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lizzybeth1986 · 5 months

Text

Rose Gold

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Hana Lee x Kiara Theron

Rating: PG

Word Count: 4, 304 words

Content Warning: Mention of Gun Violence, Character Injury.

Summary: Six months after King Liam and Queen Esther's wedding, Hana and Kiara take their next big step as a couple.

A/N: Set in the P&Tverse. Since P&T spans the timelines of Books 2 and 3 (the Engagement Tour and the Unity Tour + Liam & Esther's wedding), most of this fic takes place after the series is meant to end, and there are references to things that happen there that aren't canon.

The first half of the fic, however, takes place just before the group reunites with the MC and Drake at the safe house (TRR3, Ch 1).

I've borrowed a few elements from Hana's own engagement to the MC in the books: the rose gold ring, the coin throwing ritual at the foundation and the proposal at the lake.

Tagging @hanaleeappreciationweek for Day 5: Romance, @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW and LGBTQ Archive, and @choicesmaychallenge24 for Hera: Marriage

October 14th, 2017. Half past Midnight.

Foolishness. Sheer foolishness.

The voice inwardly chiding her right now sounded suspiciously like her mother; for that reason alone she was desperate to ignore it.

But what else would one call an impulse to jump out of a car that could take her in complete secrecy to the city's best safe house, only to race to Argyros and Sons - Cordonia's premier jewellery store - for a gift she wasn't even sure would be accepted...a promise she wasn't even sure its intended recipient would want?

"Looking for something specific, Your Grace?"

Surprised, Hana looked up from the case displaying an assortment of glittering diamond rings. The eyes that met hers in a speculative survey were ocean-blue, marked by wizened crow's feet. It was at the tip of her tongue to correct him (Lady Hana, sir!) when she spotted the Twitter feed on the iPhone in his hand.

News sure does travel fast around the Capitol!

But no sooner had that thought left her head, than the riptide of memories began to flood her.

The Homecoming Ball. Hors d'oeuvres. Speeches. Fireworks. Announcements. Please welcome Esther DuPont, Duchess of Valtoria, and Hana Lee, Duchess of Krysanthe. Cheers. Expectant Gazes. And then...

Darkness. Gunshots. The acrid taste of fear.

Hana bit back a grimace. How long would memories of tonight haunt her? How long would it be before she heard people address her by her new title, without memories of the violence that followed?

She held her handbag with a sudden death-grip, forcing herself to breathe. To push forth happier, sweeter memories.

Unbidden, comes the one memory that had managed to keep her sane this night.

Her laughter.

Sharp. Raucous. Loud. Jarring against the tinkling sounds of cutlery and glassware, as far away as one could get from the soft, windchime quality of delicate laughter, that every female courtier was taught to emulate.

She thought she'd known love until that moment, fool that she was. Thought that no matter who she dated, no matter how distant she'd be from those memories of the social season - Esther would somehow remain her first and forever love.

Until she had taken that one fateful look at Kiara's wildly joyous face, heard her cackle - the kind one would never normally dare to do at court - and realized with piercing clarity that if she were to compare her feelings for these two women, they would be nowhere close.

Her love for Esther had all the subdued warmth of a crackling bonfire. But these newfound feelings for Kiara?? They made her feel like she was plunging herself headfirst into a raging volcano.

Something within Hana had trembled violently in that moment; some premonition that felt searing in its finality.

Kiara was the one. She was all Hana had ever wanted, without knowing it; all that Hana would ever want, from now till eternity. The one in whose arms she would want to stir awake, every day for the rest of her life.

Kiara Thorne, or no one. Kiara Thorne, or lifelong loneliness.

The phrase rang in her ears like a verdict: final, eternal, unchangeable.

When Hana opened her eyes, she found to her consternation that they were blurry from unshed tears. Quickly blinking them away, she noted dully how different the rings on the display now looked.

Certainly she must have moved to another part of the store without knowing. Where before she'd seen glittering, brilliant, ostentatious diamonds, set in white gold and platinum...now she saw stones nestled in the embrace of a warmer, almost blush-toned metal.

Rose gold.

The metal that was all the rage in her mother's birthplace Bethulia, for its delicate shimmer and soft pink hue. Mama had told her often enough in her childhood that their barony's love for it went far beyond just the colour...that her mother - Hana's Nanimaa - loved it for being such a perfect union of gold, silver and copper...

A whisper of a memory of Nanimaa, the one time she'd ever seen her. At a fountain, glowing from the glimmer of abandoned coins.

It took her less than a minute to find exactly what she didn't know she'd been looking for. Had you asked the jeweller about her, he would have told you that the newly appointed Duchess of Krysanthe had chosen her ring with the greatest confidence. The confidence of a woman who had probably wooed her beloved, confessed her love, basked in the joy of being loved back.

A confidence Hana didn't feel.

When she returned to the limo, she was greeted with the sight of a pensive Liam, rubbing the frown between his brows absently with his fingers. A telltale muscle jumped inside his jaw.

"Any news?" Hana whispered, almost dreading the answer.

"Yes," his voice was grainy from exhaustion and guilt. "Three people injured. Bastien, Esther's press secretary, and...."

"And?" Her voice had gone small and high, that a fearful child's.

"And Lady Kiara. She was..."

Hana blinked once, then blinked again. Liam's mouth was moving, yet no sound seemed to come out. All that she could hear was a low, keening noise, like a muffled siren...or like the moan of a woman in terrible pain.

Kiara. Kiara. Kiara.

May 12th, 2018. Afternoon.

"How far from the palace are you taking us?" Kiara asks, her voice alight with laughter.

"Not even outside its gates," Hana replies, grinning. Kiara looks down at their fingers laced together, palms almost touching.

They've been together for just six months, and still somehow, the lines on Hana's palm feel as familiar to her now as her own. Without even looking she can conjure up the memory of the heartline on Hana's left palm at a moment's notice - long and deep, starting from her index finger, suggesting she would be a wonderful lover with a very fruitful love experience - and her marriage line, stretching from one end of her palm all the way to her ring finger...suggesting friendly in-laws.

(The thought of luring Hana to marry her under the premise of palmistry is sounding more and more tempting by the minute)

Involuntarily - perhaps to stop herself from checking her trouser pockets once again for that tiny box she took from her vault today - Kiara's hand tightens around Hana's.

Can she dare to hope that fortunate beloved could be her?

She steals a glance in Hana's direction, noting with alarm that her fingers are trembling in Kiara's hand.

"We're here," she says, her voice suddenly small and quivering against the gurgle of water in the courtyard fountain. It's been a palace fixture for several decades now - ornate and imposing - a legacy from King Liam's formidable grandmother, the late Queen Mother Cassandra. According to Kiara's father, the woman had married into the family as a young princess from Monterisso, and for her foreignness alone was expected to be crushed by the strictures of the palace and the expectations of her people - yet in a decade's time she had somehow became the most imposing figure there! There was very little in the palace that didn't have her stamp of approval first.

As they come closer, Kiara sees the one thing Queen Mother Cassandra may not have predicted when this fountain was built - the glimmer of coins, all gleaming in the sunlight like they were minted just yesterday.

Her own smile begins to tremble on her lips, even as she notices Hana swallow a telltale nervous lump in her throat. For the first time since they have gotten here, Kiara notices that Hana's other hand is fisted around something. Something that could very likely be the same coins they just saw in the fountain.

She takes that hand gently in hers, knowing now how nervous Hana must feel; knowing that if they complete the ancient lover's ritual that she so hoped to do today, there will be no going back. She uncoils Hana's fisted hand, finger by quivering finger, watching her face as her breathing quickens. She smiles again - a smile more aimed at reassurance than amusement.

"Are we going to do what I think we're going to do today, ma moité?"

For several seconds, Hana doesn't respond. The three coins in her hand (Heavy. Ornate. Engraved with apples. Ancient) are proof enough. The answer, when it finally comes - almost like it is torn out of her throat for fear that Kiara's feelings may not match her own - is barely audible.

"Only if this is what you want too."

Gold. Silver. Copper. Tossed in one after the other in an ancient lover's ritual - one that Kiara knows only because she'd learned about it from her mother, who'd had friends in Bethulia where this ritual was most popular. Maman and Baba themselves had done it on a trip there when she was a teenager, still squirming over her parents' ability to still act like swoony romantics in their (and this would be said well out of their earshot) "fucking forties!".

Wiser now, Kiara feels the same anticipatory tingles that her parents must have felt back then.

This ritual wasn't for the faint of heart in ancient days. You did it only when you were certain. When you looked at your lover and knew that a life without them wasn't a life worth living.

Well, Kiara muses as she watches a hundred emotions flit in a second over Hana's face, I think I've known that long enough. I've known ever since I saw you fight your father in Shanghai, even when you knew it would cost you everything. Since that one moment, I've been yours.

Planting a tender kiss on the corner of Hana's mouth, she takes the coins. "Ready when you are," she whispers softly.

Hana swallows again, her eyes glistening and moist and relieved all at once. In a silk pouch that dangles from her wrist, she fishes for three coins identical to the ones on Kiara's palm. She breathes deep once, twice, three times.

Kiara links their free hands, grips them tight as they turn their backs to the fountain. Hana looks up, a question in her eyes.

"For friendship!" Kiara says, tossing the copper coin into the fountain. Faint memories of something that almost feels like another lifetime glimmer and fade in her memory. Applewood, sipping water, giggling over their favourite fruits and flowers. The Beaumont Bash. Watching from the sidelines as Hana did the verbel equivalent of ripping out Olivia Nevrakis' spine at the Coronation Ball.

Hana takes out the silver coin, and waits for Kiara to holds up hers'. "For love?"

Engagement tour. Fearing Hana would hate her in Fydelia, but never understanding why that should suddenly matter. Standing with her against a bridge in Paris, each mourning their lost loves.

Finally learning what love really was, when she opened her eyes and truly saw Hana for the very first time.

Kiara nods, touching her forehead to Hana's. "Par amour." Their coins splash in unison in the water.

Her girlfriend lets out a watery giggle as she takes out the final coin, glittering and golden on her palm. Her voice breaks a little as she tosses it behind her. "For...bel- belonging".

Kiara's own sigh releases in a shudder as she lets the final pledge sink in.

There were very few places in the world that truly felt like home to Hana. Not the place where she was born, not the barony that could have been her legacy. It took her months to even find comfort or security in her future in Cordonia - much less belonging.

Without a moment's thought, and without releasing the golden coin in her hand, she cups Hana's face and kisses her. Hana shudders and buries her hands in Kiara's hair, her lips trembling against the unspoken promises in her lover's.

"For belonging," Kiara says it like it is a vow. "And I don't care how long it takes - I give my word right now. I'll never let you feel like you have lost your home. Ever." Another kiss - this time on Hana's temple. "I hope you will always find one. In me."

Hana's smile is warm and dreamlike, her eyes closed as if to savour this moment, her fingers playing with Kiara's curls. She barely notices the sound of Kiara's gold coin landing in the fountain. "I love you, Kiki."

Kiara chuckles at her teasing use of the nickname, brushing Hana's nose with her own. "Together forever?"

Their hands, now free, close around each other. "Together forever."

It's quiet now, except for the sound of collard doves, the rustle of leaves and branches in a light breeze, and their breathing. The air smells of wildflowers, citrus and a subtle floral scent that Kiara knows to be the perfume Hana has been using for months. Orange Blossom. She grins as she remembers. It's a scent Hana has often loved to wear, just for her.

Hana's thumb feathers lightly over the ring finger on Kiara's left hand, almost as if to commit the bare space on it to her memory. Kiara doesn't miss that gaze - bright-eyed and soaked in longing - and how it mirrors a need she has felt ever since they landed at the Capitol last week.

Kiara swallows. She had wanted to take things slow, she really did. Woo her, bathe her in every luxury possible, make this trip even more unforgettable than Hana could ever imagine, and then spring this surprise on her - like a kirsch-soaked cherry topping on an already very tempting Black Forest Cake.

But...but that gaze of Hana's has always been Kiara's undoing.

Simply, she says, "come with me."

Puzzled, Hana looks up. "Where?"

"To Lake Sôse," Kiara whispers, wasting not one more moment and grabbing her hand. Hana lets out a nervous, slightly incredulous laugh as she allows herself to be pulled along.

Kiara isn't sure why she's suddenly rushing this. When she thinks of the elaborate plans she'd been constructing all week - chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne at one of the Capital's premier restaurants, flowers everywhere, a proposal at the hedge maze with a picture together by the swing to commemorate the occasion - she wants to laugh. She isn't even sure why Lake Sôse was the first place she'd thought of just now.

She takes a deep breath, and grounds herself. Uncommonly impulsive though it may be, her decision has been made. There is even a part of her that seems to prefer it to happen this way!Kiara has never been one for last minute changes of plan...but ever since she fell in love with Hana, she's learned to expect - and enjoy - the unexpected.

It's only when she sees the shine in Hana's eyes that she realises why her mind took the turn it did.

Lake Sôse. The one place Hana Lee has always chosen for solace and comfort. The one place in the Capitol where she felt the most at home. It had been here, Hana told Kiara once, that King Liam had told her his plans to appoint her Duchess of Krysanthe. It was here, hours later, that she'd shared that momentous news with her best friend Esther; where Esther - herself aglow with love and a newfound purpose - hugged Hana and told her that the world would now be Hana's oyster.

She'd brought Kiara to this lake for the first time the day after King Liam and Queen Esther's wedding, following a night when the queen herself had been kidnapped, and Hana had joined the king's entourage to rescue her.

A night that Kiara - in constant fear of losing her forever - had recklessly kissed Hana. In public. In front of the entire court. Braving gazes of teasing approval from Kiara's parents, and near-murderous glares from Hana's. The night everyone outside of Hana's friend circle finally realized the two were a couple.

Kiara remembers the day after that like it was yesterday. Something must have changed fundamentally in Hana that night, because the fear seemed to have gone, and with it the compulsive need for hiding and subterfuge and constantly looking over her shoulder. It was as if Hana had faced what she'd thought was the worst thing that could happen to her, and realized she really was strong enough to face that fear.

You're my safe place among people, Hana told her that morning, her fingers lacing through Kiara's. The one I feel most at home with. I want to bring my safe space..to the place in Cordonia I've always felt safest in.

It is afternoon, and the yellow crocuses behind them exude a warm, buttery golden glow in the sunlight. Hana lets out a breathless, incredulous laugh. "You seem like a woman in a very huge rush today, Lady Thorne."

Kiara's own laughter in response is high-pitched and halting. She tries to hide the moistness of her palms as she makes a blind grab for the small velvet box in her purse. "Believe me, this wasn't the way I'd planned this to go at all."

Intrigued, Hana's eyes follow Kiara's hands, and her eyes widen as she recognises the familiar deep blue velvet, the embossed silver lettering on top. Argyros and Sons.

"Is that --"

"Yes," Kiara says, clearing her throat, "I'd been planning this. All week. It was going to be romantic, elaborate, I was going to sweep you off your feet. Just like I'd planned to ask you out seven months ago."

Hana lets out a watery giggle. We all know how that turned out, don't we, qīn'ài de? Kiara can almost hear her saying.

But the humour stops almost immediately when she looks at the box again, and suddenly Hana seems too still, too shocked...too far off from how Kiara hoped she would react.

Kiara lets out a deep breath, then lets the words gush out of her. She's too scared to stop, too terrified to think - the fear that she may be doing too much too soon is so overwhelming that she knows if she stops she won't be able to bring herself to do this for a long, long time to come. The humiliation would be too strong.

"I'm not one for impulse. I never have been. I've never felt comfortable with anything if I didn't have a plan for it first."

Kiara gives herself a moment to half-smile at the irony of it all. Approaching Hana Lee with a smile and a bottle of water, after that first eventful bite of a Cordonian Ruby was definitely an impulse. So were half the things she had done with Hana since. So will many, many, many of the things they may wind up doing together, if (if!) this leap of faith works in her favour.

She looks up at Hana to see if she's laughing at the memory too. She isn't. In fact, Kiara isn't even sure Hana's reacting yet to what she's saying. Perfectly still, her eyes never moving from the box, so wide that they would go bloodshot if they were widened any further. Kiara swallows, and finds that her throat feels suddenly, inexplicably sore.

"I could never tell what it was about you that changed all that. I still don't. All I know is that...around you, Hana, I feel so much more brave. To let go of the need to plan and organize. To not be too afraid of what will follow - whether it goes in my favour or not. I find myself not just willing, but eager, to trust my gut."

Kiara's eyes search every inch of Hana's face as she opens the box, revealing the ring inside. It's a gorgeous piece, all platinum and sparkling diamonds. The smaller stones form a cluster around a massive one, leading the viewer to believe they are seeing a glittering snowflake, fallen fresh from the heavens.

Kiara had known the minute she saw the ring that it was the one. That it would remind them of the first time they confessed their love. Of their very first date, of the first time they shared Hana's cup of homemade hot chocolate. Of why the two of them will always love winters.

Hana's fingers move, trembling, towards her mouth, her face suddenly flushed. She remembers it too.

"Hana Lee," A frisson of fear slithers down Kiara's spine. "Will you marry me?"

When Hana finally opens her mouth, several seconds later, Kiara has to strain to hear her voice.

"I - I -" her eyes dart away from Kiara as if she's just remembered something important - her beautiful bronzed skin suddenly a little drained of colour. The next few words, she says in a "I.... I'll be back. Give me five minutes? I...just remembered something."

She leaves without waiting for an answer.

Kiara sinks into the grass, covering her face in her hands.

What have I just done?

All the way back from her room in the palace to the lake, the pouch hanging from her wrist feeling only a slight bit heavier, Hana cannot stop mentally kicking herself.

"You fool! You imbecile! Bèn dàn!!" Hana curses herself as she speeds up her sprint into a run, "What happened to your tongue? What kind of reaction was that?? What will Kiara think?"

Her mind now sprints miles ahead of her feet, racing in panicked ferocity over the possibilities.

With any luck, Kiara could still be waiting - puzzled and perhaps a little worried. Or she could be actively panicking, the way she does (on very rare occasions) when a plan goes terribly wrong.

Or...or...

Hana holds the silk pouch from her wrist in a deathlike grip as she speeds up towards Lake Sôse. Or.

The thought of that lovely, open space completely devoid of Kiara, of that beguiling combination of rose and jasmine emanating from her favourite Dior J'adore perfume, makes Hana's stomach drop to her feet.

It isn't until she sees that that heartbreakingly familiar figure of Kiara's, hunched over the grass, that Hana allows herself to breathe.

Kiara is there. Shoulders bent, head buried in her hands, almost stumbling as she tries to get up when she sees Hana.

Morose. Defeated. But still there.

Without another thought, Hana rushes into Kiara's arms, almost knocking her off her feet.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Hana whispers against her hair. "I wasn't trying to run away. I really had to get something. For you."

Kiara pulls back to look into her eyes, and when she does Hana's heart twists at the sight of unshed tears. "I thought I'd scared you off."

Hana's own laughter quavers, pitched high in disbelief. "I've just pledged myself to you this afternoon, body and soul, at the palace fountain. This -" she lifts Kiara's left hand to her chest, her thumb caressing the empty space on her beloved's ring finger " - just makes it so much more real."

Kiara's arms wrap around her, pulling Hana flush to her. Hana can feel Kiara shake as she giggles in response. "...you mean to say that I'd have saved myself so much stress if I'd just remembered those coins."

"Yes, qīn'ài de, a thousand times yes." She cups Kiara's face, pressing their foreheads together. "Place that ring where it belongs, Kiki. I can't wait to see it on my finger."

Hana holds her tight until Kiara's breathing becomes slower, calmer. She raises her newly-adorned hand for Kiara to see - marvelling at how the ring really mimics the glow of a snow crystal in the winter sun.

When they part, shyly, reluctantly, Hana begins to fiddle with the silk pouch.

"Here's what I'd gone to bring."

Kiara's eyes brighten at the sight of the box in her hand; a wave of warmth floods through Hana in anticipation of her response. Kiara gasps the minute she opens the box, revealing a delicate, intricately carved rose gold ring, flanked by small diamonds on all four corners, cradling a bigger one at the center.

"Rose gold," Kiara murmurs in wonder.

"Yes," Hana brushes her fingers over Kiara's knuckles. She'd told her once, long ago, how revered that metal was in her home province Bethulia. How Bethulian jewellers and goldsmiths and young women swore by the rosy hue it exuded. How it was a perfect amalgamation of three precious metals - all highly valued in the province. How tied it was to their folktales and bridal rituals.

"Copper..silver...gold." Kiara's tears glitter like diamonds before she lets them fall. "For friendship. For love. For belonging."

Hana smiles, her hand still stroking Kiara's cheek. "You remembered."

Kiara rolls her still-moist eyes, trying hard not to sniff - it would take out all the humour in this situation. "It's hard to forget a ritual we'd performed just ten minutes ago, ma moité."

"I'd planned to give you this ring a week from now," Hana says, shaking her head at her own impulsiveness as the ring she'd chosen on a fanciful whim so long ago, now finds its home. "I've been holding onto it for far too long."

Kiara caresses the stone on her own finger lovingly, admiring the way the rose gold glows on her skin. When she speaks, her voice is breathless in anticipation. "How long?"

For several minutes, Hana's only response is to pull Kiara back in her arms again. Her hand slides slowly, almost with a tinge of regret, down the dip of Kiara's waist on her left side. The wound that had once served as a constant, searing reminder of so much (of her vulnerability, of her inability to run from pain, of what she'd once considered her failures), has healed in more ways than one - only a faded scar that Hana never fails to kiss, now remains.

"For seven months," Hana's voice shakes at the memory, "Since the night after Homecoming Ball."

With a choked sob, Kiara enfolds Hana into her arms, almost as if she'd want to absorb her into every cell of her body. Fervently, reverently, she presses her lips all over Hana's face - her eyelids, her cheeks, the bridge of her nose, all the little-known, barely-noticed parts of her. It takes her a while - perhaps too long, in Hana's opinion - for Kiara's lips to meet hers, but she welcomes the sweet torture of waiting.

"Mon cœur," Kiara says between kisses, "ma raison de vivre."

When they part, the two women keep each other's hands interlinked, one left hand over the other. Neither of them will remember how long they stay at the lake; only that they never want this joy, this warm afterglow of seeing their dreams come true...to end.

The empty spaces on their ring fingers, over which they'd each stolen such secret, hungry glances today, now bear the mark of their lovers. Now bear the most tangible signs of their love, their memories, their promises, their commitment.

Together forever.

Translation:

Ma moité - a romantic endearment in French, meaning "my other half"

Qīn'ài de - Mandarin Chinese for "my dear"/"darling"

Bèn dàn - Mandarin Chinese cuss word that means "stupid egg!"

Mon cœur - French endearment, meaning "my heart"

Ma raison de vivre - French for "my reason to live"

References for Hana and Kiara's engagement rings:

Kiara:

(Source: Maxine Jewellery)

Hana:

(Source: This article on engagement rings, but the actual pic itself came from Blue Rose Photography)

#hana lee #the royal romance #the royal heir #the royal finale #hanaleeappreciationweek #HLAW #HLAW 2024 #HLAW Day 5 #HLAW Day 5: Romance #series: petals and thornes #lizzybeth1986 #content: fanfic

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princesssmars · 2 years

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i think im gonna like it here

a headcanon about marinette and adrien meeting reader for the first time.

contains : fluff, adrien and marinette being kinda whipped

a/n : this is how i cope with not liking this show anymore enjoy

from the first time they saw you, adrien and marinette knew they wanted you to know more about you.

you were a new student at collège drançoise dupont, trasnfering from a different country.

you had told the principal that you didnt know much about paris, only having visited when you were really young. and so he suggested 2 of his best students show you around.

they were lucky they were chosen and it wasnt up to who their teacher picked at will, because as soon as you walked into the room they could tell everyone was intrested in you.

the tour was just walking around and showing you parts of the school, giving them some periods off, making marinette rejoice that she had science off and adrien smiling at her.

as they walked you around campus, you introduced yourself and talked more about yourself, giving them your name (which they both thought was pretty)

after deeming them both alright, you told them more about your situation, how your parents were pretty wealthy and moved to a different country every few months, so you didnt really try to make new friends anymore.

they both understood, adrien even more so because of the pressures of his father.

after the campus tour finished, the pair asked if you wanted an actual tour around paris, and who could pass up two cute people willing to show you around a beautiful city?

adrien convinced the gorilla to drive you all to the places they wanted to show you, the first stop being mari's bakery for some snacks.

when you called one of the pastries the best you ever tasted, marinette blushed and became shy, saying it was a new recipe that she made.

her parents were in the kitchen and at the register, introducing themselves and asking you questions leading to mari rushing your little group of the cafe.

after this they take you to more spots around the city, some popular and some they reserved just for them.

the tour ended with them scaling a building, leaving you wondering 1. whay you were doing and 2. how these 2 were so strong ????

at the top, they both helped you onto the roof, maris hand giving you a pleastant chill and adriens a soothing warmth.

once you turned around you couldnt help but let out a breath at the signt of the gorgeous sunset and the skyline, the eiffel tower standing out amongst everything

for a while you sat in silence, until you felt a hand on your shoulder and a soft voice from your right asking, "i hope the silence means you like it, this is me and adriens favorite spot."

you reassure mari that the spot and the sight is beautiful, grateful that they brought you up here.

adrien nudges your shoulder, laying back with his arms propping him up,"dont forget it was my idea to being her here to cheer her up. hey, maybe you'll even start to like the city and convince your parents to stay."

"i think my pastries convinced her, thank you very much."

as the blonde and the bluette playfully bantered back and forth and the city of paris looked back at you, you found yourself with a feeeling of bliss you hadnt felt in a long time.

yeah, i think im gonna like it here.

i wrote this in like 2 hours crazy how if you just tell urself to write itll just happen !?!?! but anyway i hope you guys enjoyed this little thing since i wanted to write more about them after the poly miraculous ideas. i have a ladynoir x reader thing in my drafts that'll hopefully be finished soon <3

#adrien agreste #marinette dupen chang x reader #adrien agreste x reader #poly adrienette #adrienette x reader #miraculous ladybug x reader #miraculous ladybug #marinette dupen chang

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dandelionterminal · 3 months

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Invisible String Part 2 - Prologue II - His Butler, a Shadow

link to next part

tags: not beta read, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, like demon ranking stuff, Demon Deals, demon biology, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Family Feels, Platonic Relationships, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Song: invisible string (Taylor Swift), Cross-Posted on AO3, eventually part of a collection

characters: Sebastian Michaelis, Original female character

Summary:

-One single thread of gold tied me to you-

Demons, angels, and grim reapers roam the streets of London in the latter half of the 18th century. Adelaide DuPont knows that whatever killed her parents was not human. Someone, or something, killed them and left no trace. Adelaide and her brother, Luca, are left almost desolate. Their only hope is to get the Earl of Phantomhive on their side as an investor in their parents' company. Sebastian Michaelis is a leashed demon. However, that does not stop him from smelling his mate. He will not let the fate of humans in this world take her away from him. He can balance two goals at once. He can care for his master and convince his mate to return to the pits of Hell with him.

Adelaide Manon DuPont was born to her parents Elise DuPont and Alain DuPont on September 17, 1868, in France. She was a bright and cheerful child. Her hair was a vibrant red during her childhood but lightened and dulled with age. It settled into an almost pink strawberry blonde. She always loved to learn and create. Her parents fretted about her playing make-believe so much as a child. She always seemed to have imaginary friends that she would talk to and play with. She called them the most terrifying and archaic names. One she seemed to talk to the most was called Malphas and she described him as wearing feathers and having “really long nails”. She seemed to outgrow it though, as she got older. Little did Elise and Alain know that Adelaide simply stopped sharing her strange visions and visitors. Malphas stopped visiting her though in 1885. The family moved to London in 1870 in preparation for their company launch.

In 1873, Luca Gabriel DuPont joined the family. He was much quieter and withdrawn than his elder sister and was rather apathetic growing up. Luca did not enjoy make-believe or have imaginary friends. But he did listen to his sister whisper to her in the night. When Luca was around 12, he listened to his sister whisper to the shadows through a crack in her bedroom door.

“I’ve told you, monsieur, you cannot keep coming here. My family worries, I worry, that I am crazy,” she said to the shadows in the corner of her room. Luca squinted, trying to see what or who she was speaking to. That’s when he saw it, a faint golden glow around his sister’s ring finger. It led up to connect to something lurking in the shadows. An arm reached out of the shadows. Monstrous, long black nails on the hand tried to stroke his sister's cheek. She backed away in fear and Luca covered his mouth to stifle a gasp. “No,” she said firmly. “Do not touch me.”

The shadows moved, as if laughter was coming from a chest. “I am trying to prove to you that I am real,” the shadow said. Luca could not believe it. The imaginary friends, the delusions, of his sister were real. They were tangible, visible, and speaking audibly.

“No, you are not. You are in my head, you’re a part of my imagination that has gone on too long,” Adelaide said, throwing herself back in her bed and covering her head. “I will not see you anymore, Malphas.”

The shadow chuckled again and seeped back into hiding. “If you say so, Adelaide,” it said and then vanished into the night. Luca ran back to his room and pretended to have never seen anything. From that night on, however, he never heard Adelaide speak to the shadows again.

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One night, in 1886, the DuPont home caught on fire. The blazes were so large that the public did not believe there would be any survivors and the DuPont Confectionary Company would vanish into the night with the embers. However, once the blaze had died down, the children of the DuPonts were found unscathed, huddled together in a corner of the home. The 18-year-old heiress to the DuPont Confectionary Company and her younger brother were not burnt and barely coughed as they emerged from the still-burning coals of their home. The bodies of the former Earl DuPont and his wife were found to be burnt beyond recognition. From that moment on, the homeless DuPont heirs were shunned from society.

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Let me give you an example of the treatment of the DuPont heirs. After the fire, the siblings were invited to a ball with the ton. It was assumed that the heiress would find a husband during this ball. The siblings' aunt in Paris sent them nice garments to wear to the event. When the two walked into the event, the room fell hushed and ladies started whispering behind their fans. Adelaide walked up to a group of ladies she used to spend these high society events with only to overhear the whispers they were hiding behind their fans.

“Do you think it was Addie or her brother? We know one of them had to start it, right?” one of the ladies said, her perfect curls bouncing as she spoke.

“Oh of course. How else would they be unscathed but their parents burnt to a crisp?” another asked.

“Do you think that the DuPonts had that much money? Enough to risk your own life and well-being for?” the first one asked.

Adelaide pauses in her steps, head bowed to the ground. They were not there that night, she reminds herself. They did not know the screams, the horrors she had to endure that night. The sounds of tearing flesh and hellfire echoed in her and Luca’s ears every night when they closed their eyes. Even as she squeezed her eyes shut in the moment to try to blink away her tears she saw the smiles of those monsters in her vision. The obscene fangs and tongues were covered in her parents's blood. She had shielded her brother from their line of sight, protecting him. She did not know why they targeted her home or her family that night. One thing she did know for certain was that those creatures were not human. Her family was murdered, but they were not murdered by humans. And, as your narrator, I can confirm that she is correct.

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For the next year, the DuPont heirs struggled. It turned out that running a company on your own as a teenager was not an easy feat. The business seemed to be going down farther and farther. Part of the issue was the tainted name of DuPont. Everyone associated the candies the DuPont Company made with the fire and assumed familicide. Try as she might to clear their name, Adelaide could not convince the public that she and her brother did not kill their parents.

As the year went on, the siblings struggled more and more to make ends meet. Food got scarcer, sacrifices had to be made, and Adelaide started eating less. On the nights when she was the hungriest, she really missed talking to Malphas.

It was one of these nights that Adelaide started thinking. She had heard of Funtom company, and how the company was run by a child. She started to wonder if maybe, just maybe, he would take a chance on DuPont Company, on her and her brother.

#black butler #kuroshitsuji #sebastian/oc #sebastian x oc #sebastian x reader #sebastian/reader #oc backstory #fandom ocs

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heartbreakgrill · 2 years

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‘violent delights…’: elijah mikaelson pt. 1.

a/n: forced to make this into two parts cuz i broke tumblr…and the second will be up tomorrow :)

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description: take romeo and juliet, but romeo is elijah mikaelson, juliet is a lounge singer, and the thing dividing them is the sexist owner named fred. playlist.

request: @theoriginalariamonroe ty for letting me have creative freedom xoxo

warnings: lots of blood, violence, injuries, cursing, misogyny, cringey romeo and juliet references. allusions to an ab*sive relationship, mentions of death, etc.

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"ladies, gentleman, creatures of the night-"

a soft roll of laughter rumbled through the crowd as the club announcer's voice dropped low, with the tease of horror.

then, the renowned owner, fred lavigne, continued, his figure outlined in the dim, lavender stage lights, "please put your hands together for the one and only...juliette dupont!"

every body filling the walls of the club jumped to their feet, whoops and hollers filling the space between the music. it sung out from the speakers surrounding the stage, curling into the air sweetly, soulfully.

juliette dupont, dressed in her infamous purple evening gown, stepped into the same-shade spot light, the smoky air around her creating a hazey vision of beauty. she reached a gloved hand out before her, and wrapped it around the microphone displayed on its stand. the lights grew brighter as the music raised in volume. the club attendees were still glued on their feet, though their cheering quieted slightly. they anticipated her voice to cut through the night, ears practically perked like dog's.

then, she started singing...

"he left no time to regret-"

juliette's hip popped, hand poised perfectly on her waist, as the band intruded the rhythm of the song with a rehearsed beat, loud, teasing. the band held the note, juliette sayed still. the crowd cheered again in the intermittent silence.

juliette's lips curled into a smirk, anticipating her next phrase- "kept his dick wet-"

another pop from the drums. another pose. another cheer.

the tease continued, until they reached the 4th line of the song, "me and my head high...and my tears dry...get on without my guy!" by that line, the band was in full swing. juliette was commanding the entire room, swaying and swooning with ease, like she was the director of the room. everyone moved to her accord. she said jump, and they flung themselves.

juliette couldn't see much beyond the front row, due to the stage lights blinding her from above. but, the door to the establishment opened, drawing her gaze for a split second from the blaze of streetlights through the threshold. a figure stood in the door, emblazoned by the street lights. then, as the door shut, she lost sight of the tall, slender man. she continued on with her song, moving her eyes over the blackened crowd, gracefully. others came, but very few left the building- they were all entranced.

said man stood just inside the building for a moment, taking in the smokey club before him. he'd never been here before. he usually frequented his own part of town- but his family was starting to find him in even the tiniest nooks and crannies, so he was adventuring out, looking for a night cap.

he was happy he had picked this establishment. because, standing here, with this angelic voice singing softly through the speakers, he felt somewhat peaceful. though the music banged in his ear drums, and bodies pushed past him, the singer made the environment heavenly. his eyes lingered on her face, watching her glossy lips caress the crowd with gentle notes, words so carefully falling from her throat. she was absolutely beautiful.

and, her name was in big, purple LED lights beside the stage. juliette dupont. in all his years on this earth, he'd never met a juliette before. it was almost shakespearean, literally and figuratively. he was encapsulated by the singer, like romeo. may these violent delights have but violent ends.

the man took a seat at the end of the bar. he ordered one bourbon, on the rocks. and he curled into the dark corner, like a practiced star fixated in the night sky, like he belonged to the darkness. he planted a palm against his chin, and continued watching intently at the performance before him. he examined juliette's curves, shortly, before focusing on her face. she had soft, delicate features, but they were cut somewhat sharply by the makeup she wore.

juliette's eyes, a color the stranger could not recognize beneath the lights, scanned the audience. the dark figure was there, sitting just at the edge of the glowing round of the splot light. she swore they met eyes, and she played into it. that was her job- demand the audience, seduce them with her voice. she leaned forward slightly, one heeled foot dug into the stage before her. her manicured fingers wrapped around the mic, shoulders wriggling rhythmically. draw in the customers, rig their money. she was the siren, the club was a vast ocean. and she sung.

he smiled lightly at her, pleased at their interaction. she sent a wink towards the handsome stranger. he tipped his glass towards her, before she averted her attention again. it was nothing special for her, though he was attractive as he was. but, she couldn't focus on one person.

elijah reveled in the moment.

fred had moved back to his alloted seat behind the bar, slouched on a stool, coaxing back a glass of whiskey. he didn't pay attention as his employee sang- he never really did. he concerned himself, mostly, with alcohol, and bills. green ones. within the next few moments, like a hamster on a wheel, he'd start counting the drawers again, hastily checking to ensure every single penny was correct- only to end up in his pocket later that night.

but, before he could greedily count his coins, a fist rapped on the counter, just once, loud enough to make fred flinch. he glanced over his shoulder. the server was at the other end of the bar, mixing some drinks. so, fred turned back to his money. he licked his pointer finger and went to flip through some bills. but the same knock resounded.

"bar tender'll help you out, buddy," fred's real voice, not his practiced stage-play one, was gruff, southern drawled, and slurred. he tossed it over his shoulder.

the figure shook his head, a curt no. "no, thank you, sir. i'm not looking for a drink."

the club owner stood and faced the man. fred, many feet shorter than his overly-confident presence, shuffled about. he planted his hands on his hips, jutted out his beer belly, as if it made him taller. stiffly, "what are you looking for, huh?"

elijah mikaelson stepped forward, splayed his palms against the counter, looming, "a name."

fred's eyes searched the man's face, sharp edges and all. he thought elijah was scary looking. off-putting. "whose?"

elijah turned his head, locking his eyes on juliette dupont, who was now finishing up that opening song. she stood, breathing heavily in the bright spotlight, one hand poised against her waist, the other straight in the air, with the wrist limp and fingers curved up at the tips. powerfully feminine.

elijah beamed at her pose and, as the music for the next song wound up, he switched his eyes back to fred. "hers."

the club owner scoffed, lifted his depleting cigarette butt to his lips. "yeah, right, buddy. get in line."

fred turned back to his whiskey and went to take a drink of it, when that same fist knocked the counter again. he turned around, examined elijah's annoying smile. he knew his intentions. they were all the same. besides, fred didn't like trouble- and this creature of the night reeked of cautionary tales.

because he didn't like elijah's demeanor, he rambled off, growly, "listen, buddy, i know you're looking for more than just a name. i'm here to tell you to get in line. it'll never happen. and before you ask, she's not up for sale. we're a professional establishment, thank you very much." that was a lie. fred sold- somewhat innocently- her and the other's singer's companies constantly. the crowd work frequently extended beyond the stage. any regular at the establishment knew that. but, fred knew this man wasn't a regular.

elijah lowered his gaze as he laughed, "i don't want to buy her company." silly suggestion on fred's part.

he couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. elijah was good looking. attractive men always disrupted business with fred's singers. the club owner flicked his cigarette onto the counter carelessly. a fleck of ash landed on elijah's wrist. fred watched it burn his skin with a satisfied smirk. elijah, whose eyes were still downcast, slowly looked up. fred's eyes lingered on the burn that disappeared within seconds.

fred, off-put, met the man's eyes. they were dark, stormy. fred took a step back, fearful. elijah smirked, "i just want to buy her a drink."

the club-owner waved two frivolous hands, denying any and all possibilities. another lie. and his hands were shaking a little bit. "that's not going to happen, buddy. this ain't no strip club-" it had been, before fred was shut down, and he evolved the terms of his establishment under legal circumstances, just over 4 years ago.

elijah tilted his chin, smoldering down at the powerless man. "no?"

"no," fred took his turn to smolder. he slammed his palms onto the counter, "if you keep bugging me, i'll get security to throw you out. so you either sit down and shut up, or we can handle this outside."

elijah was, slightly, taken aback by the little man. fred was full of anger, and it amused elijah, to a point. he worried, though, for her- juliette. for her, and the other women who worked with her. for their safety. surely an angry little boss like fred caused problems quite freqeutnly. especially when he doesn't get what he wants.

elijah moved back to his seat at the end of the bar, frowning now. he ordered another drink and sipped infrequently as her set continued. when it came to a slow-burning end, elijah rose to his feet, clapping his palms together with everyone else. the lights rose slightly, allowing juliette to get a better look at the crowd. she blew kisses, red lips smudging on her fingers. a few people tossed flowers onto the stage.

fred eyed elijah, suspiciously, wandering if the creep would try anything. fred downed his liquor, and braced himself. he looked away for a moment, back towards his money. when he looked up, elijah was gone, his empty glass the only sign he'd ever been there. the owner looked around, wide eyed, and freaked out by the man's quick departure. he looked around the building, but didn't see him anywhere. fred shook his head of the worry thoughts. he had more important things to concern himself with, like his money, and his bourbon.

juliette continued thanking the crowd, joyous from the praise. she delighted as roses were thrown on the stage. the singer reached down to grab one, eyes still burning from the bright stage lights. her hand landed on another. she drug her gaze up from the ground, meeting the deep, midnight glance of the man before her. he held a purple rose between his pointer finger and thumb, a sweet smile on his face. elijah offered the flower to the singer. she smiled- a real, genuine grin- and took it from him. he quickly caught her other hand in his, holding her gaze as he placed a single, butterfly-awakening kiss against the back of juliette's hand.

and elijah thought to himself– "what's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

a few weeks passed sine elijah's first appearance. since then, he'd only frequented the club once or twice. he knew fred was suspicious of him. so he needed to keep some distance.

the performer looked for him every night. it was a pleasant surprise each time she spotted him at the end of the bar, in his self-proclaimed 'spot.' she would toss him a wink, a sweet smile. he would bring a single purple rose, kiss her hand, swoon her at the end of her set.

but he never tried for a conversation.

until tonight.

"thank you all for being so kind. all my love, new orleans! goodnight!" juliette sunk into her practiced bow, and she picked up a bouquet of red roses from the edge of the stage.

as she departed the stage, she stuck her nose into their silky embrace, inhaling the scent gratefully. it was one of her favorite parts about performing- soaking in the applause, the adoration. and the crowd's praise. the validation made her heart alight with valuation.

she thanked her band members in passing, on her way to her dressing room. and, when she finally shut the door behind her, her grin dropped. she was stone-faced. the singer slipped off her heels, shimmied out of her evening gown. she changed into a sweatshirt, leggings, fuzzy, socks. next, she sat before her vanity and began washing her face free from the makeup caked there. when she was finally finished getting undone, she tugged her bag over her shoulder, headed out the door.

the singer didn't have to stay tonight, didn't have to continue her painted smile. it was a rotated schedule between her and the other girls and tonight, luckily- if that's what luck was- she got to go home to the comfort of her bed and her cat. though she loved the crowd, she didn't like the individuals within it. many tourists saw the club as an attraction. but, maybe half of the club-goers were regulars- slimy, creepy men, with too much, time, and hormones on their hands.

fred was behind the counter, pouring over his money, as per usual. she pushed the divider up and back down to reach him. she splayed an empty palm in his line of vision once she was stopped at his side.

fred grunted in greeting, "next time, doll."

she took a deep breath, urging patience to find her. her fingers clasped shut, empty hand falling beside her. "you promised i'd get it tonight. i need groceries, fred."

he stood from his stool, barely an inch taller than her.. but, his attitude made him a dark tower, a controlling presence above her. "next time. we're short tonight."

she crossed her arms over her chest, "whatever." she pushed her way out from behind the counter and headed for the door. just as she exited the building, out onto the bustling streets of new orleans, she met eyes with a familiar figure.

elijah pushed off of the wall where he had been waiting, smile poised so sweetly on his face. if fred wouldn't tell him, he would find out for himself. "good evening."

she shifted slightly, arms loosening around her stomach. "hello." those dark eyes met hers again. they shone slightly under the streetlights, but the crevices of his pupils were dark. it was sweetly enticing- these stormy clouds he carried around. familiar butterflies tickled the girl's stomach. and she smiled.

he stepped towards her and held out his hand hand, "we haven't had a chance to meet. my name is elijah."

she lay her hand in his, watching as he bent forwards by his waist and kissed her knuckles. she liked when he did that; a responsive blush heated her face, "i'm y/n."

"ah?" he begrudgingly dropped her hand. her skin was warm, soft. "no juliette?"

y/n shook her head as she shrugged. "juliette's my stage name."

elijah's head nodded curtly, "ah, of course. well, y/n, i wanted to tell you that i thoroughly enjoyed your performance tonight. you are a fantastic singer."

y/n was used to compliments. when she'd go into the audience after shows, drinking with strangers, faux flirts dripping off her cherry lips, that's all she'd here. and she had to pretend like everyone's words were original. then, they tipped her- fred would take most of the money- and it drew back their business. she was more than used to people shoving their adoration down her throat with repetitive phrases.

for some reason, some strange twist of fate, those words on elijah's tongue sounded like a unique penmanship, like he was the first man to create words, syllables. he was the first human to see her standing there.

additionally, she'd never even told anybody her name before. she was never supposed to- it took away the appeal of her stage persona. and fred would have a cow if he knew she was talking to a customer, sharing explicit details of her life. she felt that elijah deserved to know, like he was worthy.

besides- she couldn't think about fred when elijah was talking to her, looking at her like he was.

"thank you," she brushed her hair behind her ear, perfectly done curls that were patted down with hair spray beginning to loosen on her shoulders, "it's nice to meet you, elijah."

a crowd of tourists pushed between them. y/n laughed loudly as she and elijah locked eyes, forced to back away to make room for the stomping escapade of people. she waved slightly, an assurance that she was good, and she wanted to come back in front of him once the group passed. elijah tilted his chin, grinning. y/n then glanced around and spotted an open spot against the wall to the shop next door, free of bodies. she met elijah's eyes again and pointed towards the gap. he nodded.

"sometimes i forget how busy it gets," y/n laughed as she pressed her back into the wall.

elijah stood beside her, shoving his hands into his pockets. "it's a busy city."

"yeah," she breathed out. the moment made her dizzy.

y/n looked up at the man, still chewing on her lip. she was sheepish, especially when elijah tilted his chin back down to take her in. "how long have you been performing?" his dark orbs searched her vision.

y/n blew out a raspberry, cheeks puffing out cutely from the expression. elijah beamed as her personality started to shine through. she thought, "'bout 4 or 5 years now. since i was 18."

he nodded encouragingly, intrigued, "that's a long time to be doing this. especially so young. you must be exhausted."

"oh, you wouldn't believe," she rolled her eyes with a short laugh, "but it can be rewarding." plus, i don't have a choice, y/n thought to herself. she bit back the notions- she couldn't go trauma dumping on this stranger just because he was attractive. and kind.

beats passed, as elijah ventured through her eyes again. he noticed a hesitation there, a loneliness, twisted within the exhaustion. she was lying, just a bit. so pushed past her uncomforted feelings and boldly asked, "i know this is...sudden, but may i take you out for something to eat? you must be famished after such a night. and i want to continue our conversation."

y/n glanced behind her shoulder, lips parted in a wanted response. she bit down on her bottom lip, pained, as she spotted fred through the window in the front door. his face made her remember her place. "i'm sorry," y/n turned back to elijah, "i can't. i've gotta get home. feed my cat."

elijah smiled, tight-lipped, "that's alright. another time." he couldn't lie- the rejection stung. but, he wondered if her look towards fred was the actual reason.

she couldn't help but grin at the handsome man before her. "another time."

elijah's smile opened up. so, it was because of fred. he was going to have be careful. more than he already was being.

after y/n bid farewell to her new friend, she watched him walk away, moving carefully, elegantly, through the crowded streets. her chest pattered, heart skipping a beat, her stomach whirling. elijah heard the rhythm of her navel, he nearly laughed at himself. don't get too hopeful, he thought.

y/n knew it would never happen. it couldn't. fred had eyes everywhere, all over new orleans. and fred liked to think that y/n- juliette, whomever- belonged to him. it was a star-crossed affair, and she should jsut let it go before it grew into conflictual belonging.

y/n made herself remember on her walk home what was at stake. a singular, fleeting moment couldn't be worth all the money she owed fred. no, it was probably worth her life.

–

another night, another crowd.

y/n stood backstage, feet aching in her 4 inch heels, toes crushed by the pressure of the deep arch. she swayed from foot to foot, the length of her dress balled up in her fist. she fanned herself generously, as sweat formed on her upper lip, between her armpits.

fred stood in front of y/n, peering around the curtain of the small stage, like a giddy child. "i think this is our biggest night, yet, baby."

she stood beside him, nearly coughing in the air of his cheap cologne, and followed his gaze to the crowd. the club was full to the brim, bodies lining every chair, every inch of wall. a small smile painted her cherry lips. the nerves vanished. this was what really made her stay- her debts be damned. this was what kept her alive sometimes. the rush of the room, the spike of adrenaline in her veins.

"that's so exc-"

"listen," fred turned back to her, grabbing either of her biceps as an interruption of her excitement, "you better give your best tonight, kay? stick to the music and the script. no funny business between sets."

y/n's face fell slightly. she tugged herself out of his hands, let her dress fall back around the dirty floor. last night, she had ad-libbed a few lines, told a joke to the crowd. she had forgotten she was juliette, and laughed a little too loudly. like y/n did. fred chewed her out after the show, threatened to hit her with a raised hand. she was a cog in his frivulous machine.

"okay."

fred patted her cheek with his palm. she flinched hard at the familiar positon. he ignored it. "alright, dolly," he flashed a thumbs up, and stepped out onto the stage.

she listened intently as he spoke to the audience, her heart aching from the interaction. ee never wished her good luck anymore- so she should just get over it. but, she missed when the magic was shared with someone- when she had support, a fan who knew her heart beyond the stage. fred used to be that person for her. he really did used to be more loving towards her, too. things changed, she supposed. stress, money, owning clubs like he did- it changed him. or perhaps the more obvious excuse she tried not to focus too much on was that he was just a manipulative ass-

"juliette dupont!"

she painted on her smile, strutting onto to the stage and into the lights. her body went numb with presence, dissociating from any nerves she could've felt, any sense of identity she had offstage. she shed her old skin and filled out the mannequin onstage. juliette began singing her signature song, moving along to the beat of the band.

towards the end of her song, the front door popped open, and in moved a tall, familiar figure. y/n's heart skipped a beat, and she missed a pose as the song moved faster. she caught herself, smile never faltering as she performed the song. nobody even noticed the mistake.

she couldn't see elijah anymore, as the spotlight arched over her body, binding her vision. but her eyes wandered the shadowy, smokey figures of the crowd, trying to find him. to find his comforting presence.

it was no use.

by the end of the set, y/n was feeling jittery. she wanted to speak to this familiar stranger again. she wanted him to be outside the club, leaning against the wall, with kind words lingering in the fleeting air between them. the way he looked at her- the way his brown shimmered in the moonlight. it all made her giddy with anticipation.

but she knew she couldn't.

so, she stopped herself in her tracks. y/n had gotten in her head. she took deep breaths, eyes fluttered close, caged her thoughts back to work, her job, her money, and fred.

y/n bee-lined for her dressing room, peeling off her heels. fred appeared through the stage door, though, cigarette in the corner of his lips, whiskey glass spilling as he hobbled to her. "uhuh, doll," he wiggled a finger. "you're on the floor tonight." he was wasted.

she wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, brows furrowed, disappointed. did she read the schedule wrong? "i thought it was fiona and delaney."

"delaney did last night. it's your turn, baby. get out there and make daddy some money," fred moved closer, and wrapped an arm around her waist.

y/n shuddered a deep breath, trying not to focus too much on his grip, his reek of cologne and alcohol. "okay."

fred squeezed her hip, "that's my girl."

y/n slipped her heels back on, raising her nearly half a foot taller than fred. he really was weak- tiny. yet he made her feel so small. he winked, finally took his hand from her waist. fred hobbled, back out the door to the club. y/n rolled her shoulders back, taking a deep breath, before following his blazoned path.

a few club-goers cheered as she stepped out of the door, painted grin greeting them. juliette blew kisses and waved delicately. a few men crowded around her, drinks offers being thrown around like paper confetti; careless, insubstantial offerings. she let them touch her, her waist, caress her cheek. juliette took pictures with a few tourists, signed some of the photos fred sold up at the bar. he was right there beside her, plucking cash from people's hands like a bird pecking at seeds on the ground. juliette let two men guide her to the bar.regulars. fred shambled after them, demanding sums of moneyto touch her.

elijah was watching from the other end of the bar. "ironic," he mumbled to himself. so, fred did like to sell juliette's time when the men weren't 6'0 tall and intimidating like elijah was.

elijah coaxed some bourbon down his throat, and as he swallowed, his eyes focused in on juliette. y/n. he didn't care about the men showering her, or fred. just her. she slid upon a stool, tilted her head back to laugh at something one of the slimy men said. she carried herself so wonderfully- like a gust of wind, controlled yet somehow free-flowing. her hair shone under the dim lights of the club, ringlets caressing the curve of her neck like a kiss. he couldn't see her eyes very well, but he knew they were probably still full of life, so wondrously bright and warm.

god, she was beautiful.

he turned his head forward and waved a finger at the bar tender. the server strutted over, leaned upon the counter, "another bourbon, sir?"

elijah curtly shook his head, pressing his chin into the palm of his hand. "no, thank you. would you send a cosmopolitan, for the beauty at the end of the bar. and, could you somehow make it purple?"

the bar tender followed elijah's gaze as it focused on y/n. he chortled, and pointed to fred, "the owner charges $10 extra on drinks for the performers."

elijah leaned back in his stool, and tapped his fingers against the counter. "purple cosmo, please."

so, the bar tender went to work, mixing the lavender-hued drink quickly. elijah continued to watch juliette. who grinned, accepting a drink offered to her from the man on her left. it was a shot of tequila. she cheers-ed with the club goers, before tapping the shot glass onto the counter, and tilted her head back to slide it down her throat- no! she tossed it over her shoulder, emptying the liquid onto the floor behind her. elijah saw fred roll his eyes at her antics. the former man bit both his lips, holding in a pleased laugh. that was y/n.

then, the bar tender moved down the counter, setting the drink before juliette. she pressed a hand over her heart, thanking him graciously. elijah watched her cherry lips form the question, "who's it from?"

the bar tender pointed to elijah. then, fred, the two men, and juliette followed his finger. elijah dipped his chin, raised his glass in a short wave, grinning. fred rolled his eyes, again, and the two men beside juliette looked between each other grimly. oh, did elijah feel pleased with himself.

y/n's smile brightened, her hand raising and waving wildly with excitement. fred reached a hand forward and pinched her side. she seemed to remember herself and her hand dropped to her lap. her smile stayed.

elijah watched as the two men went back to stuffing her ears with their voices. his face was a little warm with anger at fred's balls.

but, as she admired her drink, absentmindedly nodding along to the men, elijah could care less about anybody but her. she wrapped her pretty red lips around the straw, and took a sip of the liquor. it left a red lip print on the straw.

she looked over, again, towards elijah, and her heart sunk when she saw his seat was empty.

fred followed her gaze, glaring. he added this second disappearance to the list of reasons why he ought to watch out for the strange customer.

he had suspicions- and god forbid he be right. elijah would have more to worry about then catching y/n's affections.

–

elijah was there every night from then on. he watched from the same stool, nursing the same glass of whiskey, wearing the same, glowing grin. almost every night, too, he gifted y/n with a purple cosmopolitan. she was always grateful for the drink. it was just enough alcohol to get her through the conversations with the men who crowded her. and it was beautiful. purple was her favorite color. that was the only part of her character that was true to y/n- the color scheme. lavender, the hazey color of tender romance.

and she couldn't help but admit that she enjoyed his presence. it was growing ever-friendlier. comforting. consistent. when she felt anxious on stage, rigid during her visitations, she simply found his gaze. and his sweet smile would coax her down. she barely knew anything about him- but you could always tell the type of person based on their eyes.

and his were like a golden-brow ray of sunshine, piercing her with homeliness.

elijah always left after sending her the drink, though. she would look for him, down at the end of the bar, after taking a sip. and his seat would be empty. it was touch and go- a gentle routine, one that tickled y/n. he wasn't demanding her attention, her time. he wasn't flashing his money and stealing her company with dollar bills.

elijah was just there- a fixture. a fly on the wall.

it was strange, to say the least. but she enjoyed their game of cat and mouse. y/n anticipated the day they would speak against, the day she'd walk out of the club, and he'd be waiting for her, leant against the wall. to hear his voice was to be seen. she wanted him to ask her out- even if she'd have to reject him. she wanted to know that elijah craved her like y/n yearned for him.

she'd catch these lights before they flew away from her. at night, she'd scribble them all down in the journal. try to be mindful throughout the day, and and ignore them as they pecked at her skull.

however, one night, when he ordered her drink, he slipped a note to the bartender. a napkin, filled with messy, scrawled handwriting. elijah knew he was on thin ice. he knew fred was watching him carefully. he kept telling himself he would lay off, stop coming around so much. but, then he'd see on that stage, sitting at that bar. and he'd forget danger. forget about anything but her.

the bartender, a friendly coworker to y/n, made sure fred was looking away when he slipped it to her. "parting is such sweet sorrow that i shall say goodnight till it be morrow."

y/n grinned wider than she ever thought possible. it was a passage from romeo and juliet. so, elijah seemed to be a hopeless romantic. it only made the thoughts stronger, her affection fonder. it made it much more difficult for her.

fred peered over shoulder. luckily, y/n heard his breathing before he could peek a glance at the note. she stuffed it down her bra. when she got home, she pinned it on the white board stuck to the front of her fridge.

the next day, before the show, she started rereading romeo and juliet.

a month had passed since he first introduced himself. since he first began viewing her shows. and that day, that non-existent, yet treasured anniversary, was going to prove to be the day y/n had been waiting for.

y/n walked out of the club, a little giddy because fred had given her a bigger pay out than usual. she had planned on it using it to buy a new book she'd been eyeing. and tomorrow was her day. her focus was pointed down, at her purse, as she shoved the wad of cash into her wallet. the door pushed open at impact to her shoulder, and it swung shut with a soft click.

a throat cleared to her left, and y/n flinched harshly at the sound. she looked up from her bag, jaw clenched with fear. her gaze met elijah's, warm from his smile, and her shoulders relaxed.

"you scared me," she grinned, busy hands dropping to her sides.

elijah stepped forward, arms crossed behind his back, suit pristine and sharp. "my apologies, y/n."

her name, her actual name- not some stupid stage-name- sounded so beautiful. it shivered her heart. "it's okay."

elijah hesitated before continuing, "how are you?"

y/n thought for a second or two. it wasn't often that anybody asked how she was. club goers wanted to know only a handful of things- if she would do a shot, what she was wearing beneath her evening gown, or if she would sing their favorite song. nobody ever asked how she was. not fred, not the other girls, who were jealous of her spotlight. her cat couldn't speak much. and the cashier at the super market didn't count.

nobody but elijah had asked her this in weeks. maybe months.

"i'm...okay," she answered, honestly. a deep breath trembled off her elbows. "you?"

"i am doing well, thank you," elijah dipped chin. "i don't mean to be rude, and pester you...but i was wondering..."

y/n's smile widened as he trailed off. she'd been thinking about him for weeks, about this specific possibility. the fact that he was standing here, asking her out again- she just had to say yes. fred be damned. she wanted to be known, to know him. so what if fred cursed her out, if he hit her. the good was always worth the bad.

"im starving," y/n admitted. "there's a diner down the road. do you like breakfast food?"

elijah furrowed his brows, "i love waffles." y/n giggled in response. he was so...serious. stiff. the fact that he loved waffles was extremely adorable.

elijah stepped to the side and gestured with his hand, "after you."

they fell into step on the sidewalk, pushing through the crowds carefully. each time someone bumped into y/n, he pressed a steady hand onto her back, ensuring her steps weren't interrupted. she'd look up at him, skin scorching under his touch. and they would share this adoring smile. it was indescribable. you just had to be there.

when they finally reached the diner, y/n's stomach was growling. she was grateful he couldn't hear it. and he tried not to laugh out loud each time his super hearing picked up on it.

she chose a booth towards the back of the diner, one where the light bulb above was nearly burnt out. she ordered a water and an oreo milkshake. elijah asked for a coffee.

y/n laughed after he ordered his drink. he looked to her and rose a brow, "what?"

y/n tucked her hair behind her ears, "a coffee? this late? are you going to be able to sleep?"

elijah shrugged, "i don't sleep very often."

y/n crinkled her nose, "insomnia?"

elijah shook his head. "i just...don't like to."

she giggled again, "o...kay. well, tomorrows monday. so, don't you have work? you need sleep to work."

elijah shook his head again. "i don't work."

"you're very strange. and cryptic. you're not a serial killer, are you?" she pointed to him accusingly, a smile on her face. she knew he had to be rich, rich if he could afford those drinks he bought her every night and not work. not that she cared much about money- she was just trying to know him better.

elijah swallowed another laugh, "no, no. i promise i'm not. and; i know i'm strange. i apologize for that."

"you don't have to apologize. im strange, too."

the waitress set their drinks down upon the table. y/n reached for a straw, opened it, and took a big swig of her milkshake. her real personality was forming, tried and true before him. it was so pleasant.

elijah stirred some creamer into his coffee as the waitress asked, "y'all ready to order?"

y/n laughed, quickly opening her menu. "i forgot to even look."

elijah watched her face as she scanned her eyes down the pages of the menu. she felt his gaze and glanced up, "look at your menu, weirdo. she's waiting."

elijah looked to the waitress, who popped a hip and crossed her arms. she was very annoyed, even though the diner wasn't busy. elijah quickly dipped his head and flickered his eyes across the menu's pages. he sneakily peeked over the top at y/n, whose menu was already folded in front of her. she blushed as they met eyes.

"i'll just have two chocolate chip pancakes. and a couple chicken strips. please?" y/n handed her menu to the waitress, averting her eyes from elijah's. "thanks."

the two women looked back to elijah, who was still flicking through the menu. he looked a little stressed by the pressure their gaze enforced. y/n reached forward, tugging the menu out from beneath his gaze. he looked at her, a little stunned. she handed it off to the waitress, "he'll just have three waffles. yeah?"

elijah stared blankly, "s-sure."

"cool. thank you, ma'am," y/n called after the waitress, her southern accent bleeding through more noticeably. the latter woman flicked her wrist back at them.

y/n crossed her arms over the table in front of her. she propped a chin up on her fists, gazing curiously, "so...elijah."

he tilted his head, a grin creeping up on his face. she looked so beautiful in this faded lighting. "y/n?"

"tell me about yourself!" she raised her hands. "you're, like...my stalker. and i don't know anything about you."

elijah chortled, "there's not much to know."

"don't be cryptic or else i'll leave," y/n warned with a pointed finger.

elijah sat back, leaning his wrists on the edge of the table. "might i ask why you agreed to this?"

y/n shrugged, resting her arms again. "i'm intrigued by you. you come in every single night, and you never speak to me. you just buy me a drink...like what kinda game is that?"

he replied, "i enjoy your singing. and...i don't want to be non-gentlemanly by hovering like those people do."

y/n drug her eyes over his face, squinting slightly. "...are you, like, one of those self-proclaimed nice guys?"

elijah furrowed his brows, taking a sip of coffee despite his confusion. "a...what?"

"you know," y/n crossed her arms, "guys who think basic social expectations deserve to be rewarded with sexual favors. like, if you're nice to be during this conversation, and you pay for dinner, you're gonna expect me to send you a picture of my boobs later."

elijah's bottom lip fell from his top, brows drawing tighter together, wink king his forehead. "people like that exist?"

y/n widened her eyes, smiling at the exchange. "what century are you from?"

she scanned his face as his eyes flickered. her smile faltered- wait- why did he look like he was actually from a different century?

"are you- nevermind." y/n began to sarcastically inquire before cutting herself off with a laugh. he was weird, and she loved it. "just look it up online."

"what is the online?" he cleared his throat, hoping she would move past her suspicious looks.

y/n simply burst out laughing, bent forward over the table, her shoulders shaking. elijah couldn't help but grin. her laugh was ridiculously cute.

"the online?" y/n emphasized. "no, it's just online. the internet. the web. you can look stuff up there."

elijah oh'ed, pink lips parted. then, the waitress interrupted the moment by placing their before them. hungry silence filled the space between them as they settled in with their food. y/n took a big bite, and elijah started cutting up his waffles."

"so...anyways-" y/n started,

elijah matched her words, "anyways-"

their eyes latched onto one another. they laughed.

"go ahead," elijah waved at her with his fork.

y/n chewed, covering her mouth with her hand, and swallowed before continuing, "so...now that i know you're a time traveler, i'm completely sold. tell me about yourself. full name, age, why you are weirdly rich but don't go to work...go!"

elijah looked thoughtful. he wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and answered, "my full name is elijah mikaelson. i am 30 years old. i have...investments that don't require my full attention. so, i spend my time trying to live a fulfilling life. literature, film, music. i enjoy it all. plus, this city is full of culture. and i am but a consumer."

y/n smiled, watching him speak. he was just...ethereal. interesting. then, elijah motioned to her with his coffee cup before taking a sip.

"oh," y/n cleared her throat, "mine's not as fun; i'm y/n y/l/n...uh, i'm 22. i unfortunately do not have the luxury to explore the city. in fact, since i moved here four years ago, i've not once stepped outside of my district. i go to work, sometimes the bookshop below my apartment, and home. that's all. though, i'd like to use your time travel powers sometime to slow the world down for me. i need a day to myself, ha."

elijah frowned as she finished rambling. "so, you've never explored the city?"

y/n shrugged, "nope. i don't have the time. or money."

"do you get any days off from the club?" elijah inquired.

"usually sundays. just that one day, though."

elijah set his fork down, wiped his mouth with the napkin again, and dropped his hands to his laps. he looked...annoyed? "how much do you even get paid?"

conventionally, that was a rude question. but elijah wasn't offensive. y/n could tell. "enough for rent. fred takes the rest," y/n's throat tightened a little. she looked down at her plate.

"and why does he do that? that's money that you obviously work very hard to earn. he can't just...take it," elijah demanded. he was starting to hate this fred guy.

y/n clutched her fork, "uh, he can, actually. it's just...complicated." she went silent.

elijah didn't press. he could tell that y/n was uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. so he laid off. he asked her a question about this bookshop, and enjoyed the shift as her face lightened up with a bright, beautiful grin.

but, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. he wondered if he should actually start hanging around more, and make sure that this fred character wouldn't lay a finger on her.

he would simply not be able to live with himself if anything happened to y/n, he decided within that moment. his own safety didn't matter anymore.

–

they were risking everything.

fred would not be happy with her for going to a diner with a customer- a man, someone who wasn't him. and he definitely would not be happy to learn that their friendship did not stop there. he would be furious to know that she saw him again and again.

but they couldn't stop it, the snowball.

the second of many was on another night like before. he asked her on another diner date. y/n, rightfully worried about fred, told him no.

"but you can walk me home?" she counter-offered, after an anxious glance over her shoulder. fred's body guards were littered by the door, the bar, and the stage. fred himself was counting money furiously.

they could stick to the edge of the sidewalk, against the buildings, in the dark. no one could see them if they kept moving. yeah, that could work. she could have her cake and eat it, too. this could be okay.

elijah pursed his lips, the small smile on his face tugging one onto y/n's. "as long as you'll let me carry your bag."

y/n giggled, holding up her purse. "you can handle the strange looks from tourists?"

oh, if only she knew what elijah had been through. carrying a woman's purse was nothing compared to all he'd done and all he'd seen. it was a walk in the park, almost literally.

and, so he walked her home, carrying her pink purse confidently over his shoulder.

they talked and talked and talked. so much so, that, at certain points, y/n would run out of breath. elijah would chuckle as she'd interrupt herself with an, "oh, my gosh, hang on-" and take deep breaths. and, then, she'd jump back into a story from her childhood.elijah chimed in, here and there, but she devoured the conversation.

and he could not mind it. becauae elijah was qucikly convinced she could read him the bible and he would become a devout christian just because she had religion on her lips.

"this is me," y/n interrupted herself once she noticed her apartment was right there in front of them.

she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket, a blush rolling over her face. she always hated saying goodbye- it was corny, and awkward.

elijah stood, holding onto the strap of her purse, admiring the bookstore before him. "this is a beautiful building."

y/n grinned. he appreciated ordinary things. "i think so, too. im very lucky to have landed it."

elijah turned to her, handing off her purse. "i'll have to stop by sometime and meander the bookstore."

y/n nodded, "you should! it's a hole in the wall. but, they are closed on sundays. and that's usually my day off- not that you were at all suggesting you wanted to come with me. sorry, that was-" y/n blushed deeper, annoyed at her own suggestive thoughts.

"i was," elijah interrupted. of course that's what he meant.

she looked to the cheeky smile on his face. "well, maybe i'll talk to fred and see if he'll let me get a different day off."

"you should. he really should give you more days off anyways. it's unethical," elijah replied, letting his own thoughtful opinions spill. he noticed that comment made y/n uncomfortable. she bit her lips and looked, uncomfortably, down at the sidewalk. elijah made a note to never mention fred, and picked back up the conversation's original subject, "i am interested in knowing what books you enjoy."

"you can always tell the type of person by the type of book they like," y/n finished his probable thought. "well, i know you like romeo and juliet. but, what is your favorite book?"

elijah appreciated that she was dragging this out. he stepped to the side as a person came running down the sidewalk, bright neon pants suggesting he was exercising. he touched y/n's shoulder, reflexively protecting her. his fingers lingered for a second, basking in the warmth bleeding through her jacket from her skin.

he sheepishly dropped his hand, "the stand. stephen king."

"you're so hot," y/n slipped out. she shocked herself, and her jaw fell open for a moment. then she saw the blush paint over elijah's cheeks, and the goofy smile he wore in response. she grinned widely, giggling at her own foolishness. "sorry. that is just a really good choice."

elijah chuckled, too, shaking his head. he rubbed a hand against his cheek, willing away the red there. "thank you?"

they continued to laugh for a moment or so, before y/n continued, "mine is little women."

elijah nodded approvingly, "a classic. so are you of the belief that jo and laurie should have ended up together?"

y/n frowned deeply, scrunching her nose, and shaking her head slowly. "if they ended up together, it would have ruined the entire premise of the story."

then, she watched his eyes for a moment, and her face slowly fell as she recognized the shame swimming within his dark pupils. "no...elijah- no!"

he grinned cheekily and shrugged. "what can i say? im a sucker for friends who become lovers!"

"yeah, me, too- but- but- no! no, you can't!"

their argument didn't end there, not by a longshot. they spent a minutes- probably closer to about 20- just countering each other's points for their personal beliefs. though he thought she beautiful, she just could not sway him.

then, y/n happened to look down at her phone screen and she was shocked by the time. they bid farewell. she rushed upstairs after closing the door to her steps. he had waited until he heard the lock to her door click to. she watched him from the window. he lingered on the sidewalk with that handsome grin on his face. he kicked a rock across the concrete, before shoving his hands in his pockets, and beginning to walk away.

y/n smiled brightly, and let out a soft sigh. elijah's ears pricked up at the sound. he turned back towards her apartment, and spotted her in the window. y/n gasped as he met her eyes. she fell to her knees, praying to whatever god that he hadn't seen her.

he simply bit back a wider smile, and continued on his way home.

–

a week had passed since the walk home. elijah, begrudingly, stayed away from the club. he didn't want to risk y/n's safety too much. it pained him to not see her face, though.

so, he finally started coming back. the week without his face was awful for her. she was hopeful each time she went on stage, and that hope got diminsihed by his absence. when she spotted him there, in his spot, she couldn't help but grin.

he beamed back, raising his glass to her.

then, they saw each other throughout the week, at the club. elijah continued to buy her drinks, and y/n continued to exchange longing gazes across the bar. he'd always leave too soon, and although y/n wished he would stay, she knew that it was for the best. fred would grumble in annoyance elijah's deserted seat every night. he was suspicious of elijah, though she didn't know why. probably because he was handsome and made y/n shine through juliette's demeanor. y/n just hoped nothing would happen to elijah. though it would be her fault if it did. fred was...territorial. and she was practically dangling meat in front of the dog.

on saturday evening, after y/n was finished entertaining club-goers, she retired to her dressing room. she changed her clothes, washed off her makeup, and was ready to leave, go home, and enjoy her day off. elijah had not shown that night, which was probably for the best. fred was in a particularly bad mood.

a knock came from her dressing room door just as y/n was tugging her purse strap over her shoulder. her posture slumped when she turned her head and saw fred pushing through the door frame. "you're coming in tomorrow," he stated, matter of factly, with his pudgy hands on his hips.

y/n frowned, already sunken stomach even more panged, "what? no, tomorrow is my day off."

fred raised a pointed finger, and y/n flinched, taking a step back. he squinted his eyes at her, angry at her defiance, "you're coming in tomorrow. 9pm. i won't make you stay after, but i need you to perform. delaney's sick."

"well-" y/n stuttered, face red hot, "well, can i get monday off or something? i can't work this many days in a row. i-i'll get sick, too."

fred lowered his hand and thought for a moment. he sighed, as if he actually felt guilty. "fine. monday. but, you better come in tomorrow with a better attitude."

y/n tried to smile sweetly at him, though there were exhausted tears brimming her eyes. "thank you so much, freddie."

she stepped past him, ready to go home and pass out before she had to be back here. fred grabbed her wrist, halting her to a firm stop. "cmon, baby, give me some sugar."

y/n trembled under his hand, as it snaked around her waist, pulling her firmly against his side. she took a deep, shaky breath, before leaning her head over towards his and kissing his cheek.

fred hummed as she displayed the forced affection. he squeezed her hip and said, "alright, doll. get outta here."

how gracious of him.

she rushed out of the club, nearly running home, with tears streaming down her face. y/n was just so, so tired. and fred was pushing her to a limit she didn't want to reach. she wouldn't be able to come back from that.

y/n jammed her key into the door knob that opened to her stairwell, shaking still. a voice appeared over her shoulder, calm, yet laced with gentle worry.

"are you alright?"

y/n twisted her head, hair whipping across her shoulder in a frenzied fear. she let out a huff when she met elijah's eyes, relieved, "you scared me."

he flashed a small smile, "my apologies. a-are you alright? you're shaking."

y/n looked down at her hands and saw them doing exactly as he said. she laughed at herself, sniffling, "oh, god. i just- i'm tired. i'm okay. just-just tired, yeah."

elijah nodded, though a piercing in his eyes showed he didn't fully believe her. "i was going to wait outside the club, but...i think i should stay away from that place for a while. fred doesn't particularly seem to like me. i hope it's okay, i've met you here."

y/n nodded and tried to smile, "yeah, yeah, it's fine. i was actually...looking forward to see you. i-i have some decent news." a breeze whipped through the street, and y/n shivered. she tugged her jacket tighter across her body.

elijah stepped forward, waving towards the apartment, "would you like to go inside?"

she turned back to the door, where the key was hanging from the lock. "uh, no. i'm sorry. you're a friend, but i still don't know you so well. it's probably best we stay out here."

lie. her apartment was messy, and she was afraid if they were alone, within a closed confinement, she may do something she'd regret. in public it was fine, easy to remind herself that he was a million miles out of reach. but behind closed doors- there would be no way to keep her thoughts from racing, to keep her fingers still at her side.

elijah tilted his head down as if to say he understood. "no apology is necessary. so, what's this good news?"

"oh, yes!" y/n grinned and clasped her hands together excitedly, "so, unfortunately, i now have to work tomorrow-"

"what?" elijah scoffed. "but it is supposed to be your off-day."

"i know, i know," y/n waved him away, her incessant positivity bleeding through any complaints she could have, "i'm not happy about it. but, i'm gonna have monday off. so, i was thinking- maybe we could go to the bookstore. you could show me around the city a little, all the stuff i've been missing out on? o-only if you'd want to."

elijah nodded encouragingly, brushing off her hesitance, "that sounds absolutely lovely! i am very excited for monday, then. in the meantime, would you like me to stop by the club tomorrow? maybe seeing a warm face will make the unexpected night less terrible for you."

"that's okay," she replied. "fred probably knows you don't go there on sundays, so if he sees you, he might get suspicious about whether or not we see each other outside of the club..."

"remind me again why it matters what he thinks?" elijah bluntly let spill. hands sunk into his pockets.

y/n swallowed thickly, averting her eyes from elijah to her manicured nails. it was a distraction so she didn't have to let him see her shame. "elijah, you have to understand something. fred is...very powerful. and dangerous. he can do things..." she gulped and she finally looked to him, hoping it would be impactful enough for him to lay off, "just, trust me when i tell you. you don't want to screw around and find out what might happen. okay?'

elijah didn't press. his eyes lingered on her fearful expression for a moment, before he sighed and said, "okay. i won't come." he had to give this up right now so that she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. stick it in the back of his mind and pick it up later. later, when he'd earn more of her trust, and figure out a way around this bridge between what he knew they both really, truly wanted.

"so, what are you gonna show me monday?" y/n wrapped her arms around her stomach, still shivering.

elijah stared at the goosebumps on her arms. he wanted to give her his jacket, but he didn't. "the french quarter, maybe. i know you're stage name is french, so you must be intrigued by the culture."

"oh, yes!" she scrunched up her nose, "oh, i can't wait! i'm going to buy some macarons, some cheese. ooooo, wine! ugh!"

elijah was delighted by her excitement, "it pleases me very much how much joy just discussing this brings you."

y/n simply grinned back, "i'm just happy to finally have a friend, despite the circumstances."

oh, ouch. elijah couldn't deny that the word stung a bit. obviously, he knew they weren't explicitly seeing each other. but he knew it was more romantic than acquaintances. and he knew she felt it, too. her heart rate, her pheromones, her longing gazes and lost-smiles; all signs led to a sure-fire mystique. though he felt a little self-conscious by the words, he tried not to linger on it too much. but his heightened emotions made him sensitive.

"you know what i want to see?" y/n continued on.

elijah looked up from the dirty ground, met her eyes. "what's that?"

"your house," she flicked her brows up, a devious smirk on her face. "i wanna see just how wealthy you actually are."

elijah made a humourously surprised face, "really? out of everything in this city, my house? you're a strange girl."

"says you! the old weirdo with inexplicable amounts of random money." she giggled, waving her hands wildly, "besides, i always love seeing people's houses. especially in this city. the architectures really cool."

elijah nodded yes, "alright. we can do that. so long as you let me buy you dinner."

y/n rolled her eyes playfully, "are you gonna pretty woman me?"

he furrowed his brows, pursing his lips i. a confused frown. "pretty what?"

"pretty woman me..." she quirked a brow as if he should know, "oh...right. forgot you're like a thousand years old and modern references don't connect. think of it, like...cinderella. in the movie, a wealthy guy helps out a poor stripper and makes her an established members of society. are you gonna make me go from rags to riches?"

elijah shook his head, head tilted downwards. then, he peered up through his lashes, a boyish grin on his face, "my dear, i think you'd look just as beautiful to me in a ball gown as in a garbage bag."

y/n sucked both lips in between her teeth, biting back the biggest grin she'd ever felt prickling at her cheeks. a swell rose in her chest and her heart sped off. "well...i don't either of us could say anything better than that, so...goodnight, elijah."

prideful shoulders rolled back, he bid adieu. he watched her walk inside, and waited to hear the lock click on her door before leaving. y/n let out the breath she was holding.

nothing can come of nothing. but, god, this was becoming everything.

–

y/n managed to get out of the club by 3am. she raced home, showered quickly, and popped a melatonin. usually, she'd settle in for the night, let sleep overcome here. but she knew she wouldn't be able to do so. her veins rattled with excitement. at 10am, she woke up, a little groggy and very sore from the night before, as per usual. but she was too anticipation-ridden to worry about her messed up sleep schedule.

she quickly made her bed- a rarity- fed flo, and brewed a cup of coffee. as it finished it's slow drips into her favorite mug, y/n turned on some music. it was the first time in a very long time that she had woken up in such a good mood. she usually cursed the sunlight since she'd become a forced night- inhabitant.

when she was done getting ready, it was nearing 11:00. they agreed, during their sidewalk-lingering conversation the other night, that that time was perfect. the bookstore opened at that time, too. so they'd manage to get there before rush hour. and most other tourist locations opened up late, too. new orleans was a star-studded city meant for nocturnal animals.

elijah knocked on her door at exactly 11:00am. she had left the bottom door unlocked just for him. she wanted him to be able to look into her apartment, know he couldn't come in. he'd see her couch, her fridge- her things. and he wouldn't be able to touch. silly as it was, the thought of what he might be conceiving made her skin crawl.

y/n was anxiously waiting on the edge of her couch. flo perked up at the sound of the knocks and hopped down. the cat approached the door with a curious curl in her ears. y/n followed the swift cat, at a much slower pace, and lay a nervous hand on the door knob. she took a gut-deep breath, prior to opening the door.

elijah stood there, smiling brightly, in yet another suit of his. y/n noticed his tie was a different shade, though still deep and dark in color. it was a plum- an intentional purple. she bit her lip as a grin grew across her face.

"good morning," y/n spoke.

"good morning. it's lovely to see you in the daylight," he poked fun.

y/n rolled her eyes with a breathy laugh as she took her purse from the hook on the wall behind her. "oh, i know. sometimes i wonder if i'm becoming a vampire because of how little i see the sun."

elijah's face flickered, and y/n raised a brow at him. he forced a laugh, lightening her features. she blew air through her nose, as if to say, "ooookay, then. elijah pushed off the prickly feeling, the worry that she might find out, and stepped aside so y/n could join him on the landing.

still with that curious expression, y/n locked her apartment door. she turned back to him, an smile easily converting her gaze. "ready?"

he simply nodded. they trotted down the steps, and stepped out into the busy streets of new orleans. y/n sometimes forgot that new orleans was still crowded during the day. sometimes, it felt like everyone waited to come out until the night, when it was the busiest. and, oh, my gosh, was it warm! the sun felt cleansing on her face. she loved the moon, but solar power did wonders for the humab body, which was like a flower in the dirt.

elijah noticed her close her eyes, tilt her chin towards the sunlight, like a plant, and bask in it's embrace. he looked away when she opened her eyes, matching his pupils with her own. he was sheepish.

"i love the sun," y/n remarked, leading him towards the bookstore. when she caught him staring, she got giddy. it felt good to be known.

the entrance was but 50 feet from her apartment and he held the door open. "i couldn't tell," elijah sarcastically replied. she laughed over her shoulder at him.

the door jingled above them, and the cashier looked up from some papers she was shuffling. "y/n?" that lady behind the counter questioned, a surprised smile encasing her wrinkled features.

"hi, trudy!" y/n cheered, taking a few quick steps to go behind the counter and hug the older woman.

"oh, it's wonderful to see you finally! it's been months!" trudy's accent was thick, thicker than y/n's. she was shorter than either of the visitors, with silvery hair and piercing blue eyes.

so, they were close, he thought to himself. elijah easily fell into the back ground, something he was used to. he wanted to give them space. looking around at the display at the front of the store, an autobiography about some local figurine caught his eye. he flicked through it's smooth pages.

y/n and trudy continued their greetings, "i know! i'm sorry. i've been working a lot."

trudy tsked, "you know how i feel about that."

"oh, come on," y/n lowered her voice slightly, whispering to trudy. she didn't want elijah to hear. but he could, of course. "you know there's nothing i can do."

"i still don't like it, y/n," trudy scolded.

this gained more of his attention. at first, he was hesitant to eavesdrop- but, now, his senses perked up. trudy was angry, "that fred needs be locked up-"

"trudy, you know that's not gonna happen. best thing i can do is just deal with it until it's over-"

"what if it never ends? you know i still think he's lying to you..." trudy trailed off, accent deepened by her annoyance and accusations.

"i know, i know," y/n agreed, patting the woman's hand, "but i can't think like that. i have to try to be positive about my situation."

elijah held is breath. he was angrier now. these were details that y/n had never given him. he only thought the man was a misconceived threat, an overly confident gremlin with no actual power. but, this changed his opinion. he held over fear over more than just y/n. besides, he had already had bad feelings about fred- and his intuition was rarely wrong. that was a gift enhanced by his vampirism. he was a good guesser at how many candies were in a jar. he knew there was more to fred than y/n let on. maybe he should look further into the man...

he took slow, deep breaths as his hands started to shake. anger overcame his emotions, but he needed to be mindful. then, her voice broke through his focus, like a beam of sunlight on a rainy day, "that's my friend, elijah! lijah, come here and meet trudy!"

he set the book down, knuckles white from gripping its pages. as he stepped towards the women, trudy grinned brightly and rounded the counter to hug him. he held her tiny frame gently in his hands, exchanging a cheeky smile with y/n over trudy's shoulders.

"sorry," y/n mouthed, laughing.

elijah shook his head and pulled back from the lady. trudy pinched his cheeks in her fingers, admiring his... "handsome face! did you say friend, y/n? gosh, if you don't snatch him up i think i will!"

the poke at the nature of their relationship made elijah and y/n blush. they avoided each other's eyes. and trudy's. the older lady made a sigh, as if she knew something they didn't. "okay, okay. i'll lay off. what are you kids doing today?"

elijah looked to y/n, who was always more talkative than he. "we're going to do some shopping here- actual shopping, trudes. no discounts, no freebies, okay? and, then, we're going to do some exploring."

"how'd you manage the day off?" trudy inquired. she took a seat on her stool behind the counter. "was fred actually nice for once?"

y/n made a face, wide eyes with bitten lips, as if to say, 'stop it, trudy.' the older lady raised her hands defensively. y/n replied, still frowning, "he needed me to switch shifts with someone."

"i wish you worked someone else," trudy bluntly said.

y/n huffed, and began pacing the aisle behind the counter, sarcasm on her tongue, "and why's that?"

"i want to watch you sing, lovie," trudy busied herself with some paperwork on the counter.

elijah took his cue and followed y/n down the aisle. the girl hesitated on a random section, fingers rested gently on the spines of a shelf of novels. her look was downcast, like trudy's wish made her question her existence. elijah, minding his business though he had many opinions, found a world war 2 section and peered through of books lined before his fingertips.

"you can come to the club, trudes. i'll get you a little section, roped off in the corner. elijah could chaperone you, so you don't get tied up with all those younger fellas," y/n tossed her head back to wink at elijah, sinking any negative feelings she'd had.

he grinned back at her.

trudy groaned, "you know i go to bed at 8pm, y/n. that'll never happen. i wish you worked somewhere else where you could sing songs you actually want to sing, at a time of day where more respectable people can watch."

elijah hummed in agreement. he didn't notice, but y/n shot him an exasperated look. she sighed, "i'll let you know if it ever happens, trudy."

the older lady grumbled, but y/n ignored it. she got lost in the aisles of the bookstore. and they both continued wandering the aisles for an hour or so. they didn't speak to each other much, just once or twice when y/n would find something she thought elijah would like, or vice versa. it was peaceful. even when trudy would shoot them knowing, devious looks from the counter.

when they were done, they each plopped their piles of books on the counter. y/n had a stack of three, and elijah found 7 novels he liked.

"i cannot stand here and believe that you are willingly leaving this bookstore with three books. there is no way that you walked through these aisles for an hour and only picked three," elijah stuffed his hands in his pockets, peering down at her.

y/n, sheepishly, tugged at the spines of one of the books. she avoided his eyes. it was innocuous. "i-i did. i have so many books already, and money is-"

"y/n," elijah interrupted, with the shake of his head, "go get them." she stared up at him with these doe eyes, affection pouring from her gaze, radiating off her shoulders. he nodded his head once. she simply turned on her heel and went to collect the other books she'd put back. trudy started scanning the stacks on the counter while y/n ventured to the back of the store.

"i like you," trudy remarked.

elijah chuckled in response, "thank you."

"you're good for her, i think," she continued and bagged some of the books. "from what i saw today."

he didn't respond. he didn't know what to say. y/n, thankfully, came back, a stack of 7 other books in her hands. elijah took them from her since she struggled to put them on the counter. y/n thanked elijah breathily.

"i'll pay you back," y/n said once elijah pulled his credit card from his wallet.

"no, you won't," he disagreed.

she went to interrupt, but trudy cleared her throat. the two looked up at her. trudy had her arms crossed over her chest, pursed lips, raised brows. "when a man, when a handsome man, offers to buy you something, you never say you'll pay him back."

trudy went back to scanning and bagging books. elijah and y/n looked at each other, smiles and wide eyes soon turning into busted out laughter. trudy didn't mind them, bent at their waists, faces red from the breathless humor.

when they left the bookstore, elijah carrying their bags, y/n had this bright grin on her face. they were both filled to the brim with joy. she held open the door for him this time, since his hands were full. he thanked her with a smile. she watched the back of his head as he stepped into the street. the dark curls looping throughout his hair made her stomach flutter.

then, a voice pricked at elijah's ears, whispering his name out into the stale air.

he turned his head, trying to find a face amongst the crowds. that's when he noticed trudy at the counter, an innocently intended smile on her face. "come here, please."

elijah's lips parted slightly, shock glazing over his smile. he carefully looked to y/n, who was reaching for one of the bags in his hands. "i am just so excited, elijah. thank you so-"

"i left my wallet."

y/n looked up, brows furrowed, as she slipped her wrists through the bags. he let her take them from him. "oh?"

elijah relaxed his stiff shoulders, trying to look natural. "on the counter. i'll be right back."

y/n replied before he could walk back inside, "well, i'll run these up real quick, yeah?"

elijah hesitated feeling guilty for his white lies, before matching her eyes. "okay."

he rushed into the store. trudy was leaned forward, splaying her hands on the counter. she pursed her lips, tilted her head. elijah stopped a few feet before her, confusion written all over his face.

"how did you know i would hear you?" he cautiously spoke.

trudy replied with a shrug, "i know of your family. i once knew your brother, klaus."

elijah licked his bottom lip, as if answers would bleed onto his tongue, "how?"

"i've been in this city for 70 years, elijah mikaelson. i know things. i know things most people don't. i know about you."

anxiety coursed through his veins. usually, when people knew his family, it meant his life was threatened. surely this little old lady wouldn't harm him...

"help her," trudy blankly continued, confusing the fear he felt. "protect y/n."

elijah stuffed his hands in his pockets, almost humorously relieved, "from what?"

"from who," she corrected him. "from fred. i know she's tried to convince you, like she's tried to convince me, that he's too powerful, that we can't do anything about it. that she's somehow safe. just...protect her, please. i know you can."

elijah nodded once, stern, "with my life." he meant it.

trudy finally smiled again. "okay. thank you. go enjoy yourself."

that was it? asking him to protect y/n was like asking a seed to root.

he hesitated before smiling. he turned towards the door and took a few steps. then, trudy's voice cut through the stale air. "oh, and elijah?"

he looked over his shoulder, "yes?"

"tell her," trudy flicked her brows at him.

"i'm going to, i'm just worried she'll look at me differently."

"no," trudy rolled her eyes, "tell her how you feel. i think she feels the same."

–

by the end of the day, they'd travelled across half of the city.

elijah showed her the st. louis cemetery, told her of its history, and some of the people buried there. he pretended, while they walked through and y/n admired the coping grave buildings, that he didn't recognize any of the names beyond the stone.

they went to the french market, an immediate and obvious favorite for y/n, who spent loads of money on cheeses, wine, and a loaf of bread. not to mention about a billion macarons. she'd made him try one, considering, though he'd been alive for a thousand years, he'd never tasted the pastry. he quickly fell in love with the taste, while she fell in love with him. the way he walked, the way he talked her through the history. he used his hands a lot, kept his head stiff, his expressions minimal. mostly he just let his words speak for themselves. his charisma held her on the tips of her toes.

they even walked past his house, as promised. she wanted to go inside, but elijah could hear his siblings fighting about something within the compound. he made an excuse that they were running out of time to see the buckner mansion- they weren't- and drug her away.

they ended the evening with dinner from a food truck. he had planned to take her to a fancier dinner, at a sit-down restaurant, with candlelight. but, when y/n learned where he was taking her, she insisted they not go because she was underdressed. the real reason was that fred frequented the french restaurant. they were already risking so much of their skin just walking out in the daylight. if they ran into the man...hell fire would rain down in them.

they grabbed ice cream on the way back to y/n's apartment, taking slow, full steps. neither wanted the night to end.

y/n licked her tongue along the edge of her cone as the frozen treat began to melt. "thank you so much for today," she gratuitously nudged him with her elbow.

elijah spooned some of his ice cream between his lips. when he swallowed, her replied, "no thanks needed."

"no, seriously," she rejected, "i am so grateful. i haven't a day so full of...life and fun and joy since i was a little girl. this was just...i'm happy."

he felt really good. moving the conversation along, he asked, humorously, "what did you do as a little girl that my wonderfully planned day has to compete with?"

she chuckled, and thought for a moment. "my mom used to take me out to local performances. concerts, plays, musicals, talent showcases, whatever it was, we were there. she didn't have much money, but she knew it made me happy. she was...thoughtful. reminds me of you."

the underhanded compliment caused elijah's heart rate to spike. though, he wondered, from her use of language and sad smile, "what happened to here?"

their voices hushed lightly, in the way that people's tones always did when they discussed something that was sad. "she died when i was 18. liver infection."

"oh," he didn't know what to say. "i'm so sorry."

"that's okay," y/n shrugged, "i mourned her. it's over. i live with it."

"mourning is not something you just live with. it's something you live through. you will always carry the grief in a small corner of your heart. and that's okay. you don't just have to let it go, and move on. it's not black and white like that. it's...true blue."

y/n stopped in her tracks, nearly dropping her ice cream from the way her body slowed. "who did you lose?"

elijah smiled briefly, a frown growing from his breathy chortle. "how can you tell?"

"just the way you talked about it," she bit her lip. "you know what it feels like. who was it?"

elijah had lost so many people. over and over again. like the only true twist of fate for his life was that he was to know and lose, a practiced game, a true blue clockwork. "my father. mother.

my sister, a girlfriend, friends, my brothers more time than i could count...he thought to himself.

y/n took his hand. she slid her soft fingers through his, squeezed his palm against hers. "i'm sorry."

they held eyes for a moment. just staring at each other. then, elijah stepped forward, head tilting down towards hers. y/n hesitated, nearly taking a step away from him. but, then he came closer, and she could see the depths of his eyes, the edge of his soul. she stepped off the cliff.

y/n let her body arch forward towards him, let her arms go slack at her sides. she dropped her ice cream cone on the ground and she didn't care.

elijah wrapped an arm around her back, fingers spread across her spine. his touch was warm, shooting sparks off in y/n's stomach. she knew this was wrong, dangerous. no good could come of it and she needed to refocus her thoughts, step away, but...

he was kissing her.

when two people, different in mind and body, who share fragments of a soul scattered across the universe happen to find each other amongst thousands of years, in one small moment, on one sidewalk, during one arbitrary night and seek solace in the other's arms...something in the earth's core shifts, something in the stars.

something in their fates.

–

"juliette!"

y/n flinched, striking a thick black line of mascara across her cheek. she groaned and quickly reached for a q-tip to clean it off. the door to her dressing room was thrown open, and fred appeared in her vanity mirror. of course. she could recognize his villainous voice from anywhere. his reflection was angry, hands popped on hips, mustache pushed into a deep, dark frown.

"yes?" y/n rose a perfectly arched brow at his reflection. remain calm. pretend to be somebody else- his muse. his idol. his juliet.

fred crossed his arms, "you're a stupid fucking bitch!" his chest heaved up and down, anger bleeding off his red hot skin.

he had done some questionable things. but he had never called her that. y/n lowered her mascara wand, the shaking in her body lighting afire in her core, and eating away the rest of her stability.

"wh-what?" maybe she had heard him wrong. his voice was deep, gruff, and he slurred sometimes-

fred planted a hand on the vanity beside her, and closed a fist around the back of her chair. she was trapped between his arms, her back to the wall of her dressing room. she had nowhere to go. he lowered his body, hovering his face directly in front of hers. her lips were parted, wobbling in fear. she had never seen his eyes to stormy. his breath fanned across her cheeks, cigars and bourbon.

"you heard me."

y/n felt a tear slide down her cheek, like she had been pinched in the gut. "i-i'm sor-sorry."

"remember a few years ago, when you were stuck in that hostel, infested with rats and lice? remember when you used to collect trash off the streets, and drag your feet to the recycling center, 8 miles away, everyday, just for a few quarters? remember when you used to go weeks without a shower? when you wore the same underwear everyday and wore one shoe for a week straight because the other was ripped through? remember that?" he held her eyes in his own, his voice a trepidation between them.

if he was going to hit her, she just wished he would do it already.

"i said, remember that?!" he spat into her face because she took too long to reply.

y/n flinched harshly, eyes squeezed shut. "y-yes. yes. i do. i remember."

"and do you remember what i did for you? i practically dug you out of the trash. no one wanted you- no clubs would hire you, and your own father hung up when you called him on my cellphone. i took you in. i gave you a roof over your head. i cleaned the dirt from your fingernails. and i made you into a fucking star! now, everyone in this goddamned city wants a piece of juliette dupont...AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME? BY WHORING AROUND BEHIND MY BACK?"

his spittle littered her face as his words cut deep beneath her skin. y/n was visibly trembling and fred got high off of that fear. he pushed in closer, moving his hand from the back of her chair to her shoulder. he squeezed, tightly, and she whimpered.

"i don't know what you're talking about..." she stammered out. it was probably not a good idea to lie, but stupid women were fred's ideal image of femininity. so she played into it.

fred brandished an envelope. he pushed it against her chest, and y/n's back hit the wall. "look..."

y/n managed to open the envelope's teeth, and tugged out a thick stack of photos from its confines. photographs of her and elijah...months and months worth of pictures. outside the club the first time he introduced himself, again when he asked her to dinner. a billion shots of them at the diner, laughing and chatting over pancakes. at the bookstore, outside her apartment, by the food truck.

kissing outside of her apartment.

"do you know what i'm talking about now?" fred pressed, seemingly satisfied with his cinema-reveal.

y/n's eyes were blurry as the tears streamed down her face. she ground her teeth together, willing words, miraculous, healing words to come to her memory. her mind was blank, yet simultaneously racing.

she drug her eyes up from the photos, to fred. "i-i'm so-"

"you disobeyed me. i saved your fucking life and asked one thing of you. one tiny, fucking request- to be mine. to give me your devotion, your loyalty. and you're so weak, so...fucking weak," his voice dropped in volume, as if he was simply disappointed by this. it was somehow scarier.

y/n went to speak again, and fred held up a hand. he closed his eyes, tight-lipped. he peeled his hands away from her and turned towards the door. y/n, in a haze, stood after him. she gripped his bicep, pleading through her sobs for forgiveness.

fred turned back around, adrenaline strengthening his fist as it landed on her cheek. he let out a guttural groan as he hit her, as if it took all of his energy. y/n landed in a heap on the floor, nearly knocking her head against the vanity counter. she was somehow grateful it hadn't been worse.

until,

"get up!" fred boomed, shaking out his pained fist. "get up, you stupid bitch!"

y/n lifted her head slowly, shoulders racked with her cries. fred didn't like how long it took her. so, he reached down, fisted her hair in his clutches, and drug her to her knees.

y/n screamed in pain. her scalp burned. her lip was bleeding, a tooth was probably broken inside her mouth. and her left eye was blurry from the ever-swelling bruise he left.

fred got in her face again, still fisting her hair. y/n grabbed at his wrist, trying to get his hold off of her. fred shook her side to side, "why do you make me hurt you?!"

y/n simply whimpered in response.

"beg! beg for my forgiveness, you stupid whore! beg for my mercy!" he demanded.

y/n couldn't get the words out, "i-i-i-i"

fred, annoyed by her stutters, threw her head to the ground. she fell into another ball, curling into herself. he reared back a leg and kicked her in the thigh. she screamed at the impact. he went to kick her again, when a knock came from the door.

fred grumbled about, "come in."

as if it were just another average day, one of the guards opened the door, peeping a head in to say, "we're starting."

fred planted his hands on his hips. he glanced to y/n, as did the guard. fred looked back to his man, "tell delaney she's starting. and call fiona. she's coming tonight."

the guard shut the door without any further words. y/n felt even more terrified knowing any help she could've gotten had completely abandoned her. fred leaned down to her. he gripped the back of her neck, pulling her head back to face him. he wrapped his other hand around her throat, squeezing both together palms towards each other.

y/n gurgled, her screams unable to come out. fred leaned into her ear, menacingly, "get the fuck out of my club. i don't want to see your ugly fucking face anymore. i don't want you here. jesus- your life was fucking perfect because of me, and you've thrown it all away now. you're dead without me."

fred slammed the door shut. y/n spluttered, trying to catch her disrupted breaths. she carefully touched her throat. her voice was surely hoarse by now. he had even taken that from her. he had taken everything from her. gave her nothing. made nothing perfect. he was the reason for every negative fucking thing that had happened to her since she moved to this damned city.

so, somehow, with dignity and grace, y/n lifted herself off the floor. she wrapped a coat around her robe, slid her sneakers on over her bare feet, and slung her purse over her aching shoulder. and she limped out of the club, deadpanned face staring straight ahead. she ignored every whisper, every look, every glare from fred.

she walked herself home.

elijah had been running late that night. he had problems to fix with his siblings back at home that required his unpaid attention. he glanced at his watch relentlessly, hoping for a break in the issue so he could escape and see her.

eventually, klaus stoppered accusing, rebekah stopped whining, finn stopped smoldering, and kol ceased his incessant comments. as soon as they all escaped to their bedrooms, elijah sped out of the house, vamping his way across town, to the club.

he stepped into the club, hopeful, only to see delaney on the stage. her peachy stagelights lit up her name, in place of where hers should have been. elijah furrowed his brows and glanced at his watch. y/n was supposed to be up there. it was saturday evening. and she was the main event. this was her stage.

elijah glanced around. he spotted fred by the cash register, whipping through stacks of bills. and the bartender, wiping down some spots by elijah's usual seat. he sped over, apathetic to any wandering eyes. the bartender jumped at elijah's quick appearance, and he humorously wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"where is juliette this evening?" elijah pointed to the stage.

the bartender followed his finger, "oh. uh, i'm not sure. must be sick or something."

that wasn't good enough. elijah slammed a hand on the counter. the bartender met his eyes, raised a defensive posture with his palms. "woah, buddy. let's be cool, okay?"

elijah maintained eye contact and compelled a question out of him, "where is she?"

the bartender shrugged, "i don't know."

fred had heard elijah's outburst. he lifted his reluctant gaze from the money he counted, fingers slowly stopping, brows furrowing in response. he watched elijah stun the bartender, watched as he demanded a question from him.

he watched him compel the bartender. fred knew what that was.

and it all made sense.

the quick healing, the speedy departures. the menacingly dark facade. this stranger was a vampire. his name, which he had learned from his spy, was elijah. elijah mikaelson. of the family fred's ancestors had warned him of. he had probably been manipulating y/n, taking advantage of her. using her for their devilish affairs. how could he do that? it was evil. but he expected no less from a vampire.

fred stomped down the walkway, chest puffed out. he was mighty brave for being weaponless against an original.

the bartender moved away, sensing that fred would handle this. the owner stopped in front of elijah, who had to tilt his head down to match his eyes.

elijah and fred star at each other for a few moments. the originals eyes were squinted, threatening. fred just looked stupid.

"i know what you are..." the owner practically whispered.

elijah let himself smirk a little. oh, this was always fun. when they got cocky, like they could easily take him down by just saying what he was. "and what's that?" he challenged, anticipating the embarrassment when fred would fail.

"a vampire," fred seared.

"hm...interesting. and what are you going to do with this information?" elijah tilted his head to the side, like a curious child.

fred planted his hands on the counter, "i'm going to kill you."

elijah glanced down to his knuckles. he didn't pay any mind and looked back up to the little man below him. then, it registered in his mind, the black and blue bruises and red lines of blood lightening across fred's fist.

elijah's jaw clenched. he sucked in a deep breath. he needed to control his anger. fred would die- but it would have to wait.

because, somewhere out there, y/n was hurt. badly. and that's all that mattered right now.

elijah leaned across the counter, seething red hot anger, "you have made a grave mistake...one that will cost you your life. so, no, you will not kill me. i am going to kill you. it will be slow, and painful, and you will wish that you had never even spoke her name. so, enjoy your final hours on this earth, enjoy the fact that you are able to breathe right now, that you are able to look at me. sit down, have a drink, count your precious money. and wait for me to come knocking down your door."

elijah left a gust of wind in his absence. fred was silent, staring after his ghost. the bartender came back over, lay a comforting hand on his boss' shoulder. "you alright, dude? you're shaking."

fred couldn't speak.

he had pissed himself.

———————————————————————————

tagging some people hehe: @fitzs-trained-monkey @space-princess-charming @theoriginalariamonroe

#elijah mikaelson #kol mikaelson #kol mikaelson x reader #kol mikaelson x you #the originals #rebekah mikaelson #the originals x reader #the originals x y/n #the originals x vampire reader #the originals x you #the originals rp #the vampire diaires #the vampire diaries x you #the vampire diaries imagines #tvd #tvd x reader #tvd fanfiction #tvd fandom #tvd imagine

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unchataparis · 3 months

Text

Iris Verdi

Liladrien Week 2024 | Day Six: School

Adrien has started to call neo-Françoise Dupont the ‘green school’, although this probably wouldn’t make much sense to anyone else.

After all, to specifically attribute such an adjective would usually mean that the place stands out for it. No one would call a Haussmann terrace in the middle of Paris the ‘limestone house’ and no one would describe a specific cow among a black-and-white pasture as the Holstein-Friesian cattle.

Neo-Françoise Dupont is surrounded by buildings just as frondescent, just as sustainable, just as solar punk. Ink-dark glass panels installed upon rooftops, slanted on both sides, to catch every last drop of UV light. Lively lavender and frog-green ivy climbing up brick façades, low buildings, and a community garden in each apartment park – appropriately named because with the rise of interest in human-centred, hands-on community hubs, each residential area in Paris is now built around children’s playgrounds.

Still, when Adrien bikes to school this morning, waving hello to neighbours and fellow students – bikes because there are no longer any needs for individual cars and he lives too close to the school to rely on the entirely electric mini buses – he pulls up to a Françoise Dupont that seems a cut above the rest of regenerated Paris.

Apple and tangerine trees planted in the courtyard bloom generous fruit in the height of spring, a warm breeze ruffles the verdant leaves. Colour-coded bins are clearly marked Déchets, Recyclage, and Compost. Stickered rainwater tanks decorate corners and crevices.

Members of the student council and volunteers are manning the morning breakfast program. Fresh juice, waffles, cereal, yoghurt, eggs, and bacon are divided in catering trays and sampled freely by hungry students bearing wooden plates and metal cutlery.

In Adrien’s new homeroom, manned by a newcomer to the school named Madame Beaumont, most of his classmates are already gathered and they cheer to see him.

“Morning, Adrien!” Kim bellows across the room. He’s wearing a recycled polyester and cotton-blend hoodie with thrifted jeans. Beside him, Max dons a tunic weaved from hemp linen.

“Morning!” Rose chirps.

“You’re almost late!” Alya teases.

“Hey, guys.” Adrien looks down at the front row where Marinette is sitting. Hair tied into pigtails with gingham ribbons, lids and lips tainted with cocoa-butter-based cosmetics. She beams, clearly waiting for him and demurely pats the seat beside her. Adrien drops his canvas satchel and blows a gentle kiss towards his girlfriend. Marinette’s cheeks darken even further, already adorably flushed, and although she trembles, she doesn’t panic. Adrien is so proud of her. Marinette is growing over her fears admirably, conquering past trauma bit by bit like a champion.

“Alright, class!” Madame Beaumont announces, clapping her hands together to rein some control over her raucous homeroom.

Nathaniel is doodling in a kraft paper sketchbook and Mylène is showing off her homemade bead jewellery to Juleka and Ivan. In the row behind them, Alya and Nino had leaned over to start talking to Adrien and Marinette about plans for the weekend. The Seine is crystal-clear and smells of salt and algae, perfect for swimming in. And afterwards, how about a picnic at the Jardin du Tuileries?

“Class!” Madame Beaumont repeats sharply. “Please – your attention, please!”

Voices settle down and rears are fully planted down on benches.

Madame Beaumont clears her throat before the classroom’s interactive whiteboard. Adrien sees the plans for today’s lessons floating there: agriculture lectures and an introspective analysis of Dead Poets Society.

“I’m very happy to announce that we’re going to have a new student join our class today,” Madame Beaumont says. “Her name is Iris Verdi and she hails all the way from Italy. This is her first time in France and she’s still getting a little used to the language. So, please give a very warm welcome and a friendly greeting to our new friend!”

Adrien claps along with the rest of the class as Madame Beaumont gestures for someone outside the classroom to step in. Adrien claps along with the rest of the class as an unusually tall girl saunters her way beside Madame Beaumont. Adrien stops clapping when the girl turns to face them with a smile that borders on a smirk, but no one else does.

The rest of the class continues clapping for this girl. She has long, nearly-yellow blonde hair twisted into a low chignon. She wears a red wool beret and matching blazer, a smart grey vest, a pleated black skirt, and polished leather boots. Her eyes are vixen-like and rimmed with black, her lips are pouty and glossy with the colour of ripe apricots.

“Bonjour, everyone!” she says in a sweet, melodic voice. Her nails are almond-shaped and painted the same colour as her lips. She has slung upon one shoulder a brown leather schoolbag. “It’s so nice to see you all.”

“Hi, Iris!” the class choruses.

Adrien looks behind him to see all of his friends beaming at Iris with nothing but geniality and sociable curiosity in their eyes. Adrien looks to his right to see Marinette nodding at Iris with warm welcome.

“As Madame Beaumont told you all,” Iris says in an accent that is different to the one she used when she came to their school as a new student last time. Less high-pitched, more sensible. With an undercurrent like trickling water. “This is my first time in Paris and French is a third language. Please forgive me if I make any errors.”

“Nonense!” Rose cries. “You sound fine.”

Everyone chants in agreement.

Iris’ eyes curve with her smile, her hands coming up to cup her mouth in faux overwhelm.

“Oh, you guys are so kind!” she coos. “I can already tell I’m going to have the time of my life here!”

“French is your third language?” Marinette asks. “What’s your second?”

“English,” Iris replies easily. “Although that’s only because I’ve spent half of my childhood growing up in California.”

“California?” Alya says, perking up as she always does whenever anyone makes the slightest mention of the U.S.

“Isn’t that where Hollywood is?” Nathaniel remarks.

“Yes!” Iris says. “Actually, I lived with my uncle just on the outskirts of LA where he owns a vineyard. It was a super cool place to grow up, because you get to meet the fanciest people and celebrities who come to tour.”

The class whispers their excitement to each other.

“How exotic!” Madame Beaumont says.

“If everyone’s willing,” Iris says, unclasping the magnetic flap of her bag. “I could show you all some pictures–”

“Excuse me,” Adrien says, speaking up. He feels as if he had been submerged in a dream-like trance where he was nothing but a helpless and doomed witness to pre-destined events. He listened to the inane conversation and if he himself lacked a mouth to speak with and a will to act with. Adrien snapped out of his stupor because Iris’ act of opening her bag reminded Adrien intensely of her opening her bag when she showed Adrien her faux-Fox Miraculous almost exactly one year ago. “But aren’t you Lila Rossi?”

Read the rest on Ao3 here.

#miraculous #liladren week 2024 #adrien agreste #lila rossi #fanfic #school #miraculous season 6

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celestiarambles · 1 year

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some stw actor au headcanons

- The main cast (the Bureau) are very tight-knit/close with each other.

- Chief Ripley is played by a veteran actress, and she helps cast members that are struggling with heavy scenes/dialogues whenever they need it.

- Dupont is also played by a veteran actor. However, the role is quite different from the usual roles he plays, so he has a lot of fun with the constant ramblings and switching of languages. He has accidentally adopted his character’s Swiss accent at some point!

- One of the reasons why Ingrid has barely any screen time is because she is also the assistant director in some cases/episodes. In fact, she was the director of the Fast Track to Murder case! (the one in the train)

- Carmen is actually very cheerful and perky in real life. (Just imagine Stephanie Beatriz and Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn 99, Carmen is basically like that.)

- Jack, Carmen, and the player (AKA the MC) would always create Tiktoks on set together.

- Lars and Angela are actually just besties in real life, but because of their roles they constantly get dating allegations and they simply just dismiss it every time.

- Elliot and Marina are those cast members who constantly gets edited on Tiktok. Because of this, Elliot has created a secret Tiktok account to view those edits and he posts them on his Instagram story.

- Their longest stay on a country was 3 months, and that was India. It was to shoot the cases in South Asia.

- Besides being an actress, Marina is also a vlogger. She would always be the one to post the BTS and shenanigans of the cast.

- The dog filter selfie that Jonah took in that one case was something that his actor actually took off scene and posted somewhere in his socials.

- Michelle was her actress’ first ever role, and then it became her breakout role.

should i think of more? xD

#criminal case #criminal case save the world #criminal case game

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imsparky2002 · 1 year

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Vampire AU - The Main Group

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Still a klutz and a dork even as a blood-sucking creature of the night. She tries to be intimidating, but is usually seen as too adorable (the only one cuter than her is Rose.)

Dreams of turning Chloe and Lila into her mind controlled servants as revenge for their torment of the other human students. Also wants to turn Adrien into a vampire so he’ll live as long as them.

Nathaniel Kurtzberg

An artist who uses blood for his paint.

Even though he dresses like a classical vampire, he’s a Twilight fan. Marc’s a huge fan of Bela Lugosi.

Marc Anciel

A shy and nervous vampire who writes eerie tales for his classmates.

He’s written many songs of angst or joy of his love for his boyfriend, Nathaniel. You can find him and Juleka playing spooky songs on the pipe organ, and laughing like maniacs.

Juleka Couffaine

A eerie and gothic girl who can be kind to her friends, yet terrifying to her enemies.

She’s actually a major shy dork when arround her family and when she gets embarassed.

Rose Lavillant

A peppy and cheerful girl, with an attitude so bright for a girl who hates the sun.

She’s the vampire that works best with kids, acting as the spooky yet loveable vampire that’ll protect children from the bad guys.

Alix Kubdel

A rebellious tomboy with a love for pranks and dares. Uses her vampiric skills to mess with Kim.

Due to being the shortest of the group, she uses hypnosis and trickery to strike fear into the hearts of her victims.

Various Facts

They all love to wear cloaks! They often give each other cloak hugs, where they smother each other in their capes.

A year in a monster’s life is 12 years for a human. This means that the group are 14 in monster years, but 168 in human years.

They only suck the blood of criminals, animals, and people who have harmed them. Though they still love to playfully scare the citizens of Paris as well as their classmates.

They hangout in a huge creepy castle, but they all live close by in seperate homes. They plan on buying the castle after graduation, and moving in together.

The sun doesn’t kill them, but it burns their skin and generally hurts pretty bad. Umbrellas and sunscreen usually do the trick.

They’re great friends with the demonic Alya, a gorgon named Mylene, and a golem named Ivan, who chose to accompany the vampires when they chose to attend DuPont. These monsters use glamor to appear human to other students.

Juleka has a lovely relationship with her vampiric parents, as the blood-suckers always planned on staying together while having kids. The Couffaine vampires love to rock out and hunt for blood together.

They can shapeshift into small bats, if they want to spy on people without being seen.

The Dupain-Cheng’s bakery has been around for generations, with Tom and Sabine switching up their looks in order to convince people that they aren’t immortal. Jagged Stone is an incredibly famous rockstar, while Anarka is a vampiric pirate. Nathaniel and Marc have made money over the years writing and painting works of art. Rose has been spotted and known as the “Charity Girl” for appearing at various charities over the years while Alix and her family are known for showing up at various points in history.

And that’s some more info on the Vampire AU! I just wanna shout out @artzychic27 as well as @msweebyness as we’re all doing a Mirrorverse collab together. Lemme know if you have any questions about these spooky students, and next time I’ll be talking about two more vampires, Kagami and Luka. I’ll also talk about the other monster students, Alya, Mylene, and Ivan. Hope you enjoy!

#marinette dupain cheng #marinette #nathaniel kurtzberg #nathaniel #marc anciel #marc #juleka couffaine #juleka #rose lavillant #rose #alix kubdel #alix #vampire au #miraculous vampire au #miraculous ladybug #miraculous

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whump-card · 8 months

Text

Forged Divinity Chapter 19: Leannan Gets a New Name

2265 words

CW: institutionalized slavery, religious themes, noncon with multiple whumpers, restraints

Previous, Masterlist, Next

~~~

Titus 2:9

Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them.

~~~

“You understand you belong to me now, yes?” Captain DuPont asked.

“Yes, sir,” Leannan smiled sweetly.

They had come for him after dark. Leannan had fallen half-asleep on the floor, near Phineas but not quite next to them. He had been yanked out of his doze and forced to his feet. He had stumbled along between two guards to the door, their hands firmly around his arms.

“Do we take Councilwoman Jeanette, too?” one guard had asked the other, putting all his scorn into the title, “Have twice the fun?”

Leannan’s heart took a dive at that, bringing him fully into wakefulness. He knew what he was being taken for. Jeanette – even if she was a heathen – was a real person, and ill. Real people shouldn’t be made to do what Iowans do.

“Don’t you know what disease she has?” he had asked innocently, “It’s terribly contagious.”

“Ugh,” the guard had cringed, “Nevermind.”

Now Leannan stood in the dining room, next to the head of the table where DuPont sat. The table was filled with guards, sitting elbow-to-elbow, stuffing their faces with what looked like a month’s worth of food preserves: dried fruits, jarred vegetables, smoked meats and sausages, dried fish, jams and jellies, and bottles upon bottles of wine – or rather, they had been eating, until Leannan entered and took their attention. Now they all watched him, whispering amongst themselves.

“You know, I’m not all that interested in you,” DuPont said, “I’m married. I love my wife. But, I am willing to take care of you. Give you a good life. Protect you.” His eyes flicked to the ogling guards, then back to Leannan. “But I love the men and women who work for me, as well. I want them to have a nice celebration tonight. So here’s what I’m going to do,” he leaned forward, “You’re going to see what your life would be like with them. And afterwards, you can pick. Them or me.”

“But you’re my master, sir,” Leannan said, hiding his nervousness with more smiles, “Of course I’ll pick you.”

“I know you will,” DuPont smiled back, “But I want you know know exactly what’s waiting for you if you ever disobey me.”

It was getting harder for Leannan to keep smiling.

“You don’t need to do that,” he said softly, “I’d never disobey you.”

“You’re talking back to me right now.”

“Wh – No, I…”

“There it is again,” DuPont said calmly, “I don’t want to ever hear you say ‘no’ to me, Leannan, or that I don’t need to do something, or that you don’t like something, or that you don’t want to do something. What I want from you is unquestioning obedience. What I want is for you to be quiet and do as I say. I don’t want to hear a word from you unless I ask you a question or give you an order. Can you do that, Leannan?”

“Yes, sir.” It had to be just a power trip, the Captain reveling in his new authority over Leannan, or a show for his subordinates. There was no way DuPont would actually be that strict.

“Call me Captain.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“And you will be called Chien, not Leannan, from now on.”

“Sean?” Leannan tried to repeat, his Iowan tongue not quite forming the word, while the guards around the table laughed. DuPont heaved a sigh.

“What did I say about talking, Chien?”

“I – I will not speak unless spoken to, Captain,” Leannan stammered out. No, not Leannan – Chien.

“Good boy,” DuPont smiled, and then his gaze slid from Chien over to the guards at the table.

“Alright,” he said, “You can take him now.”

The table erupted into whoops and cheers, and the guard sitting nearest to Leannan – no, Chien – stood and scooped him up into his arms.

Chien let him. He knew it would be easier, to just let them do what they wanted. Even so, he couldn’t resist looking over his carrier's shoulder at the entourage of guards following them out of the dining room, trying to count them. Fifteen, maybe? Mostly men.

Chien had never taken on fifteen before. He felt a little sick.

This was happening. This was happening, and there was nothing he could do. The guards behind him chattered excitedly about what they were going to do to him, how long they’d been waiting, how Chien’s ass was just begging for it – Chien tuned their vulgarity out. It helped that his blood was pounding in his ears, loud and fast.

He missed being Leannan already. Leannan felt stronger than this.

He screwed his eyes shut and prayed it wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.

He was dropped onto a bed. He opened his eyes, and found himself in his room. Was it still his room? Was it ever his room, really? It didn’t feel like it, anymore.

Hands were on him, tugging at his clothes. He shut his eyes again.

Take a breath.

Turn it on.

He sat up and pulled his shirt off over his head, unveiling a smiling face. A new person. Chien.

“Oh, wow!” he gasped, pulling his pants down, “There are so many of you! Are you going to take turns?”

They were all around, some kneeling on the bed, some hanging back and watching, some already partially undressed. It was hard for Chien to keep smiling.

“We’ll figure it out as we go,” someone said, and the hands were back on him, pulling him down, onto his back, lifting and spreading his legs, pinning his arms. Someone had the bottle of oil, pouring the cool liquid onto him, drizzling it up onto his stomach, hands massaging it onto him, then into him as a finger plunged. His legs were pulled further apart, too far, it hurt, and it was hard to keep smiling. But he moaned, in the way people liked, and they were asking him something but it didn’t really matter what they were asking, Chien would always say yes. Always.

Someone leaned over him, reached out; and Chien was blinded by a length of cloth wrapped around his head. He laughed, like this was fun. Someone laughed back.

The loss of one sense made the others feel worse. There were too many hands on him to count. Blood rushed through his ears like a storm. He smelled sweat, and distantly, his own perfume. Lavender.

A second finger entered, prying him open, and Chien tilted his hips to help the process along, like he was supposed to. Someone grabbed his wrist and guided his hand to their dick, and Chien obediently closed his hands around it and began to stroke.

It was hard to keep smiling.

The fingers withdrew but Chien only experienced the relief of emptiness for a moment before they were replaced with a hard cock, sliding in and out as the owner groaned and spoke to Chien.

A lot of people were saying things, actually. There was a lot being said to him, about him, around him. But he needed to keep making the noises they liked and he needed to press up into the man fucking him and he needed to keep jacking the other one off and he didn’t really have the space to listen to what anyone was saying. As long as they were happy, they were laughing, he was doing his job. God would be proud.

He breathed “Yes,” every time a sentence ended with a questioning upturn. That was the only word he really needed to say.

“Do you like that?”

“Are you a desperate whore?”

“You like my cock, huh?”

“You’re the star of the party, aren’t you?”

“Don’t cum inside him, I’m not sticking my dick in your spend, dude.”

The cock inside him pulled out and spilled wet heat onto his stomach. The bed bounced as one person left and was replace with another. Hands pushed, tones became negotiating, and Chien was rolled over. His hips were pulled up and someone new entered him, fucking him slow, gentle. His head was lifted by the hair, and the mattress sagged as someone knelt in front of him.

“Open,” an order made it through the haze. Chien obeyed, taking another into his mouth, groaning, choking, gasping. This one wasn’t slow, or gentle. He couldn’t really smile anymore.

Someone reached under and began to work Chien’s cock. He was hard, as he should be. They’d have fun making him cum. That was good, it was good when they had fun.

He was breathing too fast. He tried to slow down, but it was hard with his airway blocked half the time.

He swallowed one, the other came on his back. People cheered. That was good. He was putting on a good show. It didn’t matter that the blindfold was growing damp against his eyelids. It didn’t matter that his arms were shaking beneath him. He was bringing pleasure to his betters.

The two left, and two more replaced them. The one in his mouth came quickly, to jeers and ridicule, and was replaced. No matter; so long as no one was upset with Chien.

Chien came too, eventually. It was inevitable. This was met with cheers and whistles – but the hand on his cock never left, it just kept going, pushing him into painful overstimulation. A sob forced its way out, stifled by his full mouth. He’d never tell them to stop, though. That wouldn’t be right.

But…

“Please,” he choked out the next time his mouth was free, after swallowing another load, “I need a minute!”

Laughter. Someone grabbed his hair.

“The Captain said to work you as hard as we could. I don’t think you get any breaks!”

Hands pushed. New position. More fucking.

It just kept going. Chien wasn’t counting. He couldn’t have counted, even if he tried. Everything was too loud, too painful, too fast.

He was fighting back before he realized it. Pushing them away. Clawing at the blindfold. Crying. The hands became harsher. They seized his wrists, twisted his arms behind his back, tied them up with something. He kicked – they tied up his legs too.

Hands pushed. New position. More fucking.

Chien screamed for Phineas.

~~~

Phineas woke when the door to their makeshift cell banged open. Their internal clock told them it was about what-the-fuck in the morning. In the slim light coming through the door from the hallway, they saw a guard drag in and throw down a body. Then he was gone, taking the light with him as the door closed and locked.

Phineas stood, crossing the room as their eyes readjusted to the dark. Jeanette lay off to the side, slowly pushing herself upright.

“Is that Leannan?” she asked.

Phineas didn’t answer. Of course it was Leannan. They’d recognize the whore’s naked body anywhere, even in the smallest sliver of starlight eking through the boarded-up windows. He lay on the floor, bound and blindfolded with scraps of fabric, his chest heaving with labored breaths. As they drew closer they could smell him, even through their stuffed up broken nose: sex, sweat, and fresh blood. The blood was smeared across his ass and down his thighs, nearly black as it dried and disappearing into the blueish belt marks that still colored the back of his torso and legs. They wrinkled their nose in disgust, but knelt and reached out anyway, pulling off the blindfold. Leannan blinked up at them, dazed.

“Phineas?” he croaked.

Now that they were closer, Phineas could see the semen dripped across Leannan’s skin, his face, his torso, his hair, some of it already dried and flaking. Phineas felt a flare of revulsion, mixed with jealously. It should have been Phineas defiling Leannan’s body like that, not anyone else. The two feelings culminated into petulance, directed towards Leannan. They dropped the blindfold and stood, walking away.

“Phineas!” Leannan pleaded behind them, “Phineas, please untie me!”

“You don’t belong to me anymore,” they said, settling back into their corner, “I don’t owe you anything.”

There was a moment of silence as Leannan processed this, then an audible sob. He drew his knees up to his chest and turned his face down towards the floor, crying.

Phineas was about to let their eyes drift closed to sleep when they saw Jeanette, crawling laboriously across the floor towards Leannan. They lifted their head to watch.

“Leannan?” she touched his shoulder, feather-light, “Leannan, it’s me, I’m going to untie you.”

“Thank you!” Leannan gasped, “Thank you, Jeanette!”

It took her a minute to unwork the knots, but soon Leannan was sitting up, rolling his wrists and ankles out.

“Thank you, Jeanette,” he said again, and Phineas felt another spike of jealously. Leannan’s gratitude used to be all theirs. Now it could be anyone’s.

“It’s alright,” Jeanette replied softly, “I should be thanking you, for what you said when they threatened to take me.”

Phineas rolled their eyes. Of course, these two would get all soft and chummy with each other.

“Oh,” Leannan sniffled, “It just slipped out. I’m really not supposed to lie, ever. That’s probably why…” Leannan stopped, pressing a hand against his mouth. His shoulders shook with a silent sob.

“I’m sorry, Leannan,” Jeanette said, “I wish I could do more.”

“My name’s not Leannan anymore,” he said, his voice thick with tears, “It’s Chien.”

“Chien?” Jeanette echoed faintly.

“Mhm.”

“That means ‘dog,’” she informed him.

“Oh,” the Iowan hung his head, fiddling with the talisman around his neck, “Okay.”

Phineas huffed. How come they had never thought of that! Hundo would have been adorable.

~~~

Previous, Masterlist, Next

Taglist: @angst-after-dark, @sunshiline-writes, @flowersarefreetherapy, @thecyrulik

Let me know if you want on or off the taglist!

#whump #whump fic #whump writing #nsfwhump #forged divinity #cw slavery #cw religion #cw noncon #cw restraints

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artzychic27 · 2 years

Note

I love Ever After High AU!

What would the events be like? Like The Masked Ball, the Spring event, Adventures in Wonderland, The Dragon Games and Winter's Day?

Welcome to Ever After High

It’s a new year at Ever After High, a magical school where the next generation of fairytale characters go to hone their powers, learn more about their tales, and train to follow in their parents footsteps

One of the new students is Nathaniel Hearts, son of the Queen of Hearts and a former resident Wonderland… Also, not exactly the most popular person due to his mom’s love for beheading people and also the fact she’s the reason no one can enter or exit Wonderland

Already, students avoid him like the plague and only see him as his mother. The only ones who see past that are his best friend and fellow Wonderland native, Alix Wonder, Nino Grant, and Adrien Briar

Alix doesn’t care about their mom’s rivalries and actually likes Nathaniel… It’s Marinette that had a problem

Fa-Li Marinette is adamant on everyone following their destinies, because if even one fairy strays, every story will end. (She just only cares about her own) and keeps pushing Nathaniel to be a deranged, power hungry lunatic like his mom

It only gets worse when they prepare for Legacy Day, where students take the pledge to follow their parents footsteps. Nathaniel questions Mme. Bustier and M. Damocles what will happen if he doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends

And of course, they gaslight him using Marinette’s excuse. If he doesn��t sign, then it’s the end for everyone

Nino calls bullshit and pulls Nathaniel along to look for answers from Madame Mendeleiv Yagga, one of the smart teachers at DuPont

She explains that nothing will happen to anyone’s stories, they’re just take a different turn. It’ll break tradition, but it wont end up a catastrophe

So, the night of Legacy Day, Nathaniel makes his choice… He does, but then Marinette gaslights him again. Apparently, she followed him and Nino and asks if he’s really going to trust some “old witch”

“If you want your so-called friends happily ever after a to cease to exist. Fine. At least you’ve shown how much like your mother you are.”

So now, when it’s the Wonderland Kids turn to sign the book, and Nathaniel steps up… He hesitates. He sees his future in the mirror: Him beheading hundreds of his subjects with a mad look in his eyes, sending his card guards to hunt down Alix and the other Wonderland kids, and painting white roses red using his card guards blood.

Nathaniel: … I am Nathaniel Hearts, son of the Queen of Hearts… AND I PLEDGE TO FOLLOW MY OWN DESTINY! *Snaps the quill in half… Nothing happens*

Royals: *Horrified gasps*

Rebels: *Cheering*

Nathaniel: N-nothing happened… *Points to Damocles and Mme. Bustier* YOU LIED TO ME!

When the crowd gets too hostile, Adrien wishes for Nino to freeze everyone except for the two of them*

Adrien: I can’t believe that… That we can just do that.

Nino: Yeah… I’m not sure I want to be stuck in that lamp.

The next day, things are tense between the newly dubbed Royals and Rebels. Marinette tries to rally more to her side, that destinies are meant to be followed, but students kind of want to hear Nathaniel’s reasoning

The one who seems most intrigued by Nathaniel accidental revolution, is Marc Grimhilde, son of the Evil Queen and someone who’s reluctant to sign the Storybook of Legends and end up trapped in the mirror realm like his mother

Rumors start to spread that Nathaniel only wants to spread madness like his mother and prevent anyone from having their happily ever after while Marinette wants to send the Rebels to a reform school built to straighten them out

Mme. Bustier is doing nothing to help, only making things worse by blaming the rebels for causing tensions and doing nothing to discipline the royals. (Same bitch as canon)

As a protest, a Rebel student runs against Marinette for student body President. That student? Aurore Amzy, daughter of Yzma

In the end, they end up as reluctant co-presidents and constantly try to undermine each other

As another protest, the Rebel students host True Hearts Day, a long forgotten school tradition banned by Mr. Damocles since it got students to stray from their destinies

So, they throw it in secret. And to their surprise, some Royal students want to help because while they’re may disagree with the Rebels, they aren’t too fond of Mme. Bustier and M. Damoclesand want to spite them

The party’s a success, and some new couples end up forming

Nathaniel turns down most of his admirers since they’re more in love with his status of leaders of the Rebels. He ends up asking Marc for a dance after the two accidentally bump into each other right under a spotlight

The following week, Nathaniel gets called into the principal’s office where Marinette, Alix, Max, and Denise are waiting as well. Apparently, Mme. Bustier was “concerned” about the Rebels’ Revolution and believed Nathaniel needed positive reinforcement

Marinette: Nathaniel cut the buds off my roses.

Nathaniel: That was on accident! And I apologized!

Marinette: Exactly! You’re supposed to be evil and not apologize!

Alix: Well, I think Nath’s fine just the way he is. Plus, I’d rather not get beheaded, so-

Damocles: Moving on!

Max: I don’t know what role I play here, but my mother strayed from the path her father had her on, so if anything, aren’t I meant to be a Rebel? Because if I follow my mother’s path by not sailing, I did what she did by disobeying her father, but/

Damocles: Enough! We haven’t heard from Denise Facilier, yet.

Denise: The shadows all say… Nathaniel’s awesome and should write his own destiny.

Marinette: They did not!

Denise: Well, how do you know?!

It is now the week of Thronecoming, and the students are looking to pick their King and Queen and get ready for the parade and bookball game

Nino, who was in between the royals and rebels debate finally picks a side when he misses his date with Alya because he got stuck in his lamp, making him realize the horrible truth about his destiny

The Thronecoming Fair goes off well- Austin A and Q rented Captain Hook’s ship and got a ton of pixie dust to let people go on rides in the air, Myléne’s hair styling station was earning a lot of money for charity, Denise did card readings, and Cosette was able to sell some of their faux fur jackets. It went great up until float building

Marinette is still pushing Nathaniel to stop being “selfish” and accept his fate, but in the end, Nathaniel’s the one to call her out on her bullshit along with Bustier and Damocles since they’re just standing right there

Nathaniel: You know, I may be “The Prince of Madness,” but I’m sane enough to see that you’re the one being selfish. I’m out.

Ismael: Heh. That’s my boy.

Cosette: But he’s not even your son.

Ismael: Don’t remind me!

As a school trip, Madame Mendeleiv takes the students to the Hall of Legends, a time capsule building where their parents left relics for them to find: Myléne gets a magic hairbrush, Rose gets a sword, Cosette gets a Diamond-studded choker necklace, Denise gets a vintage deck of tarot cards, Nino gets lamp polish, Lila gets truth revealing glasses, Marinette gets a sword, Zoé and Chloé get new heels, Austin A gets a magic compass, Austin B gets a crossbow, etc.

Nathaniel only finds a coin, planted there by M. Damocles in place of the ruby studded crown his mom left him

Nathaniel then heads to the wishing well in the woods, tosses in the coin, and wishes to know what happens if he doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends

Mme. Bustier casts an illusion spell that shows a horrific future, scaring Nathaniel into signing

So they have a Legacy Day do-over, and none of the Rebels are too happy about it. The students suspect something’s up, and their suspicions are confirmed when Denise’s tarot cards reveal the Storybook of Legends is a fake

When Damocles denies the accusations, Marc asks Lila to use her truth-telling glasses. And when she lies and says she doesn’t have them, Aurore uses a truth-telling potion on her and Lila is forced to hand them over

They also reveal the Storybook of Legends is a fake, and of course, Damocles blames Nathaniel… Only to go into his office and confront the Queen of Hearts, via magic mirror

Nathaniel still wants to sign, but to do that, he needs to find the real Storybook of Legends. Marc, Adrien, Nino, Alix, Cosette, Zoé, and Denise also tag along and through a series of weird riddles, they enter a secret room in the library and come across Jean-Pierre Monlataing, a teacher who went missing long ago and speaks only riddlish, which Wonderland natives understand

M. Monlataing: A chapter for all, to live and survive, with a page of the the answer, and come out alive

Nathaniel: Ah, of course.

Alix: Obviously.

Cosette: Uh… Translation?

They conclude the Storybook of Legends must be in the Hall of Legends. But they end up getting pulled into different stories, have to find some pages, blah blah blah. Long-story short, the pages they find form a spell that breaks the Riddlish spell over M. Monlataing

And he reveals that Mme. Bustier put the Riddlish spell on him because he believed in the Rebels’ side of things

Nathaniel: … You know, cutting heads off doesn’t sound bad.

The night of the Thronecoming dance, the students decide to have one night of fun and not care about the Royals and Rebels bullshit

And performing tonight is the one and only Luka Piper, son of the Pied Piper and half brother of Juleka

Then Nino notices something when a slideshow of old photos reveals the Queen of Hearts lived in his dorm before, and hid something in a secret compartment under his carpet. Borrowing Lila’s glasses and a bobby pin from Juleka, he unlocks the secret compartment and finds the Real Storybook of legends… And then throws it away in the Well of Wonder, making it end up in Wonderland

Spring Unsprung

It’s the day of the Spring Faire, a day to commemorate the beginning of the spring season

But meanwhile in Wonderland…

Xavier (My SB&IB version) Blanc, Fei Cheshire, and Félix Hatter have run into some trouble with the Queen of Hearts when they try to look for a way out of Wonderland

But, the threat of decapitation doesn’t keep them from looking around until they come across the Storybook of Legends Nino threw down the well

Wanting to return it back to Ever After, they go through the well… And end up getting lost until they come across Fei’s dad, the Cheshire Cat, who gives them some complicated instructions while swapping out the book for another

What the Cheshire Cat doesn’t know is that someone was watching him in the act

Also, while Cosette was walking through the forest to get some Wonderland Well water for the Spring Faire baking competition, they fell through the well because the water was being a little shit

And at the same time, Félix, Xavier, and Rei arrived in Ever After, followed by the Cheshire Cat

The Wonderland Kids arrive and are given a warm welcome by Nathaniel and Alix

Nathaniel: GUYS! Why’d you abandon me?! Your Prince was all alone here!

Alix: You son of a bitch.

When the Bitchy Duo (Damocles and Bustier) harass them for somehow getting to Ever After when they sealed every entry and exit closed, Félix pulls his trump card by showing the “Storybook of Legends”

… Only for Marinette to reveal it’s only a book of riddles and calls them frauds

Nathaniel, Alix, Adrien, Marc, Zoé, and Nino are the only ones to believe them

Still holding the book, Marinette reads a page and accidentally casts a opposite-personality spell, making her much less judgmental, but she passes it along to other students and most become not as polite

Meanwhile in Wonderland, Cosette ends up in the Mad Hatter’s kitchen where they meet the White Knight. Long story short, they realize a Wonderland dessert is how they can warn the others that the Cheshire Cat stole the Storybook of Legends and replaced it with the cursed riddle book

Also, while Marinette is less judgmental, she wants to destroy the fairytale world instead of preserving it. So, she concocts a plan to plug up the Well of Wonder

The Austins, noticing something is seriously wrong with everyone, follow Austin A’s compass to the source of it all, Marinette, who’s about to plug up the Well of Wonder with help from Max and Sabrina who have also been affected by the spell. But they’re too late, and all of the wondrous elements start to fade away

Meanwhile, Nathaniel, Alix, Adrien, Marc, Zoé, Nino, Xavier, Fei, and Félix try to figure out a way to get the book back from Wonderland as the Well of Wonder is always hard to find

… That’s when Denise comes in

Denise: COSETTE BAKED A PIE MESSAGE! A SHADOW TOLD ME!

They head to a bakery and look through every single pie… Until they come across the only one that’s glowing

Félix: Let’s see what we have here. *Slices the pie*

Cosette, through the pie: Okay, so do I just start talking? Alright, so hey guys! I’m in Wonderland. Crazy, I know. Anyway, Ever After is in danger, the Cheshire Cat swapped out the Storybook of Legends for a riddle book, and it’s cursed!… Now do I just… That’s it? Okay.

They look for the book using Lila, who had the book last. And because she’s honest now, she tells them where she put it

But when they find it, it’s too late. The world and everyone in it is drained except for the Wonderland Kids

Fei: I’m putting and end to this! Dad! Show yourself!

*His grin appears*

Fei: All of you.

The Cheshire Cat, after some prompting, offers to tell them how to reverse the curse… If they beat him at a game. They just need to reach him on the other side of the puzzle floor

Alix: I’ll make this quick and easy. *Walks around the puzzle and reaches the Cheshire Cat* Boom. How’s that for a ditz?

To reverse the curse, they just need to say the last riddle on the book backwards. And it works… But now there’s just the matter of the plug in the Well of Wonder. An easy fix with some of Austin Q’s pixie dust

Also, Cosette makes it back to Ever After when the well gets unplugged and the White Knight is actually-

Way to Wonderland

It’s breakfast time at Ever After High, and Alya and Aurore make the following announcement-

Alya: As editors of our school paper, The Griffin, Aurore and I are pleased to announce that we will be doing a special feature!

Aurore: The theme is, A Time of Wonder! It will feature stories about Wonderland and the students native to the land!

Marinette: Of course! And who can forget how Nathaniel mom, the Queen of Hearts, is the reason they’re all stuck here in the first place?

Alya: Girl. Can we go one minute?

Marinette: Well, it is all because Nath’s mom decided to go total wacko screwball infinity one day, make it even madder than usual, run her own son out of the castle, and behead more people for no valid reason-

Marc: *Shoves a poison apple in her mouth, making Marinette pass out* That’s enough out of you.

Damocles and Bustier try to silence this by stating how Wonderland is dangerous which is why they sealed it up, but no one’s going to listen to them

Meanwhile, Nathaniel’s upset, not because of what Marinette said, but because it’s his mom’s birthday and he wants to be there with her despite… Everything.

Marc offers some help in the spells department to open up an entrance to Wonderland when Denise barges in on their conversation

Marc: If you want, maybe there’s a spell my mom made to-

Denise: Shadows are speaking again! They say Nath’s mom is in danger, and it will be off with her head!

Félix: … Is she always like this?

Marc: They, and yes. And they’re always right about these sort of things.

So now, the Wonderland Kids, Marc, Denise, and Nino are trying to figure out a way to Wonderland. To the Library!

While researching, the Wonderland Kids reminisce a bit and assure Nathaniel they don’t blame his mother. Rather, they believe another element is at play that made her do what she did… They just don’t know what

Suddenly, a book falls off the shelf and opens to a specific page. Weird, right? Wonder what that was about.

Marc picks up the book and skims until he finds a shocking illustration of…

Marc: MOM?!

Nino: Say what?

Fèlix: Did someone say “plot twist?”

Alix: But, this book is about Wonderland. What the hell is the Evil Queen doing in it?

Denise: … You don’t think?

Fei: What? No… No, that’s… No.

Marc: … She would.

Xavier: Oh, she would.

So now they suspect the Evil Queen had a part to play in Wonderland being sealed off. Looking at the illustration of the Evil Queen, they see a spell scroll in her hand- some sort of curse reversion spell to undo…

Marc: ‘The Spell of Utter Madness’?… Yep, she did it.

Alix: Well, I guess that’s why she’s in the mirror real.

So, Marc decides to make things right by undoing his mom’s madness curse over the Queen of Hearts and hopefully unseal Wonderland

But, while casting the spell, there’s a fluke, and the students disappear. All except Xavier and Alix

Nathaniel, Marc, Nino, Denise, Félix, and Fei all end up down a rabbit hole that leads straight to Wonderland. And upon arrival, they get new Wonderland-looking outfits

Also, much to their disappointment, Marinette is there with them because she was in the same room as them. So now, they’re stuck with her

Although, Marc didn’t remove the curse. But that doesn’t deter the group from going to save the Queen… Well, they would if they hadn’t been stopped by Jess Redd, the Red Knight who takes them to Wonderland High. And they can’t leave until they graduate after one day

*The kids all get dragged to the school*

Denise: No! I don’t even go here!

Félix: But I graduated early! I don’t need to go anymore!

Nathaniel: My mom is the Queen, and I can skip whenever I feel like it!

The White Rabbit, Xavier’s uncle because his dad sucks, leads the group to class while also informing them off a plot against the Queen of Hearts and once again confirming that it was the Evil Queen who cursed her

When the Evil Queen was out spreading chaos among the Fairytale realms, she started with Wonderland and placed the Madness Curse on the Queen to make her even more deranged. She turned Wonderland into a prison in just a short week, preventing anyone from getting in or getting out, and sought to expand her kingdom. Nathaniel, Alix, and her dad were lucky enough to escape years prior to the first chapter. Damocles and Bustier of course, blamed the Queen of Hearts until they discovered the Evil Queen was at fault, sealed her in the mirror realm and sealed off any gateways leading to Wonderland so the Queen of Hearts can’t attack. Still, they never corrected anyone on who was at fault

Marinette: I… Didn’t know that.

Nino: Neither did we. But you didn’t hear us bashing the Queen.

With that information, they decide to get through their classes so they can leave and save the Queen. Unfortunately, Wonderland classes make no sense, but they figure it out… Eventually

Lunch Time

While in the cafeteria, the Wonderland Kids come across an old face, Iris Jest, daughter of the court jester, and Student Body President who has the audacity to make a threat towards Nathaniel

After such a lovely meeting, they head to their classes, which have become more difficult. Fortunately, the White Knight Cosette met last chapter is there to help, but each class just keeps getting harder and harder until-

Nathaniel: THAT’S IT! I’m using the royalty card and getting our classes changed! Where’s the vice principal?!

Marc: He’s hot when he’s all fired up.

Nino: What?

Marc: What?

But, to their surprise, the vice principal is Iris! She challenges Nathaniel’s own authority, uses Wonderland logic to make time go backwards so they can never leave, and makes a threat toward the Queen of Hearts while revealing she’s all for overthrowing her

Félix: Why… It’s as if you almost want the plan to overthrow Nathaniel’s mother to succeed!

Iris: … OF COURSE, I DO!

But, Iris gives Nathaniel a choice. He just has to sign a contract, relinquishing his rights as heir to the Queen of Heart’s throne to her. If he signs, then they’re all free while he stays in school forever

Marinette: Nath! Don’t do this!

Nathaniel: Anyone else, please?

Félix: You always said you never wanted to be like your mom! But look at what we’ve learned! She was cursed! Remember when she chased you around the gardens and showed you how to play croquet with your first flamingo? That’s the Queen of Hearts Fei, Alix, Xavier and I remember and the version of her we know you want to be!

Nathaniel: … You’re right. *Snaps the quill in half… Again*

Enraged, Iris sends them to detention… But not before an unfair trial where they’re charged as guilty

Also, Alix and Xavier are still looking for the others, and the Evil Queen arms Iris with an evil book of spells right before she heads out to overthrow the queen and sign her name in the Storybook of Legends when Fei accidentally reveals its whereabouts

One minute in detention, and the group is already going insane. Marc and Nino can’t use their magic, and it’s almost time for the Queen’s birthday party

Soon, Félix gets an idea

Fèlix: My dad always got detention! He used to tell me dozens of his get-in stories! Denise, have your shadow friends send a message to the other side!

Denise: Okay, which other side?

Back in Ever After, the shadows communicate with Alix and Xavier by opening some books to certain pages and telling them that they’re in detention and they need to ask Alim for instructions on how to get out since he helped with some of the Mad Hatter’s best escapes. And his best on is-

Denise: Tiddlywinks? Like the game?

Félix: Like the game, he said.

This grabs the teacher in charge of detention’s attention… But, since the acting vice principal while Iris is out is Jess, then they will be dueling with swords in exchange for their freedom

Fortunately, the White Knight is fighting for them and gives them a chance to head to the palace while Fei goes to find her dad and get the Storybook of Legends

Iris arrives at the palace first, and uses an illusion spell to get past the guards while posing as Nathaniel

Guard: All hail the Queen of Hearts! Or else! And make sure to hand deliver to her your presents… Or else!

Aya: Yes! It is MY birthday party! And keep in mind, any present smaller than the palm of my hand shall result in your execution. That is all.

Iris is about to get executed until she poses as Nathaniel and her “son’s” presence actually manages to calm her down, much to the kingdom’s relief

Fei discovers from her dad that he gifted the Storybook of Legends to the Queen of Hearts, and Fei is thrilled at first… Until she finds the massive present room

Once Iris discovers from the Queen where the book is, she leaves, but not before starting an opposite game for when Nathaniel finds his mother

Anyway, the group arrives, and Fei goes to deliver the bad news about the Storybook of Legends, but Nathaniel’s too distracted by seeing his mother for the first time in years

Nathaniel: Mom! *Hugs her* I’m so happy to see you! I… In spite of everything, I missed you so much and I love you!

Aya: … You love me?! How dare you?!

Nino: … Dude. Cold.

Nathaniel: Wh-what?

Aya: You heard me! And by the way, you look horrid.

Nathaniel: *Starts crying*

Marc: So, can I commit regicide now?

Nathaniel: Mom, you’re not making any sense! I’ve been missing you for years, and I thought you still loved me! After I found out about your curse-

Aya: “Curse?” I’m under a curse? Whoops! Did I just lost the game?

Nathaniel: What are you- Wait. Is this an opposite game?

Aya; *Giggles* Nope.

Nathaniel: *Hugs her* Then, let the game start.

Aya: Oh, thank God! Of course I love you, Nathaniel.

Marinette: … These are some fucked up games.

They find Iris in the present room, and she’s about to sign the Storybook of Legends in Nathaniel’s place, but Marc uses his powers to teleport to her just in time and take the book

He tries to fend off against her attacks, but since Iris is armed with his mom’s spellbook, he doesn’t stand a chance… Unless…

Marc signs his name and inherits his mother’s dark powers, which corrupt him as he goes on a power trip until Iris yields or dies… Whichever comes first

The latter option would’ve been first if not for Marinette coming between them and saying he’s not his mother while apologizing for acting the way she did

This snaps Marc out of if, right as the Queen of Hearts arrives looking enraged even with Nathaniel trying to calm her down

Now with the Evil Queen’s powers, he lifts the curse off of the Queen of Hearts, making her sane… ish, and he breaks Mme. Bustier’s seal on Wonderland, merging the two worlds again

Also, The Queen decides to have a little chat with Mme. Bustier and Damocles, but as Nathaniel is the future King, she figures this will be good practice.

Nathaniel: You lied to the public for years and deemed my mother a warmongering lunatic when you knew all along that the Evil Queen was behind it all? And to make matters worse, rather than help her, you separated my friend and I from our home?!

Damocles: W-well, you see-

Mme. Bustier: We just-

Nathaniel: OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

Now Mme. Mendeleiv and M. Monlataing are Principal and Vice Principal

Also, for anyone wondering, the white knight was actually Aeon Charming the entire time. How did she end up in Wonderland?… We’ll go over that later

All I’ll write for now

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #nathaniel kurtzberg #marc anciel #marc x nathaniel #mlb oc #ever after high #eah au #ask me stuff #answered ask

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msweebyness · 9 months

Text

Theater Kids- Worst Experiences with Marinette/Ladybug

HERE IT IIIIS! The final part of this saga! Thanks to @artzychic27 for creating this little series, and as always, @imsparky2002! Enjoy!

Recess

Akuma

Science

Ayesha:

Ladybug became angry when the other heroes were far more prominently featured than her in Ayesha's latest cartoon

She called Ayesha's work 'cheap' and 'a little irritating' in an interview, devastating her and subjecting her to a bit of online bullying

Dot:

This girl tried to take advantage of Dot's position as secretary to get access to Adrien's personal files, and have her placed in all the same classes/activities as him

When Dot said no, because creepy, Marinette planted some evidence that almost got her kicked off the council for inappropriate conduct

Petra:

"Uh, I know you like that whole Decora look, and it's fine, it's your style, I'm not trying to be rude, but...there's such a thing as...going too far with accessorizing...your outfits are kinda...loud."

Petra gave their honest opinion, which Marinette ASKED FOR, on one of the bluenette's designs, and Marinette apparently didn't like what she had to say, so she ruined Petra's latest animation project "on accident".

Roxie:

This bitch had the audacity to insinuate that Roxie was to blame for the nasty break-up with their bitch of an ex-girlfriend, just because said ex happened to be a pretty influential client of hers. (FYI, that girl cheated on AND emotionally abused Roxie)

Has frequently called Roxie's temper 'scary' and 'dangerous', recommending that they should take anger management classes. (Bitch, what are you, a psychiatrist?!)

Anthony:

Not taking kindly to Anthony's trademark standoffish demeanor and snarky remarks, Marinette insinuated that Jesse shouldn't be dating such a jerk, and may or may not have implied that he's verbally and emotionally abusing him.

She also makes fun of and antagonizes him for being British , just because she can't stand Felix.

Candace:

Marinette got jealous when Adrien complimented Candace for an impressive stunt she'd performed while cheering at a DuPont basketball game

After coming back from half-time, she used her phone to reflect the sun from a nearby window into Candace's eyes, causing her to fall and break her wrist

Eri:

Marinette got angry and jealous when the gothic ballgown Eri had made beat out her own evening gown design for a fashion contest

When everyone had left the school for the day, Marinette destroyed the dress so Eri couldn't wear it to the awards ceremony

Staci:

Insinuated that Staci should be kicked off of cheer because her subdued demeanor and trademark snarkiness 'really dampened the team's spirit'.

She's also suggested that she cover up her birthmark with makeup

Margo:

Jealous that Margo's DIY accessories were more popular than hers at the school's craft sale, Marinette pretended to 'stumble' and wreck Margo's booth, destroying most of her work

Has actually called Margo's Nordic accent 'impossible to understand' and 'kind of annoying'.

Soo-Yeon:

Soo-Yeon accidentally made a foul against Adrien during a friendly basketball match, knocking him to the ground. Again, it was an ACCIDENT and Soo-Yeon apologized repeatedly.

Marinette didn't care about that however, when she purposely rolled a ball under Soo-Yeon when he attempted to dunk, causing him to go sprawling and dislocate his shoulder

In the "I Don't Have Enough Fabric to Make you an Outfit" Club

Parker:

In the "Vigilantism" club with Denise, publicly reprimanded by Ladybug for fending off an akuma with a self-defense maneuver when said villain was about to attack her and some of her classmates

Marinette frequently criticizes Parker's...militaristic fashion sense as well. (Parker/Gia: LET US WEAR OUR FUCKING CAMO DAMMIT)

Aggie:

Like with Gerard, Marinette is VERY aggressively accepting and tries to get Aggie to model for an 'inclusive' line, despite Aggie telling her repeatedly she is NOT comfortable in front of a camera.

Frequently tells Aggie that she needs to 'speak clearer' and 'use actual words'. It's called a Scottish accent, bitch! Shut up.

Brecken:

Constantly making backhanded and critical comments about Brecken's build and weight, comparing him to Kim in that regard, insinuating that 'maybe the rest of his body could use the same level of commitment as those beefy arms.'

STOP SAYING SHIT ABOUT PEOPLE'S ACCENTS, DUPAIN-CHENG

Mona:

Like with Simon, Marinette has tried to gaslight Mona into getting secret footage of Adrien while he's working on film projects, and actually sabotaged Mona's wheelchair when they refused.

Also frequently makes rude and backhanded comments about Mona being 'in the way' and 'slowing everyone down'

Evie:

Marinette couldn't stand when Evie and Adrien chose to perform a duet together in the school talent show, him playing and her singing, so she took drastic measures

She laced Evie's tea with cinnamon, which the girl is allergic to, causing her to have an anaphylactic reaction and leaving her unable to sing

Anais:

Marinette got jealous when Anais was assigned to tutor Adrien in chemistry and tried to spy on them. She got angry when Anais noticed she was there and asked her to please leave.

She sabotaged Anais' chemistry midterm, earning them a failing grade and getting it in HUGE trouble with her parents.

Jesse:

Marinette got angry with Mylene for refusing to give up her role in a movie as romantic co-leads with Adrien

In retaliation, she took a picture of Jesse and Mylene hugging and jacked up the angles with some editing to make it look like they were kissing. She posted it on the school blog and spread rumors that Mylene was cheating on Ivan with Jesse.

Eloise:

Eloise was having trouble carrying all of her math books for a formula she was working on, so Adrien stopped to help her.

Witnessing this, Marinette became jealous and took advantage of the fact Eloise couldn't see over the tall stack of books to trip her so she smashed her head on a locker, leaving her with a (Thank God) minor concussion.

Missy:

Screamed and made a HUGE scene the first time she saw Missy's 'freakish' teeth, asking why she doesn't file those down.

Doesn't appreciate her sharp attitude and has actually openly called her a bitch

Leave your thoughts in the comments and reblogs! Hope you enjoyed this!

#miraculous ladybug #mlb ocs #theater kids #marinette dupain cheng #marinette salt

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pens-and-gems · 8 months

Text

The Queen Bee and the Vesperia Chapter 2 (Second Preview)

(First Preview)

Meanwhile, at a school called College Francoise Dupont, a bespectacled girl with red hair wearing a purple sweater vest and teal-blue skirt was waiting anxiously outside the school, holding two cups of coffee.

“Oh, I hope she’s not running late!” The girl started to panic, to the point where she almost dropped the coffees. Meanwhile, two other girls, a girl with blue-black pigtails and another redhead with glasses were viewing the anxious girl from a distance. The redhead shook her head and smirked.

“That girl really loves devoting her life to Chloe, huh?” The redhead asked her pigtailed partner in crime, who just argued back.

“It’s not like that Alya,” The second girl defended. “Chloe may kind of be a jerk, but she’s not all that bad.”

“I know that, I never said that precisely.” Alya debated humorously. “I’m just saying that devoting your life to one person all through your life is pretty unhealthy.” The pigtailed girl smirked back. “Aren’t you the same girl that helps me with Adrien?” The two share a laugh.

“Yeah well, but that’s gotten better the more you’ve gotten to know him thanks to Nino and I.”

“Fair point.” The two girls shared another chuckle and decided to walk over to the girl; who replied to them all sweetly.

“Oh, hi Marinette and Alya.”

“Hi Sabrina,” Marinette answered. She pointed at the coffee cups. “We see that you’re waiting for Chloe again.” Sabrina blushed.

“Oh yeah, always am.” She responded with a smile. “You know, she has gotten better ever since Ladybug saved her mother when she was akumatized that one time.” Hearing the sentence made Alya grin big while Marinette flushed a bit in her face.

“Oh really?” The pigtailed one asked all awkwardly. Alya then came to her defense.

“Don’t worry Sabrina, we’re aware that Chloe isn’t all that bad. Bossy and arrogant, sure; but not evil or malicious.” Sabrina nodded in agreement.

Speaking of Chloe herself, she was just about ready to pull up to the front of the school in her limousine while she was adjusting her sunglasses and drinking a sip of her morning water to help keep herself hydrated for the day. The limo reached its endpoint as the rich blonde got herself ready.

“Not bad Ludwig, but next time, maybe pull in a little wider. I need the school to know that my arrival is important!” She then handed him over a 20 dollar bill.

“Here, a 20 dollar tip. Thank my mother for it, coming from New York and all.” The rich girl then unbuckled and smiled as she blew a kiss to her driver and told him that she loved him as well. When the blonde got out of her vehicle, Sabrina grinned and cheered all the way to greet her.

“Chloe, there you are!” The redhead coffee holder chipred. Chloe just glared at her.

“Uh, who are you again?” The redhead’s expression went to worry.

“Kidding!” The blonde revealed her joking side and the two friends cheered and greeted each other. Sabrina then handed her the coffee.

“Did you remember to write down the plans for this weekend?” The blonde asked as she slipped her coffee. Just as Sabrina was going over them, the redhead bestie brought up something that sparked Chloe’s interest the most:

“Oh, and your mother’s fashion show this Saturday!” Sabrina revealed.

“That’s the one,” Chloe chirped and pointed at the planner. "Highlight it." The redhead obeyed. The rich girl then pulled out a small, folded piece of paper from her bag; which released a confident smile out of her.

"That's why I brought five hundred of these last week." She then unfolded it to reveal a well-designed poster of her mother's fashion show being adverstied as" Audrey Bourgeois's Haunt-Coutre! This Saturday from 10AM-5PM at the Le Grande Hotel."

"Wow Chloe, it's looks gorgeous!" Sabrina said all astonished as she reached out for it, but the spoiled, yet kind one pulled away.

"Careful, I don't need it dirty!" Chloe calmed down. "Sorry Sabrina, it's just that this fashion show means the world to my mom, that I, that I." The blonde felt a burn of insecurity in her that she had to stop herself and take a deep breath.

"Point being is," Chloe contiuned. "My mom has been really looking foward to this fashion show all week and I just can't disappoint her." The daughter of the fashion designer revealed. Sabrina then followed along.

"And it's also on the same day as your birthday?" Hearing that sentence made the blonde girl spit out of her drink.

"Huh?! Gimme that!" The blonde took the planner and was indeed shocked that the fashion show was indeed on the same day as her birthday.

PLEASE ENJOY! THE CHAPTER SHALL BE POSTED EITHER TOMORROW OR SUNDAY!

#muggle-born-princess #deviantart #miraculous ladybug #muggle-gem-princess #princessgem #ao3 #fanfiction.net #pens-and-gems #gem the princess #chloe bourgeois #queen bee #sabrina raincomprix #alya cesaire #marinette dupain cheng #audrey bourgeois #the queen bee and the vesperia #pro-bee-sisters

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lucero-is-here · 1 year

Text

Waltzes into the room in an outfit similar to Diego’s

Good afternoon, evening or morning ladies, gentlemen and folks. It’s headcanon time. Presenting- Diego Alejandro Montoya Esteban del Lobo. Also, the only reason this is being posted earlier than the tons of other requests I have is due to the fact some of this was written a long time ago, and I haven’t posted for a while. I will get to your other requests as soon as possible!

Here he is:

Requested by:

Now I know this man, so let’s get to him!

- he had high heels and can definitely walk in them with no issue.

- usually wears boots or loafers. Occasionally high heels to look more fancy.

- his hair takes prayers, genetics and some washing every now and then to look as good as it looks now.

- Hat collection. He has a bunch of different hats for different outfits, and he loves all of his hats equally (that’s a lie he likes his black hat the most)

- bisexual

- when he first joined the flying squad, he definitely tried pulling pranks on Arthur Wright. Some were successful, some backfired.

- he’s a prankster in general. He likes pranking people. It’s always harmless pranks, but they can escalate sometimes to being really annoying.

- cold hands. His hands are kinda cold, so he wears gloves.

- he flirts a lot- he flirts with people for fun or keep them on their toes, or just to fluster them. He finds it funny when they get flustered.

- sometimes, his flirting backfires cause the person flirts back, and somehow flusters him more than he flusters them and it’s so so funny watching him turn red with embarrassment.

- coarse hands. His hands are kind of rough…Not the smoothest definitely.

- he likes hugs a lot- or basically physically affection. If he has any lovers, he’s kissing them on the forehead or cheeks on a daily basis.

- they bailed him out of jail temporarily so he could visit Charles Dupont’s grave- (and also to diss off Lawson’s grave)

- He can DANCE! and he dances really well.

- he wanted to be a painter when he was younger. And technically, he is. He is.

- Evie let him meet her brother, Nicholas, once. Diego definitely tried flirting with him, and it definitely worked well on Diego’s side.

- He hides everywhere. If you see a laundry basket somewhere, and it’s quite big, there is a chance Diego is hiding in it waiting to jumpscare you or someone else.

- cursive handwriting, that is a bit hard to read.

- he can copy other people’s handwriting and writing style, and impersonate as them.

- when Arthur fought Malcolm, he stood aside cheering at Arthur and yelled: “HIT HIM IN THE BALLS!” While eating popcorn. It was very funny.

- He likes popcorn.

- Super good spice tolerance. He eats everything spicy- and loves it.

- parent issues. Grew up in an emotionally unsafe household, and struggles to express how he actually feels about certain things.

- he did a backflip once, and swore to himself never to do it again because he almost failed-

- flexible. Flexible as hell.

- wardrobe is mainly made of suits, and he has a lot of suits.

Okay that’s it. If I think of more a part 2 will be posted!

#criminal case #headcanons #diego del lobo

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stormiclown · 2 years

Text

The Most Hated Girl In Paris Au: Chloe Salt and Possible Redemption

Overview: Listen, I may not like the direction Chloe’s character has taken or what she represents [the white woman tears, rich, privileged, nepo-baby, classist, fascist, racist], but I myself love a redemption journey, ya know, as long as they prove that they deserve a chance or earned it!

One of my (many) problems with Chloe Bourgeois isn’t her nonexistent redemption arc but the fact that many of her stans and a select number of characters within the show are just handing her chances on a silver platter (which she acts like she’s entitled to anyways) without any effort on Chloe’s part to earn or deserve them. This is not a redemption. This is just handing a spoiled brat undeserved chances of the off chance that she’ll change. And she doesn’t. In fact, it just makes her look worse.

That brings me to my next point: Consequences. This is how I knew for a fact that Chloe’s “redemption” arc was never real from the start. Because never at any point during her arc was she given any actual long-term consequences for the way she behaves or how she treats people. In Writing 101, the foundation of a character’s change for the better would be them realizing that their actions have an impact on other people, their surroundings, and/or themselves. The next step should be a slap in the face from reality. For the rug to be pulled underneath them and they’re forced deal with the fact that it isn’t always about them and that they are not all that. But with Miss Bourgeois, we never see any of that. If anything, she believes that she’s entitled to the endless chances at redemption that everyone keeps giving her. And is actively defended by others who correctly call her out on her inability to grow and learn. When people try to help Chloe change or give her an example to follow, it just inflates her ego. No wonder everyone’s given up on her.

With these writing and character flaws in mind, I’ve come up with an AU where Chloe’s actions have piled up and now she has to decide if she wants to make things worse for herself or actually change and be able to love.

It starts with Queen Wasp, where the train crash incident actually leads to numerous people pressing charges against her, whether they were on the train or had family members who were on the train. Since Chloe is a minor, the best they could do was an ankle monitor for an indefinite amount of time. Given how she’s also stolen a miraculous, she’s not allowed to be outside when there’s an akuma attack.

In typical Chloe fashion, she just keeps digging her grave while cheering herself up. By making everyone else feel worse. However, seeing as Chloe was being held accountable by the law, the school staff feel more comfortable punishing Chloe for her bullying and harassment of other students. She threatens to get her “Daddy-kins” involved, but they argue a point back that makes her blood run cold. If Mayor Andre Bourgeois cracks down on his daughter who has been famously dubbed “Train Witch” it may be the final push that’ll end with her father not being re-elected. Seeing no other way out of it, Chloe must go through detention for the first time in her school career.

Given how Roger Raincomprix stands for the pursuit of justice and safety, I have no idea how he still allows Sabrina to be friends with someone who by all accounts, should have a criminal record. In this AU, Officer Raincomprix forbids his daughter from being friends with Chloe and to steer clear of someone he views as a budding criminal. Parents of the students who attend Francois DuPont also follow suit. They tell their kids to stay away from the Mayor’s daughter and to not associate themselves with her. They’ve done this before the train incident. (As we’re shown in canon, Chloe ruthlessly bullies her classmates and people outside of school. It’s not far fetched to assume that she regularly bullies kids from other classes). Now, effectively friendless and a social pariah, Chloe has to endure scorn from both her school mates, adults, and the majority of Paris. She now the most hated girl in Paris.

Bustier would also wake the fuck up. I know she likes to see the best in people (to a toxic degree) and believes that love conquers all, seeing her student, the one she’s made endless excuses for, actively endanger the lives of innocent people including one of her own classmates (Marinette was on that damned train for gods sake!) should’ve been enough to shake her faith in Chloe or shatter it completely and question if she was really going about this in the right way. This also causes her to re-evaluate the way she’s been treating Marinette and her other students when comes to her blatant favoritism of Chloe. In this AU, the train incident is the last straw and Bustier decides that she isn’t going to force her students to forgive her. You know, because she almost killed one of them and it wouldn’t have been a good look. Now that her second biggest enabler has switched sides, her classmates are more encouraged to stand up for themselves and not take her shit lying down anymore. Marinette (who also pressed charges against Chloe) calls Chloe out on her crap more often, reads her the filth that she is, and isn’t cowed by her usual threats anymore. When Chloe acts up in class, Bustier holds her accountable and gives her three strikes. On the third strike, she sends Chloe to the principal’s office for the first time.

With Adrien, he finds it difficult to look at Chloe. While he defended her and brought attention to the fact that Ladybug lost a miraculous (by accident) on national TV, maybe hearing that one of his classmates almost died because of Chloe’s poorly thought out choices, might make him view Chloe in a completely different light. And since Gabriel Agreste is all about self preservation, he refuses to allow Adrien to associate with Chloe anymore. Chloe possibly looses her childhood friend and this is what finally breaks her.

In canon, Chloe is used to hatred, but refuses to acknowledge why so many people want her to rot. But this much hatred on a national, possibly even global level would be enough to destroy anyone. Especially a 13-16 year old teenager. But knowing that her best friend since diapers possibly views her as a monster is too much and she falls into despair. Because at least before Queen Wasp, people acknowledged her existence, even if the attention was primarily negative. Now Post Queen Wasp is a hell that she is solely responsible for creating. People either refuse to look and pretend she doesn’t exist, or they show her that she does exist and lash out at her in a flurry of suppressed rage and vitriol.

Her melt down comes later. At the beginning, she toed the line between not caring, and being annoyed that things weren’t going her way and that everyone was making a big deal out of nothing. No matter. Everything will blow over soon and life will go back to the status quo, with her as the Queen and everyone else as the peasants beneath her feet. But it doesn’t go away. Because unlike the show, people remember. They remember and aren’t willing to forgive or forget. And this is the first kick to the gut, not the disapproval, not the shame, but the fact that the usual routine has been changed and is unfamiliar. People like Chloe have one fear: The status quo being challenged.

A large part of the reason Chloe thinks she’s untouchable is because people aren’t willing to challenge the status quo (aside from the class beginning to stand up to her in season one). And if they do, they end up apologizing for thinking the worst of Chloe, or told to back off by other characters. If anything, every one of her victims would be well within their rights to spit in her face and double down on their worsening opinions of her. After all, Chloe hasn’t given them a reason not to. She has a record of being at her worst when people are actively challenging the status quo she’s created which riles her up into further cruelty. Now that a new status quo has been formed, one that she doesn’t have any control over, she has no power and it increasingly becomes more unbearable.

Every time someone or something deviates from the usual status quo that she’s used to, a little part of her soul dies. Her father refusing to go along with her whims anymore is another slap to her face. As Mayor Bourgeois has been her biggest supporter ever since she was a baby. In canon, Chloe has always taken her father for granted, but his disapproval wounds something deep within Chloe, which contributes to her mental break down.

This is due to the fact that Chloe is a very rigid person who thrives off of a set routine that she forces everyone around her to follow. People like this can’t accept change, and instead of learning how to adapt, they try to destroy the source of that change which just makes things worse for them. And that’s what Chloe has attempted to do. But every time she tries, she is always shut down by the people around her, which makes h things even more horrid in her eyes. If the show is any indication, Chloe cannot learn and cannot adapt because everyone always bends over or forget to hold her accountable. This does not work for a chronologically story driven show like Miraculous Ladybug. Since Queen Wasp wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg, all of the problems people have with Chloe are brought out into the open as people openly bond over the fact that she’s getting her just desserts. Right in front of her. Que tantrum and then scorn.

It’s a terrible loop in which, Chloe’s own inability to change and adapt contributes to the endless cycle until one day she breaks.

I’ve written this AU out this way because Chloe Bourgeois does not deserve a redemption to be handed to her. What she deserves are long lasting consequences and several reality checks that will force her to actually look at herself and ask herself if this is truly how she wants to live for the rest of her life. Then, and only then, will she deserve to at best have a chance redemption.

But even if she does change for the better, she isn’t owed forgiveness by anyone.

Redemption isn’t about forgiveness. It’s about personal growth.

#chloe salt #i guess #miss white rich girl has so much privilege and I hate it so this is good food #ml salt #I might actually make this a thing #but only time will tell #The most hated girl in paris #ml au #ml writing salt #☕️🫖#teddy talks #miraculous ladybug #adrien salt #probably

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mariharem-trash-heap · 1 year

Text

Five Times Lila Lied to Marinette’s Family...

... And the One Time They Decided to Do Something About It.

(Request) Marinette was beginning to lose hope that anyone would believe her about her classmate’s lying habit... until her grandmother turned to her one day and said, “Jagged Stone is in England. What is this child talking about?” And, as they say, it was all downhill from there.

Notes:

I don’t usually do 5+1 fics anymore, but I had a good time reversing the trope that Mari’s family believes a literal stranger over their own blood.

1) Gina Dupain

Despite Grandparents’ Day being squarely during summer break, Dupont decided to hold a party to celebrate. Every student, current and upcoming, was invited along with their grandparents.

As it happened, this year Marinette’s grandma happened to be in town for the week, and when Tom mentioned the party at dinner, she was delighted.

“Oh, Marinette, why don’t we go?” She asked, turning to the teenager with sparkling eyes. “It will be fun! I haven’t gotten to properly meet your friends, either...”

Marinette paused in sipping her water, before setting the cup back down and nodding with a smile. “Sure, why not?”

-0-0-0-0-

The party was going smoothly, or as smooth as it could be, by the time the two walked over from the bakery. Gina had dressed up in her best pantsuit, and Marinette went in a nice blouse and capris.

Almost immediately, Marinette’s face brightened and she made to hurry away, but at the last second remembered her guest and tugged at her arm. “I see Alya. Let’s go.”

“Oh, Alya,” Gina murmured. “That’s your friend, right?”

“Yep, we’re best friends.”

“I see.” A smile spread across the older woman’s face.

“Mari!” Alya seemed to have spotted them too, as her own grin appeared and she reached to hug the noirette.

The two squeezed each other tight for a few seconds before they pulled away. Marinette looked to Nino with a smile, one that he returned.

“Alya, this is my grandma,” she introduced. “Nonna, this is my friend Alya, and her boyfriend, Nino.”

“It’s good to actually meet you properly this time!” Gina chuckled, nodding to the kids. “Dating already, are you? Goodness, you kids grow up too fast.”

“We just started dating this year, actually.” Alya smiled, locking her arm into Nino’s. “It’s nice to meet you, Marinette’s grandma!”

“Oh, please, call me Nonna.” Gina shook her head, eyes twinkling.

Marinette looked around with a slight frown. “Let me guess, Adrien couldn’t make it?”

“You know how his dad is,” Nino lamented with a huff, stuffing his hand in his pocket. “I doubt he even has grandparents to come, anyway, so he would’ve felt weird about it.”

“I suppose.” With a sigh, the girl wilted a little.

“Hey, cheer up.” Alya bumped her with her elbow, a secretive look on her face. “I know something that’ll cheer you up - Jagged Stone is coming to Paris again!”

The girl’s eyes widened as she searched her face. “Wait... really? When?”

“It’s supposed to be a secret, but since you’re my bestie I have it on good authority that he’s scheduling a trip next week.” With a wink, her friend added, “You can thank Lila for that info!”

Gina watched as her granddaughter’s demeanor changed. In an instant her surprise wilted into suspicion, only for a moment, before she schooled her face into a more neutral expression. “Oh, is that so?”

“Yeah, she’s here if you wanna get it straight from her if you want!”

Exchanging a look with her grandma, Marinette forced a smile. “You know what? Sure. Let me hear it from the source.”

She almost felt bad at the way Alya brightened up. Turning to her boyfriend with a murmur, she rushed off, pulling him in tow.

“What was that about, Marinette?” She questioned.

“Oh, just a girl in my class.” She answered halfheartedly with a shrug. “She has all these impossible stories she likes to tell. I’m not sure a lot of them are real, but everyone else seems to buy them.”

With a frown, the woman hummed in thought. Glancing down the hallway to where the girl and boy had run off to, she mused, “Jagged Stone is in England. What is this child talking about?”

Marinette froze, out of the corner of her eye.

“I’ve been meaning to keep it a secret, but for your birthday I’ve been speaking with your parents to take you to a concert of his.” She smiled in amusement at her granddaughter’s surprise. “Unfortunately, he’s going to be in England for another few weeks, so we would have to go out of the country for it.”

“Oh, Grandma,” Marinette breathed, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug.

“It’s not the surprise gift I wanted it to be, but-- Marinette?” Gina paused, concerned, when she felt wetness gathering on the front of her blouse. “Are you alright?”

“I’m-- I’m just fine,” came a little sniffle from below. “I’m perfect, actually.”

2) Roland Dupain

“Marinette!” Roland greeted happily, opening his arms so that his granddaughter could throw herself in for a hug. “So good to see you. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well, Grandpa,” she answered happily as she squeezed the old man tight before pulling away. “How are you?”

“Much better now!” He stepped out of the doorway, allowing her in. “Apparently Paris is trying a new youth program, calls it the Senior Outreach Program.” He snorted. “I’m far from senior, I’m still in my prime. But anyway, they sent the most charming little girl - she’s been helping me get used to all this confounded new technology.”

“That’s great, Grandpa,” Marinette answered, hanging her coat up by the door as he shut it.

“Yes, I think she goes to your school,” he said next, and it sent a pang of dread through her body. “Lila Rossi, is it? She’s had a lot to say about how welcoming your friends are.”

And there it was.

Marinette tried her best to smile at him, though it came out looking almost constipated. “Oh, really? How nice.”

“I admit, I was a little skeptical at first, but apparently she grew up in the same exact region of Italy that I lived in for a time!” He chuckled. “Very small world, isn’t it? We had a wonderful time talking about our families’ traditions and recipes. Turns out she’s related to the Marianis! Isn’t that neat?”

“She is?” Well, that would be news to her. Marinette gently said, “Grandpa, she’s been telling all of us that she’s related to the current president of Italy. There’s been no mention of the Mariani family or anything - not even when I mentioned having Italian ancestors.”

“Eh? Really?” He squinted. “Marinette, ancestry doesn’t just go one way, you know.”

“Believe me, if she was related to one of the oldest restaurant-owning families in Italy, she would have mentioned it, especially after Alya told her my parents own a bakery.” She insisted with a frown. “Especially since she’s apparently gluten-intolerant.”

This got Roland’s attention. “Gluten intolerance?! She helped me bake a loaf of bread just yesterday! She didn’t mention anything about any gluten intolerance, or whatever you kids are making up these days!”

“She’s a liar, Grandpa,” She answered.

“Well!” He scoffed with a scowl, turning to head for the landline. “I’ll be having words about this with her supervisor! Sending me a child with a supposed ‘gluten allergy’... of all the nerve...!”

All Marinette could do was sigh as he grumbled to himself while dialing, hoping that her time with her grandfather hadn’t been spoiled.

3) Wang Cheng

"Uncle Wang?” Marinette startled in surprise as her great-uncle walked into the room with a smile. “What are you doing here? Where’s Papa?”

“I’m going to be the one giving the cooking lesson today,” he replied, patting her on the head as he passed. Setting down the giant pot he’d brought with him, he asked, “Has your mother taught you how to make xiaolongbao yet?”

“Ah, no, not yet,” she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. “We’ve both been too busy to try. The bakery got a huge order this week, and I’m trying to plan a picnic day for the class...”

The man seemed a little disappointed, but he shrugged. “Well, that’s alright. Perhaps I can stop in and we can make them together, all three of us.”

“That would be great!” His little great-niece smiled up at him, and it warmed his heart.

-0-0-0-0-

The cooking lesson went on without a hitch - someone had spoken to Chloe, he surmised, because the blonde teenager didn’t so much as look at him the whole time and allowed Sabrina to mix the ingredients into the soup for her.

There was someone new here this time, however - a brunette with long hair and a tanned complexion, one who was chatting amiably with a couple of other girls as they mixed their soup together. Or rather, she was not; her partners were mixing it for her, as she claimed she’d sprained her wrist. Marinette had just rolled her eyes, surprising the man. That was not like his great-niece, or so he’d thought.

Indeed, the girl spent much of her time waving her wrist about, this way and that - but whenever he walked over to inspect their progress, suddenly it was still and limp again on the table, a doe-eyed, innocent look on her face. It was all too suspicious.

By the end of class, he leaned in to Marinette’s ear and whispered, Marinette, who is that girl with the sprained wrist?”

“That’s Lila,” she responded dismissively. “She’s lying about her wrist being sprained. She just doesn’t want to make soup today.”

Oh. Well that was troubling information. “Does she not like soup?”

“I don’t know, but if she’s in a group she’ll find any way to get out of doing work that she can.” She spared a sympathetic glance to the two girls with her. “I feel bad for Juleka and Rose, honestly. Rose is so kind that she can’t bear it if she can’t help someone in need, and Juleka seems to believe her wild stories...”

Most troubling indeed.

“I see,” said the man, gathering up his supplies. “Well. Have a good day, Marinette. I’m coming over for dinner - perhaps then I can help you and Sabine.”

Her answering smile made the troubling clouds over his mind dissipate somewhat.

4) Tom Dupain

Tom hadn’t expecting the volume of middle-schoolers walking into his bakery one afternoon. But the happy chatter and smiling faces of his daughter’s classmates were no unwelcome sight as he fixed a smile on his face and leaned forward. “Welcome! What can I get for you today?”

“We wanted to bring Lila to check out your bakery,” Adrien explained with a winning smile as the girl in question shuffled behind him. “She’s never had proper French pastries before and was curious to try some.”

“Oh, of course! Lila, is it? You’re my daughter’s new classmate.” He nodded politely to the brunette. “What would you like? We’ve got a large arrangement.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” the girl seemed timid, like a fawn, her large eyes looking back and forth across the display case. “I hate having so many choices...”

“Well, might I recommend an éclair?” He gestured to the little plate of custard-filled dough. “We’ve got chocolate, raspberry, and orange as our specialties today.”

“That sounds marvelous, I’ll take orange, please.” The girl flashed a pleasant expression.

“Orange it is!” He turned to pluck one of the pastries carefully, placing it in a liner and setting it on the counter. “Since you’re one of Marinette’s classmates, I’ll give you a discount - just €2.75.”

“O- oh,” here came a disappointed frown. “I, ah, this is embarrassing. I forgot my wallet today.”

“Oh, it’s no problem!” Alya spoke up, raising her own. “I’ll cover for you.”

“You really don’t have to,” she simpered.

“You’re our friend,” she reassured with a wink. “I’ll pay for it, Mr. Dupain.”

“Alright, is there anything else I can get you kids?” He accepted the notes and gave her change before handing the éclair to the brunette.

One by one the other kids spoke up, happily asking for this or that, until Adrien said, “I’d like a gougere, please.”

Tom chuckled, winking at the blond. “Cheese bread? I thought the day would never come. No problem.” As soon as he walked a few steps away to grab it, he heard it.

“Oh...” A tiny murmur from the brunette girl, Lila, he’d noted.

“What’s wrong?” Alya was asking quietly.

“I... I forgot I’m lactose intolerant,” she sheepishly answered. “I didn’t bring my medicine with me. And this is kind of stale...”

“Oh, girl, why didn’t you say something? Why’d you choose the éclair?”

“I didn’t want to cause trouble...”

As he turned back around, Alya straightened up and Lila paused her squirming.

“Is there a problem?” He asked kindly.

“Lila’s éclair is stale,” she stated. “And she’s lactose intolerant.”

“Stale? Already?” His brows raised to his hairline. “I just made them this morning. Are you certain?”

“This is why I didn’t want to say anything,” the girl muttered as she covered her face with one hand. “This is so embarrassing, Alya...”

“Forgive me, but I make my pastries at most a day in advance, and that’s for more complicated things like mille-feuille,” he explained. “Why didn’t you speak up? I’d have gotten you something lactose-free from the back. We always try to cater to customers with food allergies.”

“I forgot,” she said quietly.

“Well,” Tom sighed, “Are you feeling alright? Do you need some Lactaid?”

“I’ll be fine,” Lila insisted, though a troubled expression came over her face.

“If you don’t want it, I’ll eat it,” Nino volunteered.

“A free éclair? Heck no, I’ll eat it,” Kim retorted.

Tom stood there, brow furrowed in thought, as he handed Adrien his bread. The boy looked uncomfortable and apologetic, even as he paid for it.

He would have to speak with Marinette about this development.

5) Sabine Cheng

“Marinette?” Sabine gently knocked on her daughter’s door after dinner with a plate of cut strawberries and whipped cream in hand, brow knit in concern despite the frustration still smoldering in her chest. “Baozi?”

A shuffling from inside, and her daughter’s emotion-choked voice cracked, “What?”

Sabine hesitated. What could she say to make things better? She hated fighting with her - she hated fighting with anyone, at that - and while her head was screaming one thing, her heart was pleading another.

“Are you... are you alright?” She tried instead, her voice dropping into a more worried tone at how desolate she sounded.

There was another pause, before Marinette’s voice answered again, sounding much worse. “No.”

Sabine gave a quiet sigh. “Can I come in?”

Don’t be like your mother, her heart whispered. Talk to her. Be understanding.

At a noncommittal noise, she took a chance. Opening the door a crack, she peeked in to see no Marinette in sight; but when she looked up at the girl’s bed, a head poked up to look.

“I brought you dessert, since you missed it,” she explained as gently as she could, a grimacing smile on her face. “Why don’t you come down so we can talk it out?”

For a moment, the girl didn’t move.

Then, finally, after ducking her head back down and something akin to soft murmuring from above, she slowly slid out of bed, covers retracting to show her mussed hair and blotchy face.

Sabine’s latent anger finally began to flicker out, and her eyes softened as Marinette slowly came down.

“Oh, bǎobèi,” she murmured, setting the plate down on the chaise and opening her arms.

Without a word, her daughter flung herself into them and squeezed her tight, hiccupping as the tears began to flow again.

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“I’m sorry for yelling too, Marinette,” Sabine soothed, brushing back her hair and holding her tight. Her heart ached for her teenage daughter as she began to cry, soaking the front of her shirt. “I would like to understand what’s going on instead of fight you about it. Will you tell me, so I can make things better?”

Marinette shakily nodded and hummed a response. As she pulled back, her face red from her tears, she answered, “There’s-- there’s this girl. In my class.”

“Go on,” the mother encouraged, brow knit in concern.

“And- and she lies, like all the time, and I’m the only one that knows she’s lying.” She sniffled, brushing away strands of hair that stuck to her face. “None of my friends believe me about anything she says, and-- and Adrien--”

“Breathe, sweetheart,” Sabine gently ordered, brushing a thumb across her cheek. “What about Adrien? Doesn’t he stand up for you?”

“No!” Marinette burst, fresh hot tears spilling down her cheeks. “All he said was that she isn’t hurting anyone with her lies, but-- but she’s hurting me! She’s hurting everyone because they believe her about all these things she promises, and-- and I don’t want them to be disappointed and upset when she doesn’t pull through!”

Sabine’s eyes hardened and she nodded, painful memories of her husband’s akumatization fresh in their memories. Tom had been so distraught, worrying about Marinette falling prey to that horrible butterfly-toting villain tonight.

“I’m trying so hard not to say anything about it, but-- but now she’s lying to you, and I can’t stand it!” Marinette sobbed, hiding her face in her mother’s chest. “I’m not bullying anyone, I swear! I’m not like Chloe!”

“I believe you, bǎobèi,” her mother soothed, running her fingers through her hair. “I was shocked, and upset, but I believe you. We’ve raised you better than that.”

“I’m just so tired of being singled out all the time,” she sniffled. “The very first day she came back to school, she threatened to steal all of my friends. And it’s working. I don’t want her lying to my family too!”

Sabine continued to murmur to her, holding her tight. It broke her heart to see her daughter so broken over this, and as she sat with her, listening to her talk about everything that had happened in the past month, the fiery anger in her gut rekindled itself - though not at Marinette.

She had to do something about this. But first, she thought, offering a cream-covered strawberry slice to her sniffling teenager, to comfort Marinette.

+1) They Do Something About It

The next morning, Tom and Sabine, along with Tom’s parents and Sabine’s uncle, marched over to the school, box of pastries in hand. After talking about it for much of the night previously, they had come to the conclusion that something needed to be done about their daughter’s new bully.

Principal Damocles spluttered in surprise as they entered his office. “Oh, well- well hello, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng, ah - Dupains, and...”

“Wang Cheng,” the man offered. “I’m Marinette’s great-uncle.”

Damocles squinted for a moment, before adding, “Chengs. What, ah, what brings you here this morning? Classes have only just begun.”

“We need to discuss something very important with you, Principal,” Tom answered, extending the box. “But first, would you like a pastry? Freshly baked.”

The bearded man’s eyes lit up in delight. “Don’t mind if I do, thank you.”

Roland and Gina sat down before his desk, the rest standing, as he picked out a croissant with butter glistening along its still-steaming surface, watching as he carefully ate it above the napkin provided.

“Now,” said Sabine pleasantly, “We’ve had some concerns over behavior coming from our daughter’s classroom lately. Perhaps you could lend your thoughts about the situation?”

“Miss Bustier’s classroom?” He questioned, wiping his beard free of crumbs. “Ah, yes, yes, I’ve heard some concerns from her about some developing behavioral problems between a couple of her students. Your daughter has been... acting rather bizarre, as of late.”

“Bizarre how?” Tom questioned. “Bizarre as in being rude and bullying her friends, or bizarre as in coming to class early?”

“Bizarre as in, oh, how to put this gently...” Damocles cleared his throat and threaded his fingers together. “Dupain, Cheng, your daughter has been unfairly targeting another student for perceived wrongs and causing distress on her part.”

Sabine’s eyes darkened for a second, before Tom spoke up. “Principal Damocles, I’m afraid we’ve heard another thing entirely - and it’s not just us, but her grandparents and great-uncle as well.”

“That’s right!” Roland added, a grumpy frown on his face.

“My great-niece would never bully someone,” Wang’s face was pinched with disappointment. “Are you sure you’ve heard correctly?”

“Unfortunately so.” Damocles pressed a button on the intercom. “Madame Bustier, would you please make your way to the principal’s office?”

“The stories we’ve heard at home have been quite different,” Sabine said as soon as his finger left the button. “My daughter was distraught when we told her about the girl she’d supposedly been bullying. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body!”

“I have had evidence of the girl lying, myself,” Gina supplied, folding her arms across her chest. “This past July, in fact. However long this has been going on, I’m disappointed that it’s gone as long as it has.”

“W- well,” the principal cleared his throat, “surely her teacher will have more to add that I cannot.”

As if on cue, there was a polite knock at the door and he called, “Come in, please.”

Caline Bustier stopped short as she stepped into the office, brow knit in confusion and concern when she saw the group. “Um, you called for me, principal Damocles?”

“Yes, yes, please, come in,” he answered. “I’m sorry for pulling you away from your instructions, but I would like your input on a discussion.”

“Of course,” said the redhead, and as she closed the door and walked in, she smiled at Tom and Sabine. “Hello, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng.”

“Madame Bustier, it’s come to our attention that our daughter is being bullied right under your nose,” Sabine said bluntly, causing the teacher to startle. “Yet the story we’re hearing from school is that she’s the one doing the bullying?”

“Oh, well- bullying is a strong term,” she answered hesitantly, clasping her hands together. “But yes, there have been some disagreements going on in the classroom recently, involving Marinette and another student.”

“I do hope you aren’t about to tell me my own daughter would cry and lie to me about a girl promising to make her school life terrible.” The woman’s eyes narrowed.

“She- she said that?” Caline stopped short, a shocked pull to her expression. “Who on earth would tell her that?”

“The very girl she’s supposedly bullying,” Tom answered for her, folding his arms across his chest. “A girl named Lila. And nothing is being done to keep her safe from bully behavior? I have to say I’m very disappointed in Dupont. Marinette has been being bullied by Chloe Bourgeois for years now, and not once has anything been done to remedy that. Now another student is bullying my daughter and the report from school is that she’s the one being a bully? Not my Marinette.”

“That’s right,” added Gina with a frown. “My granddaughter is not the type to be a bully.”

“I understand that you may have some contrary opinions, being that it is your daughter, but unfortunately this issue has been going on for quite a while now.” Caline had the audacity to look disappointedly at them. “Marinette is supposed to be a representative for our classroom, but has fallen quite short in being an example.”

“Give me examples of her bullying,” Sabine ordered. Behind her, Wang placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Well,” said the younger woman, “there was an incident on Lila’s first day of school. She was happily making friends, but Marinette tried to dissuade them and paint her in a bad light. I, personally, thought she was jealous, and I tried to stand up for the new student.”

“Jealous, perhaps, but Marinette would never warn others away just because of that. We’ve raised her to be truthful and justice-minded.” Tom retorted. “What else?”

“Well, there is the fact that she continues to be obstinate and stubbornly refuses to accept Lila’s ailments.” Ticking them off on her fingers, “she has admitted to a number of allergies and injuries that Marinette has mocked and called her a liar for, she has refused to help her out when she needs it, and has led a bad example for the other students when it comes to accepting someone different.”

“Well?” Roland demanded next. “Have you verified those allergies and injuries? Because she never told me about any gluten allergy, and I made bread with her! She didn’t look sick to me!”

“Not all allergies and ailments manifest themselves the same,” Damocles reminded.

“She should’ve at least looked sick!” The old man retorted. “Tom told me all about gluten intolerance - not once did she even look it! And now you’re telling me my granddaughter is dismissive of something like that? Not on your life, she isn’t!”

“Marinette goes above and beyond in trying to help others, even when it negatively affects her,” Wang added. “In fact, I distinctly remember hearing that she was a star student in your classroom at the beginning of this year. She’s never once gotten in trouble for bullying, and it’s not like her to suddenly become nasty.”

“W- well,” Caline shifted from foot to foot, unsure, “there is a matter of personal drama between girls, but...”

“Are you telling me my daughter would bully someone else just because they like the same boy?” Sabine’s voice was deadly quiet.

“I’m not saying so, but I am saying--”

“You’re saying that my daughter is so flighty and possessive that she would emulate Chloe Bourgeois just because a new girl happens to have a crush.” Tom flatly accused. “Believe me, Madame Bustier, I’ve been on the receiving end of many, many discussions about this boy she likes, and not once has she ever shown signs of being this person you’re telling me she’s becoming.”

“You haven’t had to teach her for several hours a day almost every day of the week.” The redhead’s face was pinched.

“So allow me to sit in one day, just so I can see what kind of situation my daughter is in,” Sabine pressured. “Let me see what’s happening with my own eyes.”

“That wouldn’t be a very good way of diagnosing the issue, Mrs. Cheng,” Damocles patiently explained. “If Marinette knew her mother was going to be in class with her, she would be on her best behavior.”

“But would the other students?” She pressured, leaning in. “What reason do they have to care about my approval? My daughter’s bully certainly doesn’t - do you remember the time she tried to frame my daughter for pulling the fire alarm and stealing her bracelet? Because Tom and I certainly do. Do you remember when she showed blatantly racist behavior towards my uncle and ruined his soup, getting him akumatized? Because we certainly do. You have done nothing to curtail the treatment she has been getting for years now, and we are sick and tired of having to watch our daughter become this anxious, beaten dog of a person because you don’t feel like doing your job.”

“If we stir up trouble with her father, our school’s good standing would suffer tremendously,” the principal defended.

“You would look the other way on a deviant’s behavior just because of who her father is? You disgust me, Damocles. I thought this school had more integrity than that, but I suppose I was wrong.” Anger finally flashed in the father’s eyes, and he leaned in, towering over the balding man. “If you cannot get your affairs in order and start cracking down on this misbehavior, then we are pulling Marinette out - and you can say goodbye to the extra services we’ve been offering the school. No student discounts on baked goods, no baking lessons, no catering - no nothing!”

Caline and Damocles watched helplessly as the family stood, angry and disappointed with them.

“For a school named after a famous hero of France, you sure are showing how villainous you can be,” Sabine bit out, hands clenched. “We’re taking Marinette home early today, at lunchtime. If I hear one more ill word from her about this bullying situation, we’re reporting you to the Ministry of National Education. And don’t you even think about strong-arming her into staying silent about this - Marinette knows she can trust us, and I will not stand for anyone blackmailing my daughter into suffering in silence.”

“You need to investigate this girl,” Wang scolded. “More than once my great-niece has told me she fakes her injuries to get out of doing her fair share of work. She faked a sprained wrist when I helped your class with their cooking lesson - where is her mother? Does she know her daughter is getting hurt all the time with nobody else to help her but her classmates and friends?”

“At the very least, you need to discipline her,” Tom emphasized. “If she truly isn’t acting maliciously, you need to help her understand what behavior is and is not acceptable at school. You are educators. You need to act like it instead of kowtowing to every last little whim of your children; today’s youth needs guidance, not friends.”

“Of- of course, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng,” Damocles stammered. “Is- is that all?”

“We’ve said our piece. The rest is up to you.” With a cold smile, the parents added, “Good day to you both, Principal, Madame.”

#miraculous ladybug #mild salt #slight Lila salt #5 + 1 fic #realistic lila #long post

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