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bugabash · 3 years

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Hold me while we Fall

Miraculous x Attack on Titan au

Fear was a complex that almost everyone within the walls grew to have as second nature. No one had seen a titan besides the scouts since the walls were erected, and the schools taught the children about the monsters beyond the wall in few details. But to Marinette it wasn’t the creatures that fascinated her, it was the world beyond. She had studied books on the wonders outside. But they never taught it in school, and she was chastised for bringing it up. So, the young girl kept it to herself, only sharing it with her sister. She feared the titans beyond the walls, everyone did, it was drilled into them from birth that they were the cattle to the wolves outside, but her family always made sure it was the furthest thing from her mind.

But that was before, and now everything has changed.

AO3

Chapter 1: Marinette Dupain-Cheng

The year was 845 withing the walls of the Shiganshina district. Marinette Dupain-Cheng stood in her room that resided in her home above her father’s small bakery. She was eleven and a half, the half especially important to her when she defended her size to others. She was small, always hiding under her long dark hair that fell to her waist. But despite this her personality always shone through, making her extremely well liked with her peers. And with this came a very protective nature from them over her, feeling the need to shield her from everything, even from some of the stories of the Titans. But no one protected her more than her older sister, Tikki.

Tikki was fifteen, tall, beautiful, her long dark hair constantly in perfectly placed high pigtails, never a strand out of place, reaching down to her waist. She had bluebell eyes just like Marinette, freckles decorating her nose like an artist had painted them on her. She carried their mother’s feature more prominently than Marinette did which she embraced with pride. She was the definition of beauty. She was loved by all, known for her cheerful spirit and, well, being good at almost everything really. She was smart, charitable and all together a good person. She protected her sister from everything, determined to let Marinette grow up without the fear she had grown up with.

Marinette stood in front of her small homemade mannequin with her mauve dress she had been working on for a month now resting on it. Tikki was draped on her bed across their shared room, chattering away about her latest teachings from one of their father’s friends. Marinette was so used to it now, she just focused on her fingers as they threaded the needle through the fabric, counting the last few stitches in her head.

Four, three, two, one.

“It’s done!” She squeaked, interrupting her sister and causing her to jump and sit up, staring at Marinette with a confused expression. “It’s done! It’s d4one! It’s done!” She pulled it off the mannequin and spun around, her hair fanning out around her. Tikki laughed and stood up, jumping around excitedly and ran over. Marinette held it up to show it off to her big sister proudly, this was her first dress she did completely by herself.

“Wow! That’s so pretty, Nettie!” Tikki complimented, smiling proudly at her, “wanna try it on? You can show it off while we go to the market later!”

Marinette gasped and nodded, wriggling out of her current dress and threw it aside, standing in just her thin, white petty coat. Tikki helped her and soon she was in her dress. It was knee length, the red stitches standing out delicately against the mauve fabric. It was long sleeve with white ruffled at the cuffs, a lace like pattern around the neck and a tied up back. She spun around and squeaked with joy, it wasn’t perfect, but it was hers.

“Oh, Miss Marinette, you are the most beautiful ladybug in the land!” Tikki exclaimed with a playful curtsey, using her pet name for Marinette with a cheeky smile.

“I’m the prettiest Ladybug in the world!” Marinette giggled, jumping up and down, “let’s go show Papa!” She grabbed her sister’s hand and pulled her along, running downstairs into their home, she knew he would be downstairs in the bakery. She opened the door leading to the bakery and skipped down.

“Papa!” She called out excitedly, her father turning and smiling at her, “I finished my dress!” She spun around showing it off before running and jumping into her fathers strong arms. He laughed and picked her up with ease, hugging her tight.

“You look exquisite my little love bug!” Her father praised, beaming happily at both of them, “it looks amazing! Did Tikki help at all?”

“Nope, she did it all by herself!” Tikki replied with a smile, “little Ladybug, I need to go into the market, do you want to show off your new dress around town?” Marinette smiled broadly and jumped out of her father’s arms. “Ok good, go put on your boots and a coat.”

“Okay, now you be careful girls, okay? Please be home before the sun starts to set.” Their father warned as he turned back to his work. “You know the rules.”

“Yes Papa, we will be back soon, promise.” Tikki nodded, walking over and kissing his cheek before putting her own coat on.

“Papa, can we have the special bread with dinner? To celebrate my dress?” Marinette asked as she hopped around, trying to put her one boot on.

Their father chuckled heartedly, “of course, anything for my main girls. Now, could you please pick up this today.” He handed Tikki a small list and some money, giving her the same look he did whenever they went out, Marinette never knew what it was but it looked like a serious look. She was still too young to be told much, which she hated. She felt old enough.

“Yes Papa, we will be back soon.” Tikki smiled and pocketed the note in her thin fabric bag slung over her shoulder.

“Bye papa!” Marinette yelled and hugged him tight, kissing his cheek too before letting go.

He waved them off, laughing at how Marinette did one last twirl around a customer before leaving. They stepped out of the bakery and Marinette smiled, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth on her face, the wind blowing through her hair and the sound of the birds chirping around them. She opened her eyes and looked around at the world around her. Everyone was busy, children playing with others, mothers working with their babes on their backs, men working hard for their families. Life was hard, but it was happy, simple, peaceful. She loved her town, loved her life really. She had amazing friends and an amazing family. She looked up at her chatting sister, smiling.

As they walked Marinette looked out at the huge walls that protected them. She wondered if the monsters would ever get in, or if one day she could go beyond the wall. She knew it wasn’t possible for humans to live outside, but she still wondered. As her father and Tikki liked to tell her she was destined to meet someone and raise a family. Contribute to the town and survive. She wasn’t too sure on it all, but she did as she was told.

They reached the market soon enough, and something caught their eye, Tikki grabbing Marinette and pulling her off the road into the crowds. Marinette gasped, eyes wide.

The scouts, she had seen them many times before, saw their wounded and saw the families that grieved. Their neighbour lost three sons just last month. She remembered the blood curdling scream, her father had told her that the sons were most likely eaten by the Titans, explaining that that was why she must stay within the walls and stay away from the military.

Today they looked exhausted, almost defeated, the blood standing out on their clothes. Tikki gripped her tight, pulling Marinette against her body.

“Those poor men and women,” She whispered, Marinette looking up at her then back at the soldiers, “Marinette, always respect anyone who wears that uniform. They have given up everything to protect us. Do you understand?” Marinette nodded, looking back at them.

She caught the eye of one young man who was on horseback. His hair was pure black, the top of his hair long and in a bun, shorter pieced falling out here and there, while the underside was shaved to a fade with what seemed to be a haphazardly shaved pawprint on the side. He looked over at them, he must have spotted Tikki, she always caught peoples’ eye. He had green eyes with small pupils, he was handsome but looked young to be in the scouts. His jaw was covered in blood, his cape missing and his uniform stained, though it didn’t stand out much against his black t-shirt. He raised a brow, and tilted his head curiously, examining them. Marinette blinked before she waved, smiling pleasantly. This caught him by surprise, blinking a few times before he smiled and waved back. He had a peculiar smile, his canines looked almost catlike with the small extra length of them and it made her smile more. He was different, just like her and her sister were. Not to the extend but still. He seemed to find it amusing and winked at Marinette, laughing to himself before he turned his attention back to the front.

They watched them leave, the crowds whispering between themselves, Tikki’s grip never letting go of Marinette. Tikki quickly herded Marinette away, “let’s go.” She whispered.

“Did you see that scout?” Marinette asked as she walked, looking down at the stone she had started kicking. “He looked different, like us.”

“What?” Tikki asked, taken aback with a raised brow.

“His smile, I think he looks like he has teeth like a cat.”

“A cat?”

“Yeah, didn’t you see? I like his smile, its unique like us.”

Tikki stayed silent and eyed Marinette before looking forward again, “you know why we are unique, don’t you? Papa said he discussed it with you.”

“Yeah, because we are half Chinese, or oriental as he said.” She answered honestly, “he said we are rare and that there aren’t many of us left. That’s what makes us so special.”

“Well yes, but that is also why we must be extra careful and why we must not be out after sunset.” Tikki explained, her brows furrowed. “You know about the people that could harm us?”

“Yeah, I know, but I don’t think everyone is bad.” Marinette replied with a shrug, she hated these conversations, she didn’t like to think about all of that… of mama…

“I know, but there are bad people out there.” Tikki said before stopping and looking around. The world had almost gone quiet, the wind dropped, and the birds stopped singing. Marinette blinked and looked around too.

“Marinette…” Tikki whispered, grabbing her sister’s shoulder.

Marinette bit her lip and looked around, “what is it?”

Tikki looked like she was starting to panic and pulled Marientte aside. She crouched in front of her and held her shoulders, looking her in the eye. “Okay, I need you to listen to me. Never put yourself in danger, got it?” Tikki stopped and held onto Marinette’s shoulders tighter. Tikki’s blue eyes looked scared. “There are more scary things than the people who could take us. I have done everything to protect you from the reality of this life, but please, if anything happens, ever, you run, you hide, and you do whatever you can to survive.”

“Tikki… What- what are you talking about?” Marinette asked in confusion. She may not know much but she wasn’t an idiot, she knew there were dangers beyond and within the wall. But what was she talking about?

“Trust me, okay? Just listen to my words.” Tikki cupped Marinette’s face, “you are the most important thing to me, and I promised mama and papa that I would protect you from everything, let you grow up but something… something about those soldiers. I can’t lie to you anymore.” She sighed, Marinette felt tears in her eyes at the mention of her mama, “listen to me, if ever something goes wrong, you look after yourself before anyone else, okay? I know it sounds awful, but I need you to survive.” Marinette shook her head, that was an awful thing to say. “Life is survival, it’s not survival of the fittest anymore, its survival of the smartest. You are small, but strong, you’re smart, you use that big brain of yours, and you survive.”

“I-I don’t understand.” Marinette said with a frown, “why are you telling me this? Why can’t I help people if there is danger?”

“I…I….” Tikki looked away, biting her lip, Marinette felt her pulse through the hands on her cheeks. “I just… Promise me!” Tikki looked more serious than she ever had.

Marinette looked at her in confusion, where had this come from? This was so out of the blue, it was like Tikki knew something she didn’t. But what? “Tikki, I don’t understand.”

Tikki opened her mouth but she was interrupted when a crack of thunder echoed, a yellow strike of lightning appearing just beyond the wall. Everyone froze and watched, she had never heard silence like that. Tikki stood up and grabbed Marinette.

What was happening? She saw the huge hand on the wall and gasped. No… It couldn’t be… The wall was over fifty metres tall, no titan was ever that big.

“Oh god… no…” Tikki gasped, Marinette looked around, everyone was still, eyes on the wall. She turned her eyes to the wall and covered her mouth, her blood ran cold. A sweat overtook her body and she started shaking. That was when she saw the face appear. It was all muscle, even from this distance she could make out the eyes and teeth. “Marinette, run!” She heard her sister scream before a gust of hot wind overtook them, rubble flying everywhere then a loud bang. They were flung back into the air, her grip on Tikki gone as she screamed. She didn’t know how long they were in the air but when they landed it was hard and Marinette landed on someone who wrapped their arms around her. She had hit her head, she knew that much from the pain and the wetness trickling down her face.

She had the wind knocked out of her, her vision going white and a pain in her side stifled her scream. She heard screaming around her, and when her vision returned, she was on her back lying on another person who had their arms tightly around her. Dust was everywhere, people running around them and she could hear someone screaming her name. Wait, she wasn’t on Tikki?

“Hey, are you okay?” She heard a young boy’s voice ask under her in a yell, “Hey, can you hear me? Listen to me!” She coughed and struggled against the arms, he let go of her and she rolled off. She rolled onto her knees, her dress was torn slightly over her left side from their impact and blood was dripping onto the white lace around her neck She felt hands on her face and looked up, meeting green eyes. Time stood still and she stared at him in silence. He looked around her age, big green eyes, a cut under his left eye and short blonde hair. He looked so groomed he could be from the inner walls. He looked her over before grabbing her under her arms and pulled her up to standing, grasping her hand and pulling her away from the chaos towards who was screaming her name.

She let him pull her along, her body moving on its own as she stared back from where they came from. Boulders lay on top of people, blood everywhere, limbs lying across the road. Marinette gasped and her eyes widened. She felt her innocence shatter, felt everything of her being shatter. She had been so sheltered, and now…

“Hey, come on, you need to run, I cant carry you, please!” She heard the raspy voice yell in a panic, turning her attention to him with wide eyes. He saw them and gasped, looking past her and saw what she had just seen, pulling her behind a wall and hiding her against the cold stone. Realisation had hit him on what she had just seen, and so he pulled his cloak off and wrapped it around her, pulling up the hood. “Don’t look, I have you, I promise!” He grabbed her hand again and they were running again. Marinette gripped onto the boy for dear life, tears streaming down her face.

They’re dead… The titans, they were in. She didn’t know what was going to happen! Where was Tikki?

“Where are we going? Where is my sister?” Marinette screamed, she was half running half being dragged, but then she tripped up on her skirt with a scream and caused them both to fall, scraping her knee in the process as they rolled away, hitting a wall and stopped. The boy had his arms around her again as he kept her close to his chest as them stampede of people flew past, panting heavily.

“Are you okay? Can you still run?” He asked softly as he looked down at her, blinking when he saw her wide, terrified eyes. He frowned and tilted his head back, looking to where she was looking and froze, 50 feet away from them stood… a titan.

“No… How is that possible.” The boy whispered, sitting them up and pulling her back against his chest, being held close to him as she sobbed quietly. They were frozen, his grip on her tight around her, ruffling her dress between his fists. “A Titan…” Before them stood a huge humanoid creature, his grin ear from ear filled with large teeth, his hair long and black, his tall body muscled. Marinette started kicking her legs, trying to get away and grabbed at the arms around her, screaming for help. “I got you!” He cried as she struggled in his arm before lifting her up with a grunt, shifting her onto his back and began running as Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck, gripping onto his shirt for dear life as he hooked his hands under her knees.

Marinette looked ahead and saw Tikki between the terrified crowds, she was with the scout from earlier, he had Tikki over his shoulder and was looking around as if he was looking for someone. She was kicking and screaming, eyes falling on Marinette and she stopped struggling, screaming for her with her hand outreached, causing the scout to look back, his eyes widening.

Marinette screamed out, “Tikki!” She gripped onto the boy tighter who had a determined look on his face, his eyes focused on the scout. “Tikki! Help-” before she could finish her sentence a titan grabbed them out of no where, causing them both to scream and grab onto each other, the boy twisting and pulling her against his chest. The boy started punching the giant fingers around them, his other arm holding her tight against him, Marinette never let her eyes look away from the toothy grinned giant staring at them in hunger. “Tikki!” Marinette screamed.

“Marinette! NO!” Tikki screamed, Marinette looked over at her to see her fighting the scout who was yelling something at her. He didn’t have his gear, Marinette noticed, her heart sinking as she turned her attention back to the monster in front of them. He was raising them up, the grip getting stronger, the air being squeezed from them. The boy yelped and looked at her in fear. She looked back, tears streaming down her face. They stared at each other before he smiled at her small, lacing their fingers together and keeping their eyes locked.

“Just keep looking at me, okay?” He said softly, she nodded and gripped onto his hand, sniffing and wiping her nose on her arm as she cried. “It’ll be okay, what’s your name by the way?”

“M-Marinette.” She whispered in reply, shaking and stifling a scream as a big hand started to reach for them, the boy squeezing her hand more, the other arm around her tightening, pulling her so her face was against his chest, resting his head on hers.

“I’m Adrien.” He replied, he was shaking as well, tears falling. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.” She shook her head, eyes starting to turn towards the hand that was so close now she could feel the warmth, her eyes widening. But Adrien wasn’t having it, tightening his arm again and making her look back up at him. “Keep looking at me or hide, just don’t look. I got you.” He whispered.

The grip on them tightened and her eyes shot open as fingers grabbed the cloak fastened around her, lifting her out of the hand, she screamed for dear life as Adrien tried desperately to keep his strong grip on her. “Adrien!” She screeched, gripping his hands for dear life. He was screaming for her, desperate to get her back. “NO! NO! ADRIEN! TIKKI! PAPA!!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, her grip being pulled from Adrien’s her heart stopping and her eyes widening. She locked eyes with the terrified boy, he looked like he was about to be sick.

She wasn’t sure if it was because he had lost her, or because he was next but the boy started screaming and hitting at the hand again. She looked at the titan as it held her up to his face, staring at her with empty, dead, hungry eyes. She was hanging from the cloak, it was slowly pressing against her neck, making it harder and harder to breath. She was sure she had wet herself, feeling warmth go down her legs. This was it; this was the end. She watched as he opened his mouth, the stench was rancid, making her gag and cover her mouth with her trembling hands. She started screaming for help again, kicking at the Titan, she didn’t want to die.

She felt time move in slow motion as she was lifted up higher, closing her eyes and hugging herself. She heard Adrien screaming for her desperately, but her hearing left her, a soft hum taking over. Was her body getting her ready to die? She had read something about it, a fight or flight within the body, protects you from the trauma or the pain to come so to speak. Adrenaline, was it? But she wasn’t sure it was true until now.

Then suddenly she wasn’t being held up as air filled her lung from the loss of pressure on her neck, feeling the air from falling overwhelming her. It’s over… It’s over… But instead of being bitten in half or feeling the wetness of a tongue, she was hit by another body, eyes flying open to see the ends of blonde hair as she was suddenly going another direction. Reality set in and the haze faded quickly, she wrapped her arms and legs around him as he did to her, burying her head in his neck as she braced for impact. And boy was it a hard one.

They hit a corner of a wall, spinning in the air and slamming into the floor, both gasping and coughing for air. She opened her eyes wide as she took a deep breath and gripped the boy that lay on top of her, covering her from danger. She looked back at the Titan to see it was missing his hands, swiping at the soldier who had appeared. She saw the roses and knew exactly why they were there. She didn’t have much time to think after that as the boy got up and pulled her up, grabbing her and flinging her on his back, running as fast as he could. He was limping as he ran, his groans while he panted telling her that he was injured just like she was.

By the time Marinette could register what was going on fully she was pulled off his back despite her screams of protest to be met by a tight hug. She blinked and looked up, “Marinette!” Tikki… She found her! Marinette broke down and hugged her tight, her sister hitched her up and held her close to her body, and they were running again, Marinette clung on for dear life. She opened her eyes and saw the dark-haired scout behind her, the boy draped over his back. He looked exhausted but still clung to the young man, Adrien’s head hung over his shoulder.

They ran in the screaming crowds, avoiding the many titans that were eating everyone they could. But Marinette kept her eyes on the boy, he had risked his life for her, a stranger. Why did he do that? After what her sister had said to her earlier, she was confused to why he had risked his life to save her?

After what seemed like ages they suddenly stopped, the older teens panting heavily. Tikki shifted Marinette with a grunt and she could feel that Tikki was wet from sweat. “Marinette, I need you to run, okay?” She whispered, placing the girl down who stood on shaking legs, nodding and looking back at the scout who didn’t look like he was struggling as much, but the boy on his back fought against him and jumped to his feet, running to Marinette and took her hand, eyes fixed on her and full of something Marinette had never seen before. She gulped and looked at their clasped hands before she looked around fearfully.

The scout didn’t look pleased but grunted, Tikki looked at the scout who just frowned and started running. The boy pulled Marinette with him, Tikki running behind them. Marinette looked around as she was pulled along, people were being eaten, trampled, crushed, there was nothing but death and despair. How could they survive this?

After not too long they were approaching the main gate in wall Maria, Marinette looked around desperately for her father, but never saw him. They all slowed down, gaining their breath back slowly. They joined the crowd, heading slowly towards the arch. The one flaw of the districts that lay outside the wall was there was only one exit. She remembered her father complaining about it constantly. She looked back at her sister, seeing Tikki was next to the scout who Marinette had figured out his name was Plagg. They were arguing in hushed voices, she wanted to ask Adrien what was going on but she didn’t know if she could speak yet.

Did they know each other? The way they were arguing and their body language spoke a thousand words. But she had never seen this man until today. But then again here she was clinging to the boy next to her, their fingers interlocked and her other hand gripping onto his arm for dear life. He didn’t seem to mind, looking up at him and saw he was looking around with a serious expression. Now that things had slowed down, she got a proper look at him.

He was taller than her by maybe a few inches, his face young and his green eyes bright. The right side of his face was covered in blood, his cut dirty and deep under his eye, another cut on his forehead. She didn’t think she looked any better, feeling the dried blood on her face and the pain from her cuts. She looked down at his dark green shirt and saw red over the side they had hit the corner of the wall on, her brows furrowing. He was injured, and he still managed to carry her out of there.

“He’s my brother.” Adrien spoke softly, turning her gaze back up to his face, he was looking down at her now, smiling small, “Plagg, the one talking with your sister, Tikki was it?” Marinette nodded, looking at the two arguing teens, “he’s a scout, the only reason he’s in Shiganshina is because of me.” He looked down darkly, his eyes looked sad for some reason. “But, hey, that meant I was there to catch you.” He looked at her and smiled sadly.

She blinked up at him, she didn’t know what to say, her whole mind felt shattered. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Why couldn’t she speak? Was she really that weak?

He seemed to understand and nodded, “hey, it’s okay. We have been through a lot today, you don’t have to talk. I’m just glad I could help even one person.” She again blinked, he was so kind, probably the kindest person she had ever met. Why save her?

They both looked up when Tikki turned to them, “stay close, we need to get onto the boats, but there are a lot of people in front of us. You stay by us no matter what, okay?” They both nodded and she sighed, eyeing their clasped hands before turning back, Plagg whispered a comment that caused Tikki to hit his arm, telling him off again.

“Plagg, we need to get them away from here.” Marinette heard her sister say, eyeing her curiously. Tikki’s hair was ruffled, her pigtails messed and some hair had fallen out, framing her face. She had a small cut on her cheek. But what stood out the most was that she looked terrified.

“Yeah, yeah, I know that, sugarcube.” The scout replied with a scowl, “what do you think I’m doing exactly?”

“Well, so far my sister was almost eaten, let snot even bring up the state of them, and my dad is probably dead!” Tikki yelled back at him, pouting as she glared.

Suddenly they heard the footsteps, freezing and spinning around. Their eyes wide. Adrien gasped and pulled Marinette close, his eyes wide and his jaw clenched. In the distance they saw a huge titan sprinting towards them, his arms flinging around him, his jaw slack. Marinette screamed and was suddenly pulled to running by Adrien, turning her gaze forward the saw Tikki being pulled along by Plagg.

They had got out! How were they in danger again! This couldn’t be happening! She looked back just as the titan hit the ground, gasping as she saw the rubble heading towards them she looked at Adrien and saw he hadn’t seen it, his eyes focused on the road ahead. HE had saved her all this time, and if that debris hit them he would be hurt or possibly die. She looked back and gasped, she had to do something! She let go of his hand, causing him to gasp and look at her. She didn’t hesitate and shoved him hard, causing him to yell her name and fall to the side just as the debris hit her. She was hit hard, being smacked back, tumbling until she skidded to a halt, her body limp.

All she felt was pain, her vision went white, and she felt her dress suddenly getting wet. She tried breathing but it was laboured, and she heard gargling a bit. Her body was shaking, the pain coming from her left side of her face down to her shoulder. What was wrong with her? Was she dead? Was she dying? What about Adrien?

Suddenly she felt hands on her neck, she heard her sister far in the distance and then strong arms were carrying her and she was bouncing in them, the wind blowing over her. She heard others yelling and the whiteness started to fade. She was staring up at the sky, her mouth hanging open slightly, gasping for breath. Why did it feel like she was drowning? Was she drowning? No that was silly, she was in someone’s arms.

She felt someone had her hand, a soft voice speaking to her until they finally stopped. She felt hardness under her and suddenly her sister’s face was above her and she felt pressure on her neck, cheek and shoulder. She looked around without moving her head, Tikki’s tears catching her attention. Tikki? Why was she crying? What was wrong with her?

“Marinette? Oh god, oh shit, please, don’t die, no, please don’t die!” Tikki was saying, crying softly. “Plagg, do something!”

“Do what exactly? Do I look like a doctor? I’m doing everything I can!” The young man hissed back, he tore the bottom of Tikki’s skirt and started wrapping it around Marinette’s neck. “Just keep pressure! She’s lucky she’s even fucking alive!”

“Why did she do that?” She heard Adrien, he sounded distressed.

“She was saving you, if she didn’t do that you would be just as bad, possibly worse. She has some guts, I will give her that.” Plagg replied, leaning over her and looking into her eyes. She looked back, examining the dark green eyes, his small pupils getting even smaller as he frowned. “Just shut up and keep her calm!” She must have looked like she was panicking because suddenly Adrien’s face appeared as Plagg’s disappeared and looked down at her.

Marinette tried to speak but it sounded gargled, she felt him take her hand and her eyes darted toward him, seeing the dark faced boy. She should have spoken up earlier, now she can’t speak. She can’t thank this boy. A complete stranger who risked his life, who was covered in both his and her blood, banged up from protecting her. And she couldn’t even thank him. Adrien… He saw her panic and smiled sweetly, kissing her knuckles. She suddenly felt tired, darkness taking over quickly. “It’s okay, we got you, we are on the boat heading to Wall Rose, we are-“ Before he could finish his sentence there was an explosion and Plagg dove over Marinette, shielding her.

“Fuck!” He cursed and sat back up as Adrien took over his place, shielding Marinette, turning towards the wall and they all stared in silence. Marinette wanted to see but the pain was too bad so she gripped onto Adrien’s shirt. He looked down at her with an expression that scared her. She felt her eyelids flutter and darkness slowly took over, the last thing she see was Adrien’s face, his hands suddenly flying to her neck as he started yelling something. And then… nothing.

oOo

When Marinette first awoke she felt groggy and sore, her eyes barely opening. She groaned, lifting her hand and felt the rough bandaging from below her nose down to her breasts. Her mouth was covered so she couldn’t speak. She blinked a few times and looked up, expecting her sister or even Adrien’s face, but she was met by golden eyes under big, framed glasses. She blinked in surprise and stared at the dark-skinned girl standing over her, she had a heart shaped face and had fiery, long hair in a high pony, pieces framing her face. She was in a nurses uniform, but she looked the same age as Marinette.

“Hey girl.” The girl spoke chipperly, “you’re okay, don’t try to speak though. You’re in Troste district. You got badly banged up, but you’re safe now!” She smiled at her and picked up a clip board examining the paper.

Marinette felt the sheets under her hands, they were rough and they smelt funny. She realised she wasn’t on a bed but the floor, a sheet between her and the hard wood. What happened with the titans? Why was she in Troste?

“Marinette, is it?” She hummed and walked around Marinette, Marinette watched her with a raised brow. “You have internal damage, a big nasty cut from your cheek to your shoulder, some cuts on your face and torso, and some bruising. You really fought for your life, didn’t you?” She looked at Marinette with… admiration? “You’re like those scouts, you’re a superhero!” She dropped to her knees and grabbed Marinette’s hand, Marinette’s eyes widening. “That’s so cool!”

Cool? Marinette didn’t think it was cool. She had just experienced the worst day of her life and she couldn’t do anything right, needing others to save her. She felt like a fool, she felt like a dumb child. Why did no one ever tell her how bad they really were? She felt so naive. She looked away from Alya and pulled her hand away. Alya blinked and looked at her with a concerned look, her smile falling. Marinette didn’t have the energy to help the girl with her feelings, she was dealing with her own. Her eyes were empty, the sparkle gone, her innocence gone. Hell, everything she thought she was now seemed pathetic. She noticed she wasn’t in that stupid dress she had spent a month or so on, how frivolous it seemed now. She was glad she wasn’t in it, she didn’t want any reminders. Reminders of them, of the death, of how she was useless.

She couldn’t even protect herself, she had to have others save her, protect her, carry her. She was weak. She was worthless. She needed to get stronger, she had to. She would never let anyone suffer because of her again. The only good thing she did today was push that boy out of the way.

“Hey,” Alya dragged her from her thoughts, looking back at the girl. She looked concerned, “you’re safe now. I promise.” She placed her hand on Marinette’s. Marinette wanted to believe her, but she didn’t know what the truth was anymore. “I’m going to stay here with you tonight, okay? Your sister isn’t far, she will be here soon. But I promise, I will stay with you.”

Marinette blinked up and her, tears filling her eyes. She realised then she had been trying so hard to keep it together. Alya smiled and did a quick examination on Marinette, chatting away about how she was helping her mom who was the head nurse here. After she was done, she shuffled under the sheet with Marinette, lying on her back and staring up at the roof. Marinette felt comfort in it. She couldn’t speak but that didn’t matter right now.

Alya stayed with her that night, describing her childhood, telling her everything about herself. Marinette hung on every word, by the time she passed out from exhaustion and pain she felt like she had known Alya since she was a child. She felt at peace in a way, but she felt different. She felt like she was changed forever, the girl she was the day before was gone now.

---

It took Marinette a long time to heal, Tikki hardly leaving her side and eventually becoming a nurse herself so that she was close to Marinette. Alya spent every night with Marinette, making sure Marinette felt alone and comforted her whenever she was sad. The worst night was when she climbed into the sheets and hugged her friend while she sobbed after finding out her father was dead, and soon every night she slept next to Marinette. She didn’t care that they slept on the floor, she refused to sleep anywhere else without Marinette. They were inseparable.

It was a few months before Marinette was asked to speak, the bandages finally removed and the deep sensitive scar standing red and angry against her pale skin. She was used to the dull pain in her jaw, the now scar didn’t hurt as much as when it was a cut, but the pain was still there.

“Okay Marinette, we need you to try to speak.” Tikki said softly, Alya was next to her, she had stolen a mattress from her home and had made herself comfortable next to Marinette, concerned eyes on her best friend.

Marinette gulped, it felt weird not having her mouth covered, She had only had her mouth uncovered to eat or drink, so it felt weird to be completely exposed. So she felt naked sitting there without the bandage, in the baggy green shirt she had found at the bottom of her bed months ago, a small cut on the side. It was Adrien’s, he had washed it and brought it for her. She knew it was, no one knew for sure but she knew in her heart it was his. She chewed her lip and looked at her sister. It took some time but finally the words left her mouth, “where is Adrien?”

Tikki blinked in surprised and furrowed her brows, “Who?” She asked, “wait, the boy?” Marinette nodded, Alya watched her in confusion, “He’s okay, he isn’t here anymore, he’s with his brother with the survey corps, I think. He’s okay.”

Marinette nodded and looked down at her hands in her lap, she had thought of him almost every night but even now his face was blurry. She tried so hard but she couldn’t make out his face clearly. All she saw was the blood, the titan ready to eat her, felt the warmth down her leg as she pissed herself, the chaffing after as she ran for her life. She was destroyed by the experience, but maybe she could do some good from it. She lay back down, rolling over, pulling the blanket over her mouth as comfort. The others looked at her sadly, knowing she needed space. Alya sighed and lay down next to her, hugging her tight.

"Marinette, I promise he is okay. He was here for a little while and he visited you a few times when you were asleep." Tikki said softly, stroking her sister's face. Marinette hid her face, Tikki knew this side of Marinette too well now. She sighed and got up, "okay... I will come back later."

Alya stayed silent as Tikki left before she whispered, "Marinette?"

Marinette looked back at Alya, "yeah?" She replied in a whisper, it felt amazing to be able to speak again.

"Who's Adrien?" Marinette realised her best friend had no clue about what happened to her, she had been silent for months and now it was her turn to use her voice to let Alya know her.

"He's a boy that... He saved me." She croaked, rolling over so they were facing each other. "He gave me this shirt, I know it. He was wearing it." She covered her mouth with the neck of her shirt, looking down. "Do you want to hear about what happened?" And with that Marinette spoke about the worst day of her life for the first time since it happened. The words fell from her lips and a pressure lifted off her chest. By the end she was sobbing, Alya's eyes were wide in horror, her mouth open in shock. That night they fell asleep holding onto each other, Marinette having her first night without any nightmares, and she could make out Adrien's eyes. So she focused on them, holding onto the image for dear life.

---

More months passed and Marinette was now fully healed, or as healed as she was going to get. It had been over a year since the break of wall Maria, Tikki and Marinette were now living with Alya and her family. Marinette’s wounds had healed but she now wore a pale pink, jagged scar from the far left of her cheek down her neck all the way to her collar bone. Because of this she was stared at constantly and they whispered about how she was a survivor. Her hair had grown longer since the fall of Shiganshina so she used her hair to her advantage, hiding under it yet again, and rarely speaking. Tikki constantly told her she was worried about Marinette, but Marinette ignored her. She didn’t want to talk about this stuff with Tikki, she knew she had her own problems and Marinette didn't want to put more on her.

The person she was, the cheerful, talkative girl was completely erased, as if she never existed. She now was quiet, subdued and emotionless. Alya was the only one who got anything out of Marinette, she even managed to make Marinette laugh, a sound Tikki hadn’t heard since the day of the attack. It wasn't that she had no personality anymore or anything, she just didn't have a reason to be cheerful or talk much anymore. Especially with her giant, ugly scar that she hated. Her scar was like a giant sign that read 'I survived the fall of Shiganshina, stare at me please'. She hated the stares but she was used to it now.

The only person she spoke to was Alya, they lay in bed together at night and whispered to each other. Marinette told her of her plans to join the military the coming weeks. Alya argued with her, saying that it was suicide, stating Marinette has only just recovered from her last experience with the titans. Alya wasn’t impressed but eventually promised to come with her to Marinette’s surprise, stating they were in it forever now.

“Alya, we could die.” Marinette whispered, lying on her side looking at her best friend who mimicked her, a frown on her face.

“I don’t care, look at you, I am not letting you go anywhere without me.” Alya retorted.

Marinette frowned, “I don’t need protection. Don't join the military just to keep an eye out for me, you could die!"

“I’m not coming to protect you, I’m coming to support you.” Alya sighed.

“I can do it alone.” Marinette frowned, looking away. She didn’t need anyone else getting hurt for her. "I don't want you to get hurt or end up like me."

“I know that, girl.” Alya replied softly, “but there is nothing wrong with others helping you. And we are in this till death, right?”

Marinette looked at Alya and sighed at their promise, linking their pinky fingers, “Till we die.”

“Till we die.” Alya repeated, grinning. “So when are you going to tell your sister?”

Marinette sighed and played with the string of her shirt, her mind drifting to Adrien again. “I don’t know, but she isn’t going to be exactly happy.”

“That’s the biggest understatement of the year.” Alya snorted, taking her glasses off and placed them aside. “All I will say is good luck, girl.”

Marinette sighed, watching as Alya blew out the candle, she knew she was right, telling Tikki was going to be hell. "You say that but you're the crazy woman following me to our deaths."

"Nah, it's only being crazy if I thought we would die." Alya replied, "which we wont, we are gonna be badasses."

Marinette chuckled and shook her head, "sure."

“Don’t worry about it tonight though, okay? Let’s just focus on getting some sleep tonight.” Alya smiled and got comfy, Marinette smiled, feeling the tug of her scar. She never smiled now because of it, but she never felt shy or like she had to hide from Alya. She could be herself.

"Yeah... Let's see what happens." She said before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

---

Tikki stared at Marinette like she had grown two more heads, her blue eyes wide with fear. “You… no, I… You WHAT!?” She screamed. They were sitting at the dining table in Alya’s house, the two girls sat on one side while Tikki and Mrs Césaire were on the other side. Tikki was standing up, her hands in fists. She looked like she could jump across the table and bundle Marinette up and hide her forever. She was in her nurse’s uniform, they had chosen to tell them now before their shift happened so that they could pack their bags. “You are barely twelve years old!”

“I’m thirteen soon, I am old enough, I’m joining.” Marinette said calmly. She watched her seventeen year old sister look shocked at her words. Marinette looked at her emotionlessly, being stuck in a bed for months not being able to speak and being stuck inside your own head makes you extremely good at handling emotions and stay in control.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tikki slammed her fists on the table, “it’s a suicide mission joining the military! Do you want to die?”

“No, I don’t. I want to make a difference. I almost died because I was weak, I don’t want to be weak anymore.” Marinette didn’t flinch as Tikki slammed her fist down again, her eyes fixed on Tikki.

“You can’t even comprehend or understand enough to join the military!” Alya gulped next to her, chewing her lip, her own mother staring her down but not saying a word. Tikki wasn’t staying silent.

“Respect anyone who wears that uniform, Marinette.” Marinette said softly, “Remember you said that to me?” Tikki blinked in surprise, stepping back. “I remember you said that minutes before we ran for our lives,” Tikki’s eyes widened and she gasped, “before I was almost eaten by a titan, before I got this.” She pointed at her scar, her brows furrowing. “So don’t tell me that I don’t understand or that I cannot comprehend death or what being a soldier means. I am well aware. I have the scar as a souvenir.” Her eyes darkened, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest.

Tikki stared at her in shock, holding the same look she always had when looking at Marinette recently. The look of not knowing who Marinette was anymore. Tikki turned to Mrs Césaire, “Marlena!” She cried, “say something! I can’t be the only one who doesn’t want this to happen!”

Mrs Césaire sighed and dropped the hand that was covering her mouth. “Alya, have you thought this through?”

“Yes mom,” Alya replied, straightening her back with confidence.

“You aren’t doing this to follow Marinette?”

“No ma’am.” Alya insisted, shaking her head, “I want to bring honour and pride to our family. I want to help with the war on the titans and get our world back.”

Mrs Césaire nodded, thinking for a minute before she stood up, wiping her eyes and walking over to Alya, pulling her to standing and engulfed her in a huge hug. She hugged her back, burying her face in her mothers chest. “We are already so proud of you, and you have already brought us honour by joining. I know you will be amazing.”

“What!?” Tikki was shocked, Marinette looked back at her with a raised brow, Tikki looked bewildered. “You are allowing this? They’re children!”

Mrs Césaire let go of Alya and frowned at Tikki, “they have experienced more than most adults. Especially Marinette.” She replied calmly, “if they want to join the military to make a difference we should be proud of them and their sacrifice! The men and women who are fighting this war against the titans are giving up their lives for us!”

“Exactly, giving up their lives!” Tikki yelled back, “I don’t want my sister dying at the ripe old age of 17 when she graduates!”

“I won’t die, and if I do it would be for the greater good!” Marinette stood up and yelled back.

“No it wont! You will die with your guts hanging out, piss down your leg and you will be crying out for a loved one begging not to die! I forbid this!” Tikki walked over and grabbed Marinette’s shoulders. “You are too weak!” Marinette gasped and stared at her sister in shock. “You will die!”

“Marinette isn’t weak!” Alya yelled, she looked ready to attack. “She is the strongest person I know!”

“The last time you saw a titan you almost died! You are too small, you won’t make it!” Tikki shook her shoulders angrily. Marinette frowned and pushed her sister off her, glaring at her.

“You can’t tell me what to do! You aren’t my mother and you aren’t my guardian.” She growled, “I can do whatever I like, and if anything Mrs Césaire is in charge of me.” Tikki looked surprised. “And I am not weak. If you don’t like it that’s not my problem. You can either support me or you can stay out of my business.”

Tikki glared at her sister before she grabbed her head scarf off the table and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Marinette sighed and sat down, dropping her head on the table with a grunt.

You are too weak… you will die…

Her sister’s words echoed in her head, she was expecting the words to hurt her but they didn’t, they made her more determined. She was going to make it, she just needed to prove everyone wrong.

“Ignore her, Marinette. She doesn’t know who you are, who you really are. You will prove her wrong.” Alya reassured her, resting a hand on Marinette’s back.

Marinette sighed and stood up, pushing the chair back and walked through to their bedroom, walking to the window and looked out. She saw the garrison soldiers on the wall, they were running drills today, she watched them swinging across the wall and felt a pang in her chest. She wanted to be up there, she needed to be up there.

She sighed and turned away, leaning against the wall and slid down to the floor, dropping her head against the wall. Her mind went to Adrien again, looking over at the green shirt draped on the bed. It was a year and a half since the fall of the walls, and his face was almost all but blurred. She remembers how he held her like she was the only thing that mattered. She remembered his voice, and all she could see were those green eyes. She felt her scar with her fingers, drawing her knees to her chest, staring at the crinkles in her skirt.

Where was he? Was he safe? Did he get badly injured? She had so many questions that were most likely never going to be answered. And that sucked. He was the reason she was joining the military, she was spared and he saved her life, a stranger’s life. She had a debt to pay, and she wanted to be good. Not just a good person but a good soldier. But that wasn’t the important thing now. In a few weeks she will be a recruit and will start her training. She needed to focus on that and get through. Her eyes travelled to the shirt again, sadness taking over and the tears came. She had been through so much, yet these moments came very rarely, and when they did she embraced them with open arms. Just happy to feel something.

---

“Tikki I will be fine.” Marinette stared at the uniform in front of her. The cadet badge standing out against the tanned jacket. Her last conversation with her sister the night before echoing in her head. “Just… don’t die, okay?” Tikki had helped her cut her hair and gave Marinette her red ribbons much to her surprise. Now they were tied in her short, low pigtails, the ribbons floating down her back. Something of her sister to keep her safe.

She gulped and started to strip, pulling her new uniform on proudly. She wore her dark green top underneath her jacket, her dark brown sash around her waist fit perfectly and then her white trousers. Everything was custom made for her she figured, because it fit perfectly. She sat down and pulled on her knee-high boots, determination filling her.

Soon they were on the courtyard, in their formation at attention. Marinette looked around, she hadn’t met anyone yet, Alya standing next to her. She finally made it, she was finally here. She clenched her fists and looking to the side at her friend, smiling small at her before her face went hard. She was going to prove everyone wrong; she was going to join the survey regiment and she was going to make a difference. She looked forward, the horrors she saw flashing in front of her eyes, taking a deep breath and relaxed her fists. She had made it, now she had to actually do it.

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emsartwork · 5 years

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May I ask? Have u given any thought to the flags and size of planets such as zhene koyu or vaonaa?

Below the cut ^-^

Zhen flag is reference to their planetary animal and planetary colors. Vaonaa’s represents their oneness and connection that the prevalent wind on the planet provides. Koyu is the crown jewels, the planet’s form, and the dark eyes that are characteristic of Koyuvians.

Eraklyan’s don’t technically have a wedding dress, usually they just wear a nice gown, and modern weddings with use a more traditional clothing style. Bloom here is in a royal gown, so the average Eraklyan would have shorter sleeves/dress, a less ornate vest, and no cape. Eraklyan Weddings are heavy on tradition, and have a set structure of courtship, engagement, ceremony, and post ceremony. Courtship isn’t dating, but a declaration of the intent to be married, engagement is the actual contract between the couple, and the ceremony consists of spoken vows and exchanging of personal jewels. Each person on Eraklyon has a gem given/assigned to them at birth, in the past personal jewels were thought to hold a person’s soul. Worn as jewelry( bracelet ring, piercing, everything except a necklace), these gems are given to the other as part of the wedding, if a person is not Eraklyan, they will pick out a gem at the start of the courtship. Instead of wedding rings Eraklyans propose/signify marriage with necklaces(the necklaces are separate from personal jewels, only necklaces can be used for marriage) Bloom has the heart of Eraklyon which is a specific jewel that been passed down through the people who marry INTO the Eraklyan royal family. The average Eraklyan engagement jewel is basically the same shape tho usually smaller. Eraklyan women also put their hair up after they are married or for the wedding, in ancient times sometimes the wedding day would be the first time an Eraklyan woman had tied her hair up in her entire life. Modern times have relaxed this custom but its still pretty common for unmarried women to leave their hair down most of the time and married women to wear their hair up more often than not. Sky initiated their courtship period in the first movie, Bloom(and Domino) misunderstood and thought he was officially proposing. He proposes in season 5 with the Heart of Eraklyon.

MOVING ON TO ZHEN

History: Zhen is a very rigid planet social customs-wise, but they have a long history of political unrest and war. The planet is divided into small feudal states, and each one is constantly on alert for invasion or offense from the others. Through a very clever scheme, a prince of a larger state convinced another state to send him one of their princesses/princes as a peace treaty. Then claimed the prince/princess never arrived to the palace(they did, were not harmed and hidden away in the lap of luxury) and propositioned a different state for a marriage peace treaty. Eventually he revealed he had kept the royals safe and alive and had legally binding peace contracts with each of the states he had tricked. Zhenese have an intense code of honor and will follow rules/contracts the way the fae do even if its inconvenient for them lmao. He became the leading power, and forced the other states to send him some of their family to stay at his central palace. Zhen was then at peace for longer than before in their history, eventually developing the central system of government with a central royal family. Local rulers still send a portion of their family to live at the palace complex as a tradition and a safety measure, though the family and their Regent will switch off visiting the hub. Unfortunately, the most recent Emperor and Empress were assassinated and their daughter, the closet heir, disappeared, thought to be captured or killed as well. Leaving the royal families to claim a right to the throne and fight it out. Ho-boe left a week after the assassination on one of the last ships before the rival states set up blockades for each other’s fleets/communications.

Cimate: Zhen is on the cold side and has numerous mountain ranges littering the continents with very flat land in between them. Their coastlines are ragged with a lot of good bays to use as ports. They have a lot of rivers in the mountains which generally combine into one major river across the plains. They grow a lot of grains, and are excellent hunters, surviving on a very high protein diet (it’s theorized that Zhenese evolved their sharp teeth, hearing, and low center of gravity with heavy musculature to become more ideal hunters in their environment) During peace, Zhen exported a lot of unique furs, minerals, and their woodworking skills(they don’t have a lot of forest to use for export but they are master craftsmen) Their clothing is usually wool, from the Zhenese Argali, a sheep/goat like animal with orange/red wool and blue(ish) horns. These animals are the most prevalent species on Zhen and are wild, domestic, used for wool, skins, dyes, meat, household objects, and even their bones are used whenever possible.

Clothing: traditional dress is still worn on Zhen instead of Magix modern styles. In general: Thick sock/shoes with leather soles tied around the ankle, loose cotton pants, a pleated wool skirt, a shirt with a square stand up collar and long straight sleeves, a short sleeved jacket or structured tunic layered on top, sometimes a wrapped belt. Hair styles are complex and accessorized. In warmer areas the skirt and sleeves are shorter, and usually only a lighter jacket is worn. In cold weather they wear a wrapped fur hat, several layers of wool shirts and skirts. Royal wear always features the planetary colors, a complex headress, and wide skirts with several layers. and stupidly wide sleeves (usually they cover the hands entirely but if a royal is doing anything they usually roll them up) royal coat/tunics feature a lot of embroidery, usually of geometric patterns, as well as draped tied from the shoulders(usually white). For a wedding Zhenese wear black yellow and white. Black is only worn for weddings and symbolizes the seriousness of the relationship that being officiated. They also have a hat with a bead veil and a pin through the hair with fabric/paper hanging from them onto the shoulders. The beads on the hat are strung in a very specific order, reflecting the planets reliance on rules and order, the veils can taken weeks to make because if a mistake is made all the beads have to be taken off and started over. A braided chord with threads of the planetary colors is knotted around the waist to represent the planet and culture as a whole. Married Zhenese have a short thread of beads they hang from their hats or hair pins.

VAONAA

History: Generally known for their spirituality and rich knowledge, Vaonaa has a fairly standard history. Fighting slowly stopped and the various groups on the planet were united after the incorporation of magic into their culture.(yes i know this is unrealistic leave me and my idealistic alien planets alone) One substantial difference is that Vaonaa developed an electoral system of government as opposed to a monarchy. Consisting of three groups (elders, adults, and youth) they’re all part of a larger group called the Council. Each individual group has to have an equal ratio of men/women/nb. Each county has one person elected and the other person assigned(like jury duty). The council is the main authority on everything and is a full time job. The Vaonaar is like a president/prime minister temporary position, every time a council member is appointed they submit a name of their most trusted person, if the council deadlocks over a decision a name from the list the Council members provided is randomly chosen to resolve the deadlock over a period of a few weeks so they actually have time to hear all the arguments and read relevant materiel. there are also more local officials like police/librarians/parks and rec etc.

Climate: Vaonaa has a lot of flat grass land, with a high proportion of mesa formations. as a result of these steep valleys Vaonaa has strong wind currents. They coatline is relatively smooth, and they usually have to use rivers as ports because bays aren’t super common. They have many different types of grasses, and are especially known for their high quality textile production. They export their textiles, precious stones, and metal work.

Clothing: Vaonaaj usually wear deerskin, suede, wool, and cotton. Tunics tied together at the sides, leggings, and poncho styled blankets, and wrapped or metal belts are the basic clothing items. Beaded necklaces and earnings are common accessories for everyone. Hair is worn in either one or two braids. In warm weather, a short tunic and soft moccasins are worn In colder weather a woven blackets is wrapped around the body or tucked into the belt, leggings are added under the tunic, and wrapped skins are layered over the moccasins and leggings and secured just below the knee sometimes the blanket has a smaller buttoned on hood but i didn’t draw that. Royal Vaonaaj have a longer tunic with stitched details and beaded sections.a more complex belt, and a rectangular blue vest/shawl worn under the belt. For weddings, Vaonaaj wear a loose tunic/dress and wrapped leather around their feet instead of mocasins. strips of fabric and jewelry is in the four colors Vaonaa considers sacred, white, green, blue, and rust red. White and blue represent the wind, blue also represents royalty and honor, green represents the grasses that cover most of the planet and are used in making textiles, the rust red represents a grounding connection to the earth something the people tend to forget because they are so dependent on the wind and all. Married Vaonaaj keep a colored thread woven into their hair, in modern times this is usually done through magic.

(PSA: I almost exclusively based this planet/culture on Navajo native Americans, with some tweaks because fantasy alien planet. I am not native, if any of this is inappropriate please let me know.)

(second less important psa: its like super hard to find clothing references for native american cultures before European contact so if any one has some good sources pls lmk)

KOYU

History: Koyu is thought to have begun as a dwarf planet with a highly poisonous atmosphere struck by an asteroid and pushed further towards the sun it was orbiting. This increased the radiation levels which caused the dormant fungal growth on the asteroid to begin growing at exponential rates. The growth also filtered out the toxins in the lower atmosphere but eventually reached a state of equilibrium and was unable to grow any bigger. The outer reaches of the formation are still technically living matter, but the inner reaches have dried and kind of fossilized creating a porous tangle of branches around the planets core. Koyuvian’s eyes have evolved to be intensely receptive to any light in their environment because the inner tangles are very dark and fire cannot be used as the dried growth produces poisonous smoke when burned. many plants and animals on Koyu are luminescent and are some are farmed and used as light sources. water runs through some hollow sections of the growth like vertical rivers. others are used as highways or roads. especially large knots of tangles usually become cities. spaces that don’t have as many branches of growth are known as the voids and are avoided because its easy to get lost or fall and especially dangerous animal/plant life occupy those spaces.

Climate: The outer reaches of the planet is very hot, and has a lot of dangerous radiation, so people don’t live there. The inner reaches of the planet don’t have direct sunlight and can be pretty cold, but there are still pockets that have a decent amount of warmth due to insulation, being closer to the radiation, or the planet’s core producing some heat. Koyu exports some of their unique animal and plant life, and Koyuvian mushrooms are some of the most highly sought after produce/garden items in the magix universe but they are almost impossible to grow off planet. Koyu has very small mineral reserves but will export Koyuvian Diamonds for jewelry and technology which are formed in high heat high pressure vent branches of the tangles.

Clothing: Koyu’s main priority for clothing is mobility, so their clothing is durable simple, and easily fastened or unfastened as needed. usually a shirt with a vest/coat, loose pants, a long piece of fabric around the waist that can be used as a rope in emergencies, and rough sole socks are worn. Koyuvians rarely wear shoes. In warm areas a rectangular fabric with a hole for the head is worn over the shoulders and secured with a wrap of fabric around the waist and lower chest.the pants are thin fabric loosely fastened with small leather cuff, usually with a slit up the side for ventilation. In cold areas a long sleeves undershirt is worn with a lined coat usually the sleeves can be buttoned or left hanging. the pants here are a thicker material with no slit and a fur lined leather cuff at the ankle, the socks might be a tad thicker but have to thin enough for the Koyuvian to have some grip. The royals are usually the only ones with any embroidery since detail work like that is hard to do in the dark lmao. Royal dress also usually features sheer material and an extra skirt layer . The veil is able to easily detach from the crown in case it gets stuck in anything and the sleeves are secured at the wrist and neck but can also be unbuttoned if they’re in the way. For weddings the bride and groom (or what have you) are dressed in dark colors, and a blindfold. because sight is so crucial to Koyuvians survival, removing it during the ceremony puts the bride and groom in a state of vulnerability, the metal disks attached to the blindfold ring as the couple moves, their goal is to find each other, and then find a Basket, a natural formation in the Tangle that looks like a small nest, its usually used as a temple/sanctuary. They have their friends and family watching over them to prevent any serious danger but they aren’t allowed to help the couple. The reason for dark colors is for camouflage from wild animals but the gold on the breast is so the family can spot them. The couple find a basket, share a small meal there and the marriage is official. Married Koyuvians have small tattoos on their wrists.

#winx #winx bloom #winx musa #winx club #winx icy #eraklyon #zhen #vaonaa #koyu #winxems #askems #anonymous #world building

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olivereliott · 7 years

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Road tested: Gear from Aether, Pagnol and Vaktare

We’re always trying to unearth motorcycling’s latest and greatest apparel around here. So we cast a pretty wide net, and whittle our catch down to the finest of gear. But every now and then, kit from lesser-known, independent makers gets dragged in with the haul.

These indie gear gurus don’t have corporate bean counters to appease, so they can take chances the big names won’t. New and interesting styles are developed, different fabrics are experimented with, and some exquisite protective pieces are created. Here are three of the best indie brands I’ve found lately.

Aether Moto Gloves I’m an unapologetic fanboy of Aether Apparel: their gear consistently nails that balance between aesthetics and functionality, and everything is built to last. Company founders (and avid riders) Jonah Smith and Palmer West not only scrutinize every product to receive their stealthy logo, but also put their products to the test themselves. That means rider-specific features that some big names miss during the design process are caught and created.

The latest piece of gear to survive Jonah and Palmer’s riding rigors is the Moto Glove, an all-leather, short cuff mitt that has quickly become my go-to this summer.

I’m picky when it comes gloves. I want my hand protection to feel almost non-existent on the controls, but beefy enough to save my skin if I take a tumble. And the fit needs to be spot on. To that end, the Moto Glove delivers the goods with soft, pliable leather for the fingers that’s all-day comfortable, plus an attractive diamond-stitched, secondary layer of protection at the palm.

The party piece, though, is an elasticized panel that runs along the fleshy part of the thumb. It delivers a fit that few gloves can match, and allows the thumb to flex properly whenever your fingers aren’t curled around a grip. It’s that little bit of ingenuity, a simple solution that makes all the difference in the world.

There are additional leather runners atop each finger and a thin, flexible layer of armor sits beneath the continued pattern of diamond-stitched detailing. A large Velcro closure flap resides at the cuff and two more elasticized panels, both top and bottom, keep things sealed at the wrist.

The Aether Moto Gloves retail for $150, which isn’t exactly chump change. But if you subscribe to the buy once, cry once philosophy—and don’t need a full-blown technical gauntlet—they’re a stellar piece of kit. And should last for years to come. The Aether Moto Gloves are available in both black and tan and are backed by Aether’s lifetime guarantee. [Buy]

Vaktare Bomber jacket Vaktare owner and lead designer Estefan Duarte wasn’t impressed with the cookie cutter products in his local shops. So he started making his own. Designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, California, Vaktare (pronounced ‘Victory’) Motorwear Company is a small upstart that’s taken a unique approach to riding gear.

I was first introduced to their products just over a year ago when they launched a protective Peacoat named the Draugr. It was a decidedly fresh take on a riding jacket that broke all molds of convention by being a fashionable coat, made from wool, but designed with riding in mind.

The Bomber model that I’ve been riding with lately is actually the jacket that started it all for the Vaktare crew. I had my doubts as to how versatile a white wool jacket would be, especially when it came time to swing a leg over a bike. It didn’t seem like the most practical choice for the summer riding season…

On the aesthetic side of things I can honestly say the Bomber has grown on me. At its core it’s a jacket with a tried and true design that stays true to its aviator roots. I dig the inclusion of epaulettes, and the contrasting brown touches at the pockets, cuffs and stitching add some subtle sophistication. Be warned though, this jacket will grab attention. You need to be prepared to answer questions at stoplights and when you get to your destination, because it doesn’t look like anything else on the road. The only thing you need ask yourself, stylistically, is whether a white coat is something you can pull off or not.

If you can, know that the fit is similar to a tailored trucker jacket. On my 6-foot, 200-pound frame, that means a size 42 delivers a touch more room in the shoulders to allow movement in the saddle and hugs comfortably at the waist. The sleeves are cut to fall just beneath my cuff, so they sit pretty both on the bike and off, provided the bars on your bike sit low.

With a high bar, the extended reach causes the jacket to rise, devouring your neck, resulting in an ill fit and boxy look. I spoke with Estefan after wearing the Bomber for a bit and let him know about my issues. My guess is a stretch panel between the shoulders or a more articulated, radial sleeve style would help, but I’ve left that in his capable hands. Also, if you like to layer, jump up a size from your normal suit jacket choice as the fit runs slim.

In terms of protection the Melton wool outer is of the 14 oz. variety. That means the fibers that hit the road first are a bit tougher than an equally thick denim jacket, but the true protection of all Vaktare products actually lies beneath. A layer of 1000D Cordura lines the entirety of the jacket, which handles abrasion in a fashion similar to Kevlar but doesn’t offer the same level of heat resistance. On top of that, there are pockets integrated into the silky smooth Bemberg liner at the shoulders, elbows and back. The only downside here is that Vaktare do not supply armor, so you’ll either have to swap some out from another jacket or pick up an extra set. I slotted in my own D30 bits and there was little disruption to the fit.

In the elements, the Bomber again performs reliably well. On the Scout Bobber launch I was seriously concerned about how well the wool would breathe: temps in Minneapolis were boiling the mercury to the mid-nineties. To my surprise, the jacket actually ran cooler that I imagined. Did I sweat? Sure, but everybody was dripping on that ride, regardless of what layers they were sporting. Back home in Toronto I’ve had the Bomber out in a range of temperatures and the wool regulates things nicely. It even stands up to the odd downpour here and there, although it won’t replace my Aerostich for torrential rides.

Outside of my concerns about the sleeves, and pleas for the inclusion of armor, there’s little I would change here. The Bomber is a unique piece of kit that delivers on its promise of style and substance. That being said, a white, wool riding jacket isn’t going to appeal to everyone. And at the price point it occupies, $599, it’s definitely a stretch to add to your closet if you see it as a once-in-a-while piece. But if you’re looking for an everyday jacket that will raise eyebrows and start conversations, whether you’re riding or not, the Bomber has you covered. [Buy]

Pagnol M3 Pants Paulo Rosas has an undying passion for motorcycles. He has a history of involvement in the motorcycle industry and regularly rubs elbows with Southern California’s most celebrated builders. He also has roots in fashion and design. So it should come as no surprise that his line of products, produced under the Pagnol Motor banner, tick every box for performance and style.

Rosas’ work first grabbed my attention when the M1 Moto Jacket was featured on this very site . Needless to say, I had to have one and I’ve kept a keen eye on every piece of Pagnol gear that’s has come out since.

Leather pants are a tough sell. Unless your name is Jim Morrison, the thought of plunking down on bovine strides probably hasn’t crossed your mind. But as a rider, the abrasion protection afforded by leather is superlative, so maybe it should. So, in the name of science, I decided to give the M3 pants a try, to see if they’d channel my inner Lizard King—or have me ending up like Ross on Friends.

First things first: anybody concerned about access and egress issues should know that the M3 comes equipped with a ventilated lining. (Trust me when I say this is a good thing, especially after the 90-degree ride through the Land of Lakes). It maintains airflow and works as a wicking layer, doing a great job of preventing you and your pants from becoming one.

The M3 has ‘accordion’ paneling at the knees to allow for flex in the saddle, and has interior pockets at the hips, tailbone and knees, designed for slim fitting armor. Pagnol recommends SAS-TEC stuff but, again, D30 products slide in without any worries. The leather itself is 1.2mm tumble-aged cowhide that has a robust yet buttery smooth feel to it.

It’s the styling of the M3 that makes them a standout item, though. If you have memories of the racers of yore, you’ll spot the inspiration: it’s a classic style that wouldn’t look out of place on Mike Hailwood on the Isle, and it lends itself to the current trends in riding gear. Added features not common to retro-racers include functional pockets both front and rear—which are zippered for stowage and belt loops to customize fit.

Outside of my racing onesies, the M3 is the only leather legwear I currently own, so comparing it to anything similar is kind of tough. In terms of fit, these pants are as comfortable as a well worked-in pair of jeans, and sizing is true. I wear a 34 in Levis and the same works here. They do have a slim fit though, so if you want extra room, sizing up is a good idea.

Incidentally, my wife told me that the M3 “hugs tight in all the right places,” and paired with a white V-neck and a pair of boots off the bike, the look is “badass.”

As for negatives, the only thing I can see stopping anyone from loving the M3 is a stance on leather pants. They’re the kind of item that either suit you or don’t. If they do, know that supplies are currently limited. But the good news is that a new crop will be hitting shelves in the coming months. Right after Paulo finishes prototyping his new riding boots… [Buy]

Model images: Barry Hathaway (Indian Bobber) and Carolyn Merey.

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midlifechic · 7 years

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It’s all my fault. I jinxed the summer by packing away my Winter knits over the weekend. I even switched the heating off. We had a barbecue and everything was lovely – then Monday dawned with torrential rain and a temperature of 12 degrees!

However, I’ve had a lot of emails over the last few weeks asking for a post on what to wear for Summer in the city. I then included this dress in my Chelsea Flower Show post last week without crediting it and a few people have been in touch to ask where it’s from.

It is, of course, classic Boden. It’s at least 4 years old now but if there is one thing that I think Boden does best, it’s Summer workwear – particularly when it comes to these ponte dresses. I have a few of them in different colours and they are the ones I turn to when it’s warm but I need to look smart for meetings.

The reason they work so well is that they have a high cotton content which helps to keep you cool but, being jersey, they don’t crease. Looking at the shot above, I had travelled for 3 hours by train and then another hour by car but the dress is uncreased.

They flatter your form but they don’t cling. They are also cut with a high waist which is always very slimming. My friends were insistent that I had lost half a stone when in fact, after all of my birthday celebrations, I had put weight on. These dresses are masters of misdirection. So, I’m going to focus on this kind of city dressing in this post. It’s a timeless style spanning Jackie O, Grace Kelly, Amal Clooney and Kate Middleton – chic, understated dressing using accessories as a twist. A lot (but not all) of the pieces are from Boden but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Ottoman Dresses

If you’re not familiar with it, Ottoman is a textured jersey with a horizontal rib. I popped on to the Boden website to see what they have this year and was surprised to see that they have just released a new collection. It seems quite late in the season but a few other retailers have just launched some late additions too. Boden are also offering up to 30% off with free delivery and free returns if you use code 6T2C at checkout.

This year’s range from Boden doesn’t include the same combination of neckline and short sleeves as the one I’m wearing above which is a shame because the ‘Audrey’ collar is always one of the most flattering. However there is this one with a longer sleeve – and it is reduced.

I always find it’s better to order the long if the model shot shows that it falls just above the knees. It saves the skirt riding up to mid-thigh when you sit down.

Iris dress – also available in a navy and ivory stripe.

Classically simple career wear here, this dress is also in Ottoman fabric and available in navy and black.

Elsa dress

This one is my favourite, I like it even better than mine because of the tabbed waist. It is still available in navy in a few sizes and all sizes are in stock in red. Red is better for summer in my opinion. Why? Because this is the season when it is easy to wear bold block colours. You can use accessories as a contrast and you don’t need to co-ordinate jacket, tights and a coat.

Cordelia dress

This one is a looser cut which you may prefer if you are an apple or column shape. It’s also available in black, green or a dark pink. Their lack of fuss means that these dresses are particularly striking when you wear them with a contrasting statement shoe.

Hermione dress

This one is new in – don’t forget they are all machine washable and, if you hang them up to dry, they don’t need ironing either. It’s also available in red and navy.

Edwina dress

And the last of the new ottoman collection is this one in a dusky pink but also available in teal or black.

Elsa dress

Heavy jersey dresses

If you prefer a smoother jersey finish, Boden often do a lined, heavier version of their classic jersey dresses that work well for summer in the city. I haven’t worn mine yet this year but here’s a picture from last year. Again this is a few seasons old now but because they’re so timeless, they work every year.

This is new in and probably the closest to mine although it has a subtly ruched waist which would be more flattering.

Honor dress – also available in red, black or navy

Or for something with a little more architecture…

Constance ponte dress (also available in red)

This one is new too – playing on the statement sleeve trend, at least these wouldn’t get in the way of your keyboard.

Lavinia dress – also available in green, black or navy

And last of all I had to include this new arrival. The reviews aren’t great but it looks so pretty that I’d be tempted to try it although I have absolutely no need for another summer dress.

Carina dress

Other smart dresses

As you can tell, I make a beeline for anything with an ‘Audrey’ collar. The Martha dress is a Boden classic that they repeat in different colour and pattern options every year. Here’s another picture from last summer when I was going to a very formal garden party.

Boden haven’t done the spot on this year’s Martha but they have just released a selection of new patterns. This one has a retro feel to it, suiting the cut of the dress.

Martha dress – also available in green or navy along with a selection of other patterns

The last of my classic summer dress choices is the shirt dress. I’ve had this Boden shirt dress for years and yet this shot of me on my way to parents’ evening was my most liked Instagram picture last summer for some reason.

They don’t have any that are quite as slim cut this year but this one is similarly simple.

Sophia dress

So – there you have my number solution for smart Summer citywear – unfussy dresses that don’t crease.

Which shoes to wear with simple dresses?

I know that quite a few workplaces ban sandals now for health and safety reasons; madness, I know, but a slingback is a good way round it. Your feet stay cool and the retro fifties feel works really well with a simple dress.

I have never liked commuting in trainers but I do tend to take a spare pair of flats with me in my bag and change them for heels when I need to.

1- 4 Flat slingbacks

5 & 8 – Buckle shoes

6 – summer pony shoes

7 – ruffle detail shoes (in the sale)

What to wear on top?

Air conditioning is the problem here. I’ve found that every office has an aircon monster who squats by the dial and turns it up when no-one is looking. When the weather is warm, jackets can be a nuisance because you end up having to carry them and they also spoil the line of dresses like these. Fortunately the cardigan is staging a comeback this autumn so you can be ahead of the trend and wear one now. I tend to shoulder-robe mine when it’s chilly and then pop it into my bag when I don’t need it.

When you’re wearing these waisted dresses, it’s better to look for a cropped cut so that you don’t spoil the silhouette. If you can find an edge to edge version, it will always hang better than one with buttons. These are great – from Boden again.

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Alana cardigans

Or there’s simple button through cashmere if you prefer it…

Cashmere crop

Pure Collection also have a great selection. Their sale has just started so there are some good discounts going on too.

Cashmere shrug

Gassato cardigan (in the sale)

So, that’s the first of my summer in the city posts, focusing on simple dresses.

Midlife lately

It’s been busy, very busy. The boys laughed hysterically when I sat down for dinner a few days ago and said that I felt as though my balls had finally dropped…

I spent some of last week working with a big FMCG brand. They commissioned me to give them insight into the minds of today’s midlifers. It was a fascinating presentation to prepare and it was equally fascinating working with them afterwards and seeing how they reacted. It was hard for a group of pre-millennials to understand the cycle of boom and bust that we have lived through and appreciate the impact that the recession has had on our lives.

By the end of our session though they completely understood and I think it helped them to see that our lives haven’t quite been the picnic that they imagined. It’s great that the really big brands are starting to see us as a dedicated segment rather than lumping everyone who is over 40 together in a mass demographic.

At home, like so many others we are gasping for breath as we reach the midpoint of the exam season. The eldest finished his on Saturday and has clearly been celebrating hard because the last we heard from him was a jubilant text telling us he was exiting the exam hall! He will gravitate home from university at some point… when the parties are over.

So – outfits. This was last Saturday when summer was behaving like summer. I bought these IdLF at Uniqlo linen trousers when they were released in January and I have been wearing them a lot. I think these linen trousers in the current collection are fundamentally the same but without the IdLF red stitching and label.

My white t-shirts needed updating so I added this linen one, I really like the soft draping at the neck. I’ve just seen that it’s now in the sale with 30% off.

T-shirt; linen trousers; sandals – currently sold out but keep an eye on the website

As you can see, I stalked the Sèzane site until these sandals came back into stock and they were worth every penny. The cotton shopper was inside the box when they arrived – a nice touch.

On Saturday night we had an impromptu barbecue, the first of the summer. It was so nice to relax outside and catch up with people. I ordered this linen dress for our holiday a while ago but then decided it was a shame to save it. It’s one of those things that you can just throw on and yet it is well cut and has flattering splits up both sides. There are a few different colours to choose from.

Linen dress; gold ruffle sandals; murano glass earrings

Now, I want to show you something that I have been sent to trial. You may already have heard about Shapeez. The Daily Mail and a number of other bloggers have been raving about them. They’re an American shapewear brand but their point of difference is that instead of just focusing on the front of your body, they also consider your back. They have a mission to banish back fat.

I didn’t think I had back fat but I was willing to test them to see if they made a noticeable difference. This is what they sent me. It’s called a Demee Long, it’s a camisole that lifts you at the front and sucks you in all over.

The key difference between this and other similar tops is the way that it is constructed at the back. As you can see, it is contoured so that you don’t have the usual harsh lines and bulges that you get with a bra.

Demee long

This is the difference it made to me. In the first picture I’m wearing a normal bra…

…in the one below I’m wearing the Shapeez. As you can see, it has smoothed me down all over and you really notice the difference where the band of my bra sits (and at the waistband of my jeans). It’s amazing but also quite disturbing to discover yet another part of your body that needs monitoring!

If you wear jersey tops and dresses regularly, it’s a great thing to have in your arsenal. It’s also available in nude which I suspect I will now buy for wearing under white tops. Oh and it’s comfortable too. I was very happy with the style they sent me which gives an added oomph to the cleavage. However they do have minimisers too if you prefer. Pricing on the website is in dollars but they tell me that they do deliver to the UK. You need to measure yourself before you buy but it’s worth it because the fit is amazing.

So that leaves me with one last outfit. This is what I put on yesterday morning to wear in the office. As you can see, rain was lashing the windows so I ended up changing the sandals for boots …and socks…in June. Luckily the trousers are from the ‘next season now’ collection so they worked perfectly with boots. They’re selling out quickly so if you think this weather has set in, they’re a good buy.

Lots of bloggers are wearing these sandals, they’re a steal at £19.50. They brighten up any outfit and they’re really comfortable.

Cotton jumper (Next past season); Cropped palazzos; Ochre sandals

And with that I’ll leave you. I feel reluctant to log off because I have lots of things that I want to chat about. I’ve been doing that thing of waking in the middle of the night and having imaginary conversations with you in my head because my midlife thoughts are stacking up. However my in-tray is overflowing and I must crack on.

I’ll be back on Friday… now that’s going to be another big day for the UK. There’s a lot I could say but I won’t. Have I made up my mind who to vote for? No. I don’t think the future of this country has ever felt so obscured by uncertainty and there doesn’t seem to be a clear path. Somehow the weather feels appropriate… metaphorical… a pathetic fallacy – call it what you like, these are strange times that we’re living through. Have a good week and if you’re in the UK, I hope the decision is an easy one for you.

Disclosure: Summer In The City is not a sponsored post. Thank you to Shapeez for working with me and sending the camisole and to M&S for the sandals.

This week I am linking up to Catherine from NotDressedAsLamb

Sales that have started

Pure Collection – up to 60% off

Key Spring / Summer Style Posts

The return of the trousersuit

Spotlight on Baukjen

A holiday wardrobe from Marks and Spencer

What to buy from Boden and Hush

Weekend wardrobe capsules

Uniqlo – linen and denim review

How to update your capsule wardrobe for Spring

Spotlight on Pure Collection

Finery Review – Spring 17

Spring 17 wardrobe updates

The Midlife Series

Simple 50th birthday celebrations

How it feels to reach your 50th birthday

Curing a lifelong phobia

Midlife loneliness – a follow up

Loneliness and the midlife woman

What is midlife in the twenty-tens?

Survey results – what you are experiencing

My story

Summer In The City – the classic dress It's all my fault. I jinxed the summer by packing away my Winter knits over the weekend.

#2017 #Boden #new season #OOTD #wardrobe essentials #wardrobe staples #WIWT #working wardrobe #workwear chic

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