade scarf, with a little note that reads "Joyeux Noel, Adrien! -Marinette"]
[Also, later in the evening, Adrien will receive a second, unmarked box left at his door. The only thing attached is a little note with a familiar, stylized ladybug design on it. Inside the box are some tasty-looking cookies for him to enjoy.]
[Chat Noir wasn't left out of the gift-giving season either, oh no. It took some time, creative thinking, and a message from Ladybug for him to patrol the area around Marinette's house to set things up, but when he patrols over her house, he'll find a little box with a note addressed to him. Inside are some handmade fingerless gloves and a cute pair of earmuffs, along with a note that reads, "Keep warm this winter, Chat Noir! -Marinette"]
[Also, later on patrol, Ladybug will come bearing a little box of her own.]
Hope you enjoy some holiday treats, chaton.
[Inside are some cute little cookies that he's sure to enjoy.]
[ When Adrien wakes, he will find that his crystal is glowing! His emotion drops for the month of Ennea have resonated with Empatheias' giant crystal, and a reaction has been formed.
By his feet is a box containing a pair of sneakers. They seem to make Adrien's steps faster while they're being worn, so he can run faster and he can even jump higher! (He can jump easily to another storey, nothing super crazy like jumping five storeys up!)
(Thank you for submitting to the Emotion Tracker!) ]
[Wow... he couldn't believe Marinette gave him gifts. And a letter and everything's handmade - she's so amazing. He's surprised to get a gift from her too for Chat Noir. Gloves and earmuffs... that he can't wear with the scarf. Or he'd have to be careful.]
[And while out as Chat Noir, he's only too ecstatic to receive a gift from his Lady. Is she prepared for all the hugs? She's not prepared for all the hugs.]
Back-dated to about the 9th (after Marinette was evicted)
[Despite her best efforts, her landlord had refused to reconsider his ultimatum about evicting Marinette. To his credit he did seem somewhat repentant and admitted to feeling pressure from the other tenants, but it wasn't the most reassuring of conversations she's had. After a brief search which proved to be unsuccessful given the short amount of notice she had, she was left to contact Adrien and take him up on his offer.]
[She spent most of the remainder of her time packing her things, and the actual moving portion went as smooth as it could. But even though she was going to move in with Adrien, it was still disappointing to have to watch as they left her home of the last year behind.]
[Soon enough they arrived at his home, and the last of her boxes carried inside. She set the last one she had been carrying down with a breath before looking at Adrien.]
[Whether or not at the urging of the other tenants, it still wasn't fair that Marinette had been evicted from her place. Honestly, it was Marinette, one of the kindness people he knew. And sure, lump all the outworlders together for what a few decided to do, but it should be criminal to say the same about her.]
[He did his best to keep the move as smooth as possible. He'd cleared a room for her after she had posted just in case and helped transport her belongings when the eviction became official. Plagg kept out of sight, but Horus curiously watched from various perches in the house, tilting his head this way and that.]
[Adrien looked over at Marinette once the last box was down and nodded, putting on a smile.]
You don't have to thank me, Marinette. I'm happy to help.
[Tikki was used to staying well-hidden in her purse, so there was no trouble when Adrien came over to help. Wrangling Chiffon had been a bit worrisome as Marinette wasn't sure how she would take the carriage ride over, but the cat was rather well-behaved and took to exploring his new surroundings curiously.]
[Marinette smiled back, but shook her head.]
I know, but... I kind of got put on the spot thanks to my landlord, and I just, I know it was short notice...
[He had been most concerned about Chiffon, but he was happy to see the kitten - no, the cat - had taken to exploring around the house. Horus watched, but Adrien was busy speaking to Marinette, a frown on his face.]
It's okay, Marinette... well, no, it's not okay you got evicted, but there wasn't any issue. I had the spare room and again, I wouldn't be a good boyfriend much less a good friend if I didn't offer.
[Amazing how Chiffon had grown, wasn't it? Right now the cat was too busy exploring, though once he caught sight of Horus he focused on the bird, tail swishing.]
[Marinette sighed, though she couldn't stop the blush from creeping up on her cheeks.]
E-Even so! I really do appreciate it, like, a lot. It's just really frustrating, you know? I even made him macaroons for Christmas, and this was the thanks I get?
[The sand phoenix watched Chiffon with a cocked head still, beady black eyes blinking every so often as he watched his new mammalian roommate.]
If he really was pressured by the other tenants, you can't really blame him. Besides, it might've been safer that you didn't stay. There had been cases of vandalism appearing all over the city and not just graffiti... [And thinking about it before everything had been said and done, he'd become nervous.]
Everyone's high-strung right now, but it'll be okay, Marinette.
[The cat watched the sand phoenix just as curiously. He might be thinking how to come up and get closer...]
[She looked up at Adrien, giving him a small smile.]
You're right. When you put it that way, it's... [She sighed, shaking her head.] It's actually pretty scary, now that you mention it. I just hope this blows over soon.
[Well, while Chiffon wants to figure that out, Horus will get to some preening, picking out some sand that's gotten clumped up in its constant shifting and picking it out with his beak.]
I hope so too. Of course, I'm gonna try helping around with repairs. If we do that, it'll help them see we don't all mean ill.
[Of course he would want to go help with repairs. Gosh, Adrien was just so good, wasn't he? She smiled, and to her credit she managed to not just let out the loud, dreamy sigh she wanted to.]
That's a good idea. I think I'll try to help out as well, see if there's anyone willing to accept some help cleaning up.
[For a moment, he seemed to... fidget, reaching out for her hand as thought to take it, but then pausing. They were just walking around the house; did they have to hold hands? Was it okay to hold hands? His fingers curl a bit.]
[He's still very new to actual relationships that aren't just in his shows. If Marinette said this was okay, then okay. Grinning a little wider again, he began to lead her around.]
[The two-floor home was spacious, but not empty like his own home in Paris. The kitchen was small, but not cramped and he managed to avoid getting a place where a wall might separate the kitchen and dining room. Living room, bathroom, a bedroom before taking her back upstairs to see a few more rooms - one which he occupied and the other which was now hers. The whole place was sparsely decorated, but what was there was colorful and bright and he was so proud when they reached the end.]
Oh, right! And this is Horus! [The sand phoenix had long since finished grooming itself and looked up when he heard his name.]
[Marinette was also very new to the whole relationships thing. But she felt a warm, giddy fluttering in her stomach when he took her hand, and barely suppressed the excited giggle as he led her around.]
[His apartment was much bigger than her apartment had been. She only had room for herself and for Chiffon, really, and though not a stranger to smaller spaces due to how her house was built back home, it hadn't been nearly as spacious as this place was. By the end of the tour, she looked at him with a bright expression.]
This apartment is amazing, Adrien! I'm surprised there's so much room here.
[She turned and her smile widened when she saw Horus.] Oh! Wait, is that a.. bird?
Right? Yuki'to helped me find this place when I first arrived. I couldn't pass it up.
[He hadn't seen Yuki'to for a while, but he was grateful. And when he did see him again, he should give him a thank you gift.]
Kind of. Horus is a sand phoenix, and since he's magically made of sand, I'm not allergic to him. [The phoenix in question 'fluffed' itself, shaking of an excess of multi-colored sand grains and opening his wings a bit, blinking his onyx eyes and again tilting his head.]
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