#alya bashing

[trashyangelic]

MLB Prompt : Lila Exposed & HBIC AU

Salt/Bashing: Lila Salt, Bustier Salt, Damocles Salt, Alya Bashing

Sugar: Nino Sugar, Chloe Redemption, Rose Sugar, Juleka Sugar, Alix Sugar, Sabrina Sugar, Kim Sugar

Pairings: Chlonette, JulekaXRose, SabrinaXNino, KimXAlix

Extras: HBIC Sabrina, HBIC Chloe, HBIC Rose, and HBIC Marinette

REQUEST :: In one of the parts Adrien is not part of it but clearly dating Kagami meaning he is out..

the courtyard where Lila was grabbing the akuma but what she doesn't know that Chloe was there exiting a classroom while having a chat with Sabrina there she spotted Lila grabbing the akuma so she had her phone to take a photo or record it before hiding behind the lockers by not getting caught by the akuma. She send this to authority most likely Officer Roger, her daddy, and the Embassy Headquarters where they can inform this to Lila's mother.

the bathroom, Sabrina thought it would be best to eat sushi but she wasn't feeling good so she went to the bathroom to go potty. She went into one of the stalls and she saw a glimpse of Marinette there. She wanted to comfort her but Lila walked in. This was the day Lila threaten Marinette but what Lila doesn't know was she was being recorded. Marinette notice Sabrina at the stall and Chloe was just entering the girls bathroom from the back. She was not surprised after all they were part of an HBIC group that was hidden in the shadows known to be Blackjack.

the lower deck courtyard... there was Alix, Kim, Nino, Juleka, and Rose were talking about Lila and then Marinette. But what really confused Rose was Lila doing charity for Prince Ali from what she remembers that Prince Ali only does charity for children but never the enviroments.

now for lawsuit for slander goes to Ladyblog. Many celebrities who was mention in the video are now preparing to give lawsuits to two people which is Alya Cesaire and Lila Rossi thanks to mostly Rose, Chloe, and Marinette since both of them have connection to Prince Ali, Jagged Stone, and Clara Nightingale. While Sabrina finds out about Lila's past victims as she has done this before which explains how good she did towards Marinette.

The rest is up to you. You can choose one of the 3 on the list here. But please tagged me if your going to do one, so I know who is who is doing what..

[wordsofrowan]

From Ashes to Embers

Chapter 14 - You Can't Cover All Your Wounds in Band-Aids

Time passed, with each second feeling like a cruel reminder of how lonely I was. The weight of my double life as Ladybug and the constant battle against Shadow Moth consumed my days. I yearned for a way to bring an end to his reign of darkness, to regain my freedom and be myself once more.

In my room, photographs adorned the walls, capturing moments of joy and friendship. Adrien's charming smile, Luka's gentle gaze, and the laughter shared with my friends stared back at me. Barkk and Ziggy fluttered over to the corkboard where the pictures were displayed.

Barkk, ever the worrier, chimed in, "I told you we should've taken the photos down! They only bring you sadness, Marinette."

I held my gaze on the photos, my voice barely a whisper. "Please don't," I pleaded, my words tinged with a mix of determination and sadness. "Stop, Barkk. I'm not sad, and these photos don't bother me. They're a reminder of who I am and what I'm fighting for. So it's all good." I forced a humorless chuckle, desperately trying to convince myself. "There's no problem, you see?"

Amidst the emotional turmoil, my phone buzzed incessantly, another call demanding my attention. Frustration surged within me, and I sent the call straight to voicemail, not wanting to face the outside world just yet. A couple of minutes passed, and the phone buzzed again, indicating that a voicemail had been left.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I played the voicemail. The familiar voices of my friends filled the airwaves, their warmth seeping through the recording. I heard Alya's energetic voice followed by the cheerful greetings of Rose, Juleka, Mylene, and Alix. "Hey Marinette, it's us!" they chimed in unison. "We're just calling to tell you that we're here if you need to talk. Whenever you want, wherever you want, give us a call back." There was a brief pause, and then I heard Alya's voice again, softer and tinged with sadness. "We miss you."

I felt a mix of emotions well up inside me, a combination of longing, guilt, and a deep sense of isolation. Unable to bear the weight of their words, I deleted the voicemail, my heart heavy with conflicting emotions. In a moment of frustration, I impulsively chucked my phone across the room, the sound of it hitting the wall echoing my inner turmoil.

“Come on we gotta do something!” Barkk shouted out as he hovered over my frame. I grabbed one of my pillows and put it over my head. 

“If only Tikki were here,” Wyazz chimed in, “She would know how to help Marinette.” 

“I got an idea!” Trixx announced as he pulled the pillow off my head, “Why aren’t you using the light box to talk to your friends?” he asked as he floated in front of my face. 

“What’s there to talk about?” Turning my head away from Trixx, I said, “Everything’s fine.” 

Trixx persisted, "Don't you think you should detransform then? Maybe it's time to take a break."

I shook my head, “No I’m better off like this, better off staying as ladybug,” I said as a fresh bout of tears started welling up in my eyes, “this way if Shadow Moth attacks Paris, I’ll be ready for action at any time.” 

“Yes but what about Tikki?” Trixx said, pushing gently “She could use some rest and she needs to eat something as well.” 

Overwhelmed with guilt and worry, I shouted, "Oh my God! Tikki, spots off!" Tears streamed down my face as I cradled the tired kwami in my hands. "Are you okay, Tikki?"

Tikki let out a tired sigh, “better than you Marinette,” she replied, her voice filled with compassion. "We should have a little talk." Tikki and I went up to the balcony so we could talk. 

Feeling the weight of my struggles, I poured my heart out to Tikki. "I don't know what to do anymore, Tikki," I confessed, my voice trembling with sadness. "My life as Marinette is too complicated. As long as I'm Ladybug, I can't have loved ones in my life. I had to break up with Luka because I couldn't tell him the truth. It would be the same with anyone else I date. I can't share my secret with him or anyone else, for that matter. I can't be honest with my closest friends or my parents about anything. I'm doomed to be a big liar to everyone, forever. What do I do, Tikki?"

Tikki's voice carried understanding, yet a hint of helplessness. "I wish I could give you a clear answer, Marinette," she sighed. "But kwami relationships are very different from human ones. We have a natural soul pair, like me and Plagg. I am the kwami of Creation, and Plagg is the kwami of Destruction. We are complementary to each other, balancing one another out. Without me, there is no Plagg, and without Plagg, there is no me. The same goes for other kwamis, like Fluff and Sass," Tikki continued, her voice filled with wisdom. "Fluff is the kwami of Evolution, and Sass is the kwami of Intuition. They are bound together by the burden of time, forming a natural pair. Kwamis have a unique balance and understanding of one another."

I listened intently, my heart heavy with the weight of my secret. "But with people, it's so different," I murmured, tears staining my cheeks. "I long for true, genuine connections, for the freedom to be myself without hiding behind a mask. I want to share my secret with the ones I love, but it just can't and it hurts Tikki, it hurts so much"

I let out a heavy sigh, sinking into the plush cushions of my balcony lounge chair. The weight of my thoughts seemed unbearable as I gazed out into the clear blue sky. Lost in my own world, I was startled when the balcony door swung open, and Alya's voice pierced through the silence.

"Marinette, there you are!" Alya's voice carried a mix of concern and urgency as she stepped onto the balcony. Tikki fluttered nervously, seeking shelter within the confines of my hair, sensing the tension in the air. I turned to face Alya, my expression a blend of surprise and frustration.

"What are you doing here, Alya?!" My voice rang out, laced with frustration and confusion. The events of the past few days had left me feeling raw and vulnerable, and I longed for a moment of solitude. Yet here was my best friend, barging into my private space.

Alya's eyes softened, her concern evident as she took a step closer. "We came to check on you, girl. We've all been worried about you," she replied, her voice filled with genuine care and friendship.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips, my weariness evident as I slumped in my chair on the balcony. "Aw, look! It's just like a real house! Look, the roof even comes off!" Rose's excitement echoed in the air, reaching my ears with an unexpected pang of panic. My heart skipped a beat as I realized what she was referring to - the miniature house, I was creating for the Kwami’s to serve as somewhere they can be outside of the Miracle Box.

My heart raced as I leaped off the balcony, my feet carrying me swiftly into my room. The miniature house stood proudly on my desk, its presence a constant reminder of the hidden world I guarded so fiercely. With each hurried step, worry and protectiveness fueled my actions, propelling me closer to the source of my concern.

As I positioned myself between Rose and the delicate structure, a surge of urgency coursed through my veins. The weight of my words hung in the air, trembling with a mixture of concern and pleading. "Please, don't touch this," I implored, my voice quivering with an underlying fear.

But before I could prevent the inevitable, the roof of the miniature house slipped from Rose's grasp, crashing onto the floor in a cacophony of shattered secrets. The delicate pieces scattered across the room, a visual representation of the vulnerability that now lay exposed.

A pang of disappointment surged through me as Rose's apology reached my ears. "I'm so sorry, Marinette," she murmured, her voice tinged with regret. I couldn't help but feel a mix of frustration and sadness, the knowledge that my secret had been unintentionally laid bare.

"Can you please just leave?" My plea hung in the air, a delicate thread of weariness that seemed to dissipate into the tension-filled atmosphere. The weight of my emotions pressed upon me, threatening to drown me in a sea of turmoil.

But Alya stepped forward, pushing Rose gently behind her. Her eyes met mine with unwavering determination. "Chill out, Marinette," she said, her voice steady and reassuring. "It's just a stupid dollhouse. We can totally help."

My patience, already frayed at the edges, threatened to snap as Alya's words fell upon my ears. The desire for solitude burned within me, an unyielding longing to escape the suffocating presence of well-intentioned intruders. I raised my voice, the frustration simmering beneath the surface now boiling over.

"Can you just go?!" I shouted, my words echoing with a mix of desperation and exasperation. "Can't you see? I want to be alone!"

Alya's expression softened, her concern etched onto her features. She took a step closer, her voice gentle yet firm. "Look, Marinette, we know something is wrong, and we are not leaving until you tell us what it is. We're here for you."

The room fell into a tense silence as Alya's words hung in the air. The weight of their presence tugged at my heart, a reminder that true friendship meant standing by each other's side, even in the face of uncertainty. I took a deep breath, realizing that shutting them out would only deepen the divide between us.

Just as I was about to speak, Mylène, usually soft-spoken, stepped forward. In her hand, she held a delicate bracelet, its surface adorned with intricate designs."Look, Marinette," Mylene interjected, her voice gentle yet firm as she stepped forward “Each of us told our secrets to this bracelet. It's your turn."

"The only thing wrong is that you guys are still in my room, even though I explicitly told you to get out!" I shouted, my voice laced with a mix of anger and desperation. Each word carried the weight of my frustration, echoing through the room as a testament to my shattered peace.

Alya reached out to me, her eyes filled with genuine concern. "Marinette, we're your friends," she said softly, her voice attempting to soothe the storm raging within me. "You can confide in us."

“Yeah marinette, we only want to be good friends to you. Real friends don’t let each other down!” Rose said with a smile on her face. A smile that felt like a stab to my heart.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips, laced with a mix of anger and frustration. I took a step back, my arms folding protectively across my chest, a barrier against the mounting tension in the room. The weight of past conflicts surged to the surface, fueling the fire of my resentment.

"Yeah, real friends don't ever let each other down, right?" I retorted, my voice dripping with venom. The bitterness in my words was a reflection of the wounds that still festered within me. "Oh, so now you want to be my friend, Rose? I distinctly remember you telling me, in Juleka's own house no less, that you couldn't stand a 'bully' like me. And Alya, let's not forget the New York incident. You haven't had a single concrete conversation with me since our fight. But now you suddenly want to say that you’re my friend?"

The room crackled with tension, the air thick with unspoken words and unresolved conflicts. Alya's determination matched my own as she took a step forward, her eyes narrowing with defiance. "Marinette, we're your friends," she shot back, her voice carrying a sharp edge. "But don't act like you're blameless in all of this. You've been distant, shutting us out. We've tried to reach out to you, but you keep pushing us away."

The anger within me roared to life, drowning out any sense of reason or understanding. The walls I had erected around myself fortified my position, shielding me from the vulnerability of self-reflection. I scoffed, my voice dripping with disdain. "Oh, so now it's all my fault? I'm the one who's been distant? Let's not forget how you've all hurt me, how you've all turned your back on me when I needed you the most! How the second Lila comes around all of you abandon me!"

My words hung in the air, a poison seeping into the cracks of our fractured friendship. The room felt smaller, suffocating under the weight of our escalating fight. 

Alya's eyes blazed with a mix of hurt and defiance, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. "You think you're the only one hurting, Marinette? We've all made mistakes, but you're so focused on your own pain that you can't see how it's tearing us apart!"

Tears welled up in my eyes, a mixture of anger and sorrow. The walls I had constructed around my heart threatened to crumble, but my pride held strong. "Maybe we were never really friends to begin with," I spat, my voice laced with bitter resignation. "Maybe it's time we all moved on."

Alya, Mylene, Juleka, and Rose walked away, their backs turned to me, their expressions a mix of shock and disappointment. The weight of their abandonment settled upon me, a heavy burden that threatened to crush my spirit.

Alix lingered for a moment, her hesitation palpable. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the indecision playing out on her face. Her mouth opened and closed as if searching for the right words to say, but ultimately, she too turned away, her footsteps echoing with a sense of resignation.

The silence that followed their exit was deafening, a stark reminder of the void that now existed between us. The room felt emptier, the air thick with the remnants of shattered friendships. I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, a gnawing ache in the depths of my soul.

“I had no choice Tikki, I had to do it.” The weight of my decision bore down on me, the cardboard house I had constructed now lay there tattered and broken. I stared at it, my heart breaking a little more with each passing moment. The Miracle Box, once housed within its walls, was now safely tucked away in the hideaway drawer, hidden from prying eyes.

Tikki hovered beside me, her presence a source of comfort in this moment of turmoil. "I know, Marinette," she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness and understanding. She had been with me through it all, my confidante and guide in the face of adversity.

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I tried to find a silver lining amidst the wreckage. "At least now I won't have to lie anymore," I mused, the words laced with a mix of resignation and relief. "There'll be no one left to lie to."

But as the words left my lips, a pang of loneliness pierced through me. The realization that I had severed the bonds of friendship, willingly or not, left an ache in my heart. The thought of facing each day without the laughter, support, and camaraderie of my friends was a daunting prospect.

"And I won't have anyone trying to stab me in the back either," I added, my voice tinged with bitterness. The wounds inflicted by betrayal still fresh in my mind, I sought solace in the absence of potential harm. Yet, the emptiness that lingered in the wake of their departure felt like a void that could never be filled.

I took a deep breath, my gaze shifting to the hideaway drawer. It held the key to our secret, the source of our power and responsibility. The weight of its presence reminded me of the duty I carried and the sacrifices I had made. It was a burden I would bear alone, but one that I was determined to shoulder.

XoXo Rowan

[sassyduckqueen]

The Fox and The Fae 2

Just to warn you, this does get a bit dark as a curse occurs. I won't say what it is because spoilers but you'll know what I mean when you read so just be aware. Also this is a lot of Alya Salt and she is not a good person in this so if you don't like, don't read. You have been warned.

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Chapter Two: Alya Césaire

"Lila, you have a visitor," The guard stated, making the ex model look at him with disgust. Since the Gala, her life had changed dramatically. Thanks to that fae bastard, she couldn't tell a single lie and as if that was bad enough, she was compelled to tell it too, meaning she confessed to everything she had ever lied about or even been slightly dishonest about. It had landed her in some serious jail time as she had ripped off, threatened and harmed a lot of people. What she had thought was a curse had turned out to be much more. Apparently, Luka decided a simple curse wasn't good enough and when with a blessing instead which had royally screwed her over. A curse of truth would have been easily broken but a blessing of truth can't. Because of their nature of been 'good', blessings couldn't be broken. The only person who could remove it was in fact Luka himself as blessings can only be altered and removed by the original caster. In other words, she was stuck with it for good. "Be nice now,"

 She glared at the guard as her lackey Alya walked in. Of course, she would come visit her. Alya had in her head that Lila was innocent and simply a victim of Marinette's curses. She had been her lackey since Lila took over Marinette's class in high school and had been Lila's 'bestie' ever since. The thing was Lila did not see Alya as her bestie let alone her friend. She saw her a ticket to fame and a way of spoiling Marinette's name. Alya had wanted to be a reporter and had a blog where she posted her reports and stories. Lila had seen it as a way to fame and decided to befriend her. Not long after Alya's blog when from been reasonable ok to nothing more then a tabloid and shrine to Lila. Years later, Alya still believed Lila and continued to 'film' her story. She had it in her head that Lila would bring her fame and technically Lila did. She name-dropped Alya as a great reporter and had given her a couple of exclusive interviews which had done wonders to Alya's career. She had gained popularity as a renowned journalist and had landed herself her dream job as the face of TVi studios but Lila only did it to keep up appearance. Having her as the main subject of Alya's blog would make her more well known and getting Alya a good job would make Alya more famous which in turn would allow Lila more views. Of course, that is all over now. Not that Alya knew that.

 "Lila, are you ok?" She asked, concern on her face. Lila glared at her.

 "Well, if it isn't the Tabloid," She hissed in a nasty voice, surprising Alya. "Heard your career is over. Honestly, I'm surprised it took them this long,"

 "Lila, I know you don't mean it," She replied, making Lila sneer. "Clearly, Marinette has cursed you again,"

 "Are you seriously that dumb?!" Lila gasped, though on the inside she was a little happy. Alya was still blaming Marinette. She might not be able to claim Marinette did this to her but she wouldn't need to. Alya would. "Marinette never cursed me. I made that up to make her look bad,"

 "You're just saying that as part of her curse," Alya replied, making Lila roll her eyes. She might be glad but seriously how hasn't Alya realized yet. Her denial is insane. "Don't worry. I'll find a way to break it then we can finally prove how evil Marinette really is,"

 "You're pathetic,"

  ~A Few Days Later~

"Alya, are you sure this is a good idea?" Nino asked as the two of them looked at the boathouse that floated on the seine with frowns on their faces. Alya really didn't want to be here. She hated the faes but she wasn't faced with much choice right now. Ever since she had visited Lila in prison, she was determined to break the curse she believed she was under. She claimed it was because Lila was her friend but deep down, that wasn't the reason. The true reason was because she herself was losing everything in her life. She had based her full career on Lila and had been riding off her success since she got. Thanks to the name dropping, she had gotten her dream job and was ranking it in. She decided to rent an apartment nearby but since the fashion gala, everything had gone down the drain. Lila had revealed the 'truth' at the gala, stating a number of so called truths but Alya didn't believe a word of it. It was a curse to ruin Lila and it had been done by Marinette as she was the only person who would do that. She had cursed Lila before and Lila had gotten help with breaking that one so of course, she gotten annoyed and cursed Lila again. That had to be it because if Lila really was telling the truth then it really was over for Alya. She had made it her mission the last couple of years to destroy Marinette's name and this latest development had been part of it. When Alya found out about the Gala, she had been called into the office of the CEO of the TVi studios and had been told they couldn't have her as the face of their company due to her connection with Lila Rossi. Apparently, there were a lot of people who wanted to see her burn just because she had been friends with Lila. Her bosses couldn't fire her without good reason but since she was friends with Lila, there were a lot of people who would boycott their studios if they kept her as the face of the brand so they would move her to a job in editing. Alya had accepted it but deep down, she blamed Marinette. She continued to insist that Marinette was the cause of this and tried to get a number of the other reporters to reveal her 'true' colors, even going as far as to demand that they 'expose' her as a fraud. All it ended in was her getting warnings from her bosses. Apparently Marinette was friends with a number of the reporters and people who worked there so Alya had no real power in the studios. Her bosses warned her to drop it or they would drop her. This made her more furious when she got home so she took to her old blog and wrote an article that dragged Marinette's name through the mud. She accused her of previously cursing Lila to stop her from been famous and having her blacklisted from any decent work. She wrote that Marinette had cursed Lila at the Gala, due to her jealousy and annoyance that Lila had her previous curse broken. She slated her company, calling them cheap and claiming that Marinette treated her workers like slaves and never actually made her own charms but instead stole from other people. She revealed that Marinette had a crush on the Seelie prince Adrien and that she cursed any girl who got in her way of been with him, including Lila, a shapeshifter called Kagami and even Chloe Bourgeois, claiming that she had gone as far as to curse the full family and caused their fall from glory. Even though it was common knowledge that the Unseelie prince known as Viperion was the one who cursed them. She ripped into Marinette, her company and her parents' bakery, calling them all kind of nasty things and reporting that the bakery had rats and roaches. Once she was done, she posted it and felt that she had righted a wrong. Of course it did not work out for her at all. Due to the slander. the reputation of her old blog and her breaking her contract, she ended up losing her job. As if that wasn't bad enough, Marinette and her parents were suing her for defamation and slander and she was trending on social media in a bad way, which is what lead her and her boyfriend Nino here. This Fae had broken the curse on Lila, he could do it again and fix her career in one go even if he was a fae. "This place gives me the creeps,"

 "We don't have a choice," She gasped, looking at him. "This guy can break Lila's curse and restore my career then finally I can expose Marinette for the fraud she is,"

 "But he's a fae," Nino whispered as they came close. Alya ignored his comment and frowned as the gate leading to the gangplank was closed. However, she shrugged and opened it regardless before heading towards the deck. Once on there, she looked around and saw a closed door. "Babe, I don't think this fae is open for business,"

 "Well, he should be," Alya gasped before trying the door. It was unsurprisingly locked but this did not stop Alya. She reached into her purse and took out something, making Nino give her a look. "Don't worry. I'm just using a little bit of Alya magic,"

 She moved into front of the lock and proceed to pick the lock, opening the door. Nino gave her a worried look but followed her inside. The two of them glanced around, seeing nothing darkness. Alya took out her torch and switched it on, moving the beam around before screaming and dropping it as she saw tanks that had snakes in them. It wasn't one or two either. The place had at least 20 different tanks. All with snakes snoozing in them.

 "T-That's a lot of snakes," Nino gasped as Alya calmed herself and began to snoop around. "Alya? What are you doing?"

 "Trying to find his spell book," She replied before freezing as she felt something slither over her feet. Nino's eyes went wide as a large snake rose it's body in front of her and began hissing. Alya shook as she stared at it in the eye but that didn't seem to make the situation better. The snake's tail began to rattle and it made itself look bigger, beginning to get ready to strike. Alya screamed as it lunged at her but before it could bite her, someone grabbed it and wrapped it around their neck as she fell on her butt.

 "William, that's not very nice," A calming voice stated as the snake hissed lightly in reply. Alya stared at the fae in front of her as he traced his fingers down William's scales, calming down the snake though it continued to glare daggers at Alya as it hissed in reply. "I know you're just defending our home and they have broken the rules of hospitality but biting people isn't very nice and your fangs are venomous. Besides, I've dumped enough bodies in the Seine,"

 The snake hissed in reply as Alya looked shocked and pale at the fae's comment before he turned his eyes to her. 

 "You better have a good reason for breaking into my home and disturbing the date I was on," He stated with a slight hissing in his own voice. Alya couldn't find her voice as she took him in. She had to admit he was extremely attractive but part of her was repulsive as he was a fae and it was extremely obvious. His ears were pointed, he had teal green scales that traveled around his neck and onto his arms and his eyes were snakelike and bright blue. "Snake got your tongue?"

 "N-No," She gasped, finding her bearings and quickly getting to her feet. "I need your help,"

 "Come back when I'm open," He replied, turning to one of the tanks and placing William in it. William hissed lightly and the fae replied, sticking out his tongue which to Alya's shock was forked. He scratched William's scales before turning back to them. "Why are you still here?"

 "Because I need your help and I am not coming back when you're 'open'," Alya replied with an annoyed tone. The fae rolled his eyes and moved over to one of the other cases. "I know you can do magic and deals because I helped track you down for a friend of mine and you broke the curse on her!"

 "A friend of yours?" He asked, thinking. The only person he had dealt with recently was Lila but she definitely wasn't cursed. However, he wasn't surprised that this girl thought she was. Clearly, Lila lied to her too. "Ah, you must mean Liar Rossi? Yes, I had a contract with her but I wouldn't say I broke her 'curse'. That suggests she was cursed in the first place,"

 "What do you mean?!" Alya declared angrily. "Of course, she was cursed! That stupid cow Marinette cursed out of her jealous and then cursed her again when she discovered you had removed at the Gala,"

 "The Gala?" He questioned before bursting out laughing. "Oh so you're the source of that rumor? I can assure you that Marinette did not curse Rossi either times,"

 "What?!" Alya gasped, annoyed. "But she had to! That's the only reason why Lila's personality changed so much!"

 The fae continued to laugh, causing Alya to glare at him as Nino looked on nervously. Unlike Alya, he didn't hate the fae. Prince Adrien was his best friend after all but that didn't mean he trusted them. Adrien was a different case as they were friends and he was a Seelie, who Nino considered the good faes. While they had the power to meddle and grant wishes, they rarely did. They usually did nice wishes too but this fae was definitely not a seelie. Nino knew he was an Unseelie and that meant he was evil. The proof was there as he laughed at the situation. He may have broken Lila's curse but he clearly enjoyed that she had been cursed in the first place. He slowly calmed down and wiped his eyes but he still had a smirk on his face. Alya gritted her teeth as she glared at him.

 "What the hell is so funny?!"

 "The fact that you still think that Lila is the victim in all of this," He replied, making her glare at him. Nino frowned though. Of course, Lila was the victim. She had to be... because if she wasn't then not only did Alya throw away her career and her friend but he had cast his friend aside too and he wasn't sure how to deal with that fact or even how to fit it if it was true. So many years had passed and Marinette wouldn't probably never forgive them. The fae glanced at her, getting both of their attention as he slowly tilted his head to the side a little. "You don't know much about magic do you?"

 "Well, I'm not a witch!" She gasped in annoyance.

 "Noted," He replied, making her frown. "There is a difference between a curse and a blessing. If Lila was cursed, there would be a mark and she would be able to break it but this isn't a curse. It's a blessing. It can't be broken and can only be removed by the caster. It's a blessing of truth as well, meaning she has be honest in whatever way she can. That also means confessing to all of her lies and fraud and that's what has landed her in trouble. Honestly though, it was deserving. All the bad things she's done.. well, Karma was going to come by and collect it's debt at some point. I just merely gave it a helping hand. That's one of the reason why I picked that particular blessing... of course, I also love the irony factor,"

 "Wait what do you mean by that?!" Alya gasped, having not realized yet. "Marinette was the one who cursed her,"

 "As I can said, I can guarantee that Marinette did not," He replied, his eyes shifting to a greener color. "I know this for certain because it was me who placed the blessing on Rossi,"

 "Y-You?" Alya gasped as Nino looked at him in shock. "B-But why would you curse her again after you broke her curse?"

 "Firstly, it's not a curse as I've already said. It's a blessing," He corrected, looking at his nails. "Secondly, she was never cursed in the first place. She came to me to make a deal for fame and fortune and to ruin Marinette and finally, I did it because I don't take kindly to be insulted or been called something degrading,"

 "Prove it!" Alya demanded, making the fae sigh but he humored her. He clicked his fingers and a scroll appeared in a flash of green light before he handed it to Alya. She snatched it out of his hand and opened, reading it. Her eyes went wide as she did. Nino leaned over and read it as well, causing his own eyes to go wide. It was a clear contract for fame and vengeance and was sighed by Lila. There was no doubt about it. It was definitely her signature. The contract disappeared in a green light, causing both of them to jump back slightly but apparently it wasn't enough for Alya. "But... but Lila wouldn't!"

 "She did," The fae replied, rolling his eyes before pointing. "The way out is that. Bye now!"

 "Wait!" Alya gasped, pushing the boundaries. "You have to undo it!"

 "I don't have to do anything," He replied, making Alya look at him with shock. "Now leave. I am bored and done with this conversation,"

 "Wait!" Alya gasped, making him look at her. "I want to make a deal with you,"

 "You want to make a deal with me?" He asked, slightly amused before he walked over to her. "What could you possibly give me? I have paid off my rent and I have food in my cupboards. My snakes are fed well and happy and I have no need for anything else right now,"

 "I can give you money and do a report on you!" She gasped, making him raise an eyebrow. "You'll get much better business! Please, just undo what you did to Lila and make our lives perfect again!"

 "No," He replied coldly. "Now leave. You've outstayed our welcome,"

 "You can't reject a deal!" She declared with determination. "I know the laws of the fae and you can't reject it so you better do it or else,"

 "You know the faes' law huh?" He asked, stepping over as his eyes turned fully green. He was extremely pissed. Nino tried to get Alya's attention but she ignored him and tried to make herself look like she was bigger then she was. She clearly didn't realize the danger they were in. "I call Bullshit,"

 "Babe, we need to go-"

 "Shut up, Nino," She hissed before turning back to the fae. "Oh yeah?!"

 "You only know some of our laws and they only apply to the Seelie," He growled as the atmosphere changed. Nino attempted to get Alya's attention again but once again, she ignored him. "I am not a seelie therefore their rules do not apply to me! I am under no obligation to accept a deal and right now I have no interest in accepting one so shallow,"

 "Excuse me but my deal is not shallow!" Alya argued back. "I am doing this for Lila,"

 "Oh don't make me laugh!" The fae hissed, clearly more annoyed. "The only reason you even want to make a deal with me is fix your life. Not Lila's. You don't give a shit about her! You only care about the so called fame she can bring you. Under normal circumstance, I would actually consider helping you but I am not going to neither am I compelled to. Now get out the fuck out of my home!"

 "Oh and why won't you help me?!" 

 "Because you broke into my home!" He growled, looking more snakelike. His teeth were actually turning into fangs at this point. "By the laws of hospitality, I should kill you and I should have killed your friend too after she insulted me but I prefer to punish people in better ways but if you don't leave now, you'll see the bottom of the Seine,"

 Finally realizing he was serious, Alya finally turned on her heel and began to leave but she was about to make her biggest mistake.

 "Stupid puck," She muttered under her breathe as she left, thinking he didn't hear her but he did. He narrowed his eyes and made up his mind. Alya Césaire needed to be punished.

 ~One Week Later~

 Alya hummed to herself as she dug into an ice cream while she watched a movie. Her life wasn't any better but she was working on tracking down a way to improve it. Her plan was to make a deal with another fae. Not the one she met. Personally, she hoped never to meet him again. After her and Nino had left, she did some digging into him. She knew a little bit about him as she had tracked him down for Lila but not enough so she searched into him. Apparently, he had ties to the unseelie prince Viperion and was considered extremely dangerous to most of the supernatural community. However, she found that hard to believe. He had yet to make a move against her and honestly she thought he wasn't going to. She was convinced that if he was going to attack, he would have done so already. After all it had been a week but she didn't realize that like the snakes he took after, he often laid in the grass, waiting for the right time to strike and unfortunately for her, that was now. She jumped as she heard the door bell ring, making her frown but she got up and walked over to the door, glancing through the spy hole. Seeing it was just a delivery guy, she frowned but opened the door.

 "Pizza for Miss Césaire," He stated in an almost hiss, making her frown but she generally didn't think anything of it.

 "Um no, I didn't order a pizza," She grumbled, going to slam the door but to her surprise, the delivery person put his foot in the door and stopped it, freaking her out. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

 "Pizza for Miss Césaire," He repeated, freaking her out even more because this time he drew out her name in a hiss, just like a snake and then pushed his way into the house, closing the door behind him. "It's not very nice when someone comes into your house without your permission, is it?"

 "W-What?" She gasped, stepping back. "I h-haven't done anything like that,"

 "Liar," He snarled, taking off his cap and revealing the fae who she had gone to. "You broke into my home so I'm just returning the favor,"

 "Y-You!" She gasped as he glanced around. "You need to leave before I call the police, you freak!"

 He turned to her and placed his finger against his lips with a smirk.

 "Shh," He replied, causing her to look at him with a confused look before going to tell him to leave again but found her voice was gone. "That's better. You know you have an extremely annoying voice. It's so obnoxious and filled with hatred,"

 "Give me my voice back!" She tried to say but nothing came out. He glanced around, taking in the room.

 "Nino not home?" He asked, making her look at him with fear. "Oh don't be surprised. You put everything on the internet, Alya. It wasn't hard to track down your boyfriend's name. Shame, I was hoping to punish him for his lack of spine as well but I guess I'll get him later. Is this your laptop?"

 He walked over to it and picked it up, causing her to try and rush over to get it off him but he flickered his fingers, causing the dining room chair fly over before it grabbed her and restrained her arms as he sat on the table.

 "I saw your most recent article about me," He replied, glancing at her. "I mean I know I've never had the best rep but murderous, half breed bastard... what a description? Firstly, I have actual never murdered anyone. As I stated before, I prefer to punish people in a better way. Usually with a curse and a lesson so they can learn to better themselves. I'm morally gray, not evil and secondly, I'm not a half breed. I'm a full fae. My sister is a half fae, half human.. hmm maybe that's why I have a bit of soft spot for humans but then again, you already knew that didn't you?"

 She gave him a puzzled look but he ignored it.

 "Anyway, I intended to punish you for your ignorance and attitude towards me and my kind because frankly your attitude stinks," He explained. "So I was going to completely destroy your career beyond what you've already done to it and have your work in a cafe where you'd face... I think the word is Karens? But then I mentioned you offhandedly to my sister and her girlfriend and low and behold, it turned out that you have done a lot more to my family then I realized. You remember Juleka and Rose right?"

 Alya's eyes went wide. Oh she remembered alright. They use to be friends back before Lila. Juleka was shy and pretty and Rose was hyper and bubbly but that friendship was gone. Rose and Juleka had kept their heritage a secret as they just wanted to fit in and well, Alya had made it clear that she hated fae so the two girls decided to keep it a secret. They loved having the girl squad as their friends and didn't want to lose them. Rose even went as far as to use a special potion, provided by Luka, to hide her ears so no one knew she was unseelie and Juleka just said she was human, often denying her fae side. Of course, Luka tried to encourage both of them not to hide but he also respected that it was easier. Unfortunately, Lila found out about them and since they were siding with Marinette at the time, she let it slip to Alya that Rose was a seelie and Juleka was a half breed. Well, Alya did not take it well. Not only did she scream at them for lying but she called them several slurs and completely broke off their friendship, going as far as they refuse to even acknowledge them and pretending that they were invisible. She would also try and get her friends to do the same. It resulted in her losing everyone but Lila but as far as she was concerned, she was in the right. Alix and Mylene thought she was awful about it and realized that Lila had set it up. They had actually gone on to apology to Marinette, Rose and Juleka but their friendship was never quite the same. 

 "So I've decided to really punish you," He stated, making her look at him. "I thought about several ways. Karma, a blessing but really none of them seem right for you. I think a curse of clarity could be good but will it really teach you your lesson? Or will you just continue to excuse your own behavior. That's when it came to me,"

 He paused for dramatic effect, making her nervous.

 "You refuse to see the truth and that. You can't admit you're wrong, your writing is tabloid trash and you can't even fact check," He continued, making her glare at him. "So I was thinking since you seem to blind to the truth then blind is what you should be,"

 Alya's eyes widen in surprise at his words. He smirked at her before glancing at his laptop.

 "I guess you're not going to need this though," He dropped it onto the floor, smashing it before standing up and walking over to her. She tried to get away from him but he roughly grabbed her chin and placed his free hand over her eyes and muttered under his breathe before moving away. Her eyes glossed over in pink before it shattered, causing her eyes to go extremely blurry to the extend where she couldn't see even with her glasses on. Fear took over her as she began to cry. He really had cursed her. "Now I haven't give you complete blindness but your vision is extremely impaired right now and will remain so until you break your curse. Now unlike Lila though, I am going to give you a chance at redemption. Realize what you have done and make things right. Do this and your sight will restored. You can have your voice back now,"

 "I'm sorry!" She screamed, making him sigh. She was only sorry because he had cursed her.

 "False apologies will simply make things worst," He replied, making her gasp as her sight got worst. "The more false apologies you give, the more of your sight you will lose. Only when you truly admit to yourself what you have done and try to make up for it will your sight come back. Have fun now,"

 "W-Wait!" She called as he got up and headed towards the door. "D-Don't leave me! Please!!"

 "I am under no obligation to help you," He stated, opening the door. "Have a good night now,"

 "W-Wait!" She called out again. "I c-can tell you who else hurt Juleka and Rose! A-Adrien did and C-Chloe!"

 "Chloe, I already dealt with her," He replied, making her gasp as she realized just who she had pissed off. This fae wasn't in association with Viperion. He was Viperion. "But Adrien is seelie and not my problem,"

 "B-But he knew Lila was lying too!" She called out. Luka stood still for a moment but sighed and left the house. Adrien was still a fool then. Oh, well he wasn't his problem. Besides, he had a feeling that he would see Adrien soon. Especially when he finds that he's cursed Alya... and Nino when he finds him. He knew full well that Nino is friends with the seelie prince and he knows that cursing these two will get his attention. However, he'll deal with that when it happens. Right now, he just wanted to go home and relax. He needed to recharge his magic. Cursing people uses a lot of it.

 Meanwhile, Alya jumped as she heard the door slam.

 "Viperion?! Wait! Please!! I'm sorry!" She cried out before screaming again as her eyesight got darker. She wasn't truly sorry. Not yet but she would be soon.

 ~Two Weeks Later~

 Marinette hummed to herself as she put some of her charms on displace. She had heard that Alya had gone quiet with her blog and Luka had told her that he had cursed her but she couldn't bring herself care. If it had been anyone else, she would have told him off but Alya had hurt her so badly over the years that she just didn't care. Frankly, she was just glad for a break from the constant slander that Alya threw at her. It was a shame because they had once been so close but Alya dug her grave when she choose Lila's side. As far as Marinette was concerned, Alya probably deserved whatever curse Luka had given her. He had been fuming after her visit and even more so when he found out how she had treated Rose and Juleka. They had kept it from him because they knew he would want to curse her but after finding that she had broken into his home, they decided it was time to let him deal with her and he had. Marinette didn't actually know the details of the curse but she was aware that he had only cursed her. She was asked him why and he answered that no matter how bad the crime or act, he believed in giving people a second chance. That's why he gave Lila a blessing. Sure, it messed up her lie but he hoped that been forced to tell the truth would humble her and she might change her ways. Sure, she would probably be angry with him for a good number of years to come and there was always a chance that it won't work but he can hope. With Alya, he had to take a different route. A blessing wouldn't benefit her in that way so a curse it was. If she truly came to realize her faults and tried to generally make up for the bad she had done then the curse would be broken but as it is with Lila, there is a chance that Alya will never learn. In which case, her curse will never be broken. The door bell rang, getting her attention.

 "Hi, welcome- Oh... it's you," Marinette stated in a flat voice as she glanced over at Alya. She wore sunglasses and was holding onto Nino's arm. "What do you want?"

 "Marinette?" She asked, making the girl frown as Nino helped her over. "It's been a while, girl,"

 "You don't get to call me that," 

 "R-Right," Alya replied, frowning. "Look, can I just have five minutes of your time? I get it if you say no but I just want to talk,"

 "...Fine," She stated, crossing her arms. Alya nervously licked her lips. "Well?"

 "I just want to say I'm sorry," She replied, surprising Marinette. "What I did was unforgivable and I understand that my apology will never make up for what I did to you. I shouldn't have taken Lila's side, I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. I shouldn't have bullied you or shoved you down the corridor and... there's so much I am sorry about. I'm sorry that I wrote all those awful articles on you and slandered your parents' bakery. I'm sorry for all the names I called you and all the horrible situations I put you in. I have nothing to give you but my words so from the bottom of my heart, I really am sorry,"

 "Thank you for apologizing," Marinette stated. "But you hurt me so much that I can't accept it. Now please leave,"

 Nino carefully moved his hand and gently tapped Alya's shoulder, making Marinette raise an eyebrow.

 "Nino also says that he's sorry too," She stated, making Marinette frown. "He said he should have trusted you in the first place and should have spoken up and stood up for you instead of following me and the crowd... but we get it. We don't expect you to accept your apologies but thank you for letting us speak... good luck with the future, Marinette. I really hope you do well,"

 With that, Alya and Nino turned to leave the shop. They walked out, just as Luka walked in, causing Nino to look down like he was afraid. Luka smirked a little before moving over to Marinette.

 "How's my favorite witch?"

 "You cursed Nino didn't you?" She asked with her arms crossed and an amused smile. "What did you do to him?"

 "I took his voice since he had no need for it," He replied, shrugging a little as Marinette gave him his look. "And his hearing since he refused to listen to reason,"

 "You're terrible," She grinned, moving over to him. "But thank you,"

 "Hmm, do I get a reward for avenging you?" He asked, making her giggle as she wrapped her arms around and pressed her lips to his. He moved his arm around her waist, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss before they pulled away. "I should curse your old school bullies more often,"

 "You don't need to do that to get my kisses," She replied, kissing him again. He grinned and kissed back.

[aliensunflower-fics]

CHANGING FACES Chapter 3: Where Are We Going

[ Prefer to Read on Archive of Our Own? Link HERE! ]

[ Previous Chapter - Next Chapter ]

After years of dealing with each other Lila Rossi win's when she  convinces Hawkmoth that Marinette is Ladybug. In order to throw off  suspicion and keep the Miracle Box safe Marinette and her supportive  parents leave Paris and head to Gotham of all places. In this new place  away from her friends and her unhealthy routines Marinette is forced to  confront herself and change for the better. Helping her on her journey  is a surprising new friend and potential ally. When Alya missing her  friend learns about the chance to win a free trip to Gotham she  convinces the class to work hard to qualify. When her new life clashes  with her old one will Marinette be able to hold on strong to her new  confidence or will she crumble under the pressure?

( This fic will be for the most part comedic, fluffy, and sweet, with  only a bit of seriousness to tie it together. With only the mildest salt  because I don't think the class or Adrien are bad people just that they  can be naive and selfish thanks to the canon writing. I hope you enjoy  reading this work and have fun with me on this journey. )

CHAPTER 3:

Where Are We Going

Marinette felt tired. Not the kind or tired that could be slept off but something DEEPER. It was an exhaustion that seeped deep into her bones and left her feeling heavy. Her limbs felt like rocks and her fingers ached. Her mind begged for the sweet escape of dreamless sleep. Yet voices tickled the edge of her conscious mind slowly leading her back to the waking world. Whoever was talking was trying to be considerate of her, speaking in hushed tones with all the lights but a small table lamp off. 

 Blinking slowly, Marinette’s groggy mind took in the hideous pattern on the hotel's cheap curtains and the smell of cheap greasy takeout pizza somewhere in the room. Finally her ears seemed to pop and the whispered voices of her mother and father hit her brain causing her muscles to relax. They were here, they were all safe, as Marinette’s eyes drooped she smiled contently ready to let her mind drift away to the black seas of sleep once more. That is until she heard Tikki’s signature squeaky voice thanking ‘Tom’ for the sugar cookies. All at once Marinette felt wide awake and bolted upright, shocking everyone in the room into silence. 

 There on the other side of the hotel room sitting in the too small, too cheap wooden chairs eating cheap pizza and terrible store bought sugar cookies and holding a conversation like old friends was Marinette’s dear parents, her kwami and Trixx who looked like they were delighted by everything. 

 The silence stretched for a moment or two before Sabine sighed, shook her head and smiled warmly at her daughter. 

  “I think we have some things to talk about mon petite choux, but first why don’t you grab a bite to eat you must be hungry and its going to be a bit of a late night.” 

 At her mothers words Marinette felt her breath hitch as she swallowed down her panic, with a small nod she inched closer to the end of the bed nervously taking the offered slice of pepperoni pizza. It was lukewarm and greasy but biting into it felt like heaven as her body finally registered just how hungry she was, as usual her mother was right. For a while Marinette just ate her pizza with her parents while the Kwami nibbled on their provided cookies. It was strange and peaceful. As Marinette finished up her second slice and reached for her third the silence was finally broken again by her mother who seemed to know what she said while her father still languished in uncertainty.

  “Marinette… We… We just want you to know. How proud of you we are.” 

 Marinette swallowed hard and looked away, unable to make eye contact with her family.

 “H-How did you figure it out? Kwami can’t tell others who there chosen are a-and… I thought- at least Fu told me that magic was protecting my identity?” Marinette heard her father’s nervous throat clearing as Tikki swallowed down her cookie and hovered up to Marinette eye level.

  “They figured it out earlier after you fell asleep, Marinette. I let them see me and told them who I was. It all seemed to fall into place after that.”

  “But…Tikki WHY? T-The rules w-we cant just… Have… Have I not been a good enough Ladybug? Are you leaving?”

 Tikki gasped in horror and flew over quickly soothing Marinette by hugging her face.

  “No, no! My little bug it's nothing like that I… I decided you needed some help. Marinette you have been doing such a good job and you have been doing it all alone for so long. Master Fu was foolish to think anyone could or should carry such a heavy burden without support and we should have broken the rules a long time ago!”

 Marinette nodded numbly trying to process Tikki’s words. She did not want to admit it but she’d been drowning for so long that as horrible as it felt to have her identity exposed as terrifying as it was to go against the rules she felt relief flooding her system as she exhaled a shaky breath. 

 “How much did you tell them?” At this her father let out an awkward cough and shifted in his far too small hotel chair trying to get comfortable. 

  “She told us a lot. Marinette sweetie… We're not mad. We could never be mad, you’ve been so strong and so brave, your mother is right, we are so proud of you.”

 Marinette felt her face flush and her eyes burn as hot tears gathered in her burning tired eyes. She had never once become Ladybug for the praise or fame she had never expected or wanted it, and in fact she had many times resented being Ladybug hated the lies and the act she had to put on each and every day to keep others safe and to keep them out. But hearing her parents tell her how proud they were felt like a weight being lifted off her heart. A broken hiccup left her body and Marinette realized she was crying.

  “M-Mom Dad… I’m- I'm so sorry! I n-never wanted to lie I-I had to I-I’m sorry im so so sorry.”

 “Oh non! No no no my little one my sweet pastry!” Marinette felt the warm heavy arms of her father envelop her as he moved to the bed, the cheap mattress dipping under his weight causing her to fall into him. “You don’t need to apologize for anything.”

  “Your friend Tikki told us about the rules the previous master put in place. She told us about everything you have been through. Our big strong girl. If anyone should be sorry it's us. We should have known it was you, even with magic guarding your identity how could we be so blind.”

 Marinette sobbed harder at her mothers words, opening her arms to accept her mothers embrace as she cried harder.

  “B-But I’m the reason Hawkmoth burned down our home! I’m the reason the bakery is gone! I-Its all my fault!” 

 Marinette felt her mother stiffen at her words and was shocked when her mother pulled back and grabbed her face firmly into her calloused hands forcing Marinette to stare into the fiery eyes of her mother. 

  “Marinette Dupain-Cheng none of this is your fault! That reject Disney villain has been tormenting Paris for years! He has killed people with his akumas and never once shown remorse or guilt for using even babies to achieve his goals! And you, our brave beautiful girl, you have saved people's lives over and over, you have given up hobbies, concerts, and your own peace of mind to be a hero. Your father and I are scared for you, were angry at Hawkmoth, we wish we knew sooner but angry? Never, not with you my beautiful little peanut.”

 As her mothers words sunk in, Marinette felt a fresh wave of tears fill her eyes and she threw herself into her mothers arms while her fathers large warm hand rubbed circles into her back. 

 They let Marinette cry until she was done and had her breathing back under control at which point they gave her water and more food. While she drank and ate, a sudden thought hit Marinette.

  “What are we going to do now?” 

 Tom and Sabine exchanged a look before nodding and smiling at each other. As Sabine got up to retrieve something from there meager belongings Tom beamed warmly at his daughter though Marinette did not miss the tired bags that hung under his eyes.

  “Did we ever tell you about how we met my little choux bun?” 

 Marinette’s eyebrows creased together as she thought about it. 

  “You met… At college right? Dad was doing a baking course and mom was studying business. Mom had been working herself too hard and not eating so her blood sugar totally crashed and you found her half collapsed on a bench and offered her pastries right?” 

 Tom chuckled fondly at the memory and nodded. 

  “Yes, that's right. But do you know WHERE we met?”

  “Where? … Dad, what do you mean? Wait… You didn’t meet in Paris?” 

 Sabine giggled at her daughter's shocked expression and sat next to her once more, opening the old family album that had been lucky to survive the fire in a fireproof safe. As she flipped through the pages Marinette took in all the familiar pictures of herself and her family, the bakery, and her childhood from her first time making cookies to her first tooth, but as they flipped to older pictures Marinette began to see more things she did not recognize. Her parents' marriage, a small private affair in some miscellaneous park. But then they flipped past even those going back to even younger images and Marinette realized quickly what her father was hinting at.

  “These pictures… You guys met in… America?”

 Sabine smiled warmly as she touched a picture of her and Tom’s first cake together. “We met in Gotham.” 

 Marinette sucked in a breath of air as her eyes widened. She looked between her parents' confusion and questions evident on her face. After a brief silence Sabine cleared her throat and flipped back to some older photos and began her tale.

  “When I was little, your grandma had very big dreams for me. She wanted me to become a big shot business woman, make lots of money and take care of the whole family. She made me study endlessly and never cared about my own dreams and passions. Just like your great uncle I liked to cook but your grandma did not care. I worked hard and got accepted into an American college. I knew how dangerous Gotham was but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get far away from your grandma and your great uncle encouraged me. He told me I needed to free myself and learn what I wanted to do. The rest you know, I was studying so hard I never ate and then your dad found me.”

 Marinette nodded slowly then looked at her dad curiously. He smiled and leaned over to flip the albums pages before pointing at a beautiful old building with a much younger Grandma Gina and Tom in front of it.

  “As you know your Grandma Gina and Granpa Roland had a rocky marriage. Your grandma liked to go fast, and she liked to see the world and everything in it. Your grandpa thought moving that often wasn’t good for me so he refused to go, this made their relationship rocky, they were always fighting. Finally your god-father Alfred got in the middle, he suggested a compromise. A second home somewhere fun and exciting for Gina and we could spend our summers there. Grandma chose Gotham the same place Alfred lived and I spent my summers there growing up even after the divorce. So when it was time for me to go to college I decided I wanted to live in Gotham and attend the college baking course. And then I met your mother.”

 Marinette mulled over the new information carefully taking in the photos carefully. 

  “How long did you and mom live there?”

 Tom chuckled slightly and flipped through several pages until they landed on a photo Marinette had never seen before. She was a newborn baby in her mothers arms as her parents were posed in front of an old bakery. Marinette realized that it was the same building as the earlier picture with her grandma and her dad.

 “I was… BORN THERE?” Marinette touched the image in awe and then felt a sting in her heart, “Why didn't you ever tell me? Why not talk about it? H-How did it never come up once when grandpa Alfred came to visit!?”

 Sabine exchanged a look with Tom before she cleared her throat. 

  “We… Your father and I… We loved Gotham. It is a gloomy place with a lot of crime and problems but the people there are GOOD people. They protect their own, and they work hard to try and make their city better. It was the place where we met, the place we got married, and the place where we had you, our beautiful little girl. But…”

 Marinette felt her stomach drop. “But?”

  “It is dangerous there Marinette. And when you were still just a baby you and your mother got pulled into a bad attack, you both came out okay thanks to Batman but we realized then that our life wasn’t a safe one to raise a baby in.”

 Sabine nodded gravely to her husband's words. 

  “Your father and I both knew how to defend ourselves. We even taught other people self defense on weekends at the local gym as volunteer work. But you were just a baby and we got scared about losing you. So we made the decision to abandon our lives in Gotham and come to Paris. We always told ourselves we’d go back to Gotham someday when you were older and until then we didn’t talk about it, not because we didn’t want to but because I wasn’t ready yet I got so scared remembering almost losing you and when we were finally ready to tell you and move back to Gotham you… Met Alya.”

 Marinette blinked confused and furrowed her brows. “What does Alya have to do with this?”

 “Well…” Sabine looked over at Tom who took over the conversation.

  “You had been getting bullied by Chloe all those years. We were doing everything to get you out without pulling you from Dupont because we knew it was one of the best schools, but it wasn’t working. We saw how your confidence was dipping and how you were so unhappy so we thought that maybe it was time to make the move. You were 12 and knew how to defend yourself thanks to all your lessons with your mom and me. But then you came home from your first day of school and you were so happy.”

 Sabine smiled fondly. “You had made a friend and you were talking about how excited you were, then you ran for your class president position and won and we saw how you were blooming and we could not take that away from you so we pushed Gotham aside.”

  “But… But you both love it there?! Why would you do that why didn’t you tell me at least I-I don't understand-”

  “We didn’t want you to make a decision for our sake.” 

 Marinette snapped her mouth shut, denial dying on her lips. She knew exactly what her parents were talking about. Since Lila had begun manipulating the class and having them ask more and more of her, Marinette had learned that she had a serious problem standing up for herself. If her parents had approached her wanting to move to Gotham when she was younger even with her Ladybug responsibilities she would have folded like a deck of cards and likely stretched herself thin trying to make everyone happy and do everything. 

 “We wanted you to have a choice about the move. And you have always been so caring and considerate of others and if you had known how much me and your father loved Gotham we knew you’d agree to move even if you didn’t want to. So we held off saying anything and we were just happy to see you become so confident and happy.” Sabine bit her lip and chewed at the loose skin. “Recently… We had seen how stressed you were becoming, and how your friends were treating you. Before all this happened we were planning on telling you again and asking you if maybe you’d like to move to Gotham, but now with everything… Well the conversation happened a bit sooner than we had planned. But what do you say Peanut? Wanna go on a new adventure and move to Gotham?”

 Marinette nodded slowly and looked at Tikki and Trixx on the table who had been enjoying there cookies in relative silence the whole time.

 “Tikki, what do YOU think?” At the name the small god blinked her antenna twitching.

  “I think you need to be the one to decide Marinette this is your life, and you are our guardian. We trust you because you have always taken such good care of us all these years.” 

 Marinette flinched at Tikki’s words and dug her nails into her skin. She wanted to deny Tikki’s words but she knew the tiny god was speaking from the heart. Marinette often gave the kwami freedom, she talked with them, she was their friend and guardian and she valued them as people, something Tikki and the others had told her was rare so even though Marinette did not believe in herself she believed in the honesty behind Tikki’s words.

  “I… I’ll need to use the horse Kwami Kaalki to travel back to Paris whenever an akuma happens.”

  “That's not a problem, you have the same blood sugar problem as your mom so we can inform whatever new school you go to that you might need to leave class at times to take care of that.” 

 Marinette blinked, shocked at her dad's willingness to lie but then she snorted and smiled. It felt nice having someone to help her guard her secret identity.

  “If Marinette leaves Paris Hawkmoth will stop suspecting me as Ladybug so that's a bonus, I’d be able to decompress after fights and let myself feel emotions without worrying about akumatization. I also won't have to worry about the bakery getting crushed by another toddler akuma.”

 Tikki and her parents watched her in silence letting her talk herself through her thoughts and plan as she often did when processing her stress and fear.

  “Gotham has some of the best schools, and I’d be living in Uncle Jagged city AND in grandpa Alfred’s city… But… But where will we live, how will we make money, and what about school and then there's Alya and everyone back home and what if Ladybug gets to Paris too late??”

 Before Marinette could spiral further her mother took her hands and squeezed hard pulling Marinette out of her downward fall as she tools several deep breaths and focused on her mother who was guiding her through the breathing slowly.

  “You don’t need to worry about all the details, Marinette. We still own the old bakery from the pictures, your father and I could never bring ourselves to sell it so we kept it. It will need a bit of paint and the Marinette touch but it's got good bones and it's a bigger building.” 

  “As for school, well… You may not know this but your godfather Alfred is the butler and in many ways the father and grandfather to a very rich and influential family He’s told us all about Gotham Academy and I know my beautiful incredible daughter will be a perfect fit.”

  “Gotham Academy? Are you sure we can afford it? And don’t tell me your gonna have grandpa Alfred ask his employers for a favor! I don’t need or want the help of some rich people we don't know.”

 Sabine laughed openly at Marinette's pouty face. “My daughter? Need a hand out? No, but Alfred has told us all about the scholarships there. You are as brilliant as you are talented even if it is a bit past the start of the school year I’m sure we can get you one and if not we will find another school that recognizes what a talent you are.”

 Marinette’s cheeks flushed red at her mothers teasing proud words and she pulled nervously on her long dark hair as she bit her cheek and thought about it.

  “What about… Alya and my friends? Moving it sounds so amazing, a fresh start, somewhere new, the ability to let myself feel, and the distance from Hawkmoth it all sounds incredible but… What if I lose everyone here?”

 Tom squeezed his daughter's leg comfortingly and smiled at her warmly. “Do you think Alya and the others are the type of people who will just forget you?”

  “... No… I trust Alya. It's… Someone else I don’t trust and I’m worried what that person will do.”

 “You're talking about that Lila girl again aren't you?” Marinette nodded stiffly, leaning into her mother for comfort.

  “If she hasn’t succeeded yet, then I don’t think you need to worry. BUT if she does succeed then painful as it may be you will learn who your real friends are, but what you need to decide now is where you trust Alya to be your friend even if you're across an ocean.”

 Marinette took a moment to think, letting her mothers words hit her fully. Alya was her friend and despite all the damage Lila had done and all the problems shed created Marinette still cared about Alya and valued her friendship and she knew despite everything that Alya felt the same. They were bffs and for now Marinette was willing to trust in the bonds she’d made and believe that Alya would be there for her ocean or not. 

 Marinette took a deep breath and felt her heart and mind settle. She knew what was best now, for ladybug, for the kwami, for her family, for paris, but most importantly what would be best for herself and who she wanted to become moving forward. 

 Looking at her family, Marinette smiled warmly.

  “Gotham, sounds perfect.”

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( I hope I’m releasing the chapters at a good steady pace and that you guys like it so far feedback and comments are always appreciated and thank you for your patience with my spelling and grammar english is not my first language! )

[nerdycandycheesecake]

iExpose a Liar

By: IrishDreamer4

Summary: Lila made the horrible mistake of messing with Sam Puckett.

[charlietheepicwriter7]

Hey, Little Songbird

Chapter 28 - AO3

“Well,” Felix spoke, breaking the unbearable silence of the room. “As you can see, we have a bit of a bigger problem than before.”

Alya collapsed into her desk chair, the force sending it spinning for a second. “Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth.” She covered her face with her hands, threading her fingers through her hair. “I’ve been in his house. I’ve talked to him.”

“And I’m related to him, and Rossi is working for him, and Adrien is his son; come on, Alya, snap out of it!”

She shot him a look. “Do you even know what this means to me? To Paris?”

“It means you’ll finally have a chance to get rid of your terrorist. Why do you think I came to you?” he asked. “As far as Gabriel knows, I have no way to contact Ladybug or Chat Noir, nor would he expect me to ask you for help since the two of us ‘fighting.’ He’s going to try to get this—” He showed off the brooch— “back soon, so we need a plan. Now.”

She took a deep breath. “A plan. Right, a plan. It’s past time for Ladybug’s patrol, but I can track down her down tomorrow. We need to tell her right away,” Alya said, nodding resolutely. “Do we need to worry about Gabriel sending an akuma after you?”

“Possibly. Has he ever created any tracking akumas?”

“Nope!” Duusu called out. He’d almost forgotten they were here. “I don’t think you really have to worry about Hawkmoth right now; he’s not bonded with the butterfly miraculous, so he doesn’t have a lot of control of his akumas.”

Felix eyed the little beast. “What are you talking about?”

“Gabriel’s forcing Nooroo, the Butterfly’s kwami, to work with him. That means the two aren’t bonded and Gabriel only has the bare-minimum of powers, including no mind control and no control over the abilities his akumas have.”

“So, when he akumatizes people, he doesn’t know what powers they’re going to get?”

“He can suggest them, but the powers are ultimately decided on the people he akumatized. And people typically only get one or two akuma forms.” So that was why the three akumas that attacked him on the anniversary of his aunt’s disappearance were akumas that the Ladyblog had covered before.

Duusu giggled and continued. “It’s the same when he tries to control them. Hawkmoth takes advantage of strong emotions and gives people an easy way out of their problems, but he can’t force them to do his bidding. They’re only really obsessive towards their goal and attacking Ladybug.”

Felix wanted to ask how Duusu knew this, but bit his tongue. He supposed being held hostage by Hawkmoth allowed for some knowledge to leak through.

“And fighting Ladybug and Chat Noir?” Alya asked, skeptical. “I know I certainly didn’t want to fight my heroes. Are you saying that’s not mind control?”

“Correct!! It’s just self-preservation. Complete instinct. Akumas know that Ladybug will take away their powers, so they fight for themselves. It’s funny—” Duusu snickered to themselves— “Even if Hawkmoth akumatizes himself or Mayura, it won’t make a tracking akuma. And if he managed to give that power to someone else, there’s no way that akuma would care enough to track you down. Your scot-free!” It laughed, high pitched and loud.

“Why do you know all this?” Felix asked. “Why are you telling us this?”

Alya elbowed him in the side.

“Because you freed me, silly!” Duusu flew up in a spiral, stopping centimeters from his nose. “Gabriel Agreste had trapped me in that safe and is abusing my friend! So what if I bended the rules a little bit by thinking you were Adrien. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just what he deserves!”

“You mistook me for Adrien… on purpose?”

“Well… no. I did think you were him for a second. He’s looked through the safe before, and even stole the Book of Miracles, but he didn’t see me. My most recent holder, Mayura, told me not to appear to anyone who didn’t know Gabriel is Hawkmoth, so I just… assumed Adrien was in on it, since he’s been in the safe before!” Duusu said with a shrug. “By the time I realized that you weren’t Adrien, you’d already put on my brooch and became my new holder. Oops!”

“…I guess that’s one way to get around a villain’s orders,” Alya said.

But Felix was fixated on something else Duusu had said. “I’m not your holder.”

“Yes, you are.”

He glared. “No, I’m not.”

“Felix—”

“Yes, you are!” Duusu got up in his face. “You put the brooch on, that makes you my holder.”

He immediately snatched the brooch off his chest and threw it on Alya’s bed. “Find someone else then. I’m not a superhero; I don’t want to be one and I’m not going to be one. You can’t make me!”

“Felix—”

He jabbed a finger into Alya’s chest. “Don’t try to change my mind, Cesaire! All I wanted was to bring down Rossi and get my family’s rings back, not… this.” He gestured at Duusu, who pouted. “I’m not a hero and I would have been perfectly fine not getting involved with the Miraculous at all if given the choice.”

“I was going to agree with you!” Alya snapped. She rubbed her eyes. “You don’t have to be a hero if you don’t want to. No one, especially not Ladybug, is going to force you. But what about Hawkmoth? Even if he can’t track you down, he’s still going to send them after you.”

She… had a point. His uncle was stubborn, but had laser focus. Gabriel could work for days without a break, without sleep. And now Felix was the sole focus of his undivided attention.

But, Felix realized, he was horrible at multitasking.

“I can stay out of Gabriel’s sights for a few days.” He already had arrangements made with his lawyer; despite what Gabriel had claimed, he was not Felix’s guardian and had no right to hold him captive in his mansion. “Once my suspension is over, I’ll come back to school and we’ll enact the plan against Rossi.”

“But she’ll get akumatized!” Alya protested. “We’d anticipated that before, but this time Hawkmoth will be actively gunning for you!”

“That’s the point. I’m not too keen on being a superhero, but bait?” He smirked. “I’ve survived a few rounds with an akuma before. I can do it again. And while Hawkmoth is focused on me, he’ll never see Ladybug coming.”

Taglist: @graduatedmelon @novicevoice @dur55 @kris-pines04 @18-fandoms-unite-08 @moonlightstar64 @bee-a-garbage-shipper @sol-o-shade @kittyotakunoir666 @tinyterror333 @allieoftheenemy @marichat00 @xgxmxtx @two-faced-biatch @feliciakainzofspades @evil-cricket @emilytopaz @spicybelladonna @chocolateherringtacofan @user00000003 @wannajointhecrabcult @happymonster-pants @duquesapincarrasca  @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen  @sxltinette @kittydemon9000 @thetrashypanda423 @unoriginalmess  @toodaloo-kangaroo

[animechefgirl454]

Lila and her sheep get their compupance. Miraculous ladybug x reader

y/n looked over the evidence on her laptop. With this evidence Lila will be exposed for the liar that she is and she’s taking her followers( Kim, Alya, nino, ivan and mylene though the latter of the two were more neutral) with her along with the incompetent teacher and principal. Thanks to her spy, she had all the evidence she needed to exposed Lila.

“Ok.” y/n muttered closing the laptop. she put it in her bag and walked out of her room. She was leaving to take it to her mom, Maria, who was a cop. Because with the things that Lila and her sheep have done. they would be facing serious legal trouble, especially Lila and Alya.

When she got to the living room she was surprised to see her mom sitting and chatting with a beautiful woman. the woman had beautiful long red hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes. she was wearing a long sleeved ivory blouse and and black slacks.

“mom?” y/n said,” when did you get home?” kinda shocked because she knew the life a cop is very demanding.

“oh roger is letting me and a few other officers have two weeks off for rest and relaxation.” Maria replied.

then she turned to the woman,” y/n this is Hannah Jenkins, an old friend from highschool.”

”hi its nice to meet you” y/n replied. “its nice to meet you too.” hannah said smiling.

Maria then noticed her computer bag,” where are you going with your laptop sweetie?” she asked.

“oh I was going to see you at the station, to show you something but here’s good too.” y/n mumbled shifting her feet.

maria noticed the change in her daughter’s demeanor. instantly both the mom and cop in her clicked on.

“what is it y/n? tell me.” maria said.

Y/n hesitated but then walked over to them, sat in between them and pulled out her laptop, turned it on and set it on the table. she took out the usb and plugged it in.

she open the file on the usb and showed the two women what was on it.

as the two women watch their faces paled then turned bright red in anger.

after the final video, heather pulled the laptop towards her closed the file and took out the usb. “what school did you say you go to?” heather asked quietly. ”Dupont.” y/n replied.

“is it alright if i take this?” heather asked y/n, her face devoid of emotion. y/n felt a twinge of fear at the tone of the woman’s voice but nodded thinking that heather was a fellow cop like her mom.

“Good.” the woman replied putting the usb in her purse. “Well it was so wonderful to catch up with you Maria. And was so nice to meet you y/n.” heather said smiling then left the apartment. what y/n didn’t know was that she had just opened pandora’s box and all the crap that Lila and her sheep along with bustier and Damocles had been doing at school is coming back to bite them, hard.

the next day when y/n walked into school, she felt something was off. as she walked towards her class room she heard the whispred.

“Did you hear about the akuma class?”

“yeah, glad finally something’s being done.”

“finally that liar got caught! did you see her mom!? boy she looked pissed! i was afraid she’d become an akuma.”

“i heard that bustier and Damocles are getting the boot. good riddance i say.”

“how those two became teachers is beyond me.”

y/n quickly walked to her homeroom just in time to see heather, a pale teary eyed bustier, a pale Lila and a screaming woman, that resembled lila, screaming at her and bustier and angry classmates, minus marinette, Alix’s, Chloe, max, Juleka, rose and Adrien. turned out heather was member of the school board and they were looking into the rumors and numerous complaints going around DuPont but thanks to y/n that investigation launched immediately. “What in the world were you thinking with your lies Lila!? do you have any idea what trouble you have caused! i could’ve lost my job! Those celebrities you lied about are suing you! and faking disabilities, what is wring with you!? what made you think you could get away with this?” Lila’s mother Gina screamed then she whipped her head towards mrs. bustier. “and you how could let this go on for so long!? How could not follow protocol and ask for a doctors note or if one couldn’t be provided call me ot better yet check her file! how could stand there while my daughter tormented and bully an innocent girl all because she didn’t believe her lies!” Gina screamed.

Bustier didn’t replied just started crying again.”Well Caline, the woman asked you a question.” heather ordered.

“w-well marinette is supposed to set example.” bustier replied trying to defend herself.

“thats your job Caline not your students. Now pack up your things, you’re fired.” heather ordered. the young teacher started crying and walked out of the room.

heather turned to mrs. rossi and lila.

“under norm circumstances Lila would be expelled but that is what she wants and it’d only allow her to do it again. So instead, she’ll remain here for the rest of the school year and because of all the school work is missed while she was skipping she’ll be held back one year.” Lila jumped up in her seat,” you can’t do that! thats embarrassing!”she screeched but with the withering glare from her mom she sat back down.

“Well you should have thought of that before lying and skipping school.” Gina said sternly,” and you will do all the homework you missed because as right now your grounded and your phone and laptop taken away.”

lila didn’t protest because it’ll just make it worse.

After the whole thing Lila and Alya were up to the knees in lawsuits and charges. alya was forced to take down the ladyblog and was blacklisted from all news outlets. and she had to babysit for free after her parents found out that she and nino were dumping their siblings on marinette and pocketing the money. Lika was fired from Gabriel and was forced to worked dead end part time jobs to pay for the lawsuits.

Kim, nino, mylene and ivan were given community service and also had to get part time jobs to pay Marinette back for all the damages they caused her.

mrs. bustier and Damocles were fired and blacklisted and replaced.

Mrs.bustier was replaced with a man named John simmons. a strict but fair teacher that took no crap and stopped bullies and did his job.

Mr. Damocles was replaced with a woman named Diana Manson. she was also strict but fair and would actually listen to both sides and would ask for evidence before dealing with punishments.

so all in all thanks to y/n Dupont school was now a better place.

[trashyangelic]

Can I get a ML Salt Prompt? With a hint of Felinette.

There are things that Sabine Cheng doesn't like when it comes to her daughter well-beings. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ Caline Bustier treats her daughter as a servant doing the teachers job when its suppose to be her job to do it not her daughter. She heard complaints from her daughter at the trapdoor but also finding out that she is Ladybug and the Guardian of Miraculouses but she also knows that her daughter is MDC from the very start. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ Lila Rossi for targetting her daughter by manipulating the principal and her daughter's classmates she had decided to do something about before Caline Bustier. She had a hunch that this girl is trying to blame her daughter for something she didn't do it happen before when she was young. She depises bullies. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ Alya Cesaire treats her daughter as a doormat but also asking for free stuff even she told her mother to pay for it she doesn't do it. Yet she still wants free stuff like the designs that her daughter makes she did not like it one tiny bit. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ Adrien Agreste who seem to be a sweet boy but after her daughter told her the advice that he told her, she was not having it. She told this to Nathalie and Gabriel to discipline Adrien about this high road advice towards her daughter that is enabling bullies for no reasons even Gabriel is annoyed by that advice he had given it to Adrien but it was meant for Tabloid Reporters only but decided to do a different method for Adrien to get his high horse about this high road advice a method only for bullies. As soon as Gabriel realize that his son is on thin ice with the Dupain-Chengs he had to do something about it and possibly for Ms. Marinette Dupain-Cheng to be his future intern or Audrey. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ While Sabine decided to do something for her daughter happiness about Lila Rossi, Alya Cesaire, Adrien Agreste, and Caline Bustier they have crossed the line on the mama bear by poking it. Sabine only wants her daughter to be happy away from the toxic class and those so called friends who wanted to make her daughter as a doormat or a pushover by claiming that her daughter is a bully. Clearly she was not having it.

Sabine decided the big guns by calling her mother about the Cheng Family Company in two different branch one in Shanghai and the other in Beijing to be lent to her daughter as the heiress. But she needs her daughter to learn about the family business from her side. She called her mother about the DEAL that she made with her mother after marrying Tom Dupain.

She called one of her close friends in China by enrolling her daughter to Central Academy of Arts it was the same academy that she attended when she was young but this would be good for her daughter.

Marinette gets to be transferred to Central Academy of Arts in Beijing for her business as MDC but also for her family business too as she meets Felix Graham de Vanily along with her cousin Bridgette who is arrange marriage with another Chinese Branch Family who is the heir of CEO Long Company.

As for Chloe luckily for her she was taught Mandarin/Cantonese from Sabine Cheng she is now applying to Central Academy of Arts with Marinette away from the toxic school back in Paris that she convinced her father to stop the donating towards the Dupont for a good reason. As her father listen to his daughter's reason he was not happy about what happen when Chloe explain what exactly is happening in the school.

At the end Lila Rossi, Caline Bustier, Adrien Agreste, and Alya Cesaire got into a alot of trouble with the parents and the school board by the Mayor himself who had reported it with Sabine Cheng afterwards. The students of Caline Bustier well their parents got super pissed and decided to withdraw their children from the toxic school into a homeschool or a new school for a fresh start.

As for Nino well he apologize to Marinette before she transfer to China for her new school with Chloe Bourgeois but he still gets in trouble by his parents so he is at his new school to continue his dreams since his parents owns a Music Label Company.

The Police Officers and Roger found something at the CCTV footage in Dupont on the main part with Lila Rossi. Roger wasn't very happy with this girl being friend with his daughter after finding out this girl is working with a terrorist they did what they had to do is to arrest this girl Lila Rossi but also informing this to Nadja Chamack about it as well. Italy is in thick ice with Paris right now cause of Lila's actions. Lila's father is not happy nor her mother isn't. Lila's mother decided to disown her and fix her family honor from the embarrassment that her daughter made.

Caline got fired from the School Board for her silly methods and also enabling bullies too while Damocles gets demoted as a principal for doing his job horribly against School Board demands. But Damocles gets his redemption after realizing his mistakes but wanting to redeem it as a good principal like his brother was in from a different school.

Adrien well to him he didn't have any social skills due to his father abusing him so why not let Nino to be concerned about his well-being by calling the CPS on Gabriel clearly Nino wanted Adrien as his new brother along with Chris it would be alot helpful for him to gain social skills. Gabriel also fired Lila Rossi in person he was pissed when Chloe told him the truth about Lila sexually harrassed, blackmailing, and calling people of his son's classmates as a bad influence even if its Lila who is a bad influence to his son by some classmate of his son who sent it to him but seem to be on struggling with the CPS but decided to let it go.

Lastly Alya got the major hint of lawsuits by celebrities and Ladybug as her parents forced her to delete her Ladyblog down for posting false stories. But she has to pay the amount of money that she asked free things from Dupain-Chengs. Sabine already made a restraining order on Alya Cesaire, Adrien Agreste, and Lila Rossi for good just away from her daughter.

[wordsofrowan]

From Ashes to Embers

Chapter 9 - Fate Gives Second Chances

I walk alone through the deserted streets, my footsteps echoing in the emptiness, each one blending with the rhythmic pitter-patter of raindrops. The weight of the Cat Miraculous clutched tightly in my trembling hand matches the heaviness in my heart.

Tikki and Plagg, huddled together in my pocket, seem to sense the somberness that hangs in the air. Plagg, usually the embodiment of mischievousness, now wears a pained expression. His voice quivers as he speaks, his words heavy with guilt. "This is all my fault," he confesses, his tears merging with the rain. "I should've stopped him from leaving."

My steps falter, and I raise my eyes to the stormy sky, raindrops mixing with the tears that stream down my face. "Plagg," I whisper, my voice barely audible, choked with sorrow. "He made his own choice, Plagg. We couldn't force him to stay, no matter how much it hurts."

Plagg's tears continue to fall, his small form trembling with grief. "But he was my Kitten, Marinette. We were supposed to be there for each other, always."

My heart constricts with pain as I turn to face Plagg, my gaze mirroring the depths of my sorrow. "I know, Plagg," I murmur, my voice filled with a heavy sadness. "I know and I’m so sorry, I wish things didn’t happen this way."

I continue my solitary walk through the pouring rain, each droplet a reflection of the tears that fall from my eyes. Thoughts whirl in my mind, replaying everything that just happened, the hurt and confusion still raw within me. The rain washes over me as if attempting to cleanse the wounds left by the shattered unity we once shared.

As I make my way to the hotel, the weight in my heart grows heavier with each step. Just as I reach the front steps, I notice Adrien standing there, his expression reflecting the same inner turmoil that consumes me. From the corner of my eye, I see our classmates rushing out of the hotel.

A black car pulls up beside us, and the door swings open. "Adrien, get in the car immediately. I should never have listened to your friend. This city is far too dangerous," a stern voice commands. I watch as Adrien approaches the car, his hand resting on top of the door, his eyes lingering on us.

"Come on, dude!" Nino calls out. "You have to stay!"

"I'm sorry, Nino. I have to go," Adrien responds, his gaze shifting toward me. "And I'm sorry, Marinette. You fought so hard for me to be here. I wouldn't have minded being stuck here a little longer with a friend like you."

Adrien slides into the car, taking a seat. "My father was right. I should have never come to New York," he murmurs, his words carried away by the sound of the rain. The car door closes, and he disappears into the night, leaving me behind.

A single tear escapes my eye, joining the raindrops that fall around me. First, Chat Noir, and now Adrien. What more would I have to endure? I feel a pair of arms on my shoulders and I raise my gaze to meet Alya's eyes, filled with a mix of sadness and anger.

"What is wrong with you, Marinette? Couldn't you see that he was waiting for you to ask him to stay?" Alya's voice is filled with frustration.

I clenched my fist at my sides, my voice tinged with bitterness, “What do you want from me, Alya? He made his choice what did you expect me to do?!”

Alya's anger flares up, her gaze piercing. "It doesn't matter what I expected you to do! What is Adrien to you? Just a friend or something more? Now is the time to be honest with yourself, Marinette! Do you want him to leave or do you want him to stay?"

"Oh my god! Can you just shut up and actually listen to me? I couldn’t do anything in that situation. Whether he left or stayed, was entirely up. to him, there's nothing I could've done. You keep insisting he's more than just a friend!" I hissed, my voice trembling with frustration, "But he's not! I've moved on, I'm not hung up on Adrien anymore! I have my own life, my own identity, and my world doesn't revolve around some guy. And while we're on the topic of blaming, take a good look at yourself. If you hadn't pulled that stupid stunt back in the museum, maybe we wouldn't be trapped in this mess now. Maybe if you actually listened to me from the beginning then Adrien wouldn't be leaving. But no you're so wrapped up in this idea of me and Adrien being together that you can't see through this stupid fog you've surrounded yourself in."

I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the tears welling up in the corner of my eyes. "You know what, Alya? I'm exhausted. I'm tired of you dismissing my feelings about Adrien and trying to push us together. I can't handle this anymore. I can't handle you anymore."

Gently pushing her arms off my shoulder, I turned away from the girl who used to be my closest friend. The New York City streets stretched out before me, raindrops starting to fall, mirroring the sadness within me. I walked away, each step heavy with the weight of our broken friendship. The rain washed over me, blending with the tears that finally escaped. At that moment, it felt like the world was echoing the ache in my heart.

I treaded through the desolate streets of the city, the intensity of the night weighing heavily on my mind. The relentless rain drenched my clothes, causing them to cling uncomfortably to my body, but my focus remained fixed on the turmoil within me. Each step I took was a testament to the determination that burned within my soul.

As I continued my solitary journey, a flicker of light caught my attention. I turned my gaze towards an electronic billboard, and my heart skipped a beat as the image of Hawkmoth materialized before me. His menacing presence loomed over the city, his voice echoing through the rain-soaked night.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! I am in New York too," Hawkmoth's image taunted, his voice filled with malicious intent. "If you don't want the party to be ruined, your only option is to hand your Miraculous over to me!"

The weight of Hawkmoth's threat bore down on me, threatening to crush my spirit and shatter my resolve. Rain mixed with my tears as I stood frozen in the midst of the downpour, feeling utterly helpless against the forces that sought to undermine everything I held dear.

The ring in my hand felt like a symbol of both power and vulnerability. It represented the miraculous abilities that had been bestowed upon me, but it also symbolized the immense responsibility and sacrifice that came with wielding such power. The tears streamed down my face, mingling with the raindrops, as despair threatened to consume me.

It was at this moment that Uncanny Valley appeared before me, calling out my name. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, New York needs Ladybug!" Uncanny Valley's voice resonated through the chaos, commanding my attention.

My voice trembled with doubt as I responded, "I-I'm sorry... I-I-I can't help you. I don't know her!"

“​​Your suit's quantum masking is meant to confuse-” As Uncanny Valley's form shifted and transformed, their disguise fell away, revealing Aeon in her full humanoid form, “-human minds, Ladybug. I am not human!”

Beside me, Tikki and Plagg gasped in astonishment, mirroring my own astonishment at Aeon's revelation.

Aeon continued, their words resounding in my ears, "The Miraclonizer is no ordinary villain. He is an akumatized Techno-Pirate, a creation of Hawk Moth himself. And if Hawk Moth is here in New York, we cannot defeat him without the girl who possesses the power to fix everything.

Doubt crept into my heart as I grappled with the enormity of the situation. Could I truly step into the role of Ladybug without my partner, Chat Noir, by my side? The thought of facing the challenges alone was daunting, and I struggled to imagine a world without him. “I don't know if I can do this... I can't imagine being Ladybug without him.”

"This, I can fix!" she said with a smile. 

A faint smile curved my lips as I extended my hand, offering the Cat Miraculous to Aeon, trusting them with the weighty responsibility it held.

"Okay," I declared, my voice firm with newfound resolve. "Take it. I trust you with the Cat Miraculous."

Aeon accepted the Miraculous, their wings fluttering with renewed purpose. With a nod, they soared into the night sky, disappearing from sight, ready to fulfill their mission.

Left standing alone, a mix of uncertainty and determination swirled within me. Though I still felt the weight of doubt, I reminded myself of the unwavering love I held for my city and the unwavering belief that I could overcome any obstacle that came my way.

"I may not have Chat Noir by my side," I whispered to myself, my voice carrying a hint of determination. "But I am Ladybug, the protector of Paris. I will do whatever it takes to keep this city safe." With that, I called out my transformation and swung through the city. 

It didn't take long for my keen eyes to spot Sparrow, frantically evading a barrage of rockets. Without hesitation, I leaped into action, extending my yoyo to snatch him from the clutches of his pursuers. Once we were safely out of harm's way, my mind raced to formulate a plan.

"We've got to break the object where the Akuma is. I bet it's in his handcuffs. He already had them on at the museum!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with determination as I pieced together the puzzle in my mind.

But Sparrow had more revelations to share. "Something else has changed! He was wearing the necklace Lafayette gave to Washington!"

The realization struck me like a bolt of lightning, and a gasp escaped my lips. "A Miraculous!" The pieces fell into place, unraveling the source of Sparrow's newfound powers.

I heard a soft thud behind us and saw AstroChat and Uncanny Valley appear behind us, their presence adding to our resolve. With a brilliant flash of light, AstroChat transformed back into Chat Noir, his confident stance reaffirming our unity.

"That would explain his power upgrade! Good insight, M'lady!" Chat Noir's words carried a mixture of relief and admiration for Sparrow's keen observation.

Relief flooded through me as I stood before Chat Noir, my loyal partner, my unwavering support. Without hesitation, I closed the distance between us, enveloping him in a tight embrace. With gentle strokes, I wiped away the tears that had welled up in my eyes.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" I pleaded, my voice trembling with a potent blend of relief, concern, and an undeniable affection that bound us together.

Chat Noir's features softened, regret etching across his face. "I'm sorry. I was so afraid to disappoint you that I didn't dare to tell you the truth. I was so stupid."

In that intimate moment, unspoken words filled the air, a silent understanding passing between us. It was a bond forged through countless battles, a testament to our unwavering trust and unbreakable friendship.

With a quiet but resolute fist bump, we sealed our unity, a symbolic gesture affirming our commitment to each other and our duty as heroes. Together, we would face the challenges that lay ahead, safeguarding our city, seeking the truth, and putting an end to the chaos caused by the Akuma.

Hawk Moth's voice filled the air, a sinister ultimatum hanging in the balance. "Ladybug! Chat Noir! If the rocket takes off because of YOU, a world war would be declared! Unless you give me your Miraculous of course! You have five minutes! Tick-tock, tick-tock," Hawk Moth's taunting words echoed through the room.

Time was running out, and the weight of our responsibility pressed heavily upon me. I turned to Chat Noir, determination burning in my eyes.

"The first thing we need to do is seize Miraclonizer's Miraculous. That way, we'll be able to break the spell and free the adults' heroes, and in turn, they'll help us de-akumatize him!" I outlined our plan, my voice steady despite the urgency of the situation.

Sparrow, with his deep voice resonating, interjected, "But we can't get anywhere near him!"

Chat Noir, ever the optimist, retorted, "Nothing's impossible for Ladybug!"

"Lucky Charm!" I called upon the power of my Miraculous, my mind racing as I awaited the arrival of the chosen object.

To my surprise, a keychain materialized before me. Uncanny Valley, observing from the sidelines, couldn't help but comment on the peculiar item.

"So we're supposed to defeat the most powerful superheroes with a keychain? Interesting!" Uncanny Valley remarked, her voice filled with curiosity.

Undeterred, I clutched the keychain, determined to unlock its hidden potential. "Yes, well... as soon as I figure out how to use it."

The pressure intensified as Miraclonizer's countdown continued. Time was slipping away, and we needed a breakthrough.

A sudden inspiration struck me, and I turned to Uncanny Valley. "Uncanny! Can you show me how the Statue of Liberty is built?"

With her powers, Uncanny Valley presented an image of the iconic statue, revealing a crucial detail. "Look! There's a ladder inside the arm that leads to the platform!"

Chat Noir's excitement was palpable. "Awesome! But how are we gonna get inside when there's an army of superheroes attacking us?"

Sparrow and I exchanged a knowing glance. "Doorman!" we said in unison.

With his unique ability of tele-doortation, Doorman could be the key to our success. But there was a problem – he had withdrawn from his heroic duties, driven solely by his own curiosity.

Undeterred, I formulated a plan. I spotted a cardboard box and a newspaper nearby, and I gestured to Sparrow. "Sparrow! Grab a cardboard box and that newspaper and make a wrapped gift box!"

Sparrow swiftly complied, constructing the disguise we needed. Meanwhile, I turned to Uncanny Valley. "Uncanny, unlock the door to the Statue of Liberty with your powers."

As Sparrow and Uncanny Valley took their leave, reverting back to their civilian forms as Jess and Aeon, they captured a final moment of unity in a selfie.

"Dear sir," Jess began, holding the gift box, "we got you a little gift to thank you for our day at the museum! We hope you enjoy the surprise!"

I bid them farewell, wishing them luck as they flew off to Liberty Island. Our plan was set in motion.

In a serendipitous turn of events, Doorman emerged through a portal, drawn by the curiosity sparked by the gift box. His eyes lit up as he read the note. "Kids? 'We know how fascinating you think keys are, so we hope you like this.' Signed, Jess and Aeon! Of course! That's where I should've started!"

He opened the door with his power. 

In the heart of Paris, Chat Noir and I found ourselves inside the iconic Eiffel Tower, our determination driving us forward. We searched for the key that held the power to unlock the hidden safe within the Statue.

"Here it is! That key! The one that opens the safe hidden in the Statue!!" Doorman's excitement was palpable as he grabbed the key and made a beeline for the door. Using his power he made a portal to the Statue of Liberty. We quickly followed him. But there was no time to waste. Chat Noir and I swiftly intercepted him, our focus unwavering. We immobilized Doorman, ensuring he wouldn't interfere with our mission to protect Paris.

"NO!! At least let me see what's inside the safe!" His plea fell on deaf ears as we pressed on, driven by our duty to safeguard the city.

"Only a few seconds left!" I called out, my voice filled with a sense of determination.

Meanwhile, at the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Sparrow and Uncanny Valley soared through the sky, their focus fixed on Miraclonizer perched atop the statue. His presence was a constant reminder of the looming threat we faced.

Back on the stairs of the Statue of Liberty, Chat Noir and I pushed ourselves to the limit, our shared determination propelling us higher and higher.

In a pivotal moment, I managed to seize the Eagle Miraculous from Miraclonizer's grasp. The villain was unmasked, his true identity revealed as Techlonizer, stripped of his malicious powers.

With the Miraculous in my possession, I proclaimed, "I'll take that! SPARROW!" I swiftly threw the Eagle Miraculous to Sparrow, who landed with remarkable agility. Liiri, the kwami of the Eagle Miraculous, materialized before us.

Liiri greeted Sparrow with a playful tone, "Hello, fledgling! All you have to say is Liiri, wings of Liberty!"

Sparrow, now Jess, embraced her newfound power, uttering the transformation phrase with unwavering resolve.

"Liiri-" Sparrow started as Jess reverted to her civilian form, her name hanging in the air, "-Wings of Liberty!"

 Jess transformed into the mighty Eagle, her wings unfurling with grace and strength. The power surged through her, uniting us in our shared purpose. Eagle called out her power phrase turning all of the heroes back to their normal selves. 

As the battle reached its climactic peak, the moon cast its ethereal glow upon Majestia, illuminating her as she transformed back into her true self. Her radiance pierced through the darkness, signaling the restoration of her powers.

At the same time, amidst the bustling streets of New York City, Knightowl emerged from the shadows, his heroic form giving way to his civilian identity. The sight of his return instilled a renewed sense of hope and security in the hearts of the city's inhabitants. They found solace in his unwavering dedication to their protection.

As Techlonizer's menacing ultimatum hung in the air, my heart pounded with determination. Ladybug and Chat Noir stood side by side, united in our refusal to surrender our Miraculous. His demand echoed, but our resolve remained unyielding.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! This is your last chance to give me your Miraculous!" Techlonizer's voice reverberated, attempting to shake our determination.

With unwavering eyes locked on each other, Chat Noir and I exchanged a silent understanding. Our commitment to protecting Paris and its Miraculous was unbreakable. Together, we responded, our voices filled with unwavering conviction, "Never!"

But time was against us. The rocket, a symbol of impending chaos, loomed closer to the moon, threatening to unleash havoc upon the world. Panic threatened to grip us, but we couldn't afford to falter. We needed a solution, and we needed it quickly.

In a breathtaking twist of fate, Majestia emerged from the depths of space, her presence radiating immense power. With incredible strength, she intercepted the rocket's path, diverting its course away from disaster. Chat Noir and I watched in awe, inspired by her unwavering determination and resolve.

Refocusing our attention on Techlonizer, we launched our coordinated attack. Chat Noir summoned the cataclysmic power within him, aiming for Techlonizer's gauntlets, while Knightowl swooped in to aid us. Our combined efforts left Techlonizer defenseless and bewildered, revealing his true identity as Techno-Pirate.

As Techno-Pirate stood vulnerable before us, Knightowl swiftly swept me off my feet, carrying me to safety. In his strong embrace, I felt a surge of gratitude and reassurance. We were not alone in this fight; we had allies who stood beside us, ready to support and protect us.

With the villain's transformation unraveled, it was my moment to seize. With my yo-yo in hand, I skillfully captured the malevolent akuma, its presence bound by the strength of my will. "Time to de-evilize!" I declared with unwavering determination, releasing the akuma and watching it transform into a delicate butterfly, free from its corrupted state.

The miraculous magic surged forth, its radiant glow sweeping through the city. In its wake, the once-broken fragments of Paris were restored, the wounds healed, and the chaos brought to an end. The city breathed a collective sigh of relief, the harmonious melody of its revived spirit echoing through the streets.

Techno-Pirate, now stripped of his ill-gotten powers, stood defeated and disoriented. Justice had prevailed, and the consequences of his actions awaited him. He was led away, his reign of chaos coming to an end.

The battle had come to an end and the four of us watched as the adult heroes dealt with putting away Techno-Pirate. Eagle turned to look at me and then began removing the necklace. “I should probably give this back.”

I shook my head and held out my hand signaling for Eagle to stop. "Keep it. I know you'll use it well," I said, my gaze meeting Eagle’s. 

Eagle, now revealed as Jess looked over at Knightowl. Her eyes filled with uncertainty, and she voiced her concerns, "I've disobeyed again, which means... I'll never get my weapons back, right?"

Knightowl, whose support for Sparrow had grown, stepped forward, dispelling her doubts. "With the powers of the Miraculous, you won't need them anymore. And I was wrong. My little Sparrow is ready to become a fearsome Eagle," Knightowl reassured her, a glimmer of pride in her eyes.

Gratitude washed over Sparrow's face as she embraced Knightowl. The deep-rooted bond between them was evident, even as Sparrow quickly corrected herself, "Thank you, Mom! I mean, thank you, sir."

Knightowl's response was filled with acceptance and understanding. "It doesn't matter anymore. With this new suit, everyone now knows Sparrow is a female, not a male. And that the legendary original Knightowl and Sparrow are long gone," she explained, removing her mask and revealing her true self.

Her voice shifted from its deep tone to a normal one, a symbolic transformation mirroring her acceptance of her identity. "Maybe it's a sign. That the time has come to embrace who we really are," Knightowl continued, her words resonating with newfound freedom.

Majestia, watching the scene unfold, expressed her gratitude for the inspiration Sparrow had provided. "And even though it still worries us, the only way for you to grow is for us to let you take chances. Thank you for inspiring them," Majestia acknowledged, her regal presence radiating warmth.

Knightowl, humbled by her own misjudgment, humbly apologized. "And please forgive us for misjudging you," she implored, a tinge of remorse lacing her words.

Watching Jess and Aeon, I felt a sense of unity and pride well up in me. Chat Noir, Eagle, Uncanny Valley, and I stood together, recognizing the power of forgiveness and growth. The unspoken bond we shared, forged through countless battles, was reinforced by the collective realization that second chances could pave the way for transformation.

With a shared determination, we raised our fists, our hands colliding in a resounding pound. It was a symbol of unity, acceptance, and our commitment to face the challenges ahead as a united front.

Perched atop the Statue of Liberty's torch, my thoughts swirled with a mix of relief and uncertainty. Uncanny Valley stood beside me, her powers of illusion and memory manipulation offering a solution to our secret identities conundrum.

"Uncanny, what about our secret identities?" I voiced my concern, my voice tinged with a hint of worry. The weight of our responsibilities as superheroes always loomed over us, and the thought of our true identities being exposed filled me with a sense of vulnerability.

Uncanny Valley flashed me a reassuring smile, her eyes brimming with determination. "Don't worry! Once we say goodbye, I'll erase this information from my memory," she assured me, her words laced with the unwavering commitment we shared as allies.

Gratitude welled up within me as I pulled Uncanny Valley into a tight embrace. Her presence had been instrumental in bringing us back together, reuniting Ladybug and Chat Noir as a formidable team. I held onto her momentarily, cherishing the bond we had formed, before releasing her with a heartfelt "Thank you."

AstroChat, reverting back to his regular self, landed beside us, his usual charismatic demeanor shining through. His words carried a mixture of lightheartedness and sincere loyalty as he bid me farewell. "I'll see you back in Paris, M'lady!" he exclaimed, a twinkle of excitement in his eyes.

With a nod, I acknowledged AstroChat's words, acknowledging the distance that would soon separate us. We had a shared understanding, knowing that our paths would cross again, but for now, duty called us to different corners of the world.

As Uncanny Valley and AstroChat took to the sky, their forms disappearing into the distance, I watched them go with a mixture of emotions. Parting ways was bittersweet, yet the knowledge that we had each other's backs gave me strength.

I decided to head back to the hotel. Once I got there I saw the Parisian news was on, and my attention was captured by the familiar voice of Nadja. Her words echoed through the air, highlighting the heroic efforts of Ladybug and Chat Noir in a city far from home. The sight of a magnificent statue, depicting Ladybug, Chat Noir, Uncanny Valley, and Eagle, filled me with pride and a sense of accomplishment.

XoXo Rowan

[dizzying-faust]

Hot take, but Alyanette is more of a rarepair than Marigami.

[starfinss]

Coup de Grâce — Miraculous 2/2

𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮: Miraculous Ladybug

𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir + Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug

𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: SFW

𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵: 7,599

𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺:

Coup de Grâce (Noun) A final blow or shot, given to kill a wounded person or animal.

When Adrien starts to put two and two together, he realizes Lila Rossi’s treatment of one Marinette Dupain-Cheng is far worse that he’d ever imagined, and the high road is no longer (and frankly, may have never been) an option. He decides to take matters into his own hands. Game, Set, Match.

Adrien woke the morning after the gala to a phone call.

It was before his alarm, and therefore before Adrien would be answering anything, so he declined the call, rolled over, and closed his eyes again, fully intent on going straight back to sleep.

It rang again.

“Adrien, please, turn off your phone,” Plagg whined, and Adrien grunted, declining the call again.

And, as Adrien expected, it rang again.

Plagg made a soft, disgruntled sound. “I’m going to eat your phone.”

Adrien sat up, brushing his mussed hair out of his sleepy eyes before picking up the phone and finally answering.

“Hello?”

“ADRIEN AGRESTE—”

Adrien pulled the phone an arm’s length away from his ear, startled completely awake by Alya’s shouting. She’d undoubtedly seen Jagged Stone’s livestream, and she indubitably didn’t like what she saw. Why she was awake and screaming at him before six in the morning, Adrien didn’t know, but she was making it very clear that this was his problem, and it was his problem now.

“—She never even TOLD ME—“

Adrien pulled the phone away again, exchanging a glance with Plagg before finally taking a deep breath and pressing the phone back to his ear.

“Alya,” he said, “calm down.”

“Calm do— CALM DOWN?! Don’t you tell me to calm down, you knew about all of this, didn’t you? That she… that SNAKE was lying to me? I can’t BELIEVE I thought Marinette was ever jealous. She knew all along, and I should have trusted her.”

Alya sounded like she was on the verge of tears, and Adrien couldn’t blame her. He’d been the one to tell Marinette to be the bigger person, and that hadn’t turned out well at all.

“Alya,” Adrien repeated, “I feel horrible, too. I told Marinette to take the high road, and Lila ended up bullying her—”

“Wait, wait, hold the ABSOLUTE phone, Agreste, Lila WHAT?! All Marinette said was thats she and Lila didn’t get along, but excuse me— you’re telling me that this BITCH has been bullying my best friend?”

“Yeah,” Adrien said miserably, “I overheard Lila in the locker room with Marinette. Threatening her, calling her names. It was horrible.”

“And you didn’t confront her?!”

Adrien sighed. “What do you think last night was? I couldn’t just tell her off in the locker room, she’d be onto me, no matter how badly I wanted to. I’ve talked to Lila about the lying before, but she never stops. I had to make it stick, and that meant being sneaky.”

Alya was silent for a second before she spoke again. “At LEAST tell me you comforted her. I dunno, gave her a hug, anything? Marinette is sensitive, something like that— going on for that long— oh, God.”

Her voice sounded equal parts miserable and exhausted, and Adrien knew how she felt. He’d felt the same when he finally realized what had been going on.

“Of course, I gave her a hug,” Adrien said, mildly indignant, “I’m not a monster.”

“God, her heart probably was on the verge of exploding.”

Adrien blinked. “What?”

“Nothing, never mind,” Alya said quickly, “I had an inkling of what was going on, Lila threatened Marinette in the bathroom a few months ago, but I stupidly thought she was stretching the truth a little. I believed her, though, I knew she’d never make something like that up. The way she said Lila was acting was… it was scary, Adrien. It seemed almost impossible that she could say those things, Lila always seems so… nice, so genuine.”

Alya scoffed, her voice tight, and angry, and so, so bitter. “But I guess that’s another one of her lies, isn’t it? I’ve been less inclusive of Lila since she makes Marinette uncomfortable, like, you know, not inviting Lila over, or just having time with me and Marinette, but she never told me that Lila was— oh my God, I’ve been such a bad friend.”

“No,” Adrien said, “Lila had everyone fooled. She’s a good liar, I’ll give her that. What matters now is being there for Marinette, I don’t doubt that Lila will try and take this out on her. We have to protect her.”

Adrien paused, “also, why are you calling me this early?”

Alya scoffed tearfully. “You think I got a wink of sleep after seeing that? All I could think about was how I didn’t believe Marinette, my best friend, when she was being bullied. I should’ve stuck with the feeling I got when I knew there was something she wasn’t telling me, because she so obviously wasn’t fine, Adrien, she must’ve felt so alone, and I should have believed her.”

“Then make it up to her,” Adrien said, “apologize, be a good friend, and call Lila out the second you see her at school.”

“Done and done. So much more than done,” Alya snarled, “I’m burying that girl in the fucking ground. She’s dead, Adrien, d-e-a-d, DEAD.”

And with that, she hung up, leaving Adrien sitting, dumbstruck in the darkness of his room.

“It is way too early for all of that,” grumbled Plagg, “what’d she even want, anyway?”

Adrien flopped down on the bed. “You probably heard most of that. She wasn’t exactly quiet. But I’m pretty sure Lila’s life is in danger.”

“Good,” the Kwami scoffed, “she deserves a little misfortune. You have no idea how crazy that girl was driving me.”

Adrien chuckled dryly. “I may have an inkling.”

Plagg fell asleep again in a few seconds, but Adrien wasn’t able to, so he got out of bed and got ready for his morning workout routine. After said routine, he took a shower, longer than usual since he had the time. He was even able to watch a few of his favorite compilation videos of Ladybug before Nathalie came upstairs to fetch him for breakfast.

Said meal passed uneventfully, with little conversation between Adrien and his father. Adrien was still annoyed with him for inviting Lila as his date without running it past him, so that was fine by him. It was only when he was getting into the car to go to school that Nathalie told him he was no longer to associate with Lila Rossi, and that she was no longer welcome in the house.

Adrien pretended to be confused, and when asked why that was, Nathalie simply told him it was ‘bad for PR’ before shutting the car door. Regardless, Adrien accepted the verdict, much more easily than Nathalie expected, Adrien gathered, from her perplexed expression.

That, Adrien decided, was something he could live with.

He was barely in his seat before everything went sideways, and the bell hadn’t even rang yet.

“Dude, what was that?” Nino cried, sliding into the seat beside him, “the class chat is going insane, haven’t you seen any of it?”

“Adrien, we need to talk,” Came Alya’s voice, from somewhere over Adrien’s shoulder.

“No,” Adrien said, turning to Nino, “I haven’t looked at the class chat, I had it muted since last night at the gala since it’s not exactly good etiquette to  have your phone buzzing nonstop. And we will talk, Alya.”

Alya looked like she hadn’t slept, and, from what she’d told Adrien, she hadn’t. Her hair was unwashed, tossed into a ponytail, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked a bit like she’d gotten dressed in the dark, or, and Adrien didn’t at all blame her if this were the case, she just didn’t care about looking nice today. She had ass to kick, and nobody said there was a dress code for that.

In Adrien’s case, ass kicking, as well as anything that he considered a good time, involved black leather, as well as tossing himself from building to building and hitting things with a stick, but that was just him.

“I can’t believe that she’s been lying,” Nino sighed, clearly wounded, “all this time, to all of us. What else has she— and with the bullying— How deep does it go? Has she ever told the truth at all?”

Alya scoffed. “Fat chance of that.”

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival Marinette, who seemed just a little more upbeat than she had been the day previous. She’d clearly seen the class chat, and with how big of a fan Adrien knew she was of Jagged Stone, she’d undoubtedly seen the stream. Furthermore, she was more than smart enough to know what Adrien had been doing.

Alya sprang from her seat like she’d been ejected from it, tugging Marinette into a fierce hug. The other girl started, but she hugged her best friend back.

“I’m so sorry,” Alya muttered into Marinette’s shoulder, “I’m so sorry that I didn’t believe you, if you don’t forgive, me I understand, I—”

“Alya,” Marinette said softly, her expression blissfully happy, “no, stop, I forgive you. For her credit, she was a good liar. But— I expect you to buy me a whole box of macarons. Y’know, to make it up to me. And I get to pick the movies we watch, for a whole month.”

“Done,” Alya said in an instant, her relief clear in her voice, “super done.”

Adrien decided not to mention that Marinette lived above a bakery, as that would ruin a sweet moment, and that was the last thing he wanted.

“God, M, why didn’t you tell me?” Alya sighed, and Marinette shrugged.

“I dunno, I thought maybe I was being dramatic, and I— I wanted to solve it myself. So I just said that we didn’t get along.”

Alya scoffed. “I was an idiot to have believed that. But I was an even bigger idiot to have believed Lila.”

“Is Lila even here today?” Adrien asked, and Nino chuckled bitterly.

“She’s here,” he said, leaning back in his seat and folding his hands behind his head, “hiding out somewhere, who knows. Little miss pants-on-fire probably wants to do damage control. Not that there’s anything left for her to control. She’s already been removed from the class chat. She’s done-zo, man.”

Adrien tilted his head. “How do you know she’s here? Did you see her?”

Nino chuckled. “Yeah, on my way in. She kept her head down, didn’t look at anyone. I didn’t approach; she isn’t worth my time. Marinette, for what it’s worth, I’m super sorry, too. I should’ve believed you. If there’s anything I can do to make it up, let me know, yeah?”

Marinette smiled, her cheeks gently pink, and she nodded.

“From now on,” Alya said, resting her head on Marinette’s shoulder, “I listen to you. Not some fake bitch with a fake life, girl. And you’re totally allowed to be mad at me, I was a horrible friend.”

The next ten or so minutes was full of apologies from classmates as they arrived, sans Chloé, who, of course, loudly claimed she knew Lila was lying the entire time, a declaration that convinced no one, earning a chorus of exasperated groans. Rose, contrastingly, burst into tears, with not even Marinette’s repeated assurances that she was forgiven providing any comfort. She finally stopped wailing after Juleka peppered her face with kisses, her hiccuping sobs turning into delighted giggles.

It was when Lila Rossi herself entered the classroom that everyone went silent.

Adrien’s eyes passed across his classmates, taking in the downright venomous looks they were giving Lila, but none of those held a candle to Alya. The expression on her face was something Adrien could only describe as apocalyptic fury, her eyes blazing behind her spectacles, her lip curled back to reveal her teeth in a menacing snarl. She probably would have already pounced on Lila if Nino wasn’t physically holding her back from doing so.

“You have some nerve—“ Alya started, but Nino clapped a hand over her mouth, much to her fury.

Lila barely acknowledged the other girl’s anger, her face a perfect mask of impassive and casual, a polite smile glued to her lips. She seemed completely nonplussed by the eyes on her, infuriatingly nonchalant, and if Alya was kept back any longer, Adrien was pretty sure she was going to start foaming at the mouth.

“Oh, Marinette,” Lila said, as though she’d just remembered something while she placed her things down at her desk, “can we talk? It’s nothing big, I promise.”

Marinette shrank in on herself, halfway hiding behind Adrien where he stood beside her.

Softly, and low enough that nobody else could hear, Adrian leaned over to her, just a little, to speak into her ear.

“Say yes,” he whispered, “don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. I’ll be right there with you.”

Marinette looked like she was about to bust into a million pieces, her face the color of a boiled lobster, but she nodded, straightening back up to her full height. A mask of calm slipped over her face, all the worry and fear previously in her expression melting away as if it was never there at all. She was suddenly the picture of confidence, and as Adrien studied her, he realized that this somehow seemed…

Familiar.

“Okay,” Marinette said, her voice even and calm, “I’ll bite. The locker room, in say, five minutes?”

Lila giggled, and something passed behind her eyes, something that made shivers rake down Adrien’s spine. But, just as quick as it appeared, it was gone. Adrien swallowed the swell of unease that caught in his throat, keeping his face blank.

“Sure,” Lila said, pleasant as ever, “Locker room. It’s a date.”

And with that, she turned on her heel, disappearing through the classroom door.

“I have a plan,” Adrien said, after a few seconds of tense silence had passed.

Alya yanked Nino’s hand away from her face. “If that plan involves strangling her, I’m all in.”

“No,” Adrien said, “but it does involve dealing the final blow, if you’re interested in that.”

Alya smirked. “Since when have you been so devious, Agreste?”

“Since someone started bullying my friend.”

And since the high road didn’t work, I’m fighting dirty.

Alya seemed to approve of this. “Okay, okay. Now, what’s the plan?”

The plan was simple. And it all started with Marinette.

Adrien walked alongside her down the hallway, his hand resting on the small of her back to try and soothe her unease, but that only seemed to make her more tense. The mask of confidence hadn’t slipped, but he could tell she wasn’t looking forward to confronting Lila, even with a friend alongside her.

Marinette stepped into the locker room before Adrien did, and the second she did, Adrien heard a heavy thud, and then a gasp of pain.

He’d never burst a door open so quickly in his life.

There was Lila, her face so different from what she usually looked like that she was almost unrecognizable. There was no hint of her usual kindness or soft, silly humor, or the ever present sparkle of sly mischief only visible to those who really looked. Her lips were curled back an a cold, unfriendly sneer, with teeth bared like she was a predator who had caught its prey. And her eyes…

There was nothing behind those eyes.

And that was what scared Adrien the most. Because now, though some small part of him suspected it before, he knew that Lila felt absolutely nothing for the people she hurt. She didn’t do this because she wanted people to like her. She didn’t do this for any conceivable reason that any regular pathological liar would; because she couldn’t help it. Lila Rossi lied because she could, for her own personal gain and for the pleasure she got from doing so. She was a master manipulator. This was a game to her, and she hated to lose.

She simply found joy in tormenting those who kept her from getting what she wanted.

And Adrien thought Hawkmoth was a monster. Lila Rossi didn’t need superpowers for that.

Lila’s fist was clenched at her side, the other drawn back, but then there was Marinette, sitting on her knees and clutching her cheek, and Adrien knew what she’d just done, what line Lila had crossed, and he didn’t even know if it was the first time she’d done so. With a rage he’d never experienced before, Adrien stalked forward to stand in front of Marinette, using his superior height to tower over Lila, staring down his nose at her, his disgust crystal clear on his face.

The emptiness in Lila’s eyes was rapidly replaced with false shock, then fear, and betrayal, and Adrien had no idea how she was so good at pretending to feel after she’d just struck someone in the face with a closed fist, after she had spent her entire time in France making false friendships and hurting everyone she spoke to. He wondered with bitter bemusement what ludicrous lie she was going to use, what she could possibly say in order to get out of this situation.

Adrien expected her to lie. He didn’t expect her to launch herself into his arms, crocodile tears tracing her cheeks, with false, hiccuping sobs shaking her narrow shoulders. He didn’t expect her to cling onto him like he was her saving grace, her manicured nails digging into his skin through his shirt as she held onto him with a vice grip.

“Oh, Adrien,” she wailed, her voice full of sorrow, “Marinette hit me, she just hauled off and hit me! I just needed some help with—”

Everything slowed down. Adrien had been nice to this girl. He’d been good to her, given her the benefit of the doubt, tried to give her every chance in the world for a shred of retribution, to try and prove that she was better than this, that she could be happy without building herself a fragile, falsified house of cards. He tried. And she went and hurt the people he cared about.

Adrien was done. He was done being nice. He was done letting her stoke him like he was an animal in a petting zoo whenever she felt like it, putting her hands where they were very much not welcome, and he was done being polite about refusing her advances, or chucking awkwardly as he pushed her hands away from his body, only to be forced to endure again, and again, and again.

You know what they say about a house of cards. All it takes is a single push to make it all fall down. This was Adrien’s push.

“That’s enough, Lila,” he said, with no hint of malice in his voice, “you can stop now.”

She looked up at him with watery eyes, her face the perfect imitation of someone who was so utterly betrayed, but Adrien was not buying it. He knew what she really looked like now.

“S-stop?” She hiccuped, “stop what? Adrien, please, Marinette, she’s been bullying me since I got here, I know she hates me, and she set you up last night, right? She put you up to all that— that stupidity. Just tell me that’s what happened, and I’ll forgive you, Adrien.”

Adrien shook his head, face still calm. “No, Lila. That isn’t what happened. You know that.”

Her eyes grew frantic. “Y-yes, yes it is! She put you up to that, and you didn’t mean it.”

“Lila. Listen to me—”

“YOU DIDN’T MEAN IT.”

Adrien knew exactly what she was doing. She was seriously, after he knew every single breath she took was a lie, trying to gaslight him. Had she done this to Marinette? The mere thought of it made his anger swell to dangerous levels.

“You wouldn’t do that to me, would you? You wouldn’t want to hurt me.”

Guilt tripping, gaslighting, what else was she going to try? Adrien may as well have been a statue, his expression just as stony as one. His eyes remained fixed on her face, unimpressed, the only indication that he was even listening to her being his eyebrows as they rose into his hairline.

“Lila, stop,” he said, finally, gently pushing her off of him, “that’s enough. No more games. No more nothing. Nobody slandered you, either. Nobody told the entire student body that you were best friends with Ladybug, or that you saved Jagged Stone’s cat, or that you got an expensive necklace from the prince of Achu. You did. All I did, all anyone did, was believe you.”

Lila blinked back her false tears, still trying to sell the wounded victim act, but the only thing it accomplished was making Adrien angrier.

“Just tell me you didn’t mean it,” she whimpered, as if she hadn’t heard what Adrien had just said, “you didn’t mean to force me to be on that livestream. You didn’t, right?”

Adrien started at her, perplexed and mildly amused. “Lila, I didn’t put you on livestream. Jagged Stone did. I didn’t tell him to do that. I don’t control him. You got yourself into this mess by lying, I did not do this to you. Stop looking for people to blame, and take a look in a damn mirror. I’m done with this, I’m done with you.”

He stepped forward, forcing her to take a step back, her tearful expression flickering, but Adrien didn’t care. He was on a roll.

“Because you don’t just lie, Lila. You hurt people. You enjoy hurting people, and that is sick. Something is wrong with you for enjoying tormenting others,” Adrien spat, the temperature of his voice dropping into single digits. “You bullied Marinette because what, she didn’t believe your lies? She saw through you? You felt the need to hurt her, someone sweet, and kind, and just purely good because of a stupid reason like that? Of course you did. To protect your falsified reputation, you took it out on her.”

Lila shook her head rapidly, and Adrien was mildly impressed she was continuing the charade. Her dedication to her act was admirable, even if it was for the wrong reasons.

“No!” She cried, “Adrien, I love you, don’t you know that? I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you. Marinette has been bullying me because she—”

“Save it,” Adrien interjected, “don’t you even try it. If you think I will believe a word you say you’ve got another thing coming. I gave you several chances, because I hate believing that someone is completely bad, and I hoped to God that you weren’t always a horrible liar, that just maybe you could change, but I was wrong. You’re worse than a liar. You’re a bully. And I will not be friends with someone like that, ever.”

Several emotions passed over Lila’s face, and Adrien thought that this might be his first glimpse of what she really felt. He could see the mental gymnastics going at the speed of light behind her eyes as she wiped at her face with the heels of her hands, raising her gaze to meet his once more.

“Does it even matter to you that I just told you I love you?”

Adrien stared at her, and before he could open his mouth to speak, Marinette did it for him.

“Love?” She said, her voice wobbly with emotions, but the scorn interlaced into her tone was almost palpable, “don’t make me laugh, Lila. You don’t lie and manipulate and gaslight someone you love. This is you, seeking control. Because that’s what you want, right? You don’t want love, you want someone you can break down into whatever you want, someone you can own. That isn’t love.”

“Don’t listen to her, Adrien!” Lila sobbed, “I do, love you, I do! You know I do. I love you more than anything.”

Adrien shook his head, his lips pressed together in a firm line. “No. Marinette’s right. This isn’t love, Lila. You need to stop. That’s enough.”

The tears stopped. It was so abrupt it was like someone had flipped a switch, and Lila stood terrifyingly still for a handful of seconds before a new emotion overtook her face.

Rage.

In a flash, she was on Marinette again, screaming profanities and insults, and Adrien rushed forward, past caring about being gentle as he yanked her off of his friend. She was fast, though, as she was suddenly on him, shoving him into the lockers, his back hitting the one of the metal handles with a painful clang that would undoubtedly leave a nasty bruise. Lila’s face was a twisted, feral grimace, her eyes swirling with selfish rage, her breath expelling out from between her grit teeth in seething bursts.

“Fine,” she snarled, “I lied. Yeah, maybe I do like fucking with idiots like Marinette. People like her, with those big, stupid soft hearts, it’s the most fun to watch them crack. To watch them fall into despair, wondering ‘why me’ when there isn’t any reason other than I felt like it. Everyone worships me. I tell those stupid sycophants what they want to hear to get things to go my way. Is it so wrong to want to be in control?”

Lila was unrecognizable, her eyes a horrifying concoction of mania and malice, her mouth split open into a wide, wolfish grin. Her hands were wrapped around Adrien’s upper arms, her nails cutting through his shirt painfully, and she leaned in until her nose was nearly pressed to his.

“Liar Lila, that’s what you wanted to hear, right?” She sneered, “well, I can lie some more. I can ruin you, Adrien Agreste. You’re going to regret siding with her. Watch me tell the principal, the police, that you and that bitch jumped me, a poor, defenseless girl. Watch me tell ruin your spotless reputation, watch me say you touched me. They’ll believe me. I know they will. Because if they don’t, they’re blaming the victim. I hope you liked school, Adrien, or having friends, or fans, or respect. You and Marinette deserve each other. You can be pariahs together.”

Adrien remained unfazed, despite the severity of her threats. In fact, he smiled. And as his grin grew wider, as did the confusion on Lila’s face.

“Why the fuck are you—”

“Alya,” Adrien said, “now’s good.”

The shutter of a camera went off like a gunshot, and Lila’s eyes went wide with horror as she jolted back and away from Adrien like he’d burned her.

“Nah,” Alya said as she finally, finally stepped into the room, “that’s it for you, miss pants-on-fire.”

Adrien watched Alya’s eyes roll as Lila’s eyes welled up with tears again.

“Alya!” She cried, “I was just defending—”

Alya rolled her neck, then her shoulders as she stepped forward, phone in her hand, undoubtedly recording.

“You,” Alya said, her voice dripping with tranquil fury, “can shut the hell up.”

“You don’t understand, Marinette isn’t your friend, she lied to you, I—”

Alya moved more quickly than Adrien had ever seen her move, shoving her phone into her pocket, the blink of the red light telling Adrien the phone was still recording audio.

“Oh my God, Lila, shut up,” Alya spat, her voice saturated with venom. “Didn’t I just tell you to shut up? You what? You lied? You bullied my best friend? Don’t you dare talk to me about Marinette, you two-faced, back stabbing cockroach. I thought we were friends. I can’t believe I ever thought a single word out of your filthy mouth was the truth. You played me and the entire fucking class for a fool, and you will regret that.”

The visage of a helpless, tormented girl drained from Lila’s face in an instant, replaced with her sneer, and she squared her shoulders, stepping towards Alya.

“Regret what? Your friend made herself an easy target. And she’s already so sensitive that—”

Alya did something Adrien was expecting her to do, but it still surprised him nonetheless: she hauled back, and in a flash, she slapped Lila across the face. The impact of the strike sent Lila stumbling back, her eyes wide as her hand rose to cup her cheek. She was stunned to silence, both from the slap and from the terrifying fury rolling off of Alya in crashing waves. Her face had given way to bug-eyed shock, her jaw slack, opposite arm limp by her side. If Adrien didn’t know any better, he’d think that this had never happened to Lila before: she’d never had to face the ramifications of her actions. And Hell hath no fury like an Alya scorned.

“I am talking,” Alya snarled, “mouth closed, attention please.”

Helpless, Lila nodded.

“Like, seriously?” Alya said, waving her hands around in indignation, “and I thought Chloé was bad, but she looks like a fucking humanitarian compared to you. I can’t believe I ever put you on my blog in a positive light. I hope you know that this recording is going to every goddamn person in school. Hell, maybe I’ll post it to the school website, maybe my blog. You know what, I think I’ll do just that. Maybe even Adrien’s fan page. I’ve sure the people over there would love to hear you threatening him. And don’t even think of speaking a single word unless it’s an apology to Marinette. Everyone has had enough of you.”

At last, Adrien saw the first genuine flicker of fear in Lila’s eyes. She backed up further, roles swapped drastically from predator to trapped prey as Alya stalked towards her like she was about to devour her whole, and if she wasn’t stopped, she probably would. But Adrien wasn’t going to stop her.

“Apologize,” Alya said, no, ordered, “by tonight. I’ll have Max add you back to the class chat, just for a little bit. Own up to all your shit, apologize to Marinette, tell everyone what you did, or I will do it for you. And if you ever touch another hair on Marinette’s head ever again, you know you’ll have me to worry about. Now get out of my sight.”

Lila stood still. Her eyes were wide with shock, her jaw clenching and unclenching as she her gaze passed from Alya, to Marinette, then finally landing on Adrien. He stared back at her, expression frosty. She would get no more help, no more second chances from him. Genuine, defeated tears welled up in her eyes, no more of the play acting dramatics to be found as she swallowed back a sob. Without another word, Lila turned, keeping her head down, and ran out of the room.

Silence. It was quiet enough in the locker room to hear a pin drop, interrupted only by the rhythmic sound of Alya’s labored breathing as she tried and failed to calm down. Adrien turned to face her, and watched as tears of her own beaded at her lash line, reappearing even as she blinked them back. She wiped her face furiously before reaching down to end the recording on her phone. In a few taps, Adrien’s phone buzzed, undoubtedly with the audio recording that had just been taken.

“Adrien,” Alya said, “thank you.”

Adrien looked back at her, puzzled. “What for?”

“Sticking up for her, dumbass. Sorry I called you a dumbass,” Alya sniffled. “I mean, thank you for seeing through Lila’s tricks, for supporting Marinette when I—”

Alya bit back another sob, and Adrien wanted to step forward, to try and offer some form of comfort, but she held her hand up.

“I’m not the important one, here,” Alya said, “Marinette is.”

Adrien turned towards where Marinette was sitting, still on her knees, her arms wrapped around herself. Her left cheek was red, undoubtedly in the early stages of a forming bruise. Tears were welling up in her eyes, too, but she wasn’t bothering to brush them away, letting them spill down her cheeks in soundless cries, but Adrien could tell that among the cacophony of stentorian emotions that were thundering in her head, that one in particular was present beyond a shadow of a doubt: relief.

Kneeling beside her and pulling her forwards and into his arms felt as natural as breathing, and the second he was touching her, it was like a dam broke. It was like everything was hitting her at once, with soft, sniffling sobs spilling out as she finally just let it hurt. She pulled Adrien closer to her, burying her head in the crook off his neck, a spot where it fit like it was always meant to be.

“You’re okay, now,” Adrien whispered, and she clung to him more tightly, “she can’t hurt you again. I won’t let her.”

Marinette let out a gasping sob as her fingers curled into the cloth of Adrien’s shirt, just to hold onto something, and he let her, rubbing soothing circles into the small of her back with one hand as his opposite arm wrapped securely around her shoulders, holding her close.

Adrien smiled when he felt Alya move in, wrapping her arms around the both of them, pressing a soft, affectionate kiss to the crown of Marinette’s head, whispering her apologies and promises to do better into the midnight of her hair, and Marinette lifted her chin, leaning up to press her forehead against her best friend’s.

Alya quietly excused herself after that, undoubtedly to upload the audio recording she’d just taken to every social media platform she had an account with, leaving Marinette with Adrien as he continued to whisper words of comfort. She cried for a long time, and Adrien’s heart hurt for her. He knew what it felt like to be alone, to be helpless. Marinette didn’t deserve to feel that way, nobody did.

He wondered if Ladybug ever felt this way. She was always so strong and confident. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her cry, not that any part of Marinette was weak for crying, it was human to cry. Even if Adrien had never seen Ladybug cry, he knew she probably did. It made his heart, his entire soul ache, just the thought of his lady being sad or lonely. The thoughts of her and the beautiful girl in his arms blurred together, and, without even thinking, the words just… slipped out.

“It’s gonna be okay, bugaboo.”

Adrien hadn’t even realized he’d said anything until a few seconds had passed, and Marinette was staring up at him with wide, shocked, teary eyes, an odd mix of recognition and utter befuddlement intertwining behind her bluebell hues.

“You—” She sniffled, “you called me— You called me ‘bugaboo.’”

For all of Adrien’s eloquence, manners, and high society etiquette, he had no idea what to say to that.

He stared back at her like a deer in the headlights, his eyes wide and terrified because he was truly fucked. He’d slipped up, and there was no Ladybug to put things back the way they were, nobody to backpedal and make Marinette forget that he’d just Freudian slipped while she was crying in his arms and he was trying to be comforting— Oh God, Plagg was going to tease him about this for the rest of time.

“I—” Adrien floundered, “j-just uh, forget—”

“N-no,” Marinette said, suddenly panicking, more tears welling up, “no, no that can’t be right, nobody calls me that— I mean nobody calls me that— Unless— Except…”

Adrien had no idea what she thought she knew, or what she was even talking about, but he watched as realization rapidly dawned on her, realization that was completely lost on him.

Her voice was thick with emotion when she finally spoke, a watery smile spreading across her lips, her eyes glossy with unshed tears.

“I thought,” she said, her voice adopting a laughing edge, despite her tears, “I told you not to call me that.”

Adrien stared back at her blankly. What did she—

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

There it was.

It was hitting him like a big semi truck, knocking him flat on his back like a fifty foot tidal wave.

Because it was so fucking obvious.

All those times Marinette seemed to pop up just after Ladybug vanished, how she seemed to know things only Marinette knew, why she got so bent out of shape when Lila claimed that Ladybug was her best friend. Or why Adrien always had a particular fondness for the constellations of freckles on Marinette’s face, just as he did with Ladybug’s. Why Ladybug always adopted Marinette’s stammer when she spoke to him in his civilian form.

It all made sense. All of Plagg’s weird double entendres, all of the winking and nudging his Kwami did when regarding both Ladybug and Marinette.

The confidence she wore like a second skin, her grace and poise and sass that Adrien always told himself was just a coincidence because he saw Ladybug in everything. The way Marinette’s smile reminded him of the same heaven that Ladybug’s did, and again, it had to be a coincidence, because it had to be another cruel trick of Adrien’s chronic bad luck if his lady was here, right in front of him, all along.

Marinette. Marinette. Marinette.

Tears of his own welled up in Adrien’s eyes as he stared at her, awestruck and punch drunk in love as he raised a palm to cup her face, so gingerly, like she was made of glass and precious jewels.

“You,” he whispered, voice drawn taut with emotion, “you. You’re my lady.”

Marinette’s eyes darted away, even though she leaned into his touch, betraying her own hesitance.

“A-are you disappointed it’s me?”

Adrien laughed. He didn’t mean to, but the notion that Marinette Dupain-Cheng could ever be in the same sentence with the word ‘disappointing’ was laughable. Among all of Adrien’s firm admissions that Marinette was just a friend, he saw her as a cut above the rest. Nino was his friend. Marinette was Marinette. She was talented, beautiful, and kinder than anyone he’d ever met in his life. Internally, he’d been struggling for his slowly growing feelings for her, alongside the ones he had for Ladybug for so long he’d grown tired of trying to suppress them.

Being disappointed it was her was absolutely laughable.

“Disappointed?” Adrien parroted, “God, no. No, Marinette, I’m glad it’s you. There’s nobody else I’d rather have as my lady. I’ve loved you since— Since the moment I laid eyes on you. Every waking moment has been thoughts of you, but I understand you’re in love with another boy. I value you as my friend before all of that, I’d rather you be happy and remain in my life than force my feelings on you. It’s Luka, isn’t it? He’s a great guy, and—”

It was Marinette’s turn to laugh, and Adrien blinked at her, almost owlishly.

“Silly, oblivious kitty. So dense.”

Adrien stared, affronted. “Me-ouch.”

“It’s you.” She said, blinking back tears, “Adrien, the boy I love, the one I kept rejecting you for, is you. I’ve been crazy, insane, stupid for you ever since that thing with the umbrella, the day we met. I love you so much that all I think about is you, all I want is you. I’ve tried dating, and sure Luka is wonderful. But he wasn’t you, and as much as I care about Luka, it just doesn’t feel right. I’ve wanted you since day one, Adrien Agreste.”

It took Adrien’s brain a few seconds to catch up with her words, because things like this didn’t happen to him. He was waiting for her to laugh her signature nervous Marinette laugh, speedily telling him she was joking, or for his alarm clock to wake him up, or for anything at all to interrupt this, but he blinked, squeezing his eyes shut once, twice, and his lady remained, enfolded in his arms, those incredible eyes still fixed on his face, a soft, painfully endearing smile playing at her lips.

This was real. She was real.

“I—” Adrien gasped, at a loss for words, “I— you—”

“Yeah,” Marinette giggled, tearfully, “I love you, too, you stupid cat.”

In that moment, after everything Adrien had been through, it all felt like nothing at all, no more than fleeting moments, because here she was, in his arms, telling him what he’d wanted to hear for two years, telling him she loved him just as much, just as fiercely as he loved her. All this time, they’d been chasing each other’s shadows, so desperately smitten with one another that nobody could hold even half a candle.

Adrien made a sound that was an odd mix of a laugh and a sob as he pulled her achingly tight against him, tucking her head into the crook of his neck, reveling in the way she fit against him like she was made to, how soft her skin was, how she smelled like sweet sugar and freshly baked dough. She was perfect to him, with all her flaws and misgivings, they were and always had been something he could more than happily live with, as Ladybug or as Marinette.

“Please,” Adrien whispered into her hair, “can I kiss you, Marinette?”

Marinette stiffened, her face luminescent. “If want to— I mean, if you don’t— I mean—”

Adrien chuckled warmly, his heart seizing in his chest. “Never change, Marinette.”

One of his hands slid down her cheek to find her chin, tilting her face up, and he watched her eyes flutter closed as he leaned in, slowly, finally meeting her lips with his own. It was like everything he’d ever held back was spilling out, a symphony of emotion and sensation and pure, perfect adoration. One of Adrien’s hands slid down to lace into the wisps of hair at the base of her skull, the other cupping her cheek, his thumb smoothing over the gentle curve of her cheekbone, and he could feel her in his blood, thundering through his heart, consuming him whole.

Adrien angled his head to deepen the kiss, pulling back just slightly only to dive back in, kissing her with everything he had, and she was giving back just as much, clinging onto him, her fingers in his hair, and her touch felt like perfection incarnate, like everything he’d ever been missing.

They pulled apart only with great reluctance, resting their foreheads together, blissfully happy and oh so in love.

“Hey, Miss Busiter is looking for—”

Alya’s voice tore them from their focus on one another, but they didn’t separate, even as Alya stared at them with wide eyes, a slow, bordering on manic grin appearing on her face.

“Oh, my God,” she hollered, “it is about damn time.”

Marinette floundered in a way that Adrien could now call utterly adorable without forcing the word platonic down his own throat, making him smile like a total dope, pulling her tighter.

“A-Alya!” She cried, wiping her remaining tears with the back of her hand, “I— we were just—”

“She knows what we were doing,” Adrien laughed, his smile widening when Alya, characteristically, snapped a photo of them still pressed close together.

Marinette sighed. “Yeah, well, that’s… Gonna take some getting used to. Yeah, Alya, this is exactly what it looks like.”

“As much as I’d love, and I mean love to celebrate,” Alya said, her grin earsplitting, “you two are still students. You can hold hands and cuddle and all that after school. Oh my God, Marinette, we can go on double dates! This is so great! We— We’ll talk about it later.”

Marinette laughed, the first truly genuine laugh Adrien had heard from her in weeks, and it made his heart do a funny, jumpy thing in his chest, his stomach twisting into knots. He should have realized who she was earlier from her laugh alone. Unable to bear to let go of her, Adrien kept their hands intertwined as they stood up from the floor, legs stiff from sitting for so long, but they hardly cared about that, not now.

Because everything, every bit of pain was worth it, if it meant being with her. And from the dreamy, adorably dorky way she was staring at him, Adrien was absolutely positive she felt the same.

The classroom erupted into cheers when Adrien and Marinette entered with their hands joined, their proximity far too close to be any kind of platonic, and during break, when Marinette finally asked Adrien to a movie without putting her foot in her mouth, Alya clapped her on the back so hard she went toppling forwards.

But that was fine. Adrien was there to help her up.

They got that double date, Nino and Alya dragging them to some cheesy horror flick that ended up being more funny than scary, and even when Marinette did get spooked at the odd spooky scene, Adrien was there to smooth his thumb over her knuckles. He was there for her. And if Lila came back, as she absolutely would, Adrien would be there, too. She was far from done, and Adrien knew that. He’d done enough damage to send her off for a good while to lick her wounds, but he knew there was only a matter of time before she popped back up like a particularly contagious chest cold. Only this time, they’d be ready.

And Adrien would never let her hurt his lady ever again. That was a promise. So was the absolute pure, sparkling elation they both felt as Adrien walked Marinette home, hand in hand, the setting sun on their backs, blissfully happy.

Adrien Agreste was walking on sunshine all the way home.

[aliensunflower-fics]

CHANGING FACES Chapter 4: Breaking The News

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After years of dealing with each other Lila Rossi win’s when she  convinces Hawkmoth that Marinette is Ladybug. In order to throw off  suspicion and keep the Miracle Box safe Marinette and her supportive parents leave Paris and head to Gotham of all places. In this new place  away from her friends and her unhealthy routines Marinette is forced to  confront herself and change for the better. Helping her on her journey  is a surprising new friend and potential ally. When Alya missing her  friend learns about the chance to win a free trip to Gotham she  convinces the class to work hard to qualify. When her new life clashes  with her old one will Marinette be able to hold on strong to her new  confidence or will she crumble under the pressure?

( This fic will be for the most part comedic, fluffy, and sweet, with only a bit of seriousness to tie it together. With only the mildest salt  because I don’t think the class or Adrien are bad people just that they  can be naive and selfish thanks to the canon writing. I hope you enjoy  reading this work and have fun with me on this journey. )

CHAPTER 4:

Breaking The News

Marinette had not felt so hopeful in years. Glancing up from her phone and cheap hotel breakfast she watched Tikki rub her tired eyes as she perched on the burnt and blackened metal sewing machine that acted as the hiding place for the miracle box, Tikki noticed her watching and shot her a warm smile that set the teen at ease and she returned to her phone call with her dearest  ‘Gotham Family’ as they planned out her new room together.

 Marinette had not spoken of them often in public but Tikki knew of them from the phone calls Marinette had throughout the years. Alfred was Marinette’s godfather and honorary grandpa; he was a close friend of her grandparents and had a secretive past. He was kind and wise with a knack for reading people. He had practically helped raise Tom and the family had remained close regardless of the long distance. And when Marinette was born he had been there just the same, and through the years he had come for visits and phoned often enough that Marinette called him family.

 Alfred had many honorary grandchildren having never settled down himself but he loved them just the same. Out of his ‘brood’ however Marinette only knew 2 of them from when Alfred was still able to visit regularly. They were her ‘big brothers’ Dick and Jason. Alfred had taken them to Paris several times when Marinette was younger, they had held her when she was a baby, played tea party and dress up when she was a little girl. The visits had stopped when Jason got kidnapped and was presumed dead but Dick and Alfred still stayed in touch through emails and frequent calls. And when Jason was finally found and his memories recovered he also started phoning again too. 

 Marinette loved her Gotham family (even if she was a little annoyed they never told her about her parents' time living there or her being born there) and she often talked about meeting the rest of Alfred’s grandkids and his ‘kid’ Bruce but the 3 of them always had an excuse. 

 Jason would often talk about his old man being horrible and Marinette worried that maybe this ‘Bruce’ wasn't as nice as Alfred said he was. When she asked however Jason denied it stating that it was more a disagreement of principles and that they were working on it in therapy. She knew it was a sore subject and dropped it instead choosing to chat about their other points of interest. They'd binge watch bad tv dramas together through video call and Jason would send book recommendations. On bad days where his past trauma resurfaced he'd send Marinette clown emojis to signify it was a ‘clown day’ and she’d send him pictures of ugly clothing being sold and they’d text back and forth tearing the cheap designs apart. 

 Dick would counter her questions by whining that Marinette wanted to replace them and that he and Jason didn't want to share her. He’d pout and tease and joke and soon Marinette would forget about meeting the rest of the family until their next phone call. Eventually Dick DID cave to Marinette’s puppy eyes and introduced her to his girlfriend who eventually became fiancee then wife (who Marinette happily designed a dress for when asked) and now Marinette got regular calls with Dick his wife and their adorable little daughter Ma’ri. She loved being called “Aunty bug” even if the nickname had originally given her a heart attack (Tikki had said it was her fault for making Ma’ri a giant plush Ladybug) and she grinned when Dick told her how her gifts always won over all the rest of the families' pricey presents. 

 Alfred should have been the reasonable one of the bunch and Marinette often tried to ask when she’d meet the rest of his family only for him to skillfully dodge the subject and distract her before she could properly ask. After the hundredth time of him dodging she finally managed to ask and Alfred had sighed before finally telling her honestly that after Jason’s kidnapping things had only gotten more complicated with the family dynamic and many new additions had made things delicate. If he ever introduced Marinette to the rest of the family he hoped it would be under better terms and in person. That conversation had been when Marinette was 10 and 6 years later she made sure to never ask again trying to respect her Gotham family's privacy and emotional needs.

 But things were changing soon because in a month's time Marinette and her family would be American citizens. The old bakery her parents still owned in Gotham was getting a fresh coat of paint and some updates and repairs to make it Dupain-Cheng worthy. Gina had moved to Gotham temporarily to see to the renovations personally with Alfred. When Jason found out he volunteered to help fix up the ‘home’ portion with new paint and appliances though it was clear he was showing his favoritism when he jokingly texted the group chat a picture of paint options for the living room all various shades of pink. From Jason’s blatantly suspicious behavior, Dick and his family found out about the big move and they ALSO insisted on helping. 

 Which led to Marinette and her poor overworked cell phone handling many calls about furniture paint and more. It was chaotic and messy but somehow it was also fun and relaxing and the pictures she got of a paint war aftermath with both Dick and Jason coated in pink paint with a victorious and spotless Ma’ri and Kori grinning in the background made Marinette all the more certain of her decision to leave Paris. 

 Her parents were glowing as they planned their new larger and better bakery. Sure Marinette’s mom occasionally broke into hate filled violent rants about the exact gruesome ways she planned on ‘punishing’ Hawkmoth (because death was apparently to merciful an end) and her dad still sighed at old pictures of there home but they were both ready to take on this new journey and regalled Marinette with tales of there life in Gotham and the friends they made.

 The kwami were also delighted by news of the move, talking about the safety hiding in a new place would provide and how their guardian was glowing with new energy and positivity. Kalki was preening at the news they would be getting out more often. But out of them all Wayzz had been a bit more cryptic saying that Gotham would welcome her as much as she welcomed it he then insisted they begin teaching her magic. Now THAT had been a surprise. Sure she was already training with Amazonians but actual magic?! 

 Marientte was skeptical at first, sure that training her in magic would only end in destruction and failure, her anxiety ridden mind sabotaging her before she even tried. But The kwami were buzzing about the idea and so Marinette gave it a try, surprised at how natural it felt to her once she started. She had not done anything big yet, just simple things like locating talking to the kwami with her mind instead of her voice and changing the appearance of some of the miraculous to look more modern and easier to hide. Well Marinette thought these things were pretty major but according to the kwami it was simple for a guardian of her caliber.

 But amidst all the phone calls, excitement, hotel living, magic training, Hawkmoth cursing and more Marinette had been pushing aside one rather ugly little task that she wanted to avoid for as long as she could.

 She had yet to tell her friends.

 With how busy she was it should have been easy to forget about it, but she hadn't if anything it was a thorn constantly pressing into her side. Every phone call about paint and furniture, every joke with her Gotham family and excited happy smile they shot her, every conversation or decision Marinettemade, she felt the sting. She was scared. She was terrified. She was guilty.

 There was of course the fear of losing her friends but more than losing them she feared DISAPPOINTING them. She feared their upset faces, their teary eyes, their pleading voices asking her if she really had to leave them, asking her to stay, asking her to be there everyday ladybug forever. 

 Marinette loved her friends, really she did. They were good, kind, honest people. But they always made her feel so GUILTY. So trapped by her own anxieties and their expectations that the word ‘no’ felt like a sin on her lips. They relied on her expected of her, they depended on her and each attempt to turn them down had them drowning her in guilt while Adrien looked at her with disappointment and Lila grinned and whispered words that only made the guilt worse. 

 Marinette loved her friends, but she knew a part of their friendship had become toxic.

 Worse, she knew that it wasn’t entirely Lila’s fault. Certainly the fox-like girl had not helped matters with how she wielded guilt like a weapon of war. She had perfected the art of whipping the class up getting them to ask her questions that tore into her tender heart.

 “But why can't you help Marinette?”

 “You know how much this means to me?”

 “You know how much I need help?”

 “Don't you care about us Marinette?”

 “Real friends would help.” 

 “Lila offered to help so why can't you?”

 Marinette had worn herself to the bone helping her friends. She was use to saying yes without a thought and when she inevitably crashed or needed help herself Lila was there again whispering words that made her friends doubt her. But her classmates and Lila were not the only one responsible, so was Marinette. She had never tried to talk to them, never tried to sit them down and tell them honestly about her own feelings, she let them use her and called it love and friendship because she was so scared that saying ‘no’ would mean losing them all. 

 With only a month left until she got on a plane and started a new chapter of her life, Marinette knew she owed it to her friends to tell them. Sure she would still see them regularly as Ladybug since Hawkmoth loved targeting her school and classmates but it would not be the same. She could not hang out with them as Ladybug. Tikki had even asked if she wanted to tell Alya about her being Ladybug but Marinette was not ready for that just yet. Especially not when Hawkmoth clearly had an interest in Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

 As Marinette alarm rang she ended the call with Jason telling him in no uncertain terms that he was NOT to buy her the stupidly expensive pink laptop he found and that she would get herself a new one once she moved to Gotham with her own money. He gave a devious smile and Marinette groaned in frustration as she hung up the call and shoveled the last of her cheap hotel breakfast into her mouth and gathered her things to go to school. Her parents were already out that morning to get paperwork sorted and arranged for the big move. 

 Tikki zipped into Marinette’s bag and she left the hotel room locking it safely behind her before jogging down past the receptionist who she waved to eagerly and out of the hotel to catch the train to school. On her way to school Marinette’s mind raced as she thought of how to break the news to her friends. She knew Mme. Bustier would not keep quiet about it forever, it was frankly a miracle that the teacher had not exploded keeping the news to herself for so long. 

 Getting off at her stop and then walking to school Marinette saw several of her classmates arriving to school including Adrien who shot her a smile as he got out of his car. The sight of his dazzling smile made Marinette’s stomach flutter briefly before those butterflies got squashed by Lila exiting the car right after Adrien and latching herself to the blonde's arm with a happy giggle. 

 Marinette didn’t really like Adrien anymore. Sure she still thought he was the cutest guy ever and felt flustered by his bright green eyes. But the past few years had created a massive gap in their relationship and there were some things Marinette could not forgive him for even if the blonde himself was utterly oblivious. Shaking off her thoughts, Marinette focused on her mission and stole her heart for what lay ahead ignoring the feeling of eyes on her.

 As Marinette made her way to class she heard the chattering of her classmates and her heart rate increased. She felt like she was going to be sick and the only thing keeping her grounded was the feeling of Tikki’s warmth pressing into her side from the purse. Stepping into the classroom Marinette stopped at the front and waited for everyone to be there. This was common for her as she was the class president and as her classmates noticed her one by one they stopped talking to look at her expectant smiles plastered on their faces. 

 Was she going to be announcing a fundraiser to rebuild her family's bakery? Or maybe a fun new trip for the class to go on? What if it was news about the back to school fall bash? Or maybe Lila’s petition to save the polar bears had been approved by Damocles? As the whispers and hushes of excitement grew and the last of Marinette’s classmates scurried into the room and quickly took a seat Marinette took a shaky breath and focused on the back wall unable to look any of her friends in the eye.

 “Good morning guys.” Her mouth was dry and she tried desperately to swallow. “As I’m sure you're all aware, a week ago my family's bakery… Burned down. In an accident.” 

 A ripple of whispers went through the class and Marinette put on a fake smile to try and put her friends at ease as she licked her dry lips nervously.

 “My family has been living in a hotel and after a lot of thought we decided to move-” 

 A loud bunch of chattering cut Marinette off mid sentence as her classmates all chittered excitedly about the move. Would they get a bigger bakery? Would they further out into the city? Marinette cleared her throat, regaining her classmates' attention.

 “We decided to move… To America.”

 There was a brief few moments of silence before the whole room exploded into a cacophony of noise. Between the screaming and screeching of chairs and tables and people, Marinette could just barely make out questions of ‘why’ and ‘where’ and ‘she can't be serious?’. In the chaos before her Marinette could not help but notice the look of horror frozen on Adrien’s face. The utter shock and disbelief on Chloe’s as she yelled and argued with those around her arguing it was her fault. The betrayal and near tears of Alya. The confusion and disbelief of Nino. But most of all she could not help but notice the smirk on Lila’s lips and the way her eyes looked down on Marinette in that moment. It sent a shiver of cold up Marinette’s spine and she quickly looked away biting her lip as she filed the information away for later.

 For now Marinette knew she should try to regain control of the class and she tried several times calling for them to listen only for her voice to drown in the sea of confusion she’d helped make. As her desperation mounted so did her frustration until finally she pursed her lips and whistled LOUD. The high pitched sound cut through the confusion and her classmates clapped their mouths shut to cover their ears instead. After the last voice died Marinette took a deep breath and lifted her head ready to face her friends and all the guilt they could throw her way.

 Rose struck first teary eyed and wailing. “T-This isn't a funny joke Marinette!”

 Ouch a tough one right off the bat. Swallowing her guilt and stealing her heart, Marinette faced Rose honestly and openly as her friend. 

 “It's not a joke, Rose. It was a hard choice to make but it's what my family decided was best for us.” 

 “But why?” Marinette’s heart clenched as she turned to face Alya the girl was looking at her like Marinette had just torn her heart out and stepped on it. 

 Marinette bit back her tears and took deep calming breaths reminding herself to be strong as she answered her best friend. 

 “My parents… They wanted to move to America even before Hawkmoth arrived. But they stayed for my sake because I have friends here. But now Hawkmoth is getting more dangerous each day and then the fire… It was just the last straw. They don't think I’m safe here anymore.”

 Silence filled the class as everyone considered her words. None of them wanted Marinette to leave but none of them could argue with such a reason. Many of their own families had thought about leaving Paris at one point in the last few years thanks to Hawkmoths reign. The fact that one family had finally been pushed to do just that was inevitable really. 

 “B-but.” Alya stood from her seat fighting back tears. “But… But… We're going to miss you.”

 Marinette felt herself suck in her breath as her face went hot and her eyes began to burn with fresh hot tears. As she tried to get her feelings under control she saw Alya wipe her eyes and that was all it took for Marinette to let out a sob. 

 “I… I'M GOING TO MISS YOU GUYS TOO!” 

 As Marinette desperately wiped away her tears and rubbed her eyes she felt her resolve break a little. 

 “I-I promise to phone a-all the time! And we c-can do movie nights o-over Discord! A-and I will s-send you guys gifts all the t-time! W-We can still be friends!” 

 Suddenly strong warm arms wrapped around Marinette breaking her out of her spiral as she removed her hands from her eyes she saw Alya holding on to her tightly.

 “Of course w-were still gonna be your friends! Paris, America or the North Pole, you're not getting rid of us that easily!” 

 Marinette felt her breath hitch and fresh tears fill her eyes as she hugged back within seconds most of the rest of the class joined in on the group hug and they held each other and made promises of how they would all stay in contact and continue to hang out. It was enough to certainly stop any of Hawkmoth butterflies before they had a chance. 

 As the hug broke off Marinette wiped her wet eyes and smiled shakily at the class. No one was happy but they also were not akuma bait anymore so it was a win. As the class chattered more about ways they could hang out with Marinette through a computer the good vibes were suddenly interrupted by Lila subtly clearing her throat. 

 “Oh i'm so sorry for interrupting guys I’m just desperate to know WHERE In America you're moving Marinette? Being a diplomat's daughter I lived there for a bit myself!”

 Marinette felt her body stiffen at Lila’s honey covered words. The Italian had been strangely docile since the fire. Marinette was torn between trying to decide if Lila was taking pity on her or planning something and now with the strange smile and glint in her eyes Marinette was sure of it. As the class urged Marinette to tell them more, the baker girl focused on building her alibi; she didn't want Lila to have any room to turn things around and somehow make things about herself.

 “We're moving to Gotham actually. Apparently my parents met there and I was even born there. They are very excited to be moving back after all these years.” 

 The second the words ‘gotham’ left Marinette’s lips Lila’s eyes widened and her body went rigid. But it only lasted a second and when Marinette blinked Lila was smiling again and looked relaxed. 

 “Gotham? Oh I spent a few years there actually! But Marinette, are you sure your family will be okay? It's sooo dangerous there.”

 As the class excitedly asked Lila for more information Marinette felt her brows furrow. The details Lila was able to give as she answered the eager questions was more than she would normally ever give when she lied so Marinette felt inclined to believe it. Her strange reaction was another clue. But it was all very strange and something about Lila’s overall attitude since the fire had her instinct flaring up.

 As Mme. Bustier finally entered the class and the students all scurried to their desks. As Marinette took her seat in the back she let out a deep breath. Things had gone better than she could have hoped. And while her heart still weighed heavy in her chest, the fact that her friends were ready to make an effort to keep her in their lives was good. Lila had also been strangely merciful. Marinette had expected the girl to try and spin Marinette’s move as being a result of the grudge or to try and make the class turn on Marinette with feelings of betrayal. But if anything Lila’s restraint was only more suspicious, her obvious joy at Marinette leaving, and her reaction to Gotham all of it just raised more questions.

 As Bustier called on Marinette to help pass out papers for the class the girl let her thoughts slip away. She’d think more about it later. For now she wanted to enjoy one of her last days in Paris with her friends.

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[red-elric]

hmm turns out 29/30 lukanette fics are mean to alya and/or adrien. dislike