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ive-tumbled-down-a-rabbit-hole · 3 years

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Stories of Paris

Part 4

Part One Part Three AO3

Masterlist

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Damian was unhappy with the fact that with ‘strangers’ in *his* house their nightly activities would have to carefully navigated. His father nor Pennyworth had not explicitly said anything about it, but he assumed it was because they all knew what was expected. So, being told to line up in the entrance hall by his father went down like a lead balloon.

His pout turned in widening eyes of shock as he witnessed the tall wiry young woman (and a large man he supposed) exiting the car. SHE was his father’s babysitter. This was who oversaw the European branch of W.E. The person who owned the largest portion of shares of W.E (after the Wayne family that is). He was doomed. Damain watched as his father soften as he saw the woman.

“Mari! You never seem to age!” he exclaimed as she gracefully walked up to him and into his embrace.

“Mon cherie! It’s miraculous isn’t it,” she drew back slightly to look over his shoulder, “I see you have taken found family comment to the extreme, but I suppose you were never one to do things in half measures. It’s good to be back here after so long”

Looking at her like he was a child with pleading eyes, “You are staying here, right?”

With a gentle smile with a smirking edge, “Yes. If I tried to leave for a hotel, I’ll end up having the shadows watching me all night. Plus, this place always did feel like my home away from home.”

Damian glancing at his supposed siblings to see that they were also in shock. Probably not for the same reason. Panicking with it all, as he saw his father turn to introduce them to the woman, Damian drew his katana and aimed it at her.

“YOU were fathers' babysitter!!! But... what... you’re younger than him!!!! .... You’re the Grand Lady Guardian... I *refuse* to return.”

Damian vaguely recognised his name being shouted at him, but all his attention was on the Grand Lady Guardian of the Miraculous who stood, rolling her eyes, before him. He could feel her power radiating off, surrounding them all.

“Petit Tresor. I’m not taking you back there. Did you not learn anything from my teachings? Did you not learn to read between the lines? About looking deeper than the surface. You are with *your* found family. THEY are what is important. Bruce may have picked up a lot of my unhealthy habits about vigilantism, but he made a point of understand a good support network and the importance of chosen family. Despite how he enacts the teachings.”

The Monkey with her came to her shoulder and raised his eyebrow at Damian. He finally understood why he was always her bodyguard now rather than the Cat, being that he was her husband.

“You can stand down Petit Tresor. League and Court business will *not* be found here. The League know what will happen if they cross the Court, and I made it very clear after our last encounter when they tried to manipulate us to their advantage.”

Damian assessed the woman before him as he withdrew his katana from her and starting to become aware of the others around him again.

“Why has he got a chaos shard within him Bruce?” The monkey growled looking at him with a dangerous glint in his eye.

Everyone in the entrance hall was frozen in shock and panic. What was meant to be a happy reunion had been derailed but now, suddenly, somehow gained an even sharper edge. Marinette and her husband were aware of their nightly capers, and they also knew of the League, they were involved in something similar and aware of chaos shards.

Damian watched as his father gulped as he looked at the Monkey and the Guardian. It wasn’t often his father showed fear, but it was clear on his face as she arched her eyebrow at him. His siblings all looked on in surprise and uncertain of what to expect. Only Pennyworth and Todd seemed to be handling the situation with any sense of calmness. Surprising for Todd...

“Mari... his mother... the league...”

At the mention of the league the Guardians eye twitch so subtly you’d hardly notice it if not trained and with a minute flicker of her hand, the Monkey flipped his phone out and was walking out back outside to call someone... Damian straining his ears heard Peg and plan 42c being mentioned by the Monkey to whoever he had called.

“They were warned. Tsk, Assassin’s bullheadedness. Kim will sort this out for me for the present moment and we will discuss healing at a later point. Anyway, mon cherie, you were about to introduce me to your children. Petit Tresor I know, and I believe that that is Jason, mon rêveur, in the background though he has grown so much since our last meeting. So, I could guess everyone else, but why don’t you continue?”

The Guardian stated as if the topic of what just happened was over, much to Damian’s surprise. He sheafed his katana but still was wary of the woman and slightly in awe. He had a feeling that the chaos and downfall of his grandfather may have due to her in some way. Slight fear and dread for his mother was building as well. He finally starting to understand the reason for her over protectiveness when she taught him in the league now.

“Right. Mari, this is Dick, Jason who you already met in person? Cass and alongside her Duke, Tim who you meet briefly in the W.E. meeting the other month, Steph who has wormed her way into the family and Damian you who’ve also already met?”

With a polite cough drawing attention to himself, Alfred spoke. “Perhaps, instead of having a mother’s meeting in the entrance hall, we retreat to the drawing room where we can have some refreshments. I am sure that Ms Marinette and Master Kim are exhausted from their travels. It is most unbecoming to stand around loitering, wouldn’t you agree Master Bruce?”

Bruce muttered something as his ears started to tinge red, Marinette turned to Alfred and smiled as she drew him into a hug while Bruce collected himself.

“Yes, right, that sounds like a fantastic idea Alfred. Mari, shall we?”

Bruce offered her an arm which she elegantly took as the took off in the direction of the drawing room delving into conversation with Bruce leaving behind a shocked collection on children in the hall. Alfred slipped off to prepare the refreshments.

Damian cringed as Dick exclaimed, “YOU GUYS KNOW HER?!?!?!!” which echoed around the manor as he finally processed what had just happened.

______________________________________________

Alfred smiled as the atmosphere within the Manor shifted over the last few weeks. It now had a different air about it. Master Bruce became less sullen and slightly less repressed under Marinette’s watch and the Manor started to feel lighter again.

Alfred had found great amusement when he stumbled in on Master Kim lecturing Master Bruce on being dense especially the “I know I’m dense but kwami Bruce! You’re worse than me realising all the competitions I got Mare rigged into was because I wanted to impress her! Let’s start at the beginning, ok?!”.

He hoped that Master Kim might be able to knock a bit of sense into his wayward charge. He knew Ms Marinette, though full of good intentions wouldn’t be able to with Master Bruce’s strange ability to pick up on the wrong message being given.

The highlight of the week was when he entered the family living room to find all his grandchildren looking pale as Master Bruce acted semi child-like in front of Ms Marinette. It was a delight to see Bruce act like the child that he knew he was reawakened again. Even if it terrified the grandchildren.

The whole family discovered that Bruce had been very selective of the stories and information that he had told them about Marinette. She had taken great delight telling them all about what teenage Bruce really was like.

About the time Bruce had a fan induced panic attack on meeting the Jagged Stone. Alfred was slightly aware of something happened but not the details.

About the time Bruce decided to practice parkour in the Manor gardens and ended up stuck halfway up the side of the Manor unable to climb up further or climb down. Alfed was positive he was unaware that Marinette joined him and had to coach Bruce down.

About the series of times that Bruce attempted to prove to Alfred that he had ‘outgrown the kitchen ban’ and had ‘observed Mari’s baking skills sufficiently’ to be able to try again for only the attempts to go south fast. Alfred grimaced at the memories that that bought up. He was glad that he’d got a good working deal with local kitchen fitters and suppliers given the number of fires.

It became a daily breakfast occurrence that Bruce mortified Marinette in his outfit for the day. The breakfast entertainment became watching Marinette tear into his fashion choice of the day, drag up some past clothing or costume disaster. She ended up moaning that he had learnt nothing from her rantings about clothes over the years and stare forlornly into her coffee cup. It was providing the bat boys a wealth of black mail material that Alfred had to on numerous occasions reel Marinette from her tangents.

The only time he let her completely go to town with was letting her regale to everyone about Bruce’s dramatic and insistent argument on fighting crime in Lyca, wearing pants on top of tights and with a cape, that he really insisted that he didn’t need to use Kevlar (that decision didn’t last beyond a few training sessions and one patrol night). Alfred was pleased with her ability to rein that disaster in quickly.

It was in the comfort of the kitchen away from the antics that happened Alfred mused and reflected on his notional niece's visit. Alfred wished he had thought to bring Marinette over sooner as he witnessed that fraught relationships between the Waynes soften. Issues didn’t disappear but Marinettes presence, and ability due to dealing with Akuma, helped mitigate situations which typically would have blown up. Kim always by her side would help soothe, distract, or explain to the puzzled Bruce the techniques Marinette was using to stop the escalation.

She’d slowly began charming and connecting with his grandchildren. Be it by giving Tim pointers on how to manage W.E board members effectively and playing video games. It was eerily like how she warmed Bruce up to her.

By Sitting quietly reading with Jason or playing chess and talking in metaphors about life, death and balance. Slowly having ‘healing sessions to calm the pit madness’ with meditation and grounding sessions.

With Damian she seemed to remind him of alternate grounding techniques which she’d shown him in the league. They seemed to spend time talking in hushed whispers about other stuff that Alfred wasn’t currently privy too.

Duke was with poetry and music. Cass with dance and gymnastics, silent subtle conversations occurred but seeing Cass smile and edge towards being more tactile made Alfred glow with warmth inside. Steph and Marinette commanded the kitchen numerous times baking pastries, waffles and other treats.

Dick took the longest to warm up to the woman, having heard and known about her for over a deacade but never met it was understandable. Alfred wpould never knew what Marinette had done but one day the hostility and coldness disappeared. A joy, childlike smile appeared on Dicks face every time she was in the room, and he’d follow her round like a loat puppy. Watching and mimicking her techniques to calm his brothers down.

How his grandchildren acted with Marinette in the activities brought echoes of memories of her with Bruce to the forefront of Alfred’s mind.

Sighing, in the short time the Manor felt warm and like a family, a home should feel like. Much like before his friends’ death. Schooling his emotions, Alfred set about to serve the family and Parisians last dinner together.

______________________________________________

Bruce tried not to sulk. Tried not to revert to the mind set of when Marinette originally disappeared physically from his life. Especially in front of his children but it was hard. She somehow always managed to take the overwhelming pressure away from him, like he could breathe and be.

Alfred was his father, in all the ways that counted, but the burden of death and saving the world was something Marinette understood at a deeper more personal level. Having her here made it feel safe to feel, that he would always be caught. That she would save him from the consuming darkness. She was the light in the world shining out in the Gotham gloom.

As expected, his children adored her in their unique ways. Following her around like little ducks scrabbling for crumbs of knowledge and titbits of information. Bruce lips twitched as he witnessed them behaving much like he used to. Taking the gems’ she passed on to them and ferreting them away much like he did.

“Master Bruce, I expect better behaviour this leaving gathering than our previous party, please.”

With Alfred’s comments Bruce gave into the feeling of pouting. Why deny how he felt toward the situation where he wasn’t in control. He pointedly ignored the stares that his children were giving him. Again.

“Mon tresor! It’s not like you aren’t going to see or speak to me again. We speak regularly as it is. It’s not the same as it was last time. You know this.”

“But Mari, it's nice having you here. This is your home.”

“Is he always like this Mare, Cupcake? How is it that all the kid’s you’ve looked after end up demanding you live with them?”

Bruce choked at Kim’s statement and the Wayne clan burst into laughter. Alfred let a small smirk grace his face.

“Oui, Mon Amour, He wasn’t happy last time I left at all. Be grateful I learnt to resist kitten eyes or we’d never have reconnected. Manon doesn’t count. She’s practically family as well with how close Maman and Nadja are.”

“What about Elle, Etta and Chris? What about Ivan’s and Mylene’s sproglian? Fang? Jagged’s second round of terrors? Luka and Jules too really.”

“Hush, Mon Amour, circumstantial evidence.”

Bruce observed Kim stare at his wife in disbelief before waving his hand around the room.

“What about these then. Don’t give me that look Cupcake. I’m gonna end up needing to fight the whole batclan at this rate to get you on a plane with me! Maybe I should give Peg’s the heads up that I’ll need his help.”

“I can assure you Master Kim that you *both* are free to leave. The young master's understand that they cannot kidnap you. It would not be becoming of them OR look good for the company for the family to kidnap its own workers.”

Bruce and his family guiltily ducked their heads at Alfred’s comments. When Alfred turned away to start talking to Kim, Tim leant in close to Bruce to whisper to him.

“Do you think we have the power to move her to being director of North America rather than Europe? Mari would be closer then? Plus, the guy in charge isn’t all he’s cracked up to be so the board would likely approve it.”

Bruce stared at his son at the ingenious and simple solution and smiled, before ducking his head when Alfred pointedly looked his way.

“We’ll discuss that concept later.”

Bruce gave Tim a subtle nod as if he was approving the idea. Technically he was but Alfred didn’t need to know that. Nor did Kim really, as he would fight him if he found out and he’d rather not deal with an ex-olympian superhero, even when he pulled his punches they hurt far more than the average persons.

Bruce sat back into his seat and smiled as the conversation and chaos flowed around him. His whole family finally together and he cherished it. He knew it wasn’t going to last much longer with the impending flight looming but for now he had a potential and creative plan to work on. If he framed it right it could also become the prefect family bonding activity that both Marinette and Kim thought he needed to do more of outside of vigilantism. And if the end result was that she moved closer, well, that’s just an added bonus in his eyes.

With that in mind, Bruce joined in with the choas enjoying the moment with his complete family. Nothing could take this away from him.

Tag:

@neakco @corporeal-terrestrial @jayjayspixiepop @lady-bee-fechin @prettylittlebutterflie

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ellienettie · 3 years

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Found Family - Felix

Felix: Manipulative mom, dead dad, came with his friends to basically take care of them ended up being dad #1 (in truth he's all like 'I wanna care for baby,, but I have an image, and- oh my god my kids are running away wAIT FOR ME FUCKING DEVILS') dramatic as fuck.

- has 3 friends and all of them are just,, done

- "Allegra no- Claude please don't jump- ALLAN I THOUGHT YOU WERE ALSO RESPONSIBLE"

- "I'm disappointed, Felix." "You have to be proud of someone before you can be disappointed, mother."

- "I don't care about anyon- Claude get off the table you might get hurt."

- dad #1

- "Mari, darling, it's okay. We can handle it- Tim and I can handle it. Just continue with your work."

- "Hey Tim I love you" "???" "I'm not good with confessions accept it or I shall die" "jesus fuck- Felix I love you too but what the fuck-"

- "Mari. Nettie. My moon, my caramel. Marry me?" "Felix we aren't even together yet." "So that's what I forgot"

- "Timmy bird" "yes vanilla coffee" "I need you to marry me" "what? why?" "Because that's how we'll get caramel to agree to marry us both" "Felix you haven't even asked her to be our girlfriend-" "I did now I need a wife and a husband" "Felix no stop skimming for rings"

- "I question my choices often but the one thing I regret deeply is letting Allegra keep her kryptonite pen. I wanted to threaten superman." "if it helps you, I could get you a kryptonite dagger" "Marry me, Marinette" "TIM HE'S PROPOSING AGAIN"

- "I require a feather, a pin, Plagg, Trixx and a box of cats. No I will not tell why"

- "Marinette you should be asleep" "I should be a lot of things, but I live to disappoint"

- "My mother used to cry about how I was the only thing keeping her sane. What I'd give to see her right now knowing I'm never coming home" "I asked if you wanted coffee" "I want my steaming cup of revenge"

- "oh my god we've all been flirting with each other" Mari: *slamming her head against the table* MY TYPE ARE DENSE FUCKERS WITH PARENT ISSUES

- "Allan we're banning you from the kitchen if you keep making stabbing jokes"

- *patting Marinette* "There there caramel, just let it all out" *Mari starts crying* "PUT THEM BACK IN THERE UNTIL I GET TIM"

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anjuschiffer · 3 years

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Blessed Flower [Brought Us Together]

You know what I haven’t written yet? GARMARI!

Also, sorry it took his long to write this QQ

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45. I can’t imagine this world without you

48. Why are you crying?

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Tag: @theatreandcomicfreak @damianette-is-life @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan @vixen-uchiha @nathleigh

---

AO3

Today was the day.

After months of sweat, blood and tears, Garfield had finally done it. He found the answer to his desire...he had cured Tara’s illness, so why?

Why did he dread this walk through the forest today? Why did his feet feel heavier with each step he took, as he got closer to the cabin he used to look forward to?

Why did he hesitate to continue down the ever so familiar path? A path he has walked down plenty of times before, both during the rain and through snow. So why? Why was he doubting himself? Wasn’t this what he wanted?

Garfield stopped, looking up towards the forest canopy, tiny beams of sunlight making its way through the dense layer of leaves.

The twilight’s breeze rustled the spring leaves, calming Garfield’s uneasiness a bit.

Taking a deep breath, Garfield recomposed himself before continuing his journey down the dirt path most of the people in his village often avoided.

“It’s cursed.” They would say.

“Those who enter often never return.” They used to warn him.

“No one dares to enter La Feerie’s Garden, even if the Blessed Flower is in it. You rather remain alive than face Lutin for her flowers.”

But despite their warnings, Garfield still went into the forest in search of the magical flower, having found it around a year ago. But upon reaching the one spot in the forest where the magical flowers bloomed, Garfield met her.

“How dare you pick ma petite fille?” A voice growled, Garfield stiffening as his hand hovered over the white flower, listening as footsteps drew near.

He didn’t dare turn around in fear of seeing what was to possibly kill him. “Who are you and why are you-”

“I need them to help cure my friend’s illness!” Garfield blurted out, keeping his head lowered as he pulled his hand back to himself.

Well, Tara wasn’t exactly his friend...more like the neighbor he didn’t have the guts to tell her that he liked her...but even then, he couldn’t just do nothing as he saw her dying before his eyes. “She’s been suffering from pain in her muscles and her cuts are starting to heal slowly. I heard that this flower-”

“Ah, so you’ve heard about the Blessed Flower.” The voice said monotonously, Garfield noticing that the voice was now in front of him. Bare feet were now in his vision, Garfield noticing that they looked human.

Slowly looking up, he was met with soft bluebell eyes. “And do you know how to administer it, human? Or do you plan on killing your friend?”

Garfield froze under her gaze, carefully choosing his next words. Was she not a human then? She can’t be one if she addressed him as ‘human.’

“I don’t. But I would gladly do anything to learn how to use it if it means saving my friend.” Garfield remained silent as he awaited for the girl to say something back. “Just teach me and then when she’s cured, we don’t have to see each other again. I’ll even give you permission to erase my memories if you think that’s a fair trade.”

He didn’t expect her to sputter into laughter, folding into herself as Garfield felt his body tense despite being confused by her response.

“You’re an odd one, I’ll tell you that. Odd, but honest.” The girl finally said after composing herself.

She stretched out her hand, Garfield looking at it before accepting it. The two stood up together, the girl smiling at Garfield despite his clear confusion. “I am Marinette, guardian witch of Edel Forest. You, what is your name?”

“Garfield Logan.” He responded. “My name is Garfield Logan. So please, Guardian, teach me how to save my friend.”

“Then follow me.” She commanded, Garfield watching as a small cottage materialized before their eyes. Or rather, came out of hiding.

As Garfield followed her into her cottage, he was met with the aroma of freshly baked bread and a hiss. He followed the sound, finding out it came from above him. A black cat with its back arched and fur sponging up was the one who greeted him with a hiss. His green eyes bore through him, the cat watching Garfield’s every move. “Don’t mind Chaton. He’s been overprotective of me ever since...do you like pie? I just finished making one!”

Garfield simply nodded, but couldn’t help but notice the trembling of her hands as she moved around her cottage, watching as she fumbled to look for extra eating utensils.

Just how long has it been since she had anyone over that she couldn’t find another plate?

Apparently a long time, Marinette having to resort to using a tracking spell to help her find one, causing Garfield to watch in utter awe as a plate levitated from its place and made its way to Marinette.

Meanwhile, Chaton continued to monitor him, his green eyes never once leaving Garfield out of his sight.

Over the course of the year, Marinette taught Garfield how to harvest the Divine, showing him which Blessed Flowers were used depending on the illness or the injury.

She taught him how to plant, care and harvest the plant. She even told him the importance of talking to the plants and how they enjoyed the extra attention. After all, it helps to enhance their healing capabilities.

Sometimes when they were out in the field, the two would find ladybugs flying about. Garfield would tease Marinette whenever various would sit on her, Marinette whining to him that it wasn’t funny.

She taught him how to measure and procure the different medications that could come from the magical plant, Garfield absorbing everything with wonder and amazement. Who knew that the magical plant could also help with toothaches!

“Yarrow. That is its actual name.” Marinette clarified at one point when Garfield was busy packaging some yarrow into his bag to take back to the village.

They had finished grinding up some dried yarrow and packaging them for tea. They even had a few made into pastes. “To be honest I don’t know why people call it the Blessed Flower,” she said as she unraveled her braided midnight hair.

Garfield watched as she carefully took out the red ribbon that held up her long hair, wondering why she has never done so before. It was pretty, very pretty.

“Perhaps because it can help with so many trivial things that inflict us.” Garfield provided, slinging the bag across his body, opening the door to leave. He watched as Marinette looked at him with panic, her eyes having dilated a bit before going back to normal. “I’ll be back again tomorrow, at the same time.”

He watched as Marinette relaxed, her shoulders lowering from their tense form.

“Have a safe trip.” She said, waving as he closed the door behind him before stopping.

“You should have your hair down more often. It’s pretty.” Garfield said, closing the door behind him and headed to the village. With each step he took, he felt his cheeks burn even more.

Why did he even say that?

Marinette hummed as she placed down a pot of chamomile tea on the table, gasping with glee as she remembered it's been a few minutes since she checked on her apple pie.

She skipped to her oven and carefully took the pie out, smiling at how well it came out.

She placed the pie down, liking that for once in her life, her table was cle-

Now that she thought about it, when was the last time her kitchen table wasn’t filled with books for herbs? That she had actually used it to have food on it?

Because she never once had to use it for a guest before. She had always just baked with her magic, pots, pans and ingredients floating midair as she recited recipes from her childhood.

When was the last time she was excited to even have someone over?

The door creaked out, Marinette smiling as she saw Garfield walk in.

“Gar! Welcome back!” She greeted, making sure to not rush up to him.

“Hey Mari.” Garfield said with a weak smile. A hiss was heard nearby. “Hello to you too, Chaton.” Even though it’s been months since their first encounter, Chaton was still hostile towards Garfield.

“Want to have some pie?” Marinette went back to the table, lifting it up to show him. “I just finished-”

“Tara’s cured.” Garfield blurted out, watching as the apple pie splattered down to the table. “Mari, I-”

“That’s wonderful news!” Marinette celebrated, clapping her hands together before letting out a gasp. “Oh no! The pie!”

She quickly began to try and put the crumbled pie back into the pan, but it kept spilling out.

“Mari-”

“Can you believe it Gar? We actually cured Tara!”

“Marinette. Are you okay?” Garfield managed to say, reaching to grab her hand, only for Marinette to pull it back to herself as she picked up the wasted apple pie.

“Of course I am! Your wish came true, so why wouldn’t I be-”

“So why are you crying then?” Garfield softly asked, watching as she silently cried. They glistened as they ran down her face and onto her hands. “Mari,” he softly said, not knowing what to say.

“It’s goodbye...isn’t it?” She asked, setting the pan down. “Now that you got what you wanted, there isn’t any other reason for you to keep coming here. You got me to help you cure your friend.” She let out a dry laugh. “There isn’t any other reason for you to stay here.”

“Mari. I still plan on coming here.”

“Coming here? What for? You already cured Tara- oh...oh!” Marinette exclaimed, a giggle escaping her. Then a dry laugh erupted.

“Marinette?”

“You’re just like them.” Marinette whispered. “You come to me, use me and then plan to continue to use me.”

“Marinette, let me-”

“You plan to continue to come here on behalf of your village, aren’t you? Act like it’s for your village’s benefit but end up using me for your own gain, right? That’s your plan, isn’t it, Garfield?”

“What? No! I would-” Garfield denied, but his words fell on deaf ears.

“To think I feel for this again!” Marinette yelled, Garfield watching as her red ribbon flew and began to ravel her hair into a bun. Black dots began to blossom onto the ribbon as a red aura began to emit around Marinette’s hands.

“Marinette, please. Just listen-”

“That’s what they said. To listen to them. To help them carry out a plan that would only benefit themselves and few others, but not everyone...but not this time.” Chaton appeared out of nowhere, now perched on a wooden beam above Marinette. His fur was on edge and his eyes gleamed a nasty jade. “I won’t let you use me again. I won’t let you!” Marinette yelled, dashing for Garfield, who did nothing but remain frozen as she tackled him to the ground.

Garfield struggled to break free from her magic binding, but his wrists were bound to the floor in plant vines.

“Marinette, please!”

“Silence!” Marinette bellowed. “I shouldn’t have let you in. I shouldn’t have trusted you. I should’ve just sent you off like I did to all those who came before you!

But how naive I was. To think that the Council was wrong all this time, only to see that they were actually right.” Her eyes glew a dangerous red. “You humans never change.”

Garfield watched as Marinette placed her hands on his head, a soft glow emitting from them.

“If you think this is for the best...then go ahead. Erase my memories...just like we promised when we first met.” Garfield softly said, looking straight back at Marinette. “Do it if it gives you peace of mind.”

He watched as something flashed across her eyes, watching as she hesitated to continue.

Marinette pursed her lips, shutting her eyes close before getting off of Garfield. A shuddering breath left her.

“What am I doing?” Marinette warbled, watching her hands begin to tremble. The glow surrounding her hands began to dim down, extinguishing. She hid her face with her hands, feeling her tears begin to trail down her face. “Just what-” She shook her head. “I can’t do it, I shouldn’t be- just what the hell-”

“Marinette.” Garfield softly said, watching as the vines disappeared from around his wrists, allowing him to sit next to Marinette. “I’m alright...it’s alright.”

“Alright? How is this alright?” Marinette gestured to herself. “I almost erased your memories and was on the verge of killing you! How is that alright?” She yelled, a sob escaping her. “How can you just-”

Garfield pulled her into an embrace, startling Marinette.

“Because I know you, Marinette.” Garfield said, tightening his embrace. “And even if you did erase my memories, my heart would remember the year we spent together.”

He felt as Marinette trembled against him. “It will never forget, I know it won’t. After all, you mean so much to me.” He listened as she began to sob. “So even if you har-”

“Don’t ever let me do that to you. I’ll die before I ever dare to harm you, Garfield.” She whispered, gently pushing away from him to look at him. “Because...because I can’t imagine this world without you...I can’t live without you!” Marinette confessed, looking at Garfield with fresh tears pooling in her eyes.

“Ever since we met, I no longer felt alone. I was no longer alone once you stepped into my home. I was looking forward to seeing you everyday, to chatting, learning together and just being with each other. I enjoyed it...I love spending time with you being with you.”

Garfield let Marinette recompose herself, allowed her to wipe away her tears. He didn’t know when, but at one point, Chaton came to the both of them, sitting in her lap. “I don’t want you to go. To leave me alone…”

“If...if you head let me talk, perhaps none of this would’ve happened. But even so, this is all my fault.” Garfield admitted. “I shouldn't have let you jump to conclusions like that by not saying what I need to say first.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I should’ve told you the better news first before the good news.”

“The...better news?” Marinette asked.

“I want to live here. With you.” Garfield said with a smile, grabbing her hand. “I, too, realized that I like being with you.”

Marinette looked at him with wide eyes, a faint pink on her cheeks.

“Do-Do you really mean that?”

“I do.” Garfield said, resting his head against her shoulder. “I really do.”

Marinette let out a small gasp, causing Garfield to lift his head to look at her. She smiled back at him and cupped his face.

They both erupted into laughter, pressing their foreheads together. Fingers intertwined as they sat together in comfortable silence, the crackling of the fireplace keeping them company.

They didn’t need anything more to be happy.

Just the two of them.

Just each other.

That was enough for them.

#maribat #prompting anju #anju writes #garmari

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mental-dilemma · 4 years

Text

A Quick Meeting Part 4?

Damian’s an exchange student in Paris taking it easy until an Akuma attacks and he gets to meet ladybug. -----------------------------------------

Ok before everyone starts pancking: I am Emu-Lumberjack I just decided to create a Sideblog for all my writing so that way those who follow me exclusively for that don’t have to deal with the chaos that is my main blog

also I’m sorry it’s taken so long to post this but just between school and work and school and just general exhaustion it’s been hard for me to write.

and as always all credit to the Au goes to @ozmav

pt.1

pt. 2

pt. 3

“I don’t suppose I could bribe you to drop the matter.” Damian said sitting down in Tim’s office. He and Ladybug were situated next to each other while Tim was on the other side of the desk.

“Nope.” He turned to Ladybug, “I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself, making sure Damian didn’t disappear and all that. Anyway I’m Tim Drake, Co-Ceo of Wayne enterprises and Damians older brother.”

Ladybug turned to Damian and quietly said, “So does everyone in your family constantly talk like they’re trying to impress a victorian lord?” Damian snorted. Tim, unable to hear what she just said, looked to the two agape.

“At least I have a reason.” Damian responded, this time loudly enough for his elder brother to hear. “Anyway Tim is in CEO mode right now, which is pretty rare. Usually he’s a bumbling zombie dependent on coffee to function. In fact I remember one time when Dick took the last cup he----”

“I’d suggest stopping right there or I’ll tell her about the batcow incident.” Tim interrupted.

“Did you just say batcow? Because I understand each of those words separately.” Ladybug said, and even though her mask still concealed half her face Damian could tell she was really confused.

“Don’t ask. Just don’t.” Damian said quietly.

“Anyway. I never caught your name and considering the fact that your in a mask I assume you’re a hero. Which is surprising because none of us knew Paris had heroes.” Tim cut the two of them off before more could be said.

“Yes that’s becoming a common theme I’m finding,” Marinette began. “My name is Ladybug in the mask. I have a partner, Chat Noir, but he’s currently indisposed, something about paint in his hair.” Damian stifled a laugh as Marinette continued, “We have been operating out of Paris for the last few years, early on we tried contacting the Justice league but Green Lantern told us not to prank call him.”

“Oh did he now.” Tim said, leaning his head forward.

“Yes he did. Thankfully my power allows me to reverse all damage done during a fight. Including any lives lost or monuments destroyed.”

“That sounds like a very useful power. I'm sure that the heroes of Gotham would love to work with you.” There was a twinkle in his eye that Damian knew meant Tim was concocting some scheme. He was about to jump in, but Marinette got there first.

“Yes I’m sure you would but the issue is we currently have our hands full here although from what Damian told me you guys sound much more fun to work with. At least the villains have better costumes.”

Tim noting her wording turned to Damian, “Did you tell her the family secret? You know what Alfred will do if he finds out.”

Damian smirked “I’m not an idiot Drake this was all her. She could rival you for deductive reasoning.” Marinette just sat there looking innocent.

“Well that explains why the two of you were sneaking around together, Ladybug should I assume Damian knows your identity as well?”

“Yep.”

“Well this is going to be a nightmare. But this just means I can formally invite you to Gotham at least. Ha just leave it to the Ice Prince to leak the identity on his first civilian trip abroad.” Tim leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

“Actually it was you guys who tipped me off.”

Tim suddenly opened his eyes and looked her straight in the eyes. “Come again.”

“Well it was the fact that no one had spied Robin around Batman while Damian was in France. Then the fact that you were patrolling rather than him tipped me off that Robin might be on a vacation..” Tim just face palmed.

“Of course that would happen, how did we not see it coming.” He muttered to himself. “Wait, that begs another question: how did you two meet.”

Damian blushed and before Ladybug could respond he said “not important, there was an akuma. Now do you need anything else.”

“Actually yeah. Ladybug you mentioned the video you sent to Green Lantern, well Batman found it and wanted us to investigate. He didn’t know Green Lantern had seen it or otherwise he’d be on his way back to Ooa healing from a scolding from Alfred. Dick and Jason wanted to come but Bruce needed someone he could send discreetly and who better than the Co-CEO of Wayne industries who could just be checking up on the Paris branch.” Ladybug was impressed by the scheming having Dick Greyson or Jason Todd come in would stir up villain or media activity but Tim the third son wouldn’t.

“Well if you want we can meet up with my partner later and you can formulate a list of questions. Plus it seems you and Damian have some catching up to do.”

“There was a reason I came to Paris Ladybug. Being forced to talk to Tim was not one of them.” Damian made to leave only for a yoyo to catch his leg. Ladybug smirked at him. “Maybe a five minute chat couldn’t hurt anyone. Family reunion and all that.”

“Great then as long as everyones in agreement I can set up a time with chat later this evening for all of us to talk things through and get a strategy in place.”

“Are you sure about this having the league involved is going to cause a lot of chaos and even more dangerous villains could target Paris.”

“Tim I have dealt with so much crap the last couple of years that at this point I will take Darkseid over Lila…… Oh crap. We forgot about Lila.” Marinette looked at Damian who was coming to the same realization she was. He called out Lila in the bakery, and outed himself as a Wayne.

“Do I want to know?” Tim said rubbing his temples. He did not miss highschool.

“Lets just say school tomorrow’s going to be interesting, and I think we’re going to have to put the meeting on hold till after it. Ladybug and I are going to need to deal with school tomorrow, and caffeine isn’t gonna cut it.” Damian said.

“Then again if we aren’t lucid tomorrow might not be so bad….” Marinette began

“Do not even finish that, you even more than me need sleep. Between fashion, school and heroing you function off an hour.”

“You.. have a point. I’ll brief Chat on the situation on my way home. In the meantime I’ll leave you too to the brotherly bonding I’m sure you need.” she pulled her yoyo from her pocket, “See you tomorrow Damian, and whatever plan you hatch up make sure nit doesn’t include killing anyone.”

“Goodnight Ma--- Ladybug. And no promises.” The boy caught himself before revealing Ladybug's identity. She gave him the look of ‘don’t fuck up my secret identity bird boy’ before jumping out the window to run from rooftop to rooftop.

“So. how long have you had a crush on her.” Tim pulled Damians attention, and Damian was sudden;y very glad he had said nothing about not killing his brother.

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

“Do you think they’ll actually help this time?” Chat’s voice rang over the phone, Marinette had stopped behind one of the chimneys to talk to him in private.

“I don’t know, at least now they are actually considering it rather than just brushing us off as children.” Marinette was tired but they needed to have this chat now, there wouldn’t be any chance to in class tomorrow.

“Yeah, just don’t get your hopes up. They left us to fend for ourselves for 3 years and are only doing this now because of Damian if you didn’t know him then none of this would’ve happened.

“Ok but why does that matter that it’s Damian? They could’ve been doing it because of Jon too.”

“Oh please, you're more dense than our class sometimes. Jon would’ve noted it then forgotten to tell someone, but Damian told Batman right away. Why do you think he did that?”

“Chat I am too tired for this.” Marinette could feel Adrien facepalming through the phone.

“Oh I am not spelling this out for you, this time you get to figure it out yourself.”

“Fine. but next time you need help on your calc homework don’t come running to me.” Marinette hung up on him and made her way home. The parisian streets were nice and quiet for her, no akuma meant maybe another hour of sleep.

Once she was out of the suit she let Tikki rest and got right to work on the new piece she was making for Jagged, he wanted to somehow have the score of his newest piece sewn onto the pants for his next concert, and she had to brainstorm.

Twenty minutes went by.

Then an hour.

Then two.

Finally she put up her pencil and put on her pajamas, as she was falling asleep Adriens words kept replaying in her head, and the meaning slammed into her like a truck. Pulling out her phone she sent one message.

Oh fuck off

tag list: @clumsy-owl-4178 @pawsitivelymiraculous @yuulxd @smolplantmum @inarachi02 @notmycupoftea26 @laurcad123 @unknownvsworld @jeminiikrystal @megawhitleycalderonpaganus

#The dilemma writes #Maribat #damian wayne x marinette dupain cheng #Damianette #Damientte #Chat noir #Kwamii #fics #fanfic #myfic #damian x marinette #platonic ladynoir #platonic adrienette

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sadpotatoondrugs · 4 years

Text

Time For a Change [Ch.1]

<< -- First

<< Prev | Next >>

Many would scoff at the idea of Marinette Dupain-Cheng waking up on time, early even, and making it to school before anybody else. They would laugh, dismissing it with a quick “Yeah, right.”

Marinette herself was surprised at first, but turns out when you don’t spend your days working on gifts and favors for your friends, you have a lot more time for yourself and to get a good night’s sleep. Finally being able to follow a proper schedule she mentally had and getting to bed at an appropriate time was a beautiful experience.

She finally understood what was always keeping her on her feet all the time. It wasn’t the fact that she was Ladybug. An akuma happened barely once or twice a week. It was the fact that she had always wanted to please her friends. She recalled how they often came to her asking for a small favor, that favor later developing into a full-day project. And of course, she has always wanted her friends to know she cared for them, so she put everything she had into the work for them, she put every bit of love into it, which led to her often being too caught up in her work to remember she had two homework assignments for the upcoming day, or that it was already 2 AM and she had to get up in five hours for school.

She never received payment, of course. They were her friends, after all!

Today, she would fix that mistake. For a few days back, Alya approached her for the first time in months with a smile.

“Hey, Marinette? Could you make a dozen of chocolate cupcakes and a dozen of vanilla cupcakes for me?”

Marinette wanted so badly to scoff at Alya that day. Of course the girl would harass her every day, but once she needed something, she would come to Marinette acting like they were buddies again.

“Sure”

She didn’t half-ass them, no, she couldn’t. As much as she would’ve liked to put flour, eggs, sugar and many more ingredients into a box and hand it over, labelling them as Do-It-Yourself Cupcakes, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. So, she did the next thing that came to mind.

Instead of making complicated cupcakes, decorating them with care and styling them according to her classmates prefferables and likes, she did basic Vanilla and Chocolate cupcakes with appropriate frosting her bakery normally served, not even bothering to put sprinkles. In fact, all the sprinkles and extra decorations she always made were an addition made by her. Now, she made the cupcakes how she would to any other customer; according to the bakery’s recipe.

She grabbed the box of cupcakes from the big refrigerator where they stored cakes and such. She kissed her parents’ cheeks as a goodbye and made her way to school. She waited for Alya to come into the class to hand her the boxes. She was the fourth person to enter and Marinette immediately made her way towards her, putting the boxes on the girl’s desk.

Seeing Alya’s face once she opened the boxes and saw the plain-looking cupcakes, Marinette did everything she could to not laugh in her face. The girl immediately started blowing a fuse, yelling at Marinette for making the wrong order. Said girl remained calm throughout the whole commotion.

“I didn’t compromise your order. In fact, this is the time I actually followed the proper template for making these cupcakes.” Alya rolled her eyes.

“Every time I wanted cupcakes before, they were always so pretty, I didn’t order this!”

“Yes, you did.”

“Oh my god, is this about Lila again? You purposefully wanted to ruin our picnic, didn’t you?”

Marinette blinked twice before answering.

“You never specified for what purpose I am making those cupcakes, therefore I couldn’t possibly ruin them out of some jealousy, as you claim.” Marinette’s corner of her lips twitched upwards for a second when Alya realized she just spilled the beans that the class was going to have a picnic without her.

That, or just because she realized Marinette was right.

She didn’t care which was the reason.

The class was half full by then, they all stared at the duo exchanging the goods that were meant for their little picnic. Noticing the state of the cupcakes and Alya’s expression, they came to her aid.

“That is so uncool, Marinette…”

“Yeah! Normally, these would be decorated like a pro! You didn’t even try!”

“This is low, Marinette. Even for you.”

The old Marinette would’ve flinched at their accusations, started defending herself while being at the brink of tears. The old Marinette would apologize immediately and promise them to bake another four dozens of cupcakes.

But not this Marinette.

This Marinette was done.

“As I said before, I was simply following the bakery’s basic instructions to Vanilla Cupcakes and Chocolate cupcakes. Google it.”

The looks on their faces were priceless. They didn’t have anything to say back, they were left speechless. The angry expressions on their faces didn’t disappear, though. And they had no idea what Marinette was going to do next. They weren’t prepared for what she was going to say next, and that fact made Marinette smirk mentally.

“Now, onto the most important part-” She turned back to Alya and handed her a small paper, “That will be 42 Euros, Alya.” The face Alya made- no, no, no, that wasn’t it. The faces everyone made was a priceless sight to see.

“WHAT?!” Alya yelled, taking the paper from her hands. It was actually a receipt, stating the bakery’s price for a dozen of standard-sized vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting and a dozen of standard-sized chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Printed boldly at the bottom of the paper, the price of 42.08 Euros. Alya looked up at Marinette with her eyes furrowed and Marinette could swear that she saw a vein about to pop on her forehead. “Are you kidding me?!”

“As I am not wearing a red nose and face paint, you can assume that I am serious.”

The class once again erupted in an uproar of insults aimed at Marinette’s pettiness. Comments about being jealous about them spending time with Lila rather that with Marinette, at which Marinette rolled her eyes. Did they not hear that she had no idea about their dumb picnic until today? They really were thick-skulled.

“You never charged for them before! Just because Lila is going to be there, you suddenly change your mind?! That is so spiteful!”

“In fact, I don’t care what you plan to do with those cupcakes, nor do I care who is it for.” She stared into the brunette’s eyes without any emotion, clearly meaning each and every word. Alya was taken aback by that. “I may have let you of free before, sure, but that was when I let you walk all over me. When I let you use me to get free stuff.” Marinette felt slight guilt saying that. Not because of Alya or the other classmates, but because she remembered once again how much money all those orders she did for free must have cost her parents. At least now she could do things the right way. Before Alya or anybody else had a chance to resume the game of Who Can Yell The Loudest, she grabbed her phone from her purse. “Now, I could listen to you having a childish rant about not wanting to pay for what you ordered, or I could easily just call the police and let them handle the situation. Or you could just pay like you should and end this whole ordeal.” She smiled at them. “I would highly recommend just paying me now, I really don’t want to bother the officers with something as ridiculous as this.”

The class was in utter silence, nobody could believe what they were hearing. Was Marinette really willing to call the police over something like so…small?

“This is ridiculous… You never charged before, you can’t charge me now!” Alya exclaimed, breaking the silence in the class. Marinette sighed, clearly disappointed by the chosen answer.

“Very well then, I didn’t really expect it to have to come to this. Oh well..” She proceeded to unlock her phone and go into dial. Alya’s eyes, as well as the eyes of everybody else, immediately widened.

“Wait! I’ll pay for the stupid cupcakes.” Smiling, she put her phone away.

“I’m glad we were able to settle this like adults, Miss Césaire.” Alya was dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe who Marinette turned out to be. She couldn’t believe how petty she was. She silently thanked Lila for revealing the horrible person Marinette really was.

After Alya handed Marinette the money, which she had to borrow from the other classmates, Marinette finally left to get to her seat. Profanities and glares were thrown her way, labelling her as the ultimate baddie. Marinette saw Adrien out of the corner of her eyes, looking at her disapprovingly, like she had disappointed him somehow. From that day on, the class will hopefully no longer ask for any favors.

If Marinette’s memories were labelled in colors like in the movie Inside Out, this memory would surely come out as a yellow one. She couldn’t help but laugh at her classmates’ denseness. Paying for the things you buy was a lesson every little kid knew. If there was one word she would call them that moment, it would be entitled.

The alarm rang, signalling the beginning of the first class. Marinette composed her thoughts and focused on the teacher as she explained the topic of the lesson.

Soon, it was lunchtime. Marinette had long stopped paying for the school lunch and instead went home every day to eat.

“Hello maman.” She kissed her mother’s cheek upon arrival. Setting her school bag aside, she went to her mom and helped her with cooking lunch.

She ate her lunch silently with her mom, her father being out delivering one of their orders.

“So, how was school, Sweetie?” Her mother suddenly spoke up, which startled Marinette a little bit. Her mother never asked about her school lately; Marinette told her it was pointless, seeing as it was pretty much the same everyday.

When she was expelled, her parents didn’t know what to think. They were confused when Marinette opened her locker and found the stolen amulet. They knew their daughter would never do anything like that, but then, what was going on?

Later that day, when they got back home, they sat Marinette down and asked for her side of the story. They reassured her that she can tell them anything that has been going on, that they know that she would never do any of those things. She told them everything that day, everything from when she came into the school until her expulsion. They hugged her and comforted her as she cried in their arms.

Ever since that day, they no longer believed the school higher-ups. Lila had the audacity to come into their bakery one day, full of tears, stating that Marinette had been bullying her because of her relationship with Adrien Agreste. They were both angry as soon as the teen opened her mouth, immediately understanding why Marinette had been so infuriated with the girl. Not wanting the girl to bring any trouble to their daughter, they acted like they couldn’t believe their ears and sent her home to ‘calm down’. They told Marinette about the encounter right after she left.

“Umm… Usual, I guess. I had a fight with Alya, actually.” At that, her mother raised an eyebrow. “Remember those cupcakes I made? Vanilla and Chocolate?” Her mother paused, recalling the previous day where Marinette baked two dozens of cupcakes.

“The ones you made yesterday? Yeah… Did she do something to them?” Marinette shook her head.

“She was the one who ordered them, actually. And you know how I made cupcakes in the past for them?” Her mother smiled sadly at the girl.

“How could I not, you spent almost three hours just making sure they were perfect and decorating them.”

“Well, they never asked that I make exactly what I did, I always did that to show them how much they mean to me.” Her mother reached out and stroked her daughter’s hand. “Alya just said she wanted Vanilla and Chocolate cupcakes, so I just made the them by the bakery’s template. She wasn’t so happy about that.”

“Was she expecting more...?”

“She started yelling at me. Saying that she ordered something else, that I messed up the order on purpose. I didn’t, of course.” Taking a bite out of her food, she brought her fork up and made a proud pose. “But being the responsible teen that I am, I handled the situation calmly and told her that it was exactly what she ordered.” Her mother chuckled at her daughter’s playful dramatization even though she was explaining an uncomfortable experience. “I didn’t want to continue the conversation longer and the class was starting soon so I had to move on to another part.” Sabine couldn’t help but notice a flash of guilt in Marinette’s eyes, which made her worried. “I… Am sorry that I never made them pay for their orders, maman.” Her mother grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

“Don’t blame yourself, Marinette. You have a good heart. You just wanted to please your friends. It’s okay. We understand.” Marinette smiled gently at her mother and continued with her story. Sabine couldn’t help but notice a glint in Marinette’s eyes.

“Well, I fixed that mistake today.”

“You made Alya pay for it?”

“Yup. You should’ve seen their faces. They didn’t expect me to want money for it.” Marinette chuckled slightly. “Everybody immediately protested. Saying that I never charged them before. It seemed to me like they refused to back down until I said they didn’t have to pay.” Sabine looked shocked at that. She knew that her classmates’ view of her daughter changed with Lila’s lies but… They couldn’t possibly become this entitled. Her daughter didn’t deserve people like that in her life.

“And… Did she pay you in the end?”

“Well… I told her that she can either pay me or explain it to the police…” She scratched her neck when she said that. Sabine’s motherly instincts rang inside her head to assure her daughter in her decisions.

“You handled that well, Marinette. If somebody doesn’t want to pay for your services, calling the authorities is never not appropriate. That is important to know when you enter the world of business.” Marinette smiled at her mother gratefully, thanking her for her support. She knew she was talking about the future, that her mother believed she would someday have her own business in fashion.

“In the end, she paid me, so it’s all good.” She finished her story, just like she finished her food. The timing was perfect. She stood up to wash the dishes since her mother finished eating a while before her.

“Anything else happening at school recently?”

“Nothing I can think of.” Her mother nodded, though she couldn’t see that.

“Well then, It’s time to bring out the good news, I guess.” In curiosity, Marinette turned around with a mug in her hand, continuing to wash it carefully so she didn’t get any water on the ground. “We received a mail today. From École des Beaux-Arts.” Before she even finished the name, Marinette already dropped the mug, staring at her mother in shock.

“Does that mean…” Her beloved mother only smiled at her in response, walking around her and reaching for something in one of the drawers. She brought up an envelope, showing the stamp on it before proceeding to give it to her. Marinette took it with slightly trembling hands. This was, after all, a letter that would decide Marinette’s future from then on.

Ever since Marinette got falsely accused and expelled from her school, her parents had been searching for a school she could attend. Even after Marinette got back, her parents refused to let her stay in such corrupted school.

She slowly opened it, her mother waiting patiently for the girl to read the announcement.

Mademoiselle Marinette Dupain-Cheng,

The school has received Your letter regarding the possibility of your transfer.

I have to inform you that transferring to a school this late into the year often proves to be difficult, both academically, should the student be accepted and faced with the abrupt change in educational progress, and formally, for the requirements are much more strict due to the obvious lack of other students willing to apply at given time. If your decision remains the same after being aware of these conditions, the requirements for your transfer are given below:

An essay* reaching the minimum of 2500 words on why should we accept your transfer;

Portfolio showcasing some of your finest work – how much you choose to present is up to you, but the more material we have, the better.

Most importantly, sending the documentation from your previous school; Your school record, grades & competitions you were a part of, Attendance. These are the three pillars of importance you need to look out for to be accepted.

And at last, an interview; One of our school counselors will reach out to you shortly after we receive all of the above.

Should you be accepted, bear in mind that you will be required to take placement tests due to the difference in the academic pursue of your current school and École des Beaux-Arts.

As for your question about our scholarship system; We provide scholarships to students with exceptional talent and academical position. We do not provide a list of requirements, for talent cannot be forced, but recognized.

Further information will be provided after your future in our school is decided.

Sincerely,

The vice-principal of École des Beaux-Arts,

Adeline Bisset

Marinette stared wide-eyed at the letter, her expression unchanging. Until she laughed and hugged her mother. Releasing her mother from the hug, she started summarizing what she read but her mother stopped her.

“We received a letter of our own, seemed quite weird at first since not many schools inform the minors and usually consults everything through the parents. They treat their students as equals, it seems.” With each information gained about the school, Marinette was getting more and more excited to have a chance to study there.

She squeaked and hugged her mother again. Sabine, startled by the sudden tackle, fell to the ground with Marinette still holding her in a tight hug.

It was at that exact moment that Tom chose to walk in, back from the delivery.

[masterlist]

#time for a change #marinette dupain cheng #MLB #fanfic #mlb fanfic #ml salt #salt #felinette #felix graham de vanily #Felix Culpa #ml class salt #lila salt #marinette deserves better

182 notes · View notes

maribatshipper · 3 years

Text

Miraculous Akumatised reader

youtube

Crescent high above

Evolving as you go

Raise what lies beneath

& let the darkness grow

Bend it to my will

Consume the sunlight's glow

Rise into the sky

& let the darkness grow

Let darkness grow."

Blackstone growls at her captives, her glowing light blue hair dancing in the wind, her black bodysuit with a glowing blue stone on her chest, pulsing with her emotions, a sword strapped to her back.

"I'm not Y/N anymore. I'm Blackstone. You can stop trying to convince me to take the high road, Adrien. We are not the same. You are weak! You are a doormat & an enabler. Me? I am the salvation. I won't fail like you did!"

She looks down to the black spikes she creates in anger, remembering her cousin causing pain to Marinette & herself.

"When Ladybug gets here-" Chloe yells.

Blackstone laughs, "She will thank me for exposing this liar of a cousin I have! She's ruining people's rep, like she did mine."

Alya's phone shakes in her hand as she livestreams everything. Blackstone then starts singing, tears pricking her glowing E/C eyes.

youtube

"There's no life after happily ever after

There's just pain & betrayal in the end

I could see it in her eyes, that all she does is lie

After all she's done, you think that she's your friend?"

She pulls out some duct-tape from the bag on the wall & places it on her three captives mouths & then starts sharpening her sword.

"But still at night, I think about the way she smiles

& miss her for a little while

Every thought is harder to excuse

& now I see, I've lost my faith, & lost my soul!

But now I have complete control

& realised I've nothing left to lose!

Nothing left to lose!"

She growls at her captives, "Lila never cared about me! About any of you! Why won't you see that?"

Alya listens to the akuma & feels regret for not double-checking her sources.

"The path I'm on is a path paved in black

I'm taking that road & I'm not looking back!

Each twist & each turn leads straight where I'm yearning to go!

Yes, it's true

My path is dark, but I see where it ends

My rivals will fall as my power ascends

Despise me, that's fine!

I'm taking what's mine even so!

Not like you!"

She turns to Chloe, growing more stones underneath her, making her rise into the air, & she walks across the air, stones appearing under her feet every step.

"You lost your nerve

You lost the game!

But you & I, we're not the same!

I'm not lost, my fate was mine to choose!

So I chose to lose my doubts & lose my chains

Lose each weakness that remains!

Now that I have nothing left to lose!"

She picks up a picture of Lila, & pulls out her sword to shred it. Her voice cracks as she shreds the picture.

"She dreams about a future

Not knowing all the pain it will briiiiiiiiiiing!

I'll shed no tears, for I am done with waiting!

I have no fear, & I swear that I will

Lose no tears & lose no sleep

What I want I'll take and keep!

You can't stop the turning of the screws!

She suddenly grabs her captives & throws them into a cage.

"You'll stay in that cage until this is done & Lila shows. & just in case you think of escaping." She glares.

She thrusts her hand out, causing more spikes to appear & for the cage to be fifty metres away from her tower made of the black spikes. She walks slowly to her throne.

"Now I have...

Nothing left...

To lose."

She sits down on he throne & growls, waiting for her lying cousin.

***

"You caused all this, Lila! Because of you, Adrien, Alya, & Chloe are in danger! Because of you, your cousin Y/N is akumatised!" Ladybug scolds Lila.

"Oh, please! She was a gullible fool like my mother. She believed everything I said until Marinette showed her the truth. It's her fault." Lila scoffs.

Ladybug yells, "SHE'S YOUR FAMILY! She trusted you! Marinette had nothing to do with it! You did. & YOU are going to fix it."

***

"What are you waiting for!? Find Ladybug & Cat Noir!!!"

Blackstone sighs, "Zip it, Hawkdaddy. Ladybug will come soon enough with Lila. She has no choice. Come with Lila, or I drop the civilians. You need patience. You'd think you'd know patience with how long it takes to sew an outfit."

The voice stops, seemingly shocked.

"Oh, you think I wouldn't figure it out? I'm not as dense as the rest of Paris. But I might forget later."

Suddenly, Blackstone hears a yoyo zipping in. She turns around to see Ladybug & Lila in her tower.

"About time. But, just to make sure..."

She wraps the stones around Lila & squeezes slightly, causing Lila to start crying crocodile tears.

"Good. She's real. Unlike those tears."

She then wraps Ladybug in the stones as well.

"Don't worry, Ladybug, I won't hurt you. After all, you were the one to try to help me."

She turns to Lila & sings, again.

youtube

"This has to stop now

This thing where you think that you've been my friend

& don't even hear how you condescend

Just like you've always done!

No, this has to stop now

Ignoring the things that I have to say

You leave me behind to just sit & wait

The way you've always done!"

Ladybug stares in shock. She's treated her own cousin like this for years?

"Lila, listen!

I've wasted my whole life

I'm taking back what's mine now

It's what I feel is right.

Lila listen

I know it's not too late

But you hold me back & keep me there

When I want to go, you're telling me to wait.

Well... I won't wait!"

Blackstone lifts into the air with stones & snarls at Lila, giving Ladybug regretful looks.

"There's a line between the winners & the losers

There's a line between the chosen & the rest

& I've done the best I could

But I've always known just where we stood!

Me here with the luckless

You there with the blessed!

& that line between the beggars & the choosers

Is a line you've never let me quite ignore!

How I've tried to jump that great divide!

But I never got the chances you were given!"

Her voice starts to crack & tears swell in her eyes as she glares at Lila. As far as Blackstone's concerned, Lila deserves every bit of pain she'll be given.

"You don't know how much I've been denied!

Well, I'm not being patient anymore!

I'm crossing the line!

& I'm done holding back!

So look out, clear the track

It's my turn!

I'm taking what's mine!

Every drop every smidge!

If I'm burning a bridge

Let it burn!

But I'm crossing the line!"

She holds her sword to Lila's neck, tears flowing freely as she sings.

"As for us, if we're over

That fine!"

Ladybug yells, "Wait!"

"I'm crossing the line."

She goes to stab Lila when Ladybug's yoyo wraps around the sword & pulls it away. She tries to break it, but she can't.

"Did you really think it'd be that easy to break my sword? It's made out of the same stuff my rocks are made of." Blackstone laughs.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug throws her yoyo into the air.

A hat falls down into her hands.

"Seriously? A hat? Please tell me how you are going to defeat me with a hat?" Blackstone frowns, unamused.

Ladybug's eyes widen.

"Of course!"

She quickly removes Lila from the rocks & flies out of the tower.

"By retreating? That's how you defeat me? Meh, She'll be back."

***

After an hour, Ladybug comes back, without Lila, & without the hat.

"So... I guess you did do something right. Why didn't you tell anyone, Ladybug? Why didn't you expose her lies? She was ruining your reputation, she was ruining Jagged's rep, Clara's, & literally anyone else she spoke about. Why did you let her lie? Did she threaten you? Or was it someone else?"

Ladybug glares, "Let them go."

Blackstone sighs, & brings her captives back inside.

"You know, I just wanted to take vengeance on my stupid cousin, & repay my debt to Marinette. But there is one thing I have to do first." Blackstone frowns.

She then grabs Adrien & pulls him out of the cage.

"This is actually your fault. I partly blame your father for letting you be so stupid! & you're about to pay for not defending Marinette!"

She drags him to the window of the tower, all the girls screaming to let him go.

"You want me to let him go? Alright!" She smirks.

She drops him out the window. Everyone screams, but then, nothing. Blackstone looks out the window to see him in the hands of a new heroine. Her smirk gets slightly bigger as she watches the new Bee themed heroine getting Adrien to safety.

"So... Who's next? How about the Ladyblogger who needs to learn to fact-check? Or maybe the Mayor's daughter who thinks her father will do everything she wants? Who's going for a ride through the air, nothing keeping them safe until they land?"

***

"Get to safety, Agreste." The heroine frowns.

"Who are you?" He asks.

The heroine replies, "Honeybee."

She jumps back towards the tower, with her raven hair with yellow highlights flowing in the wind.

"I'm coming, Ladybug."

***

"Stop your crying! It's annoying! He's alive you fools!" Blackstone yells, when-

"VENOM!"

Blackstone freezes in place. Suddenly, Cat Noir shows up and destroys the sword. Ladybug casts the cure & Blackstone turns back to Y/N. Y/N hugs her legs, knowing just what she did.

A/N So, does anyone want a part two? If so, tell me.

#Miraculous ladybug #Reader insert #Revenge on Lila #Can anyone guess who the new bee is?#Lila salt

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sushi-purrrito · 5 years

Text

Chat Blanc Answered so many of the fandoms questions and I CANT EVEN HANDLE IT.

Incase anyone is unaware, there are versions of chat blanc already subbed on youtube. Now I know translations arent perfect, but if it was even close to accurate... Can we just talk about all the things they revealed to us this episode!?

(I made all gifs off of Kae Minami translated episode on youtube)

1. Adrien literally admitted.. HE ALWAYS SAW MARINETTE AS MORE THAN JUST A FRIEND AND NOW HE KNOWS WHY. A-K-FRICKIN-A. He has ALWAYS had feelings for her, SINCE THE BEGINNING! WE FRICKING KNEW IT!! HA! SCREW ALL THE NAYSAYERS. Everyone who ever said that it was "all in our heads" and that he thought Marinette was weird in first season and had no feelings for her until recently.... YOU WERE WRONG. (though I already knew that..) ALL HAIL ADRIENETTE. That Bitch Is Canon Now.

2. We now know that if Adrien found out Marinette was ladybug, he would keep it a secret from her, but still go all in, if it meant they could be together. and to be honest.. i'm not even sure what this means, but it's a thing.

Also... CAN WE JUST LOOK AT HOW MUCH HE LOVED HER?!?!?!

He didnt even hesitate to show her off to the world. (Not that showing off = love. Just saying that despite his fan club and his strict father he did what we wanted because it was about her. Cute!) Not only that..

But did you see how quickly Marinette was willing to accept that he was Chat Noir? NO HESITATION, SHE WAS ALL FOR IT. "HOLD ME, CHATON, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. "

3. Knowing each others identities did not lead them to give up their miraculous! Infact, it looks as if it helped them to find hawkmoths lair instead! So, either, Master Fu was cool with it(since he was still the guardian here) or BOTH Marinette and Adrien decided theyd keep their knowledge of each others identities a secret! (which I kind of love the idea of)

4. Hawkmoth is the literal scum of the earth. Just Greiving? LOL WE THOUGHT. He is completely irredeemable. There is NO saving that trash human. NO. SAVING. HIM. Not after all that bullshit he pulled. He literally tried to destroy Adrien and Marinettes relationship to get a strong akuma out of her. Which makes me lowkey sad since I kind of thought Gabriel had a soft spot for Marinette and wouldve supported them.. HE BROKE HIS OWN SONS HEART for his OBSESSION to bring his damn wife back.... AND THEN. After discovering his sons identity. THIS DUMPSTER BEAT UP HIS SON AND AKUMITIZED HIM. He didnt even consider trying to talk to Adrien first. WHAT THE FRACK. BROOOOO. SCREW THIS GUY. PLEASE LET HIM FRY IN THE WORLDS LARGEST LAMP, THANKYOU. This confirmed for me as well, that if Adrien ended up dying in the place of bringing back Emilie, Gabriel would be A-FLIPPIN-OK with that.

5. But.. pushing the Gabriel being a Garbage father rant aside. What this really revealed to us, was that Gabriel doesnt consider any of his current life.. real. He doesnt just plan to bring his wife back to life. He plans to "repair the past". change the past. completely rewrite history. Which explains why he is willing to hurt Adrien and treat all of Paris like tools and objects. In his brain. Once he gets the miraculous's, he's going to "reset" all of it. So, noone is really getting hurt. His son included. He really doesn't think he can lose, so anything he does now does not matter to him. Which also just tells us how dangerous this man really is. Like. Guys. He is really. really. dangerous.

6. Luka stayed in the picture. Even after Marinette and Adrien got together. Obviously. But yeah, I love him so much!

7. Though, sadly... we also learned. Marinette doesnt even consider Adrien being chat noir a possibility. DESPITE IT BEING SO DAMN OBVIOUS. Oh you poor poor Marinette🤦‍♀️

8. Meanwhile, Adrien put Marinette being Ladybug together in a *Snap*!

So who's the dense one now huuuuuuuhhhhhHHHHHHHHHH?

*Marinette* *cough*cough*

9. Also. can I just say, Gorilla is a total softy, and I am SO GLAD he wasnt the one to tell Gabriel that Adrien was Chat noir. He is still our wonderful semi fluff dad substitute.

because screw natalie..

and double screw gabriel

Thankyou writers, for sparing Papa Gorilla in this episode. lol

AAND I could keep talking about this episode, but this was just supposed to be revelations, not a reaction post. So, I'm gonna stop now, because I'm already getting carried away😭 AGNFOFPWNSHDHXHFHGSGSHHWJSU (me intangiblely screaming and rambling)

Okay. Goodnight now.

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soap-lady · 4 years

Text

Lila had gotten away with her attack on Marinette by claiming she’d grabbed onto the ravenette because involuntary muscle spasms caused her to become unsteady. M. Damocles and some of the teachers bought the blatant falsehood but was Felix was excessively pleased to see his homeroom teacher and some of his classmates eye the Italian girl with suspicion.

That’s how all of you brainless troglodytes have been looking at Marinette all this time. Do you feel the noose tightening around your neck, little volpe? I hope so.

It surprised him how possessive he felt towards Marinette after only knowing her for less than two weeks but arguing with someone who could fight back without trying to gain sympathy or get angry was the highlight of his school day. How sad was that?

Still...Rossi’s behavior could not be left unchecked. He’d have to rein her in, something that could actually stick and would last once he’d transferred to a better school. Unless he found someone more fun to play with.

The auburn haired girl had handed herself over to him and created a golden opportunity for him to corner her...in a conveniently empty classroom.

Lila sat on top of the teacher’s desk and crossed her legs and looked him up and down appreciatively. She arched her back in what he was sure she thought was a provocative manner but he just found vulgar. Rossi crooked her finger at him, inviting Felix to approach her. He stopped when he was three feet away from her. He didn’t want to be within easy reach of her grasping fingers and if he kept his distance he couldn’t be accused of impropriety. It also meant he couldn’t strangle her. More’s the pity.

“You know…” Felix decided to take the initiative and control the conversation, “you should really be on some sort of medication for those involuntary muscle spasms of yours.” He smiled pleasantly at her but she didn’t return it. He decided to play the nice guy because he knew it would drive her insane, hopefully enough to make her incriminate herself. Again. “And there are so many new treatments for pathological lying these days. Psychotherapy...medication…” Moving to Brussels. He fiddled with his pockets. “Oh, and since I’m sure you’ve been sick with worry, Marinette will make a full recovery.”

Rossi glared at him before giving him a flirtatious smirk. “Please, Felix, we both know we’re not here to discuss poor little Marinette.” She leaned towards him. “I’m much more interested in discussing...us.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Us? Strange...I don’t remember there being an ‘us’. Lila, have you taken your medication today?”

She ignored him. “Oh, but there could be.” He had the distinct impression he was being appraised for his market value. She uncrossed and recrossed her legs but Felix kept his eyes on her face. She sighed as if he were being incredibly dense and needed everything explained to him. Which he was. Deliberately.

“Look,” she sighed as she picked at the hem of her shorts. “We both know how smart and incredibly good-looking you are. Rather like your cousin, but not a useless goody-goody.” She grinned once she realized she had his attention. “And really, caro, you’re too good for this place and nearly everyone in it.”

He smirked. “Except for you?”

“Exactly,” she flipped her hair over her shoulder, pleased he understood. “We could rule the school, you and I. Crush anyone we feel like. And,” she gazed at his lips and then into his eyes. “There are other benefits as well. If you like. We could be such good friends.”

Felix couldn’t help but sigh. Rossi wasn’t an unattractive girl and normally he wouldn’t mind playing around with a girl who was more self-aware than her peers. But the thought of her touching him with her pretty manicured hands made him want to gag. Her mother might have been a diplomat, but the girl was boorish and low-class. He found himself comparing her to Dupain-Cheng, who might be far beneath his social standing but still carried herself with grace.

Plus, there was also the issue of trust. She was underhanded, manipulative and conniving...like he might have been at seven. If he were the more cooperative sort she might have been useful but she would have attempted to undermine him whenever possible in an effort to get what she wanted. He was quite content to be his own backstabber, thank you very much.

“Hmm…” he pretended to consider her suggestion and saw hope and greed flare in her olive green eyes. Oh, this was an avaricious little fox and he’d be amused if she weren’t so off-putting.

And you’re okay with that? Being someone’s consolation prize?

The baker girl’s words crept into his mind. Rossi looked at him and saw a darker version of Adrien, someone she thought shared her mindset while still being her object of obsession. She didn’t see him as his own person and that rankled.

“Well…” he told her finally, “you’re right. I’m better than this place and everyone in it”. Nearly. Dupain-Cheng and his cousin were tolerable. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You know...I really can’t comprehend why you persist in targeting the class rep.” He oh so innocently ignored her agitation. “After all...you’re popular and charismatic. It can’t be because of Adrien. He’s seeing Kagami now.” Lila’s face flushed unattractively at the mention of the Japanese girl. “I’m sure that must have been a surprise. After all, here you concentrated all your attention on Marinette because you thought she was the main threat but a dark house came out of nowhere and won the prize! That has to be frustrating. Face it, Lila,” he smiled kindly but with a touch of pity. “Neither of you ever had a chance. Tsurugi is an old and respected family and Kagami’s mother and my uncle do a lot of business together so really her relationship with Adrien was a foregone conclusion.”

Felix kept his gaze on the fox faced girl consoling, his tone reasonable. She was furious; eyes narrowed, teeth grinding together so hard he could nearly hear it. He decided one more gentle push was all it would take to make her snap.

“You’re such a resilient girl, with so many connections you’ll bounce back in no time. Poor little Marinette, on the other hand…” he shook his head sadly. “I’ll give her credit for one thing; she tries so hard to be supportive, so giving.” He shrugged and smiled, egging the Italian girl on. “Oh sure, it’s wasted on some people but she’s so brave to try. She’s rather talented too. I’m sure she could be as famous as Agreste in her own right one day.” He took a half-step towards Rossi. “Now that the two of you are no longer rivals, don’t you think you should lay off her? I know it was an accident but she could have broken her neck-”

“Ugh! Saint Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The Pure and Innocent. So sweet, so generous.” Rossi’s lip curled in disgust. “Everyone loves her so much I’ve had to bend over backwards to take them from her. He might not love her but Adrien worships her goodness so much it makes me sick.” She scoffed. “Even Tsurugi wants to be friends with her and she hates everyone!” Lila sat up straight, no longer even trying to seduce him.

Felix didn’t reply, pretending to be confused by her anger and the auburn haired girl continued. “What does it take to get that girl expelled? Adrien saved her last time but there’s only so many convincing lies I can make up before Damocles stops believing me!” She remembered something and stood, glaring up at him. “And she didn’t break her neck, did she? Because you were there watching, waiting to swoop in and save Francois Dupont’s princess, weren’t you?” She crossed her arms and stepped towards him.

“Why, Felix?” she was now suspicious of him, finally. It took her long enough to catch on to the fact he wasn’t talking to her because he liked her.

Her game was sloppy, ill-planned. She immediately became angry and lost control when her plans fell apart. She couldn’t improv or go with the flow and it limited her. And she thought herself worthy of a Graham de Vanily or even an Agreste? Pathetic.

He smiled at her and could tell by the look on her face, it was satisfied and feral. The girl’s eyes widened and she finally realized she was alone in a room with a predator.

“Oh, little fox, I don’t expect you to understand my complexities. You’re not one for long term strategy, are you?” She backed away a bit and he pursued, stopping with the back of her knees hit the desk.

He stopped and sighed, eyes never leaving her frightened face. “I’m playing a little game with Dupain-Cheng and when I’m done or get bored you can have your little chew toy back. Perhaps.”

No.

“But until I’m done, you will leave her alone.”

Lila smirked because she thought she had leverage. Either she thought he cared what happened to the pretty little doll or she didn’t consider him a threat.

“Or you’ll what? Hurt me?” She huffed and toyed with her hair, trying to appear meek and feminine and helpless. She laughed but he could tell by the way her eye twitched he made her nervous.

“Physically? Never!” he pretended to be shocked and held up his empty hands in a show of innocence. “Not when there’s so many other more effective ways to hurt you.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed her it was still recording. He grinned at her. “You’re quite the conversationalist, aren’t you?”

Nice little trick of yours, Dupain-Cheng. Thank you.

“T-that’s not submissible!” Lila stammered and made a grab for the phone before he tucked it back away.

He shrugged. “I think it would be good enough for Damocles. And Adrien, Tsurugi, your classmates...even Chloe would be on my side if it meant getting rid of you. And that’s not even counting my family’s connections. Graham Films is the most respected movie studio in England. Unlike an ambitious little social climber like you, I actually do know movie stars, celebrities, political figures.” He towered over her without touching her. “The kind of people your mother depends on to do her job. Speaking of dear Signorina Rossi,” he turned away and walked towards the door and paused. He looked her in the eyes and asked, “does she or M. Damocles know how you lied about akuma attacks closing the school? Does she know you framed a classmate over a boy who never wanted you?”

Rossi paled and quaked and it did his inner wolf so much good to see it. He laughed and she looked chilled.

“This is your only warning and your only chance. Interfere with my amusements and I will ruin your life. I’ll make sure bad luck follows you anywhere you go in life. We both know there have been others like Marinette before. All I need to do is a bit of research and I can bury you.”

“Y-you…”

“Try me. See what happens.” He opened the door and prepared to leave. He felt gratified that she looked like she was about to soil herself. She was used to being the apex predator in any environment but he had grown up with the dangerous carnivores of high society so her efforts were truly pathetic.

Felix quietly shut the door behind him and decided to join his cousin for fencing practice. He wondered what Rossi would think if she knew he’d already dug up the dirt he needed to destroy her and could implement his plan any time he fancied?

Keep to your little fox den from now on, volpe. This is my territory for now. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is my prey until I say otherwise.

#marinette dupain cheng #felix graham de vanily

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notasiren21 · 4 years

Note

#40 from the prompt list please and thank you!!!

I’m so sorry this took so long!!!

Someone You Loved

Rating: Mature for some themes

Pairing: fuckin’ Lukanette boi

Word count: 4,665

Prompt: (40) “I wasn’t lying when I said that I loved you.”

Description:

Well, Luka sings a song and I pissed @macaknight off with this when I asked her to beta read the start of it. It helps if you listen to the song in the story, Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi. Enjoy lmao

She was around by his side long enough to engrave the little things into his mind.

He knew how it felt to have the soft strands of midnight blues through his fingers as he tangled them in her hair. To have her legs settle on either side of his as he trailed his hand up her small back and waist under her soft cotton shirts. The cheeky grin he grew to love baring up at him when his arms bracketed with her in between he picked her up at home.

How he didn't care for sweets but loved the way blueberry muffins tasted on her tongue and the taste of her mixed with raspberry jelly when it leaked from the corner of her pouty lips.

How the Liberty swayed under his feet against the small currents the wind brought on as they danced in the rain. The feel of his converse bracing both their weights as her drenched skirt blew in harsh waves between them. The first lightning strike reflecting off an anchor necklace he gave her on their first date.

When she kissed his cheek when he started humming absently with frustration as he tried to figure out the melody he wrote. Her small fingers pulling the pencil out of his death grip as she lent her forehead against his to calm him and decipher the jumbled notes he had in his head.

The way her face lit up when he played it back to her.

The way her face fell when she told him she loved him but they couldn't be together.

How her arms stiffly pulled away from his hug and the red of her eyes she showed up with.

How the airy taste of salt from the water didn't compare to the salt of his tears that trailed to his lips as he grounded the palm of his hands to his eyes roughy as sobs racked through his body when he collapsed to the wood of the ship.

The way it left him numb with hurt and he became too compliant with his happenings, too accepting.

Defeated.

Music was harder to hear and enjoy, he couldn't compose anything more than a haunting melody that brought any stranger to tears.

He wasn't sure he even felt the burn to his tongue when he drank his hot coffee as soon as it was handed to him. Or the rough jerk of his shoulder to turn him around as his guitar bounced off his back.

"Hey man, you look worse for wear." Théo, a former classmate of his that now ran the coffee shop, spoke as he eyed him critically. Luka shifted his thick blacks squared rimmed sunglasses up higher to cover his dark circles better. "I'd say it's great to see you, but..."

“Yeah, I’m just tired.” He offered the excuse at the ready, hating how well lying came with sadness.

“Ah, life of a famous rockstar.” Théo teased with a smirk. “No wondering you’re wearing a hat like that backwards to cover your hair and shades for those ‘oh so sexy’ blue eyes of yours.”

“Not famous,” Luka cringed at Théo’s words. “Just well known on the internet I guess.”

“Sorry for overplaying your popular cover videos man.” His old school mate laughed.

"It's fine. What's up?" He forced a smile that came across as genuine despite what he felt.

Théo crossed his arms and made a jerk with his head in the direction of the shop across the street, "New place has been stealing some of our loyal customers." Luka scratched under the brim of his black baseball cap he had on backwards as he followed the movement. "Lunch hour is about to hit and you know much we moved to stop by this part of town for break."

"Yeah, your aunt made good scones." He supplied.

He grunted in response, "Yeah. Well, girls frequent here more from school, and they keep going there," he roughly jerked his chin to the place again, "Just because there's an older guy who takes their order who is attractive, I guess. Or so I'm told."

Luka blinked at the shop before turning to his old friend, "What do you need from me then?"

"Observant as always, Couffaine." He snorted with a shake of his head. "I wanted to see if you -an attractive older guy- would give a small performance just as the girls come."

"What? Why?"

"Are you dense? With your face and body, and that 'sinful voice' of yours the girls cooed about back then and from your YouTube covers, I'm guaranteed to bring in more customers for today."

Luka tossed his half full coffee cup to the trash next to him. His own arms crossing as he wished he was in his cabin instead, laying on his bed while he stared up at the ceiling and trying to not feel the clench of his arm when he smelled Marinette's hibiscus shampoo and berry scented perfume on his pillows.

"I don't know."

His friend clasped onto his shoulder again, "Please man, you can keep 40% of the money you help bring in, I don't care. That shop is a dick and acting like we're not its competition."

“Man, you really don’t have to, I’ll just take a free coffee if you really need this.” Anything seemed better than just wallowing at home at this point, despite the incredible want to do so that swelled within him as he stood on the block he and Ladybug often frequented to patrol. “I mean it.”

Théo smiled, guiding him to a spot that he started clearing out near the cafe’s short fence that caged the outdoor tables and chairs.

“That’s okay, I feel bad to make you work without pay.” He straightened his back that had been bent forwards as he pushed tables, “Consider it repayment for that time you paid for my lunch.”

Luka stopped, “Lunch? When did I-,” he grunted. “Théo, that was four years ago.”

“Well, last Saturday had me thinking about all my debts and regrets when I thought I was gonna die. You came up.”

He flinched at mention of Saturday.

Saturday, the final fight against Hawkmoth who showed up in person with a struggling Mayura and an akumatized sentimonster of Lila. The combination of their powers as well as the wickedness that resided in the girl proving to be a difficult fight for them all when Ladybug and Chat pulled the entire team in.

Including a Chloé Bourgeois who was more than ready to help.

He could’ve sworn he heard Marinette screaming his name in worry when Hawkmoth closed in on him and hit into his side with his cane full force. But that was ridiculous. Because Marinette was Ladybug and Ladybug was Marinette. And Marinette wanted nothing to do with Luka since they had broken up without reason beyond her excuse of not being able to be with him.

He was a bit bitter about the whole ordeal.

Okay, he was more so lovesick and depressed, but his negative energy still stood.

“Yeah,” he flinched again when he heard his voice crack and he thumbed his bracelet -once silver, now a metallic black to hide better, “At least they finally caught Hawkmoth for good.”

“No kidding, now we can just focus on the heroes and the gossip your little girlfriend’s bestie posts.”

A knife. Through his heart. Twisting and gutting.

“Gossip?” He chose the safer option of the sentence, ignoring the onslaught of pitying questions and half-assed supportive promises that correcting Théo would bring.

“Yeah, like how that Ryuuko dragon girl and Chat are definitely dating and that Viperion and Ladybug totally have the hots for one another and the soft looks they give during patrols.”

A chainsaw. Just shredding his heart to pieces.

Luka Couffaine once thought he was a smart kid who made the right decisions.

How wrong he had been.

“Right.” He bit out, gripping the strap of his guitar case and scratching his baseball cap.

Théo shot up and loudly clapped with a whoop, “There we go! Now, I should grab the mic stand from open mic nights and just plug that in and some speakers, then we’ll be good to go.” Maybe Luka should’ve just left. “I’ll get ‘er done in five minutes, tops.”

Luka only nodded, watching as he ran around and set things up, then proudly presented Luka with the lone table he left set up to sit on.

He eyed his skeptically behind his sunglasses before hopping up, testing his weight on the surface before he crossed one ankle across his thigh and took his guitar from Théo who unzipped it for him. Théo pushed the mic stand closer to Luka and adjusted when he peered up at him.

“What do you want me to sing?”

His old friend shrugged with an easy smile, “Anything that comes to mind and draws that big crowd of hungry girls over.” Luka bobbed his head in response and tuned his acoustic guitar as Théo began backing up to inside the store and cheered, “Show off that sinful voice of yours, man! Woo!”

He let out a short chuckle and emptied his mind completely as he shut down, letting his fingers strum a few notes to a song that he began to resonate deeply with.

“I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to save me,” he closed his eyes and mentally chastised himself for being so open with his feelings as they poured out of him through a popular song. “This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy.”

He could see Théo looking at him carefully when he opened before squeezing his eyes shut in pain. He hated that look of pity, but he already started singing this song and he knew he would have to see it through given that the customers at the shop had already turned their attention to him.

“I need somebody to heal

Somebody to know

Somebody to have

Somebody to hold,”

Did he growl at the end of that last line? He wasn’t sure but the audience seemed moved by it and how he didn’t go weak on the verbs. Maybe he could please someone for once by just following with what worked for him.

“It's easy to say

But it's never the same

I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain.”

He thought he saw the familiar flash of black with red accents that everyone knew as Ladybug’s new suit for a second up on the rooftops. The rooftops that she danced with Viperion on and let her laugh rang over the quiet town under the stars. He wasn’t sure if he was just hopelessly imagining her or if she was there, but he felt the pain bite all at once and his voice became wobbly in a way that the crowd seemed touched by. You’re kidding me.

“Now the day bleeds

Into nightfall

And you're not here

To get me through it all

I let my guard down

And then you pulled the rug

I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved.”

Weak. He felt weak and it wasn’t the kind where he felt weak at the knees like when Marinette smiled up at him or her nose scrunched in thought.

He always thought he could be emotionally strong to handle whatever came his way. He was so sure of it.

“I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to turn to,” Guess he was weak for Marinette in every way possible after all, “This all or nothing way of loving got me sleeping without you.

“Now, I need somebody to know

Somebody to heal

Somebody to have

Just to know how it feels

It's easy to say but it's never the same

I guess I kinda liked the way you helped me escape.”

There was no blame to place, he knew that. It didn’t make it better or let him throw his anger at her to get it out, but he couldn’t keep punishing himself either.

He felt his eyes sting, shutting them as one tear slipped through and feeling grateful for both his dark shades and the sun beating down on his face past the patio table umbrella, hiding the evidence of his heartbreak.

“Now the day bleeds

Into nightfall

And you're not here

To get me through it all

I let my guard down,”

Who was he kidding? The heartbreak was the clearest part about him as he let the rough notes chip away at his throat and the growls making his voice artistically raw that he would have to worry about later.

His heart stopped painfully when he remembered the way Marinette’s face flushed all smitten like with a wondering look when Luka growled while singing and shot her winks, knowing how flustered it made her to see her calm and collective boyfriend with a soft and careful voice sounding so tortured for certain songs.

“And then you pulled the rug

I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved.

How that came back to bite him in the ass.

He glanced up to blink away the tears and avoid the view of the large growing audience he couldn’t see from the sun.

He could’ve sworn he saw a flash of black and flecks of red again.

Fingers strummed harder and with more purpose and he let his soft voice fall back as the pain ripped through him and out in his voice.

“And I tend to close my eyes when it hurts sometimes

I fall into your arms

I'll be safe in your sound 'til I come back around.”

Fuck. He missed her. He missed her a fuck ton and wanted to hold her again and hear her whisper his nicknames of “Love”, “baby”, “handsome”, “Vipey”, whatever the hell she wanted to call him.

Even his damn name would be enough to sedate him for a year.

“For now the day bleeds

Into nightfall”

Dancing with her into the beginnings of a bad storm on the deck of the Liberty as they belted Cheap Thrills amist her giggles and his laughs he choked down to keep her beautiful voice going with his.

“And you're not here

To get me through it all”

Being curled up on her living room couch the next day with her cuddled into his side. Both sick with the cold, but unable to wipe the weak grins from their faces as Sabine amusingly disapproved of their actions the night before.

“I let my guard down

And then you pulled the rug”

Their first kiss when she got flustered at their first date and told him she wouldn’t read too much into it despite wanting to, and him effectively shutting her up for the first time ever with the crash of his lips to hers and hands tilting her head up to meet him in reassurance.

“I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved.”

The first time she called him her boyfriend and the pleased giggle she let out when he gave a startled and flustered noise, his snack flying out of the package he ripped open before he blinked and asked her to repeat what she said as a toothy grin broke his shocked face.

“But now the day bleeds

Into nightfall

And you're not here

To get me through it all”

Did a camera just flash at him? Hard to tell with the sun in his eyes and the dark lenses of his shades. He couldn’t find himself to care either.

“I let my guard down

And then you pulled the rug

I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved.”

He tried not to think about the fact that he forced himself to change his phone backgrounds to black, tried not to think if she deleted her phone screens of them napping together or the wallpaper of them dancing in the rain Juleka got of them as Luka dipped her over the edge of the stage they always practiced on.

The complete trust in her eyes and smile always made him melt in that picture. Her hands loosely holding her arms as her head titled back in a deep bellied laugh while he held onto her waist tightly with one arm and had the other behind him, the biggest smile that was only found on his face when Marinette was around.

“I let my guard down

And then you pulled the rug

I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved.”

Luka still fucking loved her more than anything.

His drive, his inspiration, his happiness and safe space. His melody that always rang loudly in his ears.

Now it sounded just as it did when they were younger.

The numbness took over as he looked up, face contorted into a forced happy expression as he dipped his head in gratitude to see the very big crowd that gathered and was clapping with tears in their eyes. He excused himself to find Théo who ignored how exposed the song made his old friend, conversing with him briefly as he counted the amount of customers before Luka left and promised to give him the 40% the next visit he came and a free coffee.

He put up his guitar, tugging the case back over his shoulder as he headed back to the Liberty and tossed the faux leather casing to the bed, tossing his sunglasses to the the bed as well before heading to the deck and off to take a lap to clear his break up riddled mind.

The third block was a close achievement, before he felt the petite body rush into him and the all too familiar wrap of small and strong legs wrap about his waist with a black latex suit arm winding around his neck. He subconsciously fell back into habit as one of his own dropped to hold under her thighs and one around her own waist as black fielded his vision.

He barely got a curse out before the all too telling sound of a spiritually powered string to the famous yo-yo pinned against restraint and shot them upwards, his unmasked face burying itself in the crook of her neck from the force rush of air to his eyes.

His chest tightened to the smell of hibiscus flowers and berries, clutching her tighter for the first time in a long while. Half aware he shifted her higher against him to have her bring them closer.

Well fuck if he wasn’t the most touch starved and needy ex ever.

The familiar sound of a specific metal railing being bounded by the yo-yo was the only warning he got before the touched surface with his feet and she loosened her grip.

He barely heard the words of her detransformation before he could see the flash of pink through black and pulled back from her neck.

Terror shook through him, and his hands and body trembled against her as he couldn’t force himself to look up. Staring intently at the silver anchor necklace he gave her, bounded in a rope of small teal jewels.

Luka couldn’t look at her face, couldn’t look away from the necklace she still wore. He couldn’t let her go or put her down either.

“Breathe love,” her quiet voice spoke, soft and hesitant, breaking Luka as he dropped them to his knees and brought her closer than before.

An audible sob he hadn’t heard since she walked away from him escaped his lips and heaved for air as his chin rested over her head and he looked frantically in front of him. At her balcony, the plants that littered the space and the wood paneling they rested on, the little ladybug statue he bought her as a cute joke.

Seeing none of it through blurry eyes, forcing himself to drop his head to her shoulder as she quaked with tears and ran a soothing hand through his hair.

“I’m so sorry, love.” He couldn’t get words out as he just grounded his face into her. “I thought I was protecting you, I didn’t realize how wrong I was.”

She pulled his face up, ceruleans magnified as his pupils dilated to the sight of her in front of him once again and the tips of his ears flaring just by her touch for the first time in forever. She caught a steam of tears with her thumb, giving him a tight smile.

“My miraculous gave me the intuition that Hawkmoth would make his final move.” She paused for a second, closing her eyes and she breathed deeply. “I thought for sure I would die when he did. Either by his winning, or ours but I would end up a casualty or sacrifice. You guys weren’t even supposed to be there, but Adrien insisted for backup and I just...”

“You left me because you thought you were going to be killed?” Voice gravelly and sore from the coffee shop, he pressed on, fingers twitching at her back. “Why didn’t you tell me? Even if you had to strap me down just to bench me from the fight, you should’ve told me.”

“You’re right,” she rushed. “Absolutely right, and it was pure hell to leave to that day or say what I did. I’ve never been more miserable with my life than I’ve been since we’ve broke up. I hate it, I hate being away from you so much, Luka.”

“Be mine again.”

“What?” She blinked, choking on air.

He squeezed his eyes shut, leaning into her touch when she held his face. “I don’t, I don’t fucking care if I’m being selfish anymore. It’s so hard not to be when it comes to you, Marinette. All these small details engraved to my mind, committed to memory and nothing to do with it.

“I keep leaving hoodies I casually wear on my amp for you to take, I keep putting that soft blanket you’re obsessed with folded on the edge of my bed for you to yank off and curl into as soon as you step into my room.” He forced his eyes not to open as he kept going, following the rhythm she provided and he struggled to find words for. “The minute I wake up, before I even open my eyes to see for the first time of the day, my phone is already in my hand with your contact open and a good morning text at the ready for you. Even good night texts when I reset my alarms. I keep leaving your spot open on my bed in case you visit while I’m asleep. Your favorite part on the couch for you. The last cherry popsicle of the package, and the cookie dough ice cream I bought out of habit are still in the freezer waiting for you to find them.

“I’m fucking broken without you.” He rasped, ceruleans meeting baby blues, “I’m missing you emotionally, figuratively, mentally, physically. How the hell am I supposed to be okay when you’ve become such a big part of me? When you’re my literal other half?”

She nudged his button nose with her small one, “I,” she gave a dark laugh that he felt in his core. “I keep airing out my room whenever my sewing machine leaves behind that electrical smell your nose scrunches at so much.” She giggled when she felt him do it at the mention of the scent. “I let the popcorn cook for half a minute longer to get it a little burnt like how you like. I sleep in your hoodies to leave behind the smell of my perfume and shampoo the way you said you like your hoodies to smell when I give them back. I play with my necklace when I grow nervous and can’t talk to you. I can’t go more than five hours without hovering over your contact name or looking at our pictures.”

He sat back on his knees, letting her adjust herself out of habit and moving her hair away from her face. The smile he gave was tight but reassuring.

“I missed you, doll.”

“I missed you too, Luka.” She paused for a second, “Hey,” she started cautiously.

“Hm,”

“Luka, you know I wasn’t lying when I said that I loved you, right?”

The glint that quickly came to his eyes didn’t waver like his abused voice did, “I kinda figured from all the times you’ve blushed and stuttered. The times you tripped when I caught you off guard with a flirtatious comment or wink. And the times you kissed me like it was the end of the world.”

He looked up to see her set a false murderous glare above him as he ran his thumb over the teal gems in the rope around the anchor of her necklace, a smirk he hadn’t felt making way to his face as one of his naturally slightly pointer canines became visible to express his pure happiness.

“I forgot how much of a jerk you could be,” she huffed, looking away and sniffing.

“I’m sorry, doll.” He made her look at him, eyes still shining with unshed tears as the stared into hers. His grin was pure radiance, “I love you.”

She let him pull her down to a kiss, feeling those soft pouty lips he loved so much back on his again. “I know,” she replied between kisses, causing him to huff and pull away with his own pout. She held alone his jawline, “I’m kidding, kinda. But, I love you too.”

Her giggle when he let out a happy and short hum was pure music to his ears as her melody finally fell back into the correct time signature and key. Even as he parted with a pant and hugged her close, stroking her hair.

“Just, don’t leave me in the dark again.” He started, seeing her phone that fell out of her back pocket light up with a text from Alya.

Alya: So did you kiss and makeup, or not? I have Nino on the edge of his seat.

Alya: no really, he keeps asking and refuses to do ANYTHING until he finds out.

Alya: for fuck’s sake, answer and let me get laid

He hid his smile in her shoulder from the texts and the fact that she never changed her screens from them. Letting him see her cheek smushed up against his chest and her arm lazily thrown around his waist while his held her close.

“Never, not again. I’m not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice like I once was.” He snorted at the reference to her old crush on Adrien years ago. “But we do have something to talk about.”

He pulled back, eyeing her cautiously. “Did I do something?”

“Yes,” his heart fell and he was ready to beg for her forgiveness. “You know how many girls have your picture now? Videos of you singing a song in such a beautifully tortured way with those growls, and the rough notes and the, stop laughing Couffaine!”

“I’m sorry,” he muffled his laughs behind his hand. “I forgot how much fun I had just by talking with you and your small bouts of jealousy.”

“Oh, I’m bad? Says the boy who sang a song that people keep covering for heartbreak.”

“I’m getting paid for doing it.”

“How much?”

“40% of the customers I brought in by drawing a crowd and a coffee on the house,” he let a smile spread across his face. “You know, I might be able to change it. Can I treat you to a free mint hot chocolate, a date as well maybe?”

She considered him for a second.

“With whipped cream,” he added for extra measure to his small sweet’s addict. He dimpled up at her with a scrunch when she kissed his button nose.

“God, I love you, Luka.”

“I love you too,” he kissed her slowly, “Mari, just don’t let me sing like that again, my voice is killing me.”

“Got it, never leave you again.”

“Pretty much.”

“Hey, you look cute with your baseball cap backwards like this.” She winked, pulling his black hat from the balcony floor where it fell off and back on his head.

“I’d respond with a witty comment, but it hurts to talk now.”

She grinned, “Hm, I love you.”

Luka still smiled despite flinching from the rawness of his throat, “I love you.”

95 notes · View notes

the-delta-42 · 4 years

Text

The Reveal that Wasn’t

Based on This Post by @lenoreofraven

The Reveal that wasn’t

Marinette ducked behind a dumpster as Chat Noir entered the alley, she had just transformed in. Tikki quietly munched on a macaron that was in her purse.

“Alright, Plagg,” Said Chat, making Marinette’s blood go cold, “Claws in.”

A flash of green told Marinette that Chat was now in his civilian form.

“That was exhausting,” Groaned Plagg, “I better get some extra camembert for the number times you used Cataclysm.”

“Sure, whatever, Plagg.” Chat laughed, as he went to leave.

“Although, I don’t think transforming in an alley is a good idea, someone could’ve spotted you.” Said Plagg, his voice starting to grow fainter as he moved away.

“What, and the news that Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste?” Laughed Adrien, as Marinette’s blood turned to ice.

“You need to say that again, I pretty sure that a couple of people in China didn’t hear you.” Said Plagg, as he and Adrien left the alley.

Marinette sat behind the dumpster before she jumped to her feet and raced after Adrien, calling his name and telling him to wait up.

‘I’m going to tell him,’ thought Marinette, as she raced to catch up Adrien, ‘I’m going to tell him how I feel, I’m going to tell him I’m Ladybug and Chat Noir loves Ladybug and Chat Noir is Adrien and Adrien loves Ladybug and… Adrien only loves Ladybug.’

Adrien stopped and turned to face Marinette, his stomach sinking.

“Hey, Marinette,” Said Adrien, his hand finding its way to the back of his neck, “what’ up?”

“I-” Marinette stuttered, her mind now full of doubt, “I’m looking for Alya, I was wondering if you’d seen her.”

Adrien relaxed, he had been worried that Marinette now knew his identity.

“I haven’t seen her since class,” Said Adrien, “maybe she’s still at school.”

“Yeah.” Said Marinette, her mind elsewhere.

‘Adrien loves Ladybug,’ Marinette thought, ‘Chat Noir has been pushing for us to reveal ourselves to each other, but he’s never respected my boundaries and whenever I haven’t appeared for something, he’s thrown a tantrum…’

“See you tomorrow.” Said Adrien, continuing on his way back to the school.

“Yeah…, see you tomorrow…” Said Marinette, as Adrien walked away.

‘Adrien only likes the mask.’ Thought Marinette, as she walked towards the Bakery, ‘He’s never shown any interest in anyone outside of Ladybug, except for Kagami.’

Marinette stopped, before she turned around and raced towards the school. Kagami should be leaving soon, so if she’s fast she might run into her.

Kagami was putting some of her books back in her locker, when Marinette skidded to a stop behind her.

Kagami scowled, her first few interactions with Marinette had not been in a positive light and her most recent interaction had made her aware of Marinette’s more eccentric side. Especially when it involved Adrien or Luka.

“Kagami, I’m glad I found you,” Marinette huffed, her face red, “Are you free this weekend?”

Kagami’s face went from a scowl to a blanche.

“I appreciate the offer but-” Kagami managed to get out before Marinette interrupted her.

“You’re meeting Adrien at the movies, either today or at the weekend,” Said Marinette, regaining her breath, “so are you free this weekend?”

“I-I should be.” Said Kagami, completely bewildered at the apparent change in Marinette.

“Good.” Said Marinette, straightening up, “Okay, now to find Adrien and tell him to meet you.”

“Marinette,” Said Kagami, as Marinette started to walk away, “what’s changed?”

“Huh?” Said Marinette, her expression blank.

“You’ve turned Adrien down multiple times and you’ve contradicted yourself every time he asked you somewhere,” Said Kagami, her eyes narrowing, “but now, your setting me up for dates with him. So, what’s changed?”

Marinette was confused, “The only person I’ve been turning down is some guy over the internet, as far as I’m aware Adrien only sees me as a friend. Despite my wishes to be seen as something more.” Marinette muttered the last part under her breath, but Kagami still heard her.

Kagami silently watched as Marinette left. What Marinette had told her directly contradicted what Adrien had told her, from what Marinette said, Adrien was the one doing the stringing along.

Kagami didn’t know what to think, she only hoped beating some at fencing could clear her mind.

TRTW

Marinette bumped into someone as they walked in the door, she fell back on her rear, while the other only took a couple of steps back.

“Oh, sorry.” Said the person, making her look up. He was one of Adrien’s more recent fencing friends, Ethan, if she remembered correctly.

“It’s fine, I’m currently looking for Adrien.” Said Marinette, as Ethan helped her to her feet.

Ethan scowled, which was missed by Marinette, “I wouldn’t if I were you,” Said Ethan, “Adrien’s been talking about you and what he’s said…hasn’t been kind.”

Marinette’s heart froze.

“R-right,” Marinette stammered, “Could you please tell him that he has a date with Kagami this weekend.”

Marinette then left, leaving a satisfied Ethan and a confused fencer who had witnessed the exchange.

Ethan continued smirking until he saw Adrien chatting with another student.

‘I’m going to enjoy this.’ Ethan thought. Ethan had been watching Marinette for a while, he knew her movements, her daily routine, as many of her secrets as he could decipher. He knew about her continental sized crush of Agreste and how she had started to back off from him, all he needed was for something to happen between the two that would drive a wedge between them and Marinette would be free for the taking.

“Agreste,” Said Ethan, as he walked up to the model, carefully concealing his disgust, “One of your classmates asked me to tell you they’ve set you up on a date.”

“With who?” Adrien asked, wondering if Nino and Alya had something to do with this.

“Tsurugi, Mary was on her way to tell you, before she asked me to pass the message along.” Said Ethan, carefully choosing his words.

“There’s not Mary in my- Oh, wait a minute,” Said Adrien, “You mean Marinette.”

Ethan struggled not to scowl at the fond tone Adrien’s voice had taken. How could he not know how he apparently feels about the girl.

“Yeah, her.” Said Ethan, his eyes narrowing slightly, not noticing a small black creature watching him, “By the way, do you know if she’s free?”

Adrien’s whole demeanour suddenly went cold, “What’s it to you?”

“Well, she attractive, single and,” Said Ethan, “from what I’ve heard, quite exotic, if you know what I mean.”

A hand rested itself on Adrien’s shoulder, making him look towards the owner of it.

“Calm down.” Said another one of Adrien’s fencing mates, “I’m sure Ethan didn’t mean it like that, right?”

“No, nothing meant in that,” Shrugged Ethan, “I’ve just been keeping an eye on her for some time and was just hoping.”

“That’s up to Marinette.” Adrien grit out, before moving past Ethan, “Let’s start.”

Ethan smirked, already of thinking up ways to make Marinette hate Agreste. Sam and Kagami witnessing the altercation, both silently vowing to get to the bottom of whatever was going on.

TRTW

Marinette placed the last of the Adrien picture in a bag to go out to the rubbish, her walls now much tidier without the excessive number to pictures. Marinette then sat at her desk and stared at her new desktop wallpaper.

“Now what?” Marinette asked herself, her mind drawing blanks.

TRTW

The weekend arrived too quickly for Marinette’s liking, as she glared at the board with the class schedules on it, carefully placing Ivan and Mylene’s animal shelter event on the board.

“Marinette?” Called her mother, making the girl jump.

“Yes, Maman?” Responded Marinette, going towards her trapdoor.

“One of your friends in here to see you.” Said Sabine.

“Okay, send them up.” Replied Marinette, turning back to the board.

There was a thumping as they climbed the stairs and opened the trapdoor.

“I’m sure Nino didn’t mean to do whatever he did, Alya.” Said Marinette, before the person spoke.

“Why did I let you make me agree to that stupid date?” Came Kagami’s strained voice.

Marinette turned and saw how tense Kagami was, “I take it didn’t go well?”

“No, it didn’t,” Huffed Kagami, which Marinette thought was unlike her, “He kept thinking about that other girl and when he’s not doing that he’s thinking and talking about you and how great you are. How dense is he?!”

Marinette frowned slightly, “Adrien said nice things about me?”

“Yes.” Came the short reply.

“But the other guy said Adrien says bad things about me.” Said Marinette, getting Kagami to look at her.

“Brown hair and blue eyes, looks like an idiot?”

“Yeah, why?”

“That’s Ethan and he thinks you’re exotic.” Said Kagami, her arms folded, “Adrien didn’t even pay attention to the movie!”

Marinette sighed and turned away from the board, “You know what, I’m going to get some tea, I have a feeling this is going to go on for a while.”

Half an hour later, Marinette returned with a pot of tea, two cups and a plate of cookies.

“Okay, from the top, what happened?” Asked Marinette, as she set the tray down.

The two talked for little over two hours, slowly migrating towards each other, until they were practically side-by-side.

“I don’t even know how to challenge him on it, it’s like he’s being deliberately obtuse!” Exclaimed Kagami, getting a chuckle out of Marinette.

“I know that feeling.” Muttered Marinette, turning her head to look at Kagami.

However, unbeknownst to her, Kagami was doing the same thing. Both stiffened as they unintentionally kissed each other. The two separated, before moving towards each other again. Kagami’s hands went to Marinette’s hair, while Marinette’s hands wrapped around the back of Kagami’s neck. The sound of the teapot falling to the floor jerked the two from their embrace.

“Fuck!” Exclaimed Marinette, quickly running down the stairs and grabbing some kitchen paper, before running back up the stairs and covering the puddle of lukewarm tea with it. Kagami sat there in a daze, until her phone started to go off.

“I’ve got to go.” Said Kagami, as soon as she silenced her phone.

“Okay, I’ll see you…whenever.” Said Marinette, mopping up the tea as Kagami left.

After hearing the door close, Marinette sighed deeply and rested her head against the floor, “Way to go, Marinette, you try to get over your crush and you kiss the one you set him up with.”

Chat Noir tried to ignore the sting in his chest, when he saw Marinette get up. He had followed Kagami to Marinette’s after the former stormed out of the cinema and saw everything to Kagami ranting to Marinette to the two girls kiss.

Why did his chest hurt so much?

Chat was so distracted, that he almost missed a red blot flying over to Marinette. Almost.

Chat zeroes in on the blot, instantly recognising it as a Kwami.

“It’s not all bad, Marinette.” Said the Kwami, floating next to the biracial girl.

“Yeah, at least I now know that Kagami’s a good kisser.” Came Marinette’s sarcastic response, which was followed by a sigh, “Sorry, Tikki, I shouldn’t have said that.”

Tikki. Chat remembered her as Ladybug’s Kwami.

“Marinette’s Ladybug?” Said Chat, getting Marinette’s attention.

“Chat Noir?” Came her surprised tone.

Chat winced, before slowly climbing down through the skylight. Both Marinette and Tikki staring at him.

“I’m sorry.” Said Chat, looking at the floor, “I didn’t mean to find out.”

Marinette sighed, “For the love of- Adrien, sit down.”

Chat froze as soon as she called him by his name, “You-you know…”

“Since Monday.” Confirmed Marinette, holding her arm.

“W-when you said…”

“I was looking for Alya, yeah.” Said Marinette, before spotting Kagami’s jacket.

A few seconds later, there was a knock on the front door. Marinette sighed a headed down the stairs, returning a few seconds later with Kagami. Kagami stopped dead at the sight of Chat Noir.

“Guess who I found on the balcony.” Said Marinette, dryly.

“Plagg, Claws in.” blurted Chat, before transforming into Adrien.

“For the love of- Really?!” Exclaimed Marinette, her hands going to her head, “That’s the first thing you do?!”

Adrien tried to shrink in on himself.

“Could this day get any better?” Marinette asked sarcastically, “First, yours and Kagami’s date goes tits up, then I find you sitting on my balcony and now this?!”

Marinette’s phone started ringing.

Groaning, Marinette answered it, before looking over at her computer and going pale.

“A-Alya, how long has it been on?” Asked Marinette, who looked as if she was going to faint.

Neither Adrien or Kagami heard Alya’s response, only seeing Marinette’s eyes roll into the back of her head and her collapse to the floor.

TRTW

Not even fifteen minutes later, Alya and Nino turned up, Alya carrying smelling salts and Nino a bucket. Without a word to the other two, Nino placed the bucket on the floor and sat Marinette up, positioning both so that they weren’t too far from each other and Alya placed a peg over her nose and unscrewed the lid, before positioning the salts under Marinette’s nose.

Marinette lurched forwards and grabbed the bucket, before heaving into it.

“Why did you do that?” Whined Marinette, leaning away from the bucket.

“You fainted.” Said Alya, “After I told you that Nino and I knew you were Ladybug because you forgot to turn off your web-cam.”

“Oh.” Said Marinette, before she fainted again.

TRTW

Adrien shifted uncomfortably, as he sat in the café waiting for Marinette and Kagami. It had been three weeks since the unintentional reveal and the two girls entering their relationship. Marinette had collared him after patrol and told him that she and Kagami wanted to talk to him.

“I was worried you weren’t going to turn up.” Said Marinette, sliding into the neat across from Adrien, with Kagami sitting next to her.

“Any chance to get away from my room.” Quipped Adrien, looking at his partner.

“Right, so,” Said Marinette, “Kagami and I have been talking, namely about our feelings,”

“Both for each other and other external assets.” Kagami interjected, getting a dirty look from her girlfriend.

“And we still have feelings for you.” Said Marinette, “As well as each other.”

“Okaay.” Said Adrien, not sure what to say.

“We’re open to expanding our relationship with you.” Said Kagami, bluntly.

Adrien was quiet, before he realised that they wanted a response.

“I-I don’t know what to say.” Stuttered Adrien, his cheeks going pink.

“Well,” Said Marinette, reaching across and grabbing Adrien’s hand, Kagami doing the same with his other hand, “A yes would be preferable.”

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #kagami tsurugi #Tikki #plagg #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe #sabine cheng #adrienette #kagaminette #adrigami #adrigaminette #identity reveal #delta writes

138 notes · View notes

ethelphantom · 4 years

Text

and once the truth’s revealed

Heya! It’s Daminette December and Ethel’s back at it again with trying (and probably failing) her hand at doing month long challenges. Oh well. I will be doing some of the prompts as art and some of them I’m just going to skip, but let’s see. Here’s day 1, “Just a friend”. You can find all of my prompt fills under #Daminette December on my blog, so yeah.

On Ao3

This fic is MariBat, so if you don’t like it, do not read it.

_____

“But Marinette, just the way you look at him—”

“But what? Luka, I love you and you’re my best friend and all but you’re gravely mistaken here”, Marinette said, interrupting her friend. She sighed and crossed her arms on her chest, frustrated out of her mind at Luka.

Why would he say she liked Damian? He was a good friend and Marinette loved spending time with him, but she didn’t think of him as more than that, surely. It wasn't like she wanted to know what it would be like to walk hand in hand whenever they were out on town without it being an awkward ordeal, or what his lips tasted like or felt like against her own, or what it would be like to show him off to her parents and then proceed get embarrassed by both of them because especially her papa always asked weird questions from anyone he thought might start dating her.

“Look, Mari, I know you don’t want to admit to your feelings after how it went with Adrien, and after finding out I liked you and you had to reject me, but he could make you really happy. All I want is your happiness, and if you find it with him, I support you. Besides, I accepted you don’t like me ages ago, you don’t need to be so careful about it. It’s fine”, Luka said sighing and put his hand on Marinette’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “Seriously, ask anyone and they’ll tell you that you look at Damian like he hung the stars and the moon. Even Kagami has seen it, and you know how she is with this. Chloé kept complaining about you being so oblivious for like an hour to us without taking a single breath, I swear.”

Marinette shook her head. No, she really did not like him, she was sure. Damian was amazing and always took her feelings into account, even if he didn’t always express it very well. And unlike her classmates, he actually defended her and stayed on her side even after Lila tried to interfere with things. No — he had, three seconds flat after Lila tried to get him wrapped in her web of lies as well, shot her down, told her to leave him and Marinette alone, said he couldn't have cared less about her obvious lies and then led her away to talk somewhere more quiet.

The only one in the class that she knew was on her side was Chloé, and since even that was a rather recent development, she wasn’t sure what to think of it always.

(She did scoff at Lie-la, Alya and the rest of the class the week before and told them to pull their heads out from where the sun doesn’t shine so there was that joy, Marinette had to admit. If someone had told her a few years back she’d actually be friends with Chloé fucking Bourgeouis, or that she would have appreciated her in any sense without being sarcastic, she would have laughed at their face. Now she was actually happy about it and wouldn’t change it for the world.)

And sure, she loved hearing Damian laugh. It was rare, it was really, really rare, but even so it happened sometimes, and she loved it. It wasn’t even the “You’re an imbecile and I’m superior to you” kind of laughter he apparently had according to Jason, but the “I’m laughing because I genuinely enjoy being with you and that was funny” kind of laughter.

“No, it’s not like that”, she then said, only to earn a frustrated groan from Luka who ran a hand down his face.

“Mari I swear—”, Luka began before he buried his head in his hands. “Okay, let’s put it this way. By what nickname does he call you again?”

“...Angel.”

“Now, how does it make you feel like?”

“Happy and warm. It’s nice when he does it.”

“Alright. Then, if I were to call you that regularly, how would you feel about it?”

“It would be kind of weird since you never do it but I wouldn’t tell you to stop.”

“And how about Tim? You two are close friends, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we are. I think he’s done it a few times, too. He did it when we met for the first time anyway.”

“So, how was it? Was it the same as with Damian?”

“Well, it was nice, I suppose, but no, it wasn’t… Why?”

“Damian called you that when you met for the first time, right?”

“Yeah? Then he stopped until he did it again after we’d known each other for some time and Jason tried to steal the nickname.”

“So, did it feel the same as it did when you met Tim — or Jason, apparently, why wasn’t I aware of this — for the first time?”

“No, but like— Luka, stop that. Seriously, you questioning me about nicknames they have for me won’t get you anything. He’s just a friend!”

Luka stopped where he was massaging his forehead and, lowering his hand enough for her to see his eyes, he raised his eyebrow. “Did you— Did you just say Damian is just a friend? Did I get that right? Please tell me I didn’t hear that right.”

The doubtful, disbelieving look in Luka’s eyes made Marinette want to back away slowly and then flee. It was concerning since Luka wasn’t like this often. Only when one of their friend group was being more dense and stupid than usually. “Yes…?”

“Marinette Jiaying Dupain-Cheng I swear—”

“Not my second name.”

“I’ll use whatever I want as your second name when I need to young lady— Marinette Jiaying Dupain-Cheng I swear to god if you say that god forbidden sentence one more time, I’m going to hand you over to Chloé and Kagami without hesitation.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Fucking test me.”

“Gasp I’m going to tell Dick you swore in front of me.”

Luka sighed and shook his head before looking Marinette in the eyes again. “Mari, you know how Adrien finally got a clue and figured out he did, in fact, have a crush on you after you’d already decided you no longer liked him?”

Marinette looked at Luka with confusion. What was he talking about, she really didn’t understand. “Uhh… yes?”

“Well, the reason he never realised it in time was because he kept telling himself you were just a friend.”

He was right, that’s what she remembered hearing from Adrien a few too many times, but this wasn’t the same thing at all. She’d gone out of her way for him so many times, tried to make him happy by sacrificing her own happiness, listened to him every time he wanted to tell her something, supported him with everything, and he still hadn’t realised she liked him — or that at some point, he started liking her. It wasn’t nearly the same thing with her and Damian… right?

Except that it kind of was.

Now that she thought about it, it was exactly what Damian was doing. He went out of his way for her when she asked for help, sometimes even when she didn’t ask for it and rather told him not to do it because she felt like she didn’t deserve it. She had just thought it was a trait born from being the son of the richest man on earth, nothing more. She felt kind of like a jerk for thinking that now. No better than Adrien and his endless obliviousness, at least.

He supported her and her dreams and even tried to help her find ways to achieve said dreams. He listened to her endless ramblings until it got too late and he either had to leave or he told her to go to sleep. It was another thing if she actually went to sleep after it, but Marinette appreciated the concern anyway.

Oh.

What was happening now was definitely a lot like it was back then, though she wasn’t sure if he liked her that way. The possibility he didn’t was a little painful and she felt a stab in her heart. Besides, what kind of a friend actually thought about and wanted to know how it would be like to kiss another friend if they were nothing more than that?

“Oh.”

Luka shook his head and smiled at her as she proceeded to lose her mind over it. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“But Luka, what do I do now? What if I lose my ability to talk in front of him? Or what if I ruin our friendship? Or—”

“Mari, calm down. You’re gonna be fine. He’s still the same Damian. Maybe you could just tell him how you feel, and then when he knows, you’ll either start dating and he’ll make you happy, or he’ll reject you, you’ll stay friends and you can start moving on. He won't hate you for liking him, nor would he be so shallow that he ended your friendship over it. You’re gonna be just fine.”

Marinette bit her lip before returning the smile. “Thank you, Luka. You’re amazing, I couldn’t ask for a better friend.”

With one swift pull, Luka had her in a tight hug. He squeezed her and replied with an amused snicker, “I try my best.”

#daminette #Daminette december #damian x marinette #maridami #maribat #marinette dupain cheng #Damian Wayne #luka couffaine #miraculous ladybug #ml #ml x dc #dc #fanfic #fanfiction #ethel's writing

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auspicious-lilana · 4 years

Text

Two Cats, One Heart (Chat Noir x reader)

Summary: Summary: Y/n Ross and Adrian Agreste are childhood best friends, they’ve been through thick and thin, including losing their mom, and dad. Since then Y/n’s mom made her live with Adrian at his mansion and forever leaving her life. Watch as their lives Change as they become the new heroes of Paris alongside Ladybug and see how Romance sprouts between the two models.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

"Come on Y/n, it's just a little cold, not like it's the end of the world" Alpha mumbled the last part to himself as I glared at the little wolf as I sneezed and cleaned my red snotty nose into the napkin. That stupid Stormy Weather Akuma gave me a freaking cold!

"Today is Adrian's birthday! I've been planning for this day for weeks! and what do I get for all that hard work? A freaking cold!"

"It's not that-"

"It is!"

"Geez. Who knew chill Y/n could be such a big bully when sick" I glared at Alpha again as I sneezed as I heard the door open. Alpha hid behind my hair as Natalie came in.

"Good morning Y/n. I'm here to bring your shed- Oh my, are you having a cold?" I mustered up the most believable smile I can.

"Ye-achoo!" I sneezed into my napkin again as i groaned slightly to myself as I heard Natalie talk into her ear piece.

"Would you like the chef to cook something up for you and bring it up here?"

"Yes please"

"Tell her to get brownies too!" Alpha hissed in my hair as I fake coughed to cover up my next words and Alpha's voice.

"Shh" I smiled back at Natalie.

"Can you maybe bring a few brownies along? For a little treat for later of course"

"You've been having an obsession with brownies these few weeks"

"No kidding" I gritted my teeth with a smile.

"I must go and inform Adrian now, I hope you feel better soon"

"Me too" I said as she left. I sighed and relaxed back in my bed. My messy hair spreading all over as Alpha came out. "You need to learn when to talk and when to not," I said breathlessly.

"I'm sorry my miraculous owner forgot to give me my mealy brownie an hour ago."

"you've mistaken mealy with hourly Alpha"

"Still. A hungry kawami is a hungry kawami"

"Whatever" I groaned out as I soon heard a pair of footsteps running up here. I quickly gave Alpha a look as he groaned.

"Again?" He flew off to hide behind my computer as Adrian stormed in panting.

"Y/n. I..heard...that you got sick"

"Sadly is true," I said as I heaved myself to sit up.

"I know how you get when your sick. Do you want me to sta-"

"No. Birthday boy has to go out to school and get those birthday wishes from friends and presents perhaps. I'm good Adrian. You go."

"How am I supposed to leave without you? I'm used to leaving with you. I can't go around and be happy knowing one of the people I care about most is at home being sick and in need of her dear Goldilocks" I stared at Adrian agape as a genuine smile made up to my face.

"Don't worry my dear Goldilocks, Here's a deal. I'll try my best to recover quickly then maybe get up strong enough to wish you a happy birthday as long as you go to school" Adrian looked at me hesitantly as he sighed and kissed my forehead as my eyes widened slightly as he pulled away.

"Just get better without forcing yourself" he smiled as he got up and left, leaving me shook as my hand slowly touched my forehead where he kissed.

"Didn't think the model boy would pursue two girls" Alpha said with his little signature smirk.

"S-shut up. he's not pursuing anyone, nobody, Natta"

"mhmm, right. well, if it's worth it I saw him blushing as red as those nasty rashes you had last week when he left through that door."

"Your lying, and the rashes weren’t that bad!”

"Sweetie I don't lie, especially to my holders. and face the facts Y/n, it was that bad" Alpha sat himself in front of me laying on my hand. "Plus, I'm pretty sure model boy likes you a bit more than you think, but then again, how can you notice him when you have a monster crush on Chat Noir" I blushed as I moved my hand away making him fall down onto my lap.

"It's not that big of a monster crush"

"So your not denying your deep love for that black cat?" I looked away with a blush, not wanting to see the smug face of my kawami. "Honestly. Humans are so dense. It's frustrating yet so entertaining." I rolled my eyes as I soon heard my door knocked as I quickly opened my blanket under him so he can hide there.

"Miss Ross, your meal is here" I heard my personal chef say.

"Come in" The chef quickly placed my meal on my lap as he quickly left. "Thank you!" I quickly yelled out. Alpha quickly came out and took the plate of brownies.

"Come to papa" I rolled my eyes as I eat my chicken soup.

***

I was watching Netflix on my TV, bored out of my mind. I had already recovered enough that I don't sneeze much and my appearance looks fine too. I was going to go back to bed to take another nap hoping the day can go by quick as I heard loud music blasting outside the mansion.

"Y/N! TURN DOWN THE TV!" Alpha yelled from my bed, already half asleep.

"It's not me" I said suspiciously as I looked out my window to see adults flying up in bubbles?! I gasped as i turned to Alpha to see him tired. "Naps has to wait. Paris needs Lady Wolf" Alpha slowly went up to me as his stomach began to grumble.

"The last time I ate was four hours ago, I need my refill!" Alpha complained. I sighed as I pressed the com button to get the chef or natalie but nobody was answering. I looked out at the window to see all of them floating out.

"I'm guessing this akuma holds a grudge on adults" I said as I quickly placed a jacket and tied my hair into a rushed bun as I placed Alpha in my inside pocket as I snuck out. By the time I went out I saw all my friends from school and more dancing, not seeming to enjoy themselves.

"Hey, you. Why aren't you having fun?" I heard a voice as I quickly hid behind the hallway as I watched the Akuma talk to Ivan.

"None of your business" Ivan replied leaning on the wall.

"Then I'm going to make it my business." The akuma brought out his large bubble sword as he bubbled Ivan sending him to the air as I held my mouth to hold in my gasp. I quickly hid behind the wall as he looked around before walking back to the DJ station. I let out a sigh as I quickly snook over to the food table and stole a brownie and tucked it into my pocket with Alpha in it as I quickly went back in the mansion as I saw Marinette leave. I looked at her confused before shaking it off. I have no time to think of her right now. I quickly hid inside the study room as Alpha came out eating the whole brownie in one gulp, seeming pretty satisfied for now.

"Okay. Alpha, Tails out!" "but your siiiiickkk!" I quickly transformed.

"sick or not, Paris still needs me," I said to Alpha if he could hear me as I leaped from the study window and made saw Ladybug. "Ladybug! Where's Chat?"

"Who knows," Ladybug said as we jumped on top of the wall.

"Hey, Paris, how you doing?" Adrian excitedly said raising the microphone. Poor him. he doesn't realize it's a forced party. When nobody cheered the bubbler threatened them behind him as they began to cheer. Adrian jumped down from the stage as he soon noticed us. "Ladybug? Lady Wolf?" Ladybug threw her yoyo hitting the power strip unplugging everything.

" Sorry, Bubbler, but the party's over." Ladybug said with a smirk.

"Why you two gotta be like that?" Bubbler replied.

"You made all the adults disappear, that's why! And now you're imprisoning anyone who isn't having fun." I yelled out as we didn't notice Adrian slip away from the fake party.

"You will not bust up my party!" Bubbler threw two bubbles at us as we used our yoyo/staff to deflect it. We got in a furious battle as the crowd shattered running to safety. Ladybug threw a yoyo at a big bubbled being thrown at us as it reflected back at her as Chat Noir quickly came in and hit the yoyo up the air.

"Looks like I made it just in time."

"We had it under control," I said as the yoyo hit Chat's head. "But thanks" I winked as Chat rubbed his head slightly annoyed. The Bubbler sent a large wave of red bubbles as we all swinged at them to keep it away from us. The bubbler then smirked as he snapped his fingers as the red bubbles turned green and began to circle furiously as it stuck to our bodies as we tried to shake it off. Before we knew it we were stuck in a green bubble. I was squished between Ladybug and Chat Noir. I sneezed as they quickly looked at me as I tried to hold another sneeze in. Great, just great. Why couldn't the cold kick in some other time?

"Are you sick?" Ladybug asked.

"No, I'm fine" I firmly said as I covered my nose hoping whatever power is in this bracelet would be able to hide my cold from the period of the battle.

"Give me your Miraculouses before you run out of air." The Bubbler threatened.

"Dream on Bubbler!" Ladybug yelled back as I choked on a sneeze, determined not to show my sickness in the heat of a fight.

"Total party poopers, just like adults."

"Kids need Adults!" Ladybug protested.

"False! Kids need freedom, fun, let loose and live it up. Adults are controlling and bossy."

"But adults keep children safe and protected. They care for their kids, they love them!"

"At least must do" I mumbled to myself thinking back to my mother leaving me in a young age. "You can't take them from these innocent kids!" I yelled to cover my mumbles.

"You must bring back the adults!" Chat yelled.

"Nope, never. Know what, since you care so much about these adults, why don't you go float with them for a while?" The Bubbler ran toward us as he kicked us up high in the air as we gasped from the sudden movement. I found myself clinging to Chat due to my fear of high top heights. Chat chuckled.

"Is little wolfie scared of heights~?" I gripped to him harder unable to mutter a word as we stopped moving but super high up in the sky.

"Save the teasing for later, Chat" Ladybug said as she looked around them. " Use your Cataclysm!"

"Couldn't you say that five hundred feet ago?" I squeaked out. "We can't stay stuck in this bubble together forever way up here and the deserted sky...way high up" I said slightly going paranoid. Chat held me close as he kept one arm away from me, probably to use his power.

"Cataclysm!" Chat touched the bubble as it popped making us start to fall. We all yelled as I clinged on to Chat's shoulders to scared to let go.

"Should we see if you two land on your feet this time?" Ladybug yelled over to us.

"No, Thanks!" We both said.

"Chat! Your stick, there!" Ladybug pointed at the eiffel Tower as he nodded.

"Got it!" Chat threw his stick on the eiffel tower as it stuck there as ladybug tied her yoyo around it as I grabbed ladybugs hand while holding Chat's hand in the other as we swing and land on the ground safely. I collapsed on the ground relieved to feel the rocky road beneath me.

"Remind me to go mountain climbing with you~" Chat flirted at me as I finally regained my senses and scoffed as he helped me up.

"Let's see if I ever go out with you anywhere first" I purred.

"Challenge accepted, M'lady"

"I can't have one flirt-free fight with you two can I?" Ladybug said jokingly as she walked to us. "We've got to get to his bubble sword, that's got to be where the akuma is." As Ladybug said that Chat's ring started beeping.

"Better hurry" He said slightly worried.

***

"Where is everybody? Get out here and party!" The Bubbler yelled angrily looking at the kids who were hiding.

"Sorry to burst your bubble!" Ladybug said as we stood on top of the wall as Chat crouched.

"Ladybug! Lady Fox!" Alya and Maya exclaimed as everyone began cheering for us.

"No one wants to party with you anymore, Bubbler."I said confidently.

"What's wrong with all you guys!? Why you gotta be such haters!?" Bubbler got angry as he trapped the kids in bubbles sending them up with the adults.

"NO!" We all yelled.

"Outer space is the next stop for your precious peeps, and they're never coming back!" The Bubbler jumped from roof to roof as Ladybug, Cat Noir and I went to pursue him. The Bubbler flies to the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug, Cat Noir and I start climbing it while he threw explosive bubbles at us as Cat Noir's ring alerts he's about to change.

" I'm gonna switch back soon, hurry." Chat Noir desperately yelled as us. Ladybug nodded as she stood up.

"Lucky charm!" Her powers handed her a giant wrench as we stared at it confused.

" Your... plumbing skill is gonna help us out?" Chat said confused as Ladybug shrugged her shoulders. Bubbler began to throw more explosive bubbles at Chat and I as we jumped and climbed to dodge them.

"Is that all you got? Bubbler?" I teased as Ladybug looked around with her charm vision.

"Got it!" Ladybug yelled as she ran towards the pipe while Cat Noir and I are still dodging bubbles. She loosens the screw and the pipe comes off. It goes up to where Cat Noir is standing.

"Chat Noir! Cover us! Lady Fox! Wait for my signal to use your powers to snatch the bubble sword. We both nodded as Chat jumped down as he gripped onto the pipe as it blew away any bubbles that was thrown at us.

"Moon Wolf!"I shouted as I went invisible. Once Bubbler raised his bubble sword Ladybug looked to where she last saw me.

"Now!" I nodded as I quickly jumped around and leaped above Bubbler snatching the bubble sword as I threw it towards Ladybug who quickly got it and snapped it in half with her leg.

"Get out of there, you nasty bug. No more evil-doing for you, little akuma." Ladybug opened her yoyo as she captured the akuma, before releasing it. "Bye-bye, little butterfly" Ladybug then threw her giant wrench to the air. "Miraculous ladybug!"as it spread apart fixing whatever damage that the fight caused and returned the adults where they were as it soon changed Bubbler back to Nino who sat on the ground confused.

"Pound it!"We all said.

___

"You can't run forever Ladybug, Lady Fox. and when I catch you, I will crush you! I will DESTROY YOU ALL!" Hawkmoth yelled as his window closed.

___

Adrian was dining alone, since Y/n was still a bit under the weather since the fight.

"A birthday present, from your father" Natalie said giving a gift containing a scarf as Adrian happily took it.

"Thank you. I mean, please say thank you to my father for me." Natalie nodded and left as Adrian stared at the gift happily as Y/n looking slightly better came down the stair case to the dining room with a gift in hand.

"Adrian?" Adrian looked up and quickly ran to her worriedly.

"You were supposed to stay in bed, N/n. If you needed me you could've called me"

"But the gift won't look that special then" Y/n complained as Adrian only just then noticed it.

"You made me a gift..?"

"Yes. I decorated it, placed it and wrapped it all on my own"

"but you're sick..." Adrian said as he took the gift gently as they sat down.

"I, uh. " Y/n began to stammer nervously. "started on it...a month ago"Adrian looked at Y/n shocked as as blush began to coat his cheeks at the thought of Y/n thinking of a birthday gift for him so early.

"You'd really do that for me?" Adrian said as he began to carefully unwrap it before gasping at the well decorated picture frame with a picture of them playing around in the park as their 5 year old selves. On the top frame with a colorful font, it read.'In all the places in the world, I'm happiest when I'm with you'

"I know it isn't as fancy as your other gifts, and it probably looks pretty torn but If you don't like it I can take it ba-" Y/n was cut off by Adrian pulling her into a hug as he buried his head into her neck, taking in her warmth smell.

"This is the best gift anyone could've ever given me, thank you, Y/n. I love yo- it. I love it" Adrian blushed as he realized he almost confessed his feelings. Thankfully y/n hadn't caught on.

"I'm glad, and uh. I found a little something in one of my old drawers" Adrain let go of Y/n as she gave him a small box with a ribbon on it.

"Another gift? Gee N/n, are you trying to spoil me?" Y/n laughed a bit as she slightly pushed his arm.

"Just see what's inside" Adrian nodded as he opened it to see one of the old bracelets Adrian and Y/n made together when they were 10.

"I almost forgot about this..." Adrian looked up to see Y/n holding up her wrist showing the bracelet he had made for her. It was grey and f/c, while the one she made for him was green and black. When they made this...they promised to never leave each other's sides. and how cheesy this may sound but Adrian also remembered them promising they'd marry each other when they're adults. "Didn't we say we'd get married when we grow up?" I said teasingly as Y/n blushed a bit as she laughed.

"Are you planning to win my heart? Goldilocks?"

"Maybe," Yes. was what Adrian wanted to say. After today, he learned he's in love with his best friend. But did he know, his best friend was in love with his flirty alter ego?

Don’t forget to comment! I love to hear what you guys think! Feedback is greatly appreciated!

#Y/n #Chat Noir x reader #Adrian x reader #mircaculous ladybug #Reader insert #lady fox #Ladybug #Chat Noir #The Bubbler #Nino #marinete dupain cheng #Ivan

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anjuschiffer · 3 years

Text

Amira Wayne - Chapter 18

Chapter 18 is finally here! Damn this was one hard chapter for me...enjoy!

Chapter 18: Heroes

P.Tag: @theatreandcomicfreak @damianette-is-life @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan @vixen-uchiha @nathleigh

Tag: @we-want-mini-mini @ramos123 @bluesimani @redscarlet95 @greatcatblaze @promiswords @fantasiame @corabeth11 @anonymously-odd @alexandriamw @officiallydarkgeek @galla02006 @maleive07

MASTERLIST | FIRST | PREV | AO3

Gris sighed as she watched her various clones run off to different directions, slumping against an empty can of cat food.

It’s been two hours since Marinette became Banshee.

There was no sign of Ladybird and with Queen Bee out of commission, Gris wondered if they were even able to take this Victim down.

While Master Fu assured her that things will work out, Gris couldn’t help but feel-

“Mice have been deployed. How are things on your side?” Gris said into her comms, waiting for her partners' updates. She let out a deep breath, watching it merge with the fog.

She can’t let herself lose hope...not yet.

“It’s difficult to ensure that no one will get swept up by my plan.” Ryuuko spoke. “Because I have thought of one.”

“There aren’t any civilians in the streets in our area at the moment. Carapace and I just confirmed that.” Chat managed to answer. “So if you have a plan, go ahead and try what you have in mind.”

“On it.” Ryuuko said, the girl looking at the fog covering all of Paris. “Wind Dragon!”

She watched herself turn into the wind, flying up until she bursted through the layer of fog. Returning half of her body into her original state, Ryuuko summoned her katana, only to find out it had turned into an epee.

It reminded her of the one she often carried in her civilian form, a fencing sword that had been passed on from her grandfather to her mother, and then to her. The only difference between the two were the colors. While the family heirloom was red in color, the one in her hands is black.

Only the handle and button were two other colors. The tip was now white while the handle was decorated in gold and white.

Realizing she was distracted by her epee’s elegance, Ryuuko meditated for a while before her eyes shot open.

Letting out a battle cry, Ryuuko let out an attack, the slash not making a single effect at the dense fog beneath her.

Returning to her wind form, Ryuuko decided to move on to Plan B.

Stretching out her hands, she focused her strength and summoned gusts of winds, the streams of wind circling around all of Paris.

“Ryuuko! What are you doing?” She heard Chat yell at her through the comms. “If you continue to do that, you’ll-”

“Do not worry Chat. I’ll make sure to not exert myself.” Ryuuko promised. With an ‘alright, be safe’ and a click, Ryuuko went back to work.

—

Wally didn’t know how long he was sitting on the cold ground, still trying to process what the hell happened to him.

“-y! Wally! Can you hear me?” Wally managed to recognize Barry’s concern, pulling his hands out of his hair and instead wrapped them around himself.

He was still shaking.

He can’t give them a reason to barge in...even if he -and possibly the Miraculous Team- were in dire need of help. “Wally.” He heard him say again.

Tiredly, Wally chose to finally answer him.

“I’m alright.” Wally tried to assure. He hated how he was able to hear his own scattered heartbeat despite talking through the comms.

“Wally. We know-”

“No, you don’t know what’s going on here.” Wally growled, trembling as he attempted to get up, only for his legs to give in.

“Wally, we do.”

“No, you don’t.”

“A miraculous wielder going out of control is not something to be trifled with.” He heard Diana say in the background along with what seemed to be chairs slightly scraping the floor.

“Do...do you have me on speaker?” Wally asked, his anger slipping out.

“Wally. It’s all over international news.” He heard Barry say, Wally feeling his heart stop and anger dissipate.

Was it always on the news? He was pretty sure Amira-

“She’s the one who was in charge of blocking the media.” Wally muttered, getting up from his spot on the ground. “Amira was doing damage control all this time and-“ Wally let out a groan and a huff. “Barry, I need to go.”

“Wally. Don’t you-“

“Amira is in trouble and you guys aren’t allowed to help because some people decided it was a good idea to force her to join the Justice league…” Silence came from the other end of the comms. “But even if you guys aren’t allowed in Paris, I know of a few who are.”

“Wally, please-”

“I know what I’m doing. They’re the only ones who can help Amira right now.” With that, Wally turned off the comms and took a deep breath. “Forgive me, Amira.”

—

Barbara dropped the cup of coffee in her hand, the chair she was in toppling over when she quickly got up. She listened as fine china got crushed with each hesitant step she took towards Tim.

“Amira...Amira got what?”

“Babs, listen. Amira-” Tim started, only to be grabbed and made to face Barbara.

“Isn’t that bad? To be akumatized? At least that’s what B’s reports say-what exactly-”

“What happened to Amira is none of your business.” Dick replied for Tim, Selina following right behind him. Judging from their getup and the duffel bags slung on their arms, they were heading somewhere...but she knew where.

Paris.

“Let me go with you.” Barbara demanded, setting Tim down. “Please, Richard. Let me help you. Let me help Amira. She’s-”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Selina cut off.

“Please!” Barbara begged. “Amira is my friend, we need to-”

“We,” Dick said, gesturing to himself and Selina, “will be the only ones who will be going. You and Tim are to remain-”

“No.” Barbara said, taking in a deep breath. “I’m going with you.”

“Barbara. You and Amira didn’t exactly end on good terms. If you go and she sees that you’re-”

“So that’s why you don’t want me to go.” Barbara stated, curling her hands. “You think I might agitate her more and cause her to cause more damage if she sees me.” She took his silence as a yes. “Then at least...at least let me help you through the comms. After all, you’re going to need as many eyes as you can in this mission.”

Richard looked over his shoulder, Selina’s huff and smirk being enough to let him know her opinion.

“Alright. But you are to listen to all my instructions to a ‘t,’ understood?” Dick commanded, Barbara wanting to grin at her small victory.

“Yes!”

Tim watched as the trio walked to the zeta beam, Selina graciously setting the coordinates to the one in Paris.

Within a few seconds, they were on their way to rescuing Amira.

Carapace hit the back of his head against the brick wall as he leaned back to take a rest.

“Where the hell can she be?” He asked himself, wondering where Banshee hid Lila.

He had already checked all the possible places she would have hidden her, but didn’t find the missing girls.

The school was empty.

The bakery was empty.

The park was empty.

The zoo also held no clues.

All of the museums had no sign of Lila being there nor Banshee.

Not even Grévin Museum, Marinette’s favorite place to go during her free time.

He had looked at every possible place Marinette had gone or visited in Paris and he hadn’t found Lila, not even a single clue that could lead to finding her.

Carapace went to reach his comm to update the team about his dilemma, only to find his hand simply hovering over it.

“Why exactly did you choose me, Ladybird?” Nino asked her one night, Ladybird looking at him in curiosity. “Why me when there are so many other people who are more well equipped for this?”

He watched as Ladybird hummed, her eyes seeing something he could not.

“Not every person who I saw as a candidate was as loyal and protective as you were. Half tried to stand their ground, only to give up. Some quickly backed down when they realized the possible consequences if they kept trying to defend their beliefs or friends. But you,” Ladybird smiled at him. “You stood your ground while doubt circled around you. You remained undeterred and firm when others criticized your choices. That’s why I picked you.”

“Because you had the courage to protect what was important to you.” Carapace reminded himself, frowning at himself.

He couldn’t just give up...he had to keep looking.

Surging with new confidence, Carapace decided to update the others. “Still got nothing on Lila or Banshee. I’m going to start checking other locations, but if anyone else has any ideas on what other places-”

“What places have you checked? Perhaps we can help.” A new voice said within their comms, startling the team. For Chat, it sounded oddly familiar.

“Chat, what’s going on?” Ryuuko asked, Chat realizing that she asked him through her miraculous’ comm.

Who was this? And...English? Chat thought as he went back to answer the newcomer.

“Identify yourself.” Cat Noir demanded, wondering how this person got into their system.

“Who we are doesn’t matter. We came to help you.” Another voice joined, Chat wondering how many had hacked into their system.

“How do we know you aren’t on Hawkmoth’s side? How can we trust you if you-”

“Marinette is my friend. I can’t just sit by and do nothing while I know there is something I can do.” The second voice said, Gris being able to hear the frustration in her voice.

“Chat, it seems like they actually want to help us.” Chat heard Gris tell him through her miraculous.

“That isn’t enough to convince me that you’re on our side.” Chat told the newcomers.

“We know how her powers work.” Another voice joined in, this time, male. He sounded as if he was around their age. Perhaps a year or two older than them.

“So do we.”

“We also have an idea of the item where the akuma is hidden.” Another male voice said, caused Chat’s mind to come to a halt. Why did it sound familiar? “Adding on to the akuma power, those are the two main facts we have to help bring Marinette back.”

Carapace waited with baited breath as he awaited for Chat’s response, wondering what exactly was going through his mind.

“Seems like you’re on our side. But even if you don’t want to drop your names, at least give us some code names we can refer to each of you.” Ryuuko heard Chat say, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

So they’re allies.

“Alright. I’m Corvus.” The familiar male voice replied.

“Osprey.” The first female voice said.

“Oriole.” The other male responded.

“Felis.”

“Alright then.” Chat replied, quickly changing over to the miraculous comms. “Team, we have new allies. We’ll be using our translators while using the regular comms to ensure our communications go smoothly and prevent confusion.”

“How exactly do we-”

“Don’t worry. I’ll explain it right now.”

“Do you think we got through to them?” Wally asked, watching Barbara not lift her eyes for a second from the monitors in front of her.

Her hands moved quickly across the keyboard, not leaving a single room for error as she hooked up a program to hack into the Parisian street cameras and home security cameras.

Wally had hesitantly agreed to letting Barbara use Amira’s computer to hack into the team’s comms and then this.

Hope Amira didn’t mind.

“I hope we did.” Dick confessed. “Also, why Oriole?”

“Well, you started with Corvus and then Barbara said Osprey so I said Oriole to keep with the bird theme.” Wally replies, hearing Selina’s chuckle through the comm. “Of course, I should’ve known-”

“Corvus.” Dick heard Chat say, Wally annoyed that he was interrupted..

“Still here.”

“Welcome to the team...now, let’s review what each of us know about the situation while Carapace and Gris continue to search for Banshee.”

“Alright.”

—

It was cold.

It was dark.

She hated it...and that’s saying something from a Gothamite who’s used to the dark.

Amira lifted her eyelids, watching as she climbed stairs she never once climbed. After all, she always used to just zip to the top. She tried to stop herself, but could barely control her own body.

“Banshee.” A voice whispered to her. She’d recognize that voice anywhere.

“Hawkmoth.” She acknowledged, stopping mid flight.

“How are things going?”

“Wonderfully.” She answered back...but she knew it wasn’t her... “Lila is getting what she deserves just as we speak. That harlot will pay for-“

“As wonderful as that sounds, there is still one part of the deal that is yet to be completed.”

“Don’t worry. I’m working on it. Just be pa-” She heard herself snarl when she felt a ring pang through her head, causing her to fold over.

She clutched her head between her forearms, wanting the pain to go away as it intensified with each passing second.

“Were you just about to say patient? Must I remind you who the one in charge here is?”

Banshee let out a whimper as she felt her body stiffen. “I suggest you hurry up and keep your end of the deal. After all, I kept mine.”

Banshee growled as Hawkmoth released his control over her, allowing her to relax. But just as she had been let go, she could feel something whirl within her. It was frustrated, annoyed, pissed...hurt.

In that split second, Amira could actually see what was in front of her.

She was able to feel the vile power running within her.

Looking down at the pitch black dress on her, Amira let out a horrified gasp, feeling all the memories surge up into her mind at once. She didn’t register the tears that ran down her face nor her raspy breaths as she brought her black laced hands closer to face.

She could feel the rapid rises and falls of her chest as she slowly observed how vile the black felt on her. How disgusted she was in herself.

She finally let out a scream, wrapping her arms around her, not thinking about anything else but the consequences of having shown her emotions earlier that day.

How naive she was to believe she could handle being a vigilante…

How wrong she was…

No wonder…

No wonder her father said those things to her...because he saw...

He saw how flawed she was…

How immature she had grown to be...

How stupid she was to think she was in the right all these years when in reality...he was the one who was right…

Who is right...

She really wasn’t prepared…

Not prepared at all…

She was no hero, not even a vigilante…

She was a damn failure from the very start...

“-also check places where- what the hell is going on?” Corvus whispered into the comms as he stopped himself from jumping onto the next building. As much as he feared the shaking ground, there was something else that he feared.

The fog beneath him was starting to thicken even more, spots that were lights were now dimmer, almost invisible. He couldn’t move any further with all of this!

“Everyone! It seems like-” Ryuuko was about to speak, only to be cut off by a shriek in the comms.

“Oriole!” Osprey yelled, Gris hearing screams and things being thrashed around heard in the background through Oriole’s side. “Oriole! What’s going on!”

“Osprey! What’s-” Dick could feel his panic rising.

“Oriole -he just - he just collapsed and started screaming, calling for...Mimi. He won’t stop-” She was cut off by some static, the team wondering what the hell was going on.

‘Mimi? Must be some dear to him.’ Gris thought to herself, but she couldn’t help but notice how quiet the Birds and Cat Team got, wondering why they weren’t worrying over their teammate.

That made her wonder...

Why were they willing to help them to try and help Marinette so badly? What exactly is their relationship with her? Because as far as Gris knew, Marinette didn’t have many friends.

But then again, even with the friends she did have, Marinette wasn’t exactly open with them either. Yes, they’ve known her for roughly four months, but even then, they didn’t know much about their beloved friend.

“It’s Banshee.” Gris heard Ryuuko said shakily. “She’s enhancing her strength by using her own powers against herself!”

“We have to stop her!”

“But how?”

“Leave that to us.” Ryuuko heard Felis say.

“Is Oriole-” Chat started, only to get cut off.

“He’s alright. But he also confirmed one of our theories that would help us to counter Banshee’s power.” Chat heard Felis say.

“Counter? How exactly-”

“Don’t worry about the how. Worry about the when.” Chat heard Corvus say.

“When? Don’t tell me you plan on going right now?”

“Of course not. If my team heads now, then we won't be able to know where Rossi is hidden.” Chat listened as a glass clinked together on Corvus’ side. “We’ll wait for Carapace, Gris or Oriole to locate the girl first. When we know she’s safe, that’s when my team will strike.

We need to make sure that Rossi is safe or else our entire plan will fail.”

Lila clawed at her throat, trying to scrape away the itchiness within her. To try and get rid of the dry lumps that were growing by the minute.

She couldn’t breath. It hurt. It burned.

Her eyes continued to sting, Lila feeling the tears continuing to pool beneath her. They hurt even with the low amount of light around her.

The only thing that had managed to ground her a bit was the cold ground her body was so desperately against.

A cold embrace that gave her a break from the endless insults thrown her way for the past...hours? Days?

Lila froze when she heard a sound in the distance, curling into herself. She covered her face with her arms, trying her best to not let out a single whimper.

She bit her tongue as she heard the sound get closer to her, daring herself to sit upwards.

She listened as the sound began to become clearer...listening as footsteps drew near to her.

Lila didn’t dare to lift her head to see whether it really was someone coming or not. She wasn’t going to risk to keep seeing the illusions, the hallucinations she’s been hearing all this time.

After all, compared to all that she had been going through, this was a nice change of pace.

She listened as the footsteps grew louder, each step echoing throughout the dim place she was in.

She listened and listened, each passing second causing her heartbeat to quicken.

Then they stopped.

Stopping right in front of her.

They placed a hand on her shoulder.

So it wasn’t just another nightmare. This was real.

Slowly lifting her head, Lila had wished this was just another nightmare because the minute she saw that needle in the man’s hand, she felt her heart stop.

Letting out a piercing scream, Lila tried to get away from the person in front of her, but her legs gave in.

Lila screamed and tried to claw herself away from the person who pulled her closer to them, but all that she managed to grasp was the gravel that dug into her palms, blood seeping from the wounds.

She continued to scream even as she was then pinned down beneath the man, feeling something stab her arm.

As soon as the needle pierced her skin, Lila felt a wave of relief. A peace so needed, Lila relished in the ecstasy, feeling herself drift to sleep.

Bruce looked at the girl beneath him and then at the syringe in his hand.

To think that Amira was the one who caused all this. And to think that worked perfectly against Banshee’s powers…

He had to report back. Taking out a phone, Bruce quickly typed into it and then tucked it away.

He looked at the girl who was now peacefully sleeping on the ground, knowing that he had to leave soon despite wanting to take the girl to a safer location.

Squeaks started to become audible, Bruce taking that as his cue to leave.

“Gris! We have a possible clue to where Rossi might be!” Carapace heard Osprey exclaim.

“Where?” And how? She wanted to ask.

Carapace and her had tried every possible way to track Lila, Carapace having checked different surveillance cameras while Gris deployed all of her clones to search for her, only for their efforts to be in vain.

How did they easily find her within an hour?

“She’s in the catacombs.” Gris sucked in a breath. The catacombs? As in-

“Are you sure that’s where she’s at?” Gris managed to calm herself, sending a signal to the closest clone to check it out. Why the catacombs of all places?

“Yes. Some home security cameras managed to capture when Banshee took Lila there through one of the many entrances scattered throughout Paris.”

“I’m on my way!” Gris reported, switching perspectives from her original form and the one closest to the catacombs.

She ran down the dusty steps, running past the narrow tunnel that felt like it could come crumbling down at any moment. But when got to the end of that tunnel, Gris froze.

Is this why?

Is this why Banshee kept Lila down here?

Gris stood face to face with a wall of human skulls and bones, arranged in symmetrical patterns. Skull, bone, bone, bone, skull. Each skull was placed equally away from each other, the bones in between neatly arranged to be pointed in the same direction.

The musty air and debris free floor kept Gris from moving forward, but she knew she couldn’t just stand there. She had to find Lila and now.

Taking a step forward, Gris let out a wail as she mustered the courage to take the other.

But the stare of the eight foot wall of skulls looking back at her…

Prying her eyes from it, Gris ran past the wall, turning corners only to face another structure with the soulless remains of those before her.

Columns, archs, pillars and even crosses appeared before her, causing Gris to feel goosebumps emerge on her skin.

If that wasn’t enough, every corner that Gris took, she just couldn’t seem to get out of the loop she placed herself in. She even tried to stop and recollect herself only to realize that each fork in the path looked the same. Each corner and pillar she passed looked just like the one before.

Was…

Was she lost?

“-is! Gris! What’s going on? You haven’t talked to us in the past half hour. Gris!” She finally heard Chat saying, Gris coming to a halt.

Half an hour? She had been running around this maze...for half an hour?

Dropping her transformation, Sabrina slumped to the ground and brought her knees to her chest, letting out a shuddering breath out.

“Sabrina.” Mullo coaxed. “Are you alright?”

“Gris. Are you still there?”

“I...I can’t…” Sabrina sniffled out, digging her head further into her knees. She held back a wail, biting her tongue in hopes to shift her attention from her thoughts. But it failed. “I can’t…” A hiccup escaped her as she hovered her hand over her comms.

“Gris...where are you?” She heard Carapace ask her a second before she turned off her comm, not wanting to hear anyone at the moment. “I don’t know about you, but I asked Ladybird why she chose me.” Sabrina jumped when her burner phone talked, Sabrina taking it out to see the message flashing across the screen.

Chat said Ladybird had planned on giving it to her the next time they met, but Chat saw it just to give it to her now.

A phone especially created by civilian Ladybird just for those that were part of the team.

Team...like if she even belonged in it.

“Sabrina, we have to keep-”

“What’s the point Mullo?” Sabrina wiped off her tears, letting out another sniffle. “I’m useless. Worthless. I should’ve been able to track down Lila’s location, but I couldn’t. Osprey, on the other hand, was able to locate her in less than an hour! Don’t you see Mullo? I’m supposed to be the brains of the team like Osprey, but I messed up! I messed up even more when I got lost, mocking Osprey’s hard work of finding Lila’s location. What’s the point of continuing if I’m just going to keep holding everyone ba-”

“Snap out of it!” Mullo yelled, Sabrina feeling paws rest against her hand. “This isn’t like you Sabrina! Not one bit!” Sabrina pursed her lips, throwing her head back into her knees. “Sabrina! Don’t you remember why Ladybird chose you? You, the girl that no one sees?”

“Well, thank you for the-ow!” Sabrina yelped, retracting her hand from Mullo’s mouth. “Why did you bite-”

“Ladybird didn’t choose the quitter sitting in front of me! She chose the girl who’s ambition to make friends through kindness caught not only her attention, but heart as well. The girl who’s info gathering and intelligence flourished and allowed her to achieve the goal she wanted. A selfless girl disguised as a selfish, ambitious one.” Mullo nuzzled against Sabrina’s cheek. “Ladybird needs you to help the team and keep them moving, we need you to make this fight a victory and as for Marinette,” Mullo looked straight into Sabrina’s eyes, “Marinette needs you -her friend- to save her.”

Sabrina watched as Mullo smiled at her. “So then Sabrina...what’s your decision? Will you continue to mope around here or continue to fight alongside your friends to save a friend? Which will it be?”

Sabrina looked down at the mouse miraculous around her neck, placing the pendant in the palm of her hand. The silver locket was opened with ease, displaying Sabrina and her father on the left side while a picture of her, Chloe and Marinette were on the other.

“Isn’t it obvious, Mullo?” Sabrina got up shakily. “Mullo, get squeaky!”

“-not picking up.” Osprey heard Chat say through the comms, wanting to say something to comfort them, but what can she say?

She didn’t know them, neither as the vigilantes they were now nor their civilian forms. What can she say to comfort them in a time like this? When a friend is the force they’re up against?

“Sorry everyone. Had to replenish for a bit. But I found Lila! The target has been secured! Quickly transporting to the designated destination.”

Felis heard an audible sigh of relief echoing within the comms, letting herself smile at this tiny victory. After all, this was just one step towards the big one.

“Phase one has been completed. You know what this means.” Corvus relayed.

“Ryuuko, you’re up.” Chat cleared up.

“On it.”

It was cold. Colder than usual.

Heavy fog was sitting all around her, but Banshee didn’t care.

Banshee looked at her hands, finding them covered in tears. Frowning at them, she shook them off before continuing her ascendance up the stairs, smiling at the fact that she was able to make Lila feel the same pain as she did.

But her victory was short lived.

The high whistling of wind snapped her attention, her eyes narrowing when she watched the fog starting to gather near the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, watching as the accumulated fog swirled in circles.

She snarled when a large hole in the cloudy sky appeared, allowing that morning’s sunlight to pierce through, dispersing the fog into nothing.

The city of Paris is now clear of her terror.

Now there, hovering in the air, was a single hero.

A hero...a ray of hope.

Banshee gritted her teeth together, feeling her annoyance starting to spike.

“Banshee. It seems as if they’re onto you. But this is it. Takes this chance to engage them and take their-”

“Banshee!” A voice called out, a voice that sounded...familiar…

Banshee remained still while her eyes darted around to see who dared to face her. As she scanned the area, she found them. Standing a flight above her was a man cladded in black, the only color on him was the blue domino mask across his face. Escrima sticks were prying from behind him.

“Who are you?” Banshee asked, not moving a step.

“Who I am shouldn’t matter. What should matter is the fight that is about to happen!”

Banshee scowled as the man charged at her, Banshee managing to dodge all of his attacks. But she wondered, why didn’t she want to touch him? Why did she hesitate to place a hand on him?

In that self monologue, she must’ve gotten distracted, feeling a hand connect with her stomach, causing her to stumble, her side hitting the railing beside them. She felt bile daring to rise to the surface.

“Mi!” The man yelled, grabbing Banshee by her wrist, his hand over-

“You let your guard down!” Banshee grinned, clasping her hand over his wrist, causing the man to let go of her and slump. She watched as the man cowered away from her, murmuring incoherent sentences.

“Corvus!” A voice yelled, a woman now appearing, wearing a skin-tight unitard, Banshee feeling something in her head begin to ring. She watched as the woman took out a needle with what seemed to be clear blue substance. She began to inject it into the man, something clicking inside Banshee.

“Dad. What’s that?” Amira asked her father, watching as he packed away some vials into his utility belt. It was another day of keeping Gotham safe, Amira already planning on bringing some homework to keep her company while she awaited for her father’s return.

“Antidotes that work against Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin.” She heard her father say, watching as he double checked his equipment.

“Have...have you ever been...hit by it?” Amira dared to ask, already knowing the answer to that.

“I have...it’s one of the worst feelings in the world.” Bruce said, placing his belt back into its case.

Amira watched as her father ran a hand over the case before turning his attention back to Amira. “Why don’t the two of us go see if Alfred needs any help in the kitchen? How does that sound?”

“He’ll probably kick us out. Remember what happened last time?” Amira referred to the last time her father tried to help Alfred make pasta. She watched as her father let out a laugh, a laugh that made her follow along and laugh as well.

Banshee was snapped from her thoughts when she felt something mere inches away from her face.

She tried to avoid the incoming fist coming at her but noticed a whip constricting her movements. So instead of taking a step back, she took a step to the side, connecting her heel with the back of Corvus’ head and twirled her way towards the woman.

Making it seem as if she was about to use her leg again to attack, Banshee let out a laugh when the woman prepared to block her kick only for the two to connect foreheads. With the slight release of hold, Banshee freed herself and held the woman’s hand between her hands, grinning as the woman looked at her with tears pooling in her eyes.

“Mi!” Banshee clicked her tongue as she watched Corvus come for her again, the two exchanging blows, Banshee dodging all of the blows her way but not being able to land one herself. “Mi! You have to stop this! Fight it back!” Corvus yelled, Banshee noticing that he was by the woman’s side, administering the same needle she had seen just moments ago.

“My name’s Banshee. I’m not this Mi you speak of.”

“Mi, try to remember! Remember!” Corvus yelled, this time taking out his escrima sticks, Banshee taking a step back when she saw the tips of them spark. “Mi, I don’t-”

“I’m not Mi! I’m Banshee!” Banshee yelled, charging once more, feeling her mind muddle even more.

She kept fighting, exchanging blows with Corvus and avoiding the woman. She often got close to landing a blow on either of them before someone in the distance would interfere.

Glaring at the hero in the distance, Banshee knew she wasn’t going to be able to win this fight unless she thought of something...and fast!

When Corvus once more charged towards her, she tried to grab him again, only to be grabbed by her wrist and pinned down.

Banshee squirmed as the woman approached Corvus, Banshee glaring at her as she did.

“Felis. Give the signal.” Corvus told Felis, Banshee remaining still as she watched Felis talk with someone else on the other end of their comms. “Banshee. No...Mi. Just wait a little longer. We’ll get you out of this-”

“Fools, the lot of you.” Banshee said, grinning. “You two were so worried about being touched by me that you forgot one thing.”

Corvus let those words sink in as he watched Banshee look down to her hands that were-

“Don’t do it!” Corvus yelled, watching as Banshee clasped her hands together, letting out a shriek so deafening, it caused both Corvus and Felis to collapse, their screams scattering into the wind.

Just when things were turning for the better, it went back to square one.

Seconds after Corvus and Felis had managed to take down Banshee and gave orders to commence the next phase, Chat watched as fog started to pour down from the top of the Eiffel Tower followed by a piercing screech.

“Corvus, what the hell is going on?” He demanded, but got nothing on his end. “Corvus! Give me a-“

“He’s down!” Osprey replied, Chat hearing rustling in the background. He could also hear clicking and glass clink against one another.

“What’s going-”

“Banshee used her power against herself, meaning she revitalized her control on those she’s touched. In other words-“

“She managed to escape our hold.” Chat gritted his teeth.

Just when they were so close! “We need to hurry and-“

“Don’t you dare go after her right now.” Osprey threatened.

“You can’t-“

“If I remember correctly, Lila wasn’t the only one affect by Banshee’s power. Wasn’t there someone else?”

Chat froze.

How did he forget about Chloé? And not only once, but twice! “Guessing by your silence, there is. I’ll be going to your location to drop off an antidote that’s been confirmed to work against Banshee’s power.”

“Antidote? Confirmed?” Chat whispered.

“Remember how we told you that Oriole was touched and had relapsed? Well, back where we come from, we face a villain with similar powers, but without the magic. When Oriole told us how Banshee’s power worked, we wondered if the antidote we made would work in this case. Corvus managed to prove our theory correct. They do indeed work the same way.”

Chat remained stunned, soaking in the new information.

They weren’t Parisians? They fought against people who were just as powerful as Banshee...but without magic? “Oh! Carapace is right here! I’ll just send Carapace your wa-”

“No. He’ll be giving the straight to both Lila and the other victim.” Chat found himself saying, crouching towards the floor.

He couldn’t face Chloe right now...he just couldn’t.

“Sure?” He heard Carapace asking him.

“Yea.”

“With that settled, I’m going to be moving to Plan B. Meet you at the rendezvous!”

With that last order from Osprey, Chat got back up and let a single tear fall down his face.

He’s supposed to be the one in command and yet here he was, just sitting at the sidelines, doing nothing.

“Just what kind of leader am I?”

“Amira.” A voice whispered to her, Amira wondering who was calling her. “Amira.” There it was again, and as much as Amira wanted to know who it was, she couldn’t open her eyes to see who it was. She couldn’t move a single muscle, not being able to respond to the voice that kept calling her. A voice that begged her to wake up.

A voice that she’s never heard before but for some reason, she felt as if she’s heard it once before...many, many years ago.

Banshee felt heavy, exhausted, watching another tear drip off of the tip of her nose and join the pool of tears by her hands.

She never registered the yells and shouts of Ryuuko attempting to get rid of the new fog surrounding the Eiffel Tower.

“Amira.” A voice called out, causing Banshee to look up, noticing the lack of a neon purple mask around her face.

Was it not Hawkmoth who called out to her? “Amira.”

There it was again. “Amira.”

“Who’s talking?” Banshee yelled out, getting up to see no one in front of her nor behind her. She walked up the stairs, hearing the metal creak beneath her feet.

“Amira, did you forget me already?” The voice called out, Banshee turning to see who spoke to her.

“Ja...son?” Amira could feel herself losing herself when she saw him in front of her. “Jason...what are you doing here, in Paris?”

“Amira...why are you doing this?” Jason asked her, stepping closer to her, causing Amira to step back.

“Sta-stay back! I might hurt you!”

“You say that and yet there’s already so many you’ve already hurt before me.” Jason told her, causing her to freeze. “Or am I wrong?”

Amira felt her voice stuck in her throat. “N-No! I didn’t-”

“Are you really going to deny hurting Selina? Dick? Are you?”

“N-no! I-I! It wasn’t me! It was Hawkmoth! He-”

“He may have given you the power, but in the end, it was your decision on whether or not to use it. And you decided to use it against not only your family, but on friends as well...like Chloe...and Wally.”

Amira hung her head, feeling the tears spilling without her permission. “I didn’t-”

“Stop making excuses, Amira! Open your damn eyes!” Jason yelled at her, shaking her shoulders. “Are you even Amira? The Bat’s daughter, my sister?” Jason asked. “What happened to the Amira I knew? Where did she go?”

“I-I!” Amira tried to find the words, but none came out. “Jason, listen, I- Jason?” She called out when she saw no one in front of her. All she saw was her akumatized bracelet on the floor in front of her.

“-chance Banshee! Use this to get Chat Noir’s mira-”

Had she been hallucinating this entire time? Didn’t matter, she had something far more important to think about.

“NO!” Amira yelled, disgusted by the neon purple mask hovering against her face. “There’s no way in hell I’m going to help-”

She collapsed to the floor once again, her head on the verge of exploding.

“Banshee! I am the one who gave you your powers so you are to do-”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Banshee screamed as her head began to ache, a ringing that wouldn’t dare stop.

“How dare you defile me! I’m the one who gave you power, I’m the one who is allowing you to-“

“You...gave me...nothing.” Amira snarled between waves of pain. “All you’ve done is manipulate me. Nothing more, nothing less. You took advantage of my anger and rage, took it and made it into a weapon.

A weapon you had planned to use against Ladybird and Chat Noir. Using me to gain some measly-“

“Oh dear child. That’s where you’re wrong.” The neon purple mask hovering over Banshee’s face flowed even brighter, allowing Banshee to see in front of her. “Ladybird and Chat Noir’s miraculouses are more than just magical pieces of jewelry.

When placed together, they grant a single wish. As for what wish, you will know it once I get-”

“Get your hands on? As, in on the miraculouses?” Amira chuckled. “Well, guess what? I won’t let you.” Amira declared, getting up. “I won’t let you hurt my friends anymore for your own goal, I won’t let you get your hands on those miraculouses! I won’t let you win, Hawkmoth! I wo-!”

Amira screamed as she fell to the floor once again, resisting the urge to clutch her head to soothe the pain.

“Foolish girl! You don’t-”

“It’s you who is the fool!” Amira reminded, sitting up, almost falling back down as her arm almost gave in. She watched as the neon purple light around her face flickered. “You may think you are the one in charge, but you aren’t. I am!” Amira yelled, grasping the neon light mask hovering above her face, causing the mask to shatter to tiny pieces of glass and for her to writhe in pain.

She continued to kick around as her heart was being wrung, silent screaming escaping her as she gasped for air.

She watched as she continued to flail, wondering if anyone would get to her in time.

She wonder if this is how-

“Amira!” She heard someone yell, but she couldn’t turn to see who it was. Didn’t matter as Wally’s face soon made it to her vision, Amira feeling her chest hurt even more when she saw how red his eyes were. “Amira, don’t worry! We’ll-”

“Smash it.” Amira found herself saying, looking over to where Wally had barely missed stepping on the akumatized bracelet.

“What?”

“Step...on..it…” Amira said again. “Then take my earrings.” A wince. “Tikki will help from there.” She managed to say in two breaths.

“But what-”

“Hurry!” Amira wheezed out, hating how her vision kept swinging between pitch blackness and her tunneled vision.

At least she was able to hear Wally crush her bracelet and Tikki’s voice before finally succumbing to the darkness.

“Amira!”

“Don’t be bemused! It’s just the news!

After seven grueling hours, our heroes have finally done it!” The news channel showed off the Eiffel Tower, free of fog and a swarm of ladybugs gathering at the top. “They’ve placed evil back into its place!” Then, the ladybugs dispersed, many Parisians watching how little there was this time around compared to other fights. ”They’ve once more proven to be a team to be reckoned with.

Thank you. Thank you for keeping us safe, Miracle Team. You guys are truly Paris’ pride and joy...our heroes!”

#maribat #amira wayne

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2manyfandoms2count · 4 years

Text

#MarichatMay Day 7

Another submission because the procrastination is strong in this one *points to self*. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy this piece!

(And again thanks @marichatmay!)

---

Day 7: Disguise

“You know the Agreste superhero ball is tonight, right?”

Chat Noir was lying on Marinette’s sofa, completely relaxed as his favourite civilian paced around the room, flicking through the pages of her notebook.

“Thanks, Sherlock.” She shot him a dark glare.

That cat would be the death of her. How weak had she been, accepting his invitation as his date? She’d worked all week to plant the foundations of a lie that would have justified her absence with her friends. On Monday, she had started to cough. On Tuesday, she’d pretended to sniffle all day. Wednesday she’d maintained her act, complete with a non-faked tiredness from working on her Ladybug dress overnight. The coup de grâce came on Friday: she had used Tikki’s powers to fake a small fever. The Kwami had disapproved at first, but had changed her mind when she had seen how stressed her carrier was at the prospect of juggling between Marinette and her Miraculous persona all night. Was it wrong to want to be just Ladybug for an evening?

That night, though, Chat had paid her a little visit, having heard through the “cat-vine” that she hadn’t been “feeline” well. Except that instead of finding her feverish and buried under a pile of covers, she’d been running around fixing up a characteristically red and black, Ancient Egyptian-style dress.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe Ladybug is exploiting you for a disguise she doesn’t even need!!�� He’d started dialling her on his baton, but Marinette had interrupted him.

“She’s not exploiting me, I’m very happy to be working on this dress,” she huffed. “And I promised my parents I’d spend the evening with them.”

“Oh but please, come tomorrow! Be my date? I purr-omise it will be fun!” He used the kitty eyes move she had trouble resisting with Manon, except his were much more enticing. She felt oddly drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. In that if she got too close, it wouldn’t end well.

“I’m not a super hero though, I’d need a disguise. And I don’t have time to make myself one.”

“Just take Ladybug’s. She won’t mind.” He shrugged.

“Yes, she will. She announced on TV that she would be wearing one of my creations. If she doesn’t, she won’t be in Gabriel Agreste’s good graces anymore.” She sat down on the floor and adjusted the dress’ hem. “She declined his offer to be dressed by him, you know.”

The mysterious designer had reached out during one of her patrols, offering her a tailored creation that would leave the “tout Paris” gaping. As much as she’d been dying to see him work, something had felt off. She didn’t know if it was that day’s biais of Mr Agreste, who’d once again refused to let Adrien join their crew for yet another activity, but as much as she admired the artist’s work, all she had seen was a man who prevented his son from leading a normal life. Besides, as she knew all too well, tailoring meant measurements, which could let out too much information regarding her real identity. She couldn’t afford the risk of Hawkmoth getting his hands on her physical specifications.

“Why do you want me to go so badly anyway?” She asked the cat-boy. He was busy playing with a ball of yarn that was lying on the floor.

“I don’t want to spend the night alone.” He lost interest in his toy, and his eyes glazed over as he looked into nothingness. A sort of fatigue seemed to have washed over him.

Marinette’s heart softened. He looked so sad she wanted to hug him. “You know you’re never alone, Chat. You’ve got Ladybug.”

“You’re nicer though, purr-incess” He looked at her, a small smile forming on his lips. “I like spending time with you, it’s... refreshing, being able to breathe for a bit, and have a proper chat with an actual human being. Ladybug’s always running around, I wish she’d slow down sometimes, you know?”

She thought about all the times she’d left Chat Noir hanging after akumatisations or even on patrols. So the reason why he was constantly trying to get her to go see a movie with him, or eat an ice cream, or just hang out, was actually to get her to relax? And to not be alone? She closed her eyes, thinking about how dense she’d been to his feelings. Of course Chat felt alone. She also did. It came with the job.

It hadn’t been her intention to hurt him though. Most of the time there was a valid excuse as to why she had to bug-ger off (he rolled her eyes at the realisation that she was being contaminated by Chat’s puns). Like imminent detransformation.

“Fine, then. I’ll go.” She had sighed, cursing her good heart and his persuasion skills.

“Really?” His eyes had lit up, and he’d started dancing around the room, sing-songing his thanks. He’d dragged her along, hugging her tightly. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring your disguise. You can count on me!”

And she’d believed him. Because if Ladybug could always count on him, then so could Marinette.

But she wasn’t Ladybug.

“Oh come on, cheer up! It’s not like it’s a complete cat-astrophe. I still don’t understand why you won’t wear my disguise. Banana-noir has saved Paris at least a couple of times.” He smirked, eyeing the bright yellow suit that was hanging on Marinette’s mezzanine. “I even got it signed specially for you!”

Marinette glanced at the “stay peachy!” scribbled on the costume and sighed.

“It’s one of the most important fashion events of the year. I’m representing my brand. I can’t go as a fruit!”

“Not a fruit: bananas are actually berries, you know.” Chat grinned.

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes.

“How about Marino? He was a stylish character.” Chat asked absentmindedly.

She felt heat rise to her cheeks. She hadn’t interacted with Chat Noir that day in her civilian attire. Had he been there? At Adrien’s party? “What... How do you know about Marino?”

Chat’s cheeks burned up, and had the girl looked up she would had noticed the sheer panic in his eyes. “Um... At the end of the fight, I went inside the Agreste’s mansion to check if everything was okay. I... I saw you hiding behind a seat.” He breathed, trying to calm his tachycardic heart. “Strong disguise, but I’d recognise those pretty eyes of yours anywhere.”

She almost snorted.

“Thanks, but I’m afraid Marino won’t be making an appearance today.”

“Everybody’s loss I guess.” He laughed awkwardly. That had been a close one. “Oh I know! Why don’t I go and get you the mouse Miraculous? You can pretend you copied the design. Or just own the fact that you ARE Multimouse. Bugaboo already made it clear she wouldn’t give it to you again because I know who you are, but I mean technically Paris doesn’t know.”

She thought about it. She doubted Master Fu would be willing to give out a Miraculous as a disguise even if it was for her, but she guessed there’d be no harm in trying. And she could actually whip up something like Multimouse’s costume in the short amount of time that separated her from the ball. She’d have to be careful about it, but there was a good chance she could make the double identity work. She could just make an appearance as Ladybug at the beginning of the night, “leave” and come back as Marinette.

“That’s actually a good idea.”

“Ah see, I’m not just a purr-etty face!” Chat smiled. He leapt up and made his way to the trapdoor.

“I’ll be late though, I wasn’t lying yesterday when I said I promised my parents a family night.”

“I’ll be waiting!” He kissed her hand, as he usually did Ladybug’s. “Can’t wait to see your designs. You know I’m your number one fan.” He winked.

She couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks kitty.”

Later, as she was finishing her Multimouse outfit, she heard a knock. The trapdoor opened and she saw a black hand throw a small box on her bed. Before she could react she saw Chat Noir jump to a nearby roof, and disappear into the sunset.

She climbed to her bed and picked up the box. A note was stuck on it, reading:

I don’t want to bother you during Ladybug’s fitting/family night, but here is the promised disguise. Thank you for being the Souris to my Chat. Can’t wait to see you later, it’s going to be paw-some! xxx Your number 1 fan

She pocketed the box, and put the note away in a drawer, with Adrien’s poem. She had to take care of her Chaton, he was too purr-ecious to lose. But she’d need to find a way to stop using his puns all the time though. Because that simply wouldn’t do.

#marichatmay2020 #marichat #the miraculous adventures of ladybug and chat noir #disguise #miraculous ladybug #mlb #miraculous fanfiction #marinette dupain cheng #chat noir #ladybug #i honestly don't know how to end one shots #if someone has a clue please tell me #elle writes

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