For better or worse, Gabriel didn't move quite fast enough and did end up bumping into Adrien. Luckily, it was only a gentle bump, perhaps enough to bring them both back to the present, but not much else. However it did result in only one upper corner of the mirror being properly covered, allowing them to see its surface shimmer again as it brought up another memory...
The scene opened this time to the sound of a crying baby. It resolved on to another image of Gabriel, still somewhat younger than present, but with bit of silver hair visible at his temples, trying in vain to soothe a blonde-haired baby that could only be Adrien. Judging by what could be seen out the window behind them, it was late at night, the famous City of Lights looking rather surprisingly dark.
Gone was the small apartment, and in its place a room that was obviously part of the mansion Adrien had spent his childhood in. Or rather the version of it from Gabriel's world; the pattern of the flooring was different for one. But far more obviously, what was obviously Gabriel's work area was an oasis of colorful chaos in an otherwise neat and tidy room. Design sketches in various states of completion, drawing tools, fabric samples, buttons, ribbons, and zippers in different styles all competed for space on its surface. A sewing machine with yet more fabric and assorted bits and bobs stood to one side. A dummy with a half-finished dress pinned to it stood on the other. Even the arm of the desk lamp played host to several colorful scarves.
But if the state of his work area was at all unusual to Gabriel, he gave no sign of it, in memory or in reality. The younger version of Gabriel- looking dismayed and somewhat harried- gently bounced his young son in his arms, making soft shushing noises, but to no avail. "I wish you could tell me what's wrong," he said to baby Adrien, who simply cried on. "You can't be hungry; your mother just fed you before she went to bed. And I've checked everything else I can think of."
Unsurprisingly, baby Adrien was unmoved by his father's logic. If anything, his crying went up in volume slightly. Younger Gabriel gave a somewhat desperate sounding sigh. "Please, Adrien, you're going to wake up your mother and Nathalie at this rate, and they both have had long days. Just... what do you need?" After that got roughly the same response as logic, he gave another sigh, this time more dejected. "Or maybe it's just me you don't like..."
Slumping slightly in defeat, he carefully transferred his still crying and fussing baby son to thee baby seat that rested on his desk just outside his chaotic work area. Once he was safely secured there, he moved to the sewing machine, shifting a few objects out of the way and pulling out a garment he'd obviously been working on, bending over the sewing machine and setting to work.
It took him a few moments to realized that baby Adrien's crying had stopped. Surprised, he paused in his work, glancing over to where his young son 's baby seat. Though baby Adrien was still somewhat red faced from his earlier exertions, he had indeed settled somewhat, though he began fussing a bit again once the sound of the sewing machine stopped. Experimentally, the younger Gabriel sewed a bit while glancing over at Adrien and indeed, once the sound resumed, baby Adrien relaxed again. Young Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief, giving his baby son a fond smile and shaking his head slightly before resuming his sewing properly. And the memory remained focused on that oddly peaceful scene as it faded out...
Back in the present, Gabriel blinked and shook his head as he realized what had happened, shifting the cover to block the mirror properly this time before turning to the teenage alternate version of his son who stood beside him. "Adrien...?", he inquired gently.
no subject
The scene opened this time to the sound of a crying baby. It resolved on to another image of Gabriel, still somewhat younger than present, but with bit of silver hair visible at his temples, trying in vain to soothe a blonde-haired baby that could only be Adrien. Judging by what could be seen out the window behind them, it was late at night, the famous City of Lights looking rather surprisingly dark.
Gone was the small apartment, and in its place a room that was obviously part of the mansion Adrien had spent his childhood in. Or rather the version of it from Gabriel's world; the pattern of the flooring was different for one. But far more obviously, what was obviously Gabriel's work area was an oasis of colorful chaos in an otherwise neat and tidy room. Design sketches in various states of completion, drawing tools, fabric samples, buttons, ribbons, and zippers in different styles all competed for space on its surface. A sewing machine with yet more fabric and assorted bits and bobs stood to one side. A dummy with a half-finished dress pinned to it stood on the other. Even the arm of the desk lamp played host to several colorful scarves.
But if the state of his work area was at all unusual to Gabriel, he gave no sign of it, in memory or in reality. The younger version of Gabriel- looking dismayed and somewhat harried- gently bounced his young son in his arms, making soft shushing noises, but to no avail. "I wish you could tell me what's wrong," he said to baby Adrien, who simply cried on. "You can't be hungry; your mother just fed you before she went to bed. And I've checked everything else I can think of."
Unsurprisingly, baby Adrien was unmoved by his father's logic. If anything, his crying went up in volume slightly. Younger Gabriel gave a somewhat desperate sounding sigh. "Please, Adrien, you're going to wake up your mother and Nathalie at this rate, and they both have had long days. Just... what do you need?" After that got roughly the same response as logic, he gave another sigh, this time more dejected. "Or maybe it's just me you don't like..."
Slumping slightly in defeat, he carefully transferred his still crying and fussing baby son to thee baby seat that rested on his desk just outside his chaotic work area. Once he was safely secured there, he moved to the sewing machine, shifting a few objects out of the way and pulling out a garment he'd obviously been working on, bending over the sewing machine and setting to work.
It took him a few moments to realized that baby Adrien's crying had stopped. Surprised, he paused in his work, glancing over to where his young son 's baby seat. Though baby Adrien was still somewhat red faced from his earlier exertions, he had indeed settled somewhat, though he began fussing a bit again once the sound of the sewing machine stopped. Experimentally, the younger Gabriel sewed a bit while glancing over at Adrien and indeed, once the sound resumed, baby Adrien relaxed again. Young Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief, giving his baby son a fond smile and shaking his head slightly before resuming his sewing properly. And the memory remained focused on that oddly peaceful scene as it faded out...
Back in the present, Gabriel blinked and shook his head as he realized what had happened, shifting the cover to block the mirror properly this time before turning to the teenage alternate version of his son who stood beside him. "Adrien...?", he inquired gently.