#kagami bodied colt

[theluckiestlb]

The Tale of Two Princesses

[princess-of-the-corner]

So I feel the need to spread this horrible curse.

Was talking with someone about Felix's birthday. I said I don't think he has one, being created not born(just quibbling, but as you do) They said Representation implied Amilie&Emilie were pregnant.

Myself I took that to be metaphorical... Because think of the alternative.

A peacock holder can just impregnate someone, at a whim. They can also terminate said pregnancy, at a whim.

This show does *not* need more consent issues.

MM.

I mean at least with Emilie she did it to herself so the decision to potentially change her mind and terminate the pregnancy is her own.

With Amelie, that was all in Colt's control which could work well for the metaphor for his abuse in that it was his choice not hers.

Though in both cases, while this is somewhat metaphorical, it would also be incredibly literal in the toll it would potentially take on their bodies being exactly as if something had gone wrong during the pregnancy.

re: birthdays though:

Assuming that Felix and Adrien and Kagami just spawned rather than their mothers being pregnant, I'd assume their birthday is just the day they began to exist despite not being 'born'.

[theerurishipper]

Isn't too much of a stretch to theorize that Felix could've been lying to Marinette about his abusive experience under Colt during the play in representation (at the very least exaggerating a few things) just to gain sympathy. Unlike Colt, we see Gabriel and Audrey abuse their children onscreen but for Colt, we only have Felix's play and speech in pretension as evidence. Also, the play reveals that Colt abused Felix since he was a toddler and we know his motive for abusing Felix is that he blamed Felix for his illness because Felix was a senti. So does that mean Colt got sick soon after Felix was born? Does that mean Emelie got sick when Adrien was very young. Could Felix be exaggerating about the abuse experience saying he was mistreated ever since he was very young or the actual truth was that he was abused when he got older when the effects of the damaged peacock miraculous got stronger? Or maybe I'm being stupid and that Felix being portrayed as a toddler was a metaphor for childhood innocence. Also, he said his father was 1000 times worse than Tomoe which I think was an exaggeration to earn sympathy from Kagami. I still think Colt was abusive but not as devil-like as Felix is making him out to be. I think Colt was slightly worse than Gabe . NOT trying to downplay his abuse ( Felix deserves a better father) but for it to be revealed that Felix was exaggerating and lying about a few things would make his character even more fascinating and will show that old habits die hard. These are just my opinions though. What do you think ?

I think Felix was being honest about his dad. I don't think he would willingly portray himself as a victim, since he seems to look down on Adrien for not being able to fight back. I don't think he's the type of person who wants to admit that he wasn't able to fight back against Colt (which is not his fault, to be very clear), so I don't think he'd say it if it wasn't true.

I think the reason Colt comes off as worse than Gabriel is because the show itself doesn't think Gabriel is abusive. So, they portray him in a more sympathetic light and give him more humanizing moments while the only thing we know about Colt is that he was an abusive jackass. I don't think that Colt is actually worse than Gabriel, because both of them do pretty much the same thing. It just feels to me like that point of Felix's play is to make Gabriel seem more sympathetic by making Colt out to be worse, and I don't want to buy into that narrative, especially since the show has shown us that Gabriel isn't much different. We know that he is perfectly capable of smacking his son into the Eiffel Tower and traumatizing him with the body of his dead mother to take advantage of him, so no, I don't agree that Colt is worse than Gabriel. I know that it's a really strange thing to fixate on, but I really dislike the way the show uses Colt Fathom to try to make us believe that Gabriel isn't a monster too.

As for the timeline, Colt supposedly got sick after using the Peacock Miraculous to create Felix, and Emelie got sick around the same time. Supposedly Emelie "vanished" first, and Colt died soon after. Gabriel managed to put Emelie in that pod thing before she passed away completely, but Colt died for real. Felix being portrayed as toddler is exactly what it says on the tin, that Colt used the Amok liberally to control his son's thoughts and actions, even when he was just a toddler (and I do dislike when the show pretends that this makes Colt worse than Gabriel, because Gabriel was doing the same thing. What's even worse is that Adrien has two Amoks, so Gabriel and Emelie were controlling Adrien's mind simultaneously. Shit is so fucked up and the show doesn't care if it means they get to push their "just a man who loves his family" agenda).

Anyway, Felix is definitely capable of lying and manipulating others, but I do think we're supposed to believe that Colt is exactly like he was portrayed as. It could have been interesting if he was lying, but I don't think that's the case.

Thank you for your ask!

[miraculous-magicalconnections]

The Agreste Family (and friends) Rewritten

Below are my rewritten backstories for Gabriel, Nathalie, Félix, Adrien, and Kagami

Adrien Agreste:

CW: Vague Description of Loss of Limb and Death

Adrien Agreste was born on September 7th to his parents Gabriel and Emilie Agreste Being born into a rich family forced Adrien to live a life others planned for him, namely his job, his friends, and worst of all, his time spent being a normal child When he was young, his friends were his cousin Félix, a family friends daughter Chloé, and a business partners daughter Kagami as these were the only people who Gabriel thought Adrien should be friends with For his sake, he at the very least enjoyed hanging out with them and even met Sabrina through Chloé, and while they didn't talk often, she was one of Adrien's friends However, when he was 13, and his father forcing him to model for a few months at that point, Emilie decided that they shouldn't force their lives onto their son and snuck him out of the photoshoot one day Emilie took Adrien to a little run down and abandoned building she and her old friends used to hang out at when they were kids, but what she didn't account for was the age of the building adding to it's instability It collapsed with them inside Adrien came out with his life, but the loss of his right arm Emilie wasn't as lucky… Adrien slowly grew more rebellious as he healed and grew older, hating that due to his father's instance that he be just like him was ultimately the cause for his mother's death But Adrien didn't hate his father, he didn't actively disobey him, because he knew he was grieving but Adrien wished his father would just accept that there was no way to bring Emilie back to them

Gabriel Agreste:

Gabriel never expected his wife to die, let alone for his son to suffer in that same accident because of how he pushed Adrien to be the face before he was even 13 He spent years of his life hunting magical artifacts and he knew of two that could reshape reality from the stories in his travels, and now he needed them, no matter how long that took And luckily for him, it didn't take as long as he'd thought, as within 5 years he found two, granted they weren't what he needed, but now that he had these? Adrien would be given self-defense lessons to keep him safe…

Nathalie Sancoeur:

CW: Brief Mention of Murder

Nathalie was born on April 1st, how ironic given most of her life At a young age she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue, something that slowly worsened as she aged and pushed her body further than she should By the time her adventures with Gabriel and Emilie came to a close, she had pushed her body too fair, and while she slowly healed with time, her body is in a state of near permanent exhaustion She can go about her everyday life like she could before, but to go on an adventure again is a fairytale But then Gabriel asked for her help to retrieve magical jewels that could not only help her but bring back Emilie and, of course, she agreed She didn't think she'd kill someone to get a brooch…

Félix Fathom:

CW: Past Child Abuse/Neglect

Félix was born on March 26th to his parents Colt and Amelie Fathom and from that moment onward, his life was a living hell Even at a young age, Félix didn't understand how or why Colt would want a child if he treated Félix like he did, especially given Félix was treated more like a pet than a child Félix's entire childhood was filled with bruises, blood, and broken promises Colt Fathom, who had long before last the title of Félix's dad, died when he was 16 Félix had never been so glad that someone had died than the day his mother told him of Colt's death Because of Colt, Félix didn't have a proper childhood; he didn't have friends, he was forced to focus almost exclusively on school, and all the while Amelie sat by and didn't act Félix moved to Paris to attend Université and told his mother not to contact him unless dire and he never told his cousin or uncle, as they weren't any better to him in his life He met several people in school, Allegra, Claude, Allan, Luka, Socqueline, and perhaps in time, he'll one day call them his friends…

Kagami Tsurugi:

CW: Non-Graphic Violence, Mention of Loss of Eye

Kagami Tsurugi was born on September 1st to Tomoe Tsurugi and a man whom she never met Throughout Kagami's entire life, she lived in her mother's shadow, and all she ever wanted was to prove to her, just once, that she could be as good as her She constantly pushed herself, she pushed and pushed and pushed and then… She broke During a fencing competition, she, and her longtime friend Adrien, were in a fencing competition together and they were the final two She was distracted because she wanted to impress her mother but she knew that Adrien needed to impress his father, she was distracted because she wanted them to both get what they wanted, needed, she was distracted because of the pain… She lost her eye due to her being distracted, and when she was released from the hospital, Adrien apologized until he was out of breath but her mother? The one who was supposed to be concerned? "The Tsurugi's have a curse that make us go blind," Her mother had told her instead of comforting her, "Very few of our family has kept their vision and you are a lucky one to keep an eye." She cursed her family name from that day on

[sweetcloverheart]

ML Senti-Rich Kids!AU where the sentikids conspiracy reveals they’re basically being used as body backups/organ donor jars for their respective parents (think of it as a mix of the plot twist in Kanata No Astra and that one messed up scifi movie about the girls in a orphanage that find out they’re clones of dying rich people who are using them for spare parts). The richies cult would basically use the peacock to create new bodies for the aging members to hijack or “throwaways” to replace defunct organs because even their ultra-paid for doctors wouldn’t risk experimental surgeries/treatments for them. Adrien and Felix were originally created to save their respective parent from a genetic disease that was killing them, but Emilie ended up getting attached to Adrien along the way and refused to go through with it (even with Gabriel begging), eventually stealing the peacock (and damaging it in the process) before she was forcibly put into a medical coma, while Colt “passed way” *cough*Ameliepulledhislifesupportplug*cough* before the surgery could be prepared when his condition worsened. Tomoe plans on waiting till Kagami is “the right age” to bodyjack her, and therefore is having her do all sorts of extracurriculars and training so she’ll be in top form when she takes over. Audrey was going to do similar with Chloe, but lost interest when Chloe didn’t turn out like she wanted and basically shoved her off onto Andre (who basically treats her like a pet that needs attention now and then) before then proceeding to make Zoe as a redo, only for Mr.Lee to realize what was up and immediately getting both of them the hell out of dodge the moment he could (putting Zoe in the boarding school was less an act of neglect and more him trying to make sure Audrey couldn’t get his hands on her), turning her attention on Chloe once more. The entire central story of S5 is a fourway fight between Monarch (who wants to use the peacock to create clone bodies for Emilie and Nathalie respectively and use the wish to make it so the former will never get ill ever), the cult (who wants the peacock back so they can continue making clone donors for the rich and powerful), Felix (who wants to stop both from creating people just to use and throw away and maybe get revenge), and Maribug (who is freaking the hell out about all this and just wants Dusuu and the other kwami safe)

[celestiall0tus]

Will the powers of the miraculous be different in the ladybug!luka au, cause looking at vipress makes me think she will have poison or potions-related powers (though this might just be me wanting the miraculous to have more magic-like powers)?

I am still fine tuning the other powers and just who will be part of the cast, but I can share what I have for the ladybug!luka au called Salvation.

I will be putting a focus on the abstract concepts that are the kwamis. They will play a big role in shaping the characters as they progress through the story. For example, Kagami will be subject to the destruction aspect that is Plagg, becoming a living embodiment of destruction as a result due to her repressed desires.

Furthermore, the same power scale as the first AU is in effect here. The more they use their powers, the stronger they are. The stronger the bonds with the kwamis, they are safeguarded against other holders and their powers.

But this is what I have so far with the current holders for Salvation (NOTE: These are subject to change at this point in time):

Luka Couffaine (Ladybug/Creation) - Power: Creation (as the name implies. Passive: Aura of good luck.

Kagami Tsurugi (Black Cat/Destruction) - Power: Destruction. Passive: Bad luck aura.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Bee/Devotion) - Power: Devotion (think Charm Person from D&D) Passive: Enhancement (for each person that admires, adores, or idolizes her, she is stronger, resilient, and more agile.)

Adrien Agreste (White Cat/Freedom) - Power: Defiance (defy the rules of reality) Passive: Teleportation.

Colt Fathom (Butterfly/Transformation) - Power: Alter (allows the holder to transform a number of things, which is where the Akumas can manifest) Passive: Warp (An aura that drastically changes people when near the holder)

Gabriel Agreste (Peacock/Beauty) - Power: Beauty (allows the holder to alter/adjust how attractive a person is the traits that make them beautiful) Passive: Enthrallment (gives off an aura that makes everyone perceive him as the most beautiful creature alive)

Felix Fathom (Bat/Fear) - Power: Terror (Allows the holder to warp people's fears, bring their fears to life, put them in horrific nightmares, etc.) Passive: Fear aura.

Juleka Couffaine (Snake/Health) - Power: Flourish/Decay (Flourish is a heal that restores the body, mind, and soul. Decay is the opposite) Passive: Mender (salves, poisons, and potions created and applied are guaranteed to work with a 100% success rate.) (She is essentially an alchemist)

Alya Cesaire (Mouse/Perception) - Power: Bend (allows to manipulate perception) Passive: Perception (enhanced hearing, sight, and smell.)

Lila Rossi (Fox/Deception) - Power: Trick (illusions) Passive: Deceive (those who come in direct contact with the fox (not an illusion) will believe every word she says, no matter how farfetched.)

Nathalie Sancoeur (Spider/Betrayal) - Power: Shatter (can destroy the bonds on lovers, friends, family) Passive: Whispers (those that draw near the spider will hear the whispers of betrayal that push the victim to commit terrible acts)

More will be revealed later once I get a feel for who else will be part of the line-up.

[kilfeur]

Le spectacle de Felix et Kagami est glauque bon après j'imagine que c'est l'effet voulu. Mais bon du coup ça explique pourquoi Emilie et Amelie ont eu des sentimonstres pour enfants. Parce qu'elles étaient stériles et ne pouvaient pas enfanter et ce malgré les traitements des meilleurs médecins pour les soigner ! De ce que j'ai compris du spectacle, Emilie a utilisé le miraculous du Paon bien qu'il soit endommagé pour donner naissance à Adrien, qui par la suite tomba malade suite à l'utilisation du miraculous du Paon.

Puis Colt l'a utilisé pour avoir un enfant avec Amelie mais a finit par le mépriser et à le détester car il est tombé malade à cause de lui le traitant de monstre. J'imagine que par la suite Tomoe a utilise le miraculous du Paon pour avoir Kagami mais comme il était toujours endommagé, quand elle l'a utilisé, elle a perdu la vue ! Ce qui pourrait expliquer pourquoi elle disait à Kagami dans Ikari Gozen que l'amitié est décevante. En demandant de l'aide à Gabriel pour avoir un enfant, elle en a payé le prix tout comme Colt et Emilie ! Quand à Audrey, elle a pu utiliser une mère porteuse concernant la naissance de Chloe et de Zoe. Vu comment est Audrey, elle serait du genre "Pourquoi je ruinerais ce si joli corps ? Quand quelqu'un peut porter ces enfants à ma place !" Après certains vont se demander pourquoi ils n'ont pas adopté ? Je ne sais pas dans votre pays mais je suis allé voir comment est la démarche pour adopter en France et c'est aussi long à faire qu'un dossier à la MDPH.

Felix and Kagami's spectacle is creepy, but I guess that's the effect they're going for. But then that explains why Emilie and Amelie had children's sentimonsters. Because they were sterile and couldn't give birth, despite the best doctors treating them ! From what I understood of the show, Emilie used the Peacock's miraculous even though it was damaged to give birth to Adrien, who later fell ill as a result of using the Peacock's miraculous.

Then Colt used it to have a child with Amelie but ended up despising and hating it because he got sick from it, calling it a monster. I imagine that Tomoe later used the Peacock miraculous to have Kagami but as it was still damaged, when she used it, she lost her sight ! Which might explain why she told Kagami in Ikari Gozen that friendship is disappointing. By asking Gabriel for help in having a child, she paid the price, as did Colt and Emilie ! As for Audrey, I guess she could have used a surrogate mother regarding the birth of Chloe and Zoe. The way Audrey is, she'd be like, "Why would I ruin that pretty body ? When someone can carry these kids for me !" Then some people will wonder why they didn't adopt ? I don't know about your country, but I checked out the adoption process in France and it takes as long as applying a file to the MDPH.

[moneeko]

This killed sentimonster theory?

When the theory about Sentimonster appeared (from the Ladybug episode if I remember correctly) I liked this theory. However, every character is a senti (Adrien, Felix even Kagami) no no. It's enough that you're a rich kid and you're Senti. AS*truc's posts implied that our Blonde boy was perfect. Honestly, I personally thought Adrien was the only Senti; Emilie was unable to have a child and created one based on her nephew. However, after seeing the fragment about Colt. baby he and Gabriel deserve the worst Father of the Year award

but how did i write it? What will I show you

Family Agreste/ Graham De Vanily ( Rewrite)

Emilie and Gabriel's past

Emilie and Amelie are members of the Graham De Vanily family. Who for centuries has been in the service of knights to the kings of England. There are legends that they are descendants of the knights of the round table (Sir Galahad or even Merlin (rumors of legend). Regardless of the lungs, the firstborn always took the title. Since the twins were born, Emilie was chosen as the eldest heir. (of the bloodline rings as their owner). and considering the parents (I named them Arthur and Mary would be easier) that Emilie would have an arranged marriage.

The arranged marriage was with the Fathon family, an American millionaire family (who they also came from British aristocracy) Emilie and Colt felt nothing for each other, but they were together with the body of the infected fiancée. Amelie, as a younger girl, had more freedom, but she loved her sister, which helped her. Emilie went to Paris to study where she met Gabriel Agrest (a young fashion designer).

Emilie fell in love with Gabriel and broke off the engagement by telling people she wanted to be an actress. To which Arthur and Mary protested. Emilie married Gabriel and took his surname. Amelie was forced to marry Colt. Both Amelie and Colt were unhappy with the turn of events. However, they had no choice. Colt treated Amelie as a friend and so did she: Agreste's marriage was freshly blooming. Emilie became an actress which gained more popularity thanks to Gabriel helping to recognize his fashion designs. She presented his compositions and clothes designs. Whether in interviews or in movies. Years passed and Gabriel founded the Agreste brand. Emilie wanted a child more and more, but the years passed and she couldn't have one. Gabriel still loved his wife and felt unhappy when he saw his distraught wife Emilie came to London where she went to visit her sister after many years. Amelie showed her son, Felix. Emilie loved him.

So Emilie remembered a certain book in the main estate and went there to get drunk. It was the Book of the Miraculous in Arurian times, and the Evil and Jewel of the Peacock and the Butterfly were found, she read that they had been left upstairs in the care of a great creature (yeti). Emilie decided to go on an expedition where she met an adventure seeker (archaeologist) and Nathalie agreed to help her with this expedition. Gabriel stayed in Paris. After a month of searching, the women found the miraculous. When they returned to the Agreste estate. Emilie created a child whom she named Adrien. Gabriel and Nathalie were shocked at what Emilie revealed to them the truth about the Graham and Miraculous lineage. Emilie asked Nathalie to stay and keep the secret. And Gabriel had a problem with his son, he couldn't love him. However, he was happy to see his wife happy with their "baby"

During the Agrestte family's visit to the Fathom family in London, Emilie revealed a secret about Adrien Amelie. Amelie was shocked that her sister, desperate for a child, used magic. That's what Colt heard. Not understanding the Miraculm thing, he knew magic was bad. He had it in his head that his children Felix and Diane were also products of magic. He confronted the Twins. accusing them of witchcraft. Amelie said their children were human, but did not deny the fact that her family was associated with magic (miraculous). And so the Fathom family broke. Colt was cold towards his children, even calling them monsters, and his wife witches. And the Agreste family began to flourish. they were happy. however, Emilie began to fall ill. Because the power to create a new life took away the Vital Forces.

A year before the events of the Series, Emily falls into a coma and Colt and Diane (who flew to America, for business disputes) died in a plane crash. I would more or less do that. Only one person is Senti, but prejudices and understatements have had a domino effect

[celestiall0tus]

Miraculous Salvation - Chapter 8 - Surprises

Beginning || Previous || Next

            Nathalie moved through the manor, clipboard in hand and cat Plagg on her shoulders. She checked off on her daily tasks as she moved to the guest rooms. She knocked on each door and checked on the guests. Tomoe was absent from her room along with Kagami. Audrey was already up as she paced back and forth in her room, screaming on the phone. Gabriel was still passed out with an open bottle of liquor on his nightstand. She shook her head and continued to Colt and Felix’s rooms.

            Nathalie opened the door to Colt’s room when a prickle ran up her body. She took a deep breath and pretended to double over in pain. She shut the door and rushed back to her room into her bathroom. She locked the door and tossed the clipboard aside. Plagg jumped off her shoulders as she transformed.

            Nathalie’s hair shriveled into a pixie cut with her red forelock curled around her face. Her pale skin became a dark purple gray. Her sclera turned black, and her blue eyes glowed a sinister red. Two sets of black lines appeared on her face, one on her cheeks and the other on her forehead. Her red and black suit morphed into a strapless deep purple dress with a split up to her hip. The back of dress dipped down, revealing her entire back and the spider tattoo that covered it. She reached a hand up as her arms covered in long gloves.

            Nathalie spun a web in the air and filled the space. She traced the threads of those she had ensnared within, both living and dead. She passed Emilie and Amelie towards Gabriel and stopped at where Adrien was supposed to be. She inspected his cut threads and found they had been burned away.

            “That’s annoying, but useful.”

            “What happened?” Plagg asked.

            “Devotion is what happened.”

            “Cut loose one of your victims?”

            “That’s what it looks like. Unintentional too. You can tell by how the threads are seared. This was a reaction to my powers. As such, it’s clear Devotion has no control over their powers with this.”

            Plagg purred. “Interesting. What will you do now?”

            “A full investigation. I want to see Devotion myself. Perhaps I can use them.”

            “How will you manage that?”

            Nathalie smiled. “You just need to pull the right strings, and they sure did. Now to see if we can get Adrien back.”

            “The shaggy haired blonde boy?”

            “Yes. He’s made contact with Devotion and is now likely bound to them. If I can just get the boy, I can find Devotion. Besides, my web isn’t complete without him.”

            Plagg purred. Nathalie smiled and snapped her fingers. Her webbing faded away and appearance reverted. Plagg hopped onto her shoulders as she grabbed her clipboard. She headed out the door, but was cut off by one of the maids.

            “Miss Sancoeur? I’m terribly sorry to bother you, but we have a situation.”

            “Did Gabriel break into the liquor cabinet?”

            “Thankfully not that, but it’s worse. Master Colt and Felix have arrived.”

            Nathalie scoffed and shoved the clipboard into the maid. “Finish the preparations at once. I will deal with Colt.”

            “Yes, ma’am!”

            The maid ran ahead of Nathalie. She watched the maid run down the steps, through the parlor, and past Colt. He ignored the maid as his gaze fell on her.

            “What happened to this afternoon?” Nathalie demanded.

            “I wanted to surprise you. It’s one of the few times I get to see any emotion on that lovely face of yours.”

            “Congratulations, you succeeded. Now, I will lead you two to the dining room. Breakfast should be ready soon.”

            “Could we have breakfast out in the garden? It’ll be such a lovely morning and I’d prefer a nice, open place to discuss business. Don’t you think so?”

            “No, I don’t, but I’ll make the arrangements.”

            Nathalie pulled out a whistle and blew it. A maid and server ran out and stood at attention.

            “Prepare the garden lounge area for breakfast. And escort Colt and Felix out to it. And, Colt, be sure to share with the cooks your preferences.”

            Colt smirked. “Anything dark and bitter.”

            “Human souls aren’t on the menu, but we do have coffee.”

            “Lovely. I’ll take it outside. Come along, Felix.”

            Colt followed the server with Felix behind him. Nathalie growled and moved across the manor to Audrey’s room. She hastily knocked and entered the room.

            “Nathalie, out. I’m having a very important conversation with Andre.”

            Nathalie snatched the phone and glared Audrey down. “You have been screeching like a harpy at the incompetence of the mayor. Perhaps you can give us all a break and go meet Colt in the garden for breakfast.”

            Audrey stiffened. “Colt’s here? I thought he wasn’t supposed to arrive until this afternoon.”

            “What’s the matter, Audrey? Don’t like surprises? Now get ready and get down there,” Nathalie commanded.

            Nathalie ended the call with the mayor and threw the phone onto the bed. She moved down the hall to Gabriel’s room. She heard him in the darkness but ignored him. She walked across the room and threw open the curtains. He screeched at the bright, morning light.

            “Can’t you warn me when you do that?”

            “Colt’s here,” Nathalie said.

            “What? He’s not supposed to be here until this afternoon.”

            “Well, surprise. Now get washed up. He’ll be outside in the garden.”

            Nathalie confiscated Gabriel’s alcohol and left. She stashed it away and headed to the kitchen. She was cut off by Tomoe and Kagami.

            “Nathalie, is he here?” Tomoe asked.

            “Yes. Now, move. I need to get things ready.”

            “Not before you relinquish the cat,” Tomoe said.

            Plagg growled and hissed.

            “He has a name, Tomoe.”

            “I don’t care. The beast needs to be with my Kagami, not you. Hand him over.”

            Plagg huffed and turned away from Tomoe.

            “He’s not happy, Mother,” Kagami said.

            “Of course, he isn’t. Tomoe needs to learn to respect. Perhaps a lesson is in order.”

            Nathalie pulled out the laser pointer and pointed it at Tomoe. Plagg’s eyes dilated, and he attacked. Kagami pushed Tomoe out of the way and took the hit. She sucked in a breath when Plagg’s teeth and claws dug into her. Nathalie scoffed and turned off the laser. Plagg growled and returned to Nathalie’s shoulders.

            “Thank you, ever so kindly for getting out of my way. Perhaps you could now make your way to the garden where Colt waits.”

            “This isn’t over, Sancoeur,” Tomoe growled.

            Nathalie smiled and left them.

            Kagami helped Tomoe up. “Forgive me, Mother. I should have been more careful.”

            “You are forgiven. Let’s go. Colt awaits.”

            Kagami nodded. She led Tomoe to the garden where Colt sat with Felix. They took their seats across from the men.

            “Ah, Tomoe, correct? And this must be your daughter. Pleasure to meet you both in person,” Colt said.

            “Likewise. I’m glad to see you’ve arrived sooner than anticipated.”

            “You’re the first. No one else seems happy. Especially darling Nathalie. Such an aggressive woman. It’s quite refreshing,” Colt mused.

            Tomoe cleared her throat. “We’re getting to a different subject. We will need to talk business. Not your bizarre infatuation with the help.”

            “Of course. Though we will need to wait for the others.”

            “We’re here!” Audrey called.

            Colt turned and watched as Audrey and Gabriel joined them. Audrey sat beside Kagami while Gabriel sat next to Colt.

            Colt furrowed his brow and glared at Gabriel. “You smell like a brewery.”

            Gabriel smiled nervously as he scooted away from Colt.

            “Now, good morning, everyone. I’m glad to see you all. Especially now that we can move forward with our plans,” Colt announced.

            “If I may, what about Zoe and Adrien? We are still missing them,” Audrey said.

            “Have you even been looking for them?” Colt asked.

            “Well, not personally. I had my husband issue warrants out and have the entire force out looking for them. But, uh, no luck,” Audrey admitted.

            “I see. I’ll send Felix out and look for them. I know he’ll have more luck finding the runaways. Even so, I’ll be sure to give him some back-up.”

            “Thank you, Colt. We’ll need them back as soon as possible,” Audrey commented.

            “Indeed. Though we should move forward with the other plans.”

            “Agreed. I have things ready on my end. Say the word and the world will know of our message and intentions,” Tomoe said.

            “Aim for this evening. I’ll send Felix out at that time with the back-up.”

            “Not sooner?” Audrey asked.

            Colt hummed, then smiled. “Nathalie! Come out darling. I know you’re listening.”

            A moment passed before Nathalie emerged from the manor with the serving staff in tow. She approached Colt while the staff laid out the food on the table.

            “What do you want?”

            “What do you think? Should we send our message this afternoon or this evening. I personally think this evening, but Audrey says-.”

            “This afternoon.”

            Colt blinked then laughed. “You didn’t let me finish. I don’t think I’ll have the strength-.”

            “Then make sure you eat your fill. Your day is packed, and you’ll need your strength. Now, chop, chop.”

            Nathalie turned and headed inside with the staff.

            Colt snorted, then turned to the others. “Well, let’s not let it go to waste. Let’s dig in! We do have a big day ahead of us.”

~~

            Alya hummed. The voices cut through the noise that declared their movements disturbed her. What awaited in the afternoon? Was it really coming in the afternoon or would it be more in the evening? She was pulled from her thoughts when she saw Nora enter her room.

            “Hey, little sis. Mom’s out with the twins. She’s gone shopping and… what’s wrong?”

            “Danger is coming,” Alya whispered.

            Nora blinked and sat beside Alya. “What kind of danger?”

            “I don’t know, but it’s from people like me. But I’ll keep you all safe, I hope.”

            “Don’t worry about us, little sis. I can take care of our family, no problem.”

            “Nora, this isn’t some wrestler you can just beat in the ring. It’s a real danger. And we’re all in danger. And… and….”

            Alya broke down in tears. Nora took Alya in her arms and rocked her back and forth.

            “Let it all out, little sis. It’s ok.”

            “It’s not! I don’t want to take part in this game. But I don’t have a choice all because of a stupid mistake. It’s not enough that everything has changed. Now I have to take part in a stupid game that I had no idea about. And I’m terrified for everything that might happen and what I’ll have to endure.”

            “I’m sorry, sis. I can’t carry your burdens, but I’ll be here. We all will. You’re not alone, don’t forget that. You need a shoulder to cry on? You have me and Mom. You need some pick me up or comfort, you know we have your back. We are with you through this. Besides, you think I’m going to let my baby sis face the world on her own? You think any of us will? Hell no. We’re here for you.”

            Alya smiled and curled up against Nora.

            Nora smiled and rocked them back and forth. “Hey, I know you don’t eat much anymore, but how about some ice cream? You know what mom always says, right?”

            “Ice cream can cure the deepest of sorrow,” Alya whispered.

            “That’s right! Let’s go, sis!”