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goggles-mcgee · 1 year

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Too Late: Nathalie

Latest chapter in the story for @miner249er

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Summary: Nathalie has a visitor in the hospital after a rough flashback. The conversation that followed wasn't any easier. [Brief descriptions of violence in this chapter]

The Day of The Akuma

“Sir? What’s wrong?” Nathalie had seen a lot in her days as Gabriel’s assistant/miracle worker, but she had never seen him so panicked, so angry. His pacing was all over the lair instead of his usual confined pacing that seemed to only happen within a three foot radius in each direction. He huffed and puffed as he paced and Gabriel was a man who wouldn’t be caught dead huffing or puffing. She had only seen him huff and puff after his close call with the heroes before she saved him by putting on the Peacock Miraculous that fateful day. The muttering, however, was nothing new.

“Rogue.”

“I’m sorry, Sir?”

“The akuma has gone rogue!” He shouted in her face, when had he gotten so close? She tried not to flinch in disgust and surprise when some spittle hit her face.

“She’s gone…how?” She asked in complete astonishment, she hadn’t known that was a possibility. To her knowledge, people could fight off akumas, though that wasn’t all that common and as an akuma they had free will unless Gabriel didn’t like how they were going about getting the Miraculi. She had seen him make them feel pain, she had read articles that said some akumas tried to fight back at moments, they wanted to get their revenge for whatever wrong they felt they had been served. But Hawkmoth wanted his payment and she had seen the videos, how their limbs moved stiffly and their faces filled with surprise and fear, Hawkmoth was controlling their movements. He couldn’t do it for long he had explained later when she had asked him about the videos, apparently it took a lot of energy to do. Too much energy, needless, tedious energy. Gabriel hated wasting energy.

“If I knew how, don't you think I would have done something by now!? She’s gone rogue and I can’t reconnect with her. I don’t know what she’s doing. This isn’t like Robustus…this, this is something else!” Gabriel’s harsh voice made Nathalie take a half step back. He had never been so angry, so wild, not even when he was so easily defeated some days.

“Yelling at me is not going to do anything to help Gabriel.” Nathalie snapped. She did that a lot more than she had noticed. Spoke back. Ever since her body had started getting weaker with the use of the Peacock Miraculous and she had to have leg braces made just so she could do her job. She didn’t blame Gabriel, she couldn’t. The blame fell squarely on her for going along with his plans, but she wished he had tried to convince her more not to use the cursed brooch.

Of course he didn’t respond to her snapping back well, he always looked like she had physically slapped him when she did. Which only made her feel more irritated, what? Was she not allowed to be anything but helpful and quiet? It was incredibly frustrating, and the comments she was so used to holding down and away were harder to keep in because she was so busy trying to ignore the pain and fatigue she now felt on the daily. The medications that Gabriel’s private doctor prescribed only helped so much and truth be told they made her feel like she was floating in a daze, a comfortable daze but a daze nonetheless and Nathalie was a woman who liked being in control. So when she had to take those medications and fell into the daze she hated it, she had no control over her feelings, over her brain-to-mouth filter and it scared her so she did her best to not “need” the medications. Some days were better than others but today was one of those days that the pain felt like it seeped into her very nervous system, the bone marrow, hell even her teeth but she refused to take her meds and thus she was snappy.

“Your job, Nathalie, is to help me. Not the other way around.” Some days his words were like venom and only made the pain worse. He was not a kind man, but for all the years she had known him and Emilie, he had never been a cruel one either. That is until she got sick. It was like she was his moral fiber, the only thing that kept him noticing right and wrong and never going over the line. Then Emilie was gone, asleep not dead, but it damn well felt like she had and with her that fiber snapped. He held nothing back, not his words, not his ideals, and certainly not his ambitions.

“My job?” Nathalie ground out from her clenched teeth. “My job is to be efficient. My job is to be an assistant to the Agreste Family. Not just you Gabriel! But you, you are an egotistical, narcissistic BASTARD!”

Nathalie’s voice rose with each word she spit out at the man in front of her, even though she knew stress was not good for her body the words erupted from her like magma from a long dormant volcano. That’s what she felt like, a dormant volcano that was now erupting. Her face felt hot as fire, her body tense and still as stone, but her heart, her heart felt broken. As much as she wanted to trick herself and say it was as icy and cold as many had accused it of being, her heart broke many times over the course of her career working for the Agreste’s. It broke the day she realized she had a crush on Emilie, it broke again when she realized she had a crush on both Emilie and Gabriel. Broken once more when she fell in love with them both. From there it was a series of heartbreaks linked to the two. Maybe it sounded foolish, maybe it sounded like a stupid excuse, but Nathalie did what she did out of love. Love for the woman who showed her kindness and warmth and love for the man who praised her skills and intrigued her mind.

It was love, desperate love, unrequited love, selfish love. She went out of her way to go above and beyond what was expected of her just to see a smile, just to hear their praises and kind words. It wasn’t healthy and she knew that, but once she started she couldn’t stop. It was a vicious cycle. Nathalie had a lot of flaws, but she thought her most fatal one was her loyalty. She felt like an idiot to give it to a person like Gabriel, she constantly beat herself up over not giving it to Adrien more and even just more of her attention. “Without me you would be ruined, Gabriel. You would be nothing. Your brand? Bankrupt, not just because you can’t keep track of anything unless it’s your ‘precious akumas,’ but also because of the numerous lawsuits you would be facing that I always made sure never happened. And let’s not forget that without me you would have been caught by Ladybug and Chat Noir a long time ago.”

The words continued to flow from her mouth and when she saw how Gabriel took a step back from her the louder her voice got and how he looked like he had smelt something rotten when she pointed out how utterly useless he would be without her, she felt vindicated. She had been a petty person, she would be the first to admit, but she never liked causing fear. Gabriel just brought out the worst in her and she was so damn tired of him. “I can’t believe I wasted my time-my feelings-on a man like you!”

She had felt powerful in that moment and she had been ready to mention everything she held back. How emotionless he was, especially with his son who he couldn’t see pulling away from him, how he threw money at any problem in hope it would solve anything, like making another fucking cryo-coffin right next to Emilie instead of talking to Nathalie like a fucking human being and comforting her. Or the one she knew would hurt him most, telling him how his sales have dropped since becoming Hawkmoth. Sad that it was the thing that would wound his pride that would have had the most impact on him but Nathalie had been ready to fire that particular bullet. Or at least she had been until they heard a noise, it was small, but in the chamber it echoed and so both froze and listened. Nathalie’s heart had been racing before, adrenaline and anger were a hell of a combo, but now it felt like her heart was stretching her skin with each beat. Like it was trying to burst from her chest.

Crack

There it was again. It sounded like glass and with that thought Nathalie had looked up and gasped at the sight of Adrien’s classmate, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the akuma. She was crouched on the glass dome of Gabriel’s ‘hideout’ and knocking on the glass. That’s all the girl had been doing? Knocking? And the glass had cracked. Nathalie had felt a shiver go down her spine when she realized that the girl hadn’t even been trying to get in yet. The older woman had frozen in terror even when she heard Gabriel finally notice the arrival of his creation. “What the-? What are you doing here!?”

The glass shattered with one punch and from there it was a flurry of movement. They hadn’t even been able to try and defend themselves. Gabriel had taken the first hit, to the right knee and down he went with a wail of agony. The sound it made was something Nathalie could never forget, nor was the pain of her leg braces being ripped off of her poorly. It was new pain stacked on top of old pain and down she fell with a gasp even though she wanted to scream. She watched as the akuma stared down at them both with an emotionless expression despite the pain she caused. “You think you don’t deserve this Gabriel Agreste? Nor you Nathalie Sancoeur?”

“What do you mean you insolent akuma!?” Gabriel screeched, but Nathalie was still distracted by her pain and the way the child’s voice echoed as though more than one voice had been speaking.

“Justice.” She replied in her calm haunting voice, “I am talking about justice, Gabriel. You wanted me to have these powers so I may punish those who were escaping punishment and to protect those who could not fight for themselves. I am giving out my punishments and I am protecting those who can not fight for themselves as I once was not able to. Of all the injustice, of all the corruption that has been spread in Paris, it was you who had spread the most. You, Hawkmoth, who hurt many and made sure they could not fight back. I am simply doing what I was created to do.”

Nathalie could only watch in frozen horror as Gabriel tried to gain control over The Protector and when that failed, watch as he begged for mercy when the akuma pounced on him to deliver her…”justice.” The cracks, the pops, the gurgles, all those noises would haunt her, but none more so than when those noises happened simultaneously with her own screams when it was her turn to pay for her part in the whole scheme. Nathalie didn’t plead for mercy, she didn’t try to reason with the akuma, she knew they saw none, she knew it was worthless, but she did beg for death. Even when the punches continued, even when they stopped, she begged. She begged up until The Protector took Gabriel’s Miraculous and then her own, and even when she was on the verge of passing out and unable to get the words out physically, she begged in her mind.

______________________

The Hospital

Nathalie awoke with a pained gasp that turned into barely restrained sobs at the memory of that day. She could feel someone’s hands on her and hear a voice most likely trying to calm her, it took what felt like hours before she actually calmed down, but when she did she could finally focus on the person in the room and to her immense shock it was Emilie. “Emilie?”

“Nathalie.” Even just hearing her name from her old friend’s lips was enough to break her and the woman started to cry. She didn’t sob, she didn’t wail, from a young age Nathalie had learned to cry silent tears and it was a habit she never broke.

“Emilie…” Nathalie rasped, her throat was parched but she didn’t care, she wanted to know what the woman was doing here in her room. She didn’t deserve to see her, not after all she did, not after all she felt. Though maybe her old friend had come to yell at her and that thought made her panic somehow spike and fade at the same time. It was baffling. It was like she wanted Emilie to yell at her, in hindsight maybe that’s exactly what she wanted. Nathalie didn’t think she could handle Emilie being kind to her.

“You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here.” The blonde said with a sigh as she sank into the chair next to Nathalie’s hospital bed.

“The, uh, the thought did cross my mind.” Wow. Very articulate Nathalie.

“Well, I guess, I…Oh Hell, Nathalie, I know you will tell me the truth unlike Gabriel and I really wanted to check up on you. I have been actually, Adrien too, you have just never been awake or coherent.” Emilie admitted and even though she stopped crying, Nathalie felt like she was going to start again.

“Adrien,” Nathalie smiled but it dimmed after a second, “How is he?”

“I’m not going to lie Nat, not good, and I have no clue what to do. He’s so different…and things are so…I don’t even know how to describe the current going on’s. But he’s worried about you, more so than his father but after hearing about how things have been and can’t say I blame the boy.” Emilie ranted as she rang a hand through her hair. “From what I heard, you’ve done more for Adrien than his own father.”

Nathalie didn’t know how to respond to that. On one hand it was true, so heartbreakingly true, and on the other hand, she hadn’t done enough. Just thinking of everything he had gone through and all that Nathalie and Gabriel ignored in their self-appointed quest made her queasy. She had tried to be there for him when she finally noticed, but even she knew it had not been enough. “I could have done more.”

Emilie merely hummed, not in agreement, not to argue, more like because she didn’t know what else to say. “Could have. Should have. The past is the past Nat, nothing will change it, but all the same thank you. Even if you believe what you did was very little, you were there for my baby. What I don’t understand is…why?”

Nathalie wasn’t dumb, she knew Emilie was not asking why she didn’t do more to help her child, or why she even helped him in the first place. No, she was asking, “why did we do it?”

“Why you did, Nat. You have always been so smart Nathalie, so bright, so why, why in Heaven’s name did you help Gabriel?”

“Em…I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“The truth.”

“You were gone, Em. Maybe not all the way, but gone all the same and it changed things. It changed him. Yet, I was so blinded by my l-my…feelings.” Nathalie confessed as she stubbornly stared down at the blanket draped over one leg as the other was in a cast, suspended in the air to help keep it elevated. She refused to look at her cast and see the green doodles on it that she knew came from Adrien.

“Feelings?”

“Oh, Em, don’t play dumb. You knew. You knew I..I loved him,” it was the first time she had admitted it out loud and the words tasted as sour as she imagined they would. “He asked me to help and I…I did. I did it because I loved him but because…I also loved…you. I missed you and I believed that Gabriel’s plan would bring you back. I wanted you back but I…I also wanted him to see me. I know that’s awful. I know I’m awful.”

It was quiet and Nathalie wanted to do something stupid like beg Emilie to say something, anything, but the only things she could hear were the beeps of machines, the murmur of the TV in the corner, muted voices from outside her room and the sound of her beating heart.

“You’re not awful,” Emilie said after a while, and Nathalie had to restrain herself from looking at her old friend. She couldn’t look at her. Wouldn’t look at her. “You’re not, Nat. You’re human and you feel things you can’t control, which is why it is so difficult for me to understand why you both weaponized feeling, weaponized emotions. I want to believe you and Gabriel when you say it was for me, for noble reasons, but nothing and I mean nothing is worth everything that Paris has now lost because of you two.”

The tears started flowing again. “I know.”

Nathalie was so sure that Emilie was going to end the conversation there and leave her alone but Emilie had always surprised her, so when she felt a soft hand take hers she couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips. “I won’t lie and say I’m not mad, I am furious. But you are my friend. My best friend and I…I love you Nathalie. Not the way you do me or did, but I do love you and as I told Gabriel, we can get through this. We will get through this because we are family”

She wanted to believe her friend, she really did, but Nathalie didn’t see how things could get better. She was broken. Physically, emotionally, mentally. She knew her love wouldn’t be returned but it hurt all the same to hear it. There was a reason she never admitted it out loud, there was a reason she buried it deep inside. Emilie would always be her friend, and she knew her friend wanted to build things back to as close to normal as possible, but Nathalie didn’t know if she was strong enough to be part of that normal. Yet, on the other hand, where else could she go? From her ins and outs of consciousness and lucidity she knew Paris suspected her and Gabriel of being Hawkmoth and Mayura. It was only a matter of time before they charged them with anything and who in their right mind would represent her or Gabriel in court? Emilie’s words were pretty little things probably meant to give her hope, but she had none.

“Em…Gabriel and I were terrorists who took advantage of people’s emotions. Maybe in the beginning I wasn’t, but I knew what he was doing, I knew what was going on and I did nothing to stop it. I encouraged it practically with the way I handled business and let him hide behind closed doors. I helped him avoid his own son for crying out loud. I was an accomplice and saw nothing wrong with it because I was foolish enough to believe we would get you back and things would go back to normal but at the same time I wished, I hoped, I prayed that if I was helpful enough Gabriel would notice me, would notice how much I loved him and maybe…maybe he would love me back. I thought all of this even knowing you were in the equivalent of a magical coma!” Nathalie was practically shouting, she could taste her tears and it made her want to shout more, cry more.

“I know.” Emilie said, as though Nathalie had merely admitted to some trivial thing like cheating on a test or accidentally wrecking your parents car. “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, Nathalie. I’m…I say I’m fine but I’m not, but I have to hold on to that hope that I will be, that we all will be because we are all each other has now. I am furious and disappointed but above all, I am scared. I don’t know my son anymore. I don’t know Paris anymore. My husband is publicly speculated to be a monster, people look at me in either disgust or pity, and there is a little girl missing that I feel responsible for.”

Nathalie heard Emilie’s voice break and that’s when she finally looked over at the woman. It was no surprise to see her crying and yet Nathalie still felt a little shocked. She wanted to offer comfort, she wanted to do something but all she could do was stare because her body was in so much pain and she could barely move. Even if her body would allow it, she didn’t think she would have been able to give comfort.

“I woke up only for Adrien’s classmate to go missing! I woke up and everything was wrong Nathalie! Everybody gives me their pity or their anger or their happiness at my ‘miraculous return’,” Emilie didn’t notice Nathalie’s wince at her wording, “but nobody asks me how I feel. You want to know how I feel? I feel like all of this is my fault. Gabriel said he only became Hawkmoth for me. You said you helped him for me.”

Nathalie sucked in a sharp breath and shook her head so fast it made her dizzy. “No, Em! No. This is not your fault. None of it. The blame falls solely on Gabriel and I.”

“And yet, I still find myself drowning in guilt.”

“We…we will be okay,” Nathalie parroted the words her friend spoke to her, hoping to give her hope even if it was just false hope. It was sad but it was all they had.

“We will be okay.” Emilie repeated back through her hiccuped tears.

We will be okay, Nathalie thought to herself. Even if I have to repeat it everyday until it’s true. I will do it, I will do it for her.

Next Chapter

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angelofthequeers · 2 years

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Free to Be You and Me: chapter 31

Chapter 30 | Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I don’t own ML.

The creaking is the first indication that something’s wrong. Adrien jolts awake, lying still, his heart hammering, but all he hears is silence. He groans and rolls over, thumping his head against his pillow. But then there’s a different creak, this one of floorboards, and he turns back over, blinking blearily. Then he freezes.

“No!” he croaks. The nightmarish figure looms over him, grin visible even in the dull light of the moon.

“Hello, Adrien Agreste,” purrs Shadowmoth. “I believe you have something I want.”

“W-What?” Adrien scrambles away, his heart pounding in his ears, flattening himself against his headboard as Shadowmoth advances on him, silvery head gleaming in the moonlight. “I – I don’t – know – no –”

“Don’t play ignorant. You’re going to give me exactly what I want.”

“No!” Adrien cradles his right hand to his chest, protecting his Miraculous even though it’s futile and Shadowmoth can just take it by force. How did Shadowmoth find out his identity? He’s been so careful! Only Kagami knows, and she’d never betray him! Unless –

Unless…Kagami had made a mistake. Let something slip in Shadowmoth’s hearing, cluing him in to her knowing more than she should. He shakes his head. Kagami wouldn’t be careless! I trust her!

“Yes.” Shadowmoth reaches out. To Adrien’s surprise, his hand doesn’t go for the ring; instead, it closes around Adrien’s wrist and yanks him out of bed. His next words make bile rise in Adrien’s throat. “You have Ladybug’s heart. And Ladybug has one half of what I want.”

“Nonono!” Adrien babbles. “I swear, I barely know her, she’s just visited a few times like any other civilian –”

“Do you take me for a fool?” Shadowmoth shakes Adrien violently, leaving him disoriented and grasping for balance. “I know all about your evening meetings. I’ve been paying close attention since Miss Bourgeois exposed Ladybug’s feelings and Miss Rossi alerted me to a certain video. I saw through Bloodhound’s eyes just how fond you and Ladybug are of each other. And now that Miss Rossi has been exposed and is useless for keeping tabs on you, I think it’s the perfect time to spring my trap.”

“No! Father! Nathalie! Gorilla!” Adrien shouts, pulling with all his might as Shadowmoth starts to drag him towards the door. Shadowmoth grunts and forces his arm around Adrien’s throat, using the leverage to keep him off-balance and less able to resist, but Adrien still fights with all he’s got, desperate to get away.

“Your father is…otherwise occupied,” Shadowmoth pants while Adrien’s heart races so fast that his head spins and adrenaline courses through him. “So are his assistant and your bodyguard. There’s no one to help you, Adrien. No one. You’re all mine.”

Adrien cries, struggles, feverishly fights to free himself as Shadowmoth hauls him out of his room. He elbows Shadowmoth in the side, manages to loosen the villain’s grip for just a moment, then he tries to duck out and pull, to get away…but then a sharp pain explodes in his head and his vision fills with stars and then…nothing.

“I don’t get it!” Nino complains. “Adrien’s old man said he could come out with us today! What gives?”

“Maybe he changed his mind,” Alya says, squeezing Marinette’s hand. Although she’s mostly recovered from the illusion she’d crafted for Aracnide, she still refuses to leave Marinette’s side. Like, at all. Marinette’s not used to her best friend being so clingy but, well…maybe she doesn’t know as much about Alya as she should.

“Surely he’d have texted us?” Zoé says. Kagami snorts.

“You assume that his father isn’t forcing him to do one of his activities. I’m surprised my mother even let me come out today.”

“Still, two minutes of his phone wouldn’t hurt,” Zoé says. “I just think –”

Her thought never gets voiced. The massive, building-mounted TVs around them flicker to life, displaying Shadowmoth’s grinning face in quadruple size and quadruple ugliness.

“Hello, Ladybug,” he says smoothly. “I’m just here to deliver a message. A request for your Miraculouses.”

“Is he seriously resorting to public begging?” Marinette scoffs. “As if Ladybug would –” She breaks off in a strangled gasp. On the screen, Shadowmoth has moved aside to reveal his trump card: Adrien in his pyjamas, sitting on the floor with his hands tied behind his back, a strip of tape over his mouth, green eyes wide and terrified.

“I have the person you hold most dear,” Shadowmoth announces, voice echoing all around Marinette, burrowing into her brain. People all around them murmur, whisper, but Marinette only has eyes for one person. She retches, hand flying up to cover her mouth, only dimly aware of Alya in her periphery grabbing her arm as her vision tunnels until all she can see is Adrien – her prince – her petrified love. “If you want to guarantee Adrien’s safety, you and Chat Noir will bring your Miraculouses to the TV studio. You have one hour. I trust you’ll make the right choice.”

The TVs switch off. Pandemonium erupts around Marinette in a blur as she remains rooted to the spot, staring at the black screens, blood rushing in her ears, two seconds from throwing up – she can’t do this, she can’t hand over her Miraculous, but she can’t let her Adrien be hurt, never in a million years, his terrified eyes swim before her –

“Marinette!” Alya guides her out of the crowd. Marinette barely pays attention to where they’re going, too focused on breathing – in, out, in out, don’t throw up, everything’s so far away – until her vision blurs and she’s suddenly, vaguely, in an alleyway.

“Alya,” Marinette whispers brokenly, clinging to Alya, the only good thing left in her world. “He knows. He knows. How does he know?”

“Wait,” Nino says, “is this the secret Adrien told you –”

“Not the time, babe!” Alya hisses. “Hey. You’ll fix it. You always do.”

“No offence, since Marinette’s scarily talented, but how can she possibly fix this?” Kagami says. “It’s Shadowmoth. He has Adrien. He has my friend. He has –” She breaks off with a choked sob.

“Hey.” Alya waves a hand in front of Marinette. Her vision refocuses, showing her Alya’s beautiful, concerned face, Nino’s ashen pallor, Zoé’s wide eyes, and Kagami with her face in her hands. “You’ll fix it, okay? You know I’m right there with you. But whatever you do, don’t do what Shadowmoth says.”

“How could Marinette do what he says?” Zoé says.

“No way would he leave Adrien alone just because you gave him what he wanted,” Alya continues as though Zoé hadn’t spoken. “You know him. He’ll keep using Adrien against you. He’ll do it to get Chat Noir’s Miraculous, to get mine, to get everyone else’s…whatever you do, you can’t give in to his demands.”

“No…” Nino whispers. “No – no way – Marinette – dude – you’re –”

“Ladybug?” Zoé says in awe.

“Alya, I can’t do this!” Marinette babbles, clutching at her pigtails. “I can’t let Adrien get hurt!”

“You can’t let Shadowmoth get your Miraculous either.”

“But he’ll hurt Adrien!”

“He’ll hurt more than just Adrien if you do what he says.”

“He has a sword in his cane!”

“Marinette! You know what he wants the Miraculouses for! What happens to Adrien if the timeline gets rewritten?”

“Okay. Okay.” Marinette straightens up, her hands trembling by her sides, still fighting the urge to hurl. “Chat Noir. I need Chat Noir. I need my kitty to help. He’ll be here soon –”

“He can’t,” Kagami blurts out. Everyone turns to face her. She’s lowered her trembling hands but her face is sickly pale, like she’s two seconds from either fainting or vomiting. “Chat Noir can’t make it.”

“You’re wrong!” Marinette bursts out. She would’ve launched herself at Kagami to shake her, to make her see reason, if Alya hadn’t caught her. “Chat Noir always comes through! He won’t let me down, he won’t, you’ll see!”

“Believe me, letting you down is the last thing he wants,” Kagami says. Her eyes dart towards the mouth of the alleyway. “He’d be here if he could. It’s not that he won’t. He can’t.”

“What? What do you mean?” Marinette stamps her foot. “Stop beating around the bush and just tell me!”

Kagami closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Chat Noir can’t help,” she says slowly, shakily, “because Shadowmoth has him.”

“What? Shadowmoth?” Marinette says. “Don’t be ridiculous! Shadowmoth has…Adrien…”

Blond. Green. Smile. Loving, caring, milady, mila – lovebug, his ex knows who he is, Kagami’s his ex, he knows things, things, no, no, it can’t be, all along –

Her partner all along.

Chat Noir.

Adrien.

Chatdrien.

Adrichat.

He can’t –

She can’t let him –

No, the world’s going to end –

“I have to save him!” Marinette explodes, fighting against Alya with renewed vigour.

“Marinette, slow down!” Alya pants. “Slow down!”

“Slow down? Slow down? Alya, he’ll be akumatised and the world will end and it’ll be all my fault because I was dating my partner even though I shouldn’t have and our love – our love will –”

“Things were purrfect until Hawkmoth found out about everything. Once the cat is out of the bag, it’s only a matter of time till everyone knows. It was our love that did this to the world, milady.”

Our love

Love

Our

White

Blue

Moon

Broken

Dead

Our love

“All my fault,” Marinette sobs, slumping in Alya’s arms as her legs give way, sniffling and snotting, clinging to the arms around her to anchor herself to the last bit of reality she knows. “The world’s gonna end because of me. Because I was selfish and let myself get too close and put my happiness first –”

“No,” Alya says. “It’s Shadowmoth’s fault. And the world won’t end, Marinette. Not with us here to help you.”

“U-Us?”

“Yeah, us,” Nino says. “You really think we’re gonna just bail on you, dude?”

“You’ve done so much for us,” Kagami says, clenching her fists. “You and Chat Noir – Adrien. Both as superheroes and as my friends. We’re not giving up on either of you.”

“You trusted me enough to be your friend and a superhero when you barely knew me,” Zoé says, her head held high. “Even though you knew who my sister was and had all the reason in the world to doubt me because of what she’s done to you. I’m not turning my back on you. Wherever you go, I go.”

“You and Adrien are my best friends,” Alya says. She pulls Marinette back to her feet, cups Marinette’s face, and smiles. “I’m there with you, girl, every step of the way, just like you’ve been there for me. Tell us what you want us to do.”

Marinette takes a deep breath. She looks down, meets Tikki’s eyes in her purse, and the world around her seems to slow down as her brain slips into Ladybug mode.

“Tikki, spots on.” Her transformation has barely finished before she’s opening her yo-yo and pulling out the Miraculouses she’ll need to rescue Adrien: Turtle. Bee. Dragon. Snake. She pauses. Snake? She’s got no clue where Luka is. She doesn’t have time to find him. But something’s telling her – something deep down – that she’ll never pull this off without the Snake. That she needs a safeguard for her compromised mental and emotional state.

“Alya.” She opens Alya’s hand and places the Snake bracelet in her best friend’s palm. “I don’t need Foxglove this time. I need the Snake. And I don’t have the time to go looking for Viperion. Please…I’m so sorry to put the weight of the Snake on your shoulders, but I need you. Adrien needs you.”

“Of course.” Alya slides the bracelet on immediately, causing Sass to materialise in teal light. Trixx floats out of her belt bag but, to their credit, although they look annoyed at Alya wearing another Miraculous, they don’t say anything. “In a heartbeat, Marinette.”

“Hmph,” Trixx huffs quietly.

“No risks,” Ladybug says firmly as she hands out the other Miraculouses. “No mistakes. We get in, get Adrien, then get out. Got it?”

“Of course,” Zoé says. “Pollen, buzz on!”

“Anything for my bro,” Nino says in a hard voice. “Wayzz, shell on!”

“We won’t let you down,” Kagami vows. “Longg, bring the storm!”

“No matter what happens, we’ve got you,” Alya finishes. She looks at Carapace, who smiles and nods, something that Ladybug’s brain struggles to make sense of. Before she can figure it out, Alya takes a deep breath, then leans in and kisses Ladybug on the cheek, just like Marinette had done to Adrien at the picnic: quick and soft but unmistakeable in its intention.

“I – guh –” Ladybug garbles.

“That’s for everything you’ve done for us,” Alya says. “For me. And for luck. Trixx, Sass, dual metamorphosis!”

“What?” Ladybug yelps as Alya disappears in flashes of orange and teal light, her impending shutdown forgotten. “Alya – no – I didn’t mean to unify them –”

“You never know,” says Foxglove, wearing her usual fox outfit but now bright teal and scaly instead of orange.

“But you could hurt yourself! I’ve merged Miraculouses before and it’s exhausting – it can drive you insane –”

“Marinette. LB.” Foxglove lightly taps Ladybug around the head. “I’m strong, yeah? I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

“Whoa,” Carapace breathes. “Of course you’re Foxglove. You need a new name, babe?”

Foxglove takes a moment to consider. “Nah,” she says. “Foxglove’s poisonous. Snakes are venomous. To-may-to, to-mah-to. And we don’t have time for that. Also, you probably shouldn’t call not-Rena babe, or I’m toast. What’s the plan, Mari – Ladybug?”

Ladybug looks down at the ground. She closes her eyes, clenches her fists, inhales deeply, then looks up at her friends. “We go save my kitty. And my prince.”

The journey to the TV studio is used by Ladybug to concoct the perfect plan to rescue Adrien. She toys, discards, considers, and by the time they get there, she’s driven herself half-mad from trying to figure out what on earth to do to save her kitty. Once they’re on the roof, she cries out and kicks one of the metal HVAC vents.

“I don’t know what to do!” she wails. “I don’t know how to get Adrien out safely! Shadowmoth’s bound to have an akuma or a sentimonster with him and we have no idea what it is! And even if we rescue Adrien, we can’t keep him safe! Shadowmoth will just go after him again and kidnap him again and – and –”

“You know, if you keep this up, you’re gonna collapse before we even get inside,” Foxglove says, patting Ladybug on the shoulder. “Slow down. Think. One step at a time. How do we get inside?”

“The door,” Ladybug says immediately. “There’s a door up here.”

“Okay. How do we find Adrien?”

“Check the studios. He’ll be in one of them.”

“Then how do we save Adrien?”

“We can – we can –” Mental figures dance around in Ladybug’s head on an imaginary playing field. “Carapace can protect him. Like you did to Clueseau’s hand. Ryuuko can Wind or Water Dragon him out. You can give us cover with Mirage.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“Then…make it up as I go?”

“That’s the spirit,” Foxglove grins. She’s so radiant, so amazing, that Ladybug almost sobs as she wonders again how she’d do this without Alya Césaire. “When do you want me to start the loop?”

“Wait until we’ve found Adrien. The sooner you use it, the less room for error we have. Is everyone ready?”

“Yep,” Carapace says straight away.

“Of course.” Ryuuko unslings her sword.

“Damn straight,” Vesperia says, toying with her trompo. Ladybug turns to face the door – their way in – and steels herself.

“Then let’s go save my kitty.”

Finding Adrien is the easy part. It only takes two studios before they find him sprawled on the floor alone, still as tied up as he’d been during Shadowmoth’s broadcast. His eyes bulge when he catches sight of them in the doorway of the studio.

“Adrien!” Ladybug abandons all rational thought and races over to her kitty. She throws her arms around him, hugs him with all the love she has, then pulls back and scrabbles to gently peel the tape off his mouth. “It’s okay, Adrien, we’re gonna get you out of here, I promise, my prince –”

“Ladybug, you can’t give him your Miraculous!” Adrien says as she tugs at the knots around his wrists. “Not for me! Paris is more important than me, remember?”

“Touching,” a voice chuckles. Ladybug inhales sharply and pulls Adrien against her, away from the figure looming out of the shadows of the dimly lit studio. Behind Shadowmoth are Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur, just barely visible, bound just like Adrien and watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. Well, Nathalie’s eyes are wide. Gabriel looks just as impassive as always. Father of the year there.

“Shadowmoth,” Ladybug snarls. Shadowmoth pauses next to her and Adrien, looking down at them with a raised eyebrow.

“Where’s Chat Noir?” he says. “I believe Adrien is worth two Miraculouses, not just one.”

“I didn’t let him come.” The lie slips out, unbidden, because no matter what, Shadowmoth can’t find out that Chat Noir is his hostage. “I don’t trust you as far as baby August could throw you. I know this is a trap. Why would I bring both the Miraculouses you want and just trust you to keep your word?”

“You’ve brought a wonderful selection of allies,” Shadowmoth says, gesturing. Carapace, Vesperia, and Ryuuko stop just behind Ladybug, but there’s no Foxglove, so she’s obviously either started the loop now or she’ll start it as close to the explosion as she can. That knowledge brings just a smidgen of comfort to Ladybug’s frantic, panicked brain.

“Like I said: I can’t trust you.”

“Hmm. And I thought the heroes were supposed to be virtuous.”

“Where’s your akuma?” Ladybug stands up, pulling Adrien with her, glaring up at Shadowmoth defiantly. “Or your sentimonster? You wouldn’t just let yourself be outnumbered like this. What have you got up your sleeve?”

The way Shadowmoth’s eyes gleam makes Ladybug’s stomach churn. What’s his plan? He’s not foolish enough to just let her and her allies waltz in and gang up on him. He had to have known that she wouldn’t come alone.

“My akuma is right here.” He gestures to Adrien. Ladybug’s brain shatters.

“No!” She instinctively pulls a ghostly pale Adrien back from Shadowmoth. “Adrien will never be akumatised! Not now, not ever!”

“He will. He’ll do exactly as I say when I say it.”

“N-Never,” Adrien says shakily. “You can’t turn me against Ladybug. I’ll die before I betray her.”

Shadowmoth tsks. From his pocket, he produces a silver ring that Ladybug vaguely recognises as Gabriel’s wedding ring, or at least his wife’s ring. She’s not sure which. She’s not sure it even matters.

“Wow. A ring,” she says, trying to will her heart to slow down even a fraction so that it doesn’t explode out of her chest. “Impressive.”

“Not just a ring.” Shadowmoth smiles down at it as he slips it onto his finger. “I remember how Mayura sensed the presence of Feast even within an old artefact. Imagine my surprise when the Peacock Miraculous allowed me to sense…this.”

Time seems to stop. “No,” Ladybug whispers, cradling Adrien away from Shadowmoth as the implications sink in. “You’re lying. Adrien’s not – he won’t –”

“Adrien.” Shadowmoth twists the ring. “Come here.”

For a moment, nothing happens. But then Adrien pulls himself free of Ladybug’s grasp, ignoring her desperate cries, and walks to stand next to Shadowmoth. His face is blank, warm green eyes now cold and devoid of life, and Ladybug lets out a shattered sob at the realisation that Adrien – her kitty –

Adrichat. He’s a sentimonster. And he’s firmly under Shadowmoth’s control.

#aotq fic #aotq: free to be #miraculous ladybug #ml fic #adrien agreste #marinette dupain-cheng #love square #alya cesaire #alyanette #nino lahiffe #zoe lee #kagami tsurugi #identity reveal #sentimonster adrien

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dorotharry · 3 years

Text

tiny dancer ; chapter three

Pairing: bucky barnes x fem!reader

CHAPTER 2 | CHAPTER 4 (coming soon)

Word count: 2.3k

Warnings: pain, angst, nightmares, metal limbs?

Summary: After being drafted for the war in 1942, Bucky goes to the ballet a week before having to leave with his best friend Steve. There he becomes infatuated you with the prima ballerina of the show, and he just has to meet you before his last week in Brooklyn is up. He hopes one day you would meet again; little does it know it will be 72 years later.

A/N: Well, hello again, honestly after yesterday I really wanted to write again soon so I could start giving more away. Eep so exciting, thank you again for all your support too!! Please feel free to like, repost and comment any feedback, it’s much appreciated :)) Also lets just ignore that infinity war is a thing for the moment lolz.

MY MASTERLIST

*gif not mine

“Nice to finally meet you y/n, I’ve been looking for you under Fury’s instruction for a while, my name’s Natasha.”

Natasha. It rang in your ears, there was some familiarity to that name. You kept your face blank, but for some reason it felt like you’d known her in a past life, or perhaps a life you didn’t remember. Though her face gave no indication that she knew either. But a younger version of her face flashed in your mind, only she wasn’t blonde she had bright red hair. You shook yourself from your thoughts, Natasha was a common name, surely you couldn’t know her. Surely.

“Come in,” you responded moving to the side as the women eyed you as she entered. She had to be around a similar age to you. At least in looks, you were at least a century year old in reality. “Did you want something to drink?” You said as you shut the door and gestured to the couch nearby.

The blonde shook her head, taking a seat her gaze still wary. “You’re probably curious to know why I’m here and who I am?”

You nodded as you took a seat on the second couch, it wasn’t often you had visitors.

“Well, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Avengers,” She started.

That’s where you knew her from! She’d swapped her red hair for blonde and suddenly you felt less confused.

“I’m a part of it, and our director Fury has been sending me on mission after mission looking for you. It’s only now we got a tip that you were living in Madripoor.”

You almost wanted to interrupt and ask who had tipped them off, but you thought better of it. You rose an eyebrow at her comment, giving her an expression that told her to continue.

“Anyway, I’m here because we wanted to bring you back to the compound. You’ve been hidden away from us for a long time. In fact, the only reason we know you exist is because of the HYDRA files I shared in 2014. We hoped you could give us some intel; we think something big is going to happen again, but we aren’t sure if it’s HYDRA or something else.” She looked at you again, a serious expression on her face.

Yours matched hers. “You should know I don’t do that anymore, I don’t work as an assassin,” you began suddenly feeling more vulnerable as the terrible things you had done came back up in your memories.

Natasha cut you off sensing your distress. “We aren’t asking you to, we just need your knowledge. Whilst I know Fury wants you to join us in the long run and start fighting again, we also respect your decision not to if that’s what you want.”

You looked at her sceptically, had she not heard what you had just said? Plus, now your cover in Madripoor was blown, if the Avengers knew where you were then surely it wouldn’t be long until every other government in the world would too. You were sure there were many people who wanted you dead.

As if she had heard your thoughts Natasha spoke up again, “don’t worry, if you turn down helping us, no one but Fury and I know you’re here. Not even Steve.”

You silently gasped, you had forgotten about Steve in these brief moments, he was captain America back then, in fact he was still Captain America. Even if you would be throwing yourself back into the line of fire, maybe it would be worth it to see your old friend again. Would he want to see you though? After everything awful thing, you had done. Your eyes began to well again, but you didn’t want Natasha to see you vulnerable.

“Fine.” You spoke sternly looking at the woman in front of you, “I will help, but only if you promise that you avengers will protect me. There’s a lot of people who want me in chains.”

You could see the hint of a smile on her face as she listened, “Don’t worry y/n, we have ways around that,” she smirked. “I don’t exactly have the cleanest record either.”

You nodded, standing up. You knew now if you were leaving that you could never return to Madripoor. If you chose not to fight with the Avengers after helping them, then at least you were sure they could protect you and finally you could maybe be back home. “Where to then?”

Natasha told you to get anything valuable, some clothes and anything else you felt you needed. Luckily for her, you always kept a duffle bag with everything you needed if you had to leave under you bed, along with the shot gun that had been in your hand this entire time till.

You walked to your room, grabbed the duffle bad and your other favourite weapons in another bag and returned in under a minute. Natasha let out a chuckle, she should have known an assassin was always prepared to flee. Something they all knew, never get too comfortable.

Natasha led you out of your apartment, you close the door behind you both and follow her. It felt strange to be taking from directions from anyone else. Besides HYDRA you had always been the person in charge, choosing what you did without direction. But unless you miraculously knew how you’d be getting back to the Avengers compound this seemed like a time you would have to not be stubborn.

She led you to a jet, gesturing you to get on before she did herself. She walked to the front closing the door and sitting in the pilot’s seat. “Feel free to have a sleep.” She said casual pointing to the bed next to you.

“Thanks,” you mumbled going and lying down. After having no sleep, you wouldn’t complain, and it would save you having to make small talk with Natasha. Plus, usually you didn’t have nightmares in you ever occasionally napped.

Natasha answered a call and began telling someone (who you assumed was Fury) that you were coming back with her, just as your eyes were filled with the darkness of sleep.

1943

You woke up once again your entire body in pain. Although this time it was different, and though you remembered where you were much of your memories were feeling fuzzy. Like someone had attempted to begin removing them.

That couldn’t be possible though, could it?

There was an ache on your face, remembering your last memory before you had been engulfed in darkness again. You were sure there would be marks from whatever machine had done that to you, wincing at the thought of the pain again.

But besides there being the same pains you had felt before, there was something different. You were still restricted by your arms and legs in the same position but now you had a heart monitor attached, the faint beeping being the only noise you could hear in the silent and dark room. This wasn’t a room though, it was a lab you knew that now, and you were a lab rat to the red skull and his scientists. Why would they care if my heart is still beating? You pondered.

Once again you pushed against your restraints in an attempt to get out, the leather digging into your skin causing you to wince due to how in pain your body already was. But again as you’d thought earlier, there was something different, yes your arms were wincing at the pain from the leather but your legs felt nothing. You moved your toes and felt no sensations. It was as if they were numb. What had HYDRA done?

As if on cue the laboratory door opened, the same scientist from before entering and two soldiers following behind him. The door slammed closed as the soldiers stayed there on each side of the door. Just in case you got out of your restraints again.

The scientist shuffled forward. “How are you feeling y/n? I realised I forgot the other day to introduce myself, I’m Arnim Zola but you can call me Doctor Zola.”

You sneered as his friendly attitude, causing him to frown. “I can’t feel my legs.” You responded in a harsh tone, “Why?”

“Well y/n, I told you that you would become a soldier for the red skull did I not? Now I understand you’re a ballerina but there’s something wrong with this. You see you always want to be perfect, and what makes you not is among many things your feet.” He looked down proudly at your legs.

The words rang in your ear. Your harsh glare to seem mean had softened as your eyes began to water. “Wh-- what have you done?” You began blubbering, your chest fell up and down panic striking your lungs.

“I’ve made you perfect.” He responded without remorse. Instantly he signalled for the men that had been stood by the door this entire time to come over. They did so, grabbing parts of your body so you were even more restricted that you already were as Doctor Zola walked to the foot of the table you were on. Slowly he undid one of the leather straps restricting your leg. You couldn’t even feel him doing it, your senses not working.

He lifted your right leg so that you could gaze down and what you saw only made your panic attack rise. You shrieked at the sight before you. Your eyes welling more and more with tears. You could hear the heart monitor beginning to pick up in noise, as you heart raced.

From halfway down your calf was what looked like a metal leg and foot. It looked exactly like what legs should be, but it wasn’t. It was silver and cold. Down the side of your calf nearing your ankle was a red star.

Tears rolled down your face as he placed your leg back down strapping it back up, then signalling the men holding you down to move away again.

You would have preferred to die then lose your feet. Your mind wandered as your chest rose and fell so quickly that the world around you began to spin. Would you ever be able to dance again?

Doctor Zola was now next to you again, his face held no remorse, in fact all you could see was pride. Even though the world was spinning, and you couldn’t focus on him you knew he didn’t care. “Don’t worry y/n, after today you won’t care about this. You won’t even remember who you are, only who we tell you are. From now on you aren’t y/n anymore. I’ll see you again when you’re ready to comply.”

The same machine from earlier then began to make noises lowering down to your head. Doctor Zola began rambling Russian words you couldn’t understand, the immense pain began again, and you screeched out in pain.

Present day; 2017

Gasping for air you shot up on the bed on the jet. Natasha looked back at you and instantly you dropped your fearful expression into one that was unreadable. No one would know your nightmares, no one could know you had weaknesses.

Luckily her gaze didn’t last long as she spoke up, “We’re here.” She was just glad she wouldn’t have to wake you up. She stood up, you following her lead out of the jet and towards a large white building with a big ‘A’ on the side.

“Jeez subtle.” You scoffed muttering under your breath.

She rolled her eyes at your comment but proceeded to walk into the building. “I’m sure you’ve heard about most of us. So, I feel there’s no need to explain to you, our names.”

She was right there, of course you knew their names, the whole world did. You hummed in response. She led you both to two big double doors pushing them open as you trailed behind. You may have been as assassin but that didn’t mean you were particularly keen on meeting new people, especially all at once. It took a while for people to come to your liking.

She stopped and you stood almost completely behind her looking down at your hands. You never looked at your feet anymore. The noise of all the voices talking amongst each other suddenly stopped and you could feel all of their eyes on you both.

“Everyone this is y/n, she’s going to help us with our current task we’ve been working on.” She spoke sternly but giving them all a small smile.

You raised your head reminding yourself to not be vulnerable and narrowed your eyes as you scanned them all. Of course, most of already knew who you were having read your files when she released them; each giving you sympathetic looks mixed with fear. But not Steve he never had the heart to look at yours and Bucky’s files. If he ever saw you both again, he knew in time you’d tell him.

Finally, you were met with a familiar set on blue eyes, not the ones you had fallen in love with but still ones who once meant so much to you. Now you weren’t so sure.

Steve looked like he was going to die of shock, as he stared at you with such intensity.

He took a step towards you, “y/n?”, his eyes searching for you to show some sort of emotion. But you didn’t, you couldn’t. You took another step back, away from him, the hurt instantly flashing across his face, but as soon as it was there it was gone.

“Hi Steve.”

A/N: ooo we love the tension. how does reader know Natasha?? is it just cause she's an avenger or is it something else? I’ll guess you'll have to see *evil face*

P.S. we’ll see Bucky again soon I promiseeeee

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Taglist: (let me know if you want to be tagged)

@maybe-a-marvel @thatredlipped-classic @flightsandfantasy @7minutes-tomidnight @rebelemilu @cataves

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midnightmoonkiss · 3 years

Note

PIRATE DEKU 😩💘 but also.. pirate deku with a mermaid reader !!

Mermaid, ay?

This could go one of two ways..

Deku is in a ship wreck and almost drowns but you save him.. or

Deku somehow enters mermaid infested waters and it is not pretty.

Pirate Deku X Mermaid Reader

Word Count: 900+

I’m picturing this..

The infamous Midoriya Izuku, captain of the Sleeping Dove, fastest ship to sail the waters, somehow gets captured by other pirates

Old rope tears into his skin, tied tight and bound against a mast. Rain thunders down on them, his ripped, white cotton shirt that’s stained with dirt and blood is plastered against his skin.

Green locks frame his face, defining his cheekbones covered in freckles and sharp jawline.

He was stripped of everything but his clothes and boots, it left him feeling terribly naked and damn near afraid.

He knew the waters they were sailing into, he knew those rocks that jutted from the ocean and tore strong ships down, he’s seen it all before.

He’d warn the crew.. but a dirty rag was tied around his mouth. His screaming muffled, his thrashing about ignored.

The skies turned dark despite it being midday, unnaturally so, even in this sudden storm.

And then... they heard it.

The angelic noise that drove all lust-crazed sailors to their death-

The singing of a mermaid.

Hell, if he wasnt bound right now, he’d probably be driven to his death as well.

Confusion stirred on the ship, but it wasnt long until the majority of the crew was looking over the railing and into the sea where no doubt a plethora of mermaids call to them.

And finally..

One jumped in.

And it became a blood bath.

It all happened so fast..

The railing torn from the ship by seaweed, the creaking of the wood as she was pushed and pulled to and fro. For a brief moment, Deku feared the ship would be tipped over and he’d drown like the rest of the men aboard.

Honestly, he felt like that wouldve been a bit better than hearing the cries for help that pierced through the previously silent night.

The stench of blood made the air thick, the rocking of the boat making him dizzy despite usually finding comfort in it.

He had to get out of here.

In his panic to slither out of the ropes like a python, he didnt notice a mermaid staring at him from behind, her arms freckled in drops of sea that reflected the light of the moon like precious gems.

She found him pretty.

Handsome, even.

Too gorgeous to kill, yet she desperately wanted to dance with him under the waves.

He only noticed her when she cooed at him.

He froze with fear, laughing under his breath.

Mermaids love the scent of fear, it intoxicated them-

He couldnt show fear, he couldnt let it freeze his veins and numb his body - unless he wanted to die, and he most certainly did not want to die.

“You remind me of a fish trapped in a cage.”

Her statement caught him off-guard.

Sure, he’s her mermaids sing.. but never speak. They weren't much for talking as much as they were for tearing human flesh from bones.

He somehow got the cloth that silenced him out of his mouth,

“Is that so?” He felt the need to reply to hide his nervousness, “Well I hope I’m not trapped for long.”

Just then, another mermaid jumped high out of the water, spraying those still on board with salty sea water before grabbing someone screaming bloody murder and flopping back into the water below.

Izuku gulped.

“I hope so too.”

He inhaled sharply through his noise, her intoxicating voice right behind his ear.

While he was previously distracted, she jumped on board, gained her land legs, and made her way over to him.

The ropes then were sawed off by a jagged knife she held, and he was free.

“You know, if you stay here, you’ll die.” She giggled, watching him crawl cautiously around the boat, strolling after him.

“And if I leave, I still die.” He was in quite the predicament, but he needed the things stolen from him before the ship sank - which, by the sound of it, wouldn’t be before long.

He ran about below deck, searching for his stuff like a mad man while she watched with childlike curiosity.

Once he had everything, all that was left was getting the hell out of dodge.

The ship was sinking, and he was the only sailor left.

He didnt know what to do.

He may be Captain Midoriya, but fuck, that didnt make him some super hero that could easily escape deaths door - even if he’s miraculously done it several times before

“Let me help you.”

You offered with a devilish smile.

“Why.. what do you want in return..”

He was cautious, even now. Even if you did help him, mermaids were not to be trusted. They took that trust and ate you alive.

Your arms wrapped around him from behind, hands feeling up under his shirt.

“Take me with you.”

He didnt have time to argue, and so, he agreed.

Take a chance or die, and he wanted to fight against fate.

The story of how Captain Deku escaped mermaid waters became muddled as the story was passed around, it somehow turned from

‘A mermaid saved him!’

Into

‘He slaughtered every mermaid that came at him, sunk the ship, and took off on a row boat with a hole in it!’

Not that he would deny that story.

Hell, he’d even elaborate on it. Drunken lies didn’t matter, right? He’d sail away before dawn broke the sky anyway.

He didnt learn your name until a month at sea with you on his ship.

“(Y/N).” You whispered into his ear, hot breath sending shivers down his spine as your hips ground down against his hardening member.

“(Y/N)..” he repeated breathlessly, cheeks burning wish a blush, mesmerizing jade eyes glazed over with lust, lips soon becoming preoccupied by your own as you both fell back against his bed.

He would soon familiarize himself with the name throughout the night, and you’d be able to know the effect the title ‘Captain’ had on him in his bedroom.

Horny pirates, am I right?

#deku x reader #pirate deku #izuku midoriya x reader #midoriya x reader #midoriya izuku x reader #x reader #deku x you #pirate deku x reader #n/sfw #?#eh #bnha x reader #mha x reader #my hero academia x reader #deku #izuku midoriya

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syndianites · 3 years

Text

A Queen Serves and Protects

Chapter One

Current --> Next Chapter!

Summary: Post-Style Queen, Pre-Queen Wasp.

Chloe finds the Bee Miraculous, but instead of finding an obliging, subservient Kwami, she finds the Kwami of Order and Subjugation, and Pollen is not about to let herself be used like Nooroo was.

Granted, the only danger in a teenage girl is the damage she poses to herself. Can Pollen shape Chloe into a hero? Or will she stubbornly refuse to change and remain the bitter, harsh person the city has long since known?

[My take on how Chloe's character could have developed]

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

The tap tap tap of nails on a desk was all Chloe could think about as she blankly stared at the board in front of her. This all was tiring. Notes were tiring. School was tiring. English was tiring. How could someone be expected to sit still and pay attention to something so boring for hours on end?

Movement in her purse reminded her that it was what good students do. Sit and pay attention. Do their own work. Put in their own effort.

Chloe grit her teeth.

Well it was too hard! Being a better person shouldn’t mean taking notes and being studious in class! It should mean saving people from getting hit by a car, or stopping people from kicking puppies, or having people look to her for inspiration! Not this boring shit.

Surreptitiously, she took a deep breath.

It was all going to be worth it, she reminded herself. If she had to sit still and be a good student and do all her work herself, it would be nothing compared to being a superheroine.

But as she grew more restless, her mind wandered towards what got her into this situation in the first place....

///////

One might have called it a stroke of luck to find a magical item on the sidewalk. Of course, after a day as shitty as that, anything positive would be considered lucky. Such was not the case for Chloe.

She didn’t know what it was at first and had almost passed it by when she second guessed herself. It looked old, but well cared for. Most of all, the box looked priceless and a quick peek into the box showed a luxurious comb.

Her mom had walked away with a dismissive ‘Come along, Cassandra,’ which had her shutting the box and hurrying to not be left behind.

A limo ride later and she found herself back in her room, ignored by her mother and forgotten by her father as he fussed over Audrey. Typical. But sure, her mom furiously turns her dearest Adrien into a gold statue, then does the same to Chloe when she tries to help him!

Chloe pursed her lips. It’s not like Audrey would have remembered how close she was to Adrien after being away for so long. If she had, surely she would have spared poor Adrikins? Her hands tightened into fists.

Except, she was still holding something.

The box with the comb. It had slipped her mind as she’d arrived home. Barely made a dent against the sickening feeling that curled up in her stomach as her mother hemmed and hawed, not sparing even a glance at her daughter she’d betrayed.

Which was fine. She’d been akumatized. Surely the stress and aftermath of being taken into Hawkmoth’s fold would cause her to forget about her beloved daughter. Later, when Audrey had properly taken her wrath out onto the proper people, she would come up and fuss over Chloe and ensure she was alright.

Or she’d send her daddy to do it.

Returning her attention back to the box, she lifted the lid once more. It was a lovely shade of golden yellow, with black detailing. Upon closer look, taking in the fine detail of what seemed to be insect wings, Chloe realized that she was looking at a beautifully crafted bee comb.

She ran a delicate finger on the edge of the comb only to be met with blinding light. Cringing away, she brought her hand up to shield her eyes. When the light dissipated, she glanced up.

The box and comb clattered to the floor.

A bee was floating in front of her.

A bee with a big head, and big eyes, and arms, and a big stinger, and Oh. My. God.

She screamed.

///////

Eyes flicked towards the window to catch the dying rays of dusk. A trembling hand brought a delicate porcelain mug up to a man’s face. He finished off the now lukewarm tea and let it sit for a moment.

Peering into the remains, he observed the major remnants of the tea leaves. Lazy, wavy lines dominated the cup, with a scattering of imperfect triangles. Finally, a grouping of mountains to one side.

Master Fu hummed in thought.

“What do you think of the fate of the Bee, Master?” Wayzz spoke up from where he sipped his own drink.

Turning back to the nearly navy darkness of the sky, Fu replied, “We will have to see, my friend. Only time will tell us now.”

///////

“Please calm down My Queen. Surely Ladybug informed you of what you needed to know?” Pollen reassured quickly. Except, the small being felt something was off. She was floating safely in an apartment with a girl she’d never seen before, no akuma in sight or mind. Her Chosen was clearly surprised to see her.

And there was no Ladybug in sight.

Still, she kept a smile on her face.

“What are you! What do you mean Ladybug told me what I need to know? Wait,” Chloe broke off with a gasp, “Are you how Ladybug gets her powers?”

Ah, a red flag.

Pollen was plenty aware that Ladybug had chosen her to assist in an akuma fight. If she had not been delivered by Ladybug then something must be amiss. For now, she would watch her words carefully.

“No, My Queen. But I am an ally of Ladybug,” Pollen continued. “I am here to help grant another the power to assist Ladybug and Chat Noir in their quest to defeat akumas and stop Hawkmoth.”

The girl’s eyes lit up. “Does this mean I get to be a superheroine? I knew it! I knew Ladybug would see she needed my help!”

Pollen stopped her there, “On the contrary, My Queen. With Ladybug absent it is my duty to uphold order and ensure you are a good fit to be bestowed my power. Since there is no immediate threat, I see fit to judge your character as you go about your day.”

“What!” The girl griped at her, “Clearly Ladybug knew what she was doing. If you can make me become a superhero I demand you do it!.”

There was a harsh pull in her gut and Pollen fought to bite her words back. She knew she had to obey her holder, but she also knew enough to pull through some loopholes. Poor Nooroo has been stuck in a terrible enslavement for far too long for the rest of the kwami to not prepare for such an occasion.

“You must be a good person to be a superhero, first.” The pull in her gut lessened, but remained. “If you can prove to me you are worthy of holding my power, I will make you a superhero.”

Pollen received a scoff in reply. “I am a good person! Just ask anyone at all. My daddykins always tells me I’m doing good, so why wouldn’t I be?”

The pull began to intensify again. Worry started to drum through her. If Pollen couldn’t convince this person to let her check her history first, she wouldn’t have time to find and return to Ladybug- or, at least, inform Ladybug who possessed her Miraculous.

A low, angry buzz started in her chest. A Queen never let her hive be hurt by her own actions. If she did not stop this girl now, she could harm the rest of her kind, as well as Ladybug and Chat Noir.

And, well, who was she to let that happen.

She faked a sigh, “Yes, of course My Queen. Now listen closely.” Pollen risked floating closer to the girl, who leaned in in response. For a moment, she felt bad. The girl seemed earnest enough, if conceited and arrogant. A good Queen would have these traits in modesty, just enough to benefit and little enough to avoid harm. Then the pull in her gut worsened and she chose to make her move.

With a sweet smile, Pollen leaned forward slowly. Then she turned in a swift movement and struck the poor girl in the junction between her left arm and shoulder. The girl let out a choked screech before her body came to a full stop, paralyzed.

Floating back so that she could be seen in full view, Pollen gave a more genuine smile. “That, my Queen, is one of my powers. Immobilization. Now,” she paused, watching the girl’s eye twitch for a split second. “You will listen to me. My first loyalty is to Ladybug. If you are not fit to be her ally, I will not allow you to use my Miraculous. From what I can tell, you stumbled upon my Miraculous by chance.”

A quiet part of her whispered that Master Fu could have had a hand in this, but she dismissed it.

“Ladybug chose me to help her with the latest akuma, and they are gone. However, I am willing to give you a chance. While I serve both my Master and Ladybug, I am my own being. If you can prove you are good enough to help Ladybug and Chat Noir, I will grant you my power to help them. If not, I will reclaim my Miraculous and return to Ladybug, telling her that you are not fit to wield any such Miraculous.”

Pollen clasped her hands behind her back and puffed up her chest, portraying an image of regality in such a small body. “So I will offer you a deal. You will not ask me to make you into a hero. You will not order me to do anything. Most importantly, you will not reveal me or my Miraculous to anyone other than Ladybug or Chat Noir, or my Master. In return, I will spend time with you to decide whether you are fit to be my holder- and if you are, I will see to it that you are trained and informed as much as I can do for you before you go into the fight with Ladybug and Chat Noir. If at any point you break this deal I will immediately take my Miraculous back and you will never be allowed to see it again.”

She lowered her eyes to look down upon the still frozen girl. “Do you accept the terms of the deal?”

The girl, for her part, didn’t move. Rather, her anger and impetulant thoughts swirled in her head. While Pollen was no Kwami of Emotion or Mind, she could feel her inner chaos. As the girl realized that she would not be set free unless she made the deal, her fire wore down.

Pollen broke out into a smile. She floated forward, ready to let her free of her grasp. This was a risk. If she didn’t accept the deal, this girl could turn the tides on her in an instant. If the girl realized she could command her to do whatever she wanted, it would be over. Just under her display of confidence, fear swam in her stomach.

But she was nothing if not determined. With a tap to the young lady’s face, she was unfrozen.

For a moment, the girl fumbled over her words,” I- you- how did you- how dare you!”

When Pollen pointedly swept down to pick up her Miraculous and floated back, the girl stopped.

In her head, her mind ran on the idea of being a hero. Being beside Ladybug. Being loved by all of Paris. Being good enough for her Mother to remember her name. This was her chance! Her chance to change everything! To prove herself! If she just said yes and passed the stupid little test, she would get to be a hero.

Besides, she could bend and break the deal if she needed to.

Brushing down her capris, the girl stood up straight. With all the dignity she learned from being the child of the mayor, she calmly spoke, “I accept your deal.”

Pollen fought down a crushing smile. Instead, she reached a paw forward to shake on it. The girl, to her credit, only eyed her a moment before giving a finger to shake.

“Excellent. My name is Pollen. For the next twenty-four hours I will be watching you go about your life as normal to determine if you are deserving of my power.”

“Well, Pollen, I am Chloe Bourgeois, Ladybug’s closest ally, I can assure you that you will find nothing but good things about me!”

////////

Above the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, a sleep-deprived girl sat up hastily working through homework as the night ticked on. Perhaps from the late hour, or her finally caving under all the stress of her life, she felt like laughing. Giggles escaped her to the alarm of a sleepy Tikki beside her.

“Marianette, are you okay?” The kwami asked in concern.

“Yeah,” Marianette stifled a laugh. “I just suddenly had the thought that something super funny happened.”

Tikki shook her head disapprovingly. “You need to sleep. Staying up this late is not good for you.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” she sighed, “It has been way too long a day after losing the Bee miraculous.”

Tikki patted her shoulder in sympathy as Marianette got up and began her bed routine.

A long day indeed.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #chloe bourgeois #pollen (ladybug)#ml fanfic #ml

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wondernimbus · 4 years

Text

crash landing — harry potter

pairing: harry potter x female!reader

request: Wow, just wow. Your blog is absolutely phenomenal 😍 Can i request Harry Potter x reader where he accidentally injures the reader who isn't even playing quidditch and smth happens? Thank you 💓💓💓

requests are closed for now. please refrain from plagiarizing my work!

Harry isn't the brightest wizard of his age. He's not especially favored by any of his teachers, nor is he known for being a social butterfly—and he's not exactly one to strictly abide by the rules, either. But what Harry has established so far five years into his time at Hogwarts is this: he's good at Quidditch.

Scratch that, he's bloody great at it. If he were to brag about one thing (which he wouldn't, necessarily, but would if he needed to), it wouldn't be the fact that he survived a killing curse from one of the most powerful darkest wizards in history, nor that quite literally everyone in the wizarding world knows his name, but that he's a damn good Seeker. The youngest in a century.

He's been playing the team for five years now, so if there is one thing that is engrained into his mind, it's this:

When he sees a snitch, he catches it.

So when Harry hovers above the pitch during Quidditch practice and catches a glimpse of a winged golden ball fluttering just to the right of his peripheral vision, he doesn't hesitate. Just swerves around on his broom and makes a bee-line straight for the snitch.

Harry zooms towards the tiny ball, hand already outstretched, gaze fixed entirely on it, not even pausing to register the fact that it's hovering above the head of someone sitting in the stands—

His eyes widen, darting from the snitch to the Slytherin girl sitting just underneath it, whose eyes are wide in terror.

Harry's better judgment wins, in the end, but it's far too late; even as he tries to pull his broomstick to the left, he fails. Miserably.

Harry crashes into the stands—into the girl, sending both of them flying into the benches. Harry's head smacks against something hard: one of the seats. Miraculously, he manages to hang onto his broom, but it's at the cost of whoever unfortunate soul he'd crashed into, because he hears the undeniable smack and the resounding "ow!" that follows the broom's bristles hitting someone's face.

One moment Harry's day is going perfectly well, and the next he is half-laying on the benches of the Quidditch stands, dazed, a mere foot away from the Slytherin girl who had landed on the floor next to him, clutching her head in pain.

Harry blinks, groaning as he pushes himself up slowly.

The girl is muttering curses under her breath; she meets Harry's gaze as soon as it lands on her and shoots him a scathing look. "Bloody fantastic. Really," she says, voice dripping with harsh sarcasm as she massages her head. "Yes, of course, just barrel into a harmless spectator minding her own business. Really good job."

Harry starts to blubber out a string of apologies, but then Wood yells, "Harry!" from where he's hovering next to the goalposts. "Are you alright?"

Harry swallows, looking away from the girl. "Yeah, I'm okay, just—just give me a second!"

"I'm not," the Slytherin grumbles. "I've been concussed."

Harry's first instinct is to flush red. "I'm really sorry, I just—saw the snitch and went for it, I suppose, I'm really s—"

"Help me up first, why don't you?" replies the girl, still obviously irked as she looks up at him.

Harry stands up quickly despite his suddenly sore limbs groaning in protest. He sticks his hand out to the girl, who takes it in her own and lets him pull her up so that she can sit down on one of the benches.

"I'm really sorry," says Harry again. "Do you need me to take you to the hospital wing?"

Scrunching her nose, she looks up at Harry.

Harry realizes that this is definitely not the time to be thinking such things, but bloody hell, she is pretty.

She stares at him expectantly, still scowling a little, brows raised as though waiting for a response. Harry clears his throat and wills himself to stop thinking about things that don't need to be thought of (or at least not right now—he has a feeling that a face like hers, albeit one that's glaring daggers at him, won't leave his head anytime soon).

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" he says, swallowing.

She huffs. "S'pose I'm not the only one who hit their head," she mutters. Bluntly, she repeats, "I asked if you were alright."

At this, Harry's brows jump up in surprise. It's an interesting thing to hear, and not just because she's a Slytherin; she doesn't exactly look like the friendly type.

"Er," he stammers out, a little confused but not entirely against her unexpected concern. "Uh, yeah. I'm doing.. doing peachy."

Out of all the things he could've said. Peachy.

Harry doesn't know if he's imagining it—if he has hit his head and this is the result of a concussion—but it almost looks as if the corner of her lips tugs up into a slight smile.

It disappears quickly, that faint hint of an amused smile, but Harry swears it was there—or was it?

She sighs, dropping the hand that's massaging her head back to her side. "Well, go ahead and get back in the game," she says, tone losing some of its scorn but not all of it. "Wouldn't want you missing out on practice, do we?" She side-eyes him. (Harry ignores the way his heart skips a half-beat.) "Best seeker of the decade and all."

Harry stands there a little awkwardly, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as he looks to her and to the broomstick lying at his feet. "Are you sure you don't need me to take you to the hospital wing?" he asks hesitantly, wondering if he should pick up his broom and fly away, save himself from further embarrassment.

But it doesn't feel right. So even as she glares at him and mutters, "I'll survive a smack to the head", Harry doesn't leave. Instead, scuffling his shoes against the ground, he looks at the rest of his teammates, who continue practicing without him, and then back to the girl.

And maybe it's because of how breathtakingly beautiful she is (under normal circumstances, Harry would say pretty, but that word isn't quite enough to capture how she looks)—but Harry clears his throat and gestures with his hands to nothing in particular, then decides to say, "Can I make it up to you?"

She stiffens just the slightest bit in surprise. Harry's sweaty palms form fists as he tucks them behind his back. "I mean," he begins quickly, just to fill in the silence, "I just. I feel bad—and I don't want to, you know, go around flying around the pitch while you sit here nursing a headache. Doesn't sit right with me, you know?"

The girl purses her lips before turning her head to look up at him. Harry finds himself looking away. Out of all the bloody people he could've flown into, it just had to be the prettiest one.

"Make it up to me with what, exactly?" she asks, flicking her brows up at him.

Harry shifts on his feet. "There's a Hogsmeade trip coming up this weekend," he says. "I could—we could—I'd love to buy you a butterbeer." He pauses, then adds, "Or something."

She stares at him, eyes narrowed just the slightest bit, and then—no, that's definitely a smile. Harry's sure of it. (Unless he hit his head far harder than he thought he did.)

His heart stammers inside his chest as she tilts her head to the side and shrugs. "Suppose it wouldn't hurt as much as a broomstick to the head, would it?"

Harry breaks out into a grin, but then realizes that it probably isn't a good idea to be smiling at the mention of her being hit on the head, so he quickly stops and says, not for the first time that day, "I'm really, really sorry. The snitch was right next to you and—"

"You said bugger all about safety and went straight for it," she finishes, but this time she doesn't sound quite as exasperated as she did before. She doesn't sound very happy, either, but still—Harry allows himself to breathe properly.

"Sorry," he says bashfully.

"It's fine," the girl says, and this time she sounds like she means it. "If I end up fainting in the hallway either today or tomorrow, you'll be the first to know. And then you can start feeling bad."

Harry just barely manages to stop himself from grinning again. Even then, his lips tug up at the edges against his will. "So.. um," he leans down to pick up his broomstick. "I'll meet you at the Great Hall this.. um.. Saturday?"

She eyes him somewhat curiously, lips still pressed together into that almost-smile. "Is this a regular thing?" she asks. "Crashing into girls and asking them to dates?"

Harry's eyes widen. He shakes his head quickly. "No. No way. I wouldn't risk y—"

"Only joking," she cuts him off, and does something that has Harry's heart turning into pure mush inside his chest: she laughs. Harry pauses, relaxing, and wonders if he could somehow go all the way to the Muggle village near Hogwarts, find himself a tape recorder, dash back here, and ask her to laugh again so that he could record it and listen to it over and over.

"You should probably—" she gestures to his broom, then to the pitch. "I don't think your captain would take well to you talking to a girl instead of practicing."

"He'd understand," says Harry, grip tightening on his broomstick. "I mean, especially if it's a pretty girl, but. Er. Yeah." He burns bright red at his own words, scratching the back of his neck and looking away, but not before spotting the smile on her face. "I'll get going now."

"Try not to crash into me again. If you do I'm going to start thinking you're doing it on purpose." She sweeps her arm out in a welcoming gesture, inclining her head as though curtsying. "Fly free, Harry Potter."

Harry swings his legs over his broomstick and kicks up into the air, back into the pitch, and then zooms away.

"About time, Harry!" yells Wood.

But two minutes later, he's whizzing back towards the Slytherin girl, although not as fast as before. This time he means to.

"I didn't catch your name," he says, hovering in mid-air in front of her.

She shakes her head as though in disbelief, then says, loudly, "It's [Y/N]."

"[Y/N]," Harry repeats, grinning. "Has a nice ring to it."

And then he flies away, before Wood kicks him off the team.

#harry potter #harry potter oneshot #harry potter oneshots #harry potter imagine #harry potter imagines #harry potter x reader #harry potter x y/n #harry potter x you #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter fanfic

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miraculouscontent · 3 years

Photo

All the thoughts:

First off, the plan.

I don’t get Shadow Moth’s plan or Optigami in general. Like, it was already weird that we had the phone that picked up on a kwami’s voice (I’ll hold my tongue on that one until we have all the episodes that take place before this, though my hopes aren’t high), but both Optigami and the phone happening in the same episode when it’s been resaid in this season that kwami can’t be seen/heard by technology is just silly. I get that Optigami is a sentimonster so it’s “magic technology,” but I dunno, something feels weird about it.

The reason I bring it up is because what’s shown contradicts what happens later in the episode. The footage shown by Optigami shows Carapace de-transforming and Wayzz popping out of the miraculous right afterwards, but when Senti!Carapace and Rena Rouge detransform at the end of the episode, the kwami don’t pop out. The former is also consistent with most detransformations; the kwami usually pops out (for the easiest reference, the beginning of “Miraculer” does this with both Alya and Nino, and Alya detransforming in “Gang of Secrets” also does this).

I presume this was done to force Ladybug to use her Lucky Charm in order to figure out that Senti!Nino was Shadow Moth’s sentimonster, because otherwise I just imagine Wayzz popping out to complain that there’s something in his miraculous and how it isn’t even paying rent.

Gabriel also non-subtly invites “everyone” to the event, yet “everyone” apparently only means conveniently the people who Shadow Moth knows as heroes, plus Marinette for no explained reason whatsoever. Chat Noir could’ve even noted after the fact that everyone invited were past heroes (because he knows Multimouse and probably wouldn’t think “wait, that doesn’t make sense--”), or the characters themselves could’ve noticed it, but that would’ve meant the show pointing out the blatant plothole that Marinette is lobbed in there. This could’ve also been a chance for the characters to all establish, “hey, we were heroes!” and have a cool camaraderie between them (presuming they know that they were outed), but instead they serve no purpose beyond being essentially background characters for Style Queen to tick off like a checklist. They had the perfect moment to do something to give everyone more character and they wasted it to do an unneeded scene of Alya trying to shove Marinette towards Adrien (I’ll get there).

It also puzzles me that Gabriel’s plan was to cause an akuma that would force Ladybug to bring another miraculous when...

Style Queen didn’t cause her to do that?? Now, if one isn’t really thinking (like it seems the writers didn’t) and/or only vaguely remembers the episode (i.e: that Chloe got a miraculous and Queen Bee/Wasp is the immediate follow-up), then they’ll recall that Ladybug did indeed go to Master Fu’s to get a miraculous, but only did she not need it in the end, the reason the Lucky Charm sent her there in the first place was to get Plagg, i.e: the cat.

And yes, Shadow Moth does have Style Queen glitter the building so that no one can get in, which ends up blocking Chat Noir off, but that only works if he knows that Ladybug is in the building but not Chat.

Speaking of Ladybug, and this one is more of a nitpick, but she delays using Miraculous Ladybug and I feel like it could’ve been done better, like if she went to use it but stopped herself because something didn’t feel right, but instead she points out the weirdness of not using her Lucky Charm while not thinking further on it until she sees the handshake. Regardless of the comments she makes towards the Lucky Charm, the episode leaves a weird feeling of, “Why haven’t you used Miraculous Ladybug yet? The akuma is gone.” Marinette even saw the sentimonster, which clearly isn’t Style Queen, yet the episode forgets about it because--oh wait, it was just there to build up to an attempted identity reveal that went nowhere.

So, yeah--the elevator...

Say it with me: it’s stupid, it’s pointless, it makes no sense, it serves no meaning to the plot, its only roles in the episode is for love square fuel and to embarrass Marinette.

And on that last note, I know I said I’d keep quiet on the phone, but I swear, if it’s not explained in any form why the kwami can communicate with her, then it was literally just invented so that it could startle/embarrass her.

Also, to the surprise of no one, the kwami who live with her still don’t understand how to deal with her. :|

Not only does the scene draaaaag and the chances of Adrien and Marinette not only thinking of the same hiding place (an elevator, something that both makes no sense because Style Queen can easily pop up if she hears the elevator, but also that they rarely ever choose as a transforming spot; in fact, I can’t think of a time they’ve chosen an elevator??), but also happening to pick the same elevator.

As for it making no sense, the identity reveal was completely unnecessary. Either of them telling the other their identity would’ve done nothing, and even if they planned to tell the other to block the eyes watching them so they could transform, it wouldn’t matter, because that just makes it obvious what they’re doing. Plus, if the concern was needing to tell the other so they could get out of the elevator somehow, then there would’ve been no reason not to tell them after the eyes were gone. Marinette could’ve texted Alya at any time when they were being quiet.

And as if the setup wasn’t already contrived enough, Nathalie takes far too long to leave Adrien and Marinette alone. Optigami goes into the elevator on Nathalie’s orders (which is the whole thing that makes the two go quiet and consider doing a reveal in the first place), and it takes fourty seconds before Nathalie finally notes that it’s just Adrien and Marinette. Like, unless she got up to make a sandwich before she analyzed the footage, I just--???

Anyway, the last thing to really talk about is Alya and oh my gosh, the sheer amount of double standards here...

Like, just starting with the scene where Alya physically shoves Marinette towards the elevator, despite Marinette’s protests, it just makes me shake my head all the more, especially after “Mr. Pigeon 72.” I already knew the show wasn’t going to follow up on the whole “when you’re ready” stuff in “Gang of Secrets,” and “Mr. Pigeon 72″ just forwarded that with Alya immediately pressing for Adrien, but I didn’t expect Alya to try and force things this hard.

Just gonna add as well that both Luka and Kagami saw Alya do this, which would’ve been a great opportunity for it to trigger alarm bells for both of them (Luka going, “oh, it’s no wonder Marinette struggles with Adrien when--” and Kagami like, “hey this is familiar, almost like Marinette thought it was okay because it happens to her all the time and maybe I should step in to say something”; by the way, for those who want another fix-it, yeah, that’d what it’d be), because Marinette was literally totally fine until Alya tried to force the matter.

But again, blatant show of “fine if it’s for the love square, not fine if it’s not.”

And after “Mr. Pigeon 72″ and now this, do the writers really think that I wasn’t going to notice the fact that Marinette is only getting the “damsel in distress” role now that the kwami and Alya are conveniently there to save her? It’s like they knew the backlash that would happen from Marinette telling Alya her identity (the rightfully deserved backlash, not even because of the identity thing - I understand narratively that Marinette was at her breaking point, though the timing is awful - but because Alya was like--one of the worst choices), so they decided to justify it by having Marinette be put into peril multiple times this season to the degree where Alya would have to swoop in and save her. Essentially, they’re nerfing their protagonist and forcing her into these situations to lift Alya up and make Alya look like a better/more intelligent friend.

Marinette didn’t need a confidant because she was constantly one step away from danger, she needed one emotionally, yet now the show has been continuously letting Alya figure out important guardian matters and saving Marinette’s backside because apparently, “Marinette is more emotionally stable now that she has someone who knows her secret,” wasn’t enough. Handing Alya the win on Lila and either ignoring or excusing all of her past actions to make her look good wasn’t enough.

Trying to make everything about Adrien instead of Marinette wasn’t enough. Now they’re throwing in Alya and giving her stuff to do while Marinette sits idly and just waits to be saved. Yes, Marinette ultimately does the most in the end and Alya screws up, but what happens?

Alya gets rewarded for it. She gets to have the fox miraculous given to her permanently, which the narrative lowkey chided Marinette for not doing (with Trixx’s snippy comments and Alya pulling a “Gang of Secrets” where she’s suddenly 100% “on Marinette’s side” so that it makes it feel like she deserves whatever she’s going to be given). The show is both setting Marinette up to fail so they can continue having their drama (regardless of how well permanent Rena Rouge goes, they wanted to leave the episode on a cliffhanger) and getting on her case for breathing while rewarding other characters after they’ve failed.

Which, spoiler alert for the next episode, ends up working out, thus making it the “”“right”““ decision. Apparently Marinette is meant to suffer and be given all these consequences/embarrassment when she screws up, but people like Adrien Alya get rewarded and given a free pass to do whatever they want with no consequences (Marinette doesn’t even remotely get on Alya’s case or be upset that Alya made decisions without her; even Fu gave Marinette, Tikki, and Plagg a look in “Sandboy” and made them explain/apologize; but of course, that’s because Marinette was involved, I guess).

And... look, it’d be one thing for Marinette to want an understudy, or to want someone to have a permanent miraculous as a form of protection in case she needs it, but Alya wasn’t even suspicious when Senti!Nino didn’t give her their usual high-five. Alya claims to be this great reporter and tries to imply in “Gang of Secrets” that she suddenly knows all things about Marinette, yet doesn’t change her expression at all when the person she thinks is her boyfriend gives her a regular high-five instead of the one they made up? I guess the show wanted to give Ladybug something more after Alya and Kaalki did a chunk of the work, but if they wanted to present Alya as a worthy guardian, then that should’ve set off red flags, especially after the whole Ladybug reveal and Alya realizing that Lila’s full of it (which I know still hasn’t been shown but if she’s gonna be Ladybug’s confidant then she has to step up her suspicion game).

Like, I don’t know if they’re just trying to have Alya work off any bad things that the fandom might have on her, but with this episode and the next episode, it just feels like they want Alya to stay in the role that she had with Marinette: the “Alya knows best, is presented as a supportive friend, and has a leg up on Marinette in terms of mental/power dynamic.”

Because, despite knowing that she’s Ladybug now, Alya’s relationship with Marinette really hasn’t changed. She’s still forcing Marinette into situations with Adrien, she’s still got the doubtful eyebrow raise whenever Marinette does “Marinette things,” and Alya still has the, “I got you, girl!” attitude about everything, even if she really doesn’t have Marinette’s back in the right way. Heck, even the kwami (or at least Trixx) seems to go to Alya over Marinette, the kwami themselves just whining and behaving like children around Marinette herself.

At this point, why not just hand Alya the ladybug earrings and call it a day? If Alya’s not only an understudy for being guardian but is also apparently going to keep saving Marinette, she’s clearly “better,” and that moment with Senti!Nino ended up getting her rewarded, why not just let Marinette hand over the metaphorical mantle and be officially stress-free? Then Paris would have a “““non-clumsy, less emotional, less anxious”““ Ladybug.

Well, because that would mean lessening Marinette’s suffering and the show would be over without that. *sigh*

I don’t know, it’s just upsetting. It’s the "Malediktator”/”Gang of Secrets” thing where Marinette tries to follow something she’s been taught by other characters (who are presented as wiser than her) and it ends up blowing up in her face. “No permanent miraculouses” wasn’t her rule - it was Fu’s - and then the show immediately chides her for it.

Basically, Marinette tries to make her own decisions and it blows up in her face. Marinette tries to follow her own rules and it blows up in her face. It’s the love square all over again: she can’t confess to Adrien, but she can’t move on either.

That’s why “Optigami” is so insulting. It puts its double standards on display for the world to see and sets things up to go exactly the way it wants with no regard to making sense or working to an interesting story.

#category: salt #episode: Optigami #other: ask and answer #((Wanted to wait for ''Sentibubbler'' because ohhhh boy.))#((*sigh*))

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sweetestlamb · 3 years

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Yoga

Summary: Vincenzo hides his jealousy as well as he hides being part of the mafia.

Author's note: it was supposed to be a cute jealous yoga story I don't know why this ended in angst 😂😂😂 I really need to get my life together. Also Vincenzo rubbed me the wrong way today and some people are trying to convince me that I'm interpreting the show incorrectly and explaining to me why it didn't offend them and why everything was fine and I just need you to know, my opinion isn't changing but listen if you had a great time today watching the episode please don't let me stop you. I don't need anyone to be outraged with me. I'll be mad all by myself I promise! But just to be clear my problem was the creation of yet another gay character who an awful person in a kdrama. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen gay characters not be predators or abusive.

Anywho I give you jealous aerial yoga fun that ends in man pain!

He probably believes that he's being inconspicuous again, hiding this side of him as well as he'd thought he was hiding being a member of the mafia. But he's just as obvious as he always is in her eyes, much like her he's too theatrical to ever really conceal how he's feeling. He talks too much and reveals his cards too easily- especially to her.

He's attracted to her that much is painfully evident, if her father's nosy assistant hadn't interrupted they would have kissed. She would have been laid across the table and taken apart, his eyes promised a great time as he devoured her. She was just as attracted to him, she wouldn't have stopped him from doing whatever he wanted.

It is getting more difficult to ignore the quiet moments though, when she can feel his eyes on her and it's not sexual at all. He's just looking at her and she feels bare, naked.

Those moments scare her in a way she hasn't felt before. Ergo she presses them deep, deep into the dark corners of her brain behind all the different ways that she has concocted to throw off others, she's used to being strange and having men overlook her for it.

She's never been what others would consider "sexy". But then he appears and suddenly men seem to see her in a new light. Or maybe he brings her attention to it.

It all begins at the coffee shop, they've made a habit of starting their mornings together by getting coffee. She doesn't analyze what exactly they're doing but some may consider it a date, she hasn't giving the outings a title there's no need to.

She feels comfortable with him and he hasn't been resistant to her pushing her way into his life. She has always been like this, too much and overbearing. Usually it drives people away and she pretends that it doesn't hurt that she's something that people need in doses, she's heard that so often that it's etched in her brain.

Friends in college, boyfriends and her colleagues to name a few.

But for some reason he keeps coming back for more doses, regularly smiling at her shenanigans even egging on her antics with full body laughs.

So he'd taken her to get coffee grinning once again as she dragged her caffeine deprived body dramatically like a puppet with its strings cut to the counter, plopping herself on the surface before crying out, "If I don't get a large sewage water in five minutes my death will be on your hands!" The barista behind the counter grinned over at her, used to her dramatics. He was young, barely nineteen and he'd tried his hand at flirting with her a few times. She had promptly laughed in his face the first time, spewing coffee everywhere before strutting out of the shop.

Laughing and punching a stranger in the arm, ignoring the loud "Hey! What are you doing," before she danced down the sidewalk, hand on her hip as she flipped her hair before shouting to the sky, "I've still got it, baby!"

That day he had glanced at Vincenzo before walking over to her, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I didn't realize I had so much power over you. What if I say I won't give it to you unless you let me take you on a date?" She remembered her eyes widening in shock and then disbelief and finally landing on bemusement, he was persistent she would give him that much but she was no cougar so his flirting was futile.

She opened her mouth to let him down easy- laugh in his face again and remind him that he had to be this old to ride her ride but suddenly her Italian was leaning across the counter, all cool lines with a deadly smile on his face.

With a his deep voice he chillingly said, "If you don't give it to her your death will be on my hands."

There was heavy silence.

He continued, "I know how to kill a man with only a coffee cup and a string."

The barista, Heon, stared at Vincenzo with all of the blood draining from his youthful face. She didn't blame him the man did sound unnervingly serious and the look in his eyes was a little too real to be purely acting. Plus there was conveniently a coffee cup and a string right there on the table, it was an oddly specific thing to say.

Then after a pregnant pause, he started laughing loudly filling the entire shop like a mad man and she looked over at him as if he had lost his damn mind but this was her favorite coffee shop, she couldn't be banned so she started laughing with him, guffawing and pushing the idiot on the shoulders.

"He's just joking! HahaHAHAHA, laugh it was a joke! LAUGH!!" She leaned across the counter to pat the scared boy on the back but then Vincenzo leaned into her, draping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her back until she was no longer touching him. His laughter static and too robotic to be anything other than a hoax.

She'd never seen anyone brew coffee that fast before. It was impressive what a person could do when they felt as if their life was in danger she'd thought, she gave him a generous tip before leaving.

Heon mysteriously stopped working when they would normally come to the coffee, another barista informed her that he had switched his hours. A certain Italian was really cheerful upon hearing the news, whistling an unknown tune as he sipped his tiny cup of espresso- double shot, traipsing away with a pep in his step and the wind beneath his suit coat.

His random violent outbursts continued.

Bartenders. Businessmen. Traffic officers. Other lawyers. A librarian who had flirtatiously whispered that she wouldn't need to be quiet when they were alone. Suddenly there were men everywhere and she was the hottest thing on the menu, her lower back probably had an imprint of his hand by now from all the times he would steer her away from her suitors.

Every time his excuses were the same, "I'm just protecting you. Guys like that are scum, you deserve better."

Well the one she wanted had no intention of staying so why was he blocking anyone else from trying?

Thinking about it makes her chest feel tight and she welcomes the weekend, she has booked an aerial yoga class to release some of the stress and tension just being around the Italian causes.

It's a warm day so she dons a small set, a light blue sports bra with matching shorts throwing a light jacket over in case the temperature drops at the end of the day. Looking in the mirror she scoops her hair into a low ponytail, pushing back baby hairs that frame her face.

She swipes a thin layer of chapstick across her dry lips before grabbing her phone, keys, gym membership card and her gym bag with a change of clothes.

The drive to the studio is short, she listens to BlackPink on the radio happily screaming about her dududududu complete with car choreo that consists of arm shakes and a lot of hair whipping. It's another miraculous day where she does not cause a car accident, she gives herself a high five for the small victory.

She parks her car haphazardly driving onto the sidewalk several times before getting it right. With a satisfied sigh she hops out of her car, opening the back door and bending over to grab her gym bag.

"Cha-young ah?"

A familiar voice surprises her and she jumps bumping her head into the roof of her car with a cry, she drops the gym bag and leans out of the car rubbing her throbbing head with a pained grimace.

Vincenzo is standing in front of her, in what is the most casual outfit she has ever seen him wear. A pair of navy blue sweatpants, a plain white t-shirt and expensive looking black sneakers, leave it to him to wear Balenciagas when trying to look casual.

Her mouth becomes very dry as she takes in the unexpected but very much welcome sight.

Shaking herself out of her stupor she raises an eyebrow at him, "What are you doing here?" She asks once again leaning into her car to retrieve her gym bag. When she turns around slamming the door shut she watches Vincenzo peel his eyes away, quickly looking away from her direction.

Had he been checking her out?

She smirks at the thought before openly checking him out. Eyes perusing his body up and down in a slow and thorough examination.

"Are you checking me out?" He asks amused as he folds his arms across his chest, making his already impressive biceps look even bigger and more enticing. She knows exactly what he's doing, he's about as subtle as a bulldozer.

"Yes, I am. Do you need me to turn around again so you can check me out?" She laughs easily as he sputters and tries to deny her claims, once he realizes that she doesn't believe a word he's saying he finally stops, admitting defeat.

"Those are...great shorts." He drawls, gone is the embarrassed act. Now he's freely eying her shorts clad body, eyes hot as they trail up and down her legs.

Shaking her head she smiles at him, "You never answered my question. What are you doing here?" He struts over to her prying her gym bag from her hand and throwing it over his free shoulder. She tries not to get too affected by his sudden closeness, his cologne filling her nostrils with the fresh earthy musk.

"My gym is here. I came to work out. You look like you had the same idea, you should have called me." There he goes again, making space for himself in her life although he has no intention of staying with her. It was cruel and she knows she should cut him off before it's too late.

"I don't think you'll be interested in what I'm doing." She answers walking ahead, holding the gym door open for him. They both show their card to the attendant at the front and the young worker smiles at her before saying, "Your aerial yoga class will be starting in five minutes. It's best to go early and secure a good spot."

She can see Vincenzo's questioning face in her peripheral but she ignores him to nod at the younger woman, tugging her bag off his shoulder and nodding at him in dismissal.

"Enjoy your work out." She climbs the stairs leading to the huge studio where the aerial classes are held. His eyes are like lasers on her back and she already knows that he's going to follow her, he's too intrigued to stay away. That's what she was banking on.

She would get him back for all his jealous tantrums this past week. There were so many places they were probably going to be banned from and all because he didn't know how to play well with others. She's wasn't some toy he could claim. Especially when she couldn't claim him back.

Finding a spot in the corner she puts her bag down on one of the mats that are provided, taking a few moments to do some light stretches. She bends over touching her toes before dipping her head and elongating her neck, then she does a few squats and jumping jacks just to get her blood pumping and her heart racing.

She can feel the exact moment that he comes, it also helps that all the women gasp and she can hear coy giggles about their new guest. She pretends not to notice him, stretching backwards into a perfect handstand holding it for a few minutes before tilting back and planting her feet until she's upright again. She almost loses her composure when she catches his expression in the large windows.

He looks shocked and aroused, neck redder than normal.

All the women settle down when the instructor comes to the front of the room, they have reached the point where he no longer shows them what to do instead he walks around the room correcting their form and giving tips or words of encouragement.

He's a beautiful man, with mocha colored skin and a lean muscled build and the most gorgeous head of coily hair. She has been coming here for months and they've become quite closer as they have a lot in common, most importantly they both love men. When they had run into each other and realized they were staring at the same guy's ass, it was love at first ogle.

When he comes over to greet her she immediately steps into his space with a mischievous grin. Sean grins back looking exasperated already but he still says, "What are you up to? I know that smile Ms. Cha-young." She leans closer certain that Vincenzo is avidly watching her every move. Trailing a finger up his thick bicep she whispers, "Nine o clock, don't look but I need your help to teach him a lesson. Are you up to it?"

Sean starts to turn his head before processing her order and stopping, he stares at her before a devilish look gleams in his bright eyes too.

"You know I'm always up." He replies voice full of innuendos and she fake swoons, bringing her hand to her forehead. "Don't tease me."

He chuckles at her before walking back to the front of the room, none of the other women react to their flirtations used to their antics and everyone already knows that Sean is as gay as the pride flag. Everyone except one fuming Italian.

She can feel his waves of anger crashing across the room and she tugs at the cloth in front of her testing the weight before easily hoisting herself up, letting it cup her bottom as her feet dangle.

She's ready to put on a show.

He hadn't stalked her per se, he'd merely overheard one of the tenants say that they'd seen Cha-young in a nearby studio on weekends so he'd went to see if she really did go there. And then there she was bent over in her car, pert little bottom sticking out the car and he wanted nothing more than to smack the flesh and watch it bounce and jiggle under his hand.

This was why he was so protective, not jealous. Protective. She was too careless with her body and there were salacious men out there ready to take advantage of that, she needed someone like him who had a pure heart to look out for her.

He was allowed to fantasize about spanking her while having a pure heart, it was called having duality.

So he'd followed her into the gym, a little peeved when she abandoned him without a word to attend something called "aerial yoga", he knew regular yoga and if it was anything like that he was very much interested.

In watching her do it.

Turning to the young worker who had been staring a hole in his face, he sent her a charismatic smile before leaning nonchalantly on the counter, he could tell that he had her full attention by the way her mouth fell open.

He almost felt bad, she seemed a bit wet behind the ears. But he wasn't really trying to seduce her so it was fine, he wasn't some old creepy predator.

"Hey, that aerial yoga class am I allowed to watch it? I want to see if it's something I might be interested in." He lies to the younger woman, watching her process his words before answering.

"Well technically that class is restricted for those who signed up..." She trails off looking at him and he smiles brightly, pushing his curly hair off his forehead he had forgo his products today and the way her eyes follow his fingers make him thankful that he did so. "But you won't do any harm by watching, I'm sure it'll be fine. Go on up." She finishes and he throws a mental fist pump, he still had it.

Outwardly he smiles serenely, thanking her before walking up the stairs that Cha-young just disappeared up. It leads to a spacious studio with a wall of gleaming mirrors and huge bay windows overlooking the city. He looks around before his eyes land on her, the reason why he's here.

He swallows a groan as he watches her stretch that slim gently curvy body, she's all smooth lines and feminine appeal. When she starts squatting he can't help but watch those firm cheeks tensing and tightening, he lazily leans back hungrily watching her.

Then he almost swallows his tongue when she bends backwards into a perfect bridge before lifting herself into a handstand, damn she was strong and deliciously flexible. Looking her in the eye was going to be even more difficult now.

His heckles raise when he sees another man approaching her suddenly, a Black man who seems way too familiar with his Cha-young based on the way they both grin and invade the others space. He sneers as he watches them whisper and grin at each other, who was this guy and why were they so close? He releases a sigh of relief when the man finally backs up, going to the front of the room before pressing a button and light soothing music begins to play.

He must be the instructor then. Wonderful. He prays that was the end of the unnecessary touching and standing too close to his lawyer. He doesn't want to have to make a scene.

It isn't the end. Not by a long shot.

The instructor who had introduced himself as Sean easily walked around, stopping every once in a while to correct someone or praise them for having good form. The ladies would preen and thank him and that was it, he would nod before moving on.

Cha-young was the only exception to this rule.

He watches mesmerized as the limber lawyer bends herself into a graceful pose that resembles a swan and he can't fight the images that start flashing in his mind of them in bed, her twisting around him with pieces of cloth. Tying him up and showing him just how flexible she is all night long until they both sore and sated.

When she suddenly releases the cloth and starts tumbling to the ground he finds himself jumping into action shoving the fantasy to the crevice of his mind, legs already moving to catch her before she saves herself with her ankles, her body swinging freely with her face only inches from the floor. His heart skips a beat before it starts chugging along again.

Why was she always worrying him?

"That was perfect Cha-young! You've finally let go of your fear of falling!" Sean praises her walking over and patting her legs, but he doesn't let go after the quick touch. He keeps those grabby hands on her thigh and helps her back up onto the cloth, he thinks that will be the end of it. He's wrong.

He moves her body into a new pose with the cloth wrapped around her shoulder and he glares when a hand runs down her back precariously close to her bottom before rolling back up. He pushes her gently on the cloth harness and she laughs gleefully before she whispers something to the instructor, it's hard to read her lips from this distance but he can make out, "with me."

He understands what she asked for when Sean nods and moves into position.

Sean wraps his arms around the same cloth and suddenly lifts himself off the ground, his face level with her groin and he wants to go over and rip the cloth from the ceiling and strangle the man with it. Then Sean pulls himself up and Cha-young slides out of her seated position, grabbing the cloth too until they're face to face and spinning in lazy hypnotic circles. They both have huge grins on their faces as they move together in perfect harmony, the last straw comes when she wraps her legs around his waist and their bodies are pressed together- he sees blazing red and disconcerting white and then finally pitch black.

He's fleeing before he's even aware of it. Bounding down the stairs, two steps at a time then shoving the entrance door open and letting the surge of cool air ease his anger. If he stayed another second the instructor would be dangling out the window much like that thug before except he wasn't sure if he would be able to pull him back up.

Why was he so anger? She'd looked fine, happy even. She clearly wasn't being taken advantage of. But his rage is bursting at the seams and he jolts when a hand suddenly grips his wrist. Instinctively he turns grabbing the person and slamming them into the nearby wall.

Cha-young looks up at him, face flushed and sweaty.

That will also be burned into his retina.

"You should know better than to sneak up on me." He warns taking deep breaths to suppress some of the frustration he feels looking at her, the memory still fresh in his mind.

"What's wrong with you?" She counters bringing her hands to his shoulders rubbing in a calming motion, "You look pissed. Did something happen?"

He watches her for a second, taking her in seemingly harmless question and recalls her legs wrapped around another man who wasn't him and he wants to punch that fucking handsy instructor right in his smug fac--

Wait.

She was smiling. No, smirking. Right up at him like she knew everything that was racing through his head.

He'd been played.

"Did you have fun?" He asks voice laced with snarkiness and he shoves her harder into the wall, red hot fury brewing in the pit of his stomach. She knew that he was part of the mafia but still acted like this. Did she not have any sense of self preservation?

"Were you jealous?" She asks in a ostentatiously cutesy voice like this is all a hilarious joke and he wants to kiss that damn smug look right off her face. No one has ever dared to treat him like this, acted like he was a joke.

She's playing with fire and he's not opposed to burning her up.

"Do you still think you have the upper hand right now?" He looms over her pushing his pelvis into her and she squeaks at the hardness that pokes into her. To his surprise she eagerly presses back, pulling him in by his waist until they are flushed chest to chest. He doesn't know if an upper hand exists anymore.

"Yes. I do, getting to see you jealous was the highlight of my day. Cute little jealous mafia lawyer."

He snarls at her feeling stupid because of how easily she can play him, and without thinking he wraps his arms around her.

"You looked really cozy with him."

She sniffs before pouting at him, "Yeah and you didn't fight for me at all. Where were the death threats and cold glares? Sean would have pissed his pants." Her giggles only make him angrier because she's seen through him all along.

He stares at her blankly before throwing caution to the wind and leaning down to capture her tempting lips, he runs a hand through her ponytail tugging her head closer to him and she moves easily with him standing on her tiptoes. He closes his eyes ready to put himself out of his misery when he feels a finger in his lips, he blinks his eyes open staring at her perplexed and a bit offended.

"What?"

"Are you staying in Korea?" She talks over him, her finger firm on his mouth.

They both stare at each other and her question spins in his busy mind, thoughts too full of her seductive moves earlier and how badly he wanted to destroy anyone who dared to look at her. He doesn't know why that question is coming up now, at this particular moment when he just wants to kiss her breathless. They can leave the rational thoughts for later, right now there should be more frenzied kissing. But when he tries to push her finger away she grabs his face hard, adamant.

He stares at her and finally he sees the chinks in her armor, gone is the overly confident Cha-young that he's so used to seeing and there's something softer in that stead, the vulnerability that always shrouds over her eyes when they have this reoccurring conversation is back and it leaves him feeling cornered as it always does.

He can't answer that question. The answer should be easy and it had been before her. He was going to take his gold and get the fuck out of this God forsaken country.

That had been the plan pre: Cha-young.

Now that plan was muddled and he could admit that he was jealous of other men stealing her away from him, at least to himself. Could admit that he wanted to wreck her completely, have her screaming in his bed those nimble limbs wrapped around him as he thrust into her over and over and over. But he wasn't ready to admit that he might feel something more than just intense attraction to her. That she had changed all his plans and made him consider settling down, with her. It was insane, he barely knew her and they weren't even in a relationship.

"No. I told you, I'm leaving."

He's a coward. He can admit that too.

She sends him a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes before ducking under his arms.

"Then leave and don't confuse me. I'm not yours to get jealous over. I'll see you Monday."

She doesn't look back, walking straight to her car and speeding away without checking any of her mirrors as she's wont to do despite him constantly reprimanding her for it, he's certain she's over the speed limit.

He punches the wall with a yell, the pain in his fist nothing compared to the pain in his chest. It was a huge mistake coming back here.

#vincenzo #vincenzo cassano #hong cha young #aerial yoga #don't try any of things I wrote about #you might die #i made this all up #man pain #emotional constipation

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chicoriii · 3 years

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Season 4, Episode 14 - Sentibulleur (Sentibubbler)

I just seen the episode today, because I wasn't looking forward for another Alya-centric one, I'm already sick of it. I did it only now when have more free time. It's the first time, since I'm a Miraculous fan, when I'm starting watching a completely new episode without feeling even a bit of excitation. I'm not gonna lie that I enjoyed it, I don't, because it's not my cup of tea. This is why this post is more about why I dislike Alya favouritism than Sentibubbler itself. But I need to clarify that I didn't enjoy the episode mostly because of personal taste, I'm not trying to say it's "objectively" bad (though opinions are never objective, only facts could be). If you love Alya's arc, it's completely understandable that you probably love this episode as well.

I thought it would be a DjWfi episode (to be clear, I haven't seen any trailers of it, only one screenshot, which was said to be from this episode, but I don't remember seeing that moment in it at all, and the ending card), but poor Nino was just a background character. This is literally an "Alya is amazing" episode in which she is saving the world with a very little help of Ladybug and even less of Chat Noir, who is treated more like an offending trash. After watching it, I see fan edits like that are even more accurate to describe season 4 (not made by me, I just stole it from Cartoon Apocalypse's video).

Adrien was supposed to be a deuteragonist and a second main character, but Alya is much more like ones than Adrien has ever been. He has never gotten as many episodes focusing on him as much like those with Alya in a season (and we can be sure, it's not the last one) and he has never be as much the main hero in a fight against villains in any of them. Instead of giving him more screentime, he's putted even more in the background than before, because Alya needs to shine. Why they can't do it without treating Adrien that much unfair? I'm not gonna hide that I hate it and it makes me feel that maybe I should stop watching the show, since it looks like it's not something I really enjoy anymore. Adrien is my favourite character, so I'm really pissed of that Alya is stealing his role. We will see, but once I will be sure that Alya favouritism is gonna last forever, I would consider stopping watching the show seriously. Especially that doesn't go hand in hand with good writing. In this episode nothing as much absurd like in Optigami happened, but I still have one big issue.

It's not a problem with Alya herself. I'm used to like her, even if she's been annoying me sometimes before S4. But I don't know what to think about her this season, since I have some issues with her writing. I just don't like the idea of as much favouritism any of the characters who are not the original main ones, especially if Adrien is treated that bad by the writing at the same time. I would say the same if it was Kagami, who is my third favourite character in the show, after Adrien and Plagg. As you see, I like the Japanese girl even more than Marinette, but I still don't think that making her more important than the protagonist would be okay (it would make no sense, but you know what I mean).

Besides, I've seen people speculating that Alya is going to fuse the fox with ladybug Miraculous in an episode in which Marinette is akumatised (if one will ever happen). Don't you see how much unfair to Adrien/Chat Noir it is? Alya is already getting much of special treatment, more than a character who was supposed to be the next most important one after the current Guardian of the Mother Box. An episode with Marinette as an akuma should be the one in which Chat Noir is saving her without help of any other heroes, just like she has saved him alone in Chat Blanc. If there was a fusion of the fox and ladybug, it would mean that's not a story mostly about Marinette and Adrien anymore. It would make it clear that the writers are not even try to hide the fact that's now it's Alya the second most important character. Adrien could be the third one at best, Chat is only a sidekick of the Ladies, not really a hero equal to Ladybug anymore. Besides, episode like that is most probably the only chance to see Tikki using her power without a wielder. Wouldn't it really interesting to see what bad happens when Tikki is using Lucky Charm all by herself?

And to be fair, this season has really way too much Alya generally, I'd like to see more other heroes, not just Rena Rouge and Rena Rouge over and over again. I want more new Miraculous wielders and since Ladybug is calling the old ones (though she definitely should not do it), I want to see them in action too. We need to get a full transformation sequence of Ryuuko at least once. But the more episodes they are released, the less I believe it would ever happen. Good thing that they found few seconds to show Chat's sequence (only a second time in 10 episodes!), but still no Cataclysm. I wonder if they are even going to show it after season 3.

I have no idea what writers are planning to do. If they're want Alya to be a permanent Miraculous holder who is treated like co-guardian by Marinette forever, why they write her that way? Why isn't she really noble and careful? Why all those red flags she's giving Marinette (those she always ignore anyway): like letting Mr. Ramier know that Ladybug's the Guardian now, though she asked her to keep it as a secret, or stealing a Miraculous that almost made Ladybug's identity exposed. Are any of those events be relevant later? Are they there to show that saying Alya everything about the Guardian things and giving her the fox Miraculous permanently are bad decisions? If yes, what's the purpose of Sentibubbler? This episode doesn't seem to be really significant, it's more like another one fan service for Alya stans. The previous ones were actually important, this one could be missed without much a loss for the plot. The only reason it could be seen as significant is to make Marinette letting her guard down even more. But isn't she extremely careless already? After revealing her identity, she immediately started to tell Alya all the Guardian secrets, gave her a code for the Miracle Box, as well as the Miraculous permanently, despite her identity being exposed and all the wrong things she has done. Marinette is already dealing completely reckless with Alya, there's no reason to make her even more. Besides, that dream can't be a prophetic one, right? I remember that adult Bunnix really believed that exposing Ladybug's identity is something what Alya is able to do (from her time at least), but I think it's impossible to happen in real. That's why I see this episode as the most "fillerish" from all of this's season those have been released till now. Other ones introduced new characters or Miraculous wielders at least, nothing really new and crucial happened in this one. There's nothing bad in fillers, but why another Alya-centric one? Why not focusing on a character who hasn't been favoured this season instead?

The most stupid thing in this episode is that Rena Rouge made an illusion in which Ladybug says that she won't give the Miraculous to her anymore, for two reasons. One is that Gabriel bought that very weak lie without questioning it at all. It's clearly a plot armor. I know that they tend to make Gabriel very dumb when they need it from the beginning, but it's extremely stupid even to him. Hey, Gabriel, you know Rena Rouge's identity for some time now and Ladybug has been already giving Rena the fox few times before after her identity being exposed. Why that sudden decision? Isn't it suspect? Second is that it's been portrayed as a clever thing, while it makes Alya unable to be Rena Rouge anymore, if they don't want to show to Shadow Moth that was a lie. I'm not talking only about the battles, Rena can't be seen in public, since Ladyblog is not the only place which is showing content about the heroes. So then there's no reason for Alya to keep the fox anymore. Unless I interpret it wrong, and Marinette doesn't think it would make Gabriel stop going after Alya. But to me it looked like that and that's also make Marinette dumb anyway, because she is still unable of seeing how dangerous it is for her best friend. Alya's plan worked once, but it doesn't mean it would work again, once he discovers the lie, it would make him even more suspicious of a bond between Rena Rouge and Ladybug. Marinette is risking not only safety of Paris and the whole world, but also safety of her best friend. Why everyone is able to see that obvious thing, not only the girls but also all of the Kwamis? I'm not going to change my opinion that they are dumbing down all the characters who are involved in it and that's just bad and lazy writing.

And where's Su-Han when he's needed. I've been working on the English subtitles for the French dubbing of Furious Fu recently and now I remember that he said that he's going to observe Marinette and take the box from her is she makes a slight mistake. She's keeping making bad decisions, but he still isn't showing. That was a lie? Because if he doesn't see anything wrong in how's Marinette is dealing with her guardian duty, I'm gonna to lose the rest of my faith in the writers.

--------

I'm so sorry. I wanted to be active on Tumblr at least a bit after seeing this episode, but I still don't feel motivated. It's painful to say that season 4 is mostly a disappointment to me, especially that I hate the biggest story arc of it.

#miraculous ladybug #ml sentibubbler #ml season 4 #ml spoilers #ml spoiler #ml season 4 spoilers #chicoriii about S4 episodes #chicoriii #original post

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tallstars-rewrite · 3 years

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Chapter 24

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Tallpaw was instructed to remain in camp for several days, and regularly check into the medicine den. Miraculously, none of his bones were broken, but the nasty gashes across his back were still at risk of infection and nearly every part of him was horribly bruised. It was torment having to remain still. Dawnstripe came to see him regularly to bring him food, and he wished her presence brought him the comfort it used to. For the most part he couldn’t help just feeling bad that she was having to deal with him at all. Her first apprentice that she’d been so excited for had become such a mess.

Briarpaw was in and out of the den. Hawkheart, providing his apprentice more sympathy than he offered anyone else, did not give him duties. Tallpaw wasn’t sure where Briarpaw had been going the rest of the day. He didn’t speak much when he came in save for the same pleasantries. “How are you feeling? Is the pain manageable? I’ll get you some wet moss to drink from.” The words were caring but his voice was stiff, like the life had been drained out of it. Sometimes he just sat in the dark corner of the den and stared at his paws. Tallpaw wondered if he still saw his mother's blood on them, or if any amount of grooming would make them feel clean. He was too ashamed and afraid to reach out. Briarpaw might see him as responsible for his mother’s death like Shrewpaw did; someone Tallpaw gratefully had not seen at all.

Tallpaw's relationship with him had always been a bit precarious, the easy affection he and Briarpaw had--or at least used to have--was never Shrewpaw’s strength. They had been as much friends as rivals could be, but Tallpaw sensed that night, in the hate in his eyes, that something had broken in him as well, and their unstable foundation crumbled.

Woollycloud was around him the most, just as subject to bed rest as Tallpaw. He offered him friendly chatter which Tallpaw rarely reciprocated, but Woollycloud graciously pretended not to notice. He had a nasty cut on his head where a rock had struck him, but unlike Tallpaw, his legs and movement were fine and he was able to be more active. In between the comforting talk Tallpaw had to endure, there was nothing to do but sleep. And he really did not want to sleep. When he closed his eyes, the rumbling of the earth and world collapsing on top of him returned, along with his father's voice calling out from far off. But it was only when he was asleep that he didn’t have to suffer the pity and concern from his clanmates. Or worse, their uncomfortable silence. As if a frightening air surrounded him, a discomfort that remained since the formerly well mannered and quiet apprentice’s violent outburst against the rogue. The rogue the rest of the clan apparently cared for more than Tallpaw and his father. The fear in his dreams was, marginally, still preferable to facing others.

After nearly a full day of not speaking, Tallpaw was staring absentmindedly up at the stars. Each star a warrior of the past, so he’d been told. Brackenwing would be among them. But a horrible thought nagged at his mind the longer he stared at those stars. So at last he dared to speak to Woollycloud.

“What about Sandstone, Woollycloud?” He could barely manage more than a whisper. “If we couldn’t lay his body out, how will he be free? How can the wind carry his spirit if it can’t find him? He’s trapped. He’s trapped down there alone, isn’t he?”

Woollycloud curled his tail behind Tallpaw.

“Don’t worry, Sandstone will not be lost. There is something we can do for him, but the tunnelers want to wait.”

“What for?”

“For you, of course. You should be there. StarClan knows to welcome him, and we will help his spirit how we can. I’ll show you as soon as we’re strong enough to.”

Tallpaw nodded quietly and lay his head back down.

Woollycloud continued, “You and your mother will have closure. Did Palebird not tell you about the tunnelers tradition?”

“I... have not seen my mother.” Tallpaw said. He didn’t want to think about her. Of all the cats whose presence filled him with a deep set guilt, Palebird was among the worst.

“You haven’t? I...I see.” Woollycloud sat up and hummed in concern. Tallpaw wished he wouldn’t do that. “I haven’t seen her myself...I should look for her.”

“You don’t have to.” Tallpaw said quickly. “Really.” The last thing he wanted was for any cat to pressure his mother into seeing him. Before Woollycloud could argue, he continued, “do you think I’m strong enough yet? I know the third sunrise hasn’t passed, but the herbs have been working and I...I really want to do something.”

Woollycloud sniffed at his shoulder, “Perhaps we could ask Hawkheart. I understand why you don’t want to wait. In the meantime, I’ll see if Mistmouse can find Palebird. She must be grieving heavily, and I know she’ll want to come.”

Tallpaw had a hard time imagining his mother wanted to do anything. But with Hawkheart’s begrudging blessing, and a small lie about not feeling any pain anymore, Woollycloud led him to the camp entrance. Mistmouse had told the other tunnelers it was time, and they were waiting for them. To Tallpaw’s surprise, even the retired tunnelers Fennelpelt and Whitetooth were waiting.

Woollycloud gazed at Whitetooth with a slight trace of worry. “You’ll be alright making the journey? I hope the pain in your legs has eased some.”

Whitetooth sniffed proudly. “I won’t let anything stop me from doing this for Sandstone. He always spoke up for us and didn’t let anything stop him. I’ll be fine.”

Fennelpelt nodded “It’s only right for us to give the proper send off in the place his body rests, or as close as we can get. I know StarClan can find him wherever he is, but...this has sadly become a new tradition, the more we lose to the tunnels. I always hope the present one may be the last.”

Woollycloud nodded sadly, “StarClan willing it be true this time.”

Hazelnose turned to Mistmouse “So...did you find Palebird?”

Mistmouse shuffled her paws “No, but Lilywhisker told me she has an idea where she might be.”

“I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning,” Crowfur said with a displeased flick of his ears. “She can’t mean to miss her own mates’ remembrance.”

“She doesn’t want to, perhaps they will meet us there," Mistmouse said quickly.

Tallpaw couldn’t help sharing Crowfur’s frustration. Palebird was so rarely where he wanted her to be. It was one thing to avoid him, but she shouldn’t avoid Sandstone at a time like this. Unless...it was because he was there? It was hard for him to ignore how out of place he felt here. Once he had assumed these cats would be his closest companions, but that was before his apprenticeship. He’d never been able to figure out if they were as disappointed in his choices as Sandstone was. They ought to be, he thought bitterly Because if I had made the right choice...maybe I would have known how to save him. Maybe I could have gotten to him faster.

The patrol made the trek quietly, as the last light of the sun started to vanish and the sky turned from orange to cool dark blue. Tallpaw had some difficulty keeping pace, even Whitetooth walked faster than him, but he forced himself not to wince. He wished his muscles didn’t still ache from the bruising all over his back. That restless feeling of being somewhere he didn’t feel he had a right to belong still gnawed at him. Unfortunately Woollycloud, in all his endless sympathy, padded behind with him. I wish you wouldn’t waste your energy worrying about me, Tallpaw wanted to say.

Instead he asked, “What are we going to do?”

“Right now, we are going to collect every strong smelling moor plant we can find. I’ll explain when we arrive.” Woollycloud replied.

Tallpaw couldn’t pretend he wasn’t nervous about returning to the place where he’d nearly been buried twice, and where his father had disappeared forever. But he wouldn’t let that apprehension stop him now. Some of the patrol split off on the way, returning with herbs and plants plucked from the ground, smelling of new-leaf growth. Woollycloud gestured for Tallpaw to take his heather flowers as he picked additional sprigs of sage. Tallpaw hadn’t a clue what they were doing, but he followed obediently.

When he finally caught his mother's scent, he almost thought he was imagining it. But as they approached the hill that led down to the soft earth where the old rabbit burrow tunnels used to be, he saw her approaching the group. Lilywhisker was with her, and carried some brightly colored flowers in her jaws that she passed off to the small white molly, but as she watched Palebird come to join them, the former-tunneler did not follow. Palebird padded soundlessly into the muddy clearing, placing a rather large bundle of marigold on the ground. “I wanted to find the best flowers I could,” she said quickly, as if expecting someone to ask for an explanation. Her voice sounded weak and cracked. “I apologize it took so long.”

“We are here now,” Woollycloud replied gently, “that is all that matters.”

No cat asked why Lilywhisker had not joined them. Perhaps it was because she’d left tunneling behind so long ago. It made Tallpaw wonder even more if he deserved to be here himself. Because he was family was surely the reason, but Sandstone saw his tunnelers as better family than he ever was. None of them know how Sandstone really felt about me… he realized miserably.

Tallpaw felt incredibly on edge to finally be in his mother’s presence. He could feel her gaze drift toward him. She at last padded over to him, and gave the scar on his ear a soft lick. He looked up at her timidly. He hadn’t noticed before how awful she looked. Her eyes were dull and tired. She looked smaller and thinner. Palebird had been a frail, skinny cat for as long as Tallpaw could remember, but now he could more clearly see the bones in her back. Her fur was messy with bits of dust clinging to her legs, showing she hadn’t been grooming much.

She offered him a weak smile “I’m glad you’re doing better, Tallpaw.”

Her voice carried that familiar hollowness he remembered from when he was a kit. When she told him things would be ok in that empty way. Even back then her words felt practiced and obligatory, with little feeling behind them. As empty as her eyes. She seemed to be looking through him. He quietly nodded in response.

Woollycloud padded closer and leaned forward to touch her nose in greeting, which she stiffly reciprocated.

“We were worried when we couldn’t find you earlier,” he said “Where have you been?” He looked at her with deep concern in his soft orange eyes, surely noticing her disheveled appearance as well, but not wanting to comment on it directly.

“I’ve...been sleeping in my own den. Not far from camp. I just wanted some air. I’m sorry, I really didn’t realize I had been gone so long. Time just slipped away from me.”

Woollycloud didn’t look fully content with that answer, but he didn’t want to push it. The tunnelers had placed down what they carried and gathered around the collapsed entrance of the tunnel. It was hard to discern where the hole had been, as the mud around it filled in the cracks. Slowly and meticulously, they began to dig.

Tallpaw looked to Woollycloud “What are they doing? I thought...I thought we already tried to dig through to the tunnels.

“We did. Believe me, Plumclaw especially was out for ages digging holes above and below. We will not dig into the tunnel anymore. Only a shallow ring around the entrance. Come with me, and I’ll tell you.”

He led him to the muddy ground, and together scooped out small pawfuls of earth. Tallpaw suppressed a shudder from the feel of the cold dirt seeping into his paws, and he tried not to remember how it felt to sink into the ground while it buried it from above and below. He focused on Woollycloud’s voice.

"In the rare cases where we have no body to lay in our sacred place, we will go as close as we can to where we know the body is and lay a separate grave, as we do in the Sleeping Glade's burial grounds. We’ll collect every strong smelling moor plant we can find. The familiar scent of the open air will guide the lost spirit out.”

“How will he sense anything trapped underground?” Tallpaw asked quietly.

“He will. Trust me.” Woollycloud said firmly, “The Wind Runner never abandons her children, wherever they are, she will find them again. Her son knows the earth and hidden places of the moor. It may be a harder journey, but Sandstone will hear him and find his way to our ancestors.”

“But...how long will it take? How long will he be trapped?”

“Worry not, young one,” Whitetooth croaked. He was doing his best to dig, making slow progress, but there was a sureness and prescivion to his movements that spoke of his experienced seasons in the tunnels, even despite the stiffness in his joints. “Your father wore the tunnels like a second pelt. He will not be afraid.”

Tallpaw struggled to imagine anything alive in the ground. Well, not alive exactly. But he’d only ever felt hostile eyes on him down there, the kind belonging to monsters that frightened him as a kit. Could there be anything else? He felt his fur tingle as he struggled to pull one last pawful out of the earth. He imagined Sandstone watching him with that cold disapproving glare at how much clumsy effort it took to do this small task. It felt like the ground wanted to suck him down, just waiting for him to put his weight on an unstable patch. He backed up from the hole, but luckily it seemed the other tunnelers had decided they dug far enough. All around the burrows entrance, they weaved the flowers and herbs in a ring bordering the shallow dip. When they had finished, all the cats sat around their work, and were silent. Tallpaw was silent with them, but he didn’t expect to feel any peace wash over him. All he felt was empty and sad. In that stillness, Tallpaw could only dwell on what he really lost.

His father had not loved him for some time, not really. Perhaps Tallpaw would not have to fearfully creep around camp anymore, or carefully check over each rise on the moor to make sure he wouldn’t accidentally run into him on a bad day. But Sandstone being gone also meant that the cat that had loved him once, the cat Tallpaw dutifully waited for everyday in the nursery, the cat who made him his entire world for those often lonely cold moons...that cat was gone too. Some part of Tallpaw, even at his most frustrated and scared, still held onto hope that maybe someday they could figure things out between them. Sandstone could at last let his guard down when the clan wasn’t facing so many outside threats, and he wasn’t putting himself under so much pressure. There was still a small chance that Tallpaw could have that old father back, and this wouldn’t last forever. Sandstone would tell him he didn’t really mean what he said before, and he was only harsh because of all the troubles weighing on him. But no. Those words could never come. There was only one last cold glare of disdain, and now that was all there ever would be.

After what felt like a lifetime, Whitetooth stood, bony shoulders weighed down by grief. “May StarClan welcome you as you find your way to them,” he rasped.

One by one the other tunnelers bowed their heads and left. A solemn Plumclaw followed Mistmouse away, and Hazelnose and Crowfur offered to walk back with the elders. Woollycloud, Tallpaw, and Palebird sat there alone. Woollycloud was surely waiting for them, but Tallpaw felt like his paws had rooted to the soil as he stared into the shallow hole. How could he feel like those he lost were still with them, when the air around him felt so dead and still? What good was their presence if he couldn’t really speak to them, couldn’t see them, couldn’t show them that he could be better than he was when they left? It was one thing to imagine they were far away in the stars, but even here, even in the earth, he couldn’t feel anything. There was no solace here.

“Woollycloud?” he whispered “do you really believe that there are spirits on the moor that watch over us?”

Woollycloud was quiet for a moment.

“I do. I feel them with me often. Our moors are so close to the sky that on the right nights, StarClan can touch the ground and walk alongside us, even in the darkest places. WindClan’s guardian spirits are not only with us when we hunt,” Woollycloud looked a bit wistful. “I believe they led me to save you that night.”

Tallpaw stared blankly into the earth. “But why would the spirits make the tunnel collapse in the first place?”

Woollycloud grimaced “I don’t believe they did. I think...These tunnels were our own doing. And perhaps it was only a matter of time. Not every cat can be saved. But it was not your fate to die that day. And I’m glad of it.” Woollycloud touched his nose to Tallpaw’s head “You’re father will always be with you Tallpaw.”

Those words were clearly meant to comfort him, but they didn’t. Not at all. Woollycloud didn’t know how disappointed Sandstone was before he died. Even if he was here in some way, all he would see was his son's continued failure, continued hesitance and fear. It should have been you buried here, the shallow burrow seemed to growl, perhaps Woollycloud could have saved Sandstone instead. He’d do more good for the clan than you.

Sandstone died angry. He died resentful. What if he couldn’t find peace? A frightful chill was working its way up Tallpaw’s spine. He was too afraid to ask.

Woollycloud pressed softly to Palebird for a moment, and said he’d be waiting for them at camp. He wanted to give Sandstone’s family time to grieve, and Tallpaw didn’t want to tell him how uncomfortable it was to be with his mother.

He couldn’t remember the last time they were alone together. The few times he’d spoken to her...Brackenwing was usually there. He never really realized until now how she rarely left his mother's side. When Palebird wasn’t with Sandstone or Woollycloud, as she was less and less often, it was Brackenwing fetching her prey, taking her on walks through the moor, Brackenwing who knew her pain from the kitten she’d lost moons ago and who remembered her grief when the rest of the clan hardly knew the kit existed. It was Brackenwing who would encourage them both.

But Brackenwing wasn’t here anymore. And neither was Sandstone. Instead, it was just Palebird and Tallpaw. They were both there together, and they were completely alone.

The silence between them hung thick in the air.

“Are you going to be alright, Palebird?” Tallpaw asked. He had to know.

Palebird took in a small breath. “I am…” her sentence trailed off. “...I am alive.”

She sounded so far away. It wasn’t really an answer so much as it was a statement. Yes, they were both still alive. For whatever that was worth.

Tallpaw shifted. “...Where were you really? Before, I mean?”

“Not far. Mostly I was walking where she used to take me...I didn’t realize I had just been wandering the same short trail for so long. I should have been back sooner.”

She didn’t have to say it for him to know she was thinking of Brackenwing.

“You don’t have to apologize,” he said, and he meant it. He didn’t want her to feel worse.

“I should have been there…” she whispered, so quietly he almost couldn’t hear it.

“Where?”

“The patrol. She really wanted me to go. But I was…” she sunk to the ground and lay her head on her paws. “I shouldn’t have left her side.”

Tallpaw felt his heart twist in a knot. I wouldn’t have left her like you did, he imagined her saying. It was surely what she wanted to say. Then at least, Brackenwing would be here to comfort her for Sandstone. Yet another death he was present for, and couldn’t stop. He wanted to ask her if she blamed him. If she resented him. If she had ever stopped thinking of that kit she lost so long ago, and if she wondered if Finchkit would have been strong enough to save the ones she loved, in a way that Tallpaw wasn’t. If she never wanted him to speak to her again, he would honor that. He wished he was brave enough to just ask, so he didn’t have to wonder anymore. But he wasn’t.

“Palebird?” he whispered.

“Yes, Tallpaw?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“For... everything.”

Palebird’s expression was unreadable as she stared into the earth. “I’m sorry too.”

Tallpaw wasn’t sure if either really knew what specific thing they were referring to. Sorry for Brackenwing. Sorry for Sandstone. Sorry they were in so much grief. Or worse, like Sandstone, sorry that he turned out the way he had. He didn’t expect her to elaborate, and she did not.

All Tallpaw’s life he had simply had to guess what went through his mother's head. He’d long since given up on her telling him. She had cared for him just as much as was physically necessary, and all the while he felt like a stranger to her, like there was a wall of brambles between them that perhaps had always been there. But right then, he felt like he understood her a little. The emptiness in her voice. The hollowness in her eyes. She was quiet and drowning in her grief, in a hole no one could see. But he saw it now. How much easier it must be to simply feel yourself be swallowed up by that hole. He used to wonder when it was exactly that she had started sinking, what had first set the seed for the thorny wall separating them. She wasn’t always like this, his father's voice echoed. But she had been at least as long as Tallpaw had known her. Perhaps it really was as simple as that. Still, he was not brave enough to ask.

But now he felt certain that he had no parents anymore, all in one terrible fell swoop. Palebird did not speak after that. Her mouth hung open and empty. She didn't even have any practiced phrases of comfort left to offer.

After that night, Tallpaw would not hear her voice again for a very long time.

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#cw depression #cw self loathing #FRU24 #chapter 24

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artxyra · 4 years

Text

The Secret Life of MDC | Part 4

Part 4 - Riddle Me This!

Part 1 | 2 | 3 |

It just had to be the Riddler who decides to grace his appearance at the strip mall. Just looking at his outfit was a crime against her eyes. Marinette had her far shares of a run-in with the green suited villain, and after countless complaints, he still hasn’t changed his outfit let alone attempt to contact her about an outfit change. Catwoman literally has her number; he could have just asked.

“Now who wants to go first. Choose wisely and you shall survive, but choice wrong and you may get a bullet.” The Riddler taunts his capture victims. They squirm under the threat, eyes widen beyond belief.

From afar, Marinette could see the shaking figures of her classmates. Years of being under Hawkmoth’s terror, showing little to no emotions during an attack, and they are shaking to the sight of the Riddler. Perhaps it was because there was no Miraculous cure or they have forgotten their permanent residency. To be honest, Marinette was just waiting for Lila to say something stupid that would most likely get them all killed.

“M-my Damiboo would save me!” Yup, there she goes. Everyone, that was not fooled by Lila’s words (ie. Gothamites), facepalmed and groans as she gains the interest of the Riddler.

Tapping his chin, he stares at her before introducing his first riddle of this heist, “It's raining, and you pass a bus stop. There are three people there; your trustworthy friend, the love of your life, and a woman about to go into labor. Your smart car only has two seats. What do you do?”

Lila blubbers her answer, something about taking the love of her life and leaving. She is then scared shitless as a bullet zooms past her, nearly hitting her ear. A shock facial expression stays prominent on her face until she falls down, fainting.

“Oh, how the fibber swoons to darkness. Batsy isn’t here yet and I really want someone to solve my riddles.” He searches the crowd for his next victim. The Parisian teens quickly try to wake up Lila, but they also hope not to be the Riddler’s next targets.

Marinette mentally goes through answering the riddle. Chloe and Adrien stare at one another before shaking their heads. They knew what Marinette was thinking and that is a bad idea. Then again it might bet the better option seeing as they have no idea when the bat crew would make it to the scene.

“You give the keys to your friend so that they can take the woman in labor to the hospital and wait for the bus with the boyfriend.” Marinette confidently answers. The GA Trio stare at the Marinette in awe.

“She does that a lot,” Adrien whispers just enough for their new friends to hear. That was true, Marinette has a tendency of solving riddles which were due to her time being Ladybug.

Chuckling happily, the Riddler turns his attention to Marinette. Marinette doesn’t falter at him glancing at her, but she does narrow her eyes just enough to enforce a challenge.

Dancing closer over to Marinette and her friends, the Riddler chuckles. Half of the weapons turn to them, it's Adrien and Chloe that hold their ground while the GA trio looks like they want to bounce to safety.

“No amount of sass can save you from this riddle, pick the correct answer and your friend shall do free but pick the wrong—”

“They die?” Marinette quirks an eyebrow at the villain.

The Riddler blanches and says, “Only one color, but not one size, stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies. Present in sun, but not in rain, doing no harm, and feeling no pain. What is it?”

Emotionless and quick, Marinette gives her answer, “It's a shadow.”

“How about this one: if eleven plus two equals one, what does nine plus five equals?”

Adrien turns to Marinette, he knows the answer as Chloe taps the ground giving away the crook with a gun behind them. Tensions slowly rise among the group of friends.

“Uh, it’s two o’clock. You’re adding the hours of time.” Marinette answers with a sigh of relief at the end. She knows they are aching to pull the trigger, but unknowingly to the Riddler if anything happens to her, well let's just say he might not live to see another day.

The Riddler growls clearly frustrated with the teen's ability to answer correctly. Only a handful of people can do this to him. “In that case, what is it that given one, you'll have either two or none?”

Marinette only smirks, riddles was also one of her favorite past time against Tim when they are both on the verge of death by lack of sleep. Those late-night twitter messages give much to their twisted mindset on a lack of caffeine.

As Marinette draws on the answer a little longer, Chloe and Adrien take down the henchmen behind them. The henchmen fall to the ground swiftly as the blonde duo nod their heads. Adrien quickly pulls out his phone to see if there were any messages in the group chat. There’s none.

“How long do you think we can hold him off until they get here?” Chloe whispers side glancing at the rooftops of buildings.

“No clue, they haven’t sent anything in the chat, should I try texting Jon?”

Chloe’s eyes narrow causing Adrien to gulp and quickly tap on his phone.

“It’s a choice.” The blonde duo turns their heads towards Marinette who was now toying with the green suit villain. It was clear that she was slowly becoming agitated. “You know, what I have a riddle for you. What’s green and yellow, has no sense of fashion, and is literally killing my eyesight?” She yells at the villain.

It’s like a pin drop as everything freezes once more. Her classmates on the verge of leaving the scene as they were no longer the targets. Seriously, you’re just going to leave them to fend for themselves. Yup, they are as they make a large dash out of the scene. This then creates confusion among the Gothamite as they are used to this and what did they expect, screaming?

“Uh, I—uh…” The Riddle tries to formulate an answer. It takes him a second before pointing to himself. “Me?”

Marinette, like a disappointed mom, nods her head. “Yes. You dare show your face in such a green that could put someone’s eyes out. Don't you dare get me started on the yellow question marks? That tone does not do well on your skin. Gosh, you had one job, Riddler, one fricking job.” Marinette begins to go off. The Riddler and his henchmen pale at every word she says.

Just as Marinette was beginning to calm down, a shadow in the shape of a bat looms over the Riddle.

“Finally,” Marinette huffs as the Riddle turns his attention from her to fight against the Batman.

“Hey, you guys okay?” It was Nightwing who asks appearing behind the blonde duo. If looks could kill, he would have been six feet under with the look Chloe was giving me.

“Oh, my lord, it Nightwing!” Allegra squeals in the background but she goes ignore as Nightwing rubs the back of his neck.

“Get us out of here, like now!” Chloe screams to the vigilante.

Robin rushes to Marinette and tries to take her away from the situation.

“Are you alright miss?” He asks bringing them to the safety of the public. Marinette stares at him deadpanned before nodding. As much as we would like to kiss her lips, he sends her a shrug over to her friends. “Where are your classmates?”

“Gone, unless Alya decided to do something stupid like try and get a film of you guys in action.” Realization began to set over Marinette’s eyes. “You’re going to need to find them. Hopefully, they made it back to the academy without any problems.”

Robin nods then proceed to send a message over the coms about the missing foreign class from Paris. He quickly joins the search as Marinette turns to her friends.

“Do you any idea how ridiculously stupid that decision was?” Chloe grills the designer before whispering, “You know we’re not even in our suits.”

“Sorry Bee, but did you see that outfit?” Marinette counters before going on a massive rant about the Riddler’s outfit and how he could choose it.

~*~

Nette @GothamsFashionSense Yo, some foreigner just grilled the Riddler on his outfit. I’m so proud of her. #prideful #doIseecompetition

Chloe B. @QueenBeeOfParis Replying to @GothamsFashionSense That was my sista @MarinetteMemes, she too loves your content.

Nette @GothamsFashionSense And I ❤️ her, that rant was amazing 🤩. Need any tips @MarinetteMemes? #futureapprentice #fashionmess

~*~

Case in point, Alya did separate from the class when they were trying to escape once word got out that the bats were on their way. She is quick to make sure that Lila was alright before dashing back to the “crime” scene with her phone recording.

Batman had found her, but before he could get a word out, Alya was blasting him with questions regarding the situation and personal questions. He, of course, ignores them. Alya even tries to bring up Lila’s name but he doesn’t answer. Nightwing pulls on up on his bike to take the “aspiring” journalist back to the academy against her pleases and constant questions.

Upon returning to the academy, Alya was heavily lectured by the GA’s headmistress before her own teacher baby her. Mlle. Bustier was never one to give punishments unless it was warranted and even then, she doesn’t do it right. Alya was lucky to return to her dorm with a slap on the wrist and detention.

~*~

Babe Bee @Iheartthebatboy23 Um… can we talk about the girl that grilled the Riddler and how she looked so much like a Wayne? #newWayne #theorieseverywhere #brucewayneexplainplease

~*~

After a week of grueling classwork (aka grading assessments), getting pestered by her former classmates in Mlle. Bustier's class, Marinette wakes up with a beating headache. She hasn’t felt that way since the last time she had gone days without sleep, running on twelve shots of expresso before crashing.

“C’mon buggy, it’s Saturday and Jon’s in town. You know how much the kitten would want to spend time with him.” Chloe states, standing in front of Marinette fully dress and with a businesswoman power pose.

“And here I thought you did want to be the fifth wheel.” Marinette retorts only to get a chuckle out of the mayor’s daughter.

“No, but I will be FaceTiming Gami while you and the boys have fun,” Chloe responds back as she laughs at the dismal look on Marinette’s face. “But seriously though, get dressed. We’re meeting the boys in thirty.”

Marinette rushes over to her wardrobe and picks out her clothes then rushes to the bathroom. She comes out in fifteen minutes wearing black leggings and one of Damian’s sweatshirts that look like a dress against her small frame.

As the teens exit the school, they were quick to avoid Lila who was making up another story as to where she’ll be this evening. It was something along the lines of going on a date with her Damiboo. It took everything in Marinette’s body to not grill the liar about her boyfriend, but with soothing words from Chloe, they managed to get out the building without bloodshed.

If only that wasn’t the case later on that day.

Part 5 >>

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#maribat #daminette #fic:The Secret Life of MDC #ml x dc #mlb x dc #damimari #ml crossover #dc crossover #teacher assistant Marinette AU #teacher assistant au #ta marinette

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olivia-anderson-fanfic · 3 years

Text

A Miraculous TikTok Account

Part 34

First

For those of you who read it Satisfied’s Alternate/Alternative Ending has a new chapter <3 dual update for Easter

Chat hadn’t known what to think when he was woken from his nap by buzzing. His brain had felt fuzzy, sure, but he was pretty sure that wasn’t supposed to be audible.

He pulled his face out of his pillow -- ignoring Plagg’s cry of surprise at being displaced -- and cracked an eye open.

Oh. His room was full of bees. And they were apparently taking the glitter out the window to the nearest dumpster. Oh. Okay. Why not? His life was already so weird.

He buried his face in his pillow again and went back to sleep.

When Ladybug stopped by, he had been playing late-night video games on the floor with Plagg. (Did he have an unfair advantage in his ability to hold the entire console at once? Yes. Was he going to go easy on the kwami? No.)

He tensed a little. Was she checking on her prank and about to get angry that Chloe had fixed everything (he made a mental note to thank her later, if they were both still alive)?

Ladybug and Chat looked at each other, silent, unreadable expressions on their faces... until the sound of Plagg finally beating his character with a loud screech pulled them back to reality.

Plagg may not talk, but the way he floated around Chat’s head, pumping his tiny fists in the air, was a pretty clear ‘hahahahaha I won you loser I winnnnnn’.

“Hey,” said Ladybug carefully, pulling his attention away from the gloating kwami. “Sorry if I’m interrupting something, but we really should talk…”

He hesitated slightly.

She held up her hands. “It doesn’t have to be right now but… soon?”

Chat bit his lip, and then turned off his console and set down his controller. “Now is fine.”

Ladybug nodded. “I was thinking we could get out of town for it...?”

Get out of town? Was this risky in some way? Were they about to get akumatized? Or, at least, have akumatizable emotions?

“Sure.”

So, after getting Rena to cover them for an hour while they booked it, they both left. Ladybug had her phone out, apparently to hold a map, though he didn’t really understand why because they were only really going in one direction.

“Alright!” She called suddenly from where she was flying along overhead. She swooped lower until she was buzzing along by Chat. “I think we’re far enough past the border to be safe.”

Ah. That was why. He nodded and skidded to a stop. She touched down on the ground beside him. They both mumbled to detransform and their kwamis almost instantly dove to hide in their jackets despite the fact that they were both still invisible to passerby.

They continued on in the direction they’d been heading in silence. No one was around, which wasn’t shocking considering it was nearing 1. They came to a stop at a bakery that was still open and she hesitated.

“Want something?”

He bit his lip. “Passion fruit macarons?”

She blinked, and for a moment it looked like she was going to say something, but then she nodded and headed inside to get some.

She came out a few moments later with a box of macarons for him and some regular chocolate chip cookies for herself. They settled to eat it just outside.

She nibbled at her cookies, eyes locked on a spot on the ground. He’d tried waiting for her to be ready to talk, but after a few minutes of her looking without seeing he decided he should at least say something:

“... you wanted to talk?”

She blinked a bit and looked at him, then quickly pulled her gaze back to the floor again. “Yeah. I guess I just wanted to say --.” She made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. “I can’t -- I --.” She glared at a crack on the ground like it had personally offended her. “You speak English, right?”

He startled a little. It was an odd question. But, still, he nodded. “I’m rich. I had to learn English and Mandarin.”

Her face lit up and for a second she looked at him again. “You speak Mandarin?”

He nodded.

“Can we…?” She started, unsure.

“Yeah, but I might be a little rusty.”

“That makes sense. If you don’t know a word I can translate it for you. Since we’re using my language not yours,” she said in Mandarin.

(Some vague part of him noticed that she took on a different tone in Mandarin, that her voice was lighter and a little smaller, that she seemed almost happier. He wondered if she’d like it if he spoke it with her more often.)

He nodded and made a vague motion with his hand, wordlessly telling her that he was ready for her to talk.

“I wanted to say that I’m sorry and… I wanted to explain myself.”

He wanted to tell her she didn’t have to, that he was also at fault, but she was already going on:

“Kwami, this is kind of embarrassing to admit to you, but my first few months of being ‘Ladybug’ didn’t go well.”

He nodded his understanding. Memories of his first few months as ‘Chat Noir’ were painful for him, too, despite how long ago it had been. All the people questioning his abilities, questioning his intentions, questioning his choices… had he not been used to media scrutiny, he doubted he would have continued on with it despite finally being able to go out in public as himself.

“I was second -- as you know, obviously -- and… a lot of comparisons were made. You’d had a year’s experience by then, and you’d had fight training beforehand, but I was just… new. You could always do things better, you were always preferred, you always got the bigger akumas while I got stuck with Mr. Pigeon and people like him. I even had a support-class-type power. Everything seemed to point to me being stuck as number two to you forever. And I think a part of me resented you for it.”

“I’m sor --.”

She cut him off with a look. “It’s not actually your fault. I shouldn’t have let it get to me as much as it did.”

He laughed without humor. “You were thirteen.”

She opened her mouth to argue, and then just shook her head and let the subject go. “Time passed, and Carapace came onto the scene, and people stopped comparing us as much… but they kept criticizing what I did. If I tried to be fun I was a ‘copycat’ and if I tried to act more serious I would be ‘bitchy’ and if I was neutral I was ‘boring’.”

He nodded slowly. He was beginning to understand where this was going.

“My sideeffects started coming in, and suddenly I was very lucky. None of the attacks ever seemed to hit me unless I REALLY messed up, and I started getting a reputation as ‘perfect’. And…” Her voice cracked a little and he looked away as she brought her arm to her face to wipe her face. “And I figured that, since I wasn’t even close to perfect, I should go with that kind of personality. At least it wouldn’t hurt as much when people criticized me, y’know? So I became everything I wasn’t, serious and perfect and --.”

He hesitated, biting his lip, and then he grabbed the sleeve of her hoodie and pulled her close. He gave her plenty of time to pull away, but she didn’t. She just buried her face in his shirt and stood there, arms limp at her sides, as he hugged her.

“I’m sorry, I should have helped --.”

“It’s fine, you couldn’t have known.” She gave a wet laugh. “You’re really good at hugs, by the way.”

“And you suck, apparently,” he teased lightly.

“Rude,” she muttered, arms coming up to wrap around him as well.

She actually was good at hugs, he thought vaguely as she molded herself to fit against his body.

He bit his lip. He could just leave the subject there. She apologized and he’d definitely gotten enough of a punishment…

He buried his face in her hair. He couldn’t even admit this to Carapace, how was he supposed to admit this to her? But… he really did want to talk about it with someone, and if anyone could understand it would probably be her...

“I… I’m in the public eye a lot. As a civilian. And my persona is a lot like yours. I’m the perfect, sweet son of --… my dad. And so, when I saw you pretending to be perfect out in public to keep up an image… I might have projected a little. I’d always kind of wanted someone to expose me as not perfect so I could be more free to be myself in public, so I wouldn’t have to spend my few hours out of the house with perfect posture and even more perfect smiles to make sure it didn’t reflect poorly on my dad.”

She smiled against his shirt. “At least you being ‘perfect’ is kinda true. Sure, you’re a little lazy sometimes, but you’re still pretty much amazing. It’s almost annoying.”

“PLEASE. If kwamis could talk, I’m sure Plagg would have a lot to complain about.”

She laughed, properly this time, and pulled away from him. She took a step back and then leaned against a lamppost without even glancing behind herself to make sure something was there. “Tikki probably has some stories, too. But, either way, you’re practically as perfect as people can be.”

He wasn’t convinced. “My first response to negative emotions was to make someone else mad enough at me to be a distraction for a few days.”

She didn’t look surprised. Not that he’d really expected her to. If Carapace had figured it out then surely she had, too; she had a few more months of psychology experience than him.

“Yeah, and? You were still calculated enough to choose the person who was least likely to get akumatized. As perfect as a person can be.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and she mimicked the action.

He looked her up and down twice before locking eyes with hers. “You’re still comparing yourself to me. You have to think I’m perfect so you can feel like Parisians were justified in comparing us and putting you down because, if they weren’t, then you have to accept the people you save on a constant basis are kinda sucky.”

She blinked and then a blush spread across her face. “Oh.”

“Yeah. ‘Oh’.”

“I can psychoanalyze you, too,” she said, breaking gaze with him to glare at her feet. “You can’t bring yourself to believe you’re perfect because your shitty parents probably used that as a basis to punish you and you’d like to believe that they were doing it so you could be your best self rather than admitting the truth that they don’t care about you as much as they should.”

He sniffled. Wait, when did he start crying?

“... oh.”

“Yeah...”

She cleared her throat a little and that’s when he noticed she was starting to cry, too.

“Kwami, we’re both messes, huh?”

She laughed through her tears. “Fuck, maybe WE’RE the ones who need therapy, not the rest of Paris.”

“No no no, everyone in Paris needs therapy. The minute we defeat Hawkmoth I’m getting a psych degree. That’s where the money is going to be.”

“We already have honorary psych degrees. I bet if you ask Chloe she could get her dad to give you a license.”

He snapped his fingers and then pointed at her. “Smart. All those years would probably make it so therapists wouldn’t be needed as much.”

“A few years? With as much trauma as Parisians have? Nah. You’ve got at least a few decades of consistent customers. ESPECIALLY if you market it as therapy from Chat Noir.”

He managed a smile, and they were silent for a moment other than the dying sniffles and shudders.

“Are… are we good?” He asked quietly.

She blinked at him, and then looked down. There was a beat, and then she took a deep breath. She brought a smile to her face and stuck her hand out.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you! My name is Ladybug! I promise I won’t displace my anger towards Paris onto you!”

He stared at the hand, uncomprehending, and then a smile stretched across his face. He shook her hand. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you, too! I’m Chat Noir! I won’t be blind to your problems and will help out when people are being rude to you!”

She gave him a skeptical look. “You don’t even stand up for yourself.”

“Uh… you’re right… uh… I’ll make Carapace help out when people are being rude to you!”

She laughed and shook her head. “Stupid.”

“I try.”

She smiled and hooked her arm through his.

“Whatever. Let’s get home.”

~~~

Taglist

@nathleigh @sassakitty @th1s-1s-my-aesthet1c @blueslushgueen @woe-is-me0 @ladybug-182 @cas-and-their-refusal-to-write @trippingovermyfeet @melicmusicmagic @meimei3841 @roseliali

#a miraculous tiktok account #chat noir #adrien agreste #queen bee #chloe bourgeois #ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #carapace #nino lahiffe #rena rouge #alya cesaire #miraculous tiktok account #miraculous fic #ml fic #mlb #chloenette #chlonette #adrino

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