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celestiall0tus · 1 year

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Miraculous AU - Chapter 13 - Perception

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Juleka stepped out into the night. She took a seat on the deck then reached into her pocket. She pulled the silver pendant necklace out and held it up. Anxiety filled her as she examined it. She just had to put this one and she’d meet the kwami. She’d become a hero, like Alya and Marinette, maybe. More importantly, it brought her closer to saving her brother. She took a deep breath, moved to put it on, but stopped.

Juleka hesitated. Was this the right choice? She didn’t have any interest in being a hero or creating a team like Rose and the others did. She only wanted to help her brother. To shed his burdens and protect him from the butterfly bastard. But once she did that, what then? Would she just use this power to keep her family safe? Was it worth the risk to her loved ones? She was about to put the necklace back in her pocket when she remembered Alya’s words: “You’re not alone.”

Juleka sighed. She wasn’t alone in this, was she? This wasn’t just her fight. Marinette was at the forefront, with whoever Chat was, fighting against the butterfly man for whatever reason. Alya likely accepted the call to action without a hint of doubt despite having no need to fight. Regardless of their motivations, they still fought a battle that they didn’t need to, and they were on her side. She wasn’t alone.

Juleka took a deep breath. She steeled her resolve and put the necklace on. A white light emitted from the necklace as a ball of light appeared in front of her. She shielded her eyes until it faded to reveal a mouse kwami.

“Um, hello. I’m Juleka.”

“Greetings, Juleka. I am Mullo, the kwami of perception.”

“Nice to meet you. Uh, if you don’t mind, I have some questions.”

“Of course.”

“So, did I pass your test?”

“I’d say so.”

“So, why test me exactly?”

“There’s a lot of reasons. First, I believe your brother to be a good pick for the snake, despite being infested. Second, I believe you would be a good pick for my powers. But the biggest thing is you know the ladybug holder.”

“Why is that a big deal?”

“The ladybug and black cat are the greatest of all kwamis being creation and destruction. And I figured it’d be safer near them. With all of us, I’m sure the snake should feel safe enough.”

“Speaking of, what do you offer?”

“Like the others, I have two powers to offer, but also a Miraculous. For your solo powers, there is Perception and Bend. Perception gives you godlike senses, allowing you to hear, smell, and see things regardless of distance, so long as it’s on this planet at least. And Perception lasts for a minute. Bend allows you to manipulate the perceptions of others and even yourself. This could mean things like making yourself invisible to others, create flawless illusions in the minds of others, and even allow you to look into the minds of others.”

“No way.”

“Yes way. And an important note with Bend. It’s not like other greater powers that once activated, it consumes four uses of power, and lasts five minutes. It consumes one power per minute it is active. If you wish to change how you’re manipulating perception before a minute is up, it’ll consume another power and reset the timer. Understood?”

Juleka nodded.

“Now, the Miraculous requires the pig, kwami of ignorance. With it, you can create an area where reality is bended to how you wish it to be perceived. Alternatively, you can focus it on a single person and create a new reality for them. The downside is those affected by this Miraculous will only ever perceive the new realities and be forever blinded to the old one.”

“That seems… extreme.”

“As it must be. Miracles require a cost. To create, you must destroy. To see all, you must lose all. To know all there has been and will be, you must lose your mind. To save a life, you must take a life. For every miracle, a cost.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry. You can’t use this power unless you have the pig, and I haven’t felt their activation.”

“That’s good at least. So, what do I do to active your necklace then.”

“Juleka, if you wish to accept me and the duties I’ve taken to aid the snake, simply say, ‘Mullo, get squeaky.’ To de-transform, say, ‘Mullo, quiet down.’”

“Um, what if the snake doesn’t choose my brother? What do I do then?”

“Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. First comes attracting the snake. The wolf is active, now I just need to be. So, do you accept?”

Juleka took a deep breath, then stood up.

“Mullo, get squeaky.”

Mullo disappeared into the pendant. It turned white with five pink mice chasing each other in a circle. The string that held it turned into a pink choker that now supported the pendant.

Juleka transformed as her hair turned white and the purple turned pink complete with mouse ears. Her bangs swept away from her eyes that turned pink with magenta pupils. Her clothes changed to a white midriff halter with the same mouse symbol on it and pants with tears in the pants. White formed from her wrist to her bicep that ended with a pink cuff and had holes in them. On top of the white sleeves, a pair of pink fingerless gloves appeared on her hands. The exposed skin of her shoulders and stomach covered in a pink fishnet Her shoes became white platform boots with a pink trim and platforms. A pair of strings hung from the boots like chains next to the mouse symbol. A pink whip wrapped around her and trailed off into a tail.

Juleka’s eyes widened as she looked at herself. She ran up to the railing and looked over in her watery reflection. She smiled and waved at this version of herself. She should show the girls, but it was late. Alix would have snuck out, but she didn’t want to deal with that. Rose was likely sleeping, and she should leave Alya to rest. Although, Marinette might be out as Ladybug with Chat. She took a step back and listened. She could hear a lot in the city, but she couldn’t hear Marinette.

“Perception,” Juleka whispered.

Noise assaulted Juleka’s ears and her vision overwhelmed with endless scenery. She shut her eyes and clutched her head. She worked to sort through everything until she heard Marinette’s voice. She focused and saw Marinette as Ladybug, taking a stroll with Chat along the Seine, further up the river.

Juleka opened her eyes as she focused on Marinette. She jumped from her home, onto the bridge. A small laugh escaped her as she landed. She burst into a sprint. She was fast, but not as fast as Louve. She was able to use her whip to swing around, but not in the same way Ladybug could with her yo-yo as she needed momentum. She made it to where Ladybug and Chat were walking, stopping along the ramp.

Juleka started to say ‘Marinette,’ but stopped herself. “Ladybug!”

Ladybug stopped and looked around until she saw Juleka. She approached as Juleka jumped down to join them.

Ladybug smiled. “The mouse looks good on you.”

“You know her?” Chat asked.

“Yup. We’re friends outside of being heroes, and as heroes now.”

“Well then. What shall we call you?” Chat asked.

Juleka looked at herself, then at them. “Souris Blanche.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Souris. Quite the team we got, eh, Bugaboo?” Chat said.

Souris stepped forward while she looked around. “Actually, about that. We were kinda talking today about maybe setting up an official team. Well, one of our friends did at least.”

“That may not be a bad idea,” Chat said.

Ladybug nodded. “I’ve thought about it after I left, and it might be a good idea. We’ve already got me and Chat, as well as Louve and you, Souris.”

Souris looked away. “I don’t think I’d be a hero, Ladybug. I only really accepted this to save my brother.”

Ladybug’s breath caught. “What’s wrong with Luka?”

Tears fell from Souris’ eyes. “He’s infested with Whispers, at least he’s gotta be by now. And Alya said once he’s infested, he’s primed to be transformed into a monster.”

Ladybug shook her head. “How is that possible? Luka never seemed to… I mean he always seems so happy. What’s plaguing his heart?”

“An old crush he had. I thought he had gotten over it, but it seemed it lingered enough to be taken advantage of.”

Ladybug hugged Souris. “It’ll be ok. If we can’t find the snake in time and he is transformed, we’ll help him. You have my word.”

Souris hugged Ladybug back. “Thank you. I hope we find the snake before then.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the deal with the snake?” Chat asked.

“Oh, he’s the kwami of health, so a healer of sorts. He’s the only one capable of purging infestations.”

“But he doesn’t trust humans. At least not since the Black Death. So, he usually doesn’t choose a holder until the wolf and mouse do. And apparently the mouse helps to assist the snake. So, we maybe have a chance of getting the snake to accept a holder,” Souris added.

Chat’s eyes widened as he let out a breath and looked away. He ran a hand through his hair and ruffled the hair on the back of his head. Souris raised a brow as she observed his posture. His back was slightly curved to that almost made him look like his was slouching. One leg was straight, while the other was slightly bent. His other hand sat at his hip, almost like he was trying to put it into a pocket that wasn’t there. It was like the poses she studied during her own practices.

Ladybug had approached Chat, reassuring him. His pose changed slightly as he moved the hand that he ruffled his hair with to rest on his neck. He looked at her, tilting his head slightly to the left, away from the hand on his neck. Both looked practiced, practically perfect. Almost like he was an actual model.

“Are you a model?” Souris mumbled.

Chat startled, his eyes widened, his cat ears perked up, and his tail shot up.

Ladybug raised a brow. “What happened?”

Chat smiled nervously and waved his hands in front of him. “It’s nothing. Just thought I heard something. These cat ears are really sensitive after all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh yeah, for sure. Probably also just tired is all. We did have an exciting day after all.”

“We can call it an early night, if you’d like.”

“We don’t have to. I’m not that tired.”

Ladybug put a hand on Chat’s shoulder. “It’s ok. You put in a lot of work today and I’m not about to ask you to push yourself just spend time with me.”

Chat’s cat ears drooped. “I don’t mind it. I enjoy your company.”

Ladybug blushed and hugged Chat. “Thank you, but seriously, don’t push yourself. We can always hang out tomorrow. Take it easy.” She grabbed her yo-yo, threw it, and was gone.

Chat sighed as he watched Ladybug leave. Souris stepped forward and stared at him.

“You’re a model.”

Chat’s ears twitched. “What makes you say that?”

“The way you stand is like you’re posing, practiced and perfect like you’ve done it many times and it’s subconscious.”

“That seems like a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”

Souris blinked. “Answer two questions of mine and we’ll see.”

“Going to try guessing who I am? I don’t think two questions will be enough.”

“Then let me prove you wrong. Are you a teenager that’s about sixteen or seventeen?”

“Yes.”

“Is green your natural eye color?”

“Not this green, but yes.”

“So, let’s see. You’re about my age, a model based on that every time I’ve seen you, and not just in person, you’ve been posing in one way or another almost like you’ve been doing it for some time now. And the mask and hair threw me off just a bit, I’m starting to recognize your face. Your voice is a little harder for me to pinpoint as, if I’m right, we only met once prior to this.”

Chat crossed his arms and eyed her suspiciously. “Who do you think I am?”

“You’re Adrien Agreste, aren’t you?”

Chat’s cat ears and tail twitched. “You figured it out from all that?”

Souris thumbed the pendant. “I guess I’m a good pick for the kwami of perception, don’t you think?”

Chat grinned. He uncrossed his arms a little, letting his left elbow rest on the back of his right hand. “I’ll give you that, you are. But seriously, how’d you know I was a model?”

“I’ve kinda studied modeling and you are a big name, so y’know.”

“Why study modeling? Aren’t there be more interesting things to study?”

Souris played with her hair as she looked away. “Promise you won’t laugh?”

“I promise.”

Souris sighed and sat on a nearby bench. “I want to be a model one day, so I’ve been studying the industry and practicing when I can. I haven’t had a chance to step into the industry, but I might on a smaller scale.”

Chat sat next to Souris. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Well, my friend, Marinette, is an aspiring designer. We’ve worn some of her designs before, and I know she’s happy with that, but we all know she’s hoping for more. So, Alya has been pushing for her to make a website and I volunteered to model for her.”

Chat’s smile and gaze softened as he looked at the river. “A website is a good idea. I hope she gets into the industry. I’ve seen her designs and they’re quite good.”

Souris eyed Chat as she rested her chin on her hands. She knew that look anywhere. “Did you want to spend more time with Marinette? You seem quite attached already, which isn’t too surprising. She tends to attract people to her.”

Chat sighed. “I wish, but I wouldn’t be able to as Adrien. And I don’t think I could hang out with her when I’m Chat.”

“What about modeling her designs? I know she still needs a male model.”

Chat considered, then nodded. “Maybe, but how would we even propose the idea?”

Souris smiled. “Mullo, quiet down.”

Mullo appeared from the pendant and transformed Souris.

Juleka took her phone from her back pocket and handed it to Chat.

“I can work something out. I would just need your number to contact you. Plus, for the team thing they’re putting together.”

Chat smiled and took the phone. “Y’know, for someone who doesn’t think they’ll be a good hero, you sure are pushing the idea of this team.”

Juleka shrugged. “My girlfriend wants to help us, so it’s the least I can do. Plus, it saves them a little of a wait. And don’t worry, we’ll try to keep your and Ladybug’s identities a secret from the two of you.”

Chat chuckled as he finished adding his contact information. “Well, I think I already know, but it would put her mind at ease.”

“You know already?”

Chat nodded and handed back Juleka’s phone.

Juleka grimaced as she took her phone. “Are you going to say something?”

“I want to, but my kwami told me that hers holds her to a different standard. So, I guess I’ll wait until she’s ready or unless something else happens.”

“Well, for appearances, we’ll keep it separate. I won’t tell the girls or Ladybug about it just to be safe. At least until you’re both ready.”

“Thank you. Well, I’m going to head off. Prowl the city a bit before I head home.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Of course. And, hey, if you ever want a night to practice your modeling, I’d be happy to help.”

Juleka’s eyes widened. “Yeah, of course. I’ll let you know.”

Chat smiled and waved, then headed off.

“Let’s head home. Mullo, get squeaky.”

Mullo disappeared into the pendant and transformed Juleka, who headed back home.

~~

A butterfly sat on a streetlight as it watched the cat and mouse heroes from afar. Once both had left, it made its way back to its master. It slipped through the walls into the dark room filled with purple orbs as the man worked. The butterfly landed on his index finger.

“Ah, which do you have to add to?”

The butterfly flew up and searched the orbs until it found the one it was looking for. The man lowered it to him, revealing a teenage boy with black and blue green hair, dressed like a little wannabe groupie. The man’s Whispers had worked well, but the boy resisted, slowing the progress.

The man assessed the current plague this boy suffered. He tsked at the simple, buried unrequited love, then turned to the new butterfly. He looked into it and saw a girl with black and purple hair, similar to the boy. Siblings, he assumed. This girl spoke with the holder of the black cat but looked to have a kwami in her possession too. He watched the silent exchange until the girl transformed into a mouse themed punk.

The man hummed. “Let’s look into the boy’s heart.”

The man looked back to the boy, exposing his vulnerable heart. He saw the unrequited love buried deep, just about dead. Annoying that the whisper would turn to that first, although it did some work and planted a seed of contempt for the feline hero. However, what lay bare on the surface was far more intriguing. The boy was the strong one of the family. Always stood up for the girl, the sister. Doing what he could to keep her safe and happy, even at the expense of his own. A true brother and protector, but something so easily exploited. A shame it wasn’t before, but he would rectify that.

The man lowered the original Whisper but didn’t remove it. He split the new one into two separate ones. The first half he molded into a Whisper to prey on the boy’s need to protect his sister, his fear of failing her, and her turning to the feline hero for protection. The second half he molded into his sister refusing his protection while she ran off to play hero that played into his fear of losing her forever. Before he applied the new Whispers, he took the original and reshaped it to feed on the seed of hatred for the black cat holder. Once he finished, he applied all the Whispers. The silhouette of the boy turned black as the new Whispers made quick work of him.

The man cackled. “You will be a marvelous creation, boy. Just a little bit longer. Let that contempt fester and grow.” He placed the orb in the top of his cane, so he didn’t lose it. He turned back to the other orbs and continued his work.

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