#Design House Félix

[walzerjahrhundert]

Design House Félix

Negligée

French

1880s                            

[hannahhook7744]

'The Invisible Truth' Au Characters (Part 1);

Pedro's Parental Family:

Rosa Diana Yatra Salinas (Pedro's Mother: Fisher, Seamstress, and Embroider. Clumsy, nonchalant/care free, brave enough that some call her reckless, impulsive, friendly, hard to kill, and has either extremely good or extremely bad luck depending on who you ask. Friends with Andre and Alba).

Fernando Jorge Madrigal Jogia (Pedro's Father: Fisher. Introverted, shy, anxious, paranoid, odd, funny around those he trusts, and an animal lover. Friends with Andre and Alba).

Pedro Fernando Madrigal Yatra (Writer and Shopkeeper. Fun loving, playful, dramatic, bit of a comedian, protective, kind/friendly, selfless, and an animal lover. Friends with Benito, Raimi, Alejandra, Wilmer, Valentina, Alroy, and Chandice).

Benito Hernando Madrigal Yatra (Pedro"s Brother: Shop Keeper. Anxious, socially awkward, kind, smart and reserved, and has inherited the bad side of his mother's luck. Gets hurt often. Married to Alma and friends with Pedro, Raimi, Alejandra, Valentina, Wilmer, Alroy, and Chandice).

Faustina Felicitas Madrigal Yatra (Pedro's Adoptive Niece: Pet Sitter. Mischievous, kind, playful, and street smart. Several years younger than her cousins and friends with their kids, and their friends. Has a gift and it's Luck Energy Manipulation).

Alma's Parental Family:

Andre Maluma Botero Cepeda (Alma's Father: Actor. Shy, playful, fun loving, friendly, odd, bit of a drama queen, mischievous, an animal lover, and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. Friends with Rosa and Fernando).

Alba Inés Molinari Merediz (Alma's Mother: Singer, Dancer, and Actress. Resourceful, protective, kind/loving, reserved but a bit playful, bit of a healer, and temperamental. Makes up for her husband's lack of a backbone. Friends with Rosa and Fernando).

Alma Olga Madrigal Botero (formerly Botero Molinari)(Madrigal Family Matriarch and Former Holder of the Miracle. Introverted, logical, practical, a bit judgemental but well meaning, loves her family, still grieving, no nonsense, clumsy, and stubborn and is exceptionally dedicated when she puts her mind to something. Married to Pedro and friends with Benito, Raimi, Alejandra, Alroy, Valentina, Wilmer, and Chandice. She is also helping Benito to care for Rosa at the moment).

Raimi Sebastián Botero Molinari (Alma's Brother: Gardner and Farmer. Bit introverted, friendly, oddball, likes taxidermied, calm and collected, still mourning over his deceased wife, loyal and dedicated to a fault, and an overall nice guy. Married to Alejandra and friends with Alma, Pedro, Valentina, Wilmer, Benito, Alroy, Chandice, and Rosa).

Alexandra Botero-Yee (Alma's Sister-In-Law: Dancer, Taxidermist, and Sword Fighting Instructor. Stern, overprotective, no nonsense, temperamental, odd, and glass half empty type of gal. Died along with Pedro, his dad, and Alma's parents when protecting the village. Distantly related to Mei Lee and has the power of the red panda. Is the reason for the taxidermied animals in the house along with Raimi and Wilmer. Has a statue in the courtyard. Married to Raimi and friends with Alma, Pedro, Benito, Alroy, Chandice, Wilmer, Valentina, and Rosa).

Miranda Botero-Yee (Alma's Niece: Gardner and Healer. Shy, polite, kind, playful, full of energy, loving, empathetic, sensitive, resourceful, patience of a saint, understanding, enduring, loyal, and dedicated. Has the power of the red panda. Divorced once and is now married to Gabriel and friends with the Madrigal Triplets, Beatriz, Félix, Rosa, Faustina, Gabriel, and Agustín).

Beatriz Botero-Yee (Alma's Niece: Entertainer and Casino Owner. Social chameleon, level headed, enduring, dedicated, stubborn, playful, resourceful, slightly impatient, shifty, crafty and tricky. Unmarried and friends with the Madrigal Triplets, Miranda, Félix, Rosa, Faustina, Gabriel, and Agustín).

Agustín's Parental Family:

Wilmer Eduardo Rojas Torres (Agustín's Father: Rich Tailor, Taxidermist, Fashion Designer, and Game Hunter. Stern, no nonsense, and loving. Friends with Alma, Raimi, Pedro, Alejandra, Alroy, Chandice, and Benito).

Valentina Viola Valdez Valderrama (Agustín's Mother: Baker and Cook. Sweet, loving, and extremely protective of her son. Tolerates Alma for the sake of her son at first but eventually, after the movie, the two become friends. Friends with Pedro, Alma, Raimi, Alejandra, Alroy, Chandice, and Benito).

Agustín Fez Rojas Valdez (Tailor and Musician. Kind, loving, protective of his daughters, and has the patience of a saint. You don't want to cross him. Marries Julieta Madrigal and is friends with her siblings, Miranda, Beatriz, & the Espinosa Rivas siblings).

Félix's Parental Family:

Chandice Adassa Rivas Guerrero (Félix's Mother: Gardner and Farmer. Firey, playful, protective, and blunt. You don't want to cross her. Died shortly after Dolores {who was named in honor of her, because she had always wanted to name her daughter that if she had ever had one) was born from an illness no one realized she had. Friends with Pedro, Alma, Raimi, Alejandra, Wilmer, Valentina, and Benito).

Alroy Luis Rhenzy Espinosa (Félix's Father: Gardner and Farmer. Quiet, stern, protective, allows for some nonsense, and glass half empty kind of guy. Blamed Bruno for Chandice's death because he had a vision of her death, which led to him and his sons' relationship turning tense. Things got better after Encanto. Friends with Pedro, Alma, Raimi, Alejandra, Wilmer, Valentina, and Benito).

Félix Mauro Espinosa Rivas (Musician and handyman. Fun, carefree, supportive, kind, playful, and protective of those he loves. Marries Pepa and is friends with her siblings, Gabriel, Agustín, Miranda, and Beatriz).

Gabriel Esteban Espinosa Rivas (Félix's Brother: Explorer, Journalist, and Musician. Adventurous, playful, and introverted smart ass. Had a brief falling out with Félix after the whole 'we don't talk about Bruno' thing. Married to Miranda and friends with the Madrigal Triplets, Beatriz, Félix, and Agustín).

Alma and Pedro's kids:

Josefa ‘Pepa’ Alejandra Inés Madrigal Botero (Weather Manager. Emotional, dramatic at times, anxious, loving, protective, energetic, a bit temperamental, often says things she doesn't mean, fun loving, and out going. Has the gift of emotional weather manipulation. Got along great with Félix's parents. Married to Félix and friends with Julieta, Bruno, Miranda, Beatriz, Agustín, and Gabriel).

Bruno Pedro Hernando Jorge Madrigal Botero (Prophet/Seer. Anxious, shy, cheerful, sacrificial/selfless, cheerful, goofy, dramatic at times, Kind-hearted, loving, and misunderstood. Has the gift of seeing the future. Would have gotten along great with his grandfathers and father. Gets along great with his grandmother, Rosa, and Uncles Benito and Raimi. Unmarried but has adoptive children and is friends with Julieta, Pepa, Faustina, Miranda, Beatriz, Agustín, and Gabriel).

Julieta Rosa Alba Madrigal Botero (Healer. Caring, empathetic, dedicated, loyal, understanding, warm, professional, loving, selfless, keeps to herself but is friendly, affectionate, exasperated, and oftentimes tired. Married to Agustín but is friends with Miranda, Beatriz, Pepa, Bruno, Faustina, & the Espinosa Rivas siblings).

------------------------------------------------------------

This is part 1 because tumblr decided to post it before I was completely finished with it. So you'll have to see the kids' futures/their jobs, partners, kids, pets and friends, and the next gen. Including Mariano's family.

@igetthedisneybox enjoy.

[gogmstuff]

Dinner and Evening Dresses of 1910 -

Left 1910 (December) Dinner dress by Beer, Les Modes - photo by Félix. From les-modes.tumblr.com/page/14; fixed spots w Pshop 725X1920.

Right 1910 (December) Dinner dress by Maison Agnès, Les Modes - photo by Félix. From les-modes.tumblr.com/page/23 fixed spots w Pshop 752X1920.

Left 1910 (August issue) Evening gown by Drecoll, photo Reutlinger. From les-modes.tumblr.com/image/519495531581280X1815.

Right 1910 (June) Eevening gown by Rivain & Cie, Les Modes - photo by Félix. From les-modes.tumblr.com/page/27; fixed vertical flaws & spots w Pshop 682X1635

Left 1910 (May) Les Modes Evening gown by Bernard, photo by Félix. From les-modes.tumblr.com/search/1910s; abated streaks & fixed spots w Pshop 1280X1811.

Right 1910 (May) Les Modes Evening gown by Laferriére. .From les-modes.tumblr.com/search/1910s/page/13 1000X1393.

Left. 1910 Baroness Gerda von Chappuis (Mrs F. A. Konig) by Sir John Lavery (auctioned by Christie's) From the discontinued Athenaeum Web site; cropped 679X980.

Right. 1910 Evening dress by ? (location ?). From sartorialadventure.tumblr.com 360X1200.

Left 1910 Evening dress by ? (location ?). From sartorialadventure.tumblr.com 709X1400.

Right 1910 Evening dress by House of Worth (location ?). From costumehistory.tumblr.com/post/180312871593/shewhoworshipscarlin-evening-dress-by-house-of 1280X1679.

Left 1910 Lady by Arthur von Ferraris (auctioned by Michael Zeller). From Wikimedia 714X1003.

Right 1910 Marie Cécile Ney d'Elchingen (1867-1960), wife of Joachim, 5th prince Murat by Giovanni Boldini (auctioned by Christie's). From their Web site 1718X3212.

Left 1910 Mrs. E. L. Doyen by Giovanni Boldini (private collection). From arthive.com/sl/artists/8960~Giovanni_Boldini/works/270437~Portrait_of_Madame_Doyen 1765X3600.

Right 1910 Mrs. Mabel Brooks of Kinmount by Sir Hubert von Herkomer (auctioned). From pinterest.com/ustava51/живописьженский-образ/ 1187X1920.

Left 1910 Peacock dress by ? (Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York City, New York, USA). From buzzfeed.com/deesims/10-stunning-gowns-to-reaffirm-the-belief-you-were-n5qq 638X1681.

Right 1910 Queen Mary photo signed May Posted to Foro Dinastias by Maravilha on 7 August 2010 1160X1600.

ca. 1910 Madame Duchesse Vendome and Prince Charles-Philippe d'Orléans by Boissonnas & Taponier. From eBay; fixed spots and removed mono-color tint 669X1067.

[trishacollins]

For prompt: Felix + "distant memory"?

He hasn't thought about it in years.

His aunt is like a piece of frosted glass in his mind, beauitful, remote and untouchable.

In reality, the fight against his uncle had tarnished his memories of her. Even living in her house is - strange, isolating. His mother fills the halls with warmth and light, with the dust and noise of construction crews and interior designers.

His mum loves turning the tomb into something more welcoming, and Félix can admit that he likes being nearer to Kagami.

Argos can make the trip. But it is nice to not have to.

His relationship with Adrien is strained. And there are still too many secrets.

Too many secrets between them. Too many lies.

But the opening strains of the song hits him on the way down the stairs like a physical blow.

He grips the railing, breath caught in his throat.

That piano had been the same one aunt Emilie - fully aware they had switched and it was Adrien his father had sent to their room - and guided his novice fingers through Brahms Lullaby.

She had giggled at the end, and walked him back through it half a dozen times until he had almost mastered the fingerings while she managed the peddles.

Adrien hadn't minded time alone in his room, but for Félix it had been an afternoon of warmth in an otherwise cold existence.

The grief of her being gone welled within him, and he had to blink several times and clear his throat as Adrien finished out the tune with a happy hum to himself.

"I thought-" he masked the tightness with a cough. "I thought you hated playing."

"Complex pieces for complexities sake." Adrien grinned. "Mamen loved the piano."

And what could Félix do but agree?

[jewellery-box]

Negligée

Design House Félix 

French, 1880s

The MET Museum

[miracles-and-butterflies]

Hello again, I have a new load of questions, heeere we go:

What did Mirabel study in uni? Is being an assistant satisfying for her or will she leave to pursue her dream job?

Was Bruno forced by his mother to become a policeman, or is it more of an internal thing? Had he ever considered pursuing another profession? Is he satisfied with his job?

Just checking - the partner OCs you are talking about are from this post, right? https://www.tumblr.com/miracles-and-butterflies/744309949351542784/references-for-the-partner-ocs-this-has-been?source=share

For some reason, Pepa strikes me as a single middle aged woman who’s into esoterics (like, does taro readings, probably owns an orb, to look into the future, knows a lot about astrology, etc). Probably this way she has this ‘goddess-like’ aura around her (like when she could change the weather) that lures Felix in, and then he falls in love with her because she’s also extremely funny and charming. Oo and what if she flirts with Feliz and reads his palm or something else and tells him he is destined to end up with a tall and extremely stunning woman. Is this anything?

What is Julieta and Agustin’s relationship? Do they know each other?

How did the collapsing house incident happen? Did the Rojas family have to live in an old house because they had no money for a better home?

Yes, more questions! I love talking about these guys, definitely one of my favourite AUs I’ve made if you couldn’t tell.

Mirabel studied History and Literature, she has a doctorate. She loves her job, but has definitely had it said to her that she’s holding herself back. But the idea of leaving terrifies her. She sat two job interviews before the 99 and failed them on account of being too panicked and/or nervous, though she was completely qualified and capable. Luisa got her this job, so she didn’t sit an interview, just signed the contract then and there. This is comfortable.

Bruno becoming a police officer was something Alma probably hoped for, but she didn’t outright force or demand Bruno take that path. After all, it is how she lost her husband. It was more something Bruno internalised. Don’t get him wrong, he loves his job and what he does for the community, but his more creative pursuits and passions definitely got tossed aside. And maybe, just maybe he secretly regrets that.

The partner OCs are definitely that of my own personality design, but are basically background characters taken from the film and/or books, etc.

Damn, that is so accurate about Pepa. That is basically how their first meeting went, much to the disgust and horror of Dolores. (Camilo was a lot more supportive). Félix would 100% be allured in by this stunning goddess.

Julieta and Agustín don’t know each other. They have no connection. They have other spouses in this AU, they don’t get together here.

The Rojas family did have money, but they lived in an old house. They had came over to America from Colombia (when Mirabel was about two) and found it difficult. This old house was all that was willingly offered to them that fit their price and requirements, so they had no choice but to take it.

There is no real story behind the incident. The house was old and falling apart, it was only a matter of time before it seriously broke. Mirabel was the only one home at the time and got caught in it. (Luisa had long since moved out at this point, their parents both work stupidly long hours). Right before it happened, she tried calling both her parents separately, having heard noises but was dismissed. She tried calling again, the cracks becoming more audible, and that’s when it happened.

When Luisa arrived at the hospital, she was pissed that things had gotten this bad and that Mirabel had tried warning their parents to no avail. So she took Mirabel to her own house (well, flat) and decided she was keeping Mirabel because she’d actually keep her safe. Unaware she was going to be dumped about this.

Hope this answers your questions!

[unecoccinellenoire]

18 + 6 gabenath

It feels like she’s stumbling through a fog of déjà vu these days; a blonde head far too close to Gabriel’s grey one, English vowels echoing through the hallways, him focused on his new collection with an intensity that looks drug-induced but that’s actually sparked by love.

And to think Nathalie had panicked at how things would work with Amelie having moved into the house with Félix while Gabriel was-

Well.

Dead.

Not that that feels real now.

And anyway despite every single bit of their history indicating otherwise apparently Amélie and Gabriel get on fine now. More than fine. It’s Nathalie who feels like the third wheel, as if she’s suddenly been thrust back in time to that trip to Tibet.

It doesn’t feel any better than it did then.

No, actually it feels worse.

She’d got used to this being her home, to Adrien being her responsibility even with Gabriel around and then despite whatever the law might have said about his aunt being his guardian because Amélie’s accommodating flightiness was only slightly better than Gabriel’s controlling neglect when it came to actually raising a teenager rather than being their friend.

But now Gabriel’s back and focused on mending his relationship with his son and after a series of arguments that had shook the house he and Amélie seem to have agreed on some sort of parenting style in between their different inclinations to use on the boys and Nathalie begrudgingly has to admit that it doesn’t seem bad.

So Adrien hardly needs her, and Gabriel doesn’t need her, and Amélie never really needed her except for logistics but she doesn’t either.

And Gabriel and Amélie are getting closer and closer and closer and after all isn’t Amélie exactly Gabriel’s type down to every cell in her body?

It would certainly makes the bedroom situation easier if they shared one, but then again it would make it easier if Nathalie no longer lived here either and she’s growing increasingly unsure why she does.

“Good morning,” the clipped tones almost make her drop her coffee mug, she’ll never get over how Félix sounds exactly like Adrien apart from the accent.

“Good morning,” she turns to face those green eyes that always seem venomous in some way to her on his face, like then never have on Adrien’s, “did you need anything?”

The Agrestes might care for her even if they don’t need her, and his mother might not have any feelings either way but Félix despises her. Understandable given what he is and what she’s done but she knows the only reason he hasn’t thrown a tantrum to get his mother to cast her out on the street is because he deems her necessary for Adrien’s emotional wellbeing.

And maybe that he doesn’t want to share his mother.

Though she thinks he’s going to be rather out of luck there.

“I need you to talk to my Uncle and put him out of his misery.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I found him crying on my mother’s shoulder last night. Do you understand how disgusting that is? He’s willing to kill me and he’s taking advantage of her kindness because she doesn’t know that.”

“I understand that you’re not happy about it Félix but I’m not sure what you expect me to do about it.”

He groans, and slaps himself in the face, “you are worse than Adrien I swear. I’m asking you to go back to doing whatever you used to do for him, so he’ll stop moping and going to my mother instead.”

Oh. Oh. Just as if her day couldn’t get any better. “I think there’s a misunderstanding. Gabriel and I were ne-“

“I.” He interrupts her, “do. Not. Care. I am asking you to fix it. And by the way if you don’t like rubies you should probably say something before he finalises that necklace Mummy’s been helping him design for you.”

“I- What?”

“That,” the voice of the man she least wanted to hear this conversation comes from the doorway, “was meant to be a surprise Félix. Which was why it was meant to be a secret from you as well. But not letting me have secrets seems to be a bad habit of yours, doesn’t it?”

The boy gives a careless shrug, “I like living and being free. I won’t apologise for caring about your privacy less than that. Anyway, you should just tell Nathalie the truth about how you feel about her. That’s what Kagami says.”

“Great. I’m gossip fodder for teenagers.” Gabriel groans.

“We can shut it down,” professional assistant Nathalie says, even as still-has-feelings-for-him Nathalie wants to die, “I know what you don’t-”

“Then you know wrong.” He says.

“What?”

“I was going to ask you this with a gift but since my nephew has apparently decided to spoil everything- Nathalie Sancoeur, will you go on a date with me?”

[paracosmicat]

PLEASE talk about your Sentibug

AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT HER? 🐞❤️ (I LOVE YOU)

In my AU, the way she is able to be brought back is through the Peacock Miraculous. I personally think Adrien’s interest, now that he is free, should be Miraculous lore because it’s a natural side step given how much freedom and happiness his Miraculous has brought him and it would give Chat Noir a much bigger role to play in their hero business. (Also it makes more sense for him than for Marinette, because the Miraculous has been a chain, the opposite of what it has been for Adrien) And where does his research take him? Exploring the Kwagatama and uncovering that Sentibeings lives and memories are stored within the Miraculous, able to be brought back so long as they are willing.

That was my very long winded way of saying, Adrien had never really gotten over her death so he works with Félix to bring her back.

AND SO

Given that Adrien was the one to fight for her, he takes it upon himself to make sure she has a place in the world. He introduces himself to her as Chat Noir, but offering her a place to stay at his house does require that he reveals his identity. (Which, gives Adrien someone in his corner, which I love)

NOW

Figuring out her identity is something they work together on. Adrien nicknames her Coccinelle, French for Ladybug, as a temporary nickname and a way to differentiate their hero forms. I think she continues to use this for her hero form name as she helps them when needed, same with the other heroes.

Speaking of hero forms, I think it would be really funny if she could still do Lucky Charms but they were always insanely oversized weapons.

BUT FOR HER CIVILIAN FORM

The insanely talented @belowthesurface drew my vision of her civilian form!! And I will be using this art to make my next points and because oh my god did I mention how talented Moonie is???

I think Adrien finds it important to find her a name that she likes, so he researches it with her. They eventually come across Mireille, which means miracle/miraculous. As @ninadove pointed out, it’s also a bit older of a name which is suiting for her vibe given that a lot of it is a reflection of Nathalie’s touch!

As you can see their facial structures are similar but different. I would describe her features as Nathalie “filling in the blanks” much the same as when you see someone wearing a face mask.

As for style, I’ve made this joke so many times but I feel like her style is Nathalie’s “what are the teens wearing these days?” Very formal and business casual while still looking really really good.

And you know who would love her??? Félix!!! A Sentibeing who went against orders and paid the price but ended up making it in the end? A representation of his cousin making decisions for himself and refusing to repeat the awful patterns of the people before him? He would be ecstatic.

Her personality would be very sweet, shy, and lovey. It would be easy to say she had Ladybug’s leadership and determination, but she immediately agreed to doing “whatever you say, Ladybug” and she did not quip back at Chat Noir when Ladybug did. She was designed to be a sweeter softer version of her, one that Chat Noir would fall for, I think her personality follows suit!

Btw, anyone is welcomed to create content with her, if you so please. I love her I want more of her.

[almadesarrollo]

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG, IT IS A GREAT AND MAGICAL SHOW, BUT MANY PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT PART 1

Miraculous Ladybug is a great show but I often see that people judge it too much for, well, having characters with a "strange" attitude, or the lack of development or continuity, at least this is what I see in many reviews, but The truth is that the problem is not that, rather, Miraculous does not have any problem, it is actually a VERY WELL CONSTRUCTED show, and THERE IS GREAT CONTINUITY but many people do not understand it AND DO NOT SEE MORE OF THE SERIES, because they think It's a normal show, and that's where the error lies for me, in the way people see it. Look, Miraculous is not a series in which there are some characters, with a plot and in itself, some characters that are presented and that will later be developed depending on their role, WHETHER THEY ARE A VILLAIN OR HERO OR ANTIHEROE AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ANOTHER. CHARACTERS (that's basically like a normal series) MIRACULOUS LADYBUG IS A PUZZLE, IT'S a story WITHIN another story, that's why it seems like things don't make sense, or that the characters go backwards, or the plot itself goes backwards, They are pieces to assemble the story and the viewer must put everything together so that they make sense, which is why we are often told to pay close attention to everything… how is that? Well, I'll explain better, Miraculous Ladybug is a story within another story, so the 1st story, which is the one we all know, tells you what happens in the 2nd story, which is what the series itself is really about, so the characters and the environment begin to interact, and that is where they begin to give you clues about what is happening in the authentic story, that is why many times the characters seem to take a step back, but that is not the case, they really interpret a character, in Each chapter of the series, story 1, gives you information and clues so that you can see what story 2 is about and for this they are based on all types of data, both physical, artistic and script, name of the characters, their design. , that's why the houses are so striking, so extravagant, that's why there are so many elements because that's what the writers play with and of course the creator, Thomas Astruc, is a bit like in the movie la la land, you remember the protagonist, she She played an actress within the movie itself and played several roles, an actress playing an actress, so based on this, what is the real story? THE STORY 1, which is the show that everyone sees, is about Adrien and Marinette and Ladybug and Chatnoir, the love story, their development and their life as superheroes… THE STORY 2, THE REAL ONE, is about Felix and Marinette, Ladybug and Chatnoir being Felix, love story, development and life of superheroes. Story 1 tells you and gives you clues through each chapter of what story 2 is going to be like, the truth is, through the adrinette they tell you about felinette, for that it uses the characteristics of Félix and Adrien and thus knows who is who, that's why sometimes Félix is very good and other times bad, because sometimes they speak to us through Félix of Adrien and other times it's just Félix, in the same way Adrien and so on with all the characters… the chapters are premonitory, They are full of information and in each one they give you new steps, they are not written in a crazy and meaningless way, there is a slight order, so that everything fits, so yes there is an order but not like that of a normal series, there is a order in story 2, which is the story within story 1, so everything is well prepared.

PART 2 >>>>

[linearao3]

(Companion piece to the fic chapter I just published)

So I mentioned before that for the dresses in Serves You Right and Served Me Well, I tend to take inspiration from art and historical costumes of the 1880s, by which I mean that I swipe stuff and add details I think are fun. I totally stole Inej's black opera-going dress from Madame X, as noted.

Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau), John Singer Sargent, 1883-4. (Gown from Maison Félix).

I changed the shoulder straps a little and added some blood-spatter beading, but basically, yeah, that's the dress.

(The main thing I change, in all these dresses, is that most fancy dresses from this period (a) required a bustle, and (b) had trains. I don't know that the management of either would be intuitive to Inej, so I just sort of... erase them.)

Another straight theft: the blue dress of Marya's Kaz has altered for Inej to wear on the first visit to court. You may note (though it's a little hard to tell in digital copy especially) that the woman in the portrait has red hair.

Portrait of Madame Paul Escudier (Louise Lefevre), John Singer Sargent, 1882.

As for what Marya actually wears herself, I imagine most days it's something like this:

Portrait of Mrs. Eleanor Chapman, John Singer Sargent, 1881.

Like you can see a visual kinship to the big lace collars you get in Dutch Masters' paintings, but it's more 19th Century.

The Grand Duchess Durnova's purple dress is sort of a mash-up, as most of the other dresses are:

Coronation Portrait of Tzarina Maria Feodorovna, Vladimir Makovsky, 1885.

Maria Grigorievna Rayevskaya, artist and date unknown.

Inej's blood-orange velvet dress from Serves You Right has a lot of invented details, but the basic shape comes from another dress in a Sargent portrait:

Portrait of Mrs. Charles E. Inches (Louise Pomeroy), John Singer Sargent, 1887

The dress itself, which was altered for a second wearer.

Obviously, I snipped off the arm ribbons and moved them to the gold dress, which is largely inspired by this bodice, designed by famous French design establishment, Maison Worth/House of Worth:

House of Worth, 1890s, seen on the Fripperies and Fobs blog

I love the split bodice, which has various suggestive readings (which, trust me, I will get to). I admit I don't really love the sleeves, though (they loved a goofy sleeve in the 1890s), and the color seemed a little lackluster. Hence: gold watered silk, aka moiré. Moiré is notoriously hard to photograph, since it shifts with the light. But this is a contemporary garment (from Saudi boutique Aetelier Heyakat) which shows off the effect pretty well by having long, uninterrupted lines.

For the Grand Duchess's gold dress, I was thinking more of something yellower, like this:

Attributed to Liberty & Co. of London, 1880s.

Anyway, there will probably be more dresses so I will try to make another post if there's anything cool to show.

[tenebraevesper]

Up Ladybug, Entry 25: Queen Bee

''Well, there you go again telling me where I belong. You put me on the bench, don't think that I can play strong. So quick to condescend well, you think I'm empty, I'm not. You won't be so confident when I'm crushing you from the top.''

– Dumb Blonde by Avril Lavinge ft. Nicki Minaj

xXxXxXx

Bridgette stretched her arms, being in a great mood as she walked to her school. It was a chilly morning, but the fresh air was just what she needed to wake up properly. Tikki was inside her backpack, still asleep after last night's patrol. The patrol itself had been surprisingly quiet, with no Papillon or Phantom Thief Belladonna causing trouble. While Bridgette wasn't sure what excuse Belladonna had, she had figured that Papillon, or at least the Mime, wouldn't show himself after that fiasco with that charity event fire.

Hopefully we can avoid any kind of trouble in the near future, Bridgette thought as she stopped at a traffic light, not paying attention to the car next to her until the car door suddenly opened and, to her surprise and amazement, Félix got out of it. Bridgette could hear the driver yelling at Félix, but the teenager ignored it, approaching her instead.

''Good morning, Bridgette,'' Félix greeted her with a genuine smile on his lips.

''Good morning, Félix,'' Bridgette responded, still a bit stunned by Félix's sudden appearance. ''Uh, what are you doing here? I-I mean I'm sure you're also on your way to school, but why did you-?''

''I saw you walking past and I thought that we could walk together to school,'' Félix replied in a casual tone, not wanting to admit that he specifically asked Nathan to drive past Bridgette's house in hopes of finding her before school starts. Of course, his designed driver wasn't too happy about it, but Félix didn't care about how he's going to explain this to his uncle.

''R-Really?'' Despite them being officially friends and having started to hang out more and more, Bridgette had to admit that she was still a little surprised with how social Félix has become. At least he was clearly more relaxed in her presence and she was really happy about it. When Félix gave her a slight look of concern, Bridgette quickly added, ''I don't mind that. I'm just surprised that you decided to be so forward about hanging out with me. I thought that was my schtick.''

Félix cracked a rather playful smile. ''You'd be surprised just how persistent I can be when I put my mind into it.''

''So, does this mean that you'd also invite me to have lunch with you?'' Bridgette asked sneakily, her eye-lids lowered as she gave him a knowing smirk.

''Of course. After all, don't I owe you for the times you gave me lunch when I forgot to bring my wallet?'' Félix replied, his tone and expression matching Bridgette's. Despite what they just said, they knew perfectly well that they were just making up excuses for spending more time together and Félix had to admit, he was actually having a lot of fun with it. After realizing, and also kicking himself for not giving her a chance earlier, that Bridgette genuinely cared about him, he wanted to make up for his rudeness and be as transparent with her as possible. At the same time, he found himself enjoying her presence and wanted to interact with her more. Of course, he was also aware that Bridgette still had feelings for him and he knew that getting closer to her might send a wrong message, but he figured that they could have a conversation when the time comes. For now, he just wanted to enjoy the little moments.

''Hey, Bridgette!''

Félix tensed when he heard Claude calling out for Bridgette, the teenager turning around and greeting him. He understood that they were Bridgette's friends and that she'd want to spend time with them, but he had hoped that their time alone would last just a bit longer before classes started. I don't think I can even attribute this to my bad luck.

''I'm surprised to see you here, Agreste,'' Claude said.

''You're surprised to see me at school?'' Félix asked in a deadpan tone, his question causing Bridgette to giggle. Claude exhaled, placing his hands on his hips.

''You know well what I mean,'' he said. The two were silent, with Bridgette observing them as they glared at each other and realizing that this is going to be a long day.

''Hey, hey… How about we get to school? I don't want to be late,'' she said, interlocking arms with both and pulling them forwards.

''Okay, okay, you can go ahead and we'll catch up,'' Claude said, with Bridgette nodding, a bright smile on her expression, and running off when she spotted Sophie. Claude smiled as he observed Bridgette just being her happy and cheerful self, only for the smile to disappear as he felt something cold washing over him when the person next to him spoke.

''I'm not your enemy, Savard,'' Félix said in a matter-of-fact tone, walking away, only to stop when he felt a strange cold sensation washing over him.

''…'' He turned around, seeing Claude just glare at him. ''I don't care whether you are my enemy or not, I will treat you as I see fit.''

''Tch,'' Félix scoffed, only to smirk mischievously. ''You really act like you're Bridgette's older brother. Do you really have to be so protective of her?''

''With guys like you around, I need to do my best to make sure she won't get hurt,'' Claude replied in a cold and aloof tone, with Félix frowning.

''What do you mean 'guys like you'? What are you taking me for?'' he asked, feeling quite irked.

''You're not the social type and you were quite rude towards Bridgette before, but now you want to hang out with her. I think that's really suspicious,'' Claude responded, walking away. Félix fumed, but then quickly joined Claude, walking at the same pace as him.

''So, I'm not allowed to change my opinion in regards to someone?'' Félix said. While he actually wanted to ignore Claude's comments, this one really struck a nerve. He saw Claude frowning, taking this change of mood as a small victory. Two can play this game. However, a moment later, he regretted the whole conversation by simply blurting out very confidently, ''Don't tell me that you're jealous of me becoming close to Bridgette.''

Claude suddenly stopped walking, tilting his head as he gave Félix a questioning look, much to the latter's confusion. ''Agreste, are you planning on pursuing Bridgette romantically?''

''Eh…?'' Félix was shocked by the question, his jaw dropping while a voice in his head screamed at him, What have you done, Neko Boy?! Stop acting like you're Chat Noir, you're not even transformed, you idiot! Okay, okay, act cool! You can do this, just don't show how nervous you are! Félix coughed, clearing his throat while still feeling his anxiety skyrocketing. ''What are you talking about? We're just close friends, that's all.''

Going by Claude's expression, he clearly didn't believe Félix, and Félix knew that. ''If I find out that you've been stringing her along all this time…''

''Calm down, I'm not going to do anything like that,'' Félix responded in a cool and aloof tone, but was still feeling anxious. After all, Claude just confronted him with the real idea of him actually being romantically interested in Bridgette. Sure, he saw her as a close friend, but he wasn't completely sure whether he had any romantic feelings for her. He knew that Bridgette had feelings for him and he was certain that, if he asked her out on a date, she would agree gleefully to it. So, where was the obstacle? It is myself.

Félix just sighed, spotting Bridgette and her friends at the school entrance, but instead of joining them, he stood at the side, observing Bridgette as she happily chatted with Allegra, seemingly oblivious to the curious looks her friends gave to Félix, with Claude being the one outright glaring at him. However, Bridgette wasn't as oblivious as she appeared to be, being slightly worried by the tense silence between her friends and Félix, the latter then stepping up.

''Good morning, everyone,'' Félix greeted them politely, if a bit formally, getting murmurs of 'good morning' in response, with Claude, Sophie, Allegra and Allan casting a questioning look at Bridgette. Sure, Félix did interact with them several times, albeit usually while he was just passing by, and Bridgette even invited him to her home the day before, clearly having a good relationship with him, but none of them were really sure whether he was going to be a permanent member of their friend group. They knew by this point that he was a nice person, even if that niceness was hidden under a wall of ice, but he wasn't exactly the most social person to be around, so things were rather awkward between them.

''Hey, Fé, I'm looking forward to our lunch!'' Bridgette suddenly blurted out, breaking the tense silence and drawing her friends' attention. ''I hope you guys won't mind if me and Fé have some private time.''

''Fé?'' Allegra rose an eyebrow.

''I had told Bri that I'm fine with that nickname. However, only if she's the one who calls me that,'' Félix said, shooting a glare at Allegra. ''After all, everyone else prefers to call me Ice Prince. Am I correct in that regard, Baudelaire?''

''Uh, well…'' Allegra was a little embarrassed to be called out like that. In fact, everyone was shifting anxiously, since they had been using that nickname behind Félix's back since he had arrived here. ''I'm sorry…''

''You can use the Ice Prince if you want to. I don't care about it,'' Félix replied. ''You can also refer to me by my name or surname in a conversation, but I won't tolerate any stupid nicknames.''

''So, Ice Prince isn't a stupid nickname?'' Sophie asked, rising an eyebrow and smirking.

''It is a title,'' Félix responded in a resolute tone.

''How is that a title?'' Sophie gave him a confused look, but before the conversation could continue, they heard the bell ringing.

''I guess you'll have to continue your debate after class is over. Com'n!'' Allan said, with him and the rest of the group walking towards their classroom, while Bridgette and Félix were a bit behind them.

''Are you okay?'' Bridgette asked.

''I might not be popular among your friends, but I can handle myself,'' Félix responded, giving Bridgette a confident smile. In response, Bridgette grinned cheekily and gave him a thumbs up.

xXx

Amber smirked as she stalked the school hallways during break time, observing her fellow students. Interestingly, instead of wearing her usual dress, she was wearing a yellow and black stripped T-shirt, her usual black jacket and white pants. Underneath, however, was her superhero outfit and she tried to find a good moment to reveal herself as Queen Bee. Of course, for that, she needed to first find someone who was performing some kind of crime… which was actually more difficult than she thought. You'd expect that a school filled with a bunch of teenagers would at least have someone who is not following the rules, but to her surprise, she couldn't find anyone doing anything wrong.

Oh, com'n, someone has to have some kind of secret agenda on their mind!

She walked through the hallways, frowning as she gave the other students scrutinizing looks as she searched for the wrongdoers, two of them being Bridgette and Félix who were about to go to lunch together.

''Huh?'' Bridgette blinked in confusion as she spotted Amber hiding around the corner, startling the latter. Instead of a response, Amber just huffed and walked away, while Bridgette and Félix rose an eyebrow. ''Why do I have a bad feelling about this?''

''Let's see – Bourgeois is hiding and stalking other students instead of trying to put herself in the spotlight. She's also being silent about it instead of telling everyone how much better she is. Not to mention, she also looks like she's up to something,'' Félix said, having placed his hand on his chin as he mused, then glanced at Bridgette. ''I think your sixth sense in regards to this is valid.''

''Honestly, I'd love to go to lunch with you but… I just want to see what Amber is up to now,'' Bridgette said, her tone slightly apologetic. Félix shook his head.

''I'll admit, I'm also curious in regards to what Bourgeois is planning to do,'' he replied. Bridgette smirked, nodding.

''Let's go.''

While Bridgette and Félix went searching for her, Amber made her way to the locker room, still annoyed that she couldn't find any wrongdoers, only to spot some guy hitting a locker in frustration.

''Com'n, open up already!'' The guy slammed his palm against the locker, only for it not to budge. Amber's eyes widened in glee as she realized that she may have found a criminal.

He's trying to break into someone else's locker! Now it is my moment to shine!

She quickly ran out of the locker room and into the nearby girl's restroom, quickly taking off her T-shirt, jacket and pants and placing her clothes into her school bag and placed a yellow and black domino mask over her face to fit her hand-made black and yellow jumpsuit. She then returned to the locker room, striking a heroic pose as she approached the guy, who apparently gave up on opening the locker.

''Hold it right there, thief! What do you think you're doing?'' Amber exclaimed, glaring at the would-be culprit who got startled by her sudden appearance.

''Who are you and what's up with the costume? Are you from the theatre club?'' he asked.

''Ha, as if! I'm the new superhero of Paris, Queen Bee!'' Queen Bee responded, striking a few dramatic poses before pointing at the student. ''I have caught you completely red-handed!''

''Red-handed- What are you talking about?'' the guy asked, completely confused. Queen Bee stepped forward, pointing her finger at him.

''You've been trying to break into another student's locker to steal their stuff, but I'll be the one to apprehend you!'' she said in an accusatory tone. The student just gave her an annoyed look.

''I don't know what you're talk about. That's my locker,'' he replied.

''Then why are you trying to break into it if it is your locker? Unless, you don't know the combination because it isn't!'' Queen Bee responded, grinning. The student rolled his eyes.

''Look, these lockers are older than dinosaurs and will get stuck,'' he said, shaking his head as he was about to walk away. ''I'm getting the janitor to sort this out.''

''Oh, no you won't until you admit that you were trying to break into the locker!'' Queen Bee stepped in front of him.

''Leave me alone, weirdo!'' the student yelled at her, neither him nor Queen Bee noticing that Bridgette and Félix were hiding at the entrance to the locker room, not looking impressed by what Amber was up to as Queen Bee.

''It looks like your gut feeling was correct,'' Félix said, with Bridgette smiling.

''I had been dealing with Amber for a while. I know that when she gets up to something, she will cause trouble for everyone else,'' she replied.

''So, what's your plan?'' Félix asked curiously.

''Let's get her before she angers the wrong person and question her about what is going on,'' Bridgette said. Félix nodded, with both of them getting out of their hiding spot, interlocking arms with a startled Queen Bee and dragging her into another corner of the locker room, while the other student just shook his head in disbelief and walked away.

''Ugh, let me go! Don't you know who I am?'' Queen Bee glared at Bridgette and Félix as they cornered her. Bridgette sighed in exasperation.

''Amber, what are you doing and what is up with that costume?'' she asked.

''First of all, I'm not Amber, I'm Queen Bee! I have no idea who this Amber person is, but I assume that she is great!'' Queen Bee said proudly, only to realize that Bridgette and Félix weren't buying any of it. ''In any case, I will be the one joining the ranks of superheroes as Ladybug and Chat Noir's new ally.''

''What?'' Bridgette and Félix blurted out simultaneously, both stunned by Queen Bee's declaration. Queen Bee just rolled her eyes as she realized she wouldn't be getting any recognition from these two. She then sighed.

''Listen up, I really admire both Ladybug and Chat Noir and I'm sure that they would appreciate more help on their fights against weirdos in costumes. I don't need your criticism regarding that,'' Queen Bee told the two.

''Bourgeois, do you even have any superpowers to help you fight effectively against those super villains?'' Félix asked, with Queen Bee freezing on the spot, feeling anxious. ''I thought so.''

''Amber, I understand that you want to be like your favorite heroes, but think about it for a moment. As Félix said, you don't have any superpowers, meaning you'll put yourself in danger for no reason and be a liability to Ladybug and Chat Noir,'' Bridgette said. Queen Bee fumed.

''Ha, what do you know?! It's not like you two are Ladybug and Chat Noir!'' she ranted, not noticing that Bridgette and Félix tensed for a moment. ''I'm sure they'll accept me the way I am, no matter if I have any superpowers. I am Queen Bee and I'll be the best superhero ever!''

With that said, she stomped out of the locker room, with Bridgette and Félix feeling second-hand embarrassment from this interaction, with Félix quipping, ''She's delusional.''

''She'll put herself unnecessarily in danger,'' Bridgette added. ''We know what kind of villains Ladybug and Chat Noir are dealing with and the Mime basically blew up a building a couple of nights ago. She'll be brought back in a body bag if she tries to do actual superhero stuff.''

''While true, it's not like we can change her mind. She is convinced that she's a superhero now,'' Félix pointed out. Bridgette fell silent, musing.

''Yeah, you're right. If only Ladybug and/or Chat Noir were here, I'm sure they would convince her to drop the hero act and maybe knock some sense into her. I doubt that either of the would want a civilian to fight super villains,'' Bridgette said, a plan already forming in her head.

''That makes sense, since she admires those two so much. If either of us spots any of them, we'll let them know,'' Félix said in agreement, a plan already forming in his head.

Both actually thought of transforming and confronting Amber/Queen Bee about her ideas and convince her to stop putting herself into danger before anything serious happens. They didn't want her to become Papillon's target, especially since they believed that he was capable of much worse things and the last thing they needed was blood on their hands. However, they realized that there was one issue with this.

''Uh… about lunch…'' Bridgette started slowly, with Félix realizing that he actually forgot that they had plans to spend time together. However, with the current situation, he felt that it would be smarter to deal with Amber/Queen Bee first.

''Right, lunch…'' Félix trailed off, with both of them being silent for a moment, feeling rather awkward. Bridgette scratched her cheek, laughing nervously.

''I-I just remembered that there was something I still needed to do…'' she started, with Félix raising an eyebrow, not really sure how what to make of it, but then he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to complete his plan.

''Now that you mention it, I forgot that I also have something to do, so maybe we can postpone it, if that's okay with you?'' Félix asked. Bridgette nodded, hardly believing that she managed to get away with her awful excuse as she wanted to deal with Amber as soon as possible.

''I have no problem with that,'' Bridgette replied, running off. ''See you later!''

Félix watched her leave, then sighed, with Plagg popping his head out, seemingly knowing what was going through Félix's head. ''This was easy. Too easy, if you ask me.''

''Whether Bridgette really has something to do or she has a way to contact Ladybug, I don't think it matters now. I need to make sure that Bourgeois doesn't kill herself by confronting the wrong person,'' Félix replied.

''I didn't expect that you'd care that much about Amber,'' Plagg said, giving him an intrigued look.

''I don't, but her antics won't help us in our fight against Papillon. I'm nipping this in the bud,'' Félix told him, rushing off to find a secluded spot to transform.

xXx

''Okay, I think we're safe here,'' Bridgette said, having managed to climb onto the flat rooftop of the school building through a window and crouching down without being seen. Clearly, she couldn't transform in the girl's restroom as someone would obviously notice her or the school cameras would take footage of her going inside as Bridgette and coming out as Ladybug. However, she had learned from other students that some would take advantage of the flat rooftop to sneak from one classroom to another without being detected. Tikki flew out of her backpack, giving her a look of concern.

''Are you sure that Félix didn't suspect anything? He accepted your excuse a bit too readily,'' she said.

''I know, but I have other things on mind. If he brings it up, I'll come up with some explanation, but for now, I need to deal with Amber before she gets herself into danger. It is one thing for her to play superhero at school, but imagine if she tried this stunt while dealing with an actual criminal. I may not like Amber and she always bullied me, but I'm not going to let her hurt herself. Tikki, transform me!''

There was a flash of red, with Ladybug getting up and, after making sure that her backpack was securely tucked into the corner of the school rooftop, quickly made her way to the school yard where she spotted Queen Bee grilling another student over stolen lunch or something like that. Ladybug groaned in exasperation, only to be alerted by Chat Noir who appeared right next to her.

''Hey, Bug, what are you doing here?'' he asked, giving her a curious look.

''Let's just say that I caught wind of Amber Bourgeois causing trouble. What about you?'' Ladybug asked, with Chat Noir giving her a nervous look.

''Ehh, same?'' he said, shrugging and trying to act nonchalant. Both stared at each other for a moment, as if expecting for this conversation to continue, but decided against it and focused back on Queen Bee.

''Dude, could you just leave us alone?'' the student she was harassing said.

''Not until I get some evidence that you were up to- agh!'' Before Queen Bee could finish her sentence, a yo-yo wrapped around her body and she was whisked away. She screamed as she flew through the air, only to be caught in someone's arms, who leapt from building to building, her eyes closed as she struggled. ''H-Hey, what's the big idea?! Let me go! Do you know who I am?! I will sue you for kidnapping me!''

''Amber, we have to talk.''

Queen Bee suddenly opened her eyes, staring in shock at Ladybug, who was carrying her bridal-style, and Chat Noir, who was standing next to them, his arms folded across his chest. They were standing on a building further away from their school, where they had more privacy. Both superheroes were startled when Queen Bee suddenly let out a high-pitched cry, her eyes turning into stars.

''Ladybug! I'm so happy to see you!'' she said gleefully, leaping out of Ladybug's arms on to grab her hands and hold them. ''I was hoping for you to show up so I could talk to you about being a superhero! Look, I even got the costume and weapon!'' Queen Bee showed off her trompo joyfully and completely oblivious to the looks of disapproval Ladybug and Chat Noir were giving her. ''You won't mind if a duo becomes a trio, right?''

''Amber, listen…'' Ladybug started but got interrupted by Queen Bee, who placed her palm in front of Ladybug's face to stop her.

''My superhero name is Queen Bee and I'd rather that you call me that from now on since we superheros need to keep our identities a secret, right?'' Queen Bee said, smiling. ''Now, what's the issue? Is there any super villain running around and causing chaos? Is that why you brought me here?''

''No, we brought you here for a different reason.'' Ladybug shook her head, her eyes narrowing. ''Amber, whatever you're doing as Queen Bee, you need to stop with it. You're putting yourself and others in danger.''

''Wh-What?!'' Queen Bee was shocked to hear that from a person she genuinely admired. ''B-But…''

''You don't have any special powers and you're just a civilian in a costume who is drawing too much attention to herself. You had already been targeted by the Mime once because you're the mayor's daughter. Don't you think that he might do the same again?'' Chat Noir added.

''Maybe, but you're here and you can defeat him again!'' Queen Bee protested.

''Yeah, we can, but that doesn't mean that we're available 24/7. We have our own lives to lead and we don't want the spotlight on us. We have chosen to fight people like the Mime and Monsieur Pigeon with the powers we have because we want to do what is right,'' Ladybug said, not noticing Chat Noir wincing at the 'we have chosen to fight' bit. He didn't choose anything.

''Right. Have you seen either of us just strolling around in broad daylight and accusing innocent people of comitting crime?'' Chat Noir asked, sounding slightly bitter. Queen Bee's cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and it dawned her that her plan wasn't exactly the best or the smartest.

''I-I was just trying my hardest to p-prove myself as a superhero,'' she pleaded, utterly mortified by the look of disappointment Ladybug and Chat Noir were giving her. ''I-I hoped that you'd notice me…''

''I did notice you, and I'm not happy. If you thought that being a hero is about glitz and glamour, then I have to disappoint-''

''I don't care about that!'' Queen Bee suddenly screamed at Ladybug, startling both her and Chat Noir. ''I-I just thought-'' She shook her head, feeling chills flowing down her spine as she recalled all the times her own mother called her unremarkable and unexceptional, not caring about how Amber felt being treated like trash by the person who was supposed to love and care about her unconditionally. Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes as she took her domino mask off. ''I-I don't want to talk to you anymore- I hate you! You're the worst! You- You're ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!''

Ladybug and Chat Noir had to admit that, while neither of them was personally fond off Amber, they still felt pity for her. It was obvious that she had some deep issues and insecurities, but neither of them could really help her unless she was willing to open up about them.

''I want to get off this building. Right now!'' Amber growled, tears still streaming down her face as she turned to Chat Noir. Her vision of Ladybug was already shattered and the pedestal she put her favorite superhero was completely broken. She was done with her.

Chat Noir glanced at Ladybug, who nodded in silence, then picked Amber up and carried her towards the school, leaving her at the back entrance before rejoining Ladybug at the school rooftop. Ladybug sighed as he sat down next to her, looking somber.

''Are you okay?'' Chat Noir asked, with Ladybug just lowering her gaze. ''You know that we did the right thing.''

''Yeah, I do. It's just… I feel mentally exhausted after having to deal with Amber,'' Ladybug replied. ''I don't think she's just angry that she couldn't be a superhero. I'm sure she had another motive there.''

''Maybe she's looking for some kind of approval,'' Chat Noir suggested, with Ladybug giving her a curious look. ''She certainly sounded as if she wasn't getting the attention she wanted.''

''Yeah…'' Ladybug trailed off. She really had mixed feelings in regards to Amber, remembering all the times she had been bullied, with Amber either stealing her stuff or destroying her sketchbooks or calling her names, but lately? She sort of… let go off that. Perhaps it was that she was too busy balancing her life as Ladybug and Bridgette, dealing with her feelings for Félix and having to fight Papillon's henchmen, to even notice whether Amber was bullying her or not. Hell, when was the last time she did anything? Oh, sure, Amber stole her sketchbook and dumped it into a trash can, but beside that, what else did happen? She honestly couldn't remember.

''In the end, I don't think it really matters,'' Chat Noir suddenly said, drawing Ladybug's attention. ''We needed to have this talk with her for her own sake. We don't know what is going on in her civilian life, but we can make sure that nothing happens to her while we're superheroes.''

''You're right,'' Ladybug responded, only for her and Chat Noir to hear the school bell ring for the afternoon classes. Both looked suddenly nervous, exchanging glances with each other.

''Eh, I-I should…''

''Go? Y-Yeah, me too… Uh, see you-''

''At patrol? Yes!''

Ladybug and Chat Noir quickly rushed away to de-transform, their lunch plans with Félix and Bridgette falling through respectively. They really had no luck today.

xXx

Amber puffed up her cheeks, opting to just walk around aimlessly through Paris, still dressed in her Queen Bee costume under her regular outfit. She payed absolutely no attention at school and was just waiting for the classes to end, opting to just roam through the city instead of going straight home. She was completely dispirited, if not even depressed and felt like she couldn't do anything. The person she admired the most had just rejected her and she had no clue how to move on from this. She couldn't understand why Ladybug had to shatter her dreams so cruelly, but at the same time, she was well aware that she had no powers that could help her fight any villains. Unfortunately for her, Ladybug and Chat Noir were correct, but she refused to acknowledge that. She wanted to be a superhero, just like they were, and she wanted their recognition, that she was capable of more than any of them would assume. However, it was obvious that none of her desires would be fulfilled.

I should've known… I cannot expect anything…

Amber suddenly heard a crash from further down the street, being startled at first, but then ran towards it. To her surprise, she spotted the Mime robbing a closed jewelry store. She hid behind a car, feeling her heart beating rapidly as she realized just how real this situation was.

I managed to find a super villain! And it's that Mime guy! Uhhh, what do I do?! Amber felt herself panicking, only to slap herself lightly with both hands on the cheeks to focus more properly. Ladybug and Chat Noir usually patrol through Paris, right? If I keep stalling him, they will eventually come across us and kick this guy's ass. She fist-pumped, now determined to follow through with her plan. Right, you can do this! You are Queen Bee! You can also be a hero if you put your mind into it!

Quickly taking off her regular outfit and putting her domino mask on, Queen Bee climbed up on the car she was hiding behind and struck a heroic pose.

''Hey, you! Stop!'' The Mime looked up, rising an eyebrow at the teenager in a yellow and black jumpsuit and domino mask standing on top of a car that was parked on the street. ''I, Queen Bee, order you to stop with your criminal activity and surrender!''

The Mime just smirked as he looked at her, dropping the bag he was holding and curling his fingers around an invisible handle. Queen Bee gulped when she realized that the handle belonged to an invisible hammer, with the Mime suddenly running towards her. She managed to jump off the car and land safely on the ground, but to her shock, the Mime left quite a deep dent in the car roof. She realized that, had he hit her, her skull would've been nothing but flesh, blood and broken bones.

The Mime turned around towards her and kept swinging the huge hammer, leaving cracks in the walls of the street and Queen Bee quickly dodged them, using her gymnastics skills. However, she knew that she was in trouble, as she had no way to fight back. Even without his superpowers, the Mime was still an adult man, much bigger and heavier than her. The only thing she could do was to pray that someone would notice them and call the authorities, or even better, Ladybug and Chat Noir.

But, I told her that I hated her. Would she even want to save me?

Queen Bee froze as that thought crossed her mind, giving the Mime and opportunity to swing once again at her, leaving her unable to dodge the attack. However, before the hammer fell, a yo-yo wrapped around his arm, pulling him back. The Mime turned around, only to get punched square in the face by Chat Noir, knocking him down.

''Ladybug! Chat Noir!'' Queen Bee never felt so grateful to see these two. Despite all the mean stuff she had told them, they still would appear to help her and she felt safe around them. Ladybug leapt down, grabbing her hand and dragging her around a corner.

''What are you doing here? It's dangerous!'' Ladybug scolded her, with Queen Bee feeling a sting in her chest.

''I just happened to ran across that Mime guy! I didn't do it on purpose!'' Queen Bee snapped back, with Ladybug sighing in response.

''Okay, just stay here and stay safe. I don't want the Mime to hurt you,'' Ladybug told her.

Queen Bee noded, with Ladybug then rejoining Chat Noir in the battle against the Mime. She then kept observing the two as they fought the Mime, with Chat Noir using Black Hole to trap him, only for the Mime to mime a rocket launcher and fire it point-blank at the black cat superhero. Ladybug used her yo-yo to wrap it around the invisible rocket launcher, forcing Mime to fire it somewhere else, only for him to direct it towards her. Chat Noir managed to rush towards Ladybug in time, using his Black Hole to shield her from the explosion, but it was a little too late and both were knocked back, hitting the building behind them.

Queen Bee gasped as the Mime made his way over to them, forming what appeared to be a gun in his hands and pointing it straight towards Ladybug. Fortunately, she was still awake, but struggling to get up and the fact that an invisible gun was being held in front of her face didn't help. Queen Bee's expression changed from shock to a determined look, as she knew that she was the only one who could do something.

''Hey!'' Grabbing the trompo that was on a string around her waist, Queen Bee spun it, throwing it straight at Mime and nailed him right in the head. This was enough of a distraction for Ladybug to kick the gun out of Mime's hands and transform her yo-yo into a staff to hit him directly in the gut. Chat Noir also managed to get up, firing a point-blank Black Storm at the Mime, who was knocked back, hitting a car.

''Thanks Queen Bee!'' Ladybug said, briefly turning to her before she and Chat Noir faced the Mime. Queen Bee swelled with pride, observing the two as they landed hit after hit on the super villain, only for the Mime to realize that this was a losing fight and quickly left after throwing a smoke bomb at them. Once the smoke settled, he was nowhere to be found.

''Not again…'' Ladybug muttered. ''I thought we had him this time.''

''Better luck next time, I guess,'' Chat Noir responded, shrugging. Both then turned around towards Queen Bee, who felt a little awkward as they stared at each other in silence.

''Amber…''

''I'm sorry for getting myself into danger,'' Queen Bee apologized sincerely, much to Ladybug's surprise. She honestly never heard Amber talk to her like this, being so vulnerable instead of condescending. ''You were right, I'm not cut for this superhero thing. I don't have any powers or abilities to protect myself and I would've died if it weren't for you two.''

''Why do you want so desperately to be a superhero?'' Ladybug asked. Queen Bee was silent, filddling with her trompo she had picked up nervously, before giving Ladybug a serious look.

''Can I trust you two with something very personal?'' she asked, with Ladybug giving her a curious look.

''Sure you can. I promise you I won't tell anyone,'' Ladybug said in an assuring tone, then glanced at Chat Noir.

''I don't really see any reason to share any personal secrets with anyone,'' he replied. Queen Bee took a deep breath.

''I… I wanted to be a superhero to feel special, because everyone else tell me that I'm not,'' she admitted. Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged glances of surprise, not expecting the conversation to steer in this way.

''Who is telling you that?'' Ladybug asked.

''Mainly, my own mother!'' Queen Bee responded, before going into a rant as she walked up-down in front of the two, throwing her hands up animatedly. ''I tried everything to please her and make her proud of me, but he's always telling me how unexceptional I am! Can you believe that? Me, unexceptional? She is so condescending! It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!'' Queen Bee didn't notice the side-glances Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged as she continued, ''That's why I went to you two, because I had been hoping that, if anyone is going to give me the recognition I deserve, it'll be you two… especially you Ladybug.''

''I understand now that you've been craving for some kind of recognition, but I don't think that throwing yourself into danger is the answer,'' Ladybug said. Queen Bee lowered her gaze, feeling guilty.

''Yeah, you're right,'' she said.

''What about your classmates? From what we've heard, they don't like you particularly,'' Chat Noir said, his arms folded across his chest, his tail flicking as he gave Queen Bee a knowing look.

''Well, they just don't get it how amazing I am!'' Queen Bee responded in a haughty tone.

''Or they know that you're just a bully and don't want do have anything to do with you,'' Ladybug said, with Queen Bee, despite trying to keep her calm, looking quite mortified that her favorite superhero was calling her a bully. Chat Noir gave Ladybug a curious look, wondering if she was talking from experience, but he didn't follow up on it.

''Uh, well, I… Well, they deserved it, especially Cheng,'' Queen Bee replied spitefully. ''The other day she bragged about how her mother is such a great parent because she was going to visit her and spend time with her. It's not fair!''

Chat Noir frowned, glaring daggers at Queen Bee for daring to insult Bridgette like this, but to his surprise, Ladybug smirked knowingly, ''Was she rubbing it in your face? Does she even know what your family situation is?''

''N-No…'' Queen Bee admitted, feeling a wave of embarrassment, amazed that Ladybug was reading her like an open book. To her surprise, Ladybug placed a hand on her shoulder, with Queen Bee giving her a nervous look.

''Okay, I'd like to give you some important advice, as one superhero to another,'' Ladybug started, winking at Queen Bee, who was actually ecstatic that Ladybug addressed her as a fellow superhero. ''Instead of seeking other people's approval of whether you're exceptional or not, you should ask yourself if you see yourself like that. Because you actually did show quite some courage tonight by hitting the Mime with that spinning top and you also saved my life in the process.''

''It is a trompo and I did practice for days with it, so I have learned how to use it as a weapon,'' Queen Bee said proudly, noting Ladybug's questioning look. She lowered her gaze, fiddling with the trompo. ''I suppose I have a lot to think about. However, I think that Queen Bee should retire.''

''Maybe she doesn't have to,'' Ladybug said, much to Queen Bee and Chat Noir's surprise. ''Look, you aren't going to fight any super villains, but you could still act as our support system.''

''Are you sure about that, Bug?'' Chat Noir asked in a skeptical tone.

''Yeah, I have to agree with Cat Boy here, because I'm not sure how to do that,'' Queen Bee said in a deadpan tone. Ladybug stuck her tongue out playfully, winking at them.

''Well, the public seems to be split on whether we're the good guys or the bad guys, and having someone who would be able to influence the public opinion so we could do our job without any interference would be nice,'' she said, shrugging with her arms up. ''Neither I nor Chat Noir are that fond of cameras, but someone who'd love the attention would certainly thrive in the spotlight.''

''Ladybug, I don't think-'' Chat Noir started, only to get interrupted by Queen Bee.

''I like the way you're thinking,'' she said, grinning, only to fist-pump. ''As a matter of fact, I already have an idea what I could do to help you.''

''What is it?'' Ladybug asked.

''Don't worry, I'm sure you'll see it once I'm done with it,'' Queen Bee told her confidently, snapping her fingers.

xXx

''Welcome to the Queen Bee's Hive! Hosted by yours truly, Amber Bourgeois! In this blog, you will learn about Paris' treasured superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, and how they're doing their best to defend the city from super villains!''

''Honestly, I didn't expect that this would be Amber's idea of support,'' Bridgette told Tikki as they watched Amber's livestream on her new blog in Bridgette's room. The livestream itself was filmed by Amber on the roof of the hotel she lived at. ''But, I guess this might give her the recognition she desperately seeks. I just hope she won't get a swollen head.''

''Do you really think it's a good idea for Amber to host a blog about you and Chat Noir? What if she reveals any important secrets about you two?'' Tikki asked. The two went silent for a moment when Amber started reading some of the questions sent by the chat box.

'''Do you know Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities?' What? Of course not! The heroes' identities are a secret for a reason. Has none of you read any comic books about superheroes? How else would they lead a normal life if everyone knows who they are?'' Amber responded, scoffing. ''Tch, what kind of stupid question is that?''

''Yeah, I think we can trust her,'' Bridgette said, smiling, with Tikki giggling as they continued to watch the livestream.

xXx

''…will talk about how amazing Ladybug is!... and Chat Noir as well.''

''…I feel as if she has just tacked me on,'' Félix grumbled as he watched the livestream on his computer in his bedroom.

''Face it Neko Boy, she did tack you on. Amber favours Ladybug over you,'' Plagg replied, taking a bite off his cheese.

''You really are merciless,'' Félix said, cracking a smile and turning back to the screen, only for Plagg to fly up to him.

''So, when are you going to ask Ladybug about somehow learning what Amber was up to? Don't you think that this must mean that you're both going to the same school? Maybe even the same class?'' he asked.

''I'm not going to ask these kinds of questions,'' Félix replied in a cold tone. Plagg gave him a look of surprise, his eyes narrowing.

''What do you mean? Haven't you tried to figure out who is Ladybug in order to get her to free you from your curse?'' he asked. ''What has changed?''

''Nothing has changed,'' Félix grumbled, leaning his head against his hand, his eyes closed. Plagg tilted his head, a little confused and suspicious. Félix sighed, glancing at the cat kwami. ''I do have a plan, but I need think through this.''

Links:

#Previous Chapter

#Current Chapter

#Next Chapter

#Up Ladybug (Masterlist)

[hannahhook7744]

My Encanto Next Gen Headcanons;

Set in my descendants-encanto au, ' The Invisible truth.'

Mirabel and Agustín made all the baby clothes for the next gen kids. They also made the clothes for Isabella's potato people and the taxidermied animal decorations when they came to life.

Isabella adores her little potato people and has called herself their 'mama'. (Inspired by this story).

She also loves giving sentience to her other plants (which her husband, Bubo, also loves).

Isabella and Bubo are alot like Gomez and Moritica Addams but like, the mad scientist versions.

A statue of Alma's sister law, Alejandra, does eventually get added to the house after they find out from Alma's long lost siblings and nieces that she died the same night as Pedro.

Isabella and Bubo go on to have two children— Miguel Jr (named after Miguel Rivera who helped deliver him when no one else was around) and Zoey Madrigal.

Claudine gets along most with Mirabel and Rick gets along best with Isabella. As does Rachel.

Rory favors Luisa.

Antonio is a single pringle like his uncle Bruno and like his uncle Bruno (in this au anyway) ends up adopting a kid of his own eventually (while in his mid twenties).

No one is ever really quite sure how many kids are in the Madrigal family anymore because of all the new grand kids and great grand kids. The kids themselves aren't even sure anymore.

The Madrigals still have their problems but they're much closer than before and the relationships are a little more healthy.

Out of the Frollo-Ratcliffe turned Madrigal kids, Cesare had the hardest time adjusting.

When the Frollo-Ratcliffe children are adopted, Alma's long lost siblings, her two nieces, and Felix's brother, Gabriel, have been in the Encanto for a few years already and the Madrigal Grandkids are all in their twenties (except for Antonio, who is either a preteen or a teen).

Camilo is an actor.

Isabella is a botanist selling crazy plants and an interior designer. Bubo is a costume designer. She and Bubo have a shop that they work out of.

Antonio is a zoologist and vegetarian.

Miguel Rivera, Mirabel's husband, is a musician.

Mirabel is a therapist.

Mariano is a poet.

Agustín is a tailor.

Félix is a musician and construction worker. His brother, Gabriel, is a traveler who has a thing for Pepa's cousin, Miranda.

Miranda helps heal people with Julieta.

Her sister, Beatriz/Beatriz, runs a casino.

Everyone still helps out in the village but they get breaks more often.

Camilo is a drama teacher and a small time actor and his wife, Mina, is a handyman.

That's all I got for now but I'll come back to this later.

Ryder Nattura, Luisa's husband, is a donkey herder and Luisa is a dog walker and pet sitter.

Dolores is a gossip magazine writer and a script writer.

[stargazer-sims]

A Little Piece of the Home World

Here is Kaji & Xaela’s indoor pool and garden. This turned out just as good as I’d hoped it would, and I think I’ve only got a few small tweaks to finish it.

Xaela was born on Earth, so her experience of the home world is limited, but Kaji lived there for the first 18 years of his life, and he remembers it well. He may not have had the easiest or most pleasant experiences with others of his kind, but he still loves his world and misses its natural beauty.

The garden and pool were his idea. He may be educated and enlightened now, but he’s still a polychromatic male and still expects to be indulged and spoiled by his wife. Xaela rarely says no to him, so he got his garden and pool with imported soil and plants, specially-treated water, and lighting designed to replicate the home world as closely as possible.

Kaji is testing the pool ^^

The water is perfect!

He was out there for quite a long time, so Xaela decided she’d better see how he was doing.

He seemed comfortable enough, but she got in to check on him anyway.

Xaela: Kaji, are you all right?

Kaji: Mmm… this is my happy place.

Xaela: I thought the swings in Félix’s back yard were your happy place. Or Far Horizon Park.

Kaji: I’m happy in a lot of places.

Xaela: I’m glad. I want you to be happy.

Kaji: This feels so good. I wish I could sleep in the water.

Xaela: I don’t think that would be particularly safe.

Kaji: I know, but I can dream about It, at least.

Kaji: I think I want to give birth to our child in here.

Xaela: In the pool? I don’t think that’s a good idea.

Kaji: No, not in the pool, but in the water, and in this room. Do you think having our child at home would be safe?

Xaela: We can ask your stepfather. Since he’s a doctor, he should know.

Kaji: I want him to be there.

Xaela: Me too. If we’re doing this at home, I’d feel better if we had a doctor with us.

Kaji: We can talk to him about it tomorrow.

The conversation moved on to other things, and before too long, Kaji decided he was tired of just floating around. So then it was playtime, and they got into a splashing match.

The rest of the house may still be in the midst of a major renovation, but the pool is obviously ready and meets the homeowners’ approval.

[yellowcry]

A rhythm of its own design

Working on Casita was important, of course, but it's good to have some entertaintment once in a while

Dolores looked around the church backroom room, nervous. Recently her Papá asked her to come here for something. He didn't reveal what was the reason, not yet, just shared a strange look with Tío Agústin. If Dolores still had her gift, maybe she would hear what was going on. But alas, now their gifts weren't in play. Cold-stoned walls towered over her,  old  musical instruments that were used for religious performances were well-known to Dolores. After all, she had spent a couple of years playing music here back when she was in school.

She slid her fingers across the piano keys, waiting for the adults to make things clear. It wasn't as clean as with super hearing, but the sound was soothing in a way. While piano wasn't her main instrument, she preferred tiple like her dad, she had enough knowledge of the keyboard instruments. 

The door creaked, making Dolores squeak and pull back a little. Only to realize that it was Mirabel. The younger cousin didn't look anything more confident than Dolores was feeling herself at the moment. If anything, she seemed even more confused and worried.

The teenager pulled in, examining the notes on the walls. "Do you know what's going on? Pa asked me to come here." She clarified, standing next to Dolores and picking at her embroidery.

Dolores clenched her palms together, not looking at her. Before Casita's fall, she had never realized how important her gift was for her. It made her aware of everything, every rumor or fact. And Dolores had adored that power, she loved the knowledge that came with hearing without her being anywhere near the discourse. The idea of losing this possibility, these thin threads that connected her to everything was devastating. There was no way to know much more anything else than what anyone in her place would hear too. 

Losing her gift had  really  made Dolores appreciate it with all of her heart.

Their dads didn't take much longer to join in. Both were delighted, whispering something to each other. It was a normal sight, the two giftless husbands were so close that people sometimes doubted if they were biological  hermanos . 

Mirabel, who was just as curious as Dolores herself immediately got to question the situation. "Papa? What are we doing?"

Félix winked to Agústin, taking a seat. "Girls, I and Gus had thought that we should entertain our family in this uneasy time."

Dolores couldn't blame them. Even if the things had gotten way clearer now it didn't mean they were solved. The family got used to a life without a house by now, but Dolores still wished to have a stable place to live. Everyone did and there was no need  in  enhance hearing to know it.

Papá continued, taking a tilpe near his chair. "So how about we four give them a concert?"

So that's what it all was about? 

It's been a while since Dolores had played with Félix. Life was too busy lately, turned upside down by the broken Casita. She didn't  really  have time for this lately, more busy with the fact that they were homeless at the moment. It's a bit hard to get to your hobbies in such conditions.

Mirabel's face winced, she crossed her arms looking away. "I don't think I want this..." Dolores knew that her youngest cousin hated showing her skills in accordion, always trying to throw it away if somebody had given her one. Was it a feeling that her skills didn't matter without a gift or something else, Dolores had no idea.

"Miraboo, it's only for the family," Agústin promised. "Nobody else would see you." 

There was a visible fight on her face. Again, Mirabel didn't enjoy showing musical skills to everyone, but she loved her family and wanted to make them happy more than anything.

Finally, she muttered. "Just... A little.."

Felíx smiled, turning his attention to Dolores. She just shrugged, having nothing against the idea. She had played music from time to time, tho it was usually only during the celebrations when anybody else could hear her.

The first thing was to find a good melody that combined all their instruments. Well, it was more the adults who initiated this, talking about some happy and light melody to cheer the rest of the family. Mirabel tapped her finger against the hand belt, not participating at all, despite their effort to bring her into  discussion .

It's been forever since Dolores had played music with her Tío, not even mentioning Mirabel. What would it be like? Speaking at the bottom of her heart, she preferred to play harmony solo. But it could be fun when her dad joined her. 

"Okay! One, two, three!" Felix, sending their small group into the beginning. For about ten seconds before they all realized how awful it sounded. Playing in  discord , they didn't synchronize with each other. 

"I think... it's going to be more difficult than we thought." Tío muttered, pressing one of the white high-pitched keys.  

Fair. Making anyone listen to these wouldn't make them happy. It was more of a torture. Creating music took work that they were willing to put in. It wasn't a physical job like with Casita but  requested  enough exertion and time.

Mirabel pondered something, the smart girl she was. "Maybe we can... play it separately at first?" She suggested, fixing her glasses. And, well, having no better ideas, they recreated the vallenato melody four times, suggesting to  eachother  how to make it work together. Tuning one down,  pitching  the other note up so it would sound graceful and happy.

The orchestra still was bad, but it was more of a lack of practice this time. Well, it was something fixable. Hard work did pay in the result after all.

Dolores examined her partners in the corner of her eyes. Papá and Tío Agústin loomed like they generally had a really fun time in here. Even Mirabel who was the least happy with the idea at first seemed to be involved in the process pretty strong. 

They were practicing for about a week. Majorly during the lunch break or after the working day  in  rebuilding Casita was done despite Luisa's complaint that she wanted to cuddle her hermanita. 

The backroom wasn't big, but it somehow could accommodate twelve Madrigals. Despite their original plan for a surprise, somebody in this choir couldn't keep their mouths shut in front of their wives. And if Tía Julieta was mature enough to keep her mouth shut, then Mamá was just as much of a gossiper as Dolores. So the fact was known by the whole family in no time. 

Dolores rounded her eyes, seeing how much Mirabel trembled.  He  youngest cousin wiped her hands, they were sweating whenever she was worried like now. A family genetic, Dolores supposed, Luisa and Tío had the same problem.

"Is everyone ready?" Dad asked, holding his stringed instrument lightly, his optimism made him deal with it the easiest out of four. Agustín stretched his arms, cracking his fingers. Mirabel tensed, pulling her accordion closer. Dolores shut her eyes tightly for a second, retelling herself the melody she was supposed to play.

She knew it wasn't perfect, a week wasn't enough to create a melody, especially when they didn't have more than two hours of training daily. But, seeing her family's excited faces, they didn't need it to be the best. It just was a fun way to spend time together. And they enjoyed the effort that the four had put  in  this. 

The room burst into applause, Dolores and the adults shared a confident and happy look before she noticed how tensed Mirabel was. She was the least used to it. If the older three had played for other people sometimes, Mirabel had never done it before. 

"You're okay," Dolores whispered, patting her spine for a moment before Luisa practically shoved her away, picking Mirabel up and throwing her lightly. Dolores huffed and rolled her eyes, stepping back from her cousins.

Isabela behind her groaned. "Put her down, I want to hug my sister too!" She stood on her toes, trying to reach her overgrown sister's height. Looking like she was about to hit Luisa.

Dolores chuckled, distracting to her  own  brothers. Antonio looked at her with big brown eyes, asking if she could teach him. As a kid, he was  really  excited to learn something new.

"Mirabel is my favorite sister. Go hug yours."

"Amor, you were so magical!" Pepa hunched over Felix, kissing him in a hug. Then she turned her attention to Dolores. "And Lolita!" The woman felt her cheeks getting red from embarrassment. Lolita? Really? "I'm so proud of you!" She exclaimed, giving the next kiss to her daughter.

"¡Mamá, Detener!" Dolores groaned, pulling away from this affection. She was twenty-one for God's sake! Completely old and mature woman! 

[jewellery-box]

Cap

Design House Félix 

French, 1890s–1900s

The MET Museum

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

Fashion Protégée (All Paths Lead Me Back to You)

Fashion Protégée (All paths lead me back to you) by candydiamond

Shielded by stars and kept vigil over by the moon, hidden between the other roofs, walls and houses – that night, in her arms he was like a sunflower kissed by the sunshine after a prolonged storm. Like the one that was taking place in her mind; and she'd let him sleep how much he wanted, even if it meant doing so throughout the entire night.

In which Adrien Agreste - Paris' most notorious heartthrob, meets Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Gabriel's favourite rising fashion designer. In their third year of university, and the third year since they've fallen out of touch they find eachother as future co-workers.

Or in which Chat Noir realizes that after all the unsuccessful years of courting her and getting nowhere - maybe it's time to move on from Ladybug. So how will Adrien Agreste: who she knew to be shy and reserved; charm and convince his long-time crush Marinette Dupain-Cheng to give him a chance given his civilian reputation, after her heart has been irreparably broken by her own actions?

Words: 3142, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Plagg, Tikki, Gabriel Agreste, Nathalie Sancoeur, Félix Graham de Vanily, Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, Luka Couffaine, Sass, Chloé Bourgeois, Kagami Tsurugi

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug

Additional Tags: Aged-Up Character(s), Pre-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Pre-Hawk Moth Defeat, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Protective/Jealous Adrien Agreste, Heartbroken Marinette Dupain-Cheng, University, Fashion & Couture Co-Workers, Mutual Pining, Slow Romance, Christmas Fluff, Sharing a Bed, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, eventual identity reveal, Or what I like to call 'If you thought the love-square was bad, prepare yourself for the hegaxon', Work In Progress

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43922127