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inkslingersworld · 3 years ago

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Crowbar (Alternate First Meeting)

Hi guys! This here short story is my first participation in Adrigami Week! I was planning on posting it yesterday, seeing as it’s following the “Alternate First Meeting” prompt, but the time got away from me. Idk if it’s still eligible for the official reblog or not, but I still had a blast writing it all the same. Enjoy! (Contains very mild profanity)

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Her lip was bleeding. For whatever reason, Kagami chose to focus on this minute aspect out of all the other injuries she’d sustained. She dabbed it with a paper towel.

Kagami couldn’t recall how she’d gotten like this. There was so much she couldn’t recall, and the staggering immensity of all her forgotten experiences had weighed down on her for so long that when she found herself in a bathroom without a clue as to how she’d gotten there, she was able to handle the newfound situation better than someone who hadn’t been through what she had.

The only thing that confused Kagami was that her clothes were in perfect condition, despite her face being bloody and streaked with dirt. In fact, they looked as though they’d just been sewn by a master tailor.

She brushed the puzzlement aside - she couldn’t linger here in this mysterious bathroom. Lingering got you killed.

The door opened easily at her touch, and Kagami examined the bedroom that it led into. The walls were painted in an eye-catching shade of purple, but the bed itself was small and plain. Kagami also noticed that there was no furniture other than a small nightstand and that the window was broken. It framed the outside world in jagged glass.

This aforementioned outside world was cloudy and bleak. Based on how damp the street appeared, Kagami concluded it must’ve rained recently. The buildings matched the clouds in their shade of gray, with windows just as broken as the one Kagami was using as an observation point. No street signs were visible. No vehicles, no animals, no people. Not even wind.

Kagami couldn’t care less about the lack of other individuals; her attention was pinpointed on the crowbar leaning casually against the building opposite. Without a second’s hesitation, she kicked away the rest of the glass and crawled expertly out of the window.

She didn’t know how she knew there’d be a fire escape, but resolved not to ponder on it, because every second she didn’t have the crowbar was a second where it could fall into the possession of someone else. Crowbars were tools; tools were extremely helpful.

By the time Kagami had raced down the stairs leading to the ground, she could notice how old and rusty the crowbar was. In retrospect, it probably wouldn’t be much use against some of the more contemporary weapons others owned, but in times like these, Kagami would take anything she could get.

In no time, she had dashed across the street and grasped the crowbar in her right hand. Flakes of deceased metal fell to the ground like rotten snow as she twirled it experimentally. Even if it fell apart in combat, it was nevertheless pretty maneuverable.

“Drop it.”

Kagami turned around instead, searching for the voice’s master. She found the man in question stepping out the adjacent alleyway. His face was hidden under an old halloween mask, but Kagami could see he was wearing a green rain jacket and pointing a pistol in her direction.

Was it a pistol? Further examination led Kagami to realize it was no such thing; it was a water gun, and she almost pitied the hopeless idiot who brandished it at her.

“I said drop it!” the man shouted, though not very loudly.

“You know that’s not a real gun, right?” Kagami asked nonchalantly, deciding to break the truth to him.

The man lowered the toy firearm and hung his head. “Damn it.”

“Wait, you already knew?” said Kagami in disbelief. “Why on Earth would you use a water gun instead of, I don’t know, an actual one?”

“I’m a pacifist,” admitted the man, sounding guilty. “I’m a believer of nonviolence.”

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but nonviolence fell out of fashion a while back,” said Kagami, not knowing where she’d heard it from.

“Well, I always favored the old styles over the new,” the man said. “You hungry? I’ve got some food.”

Kagami’s mouth fell open in spite of herself. Who did this airhead think he was? You didn’t just go around offering people food. But before she’d even responded, he started walking over to her, removing his mask in the process.

Based off his recent actions, Kagami was expecting him to look innocent and tame, and she was not disappointed. However, she hadn’t foreseen blond hair and green eyes. She hadn’t expected him to look this... well, attractive.

“I’m Adrien, by the way,” he said, plopping his butt on the pavement and taking off his previously concealed backpack. “What’s your name?”

“I’m not about to tell you my name!” Kagami cried exasperatedly. “I know nothing about you!”

Adrien, who’d previously been busy unpacking, looked up at Kagami closely for the first time. His eyes widened after locking with hers and he dropped the box of Ritz crackers he’d been taking out.

After a few uncomfortable seconds, Kagami demanded, “What?”

Adrien flinched violently and faced the ground, blushing. “Nothing.”

“Why were you staring at me for so long?” persisted Kagami.

“N-No reason!” Adrien stammered embarrassedly.

“Then why were you doing it?”

“I don’t know!”

Kagami decided not to push the topic and begrudgingly sat down; she hadn’t realized how hungry she was until now.

“So...” began Adrien slowly, seeming to regain some of his previous placidity. “I never did learn your name.”

“We’re not there yet,” Kagami grumbled, snatching a plastic-wrapped sandwich out of his hands.

“Well, what are you doing ‘round these parts?” Adrien asked curiously, putting his chin in his hands.

“None of your business,” snapped Kagami, losing some of her intimidation skills to a mouthful of grilled cheese.

“How’s the food?”

“Awful,” Kagami replied, even though it was delicious.

Adrien laughed hard. “You’re funny!”

“No, I’m not.”

“Oh, but you are!”

“What’s your problem?” asked Kagami sternly. “You know nothing about me, I could’ve killed you without hesitation as soon as you came over here!”

“And yet you didn’t!” Adrien pointed out cheerfully.

Kagami took a deep breath, trying to keep her temper in check. “Adrien, wasn’t it?”

Adrien nodded and smiled, seeming delighted that she’d remembered his name.

“Adrien, I don’t know what miracle allowed you to survive for this long, but in our society’s current state, you might not be around much longer. I suggest you drop this puppy dog attitude and learn to fend for yourself.”

“Why learn to fend for myself when we can fend for each other?” asked Adrien earnestly.

The sincereness of this question, contrasting with the playfulness Adrien had exhibited, caught Kagami off guard for a moment, though she soon regained her bearings.

“Adrien, no offense, but you’d be dead weight,” she stated. “Even if I wanted to stick around with you, my memory kinda wipes itself clean every six hours or so, only holding on to the most treasured information - my name, my personality, how to speak, how to read and write, knowing what stuff is, and the like.”

“No way!” exclaimed Adrien, before Kagami could continue. “I have the same thing! That’s why I started a diary!”

He zipped open his backpack again and retrieved a worn leather-bound book. Adrien opened it and showed Kagami its messily written contents.

“I originally didn’t remember how to write,” he explained, flipping through some pages to get to the beginning, “but I was able to relearn! It took like a year, though.”

Kagami peered at the even messier scrawl of a younger Adrien. She was shocked to see his name spelled incorrectly with crayon.

“How long’ve you been on your own?” she asked uncertainly.

“About twenty years, I think,” Adrien answered dismissively. “I can’t know for certain, I didn’t relearn how to understand a calendar until someone took me in when I was... fourteen, maybe?”

“Someone took you in?” inquired Kagami.

Suddenly, Adrien’s face began filled with sorrow and loneliness. “Yeah... yeah, I don’t like thinking about that.”

Noticing how sympathetically Kagami was gazing at him, Adrien quickly plastered his old smile back on. “That doesn’t really matter. Now I’ve got you!”

Kagami hesitated. One of the instincts her memory’d held onto was avoiding people, but Adrien seemed different. He in the same situation she was in, and he’d shown her kindness. Besides, it’d be nice to have a companion, and Adrien’s diary probably contained scores of valuable information to help the duo survive.

Even if not for all those reasons, there was something else, though Kagami wasn’t sure what it was yet. For whatever reason, Adrien made her feel relaxed, happy even. She didn’t know why, but he did.

“Okay, Adrien,” she said resignedly. “You can stick with me.”

Adrien’s face lit up with gratitude, and before she knew it, Kagami found herself buried in a hug. It was warm and comforting.

“Thank you so much!” Adrien said happily.

“No problem, Adrien,” sighed Kagami, already having her doubts.

Adrien released her and scooped up his backpack. They both stood up.

“Where are we headed?” he asked.

“West,” responded Kagami mechanically. “It won’t make too much of a difference, but we need all the sunlight we can get.”

The two started to walk. After trekking for about a minute, Adrien spoke again.

“You never did tell me what your name is.”

Kagami smiled softly and rolled her eyes. “It’s Kagami.”

“Kagami,” repeated Adrien thoughtfully. “I like that name.”

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inkslingersworld · 3 years ago

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Crowbar 2 (Power Couple)

Hey guys! This is my second work for Adrigami Week, following the “Power Couple” prompt. I was originally going to write this following its own self-contained storyline, but after finishing Crowbar for Adrigami Week’s “Alternate Meeting” prompt, I realized the story that I’d started there hadn’t really finished. So, with that, I bring you Crowbar 2! Happy reading! (Contains some profanity)

As they trekked into the evening, Kagami learned some things about her new companion, Adrien:

He was very talkative and sociable, providing information about himself without Kagami having to ask any questions.

He was respectful and attentive; even though he did virtually all of the talking, Adrien seemed genuinely interested in Kagami, and asked her questions about herself despite Kagami refusing to answer.

Adrien not only remembered how to read, write, and tell time thanks to his diary. While they were walking, he told Kagami that he remembered how to cook certain recipes, mimic the sounds of different songbirds, tie his shoes, and give himself a haircut. Kagami was envious - although she didn’t hate her long hair, it was excruciatingly uncomfortable during the summer months.

He relished bad jokes. The only reason that Kagami had laughed at his doctor joke was because it hadn’t made an ounce of sense.

His backpack contained several helpful items: some food, cookware, extra clothes, a flashlight, batteries, matches, night vision goggles (Kagami nearly squealed in delight at the sight of those), binoculars, a hatchet (Adrien said he only used it for chopping wood), toiletries, sleeping bags, and a tent.

Adrien would occasionally gaze at her for enlengthened periods of time, but always looks away upon realizing that Kagami noticed.

The duo had reached a lazy river by the time the stars appeared. Adrien gave an overdramatic yawn and smacked his lips.

“Well, no point in trying to cross it this late. I say I make us some dinner and we camp here for the night.”

“I think we should keep going,” Kagami disagreed.

Adrien raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“We’re too exposed,” said Kagami. “This location’s too out in the open; settling here makes us an easy target.”

“For who?” Adrien asked.

“For anyone! Not everybody’s as accepting as you and I are, Adrien!”

“Kagami, come on. We’ve walked at least ten miles, and we haven’t seen a soul. I think we’ll be safe.”

“We’ve walked at least ten what?” asked Kagami.

“Miles. They’re units of distance. I can teach you about them after dinner.”

“We have to keep moving!” Kagami objected. “Even if we weren’t in imminent danger in this spot, my memory is! My memory resets whenever I fall asleep!”

A brief silence followed this information, during which Adrien looked confused and downtrodden. However, his face brightened up soon after.

“I know!” he said eagerly, removing his backpack and unzipping it. “You can start your own diary! That way, you can record everything that transpired during the day!”

He unearthed a journal similar to his own and tossed it to Kagami. She turned it over in her hands.

“This still doesn’t counteract outside threats,” she said seriously.

Adrien groaned. “Kagami, just trust me on this. Nothing bad is going to happen while we’re at this riverbank!”

Kagami’s eyes widened. “You jinxed it.”

“Kagami, please -”

“You jinxed it!” she cried exasperatedly. “Now something bad’s definitely going to happen!”

After a brief pause, Adrien said, “If that’s the case, don’t you at least want it to happen after you’ve eaten?”

“You know what?” said Kagami, giving up. “Fine. Let’s see how good you are at cooking, Adrien.”

Adrien beamed. “You won’t be disappointed.”

In no time, Adrien had gotten out his cooking equipment and started mixing ingredients.

“What are you making?” Kagami asked, trying not to sound too interested.

“French onion soup,” responded Adrien. “I’m afraid we only get a serving each. Don’t be too disappointed when you crave seconds.”

He winked at her; Kagami felt her face warming up and pointedly looked away.

She was later thankful she did, or else she might’ve never spotted the tips of someone’s fingers withdraw from around a solitary tree.

“Adrien!” she whisper-shouted.

“I’ve only just started, it won’t be ready for another half hour,” he complained.

“No - there’s someone here!” she hissed, eye-pointing at the tree.

Adrien turned to stare at the tree and shrugged. “Looks fine to me.”

Of course, that was the moment when the hooded figure jumped from the shadows and punched Adrien in the jaw.

Kagami reacted quickly, springing to her feet and waving her crowbar in the intruder’s direction, making them jump back. They sprinted headfirst at Kagami, grabbing her by the wrist and slamming her to the ground. Kagami rebounded by curling her foot around her opponent’s ankle and sending them crashing into the cooking equipment. Adrien let out a moan of despair.

“Guys, you’re making a mess!” he shouted. “Can’t we set our differences aside and just talk it out?”

“There is no talking it out!” yelled Kagami, who was trapped in a headlock. “I could really use your help right now, Adrien!”

Adrien grabbed the closest object within reach (a frying pan) and took a swing at the opponent. The hooded figure released Kagami and backflipped out of the way of the pan.

Kagami retrieved her crowbar from the ground and tried to ram it into the intruder’s shoulder, but he swiped left and took a jab at her ribcage. Adrien flung himself on top of the intruder’s arm, effectively keeping Kagami’s ribcage intact, and kicked the intruder in the stomach, sending the hooded figure reeling back in agony. Kagami seized the moment of the intruder’s distraction to grip Adrien’s pan and slam it as hard as she could onto the intruder’s foot.

The intruder made no reaction to the impact of a frying pan on their foot.

“The hell?!” Kagami vented. “What type of boots is this guy wearing?!”

She soon found out; the intruder accomplished an acrobatic spin into the air and landed a kick across Kagami’s face. It felt like someone had thrown a brick at her.

For a moment, all Kagami could focus on was the immense pain. Feeling her cheekbone, she deciphered that nothing was broken, but the blow had certainly drawn blood, as she examined her hand stained liquid red. Kagami was brought back to reality by the force of the intruder toppling into her.

“Sorry!” apologized Adrien, evidently having caused the intruder to collide with Kagami.

The intruder got up quickly, but instead of going for Adrien or Kagami, he dashed towards Adrien’s backpack. Realization dawned on Kagami - this person was here for their stuff.

“Hey! That’s mine!” exclaimed Adrien, rushing at the intruder as they grabbed his packpack and made a mad dash for the river.

Adrien was able to tackle the intruder before he got to the water’s edge. Kagami ran over to join the wrestling figures on the ground. She lifted the intruder to his feet by the crook of his neck, allowing Adrien to reclaim his backpack, and shoved the hooded figure as hard as she could into the river.

The river was deeper than Kagami had assumed, and neither she nor Adrien saw him for a few seconds, but then they spotted him further along the bank, being carried downstream by the powerful current. Within ten seconds, the attacker had disappeared from view.

“Who was that?” Adrien asked, sounding out of breath.

“A bandit,” replied Kagami shortly. “Someone looking to get lucky from robbing anybody they find. There are tons of them.”

After a temporary silence, Adrien said, “That was scary.”

“Well, it’s over now,” said Kagami comfortingly, giving Adrien a pat on the back.

“I’ve never fought anyone before,” admitted Adrien, picking up some of the cooking equipment.

“You did decently well for your first time.”

Adrien gave Kagami a half-smile. “Thanks.”

It took a long time for Adrien to clean the cooking materials and fix dinner - since the French onion soup had been lost in the scuffle, they ate tamales instead.

“You know,” Kagami munched, “these are actually incredible. You’ve got a gift, Adrien.”

Adrien smiled broadly for the rest of the meal.

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@adrigamiweek

#inkslingersworld #miraculous #adrien #kagami #adrigami #adrigamiweek2021 #adrigamiweek #power couple #french onion soup #tamales

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