joongie-smiles - Tumblr blog

joongie-smiles · 6 years ago

Text

A Place to Call Home

Hello, wonderful readers! So this is something a little different from my usual one-shots, This is just some stuff about Keith. I had started thinking about the relationship between Shiro Keith and Adam and thought it would be something like this. By the way, I didn’t know if Adam had a last name (canon or otherwise) only that his initial was W, so i just picked a random Arabic last name because. If any of my Arab readers (hope I don’t offend with an umbrella term) have any suggestions for Adam’s last name, please let me know!

When he was a kid, Keith was never really into superheroes. It wasn’t that he didn’t like them--he thought most of them were interesting, like Captain America and Iron Man--but he never felt the need to buy everything with their faces plastered on it or fawn over the latest comic book issue. He never had unbridled adoration for these fictional superheroes. Instead, all his awe went to the real life superhero in his life--his dad.

For as long as 7 year old Keith could remember, his father had always been a superhero. He didn’t have cool super powers like Spiderman, but he saved people every day. He was strong, courageous, brave, and the best dad a kid could ever ask for. His dad had been a firefighter long before Keith was born, and he would tell him all the stories of his adventures. His dad worked pretty much all day, but he always made an effort to spend time with him. When his dad finally deemed him old enough, Keith would tag along and stay at the fire department. He spent most of the day coloring in the coloring books the rest of the crew gave him or simply running around the station. He would often steal his dad’s helmet and done it proudly as he stood on the table and proudly told the firefighters around him that one day he would be a firefighter and save people just like his dad. His bold statement would be accompanied with a round of cheers and jubilant laughter. Most of his days were spent like that: with laughter and joy and the simple delight of being with his dad.

His dad was a real life superhero, and while it was glorious at times, it was also devastating. Even as a kid, Keith understood that those nights when his dad came back all patched up and looking beat, that meant it had been a bad day. He understood that when he limped around their small apartment and winced, it was from more than just the physical pain. He understood that when his dad hugged him tightly and told him that he loved Keith in that wobbly, tearful tone, it meant that they had lost someone in the fire. He understood that October 30 was a day of mourning for the Koganes, and he knew that when his dad started tossing and turning at night calling out for ‘Krolia’, he should just lie at his side and hold him close. He understood that when he opened the door that dreadful night to a policeman with a pained expression that something bad had happened. And he understood by just looking at the firemen around the police officer and hearing their soft, pained “we’re so sorry, Keith” that his dad wasn’t coming home.

After that, Keith stopped believing in superheroes all together. He had no time to fantasize about heroes and adventures, he had to focus on where he was going to stay. He had no relatives willing to take him in, and no matter how hard the crew fought to keep him, the lawyer assigned to Keith thought it would be best from him to go into the system and find a stable family instead of getting raised by a “village” as she’d put it. He fought the decision, and even threatened to run away, but in the end, he boarded the first train out of Houston and to some orphanage in Oklahoma. The first couple of months he tried to behave and fit in, he really did, but no one else seemed to be making the same effort. The older kids were forever mad at the world, and the younger ones were focused on taking care of themselves more than others. After all, there was no point in making connections when all you wanted to do was get out of there.

Keith soon discovered how mean children could be. Whether they pointed out his “weird looking” eyes or rudely imitated him when he spoke Korean, they always seemed to find something odd to point out about Keith. The incessant teasing soon turned into rough shoves and harsh glares. After the first month or so of such treatment, Keith was fed up with it all. In the cloak of night, he ran away from the orphanage and bought a ticket back to Texas with some money he had stolen from the orphanage’s owner. Honestly, Keith had no idea what he was doing, all he knew was that he had to get out of that place. He knew he didn’t have family in Texas anymore, but the orphanage wasn’t any better. He was a smart kid, he could figure out what to do once he got there. Looking back, Keith realized that what he did was dumb, and he was glad that a pair of policemen found him and stopped him from boarding the train to Texas. The lawyer assigned to Keith’s case agreed to transfer him to another orphanage, but only if he didn’t run away again. Keith agreed, and in no time, he moved up to Oklahoma City. This time, he lasted almost 5 months before he became restless and itched to leave. A family had been interested in adopting him, but Keith refused. He wasn’t ready to be a part of a new family, and he felt like accepting their offer was like he was replacing his father, and he would never, ever do that. He ended up running away again, and as a result, he was transferred to a new orphanage. The same thing happened again and again; he would go to an orphanage, get in fights, run away, then be sent to a new one and the cycle would repeat. He hoped from orphanage to orphanage, from family to family, never quite finding a place where he belonged. For years, it seemed that he just didn’t belong anywhere. It wasn’t until his 12th birthday that he had a little hope for happiness.

At the orphanage he was staying at for the time being, they allowed you to pick a place to spend your birthday as long as it was within their ability to take you there. Most kids wanted to go to the movie theater or a skating rink, but Keith wasn’t really interested in anything in , particular. Earlier that day, he’d seen a poster advertising the opening of the galaxy branch at their local museum, so when he was asked where he wanted to go, he chose to go to the museum on a whim. Though their caretaker was surprised by his answer. She agreed and took Keith and the rest of the kids to the museum. Once there, they were allowed to run wild. Most of them paired up and went to look at the dinosaur exhibits, but Keith decided to stay on his own and go to the new galaxy exhibit.

To put it in simple words, it was breathtaking. The room was dark, and there was a pattern of stars painted on every wall. Constellations littered the ceiling, peeking out behind the large planets that hung from the wall. The sun hung right above the entrance and glowed faintly with yellow light which pulsed every now and then to imitate a dancing sunspot. From there, the inner planets followed. Mercury was a mild grey one minute, but it jumped to life with swirls of gold and blue that ran across the surface of the planet, swift as the Roman god it had been named after. Venus hung large and proud, glowing with the light of a thousand fires, its beauty unmatched by the others. Beside it hund Earth. It was about the same size, but the contrast of colors--one dark red, the other blue and green--made it stand out beside the vain planet. The white clouds moved lazily across the face of the blue and green planet, and they twisted to and fro like a group of gymnasts tracing the path of the winds. The last inner planet, Mars, was a furious red that reminded Keith of a time long ago and stories of heroic firefighters saving the day. His lips quirked up slightly at the thought.

Following the inner planets, a ring of meteorites hung across the exhibit. The shape of the space rocks varied from pebble sized to boulder sized. They were lined up neatly and meticulously and stood firmly in place, like a line of soldiers holding back enemy intruders. Behind the army of asteroids was the outer planets. The outer planets were much larger than the inner planets, and their moons surrounded them. Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system, hung low enough that when Keith stood right under it, he could vaguely see all the wires and lights hid behind the thin, sand colored cloth. It looked calm and peaceful for the most part, but in intervals of 10 minutes, a raging storm blew across the surface of the grand planet, bringing with it the rage and power associated with the Roman god of lightning. Where Jupiter was large and intimidating, Saturn was all elegance and grace. The yellow planet’s large rings shined delicately as if they had been constructed with ice from space itself. Though the circumference was impressive, the rings were barely thicker than a stack of papers. Next, to Saturn hung Uranus, the planet with the infamous funny name. For all the giggles it caused, the planet itself was beautiful. Its surface was painted with a dusty baby blue shone softly and paler than the elegant Saturn before it and the glorious Neptune after it. Neptune was a shade of blue Keith had never seen. It was bold and attracted the attention of anyone who walked by it. It proudly hung at the end of the solar system, and its radiance seemed to rival the sun’s. After Neptune, where Pluto should have been, was an entrance to a smaller room inside the exhibit. The sign above the entrance proudly deemed it “A Journey Through Space” and encouraged him to take a pair of 3D glasses. He did just what the sign suggested and walked in to experience space. Like the rest of the exhibit, the room was dimly lit, and stars littered the walls and ceiling. But here, meteors drifted by, and shooting stars zipped through space. Everything was much closer and the occasional space fact popped up on one of the walls. He didn’t mind the interruption, in fact, he thought the fascinating facts added to the experience. Unfortunately, the trip through space ended, but he had been rewarded with a thin book about space and a pin that identified him as a space cadet.

Eventually, his birthday and the trip to the museum came to an end, but Keith wasn’t sad. On the contrary, he was happier than he’d ever been in years. He no would no longer have to deal with the constant search for a place to call home, he now knew where he belonged. He belonged in space. He decided that he’d work hard and do everything that he could to go to space and become a real life space cadet. It didn’t matter if he didn’t feel at home in any of these orphanages or cities, they were just stepping stones for his goal, his future. Keith looked at the back of the pin and smiled down at the name inscribed in it. Galaxy Garrison. That’s where his home would be. There, at the Galaxy Garrison, he would find his place.

Keith worked hard to get into the Garrison. He took every advanced class offered at his high school, worked on his anger issues, and had read every book on space and piloting that he could find. When application season came, he busted his butt on them and spent weeks perfecting his essays and recommendations. After his application was submitted, he would rush to the mailbox every morning and searched through the mail for the familiar grey and orange G. It wasn’t until early spring that he received his reply. When Keith spotted the Garrison’s insignia, he grabbed the letter and ran to his room. He paced restlessly back and forth, holding the letter tightly to his chest. He was afraid of opening it. What if they were rejecting him? What if he hadn’t won any of their scholarships? What if--

He stopped and stared at the picture on his bedside of him and his dad. That picture and the dark-hilted knife his father always had were the only things he had left from his dad. He tried to rarely think about his dad so as to not get sad, but on this rare occasion, he did. He sat down on his bed and looked at the picture. His dad was beaming back at him, and his words whispered softly in his mind. You can do anything as long as you believe in yourself. With a shaky sigh, Keith carefully opened the letter and read the printer words: Keith Kogane, we are happy to inform you that you have been accepted to the Galaxy Garrison and are the fortunate recipient of a full-ride scholarship. Congratulations.

That was the first time since his dad died that he’d cried from joy.

When he met Takashi Shirogane, he was convinced that he’d met a superhero for the second time in his life. Junior Officer Takashi Shirogane wasn’t a teacher at the Garrison, he was an exploration pilot, but he would often poke his head in during pilot training. He was well known around the Garrison for being the best pilot of his time. Everyone looked up to him, and Keith was no exception. He was determined to be just as good of a pilot, if not better, than the famous exploration pilot. And if his simulation scores were anything to go off of, he was well on his way to being the best pilot of his generation. Keith knew that he was an amazing pilot, but he tried not to let it get to his head. He still stayed up late to study for exams and spent hours doing his homework just like everyone else. Whenever the flight simulator was open for practice, Keith would spend hours practicing and perfecting his technique. He continued to stay at the top of his class and people started to notice.

“Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it--” A knock on the door interrupted Mr. Wahim’s lecture. He turned to look through the little window in the door and scowled when he saw who it was. “Oh for goodness sakes,” he mumbled. “Class, read pages 100 to 120 from your book tomorrow and take clear notes. Make sure you understand the lesson because we will be taking a quiz on it.” He ignored the groans that followed and walked over to the door. He opened it just enough to poke his head through to talk with the person on the other side. Unlike his classmates, Keith ignored his teacher’s conversation and focused on reading the lesson assigned to them. The theory of the black hole was one of the most difficult things to study let alone understand, so he was determined not to waste any precious work time Mr. Wahim gave him. He was about to start the theory of general relativity when the curious hushed whispers became excited exclamations. Keith looked up to see what his classmates were so excited about and almost let out a cry of surprise of his own when he saw who was standing beside Mr. Wahim.

Takashi Shirogane smiled back at the classroom full of awe-struck teenagers. “I’m sorry to interrupt the class, but I just came by to talk with Mr. Wahim.”

“Even though Mr. Shirogane knows perfectly well that I have a class in session,” Mr. Wahim reprimanded him, but there was no real harshness behind his words.

Mr. Shirogane’s smile turned sheepish. Mr. Wahim relented and waved at his awe-struck students. “The bell rings in 30 seconds, go ahead and pack up your things. Don’t forget the assignment.” The class rushed to collect their things and went back to whispering excitedly.

“What do you think they have to talk about?”

“I don’t know but there probably won’t be talking at all. Didn’t you hear that they’re dating?”

“Wow, if Mr. Wahim let the class out 30 seconds before the bell for him then they must be.”

Keith ignored the gossip and collected his things. Next he had lunch, so he’d head to the library and get some homework done. Maybe if he finished early he might be able to get a couple practice hours in.

“Keith, can you stay back for a minute?” Mr. Wahim called out to him.

There was a low chorus of “ooh”s, and Keith rolled his eyes at his classmates immature response. He stepped away from the door and made his way to Mr. Wahim’s desk. Once the rest of his classmates had filed out the door, it was Mr. Shirogane who spoke first, much to Keith’s surprise. “So you’re the one who is trying to beat my record.”

Keith blinked, dumbfounded. “What?”

From beside him, Mr. Wahim scoffed. “I told you not to start like that. You’ll intimidate the poor kid.”

Mr. Shirogane rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Right, I forgot.” He cleared his throat and stuck his hand out for Keith to shake. “Sorry, let me start over. Hi, I’m Takashi Shirogane. I’m a pilot for the Garrison, and I think you have some pretty impressive skills.”

“What?” Keith repeated. Apparently when faced with his idol all he could say was that cursed one letter word. It was embarrassing.

Mr. Shirogane seemed to find his response endearing. “You’re doing really well in your classes and you’re way ahead of you classmates. You are an impressive cadet, and I just wanted to let you know that if you ever want a training buddy or maybe some flying tips, I’m here.”

Finally, Keith could get enough control to respond. “Wait, isn’t that favoritism.”

“Well, yes, but if we say that you asked for the help and I’m simply mentoring you, then there shouldn’t be a problem. Anyway, every teacher has a favorite,” Mr. Shirogane admitted.

“That is true,” Mr. Wahim confirmed from his desk. He was grading the class’ solar system test. He motioned towards a large pile of papers. “They, for instance, are not my favorites.” He held up a small stack of 4 papers. “These are my favorites.”

Keith was tempted to ask if he was one of the four. “I appreciate the offer, but why me?”

“Like I said, you have the making of an amazing pilot,” Mr. Shirogane said. “Plus,” he added. “You remind me of myself when I was your age. Determined, ambitious--”

“--reckless, easily irritable,” Mr. Wahim added.

He ignored his comment. “So, what do you say?”

Keith didn’t have to think about it for too long. “Yes, of course. Thank you, Mr. Shirogane.”

The older pilot smiled. “Call me Shiro.”

Ever since then, Keith started spending more time with Shiro, and consequently Mr. Wahim--or Adam as he insisted Keith call him. Usually, they worked on Keith’s piloting and hand to hand and weapons combat. Keith had known that he was a good pilot and a good fighter, but beside Shiro, he was the opposite. He grilled flight plans and maneuvers into his head and pushed him to his limits. Though Keith had always worked hard in his classes, they had never required him to push himself, but training with Shiro did. Surprisingly enough, there was no real backlash to their afterhours training, in fact, the commanders seemed to encourage it. What better way to improve than to train with someone willing to share their knowledge and skill. In the beginning, some of his classmates were bitter towards Keith, but they quickly took this as a challenge to improve and become better themselves. Some even found junior officers or teachers to serve as their mentors.

Aside from the training, Keith spent time with Shiro just to hang out with him. He learned that despite his spotless record, Shiro could be more than a little reckless. One day after training, Keith and Shiro were sitting on a dune overlooking the endless sand surrounding the Garrison.

“Have you ever flown outside of the simulator before?” Shiro asked him.

“No,” Keith replied. “Apparently we’re not ready to fly yet.”

“Do you think you’re ready?” Shiro asked.

“Yes,” he immediately said.

“Good because this would have been a waste if you didn’t.” Shiro stood up and walked towards a pile of rocks nearby.

“What do you mean--” Keith was cut off by a low rumbling sound coming from behind the rocks. He frowned and ran to see what was causing the noise. When he rounded the boulders, he stopped in surprise and gaped in awe. There, standing before him, were two gliders. They were small, intended to be for only one person, and if the light scratches and worn down paint was anything to go off of, they were certainly not new. The Garrison’s insignia was stamped on the hull of each glider.

“They old gliders the Garrison used to use for pilot training, They’ve got some new, updated versions, so they don’t need them. I offered to take a pair off their hands,” Shiro explained.

“Wow,” Keith whispered softly. He walked over and touched the side of one of the gliders. The metal was cold under his fingertips, and he could feel the rough patches where the whipping sand had eroded the metal. The glider seemed to purr softly in response to his touch.

“So, Keith, ready to go on your first flight?” Shiro asked.

In response, Keith hopped into the small cockpit. Shiro laughed at his enthusiasm and climbed into the other glider. “All right, the controls are the same as the ones in the simulator, but it might take you some time to get used to them, so take it slow at first and they’re kind of old so--”

Keith made quick work of the control and zoomed forward. He cheered in delight. He flew past the sandy dunes and thin desert plants. He flew higher and grinned as the desert and the night sky alike became simple blurs of light. As he pushed forward and tore through the sky, he felt free. All his life, he’d been running away from his past and his present, and now, here flying through the night with no worries but the road ahead of him, he felt like he was running towards something. What it was, he couldn’t tell, but he did know that he never wanted to stop feeling like this.

Apparently, the universe had a different plan.

The glider gave a couple of jerks and started to slow down. Keith frowned and pushed on the controls, but it only seemed to make the glider stall more. He barely had enough to veer out of a boulder’s way before the glider skid to an abrupt, bumpy halt. Thankfully, the glider was equipped for sliding on the desert sand, so there wasn’t much damage done to either Keith or the glider itself. Keith popped open the overhead door and climbed out of the glider. Dark smoke started coming from the glider, so Keith stepped back. They had learned that black smoke wasn’t too bad of a sign and there wasn’t any immediate threat of the glider blowing up, but the sight of the billowing smoke made his heart squeeze. He knew that there was no danger, that there were no flames, but his skin got hotter and his breathing became labored. Images played across his mind: the firestation, a burning building he’d never seen but imagined so clearly, his dad. His dad. His vision became blurry, and he almost missed the second glider landing gracefully beside him. The smoke crowded his vision, and the only indication of someone else’s presence was the comforting arms that wrapped around his small frame.

“Hey, it’s okay, I’ve got you,” Shiro whispered soothingly. “I’m right here, okay? Your safe. Just breathe, breathe with me.”

It took a couple more minutes for the shaking to stop and a couple after that for the tears to stop. Keith leaned against Shiro and breathed with him. He allowed himself to just exist in the peace of the moment, and found comfort in the still night sky and Shiro’s comforting words. Eventually, Keith pulled away. “Sorry,” he said softly.

Shiro smiled softly. “Don’t worry about it. I can always get a new glider. Next time, just take it easy, these things are pretty old.” They both knew that he wasn’t talking about the glider, but Keith appreciated.

Shiro nodded in the direction of the Garrison. “Come on, let’s head home. You’ve got homework to do, and Adam will get mad if we stay up to late.”

Keith nodded and walked alongside him. Home, he thought with a smile. Maybe, just maybe, he had found his home.

Keith stuffed his books into his bag and made his way out of the library. Next week, he had exams coming up, and he had been spending all the time he could studying in the library. He would have done it at the apartment, but he thought Adam and Shiro deserved some them time. They hadn’t had any date nights and Adam was getting a little grumpy about it.

As he made his way out of the library, he passed by two cadets who had their heads craned over a large textbook. He vaguely recognized them from his class. Hunk and Taylor? Something like that. They were pretty talented cadets too, and they worked really hard. They were practically attached at the hip and Keith had never seen one without the other. He sighed and pulled his bag closer. It would be nice to have friends like that, it would make this day a little better. Maybe he would talk to them one day.

Keith made a stop at Adam’s classroom, but was surprised to find it empty. He was usually in here till 4 and it was barely 3. He shrugged it off and walked to the post. The post office was by the staff’s lounge and was where any mail for commanders and teachers was kept. The woman behind the desk barely spared him a look when he went over to Shiro and Adam’s boxes. The couple often sent him to do little errands like get the mail, so they were used to seeing him around. After picking up the mail, he walked to Shiro and Adam’s shared apartment. Keith had never officially moved in with them, it had just happened. Keith was over so much that Adam eventually gave their spare room to Keith. Even though he technically had a dorm room, Keith stayed over at the apartment, He wasn’t sure if he could consider it his home yet, so he just took to referring to it as “the apartment”.

Once he arrived, Keith placed his hand to the glass panel to open the door, but instead of opening, the panel glowed red with the words “access denied” glaring at him. Keith frowned and tried again. The door stayed closed He double checked to make sure that it was the right apartment. When he confirmed that it was, he stepped up to the door and tried the old fashioned way. He rapped his knuckles against the metal door. “Hey! It’s me, Keith. The panel’s acting up and it won’t let me in,” he called.

He was met with a couple minutes of silence before a quick “coming!” answered.

Keith stepped back and waited. There were a few beeps and a click, and the door slid open. Adam smiled at him. “Hey. sorry, must have accidently manuely locked it.” He stepped back to allow Keith to go inside. “Let’s go the the kitchen, Keith!” Adam insisting, raising his voice.

Keith frowned at the man. “Um . . . okay?” He followed Adam to the kitchen. As they go closer to the kitchen, Keith caught a faint whiff of something sweet. “Hey, why does it smell like--”

“Happy Birthday, Keith!” Adam and Shiro cheered in unison once they entered the kitchen. In Shiro’s hands was a hazardously frosted cake with a single lit candle. The words ‘Happy Birthday, Keef!’ were written in Adam’s elegant handwriting in red frosting.

Keith blinked. He was at a loss for words. He didn’t even know that Adam and Shiro knew what this day meant to him.

“You don’t like it,” Shiro concluding. He lowered the cake and his smile seemed to drop with it.

“No!” Keith hurried to exclaim. “It’s not that, I just . . . didn’t expect it. I didn’t even know you guys knew.”

“We didn’t until yesterday,” Adam admitted. “I was updating my student’s records and I noticed your birthday.”

“You hadn’t mentioned anything, so we thought it would be nice to make a surprise for you,” Shiro said.

Keith starred at the couple. Shiro was nervously standing behind the counter surrounded with what must have been some of Adam’s best cooking, and Adam stood beside him with a hand on his shoulder. They had planned all of this and done this all last minute just for him? He knew how busy they both were and the fact that they took the time to make something for his birthday made a smile break out on Keith’s face. “Thanks,” he said.

Adam and Shiro’s smiles matched his and they quickly went about setting the table for dinner. Keith insisted on helping, but Adam shooed him away and told him to wash up for dinner. Keith smiled and went to the sink to wash his hands. As they ate, they made idle chit chat about their days, Shiro’s missions, Adam’s classes, and Keith’s upcoming exams/ Shiro promised to help Keith study, but only if he stopped staying up too late. Keith couldn’t seem to stop smiling, not that he wanted to. He honestly couldn’t remember a birthday as amazing as this one. After his dad died, Keith usually spent his birthdays alone, so he had stopped celebrating them all together. But now, here he was, surrounded by people he wholeheartedly believed loved and cared about him. He couldn’t be happier.

Shiro collected the plates and took them back to the kitchen. When he returned, he was carrying a thin, rectangular present. “It’s not much,” Shiro admitted, “but we hope you like it.”

Keith took the present from Shiro’s outstretched hands and opened the wrapping paper carefully. Inside, there was something more valuable to Keith than anything anyone other than his father had ever given him. Inside, there was a red picture frame with a picture of Adam, Shiro, and Keith. It had been Adam and Shiro’s anniversary and they had invited Keith to go outside the base with them. Keith had insisted on staying, saying that it was their anniversary and that they should spend it together. They had laughed at his response, and insisted that they should spend the day together as a family. That had been the first time they had called their little trio a family, and Keith had cried. At the sight of his tears, Shiro had panicked and Adam hurried to apologize. Keith had only smiled and told them that he’d be ready in a couple minutes. In the photo, Shiro had one arm around Adam and the other was ruffling Keith’s hair. Adam’s hand rested on Keith’s shoulder, and all three of them were beaming. In black, elegant cursive the word ‘family’ was written along the bottom length of the frame.

Keith stared down at the picture and was silent for a moment. He looked up at Adam and Shiro’s smiling faces and he knew he was done searching for a home. He had the perfect on right in front of him.

#voltron #keith kogane #shiro #takashi shirogane #adam

1 note · View note

joongie-smiles · 6 years ago

Text

My Love’s Journey

We were tasked with writing a Shakespearanesque sonnet for my English class, and I thought I would share mine. Yes, I know the first line doesn’t have 10 syllables and that lacking and again don’t rhyme but that’s intentional. Happy poetry month!

Do you know how far my love for you will go?

My loving ship will travel far and wide,

Sure as the water’s everlasting flow.

And even if dark storm and raging tide

Attempt to tear it down, my ship stays strong.

Others think my love is small and lacking,

For rarely are my acts of love as as long

Or bold as the rest, but for you it sing.

But rest assured, you will not make a fool

Of me, who felt the pain of loving one

Whose heart is made of stone. Your “love” is cruel

And drowns my ship in darkness just for fun.

My ship will travel to you everyday,

So long as there is light to shine the way.

#poetry #original

2 notes · View notes

joongie-smiles · 6 years ago

Photo

My soulmate’s PJO AU story is finally online on ENG!

It’s just prologue translated for now from 3 chapters but we finally started it and gonna keep it up! All my PJO AU illustrations are based on it x)

Also please appreciate our lovely:

Author: @sscadet

Translator: @hhhoneycupcake

Editor: @all-about-the-one-shots-and-ocs

394 notes · View notes

joongie-smiles · 6 years ago

Text

I Don’t Think We’re In Paris Anymore, Chat (Chapter 1)

Hello lovely people. So this brilliant story of mine will be a multi chapter story. In case you haven’t realised, they are sent into an alternate reality at the end. It may seem confusing at first but it will all be explained. Sorry not sorry for the cliff hanger! Please read and enjoy. If you have any feedback, please feel free to share. Please like and reblog if you like this story so others can read it too

Masterlist

If Marinette had known that she would spend her afternoon running away from a crazed policeman gone rogue, she wouldn’t have gotten out of bed that morning. Unfortunately, she had so now she was stuck running for her life with only a broken yoyo and a confused cat hero at her side. The day hadn’t started off this unpleasant, actually it had been a nice summer day promising nothing but warm sunshine and carefree joy. When did such a great day turn out to be not so great so quickly? Well, if Marinette had to guess, she would have to say it was right around the time when the once calm blue sky above the Louvre was engulfed by darkness. That or when Andre ran out of vanilla ice cream. Yeah . . . probably wasn’t the latter. To get the story right she’d start at the beginning, before any breaking of the time space continuum or crazy cops ruined her day. She’d begin at the bakery.

Summer break in Paris was always the best time of year for the Dupain-Cheng family. For the business, on the other hand . . . well, that was a different story.

“Now, Marinette, I know that we don’t have any customers, but please don’t lay across the counter like that,” Madame Dupain-Cheng chided her young daughter for what felt like the hundredth time. It’s not like Marinette explicitly liked to lie limp across the length of the counter of her family’s bakery, but in an excruciatingly hot day like this, pressing her forehead against the cold cash register was a relief she wouldn’t dare pass up. Anyway, it wasn’t like they would be busy today. It was the third day of summer break and barely any Parisians were still around. The Dupain-Chengs were still there because they had been scheduled to keep the bakery open for the first two weeks summer. After that, they would happily pack their bags and hop on the next flight to Italy to Marinette’s grandmother, Gina Dupain. So, there really was no point in staying alert for customers. But, regardless of her inner objections, Marinette stood up straight and sheepishly smiled at her mother. “Sorry, Mom.”

“Don’t worry about it, Marinette,” her mother reassured. She looked over at the clock hanging on the wall. “Why don’t you go outside and go have fun? It’s such a beautiful day, you shouldn’t be cooped up in here,” she suggested.

“Are you sure? I can stay longer if you need me to,” Marinette said.

Madame Dupain-Cheng looked outside the windows at the empty streets. “I think your father and I can handle it. You go out and enjoy the day.”

She didn’t have to tell Marinette twice. With a quick ‘thanks, Mom,’ Marinette ran upstairs to grab her purse, being careful not to wake up Tikki, then ran out of the bakey. She took her phone out from her pocket and called Alya, determined to spend the day with her best friend.

“Hey, girl, what’s up? I thought you were helping out at the bakery?” Alya asked upon answering the phone.

“I was, but Mom took pity on me and let me go,” Marinette replied. “Hey are you busy? I heard that Andre is going to be by the Louvre today, you want to go?”

“God yes, I need a relief from this heat. I think I’m gonna melt if the sun stays out any longer.” Marinette couldn’t see Alya, but she was pretty sure that her best friend had dramatically placed her hand on her forehead and feigned fainting.

Marinette chuckled and shook her head at her friend’s antics. “So I’ll meet you in 10?”

“I’m already out the door,” was Alya’s reply before the line went dead.

Marinette put her phone away and made her way to the Louvre. It wasn’t too far from the bakery, so she’d be there before Alya, but Marinette decided to take the scenic route. The streets of Paris were still and calm, the quiet only being broken by the occasional laughing child or the sharp ringing of a phone. The day was truly beautiful. The bright, blue skies were clear and the sun was beating softly on her pale skin. Even the usually busy tourists spots were calm this morning. When Marinette finally reached the Louvre, Alya was already there, face buried in her phone screen with an annoyed scowl twisting her lips downward.

Marinette raised her hand and called out to the dark haired girl. “Alya!”

Alya’s head shot up and swiveled around to find the source of the call. When she spotted Marinette, Alya raised her own hand and waved frantically, her excitement barely contained. “Finally, you show up. I was starting to think that you stood me up!” she jokingly accused with a light shove.

Marinette smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry, Alya, I took the longer way here.”

“Well as an apology, you can treat me to ice cream.” Without waiting for Marinette’s response, Alya took her hand and led her to Andre’s ice cream stand. Rather than get ice cream flavors related to their crushes, they opted for regular old chocolate and strawberry cones. They would have gotten vanilla ice cream to complete the neapolitan--or Napoleon, as they jokingly called it--look, but Andre had run out. A tragedy indeed.

“Guess they have a new exhibit,” Alya noted as they walked by a light pole displaying just that. They had gotten a new Ancient Egyptian relic, and apparently it was so important that they had made a whole new exhibit for it.

“The Book of Thoth, huh?” Marinette said around a bite of ice cream. “Wonder why it’s so important.” Alya only shrugged and continued eating away at her ice cream cone.

They continued to walk across the empty concrete square surrounding the famous French museum. There were a couple tourists waiting to enter the museum, but nothing as noticeable as the winding lines there would undoubtedly be later in the month. People from all over the world came to see the magnificent pieces in the Louvre, and while Marinette usually loved seeing all the different faces and hearing all the foreign dialects, she was happy for this moment away from the usual bustle. Sometimes, a day or two of peace was exactly what Marinette needed. They were becoming harder and harder to come by since the latest battle with Hawkmoth. The fact that he had another miraculous at his side frightened her. She had asked Master Fu about the limits of the peacock miraculous, but he had been too troubled to give her an answer. Nevertheless, one thing was certain: in the hands of Hawkmoth, the peacock miraculous would cause a lot of trouble for the heroes.

Two people walked out of the Louvre, one an old man in a sharp business and the other a young woman holding up a smaller version of the advertisement page for the new exhibit. “You can’t possibly be doing this! The Book of Thoth is a wonderous addition to our museum!” the young woman was protesting.

“I’m sorry, Mademoiselle Yang, but we simply cannot afford to house the book any longer. I understand that this is important, but there was a mistake in the budget and we simply do not have the money for it,” the old man said. Rather than sound truly sorry, he merely sounded disinterested.

“Well, can’t we make some budget changes? You were willing to do that for the armor we recovered from World War II,” Mademoiselle Yang threw one hand in the air in exasperation and the other flew up to pull at something around her neck. The movement drew Marinette’s eye to a glinting silver crescent moon pendant she pressed her hand to in an attempt to calm herself down. It was caught obvious even from the distance that it was not working.

“I really don’t have time for this,” the old man grumbled. “I really must get going. Have a nice day.” He hurried to a slick, white car and beckoned his drive to drive away.

The young woman watched him drive off with an expression equal parts disappointment and anger. She huffed angrily and walked back in the Louvre.

“I guess the Book of Thoth won’t be making its debut tonight,” Alya said after watching the spectacle.

“Guess not. That’s too bad, I thought it would be pretty cool to check out,” Marinette said.

“Yeah, we could have gone tomorrow. We won’t be leaving for vacation till next week, so I’ll be free all--” Alya was cut off by shrill shrieks coming from the Louvre. The few people who had been lined up to enter the Louvre turned and ran from the museum. A second later, flashes of harsh yellow light emitted from the glass walls of the Louvre museum. The horrified screaming got louder when the glass ceiling of the museum exploded. Glass shards flew outward and clinked on the concrete floor outside the museum.

The force of the explosion threw everyone back and they fell to the ground like a row of dominoes. As they fell in the air, Marinette quickly twisted her body to land on top of Alya, careful not to fall on her, but also making sure that no stray glass shards could hurt her. She looked down at her friend, worried blue eyes darting across her face looking for any signs of injuries. “Are you okay?”

Alya stared back at Marinette, wide eyed with shock. There was only a second of silence before her squeaky voice cut through the air. “Am I okay? Are you okay? Mari, you’re the one who is in more danger of being hurt than I am.”

Marinette got up and held out a hand for her friend to take. “I’m fine,” she insisted. She turned back to the now roofless Louvre. What the hell was that?

Alya gasped, and instead of taking Marinette’s outstretched hand, she turned it over to look at her palm. “Marinette, you’re bleeding!”

Marinette only spared her scratched up hand a glance before turning back to the chaos. “We need to get you out of here. Come on, let’s find a safe place to hide. Maybe he library nearby won’t be too crowded, or the cafe two stores down. Either on will do.” She reached again for Alya’s hand, but was left batting at air. When Marinette turned to face Alya, she was surprised to see her fishing around in the small purse she had brought with her.

“Alya, what are you--?”

Alya cut her off by waving a small piece of cloth in front of her face. “Here, press this against your hand. It’s no bandage but it should at least help a little bit.” When Marinette opened her mouth to protest, Alya only waved it insistently in the air. Clearly, there was no room for argument.

Marinette’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly. “Thanks,” she said softly.

Alya only smiled and nodded to the crowd of frightened people running for the nearest store. “Come on, we should go.”

Marinette’s eyes flickered down to her purse where Tikki was hidden inside. “Actually, you go ahead. I need to go check on my parents.”

It was clear that Alya didn’t like that plan, but she nodded. If Marinette had to go find her parents, she wouldn’t dare keep her from them.

Once Alya was out of sight, Marinette ran to the nearest alley and let Tikki out of her bag. She stuffed Alya’s cloth in there to give it back to her later. “Ready?” she asked her kwami.

Tikki nodded firmly. “Always.” “Tikki, spots on!” With a flash of red light, Marinette Dupain-Cheng transformed into her heroic alter ego: Ladybug.

Ladybug ran towards the chaos while keeping an eye on the sky for a certain cat themed hero. Just as she was looking back in the direction of the Louvre, she spotted a black blur that was bouncing from rooftop to rooftop. Satisfied with having spotted her partner, Ladybug turned her attention back to the shattered museum. It was surprisingly quiet after all the chaos and confusion that had ensued after the explosion. It was empty save for the priceless paintings and statues adorning the walls of the museum. She carefully walked down the halls, staying alert for any danger that might pop out at any minute. But strangely enough, there was none. After the initial explosion there had been no aftershock or other attacks following the first one. In fact, there had been no sign of the akuma--at this point, that was the most probable cause of the attack. There had been no after attacks, no proclamations of power, and no demands for their miraculouses. It’s as if the akuma had disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft clinking of metal against the stone floor. “Fancy seeing you here, m’lady.”

Ladybug turned at the familiar flirty voice. “Nice to see you too, Chat.”

The feline hero smiled at her before nodding his head towards a hallway to their right. “It looked like the explosion came from somewhere down that hall. From above, you can see that the roof is more damaged in that area.”

“Then we should go in that direction. Be careful, Chat, we don’t know what we’re dealing with,” with that warning, Ladybug started walking down the corridor, alert for any danger that may come her way. Chat Noir went on ahead to scout the area. His dark suit made it easier for him to stay in in the shadows and kept him from being spotted easily. Ladybug could disappear just as impressive as Chat Noir, but her decision to bring stay back was purely influenced by tactics. If her partner ran into trouble, she swing ahead and help him. If she was met with trouble than she could take them out and capture them.

After walking for a couple minutes, she came to a break in the hallway. According to the signs, the hallway to her left led to the Islamic Art galleries, and the hallway to her right led to the Egyption wing. Under the sign to the Egyptian wing at about eye level, there was a thin white mark that stood out against the stone walls. Ladybug recognized it as a claw mark. She and Chat Noir had come up with a way to communicate by leaving behind little marks. A claw mark here and a painted spot there could go a long way in a mission where they can’t verbally reach each other. Now, the mark served as a guide. She continued through hallway to her right. Along the walls, posters and written descriptions about the various artifacts housed in the Egyptian wing.

The most recurring poster was the one she had seen outside advertising the debut of the Book of Thoth.

She kept walking until she was under an archway that led to an open space where she assumed the Egyptian artifacts were displayed. A thin ‘X’ was clawed into the wall, a clear warning sign from Chat Noir to stay alert. Ladybug’s eyes scanned the room for any sign of her partner. Her lips dipped down when all she saw was rows upon rows of museum artifacts. She was about to step out in the clearing to widen her search, when a flash of black caught her eye. There, hiding behind a pillar next to a sarcophagus adorned with jewels and intricate hieroglyphs, stood Chat Noir, eyes locked on a door directly across from him. If it hadn’t been for his intense stare, she wouldn’t have spared it a second glance. It wasn’t particularly interesting and didn’t seem like it deserved Chat Noir’’s rapt attention. She caught Chat’s attention and sent him a quizzical look. She hoped her question was clear: what’s behind the door? Chat Noir only shook his head and pointed back in the direction of the door, advising her to wait and see. Ladybug was able to turn back to the door in time to see strange blue light shining through the space between the bottom of the door and the floor. The light was soon followed by a soft boom. It didn’t sound like another attack or explosion, more like someone was trying to get through a hollowed barrier. Whatever was going on in there, she was certain that the akuma was behind it.

Ladybug waved to get Chat Noir’s attention. When he turned to look at her, she held up 3 fingers and mimed opening the door. He nodded, but warned her to go slowly and quietly. One by one, she held a finger up until three digits were raised. Ladybug and Chat Noir simultaneously walked out from behind their hiding places and carefully made their way to the strange door. Midway there, the two heroes silently drew their weapons and stood side by side, each one ready to protect the other if the situation escalated. Once they reached the door, Chat Noir turned to Ladybug with a silent question conveyed by the slight worried dip of his lips. She gave him a curt nod before steeling her nerves for whatever might be behind the door. With a final okay from Ladybug, Chat Noir raised his baton and forced the door open with a hard shove.

She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting to see, maybe an akuma who could control light or a glowing monster, but she certainly did not expect to see a bird headed Egyptian god pounding on a barrier of blue light surrounding the Book of Thoth. Ladybug and Chat Noir were stunned for moment, but they quickly snapped back into action and raised their weapons, ready for a fight. But the fight never came. The akuma ignored them and continued to pound on the barrier while chanting in strange language. If they had noticed the heroes come in, they didn’t show it.

Chat Noir was the first to speak. “Alright, Birdie, it’s let’s wrap this up. If you step away from the book, we can do this the easy way.”

The akuma didn’t reply.

“Come on. We came all this way to stop you and we don’t even get an evil monologue?” Chat Noir huffed.

Silence.

Chat Noir lifted his ringed hand waved and wiggled his fingers. “Look, here’s my miraculous. Don’t you want it?”

At the mention of the miraculous, the akuma stopped and turned to them. Immediately, Ladybug readied her yoyo, preparing herself to counter any attack they would throw at the heroes.

But the akuma only blinked and spoke in a deep, disinterested voice. “You can keep it.” They then turned back to the Book of Thoth and continued their chanting. They seemed to realize that there was no use in trying to physically break the barrier.

Chat Noir sent Ladybug a bewildered look and motioned to the akuma. “What is going on?”

“I have no idea,” she admitted. “But we have to get them away from the book.” With a quick flick of her wrist, Ladybug shot her yoyo out in the akuma’s direction. It wrapped around their arm tightly, and she yanked the yoyo to get their attention.

“Hey, Birdie, don’t you know that’s it’s rude to ignore people?” Chat Noir called.

The akuma grunted and pulled their hand back in an attempt to get back to their task. Ladybug pulled back in retaliation. It wasn’t enough to deter them, but it caught his attention in time for Chat Noir to knock them away from the book with his baton. The akuma grunted in anger and started walking in their direction, but stopped when the outline of a butterfly appeared in front of their face. They tilted their head like they were listening to some distant voice before nodding curtly. “As you wish,” they replied to the unheard voice and turned back to the Book of Thoth. The chanting grew louder than before, and they pounded on the barrier once more. Unlike before, cracks appeared on the barrier. When the akuma hit the barrier a second time, the barrier spiderwebbed with more cracks. If the akuma continued chanting and hitting the barrier, it would break. Ladybug had no idea what would happen next, but she was certain it wouldn’t be pleasant.

“Chat, we have to get them away from the book,” Ladybug said.

“Already ahead of you, my Lady.” Chat Noir raised his baton and ran at the akuma. Once he got close enough, he swung the baton in a wide arc downward, but rather than connect with the akuma’s right shoulder, their left hand shot up and latched onto the baton. With an annoyed grunt, the akuma threw the baton--and Chat Noir--across the room then turned back to the cracked barrier. Ladybug frowned and next time Chat Noir tried to land a blow on the akuma, she watched the akuma carefully. Maybe they have some advantage over the heroes. So the next time Chat Noir swung his baton--this time aiming for the left shoulder--she caught the way the akuma’s bird head twitched slightly to the left and saw Chat Noir’s attack before catching the baton and throwing it aside once again. The akuma’s sharp movements caused something at their neck to twinkle in the light. Ladybug’s eyes widened as she recognized the silver crescent moon pendant. It was Mademoiselle Yang! Now that she thought about it, it made sense that she was the akuma. She had been so angry and disappointed when she had stormed back into the museum. Hawkmoth must have used her anger to transform her, and now she wanted the book. Ladybug wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t let her have it. But if they were going to have a chance at defeating this akuma, they would have to obstruct her vision.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug threw her yoyo in the air and prayed for a useful tool. A blindfold or even a handkerchief would be great. She would even be satisfied with a scarf. But she knew that her Lucky Charm was unpredictable and never took suggestions. So instead of getting any of the items she deemed even slightly useful, she would end up with--

Fly tape. A single strand of sticky, red tape meant to trap annoying flying insects. Ladybug looked down at the Lucky Charm with a small frown. It would be nice if she ever got a Lucky Charm that solved her problems quickly rather than make her work for a solution, but then the job would be too easy. And nothing is ever easy for the heroes of Paris. She looked around at the room, looking for anything that might help her defeat the akuma. Her eyes locked on Chat Noir’s baton, Mademoiselle Yang’e hand, a decorational curtain behind the Book of Thoth’s weakened barrier, and back down at the fly tape. It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it would have to do.

“Chat!” she called to her partner. When he turned to look at her, Ladybug held up the Lucky Charm and waved him over. He quickly ran to her side and turned so he could listen to her while still keeping an eye on the akuma.

“What’s the plan?” Chat Noir said, getting right to business.

Ladybug quickly explained the plan, making sure to emphasize that the timing had to be perfect for the plan to work.

Chat Noir’s eyes darted over to quickly look at her before turning his attention back to the akuma. “Are you sure about this?” he asked. “It’s kind of risky.” “I know,” Ladybug said, “but it’s a risk we’ll have to take. Just don’t let him near the book.” Chat Noir nodded and wrapped the offered fly trap around his baton, careful not to let the sticky tape touch his suit. He ran back to where he had been before and called out to the akuma to catch her attention. “Hey, Birdie, look over here. Take break and fight me. Or what are you too chicken?” he taunted.

While Chat Noir distracted Mademoiselle Yang with absurd chicken noises, Ladybug sneaked around them and stopped between two pillars. She took her yoyo from her belt and wrapped it around both columns and pulled the string tight. An angry grunt caught her attention and when she looked over, she saw the akuma struggling to pry his hand off of Chat Noir’s fly tape wrapped baton. She was throwing all her weight back in an attempt to unstick himself from the sticky tape.

“Let go me go!” she exclaimed.

Chat Noir smiled wickedly. “As you wish.” He let go of the baton and the akuma fell back. Chat Noir jumped for the barrier and pressed his open palm against the cracked barrier. “Cataclysm!” he exclaimed. His hand glowed black, and the barrier around the Book of Thoth shattered just in time for Mademoiselle Yang to stumble through it. She tripped over the makeshift trip wire and onto the curtain. In her attempt to free herself, the akuma got tangled in the heavy curtain, Ladybug snatched the crescent moon necklace from around Mademoiselle Yang’s neck and snapped it in half to set the akuma free. Ladybug caught the akuma butterfly in her yoyo, and with a few quick taps, she set the newly cleansed butterfly go.

“Bye, bye, little butterfly,” she said to the white butterfly. She closed her yoyo and threw it in the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!” Immediately, the room was washed in a soft, red light, and anything that was broken or out of place was fixed. Chat Noir walked over to Ladybug and held up his fist with a victorious smile. She bumped her own fist against his, smile just as big. “Pound it,” the heroes said in unison.

There was a pained groan behind them, and they turned to see Mademoiselle Yang burying her head in her hands. “I’ve got her,” Chat Noir assured his partner. He pointed at something behind her. “Maybe you should make sure the book is okay, wouldn’t want to find out that there were damages done when we were trying to save the book.”

Ladybug turned to see the Book of Thoth lying on the floor next to its pedestal. It must have gotten knocked over in the last struggle with the akuma. She thought that it was weird that it wasn’t fixed like everything else, but she shrugged it off and bent down to pick up the book. It was written in hieroglyphs with notes in the margins. The language was foreign to her, but she did see one word that looked familiar: temps. It made sense that the Book of Thoth would mention time if she thought back to one of her discussions with Alya. It had been after an akuma attack when Alix’s brother turned into Pharaoh. Alya had told Marinette that she had read that one of Thoth’s godly domains was time. Ladybug couldn’t read any of the other words, so she simply pushed aside her curiosity and picked up the book. She set it on the pedestal and turned back to say something to Chat Noir. But where Chat Noir once stood was a black mass of nothingness.

“Chat!” Ladybug called. “Chat Noir where are you?” She turned around and around, desperately looking for any familiar sights. “Chat! Please answer me!” Ladybug felt her throat close up and her eyes start to swell with tears. This couldn’t be happening. After everything she and Chat Noir had been through, she couldn’t lose him like this: not knowing where he was or what happened to him. If she had to bear the darkness and fear alone, she would crack under the crushing weight. “Chat Noir!” she called one more time, voice weak and shaky.

“Ladybug?” a familiar voice answered. “Ladybug, is that you?!”

Ladybug gasped and ran in the direction of the voice. “Yes. Yes, it’s me!” Something moved in the darkness and a body collided into her. Arms wrapped around her to keep her from falling. “Ladybug?” Chat Noir asked.

A relieved sob escaped from her mouth, and she threw her arms around her partner. “Oh, God, Chat, it’s you! I looked up and you weren’t there, you weren’t anywhere. I was--I was so worried and scared and--”

Chat Noir’s arms tightened around her and he brought her closer. “I was terrified,” he admitted. His own voice sounded scratchy and she could feel his hands shaking ever so slightly. “But it’s okay now. We found each other.”

Ladybug relaxed and loosened her grip on him. He did the same and opted to take her hand. It was still unnaturally dark, and they couldn’t see a thing.

“What happened?” Chat Noir asked.

“I’m not sure, but I’m guessing the Book of Thoth had something to do with it,” she replied. “This happened right after I touched it.” She was about to apologize for causing this strange change of scenery, but Chat Noir interrupted her.

“Don’t you dare apologize, my Lady, you didn’t do this. Plus,” he added as an afterthought, “I was the one who broke the barrier.”

Just as she was about to tell him no to blame himself, the darkness around them started to fade. Flashes of light poked through the fading darkness, but not as much as they hoped. It seemed to be night in Paris, so the only light around them was brought on by the moon and various streetlamps.

“I have no idea what is going on, but we should probably be heading back to our homes before we destransform. Good night, ChaAA!” Ladybug pulled her hand out of the boys hand and jumped back in surprise. She had turned, expecting to see the familiar black ears and sharp green eyes of her partner, only to come face to face with equally familiar soft blond hair and warm green eyes. Adrien Agreste starred back at her with a loose jaw, pale face, and wide shocked eyes. It would have been hilarious if she hadn’t been freaking out.

“A-Adrien? What are you doing here?!” She swore that Chat Noir had just been next to her. There was no way that he had disappeared and Adrien had appeared to take his place in a matter of seconds.

“I don’t--” he faltered for a second. “Marinette, what are you doing here?!”

Ladybug--no, Marinette--swore that she felt her heart stop. Marinette?! She looked down at her hands, and sure enough, her pale skin was staring back at her. There was no red and black costume in sight. “I-I,” Marinette was at a fault for words, so she just stared at Adrien with an equally terrified expression. This could not be happening.

The awkward tension between them was cut by the sharp wailing of a sirem. In front of them was a police officer with a police car siren on his head. He reminded Marinette of an old akuma they had fought before.

“Rogercop?” Adrien said, confusion laced in his voice.

Rogercop snapped to attention when he heard his name. “State your name and ID,” he said in a monotone robotic voice.

“ID? I don’t think I have it on me,” Marinette said as she slowly stepped away from him. “But if you just give me a second to go home and get it, I’d be happy to give it to you.” “State your name and ID,” Rogercop repeated. His left hand transformed into a scanner, and he raised in threateningly. “State your name and ID, or you will be detained.” “Wow, detained? Don’t you think that’s a little extreme?” Adrien asked with a nervous chuckle. He reached out for Marinette’s hand. She felt herself die a little bit inside, but kept a straight face. “We were just out for a walk, but don’t worry we’ll get out of your hair.”

Rogercop didn’t seem to like hs suggestion. With a couple clicks, his right arm transformed into some kind of gun.

Marinette pulled on Adrien’s hand. “Run!” The two teenagers ran down the dark streets of Paris. They zigzagged down the streets in a desperate attempt to dodge Rogercop’s shots. They were doing fine--Marinette focused on leading them to safety, and Adrien looking back every so often to keep them from getting shot--when they made a sharp turn straight into a blocked of street. Huge forts lined the street going from house to house horizontally so that no one could get on the other side. They were trapped.

“Stop and be detained peacefully,” Rogercop said behind them.

“What are we going to do?” Adrien asked.

Marinette looked around desperately for any sign of even a slight chance of escape, but with the shocking reveal and the cop chase, her brain was muddled. They weren’t going to escape without some help. She opened her purse, hoping that Tikki would still have enough energy to transform again. “Tikki, spots on!” She closed her eyes and waited for the familiar red flash that cam with her transformation, but none came. Marinette opened her eyes and looked through the bag. “Tikki? Tikki, where are you?!” She was met with silence.

“Plagg? You there?” Adrien called into his jacket. When he found nothing, his own panicked eyes locked with Marinette’s. Where were their kwamis?

Rogercop raised his gun hand. “Do not resist or it will only get worse,” he said.

Marinette and Adrien picked up some fallen debris, determined to not go out without a fight. The muzzle of Rogercop’s gun started glowing with blue energy, and the pair of teenagers tensed, preparing themselves for the upcoming blow.

A piercing pew! cut through the air, but Marinette and Adrien felt no pain. Rogercop, on the other hand, fell on the floor from it.

“You know, you kids shouldn’t be out so late. Who knows what’s out there,” a feminine voice called from behind them. There perched on a ledge on the fort stood a figure holding a smoking gun. Her brown-redish hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and the mischievous glint in her brown eyes was not dampened by the dark glasses that sat on the bridge of her nose. Her lips curled up in a dangerous smile that promised trouble. Her clothes were dark and torn up, the only color coming from a pendant of an orange and white fox tail that hung around her neck. It was her posture-arms crossed, hip cocked, and a nonchalant sag to her shoulders--that sparked a bit of recognition.

“Alya? Is that you?” Marinette asked. Oh, it was definitely Alya. Maybe not her Alya, but some kind of older, deadlier version of her.

Alya ignored her and turned to talk to someone beside her. “Hey, hurry up. I don’t want to be stuck with these two by myself. The last ones collapsed and I had to carry them all the way back.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going. Just picking up the mess you left behind.” The second figure was male and a little taller than Alya. His dark hair was cut short and hidden under a cap that he wore. Unlike Alya’s, his eyes were less wild but equally as cold. The glasses that he wore flickered with blue images and words she couldn’t quite make out. Where Alya was relaxed and nonchalant, he was alert and aware of everything around him. His clothes were more kept than Alya’s and looked more like armor than anything else. They were dark and made of some tough leather material. As he passed some of the equipment to Alya, a green turtle shell bracelet peeked out from his sleeve. The headphones around his neck seemed slightly out of place, yet also seem to bring his appearance together nicely. Marinette suspected that even if it didn’t look good with his outfit, he would never stop wearing it.

“Nino? What are you doing here?” Adrien asked. He looked stricken and confused. Poor Adrien had had too many shocks for one night. And honestly, so had Marinette.

Nino’s frown deepened when Adrien spoke, but didn’t answer him. Instead he turned to Alya. “We better get going, we don’t want to run into another Rogercop.”

“There’s more of them?!” Marinette squeaked.

“Wow, this one is a real scaredy cat,” Alya said. She nodded towards the fort. “Alright, come on. Let’s get moving.”

“Where are we going?” Adrian asked.

“To the Big Bosses, the Head Honchos, the Captain and her First Mate,” Alya said as she set her gun in a loop on her belt.

“We’re going to see the people in charge,” Nino explained. “To the two scariest and most ruthless people around here: Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste.”

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupen chang #adrien agreste #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe #ml

0 notes

joongie-smiles · 7 years ago

Text

Freeze Your Brain

Yay! More Heather’s Genderbend AU!

Trigger Warnings: Shitty friends, mention of neglect and abuse, slight mention of suicide but not anything graphic, slight cursing.

Tags: @chameleons-and-tea

The bells over the door jingled as Vincent opened the door of 7/11. He walked in and made a beeline to the chip aisle to the find the corn nuts Hunter had asked for. Vincent and the Hunters were on their way to a party at Rae’s house and he didn’t want to keep the Hunters waiting in the car. Hunter Chandler was already in a bad mood because his hair wouldn’t stay in place even after putting tub after tub of gel in it. The other two Hunters were reassuring him that he looked great, so Vincent took it upon himself to be the one to buy the corn nuts.

He grabbed a green bag with a cartoon nut on it and turned on his heel to go pay and get out of there. Vincent had taken two steps when a smaller figure next to the slurpee machine caught his eye. It was the mystery girl who had fought Rae and Kate at school. She wore the same dark clothes and long trench coat as before, and leaned against the slushie machine. Her calm and relaxed demeanor was a stark contrast to the snarky and snappy attitude she had during school. He was curious what the new girl was doing alone at the local 7/11 at 9 pm.

The harsh sound of a car horn broke his train of thought and made him wince. “Vincent!” shouted Hunter Chandler from outside. “Don’t forget to get BQ!”

Vincent rolled his eyes and huffed. When had he gone from future Ivy League student to royal corn nut fetcher for the King of Society.

“Greeting and salutations,” a raspy voice said from his right, Vincent looked up and turned to face Mystery Girl. She cocked her head to the side, eyes moving from his face to the corn nuts and back again. “Want a slurpee with that?”

“I would rather have a Big Gulp,” Vincent replied.

She scoffed. “Why would you want that? It’s like going to Mickey D’s and thinking, ‘Hey, I’m craving something bland and underwhelming, why not get a salad?’ The slurpee is the signature dish of the house.” Short, Dark, and Pretty turned to the slurpee machine and grabbed a cup.

“Lime or cherry?” she asked.

“Big Gulp,” Vincent corrected. He hesitated for a second before continuing. “My name is Vincent Sawyer, by the way. So, are you going to end the suspense, or are we going to keep playing this game of cat and mouse?”

She smirked. “Fine, the chase has come to an end. I’m Jaclyn Dean, JD for short.”

Vincent smiled and shook her outstretched hand. “JD, huh? You know, what you pulled at the cafeteria was pretty . . . severe. I’ve never seen anyone talk back to Rae and Kate, let alone beat them up.

“Well, expect the unexpected, Vincent Sawyer,” JD said. “I like to make an impression.”

Vincent chuckled softly and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “So what brings a Baudelaire quoting badass to our little town of Sherwood? It’s not exactly the hottest place to be.”

She pushed herself off the slurpee machine and walked around in a lazy circle while swirling the straw around in the cup. “My mom’s work. She works in deconstruction.”

“Deconstruction?” he asked.

“Yeah, she seems to enjoy tearing things down and letting them hopelessly crumble,” she said bitterly. “You know those commercials: My name’s Big Dee, if it’s in the way i’ll make your day,” her voice had dropped low and gruff to mimic her mother’s voice.

Vincent snorted. “And then she pushes the plunger and the screen goes boom!” He threw his hands up and made an explosion sound. He continued to laugh until he saw JD’s amused smirk and raised eyebrow. He coughed awkwardly to mask his laughter and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s your mom?”

“In all it’s psychotic glory,” she said with a shrug. “It’s a real blast for her.”

Vincent chuckled softly. “Well we all got our demons.”

As if on cue a loud honking broke the comfortable silence. It was followed by the loud and frustrating voice of Hunter Chandler. “VIIIIIIINCEEEEENT! Hurry up!”

Vincent grimaced. “Like for example, I don’t like my friends.” “Yeah, I don’t really like your friends either,” JD smiled. “Hey, why don’t you just ditch the party and stay here.”

Vincent matched her smile. “Here at 7/11? Great pick for a first date,” he teased, “very romantic.” Wait, first date? Panicked quickly settled over him and he dropped his smile when JD looked away. What the hell, Vincent? First date, really? Can you be any less awkward and embarrassing? When JD turned around, he quickly schooled his expression and kept the neutral smile.

“Why not?” she asked with a teasing smile. “I love this place.” She looked up and out to the distance with a wistful smile. “I’ve been through ten high schools, it starts to get blurry. There’s no use planting roots or making friends ‘cause I’m gone in a hurry. And my mom seems to think so too ‘cause she keeps our suitcases packed and ready to go at any moment’s notice.” Her smile fell and was replaced with a scowl. “It’s always been a matter of when we will leave.”

Vincent gave him a sympathetic look, but JD quickly looked away. She turned to face forward and away from his gaze. “At school, I never bother to learn people’s names or memorize their faces because eventually I’ll have to leave and forget about them. It’s easier that way.”

Vincent wanted to say something, anything to reassure her, but he wasn’t sure what. It’s not like he could say that it wouldn’t happen this time, because who knows, maybe it would. His chest tightened at her words, and he couldn’t help but hope that he wouldn’t be one of those nameless faces to her.

JD turned in his direction and placed a hand on the counter fondly. It seems every time I’m about to despair, this beautiful haven is there.” She grinned and held her hands out in front of her to emphasize her point. “Each store is the same from Las Vegas to Boston. They have the same linomium eiles that I love to get lost in. I pray at this altar of rush,” she said with a hint of a smile. She let out a little fond laugh. “Yeah, I live for that sweet, frozen rush.”

JD reached for a new cup and filled it up with blue raspberry flavored slushie. “I think this is the only acceptable time for a brain freeze. You care for a hit?” She held the cup out lazily for Vincent to take. Her posture insisted that she wasn’t too concerned about his next step, but the curious gleam in her eyes said otherwise. He bit his lip and kept his hands at his side, refusing to take it. He insisted to himself that he simply didn’t want a sip, but he knew in the back of his mind that he was afraid if he did take it, he would be expected to leave. Vincent wasn’t too keen on going back to the car with the three Hunters. Being in the presence of a cute girl was just an added plus, he told himself.

“Does you Dad know you eat all that crap?” Vincent asked, effectively steering the attention away from him.

JD scoffed and pulled the cup back to his side. “Not anymore.” As he spoke, he played with the cup and absentmindedly played with her straw. “When Dad was alive, we lived like a happy family. We were normal. But now it’s just me and my Mom. Well, most of the time it feels like it’s just me. I learned to cook, pay our rent. You know things that I should have learned as 17 year old, not as a 12 year old. Without parents around, it’s really easy to realize that the world doesn’t owe you a damned thing. The only person who can help you, is you,” she said bitterly and emphasized the point by taking a sharp sip from her blue slushie.

JD abandoned her slushie and turned Vincent with a slight tilt to her head. “But you, Vincent Sawyer, are a mystery. You’re building your future, and you know what you’ll do and what you’ll be. You’re going to some Ivy League school and marry a nice lawyer. You think you have your life planned out, but the world’s going to crash on you without warning one day. So start building walls to protect yourself.”

She took a hearty sip of a slushie then held it up triumphantly. “Freeze your brain!” She insisted with a mad smile. “Take a sip and get lost in the pain. Just shut your eyes tight; unburden your load. Forget all the bad things that’s happened in your life. Forget the lonely houses. Forget the bruises and the screams. Forget in six weeks you’ll be back on the road. When the stupid voices say that you’re better off dead--” She broke off with a shaky gasp. When Vincent looked over at her, she was cradling her arm to her chest protectively. Her voice had broken on the word dead, no doubt reliving a haunting memory. Vincent stepped forward and opened his mouth to say . . . something. For the first time in years, Vincent Sawyer was at a loss for words. He might not have known what to say, but he knew he had to say something.

“JD, I--”

He was interrupted by a slushie cup being thrust in front of his face. “Just try it,” JD insisted. Her hand was steady and her eyes were stubbornly dry. She kept her composure and didn’t let it waiver for a second. Vincent swallowed his words and simply complied with her request with s nod. He took the cup from the cold and shivered a little (from the shock of the cold cup, certainly not from the brush of their fingers). He took a hearty sip of the slushie and kept their eyes locked defiantly.

He pulled the cup away from his lips with a thoughtful hum. “Hey, it’s not that baAAAA! Shit, that’s cold!” His hand flew to his head and pressed helplessly against his forehead. He winced and tried desperately to alleviate the harsh cold that plagued his brain.

JD smirked and took the cup back. “Told you. Hey, you want to try the other flavor?”

Vincent started nodding before he fully processed the question and would have agreed if it weren’t for the loud honk that cut through the still air.

“VINCENT! HURRY UP WE’RE GONNA BE LATE!” Hunter Chandler’s voice screeched.

Vincent winced and gave JD an apologetic smile> “Sorry, but I have to go. Maybe some other time.” With a small wave, he walked out of the 7/11 and climbed into Hunter Chandler’s bright red sports car.

For the rest of the car ride to the party, Vincent couldn’t wipe the goofy smile off his face no matter how much Hunter Duke teased him about it.

Masterlist

Other Heather’s Genderbend AU: “Me Inside of Me”, Letters to Hunter

#heathers #heathers genderbend au

8 notes · View notes