#sabines sole heir

[loreensdarling]

mrpf

[celestiall0tus]

Rapture - Chapter 2 - Suitors

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            Marinette sat in the private garden that Sabine had made. She stared down at the tea before her as she listened to the quiet buzz of the nobility outside her sanctuary. Her nerves ate away at her as the seconds crawled by. She gripped and ungripped her dress skirt as she fought to calm herself. She glanced up and saw Rose scurrying around, trying to make her comfortable while Alix stood beside her.

            “Hey, Ser Alix? Uh, have you ever done things like this before?”

            “Huh? Oh. No. Well, nothing this formal.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Uh, well, I’m not of any noble birth or upbringing. Just your run-of-the-mill village hooligan. And one that has lived a dangerous life protecting the realm and her people. So, someone like me, well, you just learn to take your pleasures where you can.”

            “I don’t understand. What does that mean exactly?”

            Alix opened her mouth when Vana and Gimmi materialized as adult humans. Vana was dressed in a princely outfit with clashing splashes of color while Gimmi wore a basic uniform akin to the butlers.

            “Woah. The kwamis can turn human?” Alix asked.

            “Huh? Oh, yeah. Vana, Gimmi, what’s the plan?” Marinette asked.

            “We will begin bringing in the nobles one at a time, as per Rose’s request. She insists that this would be more preferable as to not overwhelm you,” Gimmi pointed out.

            “Oh? Oh! That’s… that’s actually a relief. Alright, I’m ready for the first one.”

            Vana and Gimmi nodded, then vanished. Marinette took a deep breath and fidgeted before she stood and walked around.

            “You alright, your Grace?” Alix asked.

            “Yeah. Yes. This is… simple. It is just talking. No… anything else, yet.”

            “Your Grace, forgive me, but have you never flirted with anyone?”

            “Oh, Velze no! I mean, I had people flirt with me, but I didn’t have time for that. There’s so much to learn about the empire, her people, and everything. I had to make sure I was prepared to take over and rule effectively. There was no time for all that, well, until today. But it’s going to be an easy day. I’ll just be meeting people. There’ll be no flirting or anything like that.”

            Alix snorted. “Oh, you sweet summer child you.”

            Marinette tilted her head as light flashed in the corner of her eye. She turned as a tall blond boy ran up and hugged her. She squeaked while she heard a cat’s purr come from him.

            “Your Majesty, it’s so good to finally meet you!”

            Marinette chuckled. “Uh, and you too, but, uh, who are you?”

            The man stepped back and Marinette got a good look at him. He stood a head taller than her with short blond hair with his bangs sideswept to stay out of his eyes. He wore a dark purple outfit with lime green embroidery, black gloves and boots, and a red shoulder cape with a black fur cuff on the shoulder with red strands in the fur.

            “Oh, please forgive me, your Grace. I’m Prince Adrien Agreste. I’m the sole heir of the kingdom blessed by the first.”

            Marinette gasped. “Tikki and Plagg, right? Those of Creation and Destruction and the first to be split from Velze?”

            “The very same. I will also apologize in advance for them. They can, uh, sometimes get bored real quick and cause problems for everyone.”

            Marinette giggled. “I’m sure with everyone here, they should hopefully keep themselves entertained.”

            “Yeah, I sure hope so at least.”

            “Come, let’s sit.”

            Adrien trotted behind Marinette as she led them to the table and took a seat.

            “So, tell me, Adrien, how are things in your kingdom?”

            “They’re doing well. We’re still grieving the loss of our late Queen Emilie, but otherwise, all is good. Uh, but on a different note, why don’t you tell me about yourself, your Grace? I had seen glanced of you at past galas, but never had a chance to properly introduce myself.”

            “Huh? Oh. Oh! Uh, well, as you know, I’m the crown heir, uh, blessed by the first of the kwamis. Uh, I like to read and learn. It actually was the thing I loved most about the galas. Every year brought new stories. I looked forward to hearing from the people what happened and their glorious endeavors. It reminded me that the world was far bigger than my own kingdom.”

            Adrien’s eyes lit up. “Do you have any favorites?”

            “Oh, well there was…. Oh, but there was also this….”

            Marinette paused and considered, then smiled. She looked back at Alix and Rose. She took note of the neutral expression on Alix’s face while Rose looked displeased.

            “Ser Alix, could you regale us one of your many deeds, please?”

            Alix hummed as she considered. She settled on a tale of her time in Paradise, a kingdom that had been blessed by the set of kwamis that went by the same name. She told Marinette and Adrien about a group of bandits that had forced their way into one of the hearts of their forests. She explained how the bandits sought the rare, live-giving herbs found in the hearts and steal them away. Marinette and Adrien listened in awe as she shared the epic battle where she took on twenty men and emerged without a scratch on her.

            “Woah! Not a single scratch on you? Amazing! Who trained you?” Adrien asked.

            “Indeed, who?”

            “An old friend who gave me a lot in my youth. Where most saw a hooligan that would be nothing more than a beggar thief, she saw something a little more. She trained me to be a knight and taught me many things I still hold close to me to this day. It’s the least I could do for her and to honor everything she had done for me.”

            “Incredible! But who-?” Adrien started.

            “Time’s up,” Gimmi and Vana said as they materialized.

            “Oh, already? Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, your Grace,” Adrien said as he stood.

            “Marinette. You can call me Marinette.”

            Adrien smiled and hugged Marinette before he was teleported away. A new figure appeared where Adrien once stood. The person as a man as tall as Adrien and dressed in a similar outfit, but pure black with gold strands in his shoulder cuff instead of red. His face showed his age that paired well enough with his slicked back silver hair.

            “Oh, uh, hello? Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

            “The pleasure is mine, your Grace. Allow me to introduce myself. I am King Gabriel Agreste. I’m sure you had spoken with my son a moment ago.”

            “Oh, yes, actually. We had a lovely chat. Ser Alix even shared one of her tales with us.”

            “Did she? I’ve heard many of her tales myself. Quite the prolific defender she is, no?”

            “Indeed. It’s very inspiring to hear them. And reassuring, you know? That simple fact that someone like her is out there protecting all the kingdoms of their own accord. It’s all very… romantic.”

            “Your Grace?”

            Marinette pursed her lips. “I mean…! Not romantic, but it’s just, uh, inspiring! Yeah, very inspiring and, uh, reassuring. Anyway, take a seat. Let’s talk about, uh, business?”

            Gabriel nodded and took a seat across from Marinette. The pair talked about business affairs when Gimmi and Vana showed up to escort Gabriel away and bring in the next person. She had seen a number of lower nobles before Gimmi and Vana brought in a tall, lanky man with messy black hair, piercing green eyes, and dressed in black.

            “G-greetings, your Highness. I’m Prince Marc Anciel. The, uh, crown prince of Psyche and Terra’s kingdom. You know, the kwamis of body and soul.”

            “Oh, yes! I hear many things about your kingdom. Tell me, a great many artists come from your kingdom, don’t they?”

            “N-naturally, your Highness. But of course, they’re nothing compared to the artists from the capital, er, your kingdom. Or, well, that of Creation. We’re… we’re fairly average in comparison.”

            “Average? Hardly! Some of my favorite books have come from your kingdom.”

            Marc’s eyes lit up. “You read?”

            “Of course! Most of my life I’ve been in a library, studying. There’s so much to learn, and it’s fascinating! To think of where we came from, how far we’ve come, and how much farther we could go. The ideas and possibilities are endless, and it all lies with us. Not even to mention the ideas that lie with books and being able to bring those to life. That way things we thought only possible in our minds can become a reality. Just as Velze had done.”

            “That was amazing, your Highness. Do you stick with history books, or do you read other books?”

            “I read a little bit of everything, but admittedly my favorite are romance books. It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I often look to them for, well, some idea of romance. I’ve never actually bothered with courting before this event. I’m still not sure how it all works. All the books are different and lead to something different. Though, usually, well, you know.”

            Marc blushed and looked away. “You’re not alone, your Highness. I’ve had a difficult time connecting to people, so I used the books as an escape. It was easier to read and live through the characters than dealing with the fight and struggle through it all myself. You know?”

            “More than just that but being able to experience things we’d never do. I don’t know about you, but that whole bondage thing, yeah, I don’t think I could do that. I’m such a baby when it comes to any sort of pain, and I could never dish it out. I understand it’s a mutual thing, most times in certain books, but I don’t think I’d have the heart. But the rush and everything that comes from reading the words is pure ecstasy.”

            “Yes! I get what you mean about all that. It does seem really scary, but I can’t lie that I’m a touch curious, though only a touch. When reading, the highs feel so high, but I wonder what it’d be like to experience them. Is it the same, or no? That’s not even mentioning all the amazing romantic gestures. I read one recently where the lover literally moved the stars themselves to declare their love.”

            Marinette’s eyes widened as she bounced. “Oh, how romantic! Tell me more. What was it about? Was it good? What was it called?”

            Marinette and Marc spiraled into a long discussion about books until Gimmi and Vana appeared and escorted Marc out. Marinette saw to other nobles until Gimmi and Vana brought in Kim. Marinette squealed, ran up, and hugged him.

            “Kim! It’s been ages!”

            Kim hugged Marinette and swung her around. “It’s been too long, Mari! I was worried for a moment you had forgotten me, but how could you? It’s me.”

            Marinette giggled and took a seat. “You must tell me how you’ve been. I haven’t seen you since we were kids. About, what is it now? Six or seven summers?”

            “Whatever it is, it has been too long. But the perfect time to grow up and meet again, is it not? Do you like what you see?”

            Marinette pursed her lips in a smile as she looked over Kim. He was nearly three times the size since she had last seen him with a large chest, broad shoulders, and massive muscles that his shirt fitted a little too tightly. He flexed several times, and she feared his sleeves would rip at the seam each time he did.

            Marinette cleared her throat. “You’re, uh, very impressive, Kim. I’m sure that, um, you’re quite the heart throb.”

            “Oh, yes. The women can’t get enough of me. It can be quite exhausting having to fight off my fans, but I just remind myself I do this for the only woman worthy of me.”

            “Yeah? And, uh, just who would that be?”

            Kim stood and leaned over Marinette. “Why, you, Mari. Who else?”

            “Ah, well, I… I don’t know. I… I don’t exactly think I’m worthy of you, Kim. I mean, it has been so long, and we don’t know each other like we do, so, uh-.”

            “Nonsense! We’re as thick as thieves. Always were, always have been. Don’t you remem-.”

            Kim reached out cup Marinette’s chin, but Rose jumped in, and he grabbed Rose’s face. Kim sneered and ripped his hand away as Alix ran in and kicked Kim in the groin. He screeched and fell with a heavy thud.

            “First mistake, you always wear protective armor down there.”

            Kim opened his mouth, but Gimmi and Vana teleported him away. They gave Marinette a few moments to gather herself before they brought in a pair of sisters. They both had long blonde hair. The tallest had a blue streak while the shorter one had a lavender one. The short sister wore a plain black and lavender dress while the taller sister wore a strapless blue dress that hugged her body with a mini cape.

            “Greetings, Princess! I am Princess Chloe Bourgeois, and this is my little sister, Princess Zoe. I know this was supposed to be a one-on-one thing, but little Zoe does better when she’s got me around. You know, it’s a thing. Can we get an extra chair?”

            “It’s ok, Chloe. I can stand,” Zoe mumbled.

            “Nonsense! We are nobility, royalty, dear Zoe. You will not stand like the common rabble over there,” Chloe barked while pointing at Alix and Rose.

            Zoe opened her mouth but looked at Marinette and blushed. “I’m sorry.”

            “It’s alright, dear. We can get you a seat. Gimmi, Vana?”

            Gimmi and Vana didn’t appear, but a second chair materialized. Chloe bowed her head and took a seat with Zoe.

            “Thank you, Princess. A very generous, kind soul. Oh, and understanding. The makings of a perfect monarch, don’t you agree, Zoe?”

            Zoe kept her head down but nodded.

            “Is she ok?” Marinette asked.

            “Huh? Oh, yes. Still a little in her shell. I try to help her find her voice, but it can be a little difficult for her. She’s quite the patient individual, so it’s why I help. Remind her of what we are.”

            Marinette gave a weak smile as she listened to Chloe brag about their kingdom with the kwamis of Determination and Lethargy, Stompp and Mell. Marinette fought to listen until Gimmi and Vana came along and escorted the sisters away. Marinette sighed as she zoned out for the next batch of nobility until Gimmi and Vana brought in a tall woman with tan skin, big brown ombre hair that was sky blue at the tips, and wore a dark sky-blue corset top, a white blouse underneath, black gloves and boots, and black pants.

            “Uh, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before,” Marinette said.

            “You’re correct, Princess. I am Queen Alya Cesaire. My people are the nomadic tribes that still travel across the land.”

            “Oh! You’re guided by the kwamis of Freedom and Connection, aren’t you?”

            “Correct. I know we don’t attend many of your gatherings. Typically, we aren’t in the area at the right time, but we made an exception this time.”

            “Forgive me, but you are young to be queen. You look my age.”

            “I likely am. I’ve seen twenty-three summers and twenty-two winters.”

            “My goodness. What happened to your parents?”

            “Well, it’s… it’s not easy being what we are. Not anymore. With so much of the world settled, territories defined, and increased hostilities, it has become a dangerous place for those like me. My parents, our respective leaders, were killed with a large group of my people. What was left met and a decision was made. I was named queen because I bear the marks of the kwamis, must like the other princes and princesses I’ve seen. We’re looking to settle into land and grow roots. And so, I’m here, to nurture those roots.”

            “Oh no. Had it really gotten that bad for your people?”

            “I’m afraid so. With much of the land claimed and people growing more… suspicious of each other, it is difficult. Let’s not forget what happened to Aislinn’s kingdom.”

            Marinette paled. “Right. They declared war on Paradise and to prevent an all-out war, Paradise used their miracle and erased Aislinn’s kingdom and her people. I’ve seen the records in the library. The scribes recorded that Paradise was punished for not consulting the Crown, but the damage was done, so they got a mere slap on the wrist. But that was a century ago. Is it really still that bad?”

            “I’m afraid so. That’s the unfortunate thing, Princess. People never forget the bad but will always lose sight of the good.”

            “Well, that won’t happen with me. I can promise you that.”

            “Well, I’ll see that when happens. Forgive me, Princess, but I’ve seen how cheap words are. It was such words that got my parents and people massacred. Once I see the actions behind your words is when I’ll believe you.”

            “Then I hope to do right by you and your people.”

            “As do I.”

            Marinette and Alya chatted about arrangements for Alya’s people during the gala until Gimmi and Vana escorted Alya out. Marinette sighed and rubbed her eyes when Alix whistled. She furrowed her brow and opened her eyes. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head seeing the tall, curvy, and well-endowed woman she had only seen on her book covers. The woman’s features were enhanced by the cut, long strapless black and purple ombre dress with a deep V cut and splits up the sides of the skirt to her hips, black and purple ombre gloves, and long wavy black and purple hair that fell past her hips.

            Marinette’s jaw dropped. “You’re hot.”

            The woman blinked, then smiled. “I sure would hope so. My people aren’t known for their beauty for nothing.”

            “Your people? Wait, are you from Paradise?”

            “Guilty. I’m Princess Juleka, one of the Paradise heirs. The other being my dearest brother. You should be meeting him next.”

            “O-oh? Well, uh, I must say, you really are the picture of beauty. I mean, I’ve only seen people like you on my book covers. I-I mean, I’ve heard of the beauty of Paradise, but I… I need to stop talking.”

            Juleka giggled. “My, Princess, is this all it takes for you to get tongue-tied? I’d hate for you to see me in my natural habitat.”

            “Uh, what… what do you mean by that?”

            “Oh, I just take a little extra pride in our older customs. Try to keep them alive, you know? So, I tend to be out in the forest as we were intended to live, as Longg would put it. I know Longg adores me and how free I am.”

            “I’m afraid I’m not familiar with your older customs. We don’t usually see your people at the galas, or any other times, so I’m sadly not as educated as I would like to be. Uh, so could you tell me what these customs are?”

            Juleka smirked and sauntered up to Marinette. She leaned in close and tilted Marinette’s chip up so Marinette looked her in the eyes. Marinette gulped as her face flushed and her heart beat faster.

            “Perhaps I can give you a demonstration one night, Princess. We hold most of our rituals under the full moon’s light, but I can make an exception if you should desire. We could even bring in my drab of a brother if it’s what you desire. Get the full Paradise experience.”

            Marinette’s face turned bright red as she struggled for words. Alix grinned from ear to ear while Rose fumed. Rose charged in and shoved Juleka away from Marinette.

            “Hands off, cock sleeve!” Rose roared.

            Juleka snarled. “What did you call me, runt?”

            “You heard me. Immodest temptresses like you are only good for flashing everything to the world to drive men wild with their perverted thoughts. I bet you’re nothing more than a filthy, disease riddled donkey that was used as much as an old, rusted hoe in a farmer’s junk pile. I bet those inflated meat balloons and fat, flabby ass are all fake.”

            Juleka roared and lunged at Rose. Gimmi and Vana teleported Juleka away, but no one took Juleka’s place. Rose rushed to Marinette as Marinette stood. Rose trotted after Marinette as Marinette paced about.

            “That was a Paradise noble. Holy crap, can you believe it? She was so beautiful. She was scary when she got angry, but holy crap was she still hot. I had always heard the stories, but I never imagined they would be that beautiful.”

            Rose opened her mouth, but Marinette squealed and spun around.

            “What if she’s the one, Rose? You said to look for someone from my books, and she looks just like the ones on the covers. I need to see her again. I need-.”

            Light formed in front of Marinette. She yelped as she collided into it. She shut her eyes tight and froze as hands caught her shoulders. She expected Rose or Alix to intervene, but neither did.

            “Are you ok, your Majesty?” a low, melodic man’s voice asked.

            Marinette opened an eye, then another. Her eyes widened as she stared at a man’s bare, ripped chest. Her face turned bright red as she looked up at a man with a jagged, cut face and chin, brilliant red amber eyes just like Juleka’s, and shaggy, long black and teal hair that framed his face.

            “Are you alright?” the man asked again.

            Marinette blinked a few times before she shook herself. “Oh? Oh! Yes. I’m good. S-sorry. I, uh, didn’t see Gimmi or Vana teleport you in. Would you… would you happen to be Luka? You know, Juleka’s brother.”

            “Did she mention me? Good things I hope.”

            “Uh, I guess you could say that?”

            Alix wolf whistled. “Damn, boy! Look at you. Wondered what that hottie of a sister meant by drab, but hot damn.”

            “Oh, please. He’s not that hot,” Rose scoffed.

            Luka looked away sheepishly. “I’m not that hot. I’m just average.”

            “What? No way! I mean, look at you. You’re absolutely smoking! Your sister too. You both are absolutely breathtaking! And… and… and I think I’ll shut up now,” Marinette added as her blush deepened.

            “Thank you, your Majesty. Though if I’m honest, I pale in comparison to the vision of beauty like yourself.”

            Marinette’s eyes widened as they sparkled. Rose snorted and pulled Marinette away from Luka.

            “I think that is more than enough. This is meant to be an introduction, and you’ve already introduced yourself. Gimmi, Vana, get rid of him.”

            “But-!” Luka protested, but he was cut off when Gimmi and Vana teleported him away.

            Rose huffed and sat Marinette in her seat. Gimmi and Vana brought in the next round of nobility. Marinette zoned in and out between them as her mind was on Juleka and Luka. Her thoughts were broken a man that shared Adrien’s face dressed in dark blue with heart buttons on his shirt took a seat.

            “Oh, pardon me. I didn’t notice your approach,” Marinette covered.

            “I noticed. You must have had a good daydream to take you away. I would expect nothing less from those blessed by imagination.”

            “R-right. Anyway, you look a cut above the common nobility. Are you another of the prince heirs?”

            “Not exactly. I’m King Felix Fathom. I rule Barkk and Orikko’s kingdom.”

            Marinette grimaced. “I’ve heard your kingdom suffers from a great deal of violence and crime. Is this true?”

            “Sadly. You find my people, and myself, are very passionate. We resort to our emotions first and foremost rather than using logic and reasoning. I often find myself in court having to settle petty affairs in our most recent attempt to quell the unruly. At least, for those that make it to court.”

            “My. Is the unrest due to the lingering coup that was pulled on the late king?”

            “No. My people are happier with me in charge than my father, may he rot in the void. It’s just a matter of setting things right and restoring the order he shattered. Not that there was much to begin with, I suppose.”

            “How did you manage to find time to leave your kingdom for the event though?”

            “Uh, my mother has stepped up, though because she hopes I’ll find a queen to rule with. I think she’s a little too hopeful. I’ve… I’ve been a lost cause for some time now.”

            “Come now, anything is possible. I’m sure you-,” Marinette started.

            “With all due respect, kingling, you don’t need to love to make a partnership. If you’re really that desperate for a queen, just strike a deal. Or rather, if your mother is that desperate. At a glance, your desperation lies elsewhere,” Alix commented as she shot Felix a knowing look.

            “That’s-,” Felix started.

            “Gimmi, Vana, he needs to leave,” Rose called.

            “What!” Felix yelled but was teleported away.

            “What was that about?” Marinette demanded.

            “He doesn’t hide his sin well,” Alix commented.

            Marinette’s breath caught. “Sin? He’s cursed?”

            “Indeed, your Majesty,” Rose agreed.

            “Oh dear. I… I couldn’t tell.”

            “No need to worry, your Majesty. You’ll always have me to sniff out the sins. Your knight too, I suppose, but I’m the one that really matters,” Rose boasted.

            “Thank you, Rose. Alright, Gimmi, Vana, let’s speed this up, please.”

            The next sets of nobility went faster. Marinette continued to zone in and out until she met with another prince. He was a spindly man with bright red hair, sea green eyes, and wore a pink and white ensemble with black boots.

            “Hi, hello, your Highness. I’m Prince Nathaniel Kurtzberg, crown heir of Mullo and Daizzi’s kingdom. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

            “Likewise, Nathaniel. How are things in your kingdom?”

            “Huh? Oh, they’re fine, but not as fine as this. I’ve been excited to meet you, your Highness. You’re an inspiration.”

            “I am?”

            “Absolutely! You’re a muse that inspires many. A true beauty that truly stirs the mind.”

            Marinette grimaced.

            Alix snorted. “I wonder if the mind is the only thing it stirs.”

            Rose’s eyes widened. “Gimmi, Vana, next!”

            “What? But I didn’t-!” Nathaniel attempted but was teleported away.

            Marinette sighed as the next nobles were brought in. She clocked out and stopped listening to the nobles that came and went until a skulk of red and white foxes danced around her. Rose and Alix chased them around as one hopped onto the table. It stared at Marinette, smiled, and vanished with the rest of them. Rose and Alix exchanged glances as the next noble appeared. She carried on with the rest of the nobles when she let out a groan.

            “Are we done yet?”

            “I sure hope so. I was told I was the last one,” a familiar woman’s voice said.

            Marinette looked straight ahead and saw Kagami. She squealed and tackled Kagami, who kept them on their feet.

            “It’s been too long, Kagami! Look at you, so handsome in that princely get up. Never thought a dark turquoise would be your color, but you rock it.”

            Kagami smiled softly. “And look at you. You’ve become a fine young lady. Still have your nose stuck in a book?”

            “How could I not? There’s so much to learn. What about you? How’s your tutoring going?”

            “It’s been well, though I did pick up sword fighting in recent years. It’s a nice activity between the long study sessions and other mundane hobbies.”

            “Do you still draw?”

            “Here and there. At least when I remember to.”

            “Perhaps we can do some drawing and other arts while you’re here? I’ve always wanted to learn to draw. I’ve used manuals and other such materials to try and teach me, but they never came out quite like yours. It always felt, I dunno, lacking?”

            Kagami giggled. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

            Marinette furrowed her brow everything was bathed in a violet haze. She blinked and Kagami, Rose, and Alix all disappeared. She tensed up and looked around when she saw a tall, beautiful woman with long red hair, sparkling blue eyes, and dressed in misty purple gown.

            “What is the meaning of this?” Marinette demanded.

            The woman smiled and curtsied. “I wished to meet you, your Grace. I am Ondine, a fragment of an age long past.”

            “Are you… not a real person? Is this the work of one of the nobles? Tell me, who do you work for?”

            “I work for no one but myself.”

            “Then why have you dragged me to whatever this is?”

            “For a moment as I cannot meet you as I truly am in your reality. At least, not as equals. Here, we stand as one and the same. Equals in body and spirit… and blessing.”

            “Blessing? Who are you?”

            Ondine didn’t answer. The haze lifted as light filtered in. Marinette blinked against it as she saw Rose, Kagami, and Alix all looking down at her.

            “What’s going on?” Marinette asked.

            “We should be asking you that, Mari. You just passed out,” Kagami said.

            “I… I did?”

            “Oh, this isn’t good. Come, we need to get her back to her room. She needs to rest,” Rose urged.

            “I agree. Ser knight, will you see to this task?” Kagami asked Alix.

            “Hey! I’m more than capable of handling it myself,” Rose fussed.

            “Easy, ankle biter. Let me handle the heavy lifting and you can handle everything else. Sound good?”

            Rose grumbled. “Alright, fine.”

            “Thank you. Come, your Majesty. Let’s get you back to your chambers,” Alix said.

            “Right. Let’s go.”

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[kalevalakryze]

Hey Hatman, Suck On This!

Pairings: Sabine Wren & Ursa Wren & Tristan Wren & Alrich Wren, Bo-Katan Kryze/Alrich Wren/Ursa Wren, Sabine Wren & Bo-Katan Kryze Characters: Sabine Wren, Ursa Wren, Tristan Wren, Alrich Wren, Bo-Katan Kryze, Fenn Rau, Koska Reeves, Axe Woves Warnings: Fix-It Fic, Ahsoka Episode 4 Spoilers, Hurt/Comfort, Sabine Wren Needs A Hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everyone Gets A Hug, Korkie Kryze Death Mention Notes: I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS EPISODE, I AM IN SO MUCH PAIN, I WAS SO SICK, I WAS PHYSICALLY ILL ANYWAYS THE FAM IS HAPPY AND ALIVE IN MY HEAD, THEY'RE JUST HIDING OUT BEFORE THEIR RETURN TO MANDALORE, THEY COULDN'T FOLLOW SABINE FOR HER JOURNEY TO LOTHAL Word Count: 3,207 AO3 Link: Here! Summary: Will I ever see you again? What does your heart tell you? I hope so. Yes… I guess. Then we will see each other again. ▬▬ι═══════> “Sabine… we lost contact with Clan Wren,” Bo-Katan looked a mess on the holoprojection, a split lip, blasted beskar, and a million bumps and bruises that Sabine couldn’t catalogue. “What do you mean, lost contact?” Sabine glanced towards Ahsoka, trying to determine if her Master knew anything. She couldn’t make anything out, so she turned back to the defeated Mandalorian Regent. “Sabine…” Bo-Katan’s face fell impossibly further. Sabine’s heart jumped to her throat. “They’re gone,”

“Sabine… we lost contact with Clan Wren,” Bo-Katan looked a mess on the holoprojection, a split lip, blasted beskar, and a million bumps and bruises that Sabine couldn’t catalogue.

“What do you mean, lost contact?” Sabine glanced towards Ahsoka, trying to determine if her Master knew anything. She couldn’t make anything out, so she turned back to the defeated Mandalorian Regent.

“Sabine…” Bo-Katan’s face fell impossibly further. Sabine’s heart jumped to her throat. “They’re gone,”

▬▬ι═══════>

Sabine had left in a flurry of anger, of harsh, scathing words and pain on her sleeves. When the small ship she’d taken from the fleet arrived in the Mandalore system, she was met with devastation.

Mandalore was still burning, acrid plumes and a stormfront covering the atmosphere of the devastation. Krownest and Concordia were much of the same, as well as all Mandalorian planets that would not bow down to the Empire.

Debris floated across the battlefield, gauntlet ship pieces, troop transports, even a civilian transport. Lady Kryze had sent her coordinates, somewhere they could be safe. Kalevala was free from destruction, as no one had been on planet since the death of Satine Kryze.

The ships in the yard were all nearly destroyed, sparking, burning, and with giant pieces of the hulls burned away. Not one bore the marking of clan Wren.

Her legs were like jelly as she pushed herself out of her cockpit. Niteowls and other Mandalorian resistance fighters were all over, some tending to wounds, some long dead, others, breaking down from the events of the battle. Again, Sabine did not see the signet of clan Wren.

“Where’s Lady Kryze?” She croaked to the first upright Mandalorian she found.

The room she was directed to wasn’t much better. Koska Reeves was sitting, back pressed against the Bacta tank that held the Mandalorian successor. The wounds were extensive, the bacta could only do so much. “What happened?”

“We lost,” Axe Woves stated as he stepped into the room, another body on another gurney, calling out for ancestors trying to take him home. “We lost the Dark Saber, and we lost Mandalore… and we lost the heir to Clan Kryze.”

“We lost a lot of Clans, Axe.” Koska reminded him scathingly, knowing that Bo-Katan had delivered the message about Clan Wren directly to the sole heir before she’d dropped.

Shouting filled the loudspeakers, comm channels lighting up. Sabine couldn’t take her eyes away from the scar wrapped around Bo-Katan’s side, a burn from the darksaber, one she’d learned remarkably well in her short time with the weapon.

“Alor… Alors! We need room!” A younger Mandalorian shouted as he ran into the medbay.

Axe’s hand went straight to his blaster. “We can’t spare this facility right now,” He declared, willing to kill his own if it meant that those he needed to rebuild could survive.

“Alor… with all respect, It’s Clan Wren,” The young man breathed. The sliding doors opened wide. Ursa, covered in dust and debris, blood smattering her armor, and leaning heavily on Tristan, who wasn’t in the best shape either, filled the room. Two more Mandalorians followed with Alrich Wren laid out on a stretcher.

“Mom?” Sabine rasped as both Axe and Koska jumped into action to prepare beds and bacta tanks. “Tristan?” Her vod’ika was the first to look her way, a tired, painful smile on his lips as he pushed for Ursa’s attention.

Sabine was pressing herself between them before Ursa could focus her cloudy attention on her daughter, but her arms wrapped around her all the same, a strength only a mother could manage. Tristan’s head dropped onto her shoulder as she clung to her aliit like a lifeline. “Please don’t go,” Sabine whispered between them as she watched Koska, Axe, and the lone med droid prep Alrich for the Bacta tank.

“We’re not going anywhere, ad’ika,” Ursa promised, a cough wracking her lungs as she held onto her daughter and son. “We’re right here, we won’t go anywhere,” Dirt coated fingers brushed through her hair; Sabine couldn’t find it in her to care.

▬▬ι═══════>

Sabine slept on the floor in front of her family's bacta tanks that night, and for several nights following. Neither Wren nor Kryze made any indication of waking up, but she was promised they were looking much better than when they arrived. Fenn Rau, who’d suffered more minor injuries and arrived after helping to direct stragglers planetside, had begun keeping her company.

“I thought they were dead, Fenn,” Sabine’s back was pressed against Tristan’s bacta tank, her mother’s beskar heart clasped tightly in her hands as she stared at the suits of armor held up on display stands on the other side of the room. Each piece still bore the marks of the battle, yet she didn’t dare clean it, wouldn’t dare remove the markings until she knew what they wanted to take from the tragedy.

“Their comms were blown out,” He confirmed as he settled with his back against Alrich’s tank, the symbol of the protectors was scratched out of his armor. “Their ship integrity was next to nothing- If it hadn’t been for your brother’s piloting skills..” He trailed off as Sabine’s nails dug into the thin coating of dirt on her mother’s heart.

One of the tanks started a rapid beeping, Fenn turned his head in time to watch Ursa’s golden eyes snap open and her hand to reach out and touch the inside glass of the tank. Sabine was faster than Fenn, shooting up to start the draining process. When the door slid open, Sabine was there to catch her mother as she leaned out.

“Buir,” She called as she started to unhook her, Fenn jostling around in the background to prepare what was needed to check over her injuries.

“I’m here, ad’ika,” Ursa promised as she pulled the rebreather away. The older woman was still stiff, but she moved a lot easier than when she was brought in. “I’m here,” She reassured the tighter Sabine’s hold became as she was led to the prepared cot.

“Fenn, can you grab one of the medics?” Sabine called as she grabbed a towel to wrap around her mother’s shoulders, helping Ursa sit on the cot as she glanced to the other Bacta tanks. Alrich, Tristan, and Bo-Katan were still suspended, floating in the medicinal liquid.

Ursa’s injuries were healed for the most part. There would be scars, there was no doubt about that, and the medics declared that there was nothing to be done for the persistent stiffness in her joints, she would need a cane to get around, but that wouldn’t stop her.

Sitting on the edge of the cot with her daughter tucked into her side, inseparable since coming out of the bacta tank, Ursa looked between her family, willing the next one to wake up.

The countess breathed out a sigh when no one moved, her arm squeezing around Sabine’s shoulders as the young Mandalorian pressed into her, requiring the attention she hadn’t sought out or asked for since she was young, that Ursa was more than happy to provide.

Eventually, her back ached from the stiffness, and she had to move. “Sabine,” She called, hand moving to comb through her daughter’s short, dark hair.

“Mmm?” The half asleep Mandalorian grumbled, trying in vain to press herself closer.

“Come on, let’s move.” The older woman managed to get herself and Sabine situated so she was laying back in the cot with Sabine still glued into her side, her daughter’s head pillowed on her chest to hear every thump of her heart beating. “How long has it been since you slept?” She grumbled into Sabine’s ear as the woman fought to stay awake.

“Since Gideon started the attack,” Sabine admitted, voice thick with drowsiness. She’d been begging and pleading for Ahsoka to help, had been sending every resource and calling in every favor, taking every call from everyone who had time to spare from the battlefield… none of it had been enough.

“Get some sleep, ad’ika,” Ursa urged, rubbing her hand soothingly along Sabine’s back, starting to hum a familiar melody to help ease both her daughter and herself to sleep.

▬▬ι═══════>

The draining of another bacta tank woke Ursa from a fitful rest. Sabine’s weight was still settled against her, the loose shirt the medics had given her was fisted in the fabric. The woman was able to move from under Sabine, settling her in the cot properly, and grab her cane, before limping her way to the Bacta tank.

“Tristan,” Ursa called, voice soft as she steadied a hand on his shoulder, catching his wild eyes as he processed the world around him. “You’re safe, ad’ika,” She let him lean on her, this time, though she couldn’t hold him up, he was still more than grateful to be able to throw his arms around her. “We’re all right,”

Tristan’s steps were unsteady as she led him to one of the open cots, when he veered off to Sabine’s resting form, Ursa shook her head. “She’s just tired, she wasn’t hurt,” She promised, watching his shoulders sag in relief.

Ursa managed to comm Fenn Rau, though neither he nor Ursa were successful in getting Tristan to sleep in his own cot, instead, he took a place on the small strip of space beside Sabine, wrapping around his big sister the moment she reached out in her sleep.

“It’s heartening to see they are all right. That your family is safe,” Fenn spoke, head downturned in mourning for the clans they lost.

“And what of Clan Kryze? Where is Korkie?” Ursa’s head turned to Bo-Katan’s suspended body in the bacta tank, even under sedation, her face had taken on a resting emotion of pain, it seemed.

“Lady Wren…” Fenn’s eyes had widened, he’d thought they knew, though, he should have assumed with their communications going down. “...Lady Kryze was the only one we managed to recover from the Moff’s cruiser-” His head turned, sitting beside Bo-Katan’s armor, Korkie’s helmet and kar’ta were settled on a table, blood smeared across his beskar heart, and the visor cracked in several places, chunks of visor missing from it’s home.

“Korkie..” Ursa breathed, limping to the stand to rest her palm against the visage of Clan Kryze on the helm. From his own Niteowl eyes, painted jewels hung across the grey paint in remembrance of his aunt, Satine.

That was it, the last of Clan Kryze was sitting in that tank, the blood of her ancestors, of the taungs in her veins, spilled carelessly to keep Mandalore in the hands of the people, and what did they have to show for it. “Bo… you di’kut,” There was a tightness to her tone, and yet, when she looked at the Regent leader, a smile pulled at her lips. “You better survive this,”

Alrich was the next to wake, hours later when Tristan was waking up once more. Ursa was perched on the edge of the cot her children were resting on when her husband started to grow restless.

The tank was drained in quick order as she took his head in her hands. He was much calmer coming out of the sedation. When she went to guide him to another open cot, he’d faltered and drop to his knees. “Oh no, Lady Wren, I seem to be falling for you,” There was a smile in his voice, relieving some of the tension as Tristan shot out of bed to help his father back up, still rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

“You’re impossible.” Ursa shook her head as she moved to get him a dry change of clothes and assess his healing herself.

“Is that Sabine?” Alrich peered at the still curled and sleeping figure in the other bed.

“She hasn’t gotten much sleep, it seems. Her body is taking the time it needs to catch up,” She assured when Tristan’s brows had furrowed in worry.

“When did she last…?” Tristan turned to look down at Ursa with a frown.

“When the attacks started, it sounds like,” The woman sighed, shaking her head at her oldest. Of all the things to pass down to a child, you never want them to get the unhealthy habits, though it seemed the Makers were unforgiving in that department.

“Poor ‘bine,” Alrich shook his head as he stood from the cot, allowing Tristan to help him so he could brush back Sabine’s hair and press a kiss to her temple. “I am glad that she was not here for the attack…” Worrying about his Riduur and son was a lot, with their headstrong personalities, but Sabine? He wasn’t sure if he wouldn’t be burying his ad’ika, had she been there when the attack started.

Tristan moved around to pull up a chair for Ursa to sit down in, while Alrich perched on the edge of the cot. He stayed standing, a nervous energy leaving his fingers tapping against his biceps as he watched his family. “Where do we go from here?”

“That will be a question for Lady Kryze, when she wakes up,” Ursa declared, golden eyes flickering to the floating figure. “I don’t doubt that the Moff will have Kalevala in his sights, soon. He is most likely dragging this out, it is a great military feat, and I’m sure he wants an even greater audience.”

“Imperial Demagolkas,” Tristan spat, his socked foot scuffing against the too clean tile.

Sabine shifted, a low grumbling sound leaving her chest as she blinked her eyes open to the sight of her aliit watching her. “Uh, hey?” Her voice was still thick with sleep, bleary eyed and weighed down with the stressors of the last few weeks.

“Look who rejoined the land of the living,” Tristan offered a tight smile, though his expression became more carefree when his ori’vod reached to kick at him from the bed.

“Put you back in the hospital,” The threat was empty, but she was smiling as she managed to sit up and lean into her Buir’s waiting arms, Alrich catching his daughter and holding her close. “How were you guys the ones hurt, but I’m the one waking up in a cot?” She questioned, voice muffled from her father’s shoulder.

“We just had days worth of sleep, you didn’t sleep for days- math is mathing,” Tristan pretended to count on his fingers as he moved to sit on Sabine’s other side. “Di’kut,”

“Mom,”

“That’s enough, both of you,” Ursa shook her head in mock annoyance, though she smiled more openly than she had in years.

Koska Reeves had come with breakfast, and then lunch for the small clan that could not yet be permitted to leave until the full extent of their injuries were checked. Sabine had caught them up on the lot of nothing on Lothal, though she’d been quiet about her travels with Ahsoka. She didn’t need to think of the ‘Master’ who wasn’t there when she needed her most.

Tristan kept them entertained with half true stories of the missions he ran against the Empire, exaggerating often enough that Alrich would feed the fire to see how far he could go. Meanwhile, Ursa reclined in her seat, allowing Sabine’s hand to bridge the gap between them, her daughter’s fingers looped around her wrist to press into her pulse point.

It was late when the last bacta tank had any activity. Late enough that none of the Wren’s noticed as they went about getting prepared for sleep, armor clinking as they hung back up their cleaned kits and figured out how to shove their cots together again.

The tank was busted open before it could finish draining, the occupant ripping the rebreather and cords from herself as she fell to the ground, a feral look in her eyes as her breathing came in rasping breaths on the verge of hyperventilating.

Ursa had stood to grab Bo-Katan, knowing that the Mandalorian often swung first and asked questions later when it came to waking up from any kind of sedation.

Sabine, however, was faster. Just as Bo-Katan was turning wild eyes to the ‘unidentified hostiles’ in the medbay, the artist was springing forward and wrapping her arms around the damp woman’s torso. “Bo!” She called, as the woman stumbled back from the weight, bringing her back to reality easier than Ursa had ever seen before.

“ ‘bine?” Bo-Katan rasped, arms weakly encircling the artist's shoulders as Sabine squeezed.

“Easy, Sabine,” Ursa called upon spotting Bo’s wince at the pressure against her freshly repaired ribs.

When Sabine sheepishly pulled back, Bo-Katan looked at her with an intense sadness, a mourning that Sabine could only replicate upon arrival, when she believed her clan to be gone. “What are you doing here? You could have been hurt,” Bo snapped, brows furrowing as she held the younger Mandalorian at arms length to check for injuries.

“I came after your call, Lady Kryze,”

“I wasn’t telling you to come here!” Bo hissed, lips twitching. “I was trying to tell you about-”

The tap of Ursa’s cane pulled her attention, freezing Bo-Katan’s words in place as she took in the sight of Ursa, the rest of the Wren family behind her. “Ursa-”

Instead of responding, Ursa spread her arms. When Sabine stepped back, the redhead flung herself into Ursa’s arms. When Bo-Katan’s lips pressed messily against Ursa’s, Alrich shook his head. “I didn’t even get that warm of a welcome,” He joked, standing to join both women, wrapping his arms around them both in the comforting promise of his presence. Bo-Katan pulled back from Ursa to kiss him as well, before burying herself between them in the most vulnerable action Sabine had ever seen them take.

“Oh yeah, that happened while you were gone.” Tristan informed Sabine as she moved back to her little brothers side.

“It’s about krifing time,” The woman shook her head as their parents reunited. Both children of Clan Wren pretending not to notice when the redhead broke down in the safety of Ursa and Alrich’s embrace. It was a silent thing, though the pain was tangible for Korkie; Bo-Katan had been trying to do right by him, to help him be the man Satine would have been proud of, to protect him, and she failed.

The redhead was spent by the time Fenn Rau showed up, and while he’d tried to talk about their next moves, and Bo-Katan had tried to focus enough to figure out plans, Ursa was quick to cut the conversation and send the protector off.

The kids piled the thin blankets and all the pillows they could find in the medbay on the floor, knowing their parents and Bo-Katan wouldn’t want to be apart, while they also hadn’t wanted to be apart as well. Somehow, Bo ended up wrapped in Ursa’s side, with Sabine on the countess’s other, Alrich was pressed against Bo’s back, his arm stretched out to stroke through Sabine’s hair, while Tristan laid across everyone’s legs uncomfortably, but permitted, so long as he didn't effect Ursa’s leg injury.

▬▬ι═══════>

Will I ever see you again? What does your heart tell you? I hope so. Yes… I guess. Then we will see each other again.

Translations: Ad'ika - daughter Buir - mother/father vod'ika - little sibling ori'vod - older sibling di'kut - idiot

[blade-liger-4ever]

Introducing Boza Eldar, heir to House Eldar!

(Sorry, I got a little editing-happy with some of them.)

Now, regarding his clothing style, since Boza's a Mandalorian, I knew from the get-go that designing him in armor wasn't going to work. However, when I came across the options I used above, I realized that I could easily try and show him in a "body glove", though I had to make do with the gloves and shoes. The belt...actually fits on its own. I chose this pose to give the idea of Boza working out in the early morning, and I tried to show in his expression that he's a rather smiley fellow who isn't easily ruffled even in mock combat. As for his given name, well, let me explain that before attempting to whip up his backstory:

Boza was named, and made in honor of, Chadwick Boseman.

Four years ago, Mr. Boseman was sadly taken from the world. Many were left heartbroken and sad, most of all his family. Unbeknownst to the public until his passing, Mr. Boseman had been suffering from cancer since the late stages of Captain America: Civil War's finishing production, at least. He did not share it with anyone outside of his family, and fought it just as hard as the Black Panther would have.

On a more personal note about the late actor, I want to extend my thanks to him in this tribute. Long before he was cast in the role, the Black Panther, also known as Prince/King T'Challa, was always a favorite character of mine. I briefly saw him in Avengers: Earth's Mightest Heroes, and then sporadically in Avengers Assemble. However, my greatest introduction to the character and his backstory was brought to life by Mr. Boseman. Truly, watching him in the theater as Black Panther felt like watching my favorite side Avenger come to life and step into the real world. Mr. Boseman played the character just as poised, regal, ferocious, and honorable as I had come to know and expect of the character. In hindsight, his part of the film riveted my attention almost as much, if not to the same degree, as the story of Cap and Bucky. I was much happier for his portrayal of T'Challa than I would have guessed, and perhaps more than I realize now. And for that, I am eternally grateful he was offered and accepted the role, for without him, my experience with both the film and the character would be much duller, and my memories of the old MCU would not be nearly as bright.

Rest in peace, Chadwick Boseman. You have earned it, and may you continue your adventures as the Black Panther in Heaven.

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

Boza Eldar was born the sole heir to his House in the Mandalore System. The Eldars are renowned for their prowess in martial arts, and their ability to use their words as weapons in the political games of the galaxy. As the only direct heir to the House, Boza studied across the System to learn battle strategy, martial arts, languages, politics, technology, the arts, and much more. However, during his studies, he became more and more suspicious of the Empire's motives, causing him to dig into their works in his off time - which he did not often have. Realizing the true nature of the Empire, Boza was prepared to take the matter up with his parents about pushing back when news of Sabine Wren blowing the whistle on the Empire after her tenure in the Academy spread through the System. Not long after, Sabine was accused of being a traitor to Mandalorian society, and a coward for running from her people and "justice".

Despite the people's distaste for the "runaway Wren", Boza, impressed by her courage to say anything against the Empire, was inspired to slowly build up a secretive group of Mandalorians to combat the Empire someday. His parents helped him set up the network, though it was mostly conducted through intelligence gathering and occasional "heists" that disrupted the Empire's work and transports. Despite this, the atmosphere was still tense, which grew worse as rumors of a rogue Mandalorian outside the System was wrecking havoc and combating the Empire grew - and that she was a Jedi. Although Gar Saxon insisted the rumors were Rebel propaganda and censored all information regarding his work into recent Mandalorian "traitors", Boza knew this was no coincidence.

Although he had no particular love for the Jedi, Boza's studies of history involved Tarre Vizsla, and how the Mandalorian Jedi brought peace and unified the Clans and made them the powerful Sector that they now are. There were no Jedi from his line or any other in three thousand years, and yet now, not only has a member of a prominent Clan taken a stand against the Empire, but the first Mandalorian Jedi since Tarre has appeared, standing against the Emperor by her sheer existence. If the rumors about her were true, and if she and Sabine Wren were both working for this "Rebel Alliance", then that could only mean one thing:

The Mandalore System must go to war against the Empire.

Boza's family has their own religious view of what the Jedi call the Force, and he is certain that the appearance of a Jedi Mandalorian is a sign that they must unite once again, lest they be crushed. He, Sabine, and this rogue are children, but they can lead in a firefight, or inspire others to take up arms and combat the Empire. They must grow into these roles, for their people depend on them.

When Lady Bo-Katan Kryze returns with her own army of Mandalorians and wielding the Darksaber, Boza wastes no time in bringing his forces to supply her lost troops. Working with her, he finds himself assigned as a field commander alongside none other than Sabine Wren herself. Despite her still stained image in Mandalorian society, Boza cannot help but find her intriguing. They fight well together, are evenly matched in a fight (though they each have a tendency to "lose" a match to the other), and understand their respective interests in art. Where Sabine is colorful and expressive with her artwork (both with and without explosives involved), Boza prefers sculpting. He likes to work with his hands, and it helps calm nerves and distracts from the severity of the war. Although it is joked about often, others pointing to Boza allowing Sabine to paint his sculptures and figurines as the moment she fell in love with him has much evidence going for it.

When the war is over and Mandalore has been freed from the Empire, Tristan has assumed his birthright as the new Count Wren while Sabine's younger twin sister, Sacha, has joined Fenn Rau's new Proctectors. However, both Boza and Sabine realize that even with her courage and loyalty to Mandalore being proven, most men will still avoid her due to old political wounds, not helped by the fact that even now, Tristan is arranging a marriage for himself to earn some additional support, as Clan Wren is still persona non grata, both from their time with Death Watch and Sabine's past actions reflecting on them. Despite that, Boza knows one man who doesn't care for that part of her past, and asks Sabine if she would accept his hand in marriage, offering Clan Wren the support and protection of House Eldar as a wedding gift as well.

Zeb swears the marriage was one of the biggest, and definitely the most colorful, that he's ever attended.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's all, folks! Almost all of this is original on my end, save the name Eldar; although they're only known as Clan Eldar in the canon Star Wars universe, I decided to promote them to a House's standing in my take. I see Boza and Sabine having three kids, though I don't think either of them would mind a fourth - or even be unhappy with just two. I didn't have a place to put this, but I envision Boza having a pet "wolf cat". It's an actual named animal in Star Wars, though it has no official art - but I'm willing to imagine House/Clan Eldar's sigil is one....

Thank you for reading, and may the Force be with you!

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

The Prince and the Baker

The Prince and The Baker by Socrates is dead

Félix never expected to end up a baker's employee. But when he's forced to stay in Paris for an extended time he has to make do while longing for the life he's lost.

Adrien never wanted to be a Prince but as the sole heir there isn't much he can do. But when asked to marry a women he's never met however, it is his last straw. If there was only some way he could live a normal life?

By a chance meeting the men bump into each other and realise a life they want is just in reach, lets just hope no one figures out their plan.

OR

A Princess Switch AU where Félix and Adrien trade lives and fall in love. Prepare for a fun time.

Words: 3000, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Félix Fathom, Kagami Tsurugi, Sabine Cheng, Tom Dupain, Gabriel Agreste, Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Félix Graham de Vanily/Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Félix Graham de Vanily, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Kagami Tsurugi

Additional Tags: Fluff, romcom, Light Angst, Alternate Universe - The Princess Switch (2018) Fusion, Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Happy Ending, Fluff and Humor

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46442908

[j3ssisam3ss]

Childhood Friends - Fluff

For @animebookworm16

It got kind of long and I’m not really sure it still counts as fluff, but here’s my piece for @maribat-angst-fluff-april, prompt 25, Childhood Friends.

Damian Al Ghul-Wayne was five years old the first time he met a girl his age. And in typical League of Assassins style, he went for efficiency by meeting ten at once.

“These are your betrothed,” Talia told him. “All but one will be dead by your twelfth birthday. You will marry the sole survivor on your eighteenth birthday and produce an Heir to carry on the great legacy of the League of Assassins.”

Nine of the girls heard the words without so much as a flinch. The last stared in shock at Talia, then broke into tears.

“Quiet, Marinette,” Talia hissed.

“No,” she yelled defiantly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I want my mama!”

Talia backhanded her and she fell to the floor with a yelp.

Damian surveyed the girl – Marinette – with distaste.

“Mother, surely you don’t consider this sniveling coward worthy to compete for my hand?”

“Her mother, Sabine Cheng, was our best assassin for years before she turned traitor. I suppose she’s lost her touch if she raised such a weak daughter.” Talia shrugged elegantly. “No matter, if she turns out to be useless, we’ll ship her mutilated corpse back to Sabine as a reminder of what happens when you cross the League.”

She waved the girls away. “To your training now.”

Damian watched as Marinette sniffled and followed the other girls out the door.

She won’t last a week.

He had no idea how wrong he was.

.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was five years old the first time she won a fight. And in typical Dupain-Cheng fashion, she did so in the most unpredictable way possible.

“You’re going down, pigtails,” shouted a pretty brunette, charging at Marinette with a sword that was as tall as she was.

With a startled shriek, Marinette darted away. She hated how behind she was here. Back home, she was good at everything – reading circle, art class, tussles when the teacher’s back was turned. Here, it felt like she was constantly playing catch-up.

Not to mention, the constant threat of death was not fun.

Skidding around a corner of the labyrinth arena, she tripped over a protruding stone and fell to the ground. The brunette grinned viciously, advancing towards her.

Marinette smiled nervously. “Can’t we talk this out?”

“Not a chance, shortie,” said the brunette.

Marinette glanced around frantically.

I don’t want to die!

She reached for a rock, a stick, anything that could help her fight, but came up with only a handful of sand. With a pleading glance heavenward, she flung it into the brunette’s face and lurched to her feet, grinning when the girl had to stop to get the grit out of her eyes.

Taking off into the labyrinth of passages, she nearly stumbled again, this time over a nearly buried metal object.

She shifted away the dirt surrounding it and smirked. “Finally, a weapon I know how to use.”

Ten minutes later, the watching League members straightened in surprise as the smallest and weakest of Damian’s betrotheds utterly decimated her opponent.

With a frying pan.

.

“What are you doing here?”

The two children spoke in unison, glaring daggers at one another.

“I always come here,” Marinette said. “It’s my drawing spot.”

“The vents are my domain, Dupain-Cheng,” Damian said. “Get out.”

Two years’ worth of resentment and anger simmered beneath Marinette’s skin.

 Drawing is the last thing I have of home. I won’t let him take it from me.

“No.”

Damian looked thunderstruck and Marinette couldn’t keep the smirk off her face.

“I am Heir to the Demon! You will obey me!”

“You may be Heir to the Demon, but right now you’re also a kid skipping classes,” Marinette argued. “And if you make me leave, I’ll tell Talia exactly where you go when you’re not in class.”

Ha, take that, you tyrant!

Damian froze. Marinette watched as emotions overtook his face – anger, resentment, then acceptance.

“Fine,” he grumbled.

Marinette smiled and returned to her sketchbook – which wasn’t really a sketchbook, just some loose papers she’d tucked into her history book.

A few minutes later, Damian peered over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Drawing,” she said, holding out a few of her older sketches, the ones she wouldn’t mind losing if Damian decided to rip them. “There’s your mother fighting, cook making soup, the sunset from this other spot in the vents – actually, that one’s pretty bad because I didn’t have any colors.”

Damian stared at the drawing of his mother.

“I’m keeping this,” he announced.

Well, at least he didn’t tear it up.

The next week, when Marinette arrived at her drawing spot, Damian was already there. With an annoyed grunt, he shoved a sketchbook and colored pencils into her hands.

Marinette looked between him and the supplies in confusion. “What’s this for?”

“Teach me how to draw.”

Marinette bit her lip, looking longingly at the colored pencils. Then, she pushed them back towards Damian.

“I want you to give me weapons training. As often as I teach you drawing.”

I may be naturally talented at combat, but the other girls have been training their entire lives. I need to catch up.

Damian eyed her suspiciously. “That’s against the rules.”

“So? Are you scared?”

“Never.”

“Then it’s a deal?”

“It’s a deal.”

.

Damian lunged, making a displeased noise when his quarry danced out of his reach.

“You’re slow today, Dami,” Marinette teased. “Losing your touch?”

Marinette was no longer the scared little girl she’d been at five, or even at seven. She’d thrown herself into her training with single-minded determination and two years of training with Talia by day and Damian by night had made her a formidable – and snarky – combatant.

“Never,” Damian replied. His next attack nearly threw her off-balance.

With a grunt, Marinette recovered her footing and countered with a flurry of blows that would have left a lesser opponent dizzy.

Damian smirked, parrying each attack easily. “Completely mediocre. Should I tell my mother that her protégé is slipping?”

Although he’d never admit it, Damian was proud of her. She’d gone from being the worst of the League’s trainees to the only one able to keep up with him in a fight.

“Me? Slipping? Not a chance.” Marinette flipped backwards, knocking his weapon away. “Hey, Damian?”

“Yes, Marinette?” He scooped up his katana, readying himself for her next move.

“The floor is lava.”

With a startled intake of air, he leaped onto the nearest table.

“Really?” he asked, half annoyed, half amused.

Marinette giggled, peering down at him from her spot in the ceiling rafters. “I thought we could use an extra challenge.”

Damian glanced up at her. “You just like having the high ground.”

“Technically speaking, it’s the high rafter,” she pointed out.

“Either way, it won’t prevent me from defeating you,” Damian said, pulling himself into the rafters.

At that moment, the door opened and they both immediately went still.

“Damian? Are you here?”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. “Skipping again?” she mouthed.

Damian shrugged in response.

Rolling her eyes, Marinette gestured to the vents behind him. “I’ll meet you in the lower training rooms to finish our bout.”

“Marinette!” The teacher startled as she caught a glimpse of the pigtailed girl. “What are you doing up there?”

Effortlessly, the girl swung down from the ceiling, drawing the teacher’s attention away from Damian’s hiding place.

“Just improving my arm strength, Mistress Eva.” As she distracted his teacher with false information about his whereabouts, Damian climbed into the vents.

Marinette makes a surprisingly tolerable ally.

.

It didn’t seem to matter how many people Marinette killed; it never got easier. Surrounded by the bodies of Deathstroke’s traitors, she retched.

She was alone. Somehow, in the midst of the fight, she’d gotten separated from the rest of the League’s loyalists.

I need to get moving. I’m an easy target right now.

With a shuddering breath, she climbed to her feet and made her way out of the compound and into the shadows. It was there, staring at the ruins of the League’s strongest base, that the realization hit her.

“I’m free,” Marinette whispered, tears trickling down her face.

The Head of the Demon was dead, his followers scattered.

“I can finally go home.”

She ignored the voice in her mind that said her home was here, with the League, with Damian. She ignored the tightness in her chest at the thought of never seeing Damian again. She ignored the fear that he might already be dead.

The League kidnapped me. Talia abused me. Even if I managed to be happy here, I owe the Al Ghuls nothing. A vow of loyalty made under duress is no vow at all.

Her hands curled into fists.

And if they come for me again, I’ll be ready.

.

Damian scowled as their plane descended into Gotham.

“This is imbecilic. I should be assisting you in decimating our enemies, not hiding like a frightened child.”

“Damian,” his mother’s voice was cold. “This is not up for negotiation. You will stay here and train with your father.”

“Yes, Mother,” he replied bitterly. A moment passed, then he tilted his head in thought. “But what of my betrothed? If she is to be my equal, should she not train with me?”

Talia studied him carefully. “You use the singular of betrothed,” she noted. “Despite the fact that three remain alive. I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me which one you consider your wife-to-be?”

“Tt. Your protégé, the Cheng girl, is the only one that even approaches competent. You know this.”

“I also know that you trained her separately – against my orders,” Talia said.

Damian nearly flinched. “And yet you didn’t stop me.”

“I wonder if that was a mistake,” his mother said. “You feel more for her than you should.”

“She is an effective ally. That is all.”

“Then you won’t mind being separated from her for a while.”

“Not at all, Mother,” Damian lied.

.

“Marinette? Is that you?” Her mother looked as if she’d seen a ghost.

Marinette smiled. “Hello, Mama.”

Sabine reached out a shaking hand to cup her face. “How are you here? We saw you die.”

“Sabine, do you know where – ” Tom dropped the pan of croissants. “Marinette?”

He jumped over the counter and raced to her. Marinette took a step back before her mind caught up with her body.

This is Papa, you idiot. He’s not a threat.

She threw herself into his arms, shoving away her fears.

Twisting to face her mother, she said, “I don’t know how my death was faked, but I never died. The League kidnapped me.”

Tom’s arms tightened around her.

“The League?” Sabine’s face went pale. “What did they want with you?”

“The usual,” Marinette said with a shrug. “Revenge on you for leaving and a capable assassin and potential wife for Damian if I turned out to be any good.”

“Who’s Damian?” Tom asked with a frown.

Marinette grinned. “Oh, Damian’s great! He’s the Heir to the League, but he’s actually pretty okay for an assassin. He helped me get good enough to survive. You know, after I blackmailed and bribed him.”

“What?”

.

Meeting his father did not go the way Damian had imagined.

Talia always spoke of Bruce Wayne’s great intellect, his strength in combat, his determination in all things. She never mentioned his brainless playboy act, his absurd prohibition of killing, or his habit of taking in strays. Damian wasn’t sure which one was most offensive, but he was incredibly disappointed in his father regardless.

He had to reassess after he saw Batman at work. When not purposely acting like a buffoon, Bruce Wayne was everything his mother had described and more, entirely deserving of Damian’s respect.

He set out to prove himself in his father’s eyes. It didn’t go well. Whatever he did, it was the wrong thing. In any fight with the imposter sons, Damian was punished – even if he won. Assisting his father with Wayne Enterprises was met with an eye-roll and a request to stay away from Bruce’s office.

It should have made Damian angry but instead it hurt and Damian did not understand why.

And then his father was gone. Richard Grayson became Batman.

Damian became Robin. Finally.

And yet the triumph felt hollow.

Not to mention, it came with strings attached: ‘Murder is bad.’ ‘Justice, not vengeance.’ ‘Robin doesn’t kill.’ ‘Protect rather than avenge.’

Grayson’s teachings were imbecilic. And yet he had to follow them. His mother had yet to finish with the traitors.

He wondered where Marinette was, if she was undergoing similar training, if she fought the way he did to reign in the bloodlust. Considering how she had to hide her dislike of killing, how she helped heal her competitors, he thought probably not.

Slowly, things got easier. Grayson became tolerable. Damian learned to suppress the instinct, the muscle memory that said ‘kill or be killed.’ He found an adoration for animals and learned to deal with his classmates. He finally began to understand why Grayson and his father valued life so highly. His father came back and he chose to deny the League. Wayne Manor became home.

On days when he struggled, he retreated to his room and the comfort of his sketchbook. And if a certain blue-eyed girl made an appearance every few pages, well, who would know but him?

.

Returning home did not go the way Marinette had imagined.

She knew it wouldn’t be sunshine and roses, of course. But she hadn’t expected the magnitude of the changes in her home, or in herself.

School was laughably easy. Marinette had the equivalent of several college degrees. Finding x and learning how to spell ‘earthquake’ was a waste of her time. Instead, she spent class drawing and coming up with increasingly complex plans for fighting off the League should they try to kidnap her again.

She kept herself closed off from her classmates – she didn’t know how she’d ever called them friends. They were neutral parties at best – not one ever stood up for her against Chloe. Her parents encouraged them to give her classmates a chance, but the League had trained her well. Misplaced trust could kill. And Marinette had fought long enough for survival to know that dropping your guard was a death knell.

She hated hurting her parents though.

Though they tried to hide it, she saw the pain cross their faces when she flinched away from hugs. When she moved like an assassin rather than a child. When she gave away her stuffed animals. When she skipped family game night and spent her time training.

She hated hurting her parents. So she changed.

Marinette locked away her lethal grace, faking clumsiness and turning it into an art form. She hid her weapons, training only when her parents were asleep. She returned to family game nights; she initiated hugs. At school, she became bubbly and friendly again, though she trusted no one.

More than anything, she tried to atone. She sought out those in need and tried to help – whether by providing food, babysitting, or making them warm clothing. She discovered an interest in fashion design, but mostly stuck to making the essentials for those in need. She met a tiny floating bug named Tikki and became a superhero.

On days when she struggled, she retreated to her room and the comfort of her sketchbook. And if green eyes and a cocky smirk featured prominently in the book, well, who would know but her?

.

Damian frowned as he followed his brother into Wayne Enterprises.

"I don't understand why it's so important for me to be here."

"C'mon, Baby Bird!" Dick said. "You said you wanted to be more involved in the company!"

"I meant the business side of things," Damian said. "I have no interest in showing around a gaggle of unruly teenagers."

"You're a teenager too," Dick pointed out. "It'll be fun!"

Damian sniffed. "I'm an adult. And fun, really? Surely you don't truly believe that?"

Dick sighed. "Just give it a chance, okay? They seem like really great kids."

They walked into the lobby and Damian stopped short, eyes catching on long black hair and brilliant blue eyes.

"Marinette?"

.

In truth, Marinette wasn't all that excited about the Wayne Enterprises tour. The architecture was interesting, sure, but her class had a habit of making themselves a target and Bruce Wayne's patronage was not helping.

She gave it three days, at most, before they got in trouble with Gotham's Rouges.

Which meant she was on 'keep the class from dying' duty. Joy.

She kept her eyes and ears peeled, which meant that she heard the faint whisper of her name from an unfamiliar voice.

"Marinette?"

Forest-green eyes filled with far too much emotion had her breath catching in her throat.

"Damian?"

With obvious effort, the League's Heir pulled himself together. "Fancy meeting you here, Dupain-Cheng."

His voice. Oh, kwami, it should be illegal to look AND sound that good. Nope. Nope. Not doing this. He's an assassin, get your act together, Marinette.

"Al-Ghul." She was proud that her voice betrayed nothing. "I have to admit, I'm surprised to see you here. This doesn't seem like your scene."

She reached out for a handshake and was taken off guard when Damian kissed her hand instead. She blushed.

"It's Wayne now," Damian said. "I'm... no longer associated with the Al-Ghuls. Or their business."

He's not an assassin anymore? Yes! I knew you were a good person deep, deep down, Dami!

"Really? I broke ties with them several years ago myself."

See that, Damian? We're both good people. Good people that would be great toget - no! Bad Marinette!

Damian grinned. "In that case, I look forward to reconnecting. Perhaps after the tour?"

Oh, kwami, I'm doomed.

"I'd like that."

.

"What was that?" Dick asked in a low voice. "I've never seen you open up to someone so quickly."

With difficulty, Damian tore his gaze from Marinette.

Stars, she grew up gorgeous.

Damian smirked. "Don't be ridiculous, Grayson. I met Marinette over a decade ago."

I wonder, does she still consider our betrothal valid?

"Wait, so she's an assassin?" Grayson blanched. "Who is she here to kill? Who do I have to protect? Ugh! Why can't you ever have normal friends?"

"Relax," Damian chided. "She's an ex-assassin. Like me."

"That does not make me feel better. Who is she to you?"

Damian hummed in thought, running through years of teasing, fighting, and spending time together. "She was my first friend."

And maybe now something more.

[alligais-a]

THE MANDALORIAN PEERAGE SYSTEM.

Traditionally, the clans of Mandalore were ruled over by a sole ruler with absolute authority,  known in the native tongue as Mand’alor and akin to a monarch.  Unlike a monarch,  however,  the Mand’alor is chosen by the people’s support and the position is not necessarily hereditary.  In early Mandalorian history,  no other noble titles or ranks existed.

It was the gradual influence from the Core Worlds that led to the creation of a peerage system within the planet,  which first arose during the long Mandalorian-Jedi Wars c. 3970 BBY as a way for the ruler to reward particularly loyal and / or accomplished subjects.  The Clans turned noble became known as Houses,  though a single noble House might comprise several Clans as well.  Furthermore,  a system of rank was established for the noble titles.  One awarded with such a title was also awarded a portion of the territory within Mandalorian space,  with the size of their property depending on their rank.

The system has changed little over the thousands of years it has been in existence,  and by the time of the Clone Wars many prominent Mandalorians were part of the nobility,  including Satine Kryze and her sister,  Bo-Katan;  Pre Viszla;  Ursa Wren and her daughter,  Sabine;  and Gar Saxon and his brother,  Tiber.  The existing titles and their hierarchy are as follows:

Duke / Duchess  (  Ori’alor  ),  styled the Most Noble  (  Te Kandosiine  ), His / Her Grace  (  Kaysh Baj’yun  ) and the Duke / Duchess of [Domain];  ranked below only the Mand’alor and the highest rank.  A duchy is composed of a planet in the Mandalore system,  and as such there are eight in total.  This is because Mandalore the planet is said to belong to the Mand’alor,  and thus does not have a duchy.  An example is House Kryze of Kalevala.

Marquess / Marchioness or Marquise  (  Ijaat’alor  ),  styled the Most Honourable  (  Te Ijaatycne  )  and the Marquess / Marchioness of [Domain],  ranked below the duke but above the count,  viscount and baron.  The title holds dominion over a planet or moon within the Mandalore sector.  There are sixteen marquesses in total.  An example is House Vizsla,  which ruled the planet Krownest in the New Phindar System.  

Earl or Count / Countess  (  Kando’alor  ),  styled the Bright Honourable  (  Te Dral’ijaatyc  )  and the Count(ess) of [Domain],  ranked below the marquess but above the viscount and baron.  Counts rule over part of a planet within Mandalorian Space,  as well as all of the towns and rural areas within their territory.  There are forty-eight counts,  each ruling one-fourth of a planet.  Their decisions may be judged by the local duke or marquess.  An example is House Wren,  which ruled part of the planet Krownest.

Viscount / Viscountess  (  Yai’alor  ),  styled the Bright Honourable and the Viscount(ess) of [Domain],  ranked below the count but above the baron.  The holder of this title rules over a single settlement within a planet in Mandalorian space,  thus being under the authority of whichever count rules the wider territory.  There are sixty-four viscounts,  though not every place has a viscount.  An example is House Saxon,  which ruled a city in Krownest.

Baron / Baroness  (  Jate’alor  ),  styled the Bright Honourable and the Lord / Lady of [Domain],  ranked below all other titles and thus being the lowest rank.  The territory of a baron typically consists of a castle and its associated lands.  A baron may submit to a count or viscount,  depending on the location of their territory.  There are thirty-two barons.  An example is House Merrik,  which owned a castle on Kalevala.

Aside from the legally binding titles outlined above,  known as substantive titles,  there are also titles of courtesy for the family members of the head of House.  If a member of one of the top three ranks  (  duke,  marquess or count  )  has more than one title,  his heir or heiress may use one of these titles “by courtesy”.  It should be noted that the courtesy title does not have the definite article “The”,  which denotes a substantive title.  For example,  Satine Kryze is titled The Duchess of Kalevala and The Marchioness of Concordia,  while her nephew and heir is titled Duke of Kalevala.

There are also the courtesy prefixes of Lord and Lady  (  Kih’alor  ),  which are given to the children and siblings of a head of House of one of the top three ranks.  As such,  Bo-Katan and Vencikye are both titled “Lady Kryze”.  In the bottom ranks  ( viscount and baron  ),  the children and siblings of a head of House are titled “The Honourable [full name]”  (  Te Ijaatyc  ),  as was the case with The Honourable Tiber Saxon before he succeeded his brother and was styled as Lord himself.

While the system of peerage is complex and has several titles and styles,  as seen above,  Mandalorians as a people are so blunt that the courtly language is simplified in day-to-day usage more often than not.  The direct form of address for any peer is Jatne [Title],  which translates loosely as Greatest [Title];  for example,  Jatne Ori’alor.  The Jatne is ommitted and the peer addressed as simply Ori’alor,  with the corresponding style being ommitted as well,  unless the situation is extremely formal  (  such as a peer’s entrance being announced by their assistant  ).

It should be noted that most of the extant titles have a long history,  with creation of new peers becoming rarer after the Devastation of Mandalore at the end of the wars with the Jedi and the Old Republic.  This is the reason why the settlements in Mandalorian space outnumber the viscounts and viscountesses,  and why most places have an elected ruler,  though the three preceding ranks retain their territorial divisions and power.  Many barons had their ranks abolished also,  as the Mand’alor at the time could not support a large number of castles being rebuilt or the costs of upholding the nobility in general,  with the restoration of Mandalore being a more pressing concern.

[artxyra]

You Are My Sunshine

Note: I never thought I would write something that is over 4000 words again, but here we are. This is loosely based on the @coralloverwinnerwolf suggestion request that they had asked me. 

“With the signing of these documents, Gabriel Agreste you no longer have the sole custody of your son Adrien Agreste. Adrian, you will officially be under the care of Mme. Cheng and M. Dupain.” The CPS member states pushing a formal document across the table. Gabriel Agreste was reluctant to sign but the piling evidence against him in light of Adrien’s rebellion stage leads him to believe there was no other choice. Tom and Sabine were ecstatic to take in Adrien. He’s a sweet boy that deserves the world and for the past month has made their home feel more like a home as Marinette now had a brother.

Originally, the CPS wanted Adrien to be sent to his Aunt in England but once taking into consideration that Adrien wasn’t as close, M. Agreste would do anything to keep his son in Paris, and the fact that Adrien himself made himself a home within the Dupain-Cheng household, it was easier to move custody rights to the Dupain-Cheng once proven how happier the teen had become. There was no need for a court appearance, just a small investigation that thankfully went under the media’s noses.

As of today, Adrien no longer carries the Agreste sir name as it was now Dupain-Cheng.

Adrien was ecstatic upon returning to the newest bakery location the Dupain-Cheng had moved into after deciding to expand their business once the two teens had graduated from college. Lycée was the perfect time to start over and forget their last two years of unhappiness. Though there were a few good things that came from their time in college. At Sabine’s suggestion, Adrien and Marinette had joined a foreign pen-pal program, and through that program, Adrien had met Jonathon “Jon” Kent, who was quickly taking Nino’s place as his best friend.

“Jon, I want you to be the first to know,” Adrien says as soon as his call was accepted. It wasn’t unusual that the Kent teen would be up at these times considering their time difference. Jon now wide-awake pushes for Adrien to continue. “I’m officially a Dupain-Cheng!” The former Agreste heir squeals with excitement. Jon squeals in excitement along with the former model but his were for on the hushed end.

“That amazing, Tigger. Was the process easy? Is Mars happy about you being her brother now?” Immediately Jon goes into a series of questions and concerns. Adrien couldn’t help but smile at the dark-haired teen on the other side of his screen.

“Mars is happy for me. We’re supposed to be taking family photos latter today to officiate it. You’ll probably be hearing Damian complaining about Mars once it's all said and done.” Adrien’s smile could brighten the world now that the looming fear of his father’s disappointment is no longer a concern of his.

“That’s good—” Jon looks off to the side. A flash of light passes by before a sigh of relief exits from the teen’s mouth. “Send me some of those photos once they’re ready.”

“I will.” Realization slowly began to dawn on the blonde, “Kwami. I forgot how late it is where you are? Want to finish this discussion later?” A small pout appears on Adrien's lips that Jon cannot help but internally squeal about.

After saying goodbye (or at the very least good night) to Jon, Adrien decided that maybe it was time to become the pestering brother Marinette always wanted.

“Hey buggy,” Adrien sings entering Marinette’s room that was smaller than the one at the other bakery.

Marinette didn’t mind turning her old bedroom into her studio after the move was completed. In fact, it worked out in her favor as it kept the work away from her when she needed downtime. The bakery across Françoise Dupont quickly became a hideout for the Miraculous Team and the location for Marinette’s MDC studio.

The moment Marinette heard her kittens voice, she immediately closes her laptop and turns her attention to the blonde male. “You need anything kitty?” Tilting her head gives Adrien a sense of security.

“Yeah, we haven’t decided what we’re going to do about Bug and Chat? I know you said something about meeting with Aurore and Mireille and having them do a special about us.”

The only response Adrien received was Marinette’s infamous, rarely used, mischievous smirk. A smirk he knows all to well and would hate to be on the receiving end of it.

Just a day later, Miraculous Out! a Ladybug sponsored website posted a video featuring Ladybug and Chat Noir themselves without the Miraculous Team, a rare sight nowadays. In the video, Ladybug wearing her newest outfit: dark leggings that are covered by a long slit skirt with the black and red polka dot pattern, matching combat boots, and a matching short sleeve turtle neck that is covered by a black motorcycle that ends but above her waist. Chat Noir now wearing leather pants with a muscle shirt that is often covered by a matching jacket with faux fur. His shows just as much as his younger teen version did if not a little more. For Ladybug, Marinette decided to keep her pigtails as her hair grew longer but opted for longer ribbons to be placed in her hair instead.

In the video, Ladybug and Chat Noir drops the biggest bomb to their fans. The iconic Paris duo is no longer just partners but officially brother and sister. That message put a stake through the hearts of LadyNoir shippers and the Ladyblog as it was the one eager for the two to become an item especially after a familiar voice under Lila Rossi predominately says that the two heroes are an item as she’s Ladybug’s best friend.

“For the past few months, Chat and I have been in an internal war with one another about how to announce this to Paris. This was mainly due to the additional attention to the LadyNoir shipping wars that were from the Ladyblog. Chat and I never and will never have any feelings for each other that aren’t platonic.” With that, Ladybug ends her statement and the video goes into its closing cards, basically saying stay tuned for other Miraculous news.

The second the screen turns black; Marinette turns to Adrien with the biggest smile on her face. Now all they need to do was announce that Adrien Agreste is no longer the face of his father’s company. This news was soon to be dropped once the photos from their family photoshoot drop.

The night before Paris is once again reckoned, the mischievous, Damian, and Marinette had a perfect view of seeing how two people can flirt around each other and not get the signs.

Marinette gave Damian for not ending the streaming on his end and taking off while she and Adrien shared a room to chat with their friends. Damian gave Marinette hidden signals on the verge of wanting to kill Jon and Adrien for their stupidity.

“If they don’t start dating in the next couple of hours, I will commit mass genocide,” Damian growls the moment Marinette decided to call him. Marinette laughs it off and smiles despite that he cannot see her, but he knows well enough.

“Let them be, it took us a moment to realize that we liked each other.”

Damian grunts unsure how to proceed. “They better figure this shit out soon.”

Marinette could only shake her head before the continue to talk about other things.

The following morning was great, well it was great until Marinette’s phone begins to blow up with notifications.

Adrien DuPain-Cheng @adrienwhopuns Papers finally approved, meet my new sista from another mother (@marinettewhomemes) [Attached to the tweet is a small collection of photos: (1) Marinette standing beside Adrien wearing tees that says “I’m the sister of a punster” and “I’m the brother of a mememer” (2) Adrien being surrounded by the entire DuPain-Cheng family holding a banner that says “It’s a new DuPain-Cheng” (3) Adrien pretending to pose as Marinette looks like a deer caught in the headlights behind him]

Marinette turns to her brother with a look of betrayal plastered against her face. Adrien didn’t have the decency to tell her about the handle change. There was no warning! No wonder Adrien had his phone on silent. Realizing that her phone will not shut up, Marinette turns off notification and narrows her eyes.

Nette from Mars @marinettewhomemes Replying to @adrienwhopuns Proud to call you my brother, you doof just try not to take over my room. #nolongeranonlychild #howmusthebeolder #punsvsmemes

This time Adrien looks up and narrows his eyes at Marinette. They were only a chair apart as it was a beautiful Saturday morning for the Dupain-Cheng household. Sabine was finishing the final add-ons for the strawberry and crème breakfast puffs.

“What’s going on you two?” Tom asks as he pours the drinks and set the cups down on the table.

“We’re internet famous, and Adri is trending on Twitter.” Marinette states with a deadpan face. Tom nearly makes a mess with the drinks but quickly catches himself.

“That’s good to hear,” Sabine says as she the tray of breakfast puffs over to the table.

Marinette and Adrien look at their mother with skepticism, it wasn’t like Sabine to be completely away from her children, but then again it doesn’t come as a shock. When Sabine and Tom accidentally came across the two teens coming home as their alter egos, nothing really surprises them anymore. That was one of the reasons why they had allowed the Miraculous team to hide out in the home of their other bakery.

Jon Kenting Me @jonnyboykent Replying to @adrienwhopuns I knew these photos were lit but I didn’t expect this!! @marinettewhomemes what were you doing in the background?

Marinette scoffs at Jon’s response to Adrien’s announcement tweet. She knew exactly what photo he was talking about and she doesn’t want to talk about it. Deciding that her breakfast was the best distraction from this ongoing shit show on Twitter, she begins to eat with peace on the mind.

Before Sabine took her seat, she called for the kwamis to join them for breakfast. All but Plagg ate in peace. Plagg wanted some cheese but after being on the receiving end of Mama Cheng’s glare he ate grumbling at every chance he got.

Adrien had finished his breakfast first; it was not because Jon had sent him a series of text messages begging for answers. Marinette watches her brother leave as she finishes her last bite and pulls out her phone.

Nette from Mars @marinettewhomemes Replying to @adrienwhopuns and @jonnyboykent What I do in the image is my business. Call me if you want the deeds.

She knew Jon wasn’t going to call her after posting that to the thread. Jon was probably in the middle of a phone call with Adrien before heading to sleep. Sabine and Tom watch their daughter leave the room with the kwamis trailing behind her, with smiles on their faces. To them, this makes it all worth it.

“Kitty, you coming or what? Luka and the others are ready to go.” Marinette shouts one day from the doorway of the house. She turns to see Luka standing sheepishly with his guitar on his back, Kagami with an eyebrow raises, and Chloe hanging off of Kagami’s arm examining her nails.

“I’m coming sheesh.” Adrien cries back before making himself known. Marinette rolls her eyes and walks out.

Sabine and Tom already in bakery, cannot wait to surprise their kids later this afternoon.

“How are things with you and Damian, Mars?” Kagami asks laying on her girlfriend’s lap as Chloe plays her hair.

Marinette heavily blushes. She and Damian have been dating for about six months after a couple of years of bouncing between each other. They ended up dating because Damian and his brothers ended up taking a private jet to Paris one evening and basically force the two into a closet. They spoke out their feelings and ended up trolling his brothers for a couple of days before announcing their newly made relationship status. Since Marinette isn’t seen in Gotham, the media has yet to link the two together as a couple.

“We’re fine, I’m more worried about kitten over here.” Marinette nudges Adrien’s shoulder who looks offended beyond belief.

“About what? I don’t have a problem.” Adrien counters as Luka plays his guitar.

“Your melody says otherwise.” The older teen states humming the tone to the melody.

“Luka!” Adrien screeches, his face turning red. The group laughs and proceeds to watch the clouds. The wind picks up.

“So how are things with Jon?” Chloe suddenly asks after a moment of silence. Everyone turns to Adrien who tries to look everywhere but at his friends. Marinette could see the rise in red reaching his ears.

“It’s nothing.” Adrien shutters out. The four looks to one another knowing the former blonde model was lying beyond belief.

“Uh huh…” Chloe sings the words out appearing behind the blonde male.

“He’s…” Adrien is stopped by his thoughts. What was Jon to him? A friend? A potential lover? His blush deepens at the thought of that. “He’s… I don’t know what to think.”

“You are in too deep for this,” Kagami states as she too saw what was becoming of her oldest friend. Adrien curls into himself unsure how to feel.

Marinette knows that deep down, Adrien was falling for Jon; however, it did make her wary. Adrien was quick to bond with Jon during the pen-pal program and nearly lost it when the program ended. If it wasn’t for the fact that they had exchanged numbers before the last, she doesn’t know what would have happened to Adrien. They were both going through a tough time when they joined the program. Adrien had a wake up called regarding harassment and learning that the real world wasn’t all fun and games while she, herself, was trying to rediscover the self-confidence that she had lost due to the bullying she had to endure because of Lila Rossi. It took months of therapy and talks with Damian for her to acknowledge that she wasn’t responsible for the person people created of her in their minds, and that was the tea.

Adrien’s wake up call was the reason he began spending more time with her and her family. Her parents say Adrien as the broken, lost boy he was and took him under their wing. Of course, Marinette wouldn’t change what happened for anything in the world.

Then there was an explosion happening in the background. Without speaking, the five split up to transform and regroup once they have all the details.

While Paris has grown used to somewhat daily Akuma attacks, they know how to avoid the fighting areas and proceed with their day. Sabine had left the bakery to go pick up three people from the airport.

Jonathon Kent had to beg his parents to allow him to go to Paris with Damian and Jason. Damian had wanted to surprise Marinette with a visit and Jason, well Jason just wanted fresh baked goods. Jon, on the other hand, just wanted to meet Adrien for the first time in person. For years, the two spoke through video chats, text messages, and twitter threats, but never had they had the chance to meet in-person. When Jon found out that Damian was planning on visiting Mars, he knew he just had to come. Their school wasn’t in session and if anything, really disastrous happens, he could fly back in no time.

“Hello boys,” Sabine greets grabbing their attention. Jason was the first to run over to the small frame woman with the speed that could match a dog.

“Hey, Sabine!” Jason greets back. Sabine narrows her eyes; she knows that Jason wants something, but she couldn’t place her finger on it.

“Hello again, Mrs. Cheng,” Damian adds walking over to his brute of a brother and the mother of his girlfriend.

“Hi, I’m Jon.” Jon gives the older woman his brightest smile.

“I can see why you and Adrien have bonded so easily.” Sabine chuckles lightly to which a blush crosses Jon’s face. Jon could hear the teasing that Jason was whispering to Damian about having a crush and a model, which only farther the blush.

Sabine sends him another smile. “Well, we should get going if we want to surprise Marinette and Adrien.” Clapping her hands, she begins to usher the boys in the direction of her car.

While driving across Paris, Sabine notices the swirls of ladybugs fixing up the city. This once gives her enough time to park, get the boys to settle, and start making dinner all before her children get home.

“Wow, this place is bigger than the last place? What happened?” Jason asks kicking his feet up onto the couch the second they arrived on the second level of the building. Sabine scolds the older male before explaining that with Adrien being added to the household and Marinette’s growing business, their old place was becoming cramp, and now that the two are longer attending Francoise Dupont, they could have to look farther out for a bigger home and bakery all while still owning the other one.

Damian took notice of the new photos hanged up on the walls. Of course, the photos that Adrien had posted on twitter, but along them are photos of a happier Marinette and Adrien acting like siblings. They had even recreated iconic sibling moments from television shows to make It feel real.

“Those two have made our lives so much better, and Sabine and I are glad that our little loaf has met you.” Damian turns to see Tom hovering over him. He had thought his girlfriend’s father was down in the bakery, but he was wrong. Damian wasn’t sure what to say, sure he had met Tom before and have grown used to the tall being, but even he knows when to picks his battles.

“I’m lucky to have her.” Damian states before walking away.

While Damian was already used to the environment of the Dupain-Cheng household, Jon on the other hand was having a dream. His excitement to finally seeing Adrien has finally caught up to him. So, imagine when he jumps off on the couch, nearly flying when the door’s knob begins to jiggle.

Their eyes locked, blue meeting green for the first time outside of a screen. Jon stares agape at Adrien who stares back with the same energy.

Marinette who took notice of the situation sneaks past the two and into the arms of her boyfriend. Jason watches from behind with a bowl of popcorn in hand waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“H-h-how?” Adrien’s voice squeaks before pulling Jon into his arms.

Even though the two are lost within each other’s thoughts they could still hear Jason’s laughter and the smack that follows.

“I practically beg my parents to see you,” Jon answers as just as flustered as Adrien. “Then begged Damian to bring me.” He quickly adds looking away from the blonde.

For a moment the two stay in their own world not noticing the flashes of light and whispers.

Not from afar, Marinette tries not to laugh, her lips purse into a fine line. Damian watches shaking his head and tries to grab some of Jason’s popcorn.

The next day, Adrien ran out of the bakery with Jon right behind him. They were going to visit Andre’s ice cream cart. All under the pretense of being just friends, but all who knew them thought otherwise. Marinette had decided to skip this trip in favor of walking the Seine with Damian then planning on making Jason a new leather jacket. Jason wanted to check out the crime rate in Paris walking around the area.

Adrien DuPain-Cheng @adrienwhopuns Ice cream from Andre is always the best especially now that I’d shared the experience with @jonnyboykent [Attached is a photo of Adrien and Jon holding ice cream cones with matching flavors that are similar to their hair, lip, and eye colors along with other flavors. In the background is Andre waving at the two with a large smile]

Nette from Mars @marinettewhomemes Replying to @adrienwhopuns 🤩Aw… you guys look cute having your outing an all that. How was the ice cream?

Jon Kenting Me @jonnyboykent Replying to @adrienwhopuns and @marinettewhomemes The ice cream was delicious. 10/10 recommend it.

Adrien laughs the moment he looks at their replies. He then turns to Jon, who was on the verge of eating his last scoop of ice cream. Jon, noticing that Adrien is staring at him, blushes lightly before they continue to walk. The walk was peaceful until…

“Adrien!” The two due turns around to see a tall dark-skin teen running towards them. Beyond the teen are two females with varying facial expressions.

“Hey Nino, haven’t heard from you since college graduation.” Adrien murmurs the second Nino had gotten closer to the two. Jon could only watch, clearly intrigued by this new encounter. He had heard much about Nino from Adrien and the downfall of their friendship as the final years of college came to end.

“Yeah dude, I wish we could have hanged out more. But you know how it is.” Nino states rubbing the back of his neck. “Who’s your friend?”

“Nino, this is Jon, he’s a friend of mine and the friend of Mari’s boyfriend that came to visit us.” Jon could feel the tension growing as the two girls come closer. The ombre haired teen, looked like she wanted to yell or hit something awhile the other wearing clashing oranges looks like she is about to commit murder. Upon seeing this, Jon moves closer to Adrien for support.

“That cool, dude, but when were you going to tell me that you and Marinette are siblings? Lila had gotten the whole class thinking you two were a thing.” Unbeknown to Nino, he had just proved the thoughts that Adrien and Marinette have been theorizing since the two had been chosen to go to a different Lycée than the one that most of their former classmates went to.

“Why would Lila even think that? You know what I don’t even want to know.” Adrien says. Subtly, he tightens his around the edge of his shirt. “Mari and I have practically been siblings for a couple of years now, and we’re much happy about that.”

“That’s good to hear, man,” Nino says unsure where this conversation will go. The aspiring DJ could feel the gnawing questions that Alya was soon going to throw at the blonde the moment he is done.

“Sunshine,” Alya explodes in the background to which all three males roll their eyes at. “We haven’t seen you in two years and this is how you treat us. Lila was your ex at the very least say hi to my gurl.”

Jon looks to the reporter as if she had grown a second head. Never once had Adrien mention being in a relationship with the liar, and for the years that he has known Adrien, he’s been single. In fact, the only times Lila even mentions is when she makes an outcry on twitter within Adrien’s threads. Jon knows that when the announcement was made, this Lila person had the biggest voice; commenting questions that Adrien didn’t need or want to answer.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Alya. I haven’t been in a relationship since I tried it out with Kagami and that was back in college. I’m as single as a pringle and not looking for anyone.” The subtle side-eyed look to Jon said otherwise. Jon could have sworn his face turn red after realizing what the blonde had done.

Alya scoffs, “Yeah right. Lila told me you had done out on dates after we all left Dupont, she even had pictures to prove it.” She then grabs hold of Lila’s wrist and pulls the girl closer to three. Lila batters her eyes, trying to be a flirt, little did she know.

“Alya, anyone can fake a photo, there is a reason Photoshop exists. Knowing Lila, she probably showed you photos from our shoots and changed them. She did it once to Mari, and I have no doubt in mind that she did it again.” Narrowing his eyes, Adrien glance away from Alya and onto Lila.

“C’mon Adrikins,” Jon and Adrien wince at the old nickname Chloe had given the blonde be used by Lila, “We had so many good memories together. As much as I miss them, I’m much happier with my long-distance relationship with Damiboo.” The liar then gushes to which Alya joins in for.

“And who is this Damiboo, you speak of?” Jon asks, speaking for the first time since his day with Adrien was interrupted.

“Oh, it’s Damian Wayne, of course. He’s such a sweetheart. You know, I could introduce you to him sometime.” Adrien and Jon turn to each other, both holding in the laughter that was threatening to come out. Yeah, Damian is a sweetheart but only to animals and Marinette, beyond those two things, he’s everything but.

“Good to know, well it was nice seeing you guys again.” Adrien waves to the girls before turning to Nino whispering. “If you need to get away from them some time, DM me and I’ll give you my newest number.”

Nino’s eyes widen in excitement before he quickly nods. Nino misses his best bud and it was hurting him to see Adrien living his truth while he is stuck with everyone that decided to remain together.

While walking back to the bakery, Jon had some interesting things to say about the whole encounter. Never has he ever heard anyone call Damian by that nickname, he is amazed out how he handled the situation knowing how much mental damage the liar had placed on Adrien and to an extend Marinette.

“I’m sorry our outing was ruined by them, I wasn’t—” Adrien tries to apologize but is interrupted by Jon stopping and placing his hand on the blonde’s shoulder.

“I had fun regardless of them. Wanna try again later tonight, perhaps a movie.” Jon sends Adrien a reassuring smile who nods happily at the offer. It was a good offer and gives them more alone time before he had to leave with Damian and Jason.

“I’d like that.”

When the boys had returned to the bakery, they are greeted by Sabine handing an order to a customer before mention that everyone is in the living room. Adrien quickly grabs Jon’s wrist and moves to the mentioned room.

Marinette is annihilating Jason on Ultimate Mecha Strike III, his cries of defeat bring music to Damian’s ears as he reads a novel.

“So, did anything exciting happened?” Marinette asks her eyes never leaving the screen. Flawless victory. Jason sighs and turns to the duo then blanches. He hands Marinette a twenty and shakes his head.

“Nothing happened…well except running into Nino,” Adrien answers, though he wonders why Jason had given Marinette a twenty.

“That’s good,” Marinette finally turns to him and waves her controller. “Wanna play around, and while I’m kicking your butt you can tell me all about your encounter with Nino.” Adrien shrugs and takes the controller that Jason had left on the couch to proceed to raid the fridge. No matter what time of day, Jason always raid the fridge for food.

“So, Kent, when are you going to tell him?” He heard Damian ask as the video game’s music raises and his attention turns to something else.

The day slowly became nighttime to which Jon and Adrien had decided to invite Damian and Marinette to the movies. Marinette took one look at them before saying no and for them to have fun. However, what they didn’t hear was her saying, “Come back dating or not at all” after they had left the bakery.

Nette from Mars @marinettewhomemes Loverboy 1 and loverboy 2 went to movies. Should I place a bet on what they’re going to see? I swear it will be a sap or action movie, knowing my brother. [Attached is a poll with three movie suggestions.]

Sending off the tweet, she looks up to her boyfriend’s chin. They were resting on her bed looking at the starry night sky from her skylight. Damian had his arms wrapped around her waist as she rests her head on his chest. They love snuggling together especially when they know that his brothers, specifically Jason, weren’t going to barge in on them.

“Fifty saying that they won’t confess even after seeing my tweet,” Marinette states lifting herself up to play with Damian’s hair.

“That’s a fool’s bet, Angel.” Damian counters causing Marinette to pout. She hates it when he’s right, but look fifty euros or dollars can do a lot for her.

“Eh, you’re right.” Marinette decides to switch the topic. “I’m going to miss you when you leave in a couple of days. It’s fun having you around.”

“We won’t be separate for long; we have video chats to keep us company.” Damian knows full damn well that video chat isn’t the same as seeing her in person. His own family loves it when Marinette’s around him because he acts his age, a normal sixteen-year teen.

“Dams, it’s not the same.” Marinette playfully hits his chest. Damian kisses Marinette’s forehead before smothering her kisses on the cheek. Marinette’s nose scrunches with the amount of love he is showing her.

“As much as I love being in your arms, you know how papa gets when it’s late and you’re not in your guest room with Jay-Jay.” Damian groans but he understands. Instead of staying at a hotel, Tom and Sabine were willing to let the boys stay at their home with strict sleeping guidelines, more specifically for Damian.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Angel.” As he pecks her lips, Marinette smiles then waves her boyfriend a farewell.

Adrien DuPain-Cheng @adrienwhopuns Can someone tell @jonnyboykent that the movie wasn’t scary? It was a good non-horror movie. [Attached is a photo of Jon behind Adrien covering his eyes.]

Adrien and Jon had arrived late from the movies that night. Hugging each other, neither one of them wanted to let go. Jon ended up brushing Adrien’s hair with his hands as Adrien just rest his head against the half-Kryptonian’s chest. They stayed like that for a moment before crashing on the living room couch.

When Marinette woke up the following morning, she immediately took photos of them sleeping. Yes, these will be very helpful when giving her in-law speech at their wedding or for blackmail, whichever one comes first.

“Wake up you goofs and tell me about last night.” Marinette playfully hits Adrien’s leg forcing the poor teen to groan and move. He glares at Marinette like a cat that didn’t want to be disturbed.

“Morning Mars, where’s Damian?” Jon asks looking around as he wipes the sleep away from his eyes. Marinette answers with a shrug. “Ugh, I’m going to go get changed.” Jon then moves and leaves.

The second Jon was out of hearing range, Adrien looks down and murmurs, “I think I like Jon.”

“Of course, you do, you won’t be hanging out with him otherwise.”

“No, no, like more than just a friend.”

Marinette’s eyes widen with excitement. She tries to contain her squeal. “I knew it! You got to tell him before he leaves.”

Adrien rubs his arm; a faint blush crosses his face. “I don’t know; I don’t want to ruin what we have and—”

“And nothing, you like him, kitty.” Marinette became determined to get the two teens together.

In the other room, Damian was having the same conversation with Jon.

“About time,” Jason says putting on his jacket.

“Last night was so amazing, but—”

“But nothing Kent, walk up to him and kiss him,” Damian states crossing his arms sharing a knowing look with his brother.

“If anything, ask Pixie to help set the mood. I’m sure she already has it planned out.”

“I don’t know…” Jon literally was avoiding his best friend’s glare at him. However, they were right, but was he ready to destroy three years of friendship for a romance? Nope, the idea seems to be too much of a risk.

The two Wayne boys growl out in frustration, this was hopeless.

Damian, Jon, and Jason’s last day in Paris was met with tearful goodbyes and relaxation. Marinette was already making plans to visit Damian in Gotham while Adrien and Jon danced around each other.

They flirted opening with one another but never made any advances. It was driving everyone insane.

Nette from Mars @marinettewhomemes Imma about to kill a bitch if these two don’t kiss already.

The day was slowly coming to an end. After a series of goodbye hugs and kisses, Sabine had taken the boys to the airport. Never once did Adrien no Jon admitted their feelings to another and that aggravated Marinette to no end. When will the two just admit it already?

Jon and Adrien resumed their daily chats messaging whether it was through video or text. Adrien would come out smiling after each message which made the family happy to see once again after a day of pouting Adrien.

For months everything was going great until a news article across seas mention that the American heroes are in trouble. Superboy is down along with a few other young heroes. At first, the article was nothing and that changed when Damian had called Marinette and ask for Adrien. Jonathon was in the hospital. Immediately, Adrien went into a massive panic, nearly becoming akumatized if it wasn’t for Marinette grabbing the butterfly and purifying it before any damage could be done.

For days, Adrien was restless and worried. He calls Damian for updates every day hoping for a miracle. Tikki and Plagg reassured him that he’ll make it out. This goes on for a week. His twitter account less than active. He barely eats, pays attention in school, and nearly failed an exam if it wasn’t for Marinette.

Then on one faithful late-night Adrien’s phone rings. He was barely functioning when he had answered. It was Jon, he was okay and no need to worry. That short phone call didn’t ease Adrien’s worry.

Marinette’s and Damian’s one-year anniversary was coming up. Adrien and Jon’s daily chats became nothing but scarce. He would try and message the half-Kryptonian on more than one occasion. Sometimes he would receive a reply, sometimes he didn’t. Adrien knows that Damian is coming back to Paris to surprise Marinette. Marinette was working on a new gown to show to Damian as a tribute to their anniversary. Helping Damian was keeping Jon off his mind.

“Luka what am I supposed to do, I like him, I really like him,” Adrien says laying down on the chaise in the Miraculous team HQ back at the old bakery. Luka sat on a stool with a clipboard in hand and his guitar place beside him. This was becoming an everyday occurrence for the two of them.

“Uh-huh,” Luka nods writing something down before replacing the clipboard with his guitar. Playing a few notes, Luka knew what to say to Adrien and as a plus, the music calmed Adrien down just enough to relax. “Have you tried sending a letter?”

Adrien thought about it. Sending a letter wasn’t something he did for Jon since the pen-pal program ended and before they started to call and text each other. It was a start at best, but would Jon receive his letter in time? Would he even read it? Has he changed addresses? Too many questions ran through the poor blonde’s mind.

So, after thinking about long and hard, Adrien opted to send Jon a letter. He had to text Jason to make sure he had the correct address to the letter to Jon. It took him a day to write and have Marinette proofread it. The letter was no ordinary “how you’re doing” letter but a confession from the heart. He had poured his heart out into the letter mentioning every time he felt whole when being around Jon. A few teardrops onto the sheet of paper at least once or twice.

After sending the letter, it felt like something was lifted from his chest. Marinette was there to support him and hug him as he cries out his worries.

Nette from Mars @marinettewhomemes I never thought that I would have experienced a one-year anniversary with someone who is not from France, regardless, Happy Anniversary Dami! [Attached is silhouette photo of Damian kissing Marinette’s hand]

While Adrien was helping Tom and the kwamis calm down Marinette, who was is a mass panic about today, Sabine had gone to go pick up a group of people from the airport. Originally, it was supposed to be Damian who was going to come to Paris alone, but that plan changed with an addition of a way more people.

“I can’t believe, Demon Spawn managed to keep a relationship going for a year,” Tim says sipping on a cup of coffee that he had brought from the airport. Everyone in the car was talking amongst themselves congratulating or teasing Damian.

Sabine could only smile at the commotion that was happening in her car. It was always nice to see them, but it does disappoint her that Bruce couldn’t make it, unlike the boys.

When they had arrived at the bakery, the majority of new visitors ran inside. Sabine could hear the cheers and screams of happiness from her location outside. She turns to the lone figure who was rubbing his arm anxiously and gives him a soft smile. Sabine then walks inside and seconds later Marinette and Adrien run outside. Damian appears behind Marinette wrapping his arms around her as Adrien madly dashes over to the lone figure.

“Jon!” Adrien cries out crashing his body into Jon’s. Jon holds Adrien tightly as tears threaten to shed from eyes. “What are you doing here?” Adrien breaks the embrace to look him in the eyes.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry for how I treated you. I shouldn’t have—” Adrien's lips brush against Jon’s effectively cutting the taller dark-haired male off.

In the background, Marinette looks like she’s about to commit murder. “Great now I have to share an anniversary with him too.” It may have come off as mean but the mischievous glint in her eyes says otherwise. “Have him home before dinner, Jon.” She then yells back before Damian twirls her around and takes her inside.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for six months,” Adrien says breaking the kiss for air. Red covers Jon’s face as he pulls Adrien in for another kiss.

“And I have been wanting to do that for a year.” Jon then says breaking the second kiss. This it was Adrien’s face that turns bright red rivaling Ladybug’s former suit.

Adrien DuPain-Cheng @adrienwhopuns It’s official, I’m no longer single as a pringle! Thx mom for taking this photo! #yesimgay [Attached is a photo of Adrien and Jon kissing in the sunset facing away from the camera]

After five years of dating, Damian had proposed to Marinette first. Then Jon had to go and propose a little under a year later to Adrien. Both Marinette and Adrien had said yes to their significant other. What really got into a heated argument was planning the wedding. Marinette wanted to wait a year or two before walking down the aisle and Adrien wanted to get it done and over with. However, that was not the case as everyone wanted to get involved. Tom and Sabine wanted to make the cake, the Wayne’s and the Kent’s wanted to fund the weddings, and Marinette had to make the outfits for her and Adrien.

After waiting for a little under two years, the two pairs decided a double wedding would be less expensive than paying for two separate events and it work out seeing they share an anniversary day anyways.

Then the royal day has arrived.

Tom and Sabine are crying as they help their children get into their designated outfits. Marinette was wearing a laced white ball gown with red accents. Sabine had a family heirloom that the women wear at their weddings to give to Marinette. Tikki had given Marinette her ladybug luck as part of her wedding gift to the guardian and her chosen. Adrien was wearing a suit that was similar to Tom’s when he had married Sabine. Marinette had also made him a Chat Noir theme bow tie to match.

Soon the music was blaring throughout the venue. At the altar, Damian and Jon were anxious beyond belief. They thought, telling they're significant others about their nightly activities was anxious, but this takes the cake. Together they wait for the rest of the procession to end and the music to pick up at the arrival of their loved ones. At the end of the hall, Tom stands in the middle with Marinette and Adrien to the side of him. Tom tries to hold it together as he walks them down to the alter. Sabine was already in tears along with Lois as they were sitting close to each other.

Everything running smoothly. The officiant would speak to then as a whole, just that they had practice in rehearsals until the exchange of vows. Marinette and Damian had done theirs first it was romantic and just right for them. Then Adrien and Jon had followed suit. Adrien’s vows were very similar to the letter he had sent Jon all those years ago as Jon made the promise of never leaving him in life or in death.

After exchanging the rings everyone at the venue could see the anticipation to say “I do” between the two couples. In fact, the Officiant could barely the pronouncement of marriage before they had kissed their soon-to-be husbands or wife. Everyone applauded. Marinette was resting her head against Damian’s shoulder interlocking their hands in the process as Adrien was holding Jon closely never wanting to let go.

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[likethecities]

In “Defense” of Bo-Katan in Mandalorian S2

(or, why Bo’s refusal to accept Boba as Mandalorian in 2x08, after Din did accept it in 2x06, is internally consistent with her character and view of Mandalore, and is not only because she’s a self-serving ass*)

*(although she is both of those things)

NOTE: This is a discussion of why her view of Boba is logical for her character and where I hope/think it will go in S3 and the concept of “Mandalorian”. It is NOT an endorsement for her behavior.

This is ONLY based in current, Disney canon, not Legends. In Legends, Jango was the leader of Mandalore for several years if not decades. However! that line conflicts with TCW. So we’re using the old rule of “if it conflicts, current canon wins” and tossing it out.  If it gets recanonized, we can come back to it.

Okay first! Let’s break down the major Mandalorian characters/factions in the Mandalorian.

Din Djarin/Children of the Watch

Bo-Katan Kryze/Nite Owls

Boba and Jango Fett

What do they have in common? All three groups place a lot of practical and symbolic/ancestral value on their beskar armor. Bo and Din also place a lot of importance on the value of the Way, although with different interpretations. Lastly, Bo specifically cares about Mandalore as a place. Unsurprisingly, they all have different interpretations of what it means to be Mandalorian.

Let’s start with Din and the Children of the Watch (CotW). Here’s what we know about their definition of Mandalorian:

high cultural and symbolic value on Mandalorian armor

foundlings/non-Mandalorian children can be raised Mandalorian

very strict interpretation of the Way/Creed

non-Mandalorians cannot wear Mandalorian armor

As a final note, they don’t appear to have much actual beskar. Most of their armor, though forged in Mandalorian style, isn’t made of beskar, but other metals instead. It’s a big deal when Din rolls up with enough beskar to forge a whole suit; that kind of windfall doesn’t just happen.

So when S2 rolls around and Din runs into people wearing Mandalorian armor who don’t follow the Way as he knows it, he assumes they aren’t Mandalorian, with the following results:

Cobb (2x01): admits to not being Mandalorian when Din challenges him, offers to return armor to Din (standing in as a representative of all Mandalorians) once Din helps him. Din agrees, helps, and then leaves with the armor.

Bo-Katan/Nite Owls (2x03): claim a different interpretation of the Way, declare ownership over their armor through family heritage. Din recognizes their claim.

Boba (2x06): identifies himself as the rightful owner of the armor, refuses to claim clan ties or the Creed.  Din (eventually) recognizes his claim.

Once Din has accepted that other Mandalorians don’t have the same interpretation of the Way that he does, he’s willing to accept proof of ownership as enough.  Likely, this is because the CotW don’t have much beskar, and so they recognize prior claims much more strictly. For Din, at least, owning the beskar is enough to drop the argument about being Mandalorian or not. Now let’s move to Bo and her supporters. Here’s what we know about them:

high cultural and symbolic value on Mandalorian armor: status symbol, but not required by all members

looser interpretation of the Way

high value on clan/community membership, or connection to Mandalore as a planet

non-Mandalorians cannot (or at least shouldn’t) wear Mandalorian armor

We know from SW Rebels and TCW that Bo, her followers, and most of the Mandalore-based people that you do not have to wear armor to be Mandalorian. Sabine’s father is an artist and is never seen fighting or wearing armor, but no one questions that he’s Mandalorian. The armor and Creed alone aren’t a requirement.

How else do we know this? Because Bo spent several seasons backing Pre Viszla and the darksaber for the Mandalorian throne, but when Viszla lost the darksaber - and his head - to Maul, Bo objected. Maul wasn’t Mandalorian; he didn’t care about the place, the community, the culture, or the Way. So Bo turned to Satine, the leader that she had just deposed, as a more “Mandalorian” challenger. Satine still has her House Kryze ties and close attachment to Mandalore as a place; that was enough to make her Mandalorian and a better choice than Maul, even though she’d nearly completely broken with old Mandalorian ways.

(And, we should note, that some Mandalorians did switch their allegiance to Maul after this, because they recognized the right of the darksaber over any community or clan ties. They’re also still Mandalorian.)

So when Bo and her team meet Din, they recognize Din as Mandalorian.  He’s part of a Mandalorian offshoot sect: that’s his clan/community. They think his rules are weird and antiquated*, but they recognize them as related to the Way as they know it.

*yes, Bo is a jerk about this, because Bo is a jerk about a lot of things. She does accept it, though, which is the important part for this discussion.

Okay, now let’s turn to Boba.

Boba never explicitly claims to be Mandalorian, with Din in 2x06 or in the bar 2x08. He says that Jango was a Mandalorian foundling, but despite Din giving him multiple opportunities to claim to be Mandalorian, Boba rebuffs every single one.  He doesn’t have any clan or community ties, and he doesn’t care about the planet; he’s actively derisive about Bo’s goal to retake it. He doesn’t appear to follow any parts of the Way.  Frankly, Boba doesn’t seem to even want to be Mandalorian, he just puts up with being associated with them because of the armor.  He certainly doesn’t care who considers themselves Mandalorian or why. The only things that Boba cares about are that a) his ownership of his armor is acknowledged, and b) he’s recognized as Jango Fett’s son. That’s it.

Again, for Din, that’s enough. Boba can prove that the armor is his and he can prove that Jango obtained it properly (ie, as a Mandalorian foundling). Conflict solved, everyone move on.

For Bo and her followers, that’s not enough. The armor isn’t the sole thing that marks you as Mandalorian, and Boba (and Jango after becoming a bounty hunter, apparently for much of his adult life) has none of the clan/community ties that are part of her definition and no attachment to the planet or culture of Mandalore.  Ergo, he’s not Mandalorian, and rightfully-obtained armor or not, him wearing it is against their culture. And yes, Bo is being racist (something -ist, at least) when she calls Jango his “donor”, but she also has a point. There are millions of Jango Fett clones in the galaxy, and none of them were raised in Mandalorian culture or have any connection to Mandalore except DNA.  Rewatching the bar scene, she doesn’t seem to have any idea who Boba is until she recognizes his voice and identifies him as a clone.  Why should he or any clone deserve to wear Mandalorian armor, especially when they don’t participate in Mandalorian culture?

(the answer, obviously, is because Jango raised Boba as his son and heir and chose to pass down his armor/ship accordingly. But Bo has no reason to know this and she wouldn’t consider him Mandalorian either way, so there’s no point in Boba proving his ownership even if he cared enough about her opinion to bother.)

This also ties into the problem of the darksaber. Gideon isn’t Mandalorian, and it seems likely he obtained the sword when the Imperial Remant “glassed” the planet, so he’s not recognized as ruler of Mandalore even when he holds the darksaber. Din

is

Mandalorian, and he won it in combat. That’s an undeniable claim. He’s also worked with Bo multiple times, it’s not his fault that Gideon outplayed both of them, and he’s very, very good in a fight. Bo really wants that weapon to shore up her claim, but she also knows it’s not very honorable to attack an ally who didn’t ask for this, and she probably doesn’t want to risk the possibility that she might lose. She’s in a bind.

Similarly, Din really doesn’t want the darksaber or the responsibilities that go with it, but he can’t just hand it over because that’s against the Creed. Sabine did, but she never “won” the darksaber; she just picked it up out of Maul’s garbage cave, which was vague enough for everyone to accept her passing it up. (She was also probably 17 or 18 at the time and was considered a traitor by most Mandalorians, which probably helped). But Din is also very honorable; if he can’t find a way to pass the saber off, he’ll probably feel obligated to fulfill the requirements to the best of his abilities until he either does find someone else to take them or accepts them permanently (kinda like Grogu himself HMMMMMM).  We already know that Din is fairly good at diplomacy from 2x01, but he’s never worked with Mandalorians outside of his clan before, so he’s got a steep learning curve.

So my guess: S3 is going to be about reuniting the disparate Mandalorian groups, all of whom have different versions of what it means to be Mandalorian, and finding some common ground. They will either attempt to retake Mandalore or find somewhere else to make a homeland, or possibly make the decision to stay dispersed. If Bo stays as a major character, we might see her trying to recruit Din into her clan to influence him; if not, she might slink off and wait to see how he does.

Something that could be cool? Din putting a lot of effort into trying to connect with other Mandalorians and Bo admitting that he’s actually doing a pretty good job, even if she wanted to do it herself!  #growth for both of them.  Meanwhile Boba, who again appears to not give two shits about any of this, will probably be chilling on Tatooine, maybe throwing some info or weapons Din’s way if he thinks Din actually has a shot at something.  Or ignoring all of them and taking over the Hutt empire instead, who knows.

Either way, I hope we get more discussion of what happened to Mandalore, Mandalorian identity, and Mandalorian politics in S3.

[igotswag77]

Courtly Love In Thrawnbine - My Review

This Tumblr inspired me to try again on the concept of COURTLY LOVE -- thanks for the nice art.

This is long... No tl;dr. I have been writing my THRAWNBINE fanfiction since 2014-2015. The initial transcripts were lost because my computer and the external hard drive crashed. Therefore, the research, development, key ideas, metas, etc. are gone. I have to start from scratch, hope some of them are in the cloud, and rely on my memory, which is another discussion. This piece here is not about the validity of the THRAWNBINE ship. It is a discussion of story elements I wanted to include as I write this fanfiction. It is not about me forcing any fan to accept my proposal. As a Star Wars fan, I like creativity and this piece is an example of what I think about when I develop my creative writing for fanfiction. It is what I want to do with my life right now because I can do it now.

However, a while back in one of the SWAG77 blogs here, my group discusses the idea of COURTLY LOVE: As I understand it as a beginner creative writer, it is how the COURT of the kings, queens, princes, princess, (on down) and knights in the Middle Ages and Medieval times expressed their love to each other. (x)

From my interpretation on my reading, not just Wikipedia but others, when noble single men, who were knights, often fought "religious wars" returned home to the court and would appeal to royalty to marry a certain young woman. They planned to "woo" these women with sayings, phrases, poems, etc. as an expression of their commitment and love. The issue is, most young women at a certain age (late teens, early 20s in the 13th -15th centuries) were considered "old maids" (spinsters) and they were made to marry whoever their families could get who were often older men 10+ their senior. Once married couples could not divorce, because of Church, and if caught cheating on their husband, women could be thrown away or killed. Many marriages turned loveless. When the knights returned home, they discovered the love of their lives was married, and therefore, they could not marry her because it was against the Church. Of course, back then, there were not a lot of sexual infidelities, because women could be killed for that, and any resulting child was forced into servitude, enslaved, or killed.

What couples did that time to express their love, devoid of sex to relieve that tension, the nobles created "courtly love" where the knight would serve his lady in any command and he would in turn be chivalrous along with his poems and sayings of love.

"The Lady and the Unicorn" (x), (x) tapestry art from finished in 1500 in France, is an allegory for "courtly love" by its subjects in the art, and symbols. The art comprises six tapestries that depict individual senses in each of them:

In the sixth tapestry, the words display, "À mon seul dési," while obscure in meaning it says roughly:

"To my only sole desire" "According to my desire alone" "By my will alone" "Love desires only beauty of soul" "To calm passion"

In my literature review to build the THRAWNBINE ship, I weaved the idea of "courtly love" as a plot element, in case my story hypotheses were inaccurate. That no matter what, Grand Admiral Thrawn knew he would have to serve under Countess Sabine Wren due to her royal status. By the time Thrawn meets Sabine face to face, she might be royalty with the rank of a countess, or she might be a rank higher than one because she has a direct right to Darksaber, as explained.

Sabine Wren might be a Marquise because she has an exemplary war record. I believe that Sabine Wren is the rightful heir to the Darksaber over Din Djarin because when Djarin defeated Moff Gideon, the Moff is NOT Mandalorian. All Djarin did is confiscate the Darksaber FROM Moff Gideon to give to the rightful heir. Lady Bo-Katan Kryze is not the rightful heir. She was given the Darksaber because Sabine believed in her. But the Darksaber is magical, like the Excalibur sword, and this saber did not choose Bo-Katan, and Bo-Katan never won it by ritual combat. The last Mandalorian who fought against another Mandalorian in ritual combat was Sabine Wren. Why Sabine gave it to Bo-Katan? Maybe the Sabine Wren character is like Nimue, the Lady of the Lake who gives worthy people the Excalibur, and in this case, it would be Sabine. But the Darksaber is ENTRUSTED to one that is worthy to wield it and NEVER lose it to scurrilous powers or persons. If Filoni et al. is using parts of the Arthurian Tales to explain why Sabine gave the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, then it was Bo-Katan's job not to lose the Darksaber. But she did and somehow, Moff Gideon "acquired" it -- he is definitely unworthy of it.

Maul, while he fought in ritual combat to obtain the Darksaber and killed for it, CHEATED during the fight with Pre Vizsla. Ritual Combat is a test of pure fighting skill, will, and strength. In the book, "Darth Maul: The Shadow Conspiracy", Maul has the fighting skill, a will, and the strength to fight Pre Vizsla, but there is the Force, and Maul used it to defeat Vizsla with his Force abilities in precognition. Maul knew all the moves that Vizsla would take before he made them. In my opinion, that is cheating.

While the Darksaber will work in a non-Mandalorian's hands who can wield a saber, the crystal used for plasma that Tarre Vizsla built, is responsive to the worthiness, nobleness, and chivalry of the wielder. Most stories written about enchanted swords say they do not work optimally in the wrong hands. Did it fail Maul, probably not, because Maul was so Dark Sided that he could "bleed" a lightsaber crystal for his uses. But I can imagine that a Mandalorian who uses weapons for his religion, like Tarre Vizsla who has the Force, would build his lightsaber in a way that his crystal, while it can be bled by a Dark Side user, still holds its resilience hoping for a worthy, noble and chivalrous Mandalorian to bring together the people and raise an army.

Another caveat to this story I think is Sabine Wren wielded the Darksaber while she was possessed by the Nightsisters trying to relive as Maul wanted. She almost kills Ezra Bridger, but Bridger was strong enough to pull the ghosts out of Sabine (and Kanan) in the Star Wars Rebels Episode 11, "Vision and Voices". Anyone who understands possession by spirits knows that not ALL of the spirits leave the body. Moreover, one possessed by spirits is not always evil. It is an ancient practice by those who are a part of the Vodoun culture in Western Africa, the Caribbean, Louisiana, and Gullah -- my culture (which I have some practice in it). Part of Sabine's ability to wield the Darksaber and other lightsabers come from the memories of the spirits that entered her body on Dathomir and the touch of the Daughter, which I have repeatedly written about on the Sabine Wren site (x), (x), (x).

The point is since the spirits entered Sabine Wren and not all of them left her in that SWR episode, and she picked up the Darksaber once clear of the complete possession, the Darksaber, especially the power of the crystal and the "spirit of Tarre Vizsla" encased in it, wanted Sabine to become the Mandalorian to rally all other Mandalorians together as one.

In SWR Trials of the Darksaber episodes, after Sabine defeats the Imperial Mandalorian, Gar Saxon, only to be killed by Sabine's mother, Ursa Wren, it shows that the Darksaber is rightfully hers. Why Sabine gave it away? The writers of SWR do not add scenes or dialogue meaninglessly, every piece of scenery with lighting, etc. and dialogue is added into each episode carefully to tell the story that these creatives want you to see. Sabine felt she did not have enough political skill to command Mandalorians, or better yet, military leadership to command Mandalorian -- for "you don’t tell Mandalorians what to do. You suggest it and they either heed your advice or not. (forgotten reference)"

Thrawn had to have learned that Gar Saxon died well before Season 4 Episode, "Heroes of Mandalore" part 2. Also, Thrawn knew a lot about Mandalorian culture through its history, philosophy, and art. What he did not count on is that he would find an artist -- Sabine Wren. I don't know when Thrawn discovered Sabine was an artist that painted the graffiti on the retaining wall. Through his studies, he deduced it was her by the armor she wears, the changes in her armor, and how important the armor is to the Mandalorian culture. This is why he was able to figure out that Sabine built the weapon. Her method of creating art reflects on how she builds weapons whether she knows this fact or not. But then, the Darksaber, which he has not seen, and would not really know its lore because it seems that story that Fenn Rau told Kanan is an "oral tradition" than a written one, and the fact that it was "liberated" from the Jedi seems like an embellished story -- liberated? More like "stolen" maybe? Thrawn had not heard that story. But Sabine knows it. I am not sure if Thrawn knew that Sabine is the rightful owner of the Darksaber. But during the battle sequences, he must have gotten glimpses of it and piecemealed what exactly it is as his job as a strategist to know what he is going up against. However, the Duchess Arc Reactor was not reconstructed to blast through Mandalorian Armor as the new leader of Mandalore, Tiber Saxon desired. It was a test and a chance for Thrawn to see the strength of the fight of Mandalorians (who fight each other all the time), and a chance to meet Sabine Wren in person. He had not met her. He met everyone except, her.

____________

I think that Sabine Wren would be a higher royalty if Filoni et al. were to write that Sabine is a rightful heir with a title. Therefore, she would be a Marquise who protects the frontier. In this fanfic, Thrawn would have to marry Sabine to obtain the title of Marquis to protect the border of the galaxy from the Yuuzhan Vong (lite = Grysks), and his military background fits in this fanfic story. Therefore, he will do whatever it takes to keep Sabine alive, protected under the symbol of the Darksaber and her people with his military (army). He would have to show "Courtly Love" with the addition of sex, to serve as her advisor, confidante, and supreme commander of her militaries. While he could keep his titles, they are not royal, but political, such as "Ranking Distant" or "Syndic" or "Patriarch" -- but that's the Chiss Ascendancy and he has been exiled from it (on paper: meaning officially he is exiled, unofficially he is in a black operation for an intelligence-gathering mission.)

As a separate story, he knows he really can't return under his current position back into the Chiss Ascendancy. But he can annihilate threats in the Unknown Regions using Galatic Empire resources -- of course, the Emperor nor Darth Vader like that idea. When the Deus Ex Machina scene occurred, wherever the space whales took Thrawn and Ezra, the end result should be, IMO, someone in the Chiss Ascendancy rescues them. And it can't be just two people, it has to be a group of them, mostly Imperials. And they take them to a planet, apparently under snow and ice in the Dave Filoni art.

Before I knew anything about SWR in my first fanfic, Thrawn met Sabine at an art auction.

After the Ezra Bridger Deus Ex Machina with space whales, it seems based on Dave Filoni's art of Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano, Thrawn officially meets Sabine. For many headcanons, metas, and short drabbles I can't get into atm, they kick off their relationship, and for Sabine, it is unexpected. And while Thrawn might strategically want Sabine to stay (to seal the deal), they have to have legacies. With legacies, Sabine would not want to leave unless she had to.

In this fanfic, any acts like these are about consent. I strive to write consent in my stories.

The conflict in this story becomes how the HAYLE did Sabine agree to all of this? She IS strong-willed like most Mandalorian women are. For Sabine to consent to this life path is:

Sabine DESIRES it; she WANTS to do a pair bond. She figures out that she is getting old and her biological clock is ticking, and perhaps she is tired of constant war and needs a break. But whoops, she did not think that her desire would overtake her and create many legacies. That does happen in real life. Therefore settles that now, this is her life. (This fanfic is the easiest one to write, but slightly dull).

From the LADY AND THE UNICORN held in Paris. Each tapestry depicts the physical senses: (1) Sight, (2) Hearing, (3) Taste, (4) Smell, (5) Touch, (6) Desire. There are allegories and symbols for each tapestry and element. The major symbols are a Lady, a young woman virgin, with a Unicorn, loyal to only her.

There is more information from this youtube: https://youtu.be/5hCWZNm3qpc. My issue about this video, while most of the information seems accurate, the poets are interpreting the tapestries with their modern experiences. In my opinion, it is difficult to understand these tapestries without historical context. To think the woman is in pain is a modern interpretation. Back then, people LIVED in real physical pain because there were no "doctors' like we have now; it is very judgy to make that assertion. Thus, the comments in the video are opinions, and the producers did not announce that opinions were going to be shared. It's kind of like the point of the tapestries was missed without the historical basis.

History for the THRAWNBINE ship is an important part of the fanfic. I am not a great writer, but I work hard to write it. I have reviewed the literature, not think up this ship out of my ass as some fans would assume. I have put a lot of work into it. Also, I am well-read on many Star Wars Legends books and the new Thrawn canon books. Therefore, it is not like I do not know much about Star Wars when I do. I have REAMS of information that I like to share with fans who ask me about it. A few fans do. Moreover, I am not so vain to think that my ideas are the ONLY point of view available. I like trying to write fanfics as close to the Star Wars canon because it is fun, and that is my thing. But there are other ideas out there. It would be wrong to say my way or the highway. Also, I am not young, and those who are asinine toward me, well, I know you're younger than me because I'm old, and I want to do this with my life, I like to do it, and I'm having fun. Some young people do not GET that idea until they fall flat HARD on their face with a lost future. But don't give up your bright-eyed and bushy-tailed aspirations -- you never know where life will take you, and you might be the one. Congrats. Believe me, life can get shitty when you're out there in the real world, like me. And when you can grab your chance at something you find fun, I say do it. Money isn't everything -- but it keeps the kids in touch. I bring up these issues because some young people take huge umbrage against the THRAWNBINE ship due to the perceived huge age difference. Okay, I can see why some young people are freaked out by that. Because someone taught them to be freaked out by the age difference. Moreover, I come from GenX, and most of us, aren't freaked out by that at all. Some of us are in that situation now. So it's no big deal to us. And any generation before ours -- THAT WAS THE WAY... I would not BE if not for huge age differences between my grandparents, great-grands, and great-great grands. Of course, for my greats- yeah, there wasn't much consent. But for my grandparents, at that time and age, there actually was consent. My grandmother was 18 years old when she married my grandfather at 26 years old. By 21, she had 3 babies. One is my father. So, I grew up not caring about age differences in relationships. But for some Millenials (not all) and GenZ (not all) and afterward (not all) -- IDK?

I guess the equivalence for some of the younger generation to understand why I am doing an age-difference story is that the younger generation demands older generation acceptance of relationships that were not allowed to exist in public because one could be killed. It was not until 1967 that people of different races could marry legally in all states. Shid, one couldn't divorce over irreconcilable differences (at will) until the 1970s. Women could not have their own bank accounts until the late 1970s, and LGBTQIA+ RECENTLY were allowed to marry legally in all states, although assholes are stopping them. Then... some of the younger generations are from IVF-assisted pregnancy situations. Some are surrogates. SHID.......... That was not allowed until the 1980s... Both 1970s and 1980s were when I grew up, when I hear younger generations wracking my brain over CONSENSUAL LEGAL age-difference, I think folks don't know the history and therefore are doomed to repeat it. It is NOT a suggestion to return back to that time where women had no choice. My fanfic is about a man falling in love from afar with a woman who actually has no clue, and he knows he is a lot older than her. Somehow, he has to tell her, and he is afraid because of rejection. Look, some Star Wars fans come from parents who have an age difference between 10+ years. If they grew up fine, and their parents are okay with their relationship, who would we judge? I am not talking about a child with a much older adult; that's not legal. I am not talking about nonconsensual (the age of consent in some states is 16-17 years old). I'm not talking about child marriage. My fanfic is about two adults making a choice to be together in an adult relationship. To say someone older can take advantage of someone younger due to experiences, well, that is a false analogy, and the opposite can be true, too. It isn't the age difference that causes bad relationships. It is the power and control, and all generations have individuals who use power and control manipulation to force and abuse another person.

Matthew Perry on that super expensive dating site was matched up with a young woman profile and wanted someone to talk to and have fun with. Not do unsavory things as the woman painted that picture. She lied about it too.

Matthew Gaetz is an asshole, and he deserves everything that the law can throw at him. I actually do not think he knew better. And as far as the young women, including the underage young lady, he manipulated them because he leveraged his power and control. This isn't because of age differences; it's about power and control by manipulation. "Oh, wow, I'm a big shot congressman; worship me." Bith, puh-leeze. You ain't shit. Look, fans teased me when I first discussed "Courtly Love," and I abandoned the idea because I could not justify it. Which is my choice; I made that choice, I chose to do it. But, some in the younger generation and nascent Star Wars fans must understand that you have no right to say who can fall in love with whom just because there a legal and consensual age difference. It is not fair. You cannot ask the older generations to accept your relationships and choose to have them if you can't accept, assuming that they are legal with consent. Because a long time ago, they were not... And when you have a longtime Star Wars fan who is older that is okay with your desires for legal and consensual relationships, killing us is not going to get these hateful toxic fans off your backs. You need longtime fans to be in your corner fighting for your cause because a lot of us have seriously fought for real shit, too. Not just protesting, but having rocks and police beatdowns and water canons, too. Blame by authorities for throwing in prison all the time. Shid...you should have seen us Spelman women rip a new asshole to fight Apartheid in South Africa against Amnesty International. We fought hard for that.

But you need to be cool with our stuff too. Just ask me. I'll tell you.

[kibastray]

Blood Orchid: Akuma Mari

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette is a from a royal (or part of a very rich) family on her mom’s side. 

She knew that in some capacity growing up but it was never really an issue for her or her parents. Sabine was happy with her life away from her family so it was mentioned but not really brought up after that. They were in France not China so it didn’t matter.

However one day one of Sabine’s family members comes to Paris and explains exactly how much influence the Dupain-Chengs (mainly the Cheng part of the family) have.

They go on to explain that; Marinette is expected to take part in her responsibilities as a Cheng, seeing how Sabine gave up that part of her life and those responsibilities fall to Marinette. 

They give her the family heirloom (or seal) as a show of her new life and responsibilities. 

(could add that her parents think it is a good idea to go along with this because with the akuma attacks that have been happening. and they think it is an even better time to go forward with this because there are Sentimonsters around now too)

So the adults talk about moving Marinette to China. (this is because I want to make Marinette feel like she doesn’t have a say in this decision and doesn’t like it)

Marinette isn’t happy about this. 

She likes living in Paris. 

She can’t even speak any Chinese. Well... by now she can but she can speak only basic phrases 

She is ladybug and can’t leave Paris in Hawkmoth’s control

She doesn’t know what to do and struggles to deal with everything. 

Her emotions get the better of her and she finally gets akumatized. 

She is Blood Orchid: The Lost Heir. (IDK if I need that second part but it kind of rolls of the tongue nicely)

I have no idea what she looks like: Kind of want to do some traditional Chinese outfit but IDK.

Seeing how I have no clue about what her powers would be I am gonna just throw sh*t at a wall and see what sticks 

so if this is something that was so unexpected she didn’t see coming then it could give her the ability of foresight. A b*tch to deal with because she can see what is gonna happen before it does.

If she feels like she isn’t in control of her life anymore (in more ways than just this current family drama. being the guardian, dealing with Lila, the class, and Chat have all been effecting her tbh.) then it could give her the ability to control things around her. Like a royal decree and things do as she decrees 

If she feels betrayed then she could turn into something that strikes back at the things that have wronged her. Maybe something like Kagami’s akuma transformation and some sort of Chinese monster of some sort. 

I Could have fun with a Triad mafia possibility. Maybe some sort of enforcer angle? 

...Nope that is all I got.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That is all I got. Blood Orchid just sounds like a really good name for an akuma for Marinette. open to ideas. or if you want. PM me and let me know if this sounds like something you would want to take a crack at. 

Edit: (I moved this part to the end)

So this was a quick "jot it down thing before I forget it" type of thing based solely on the Title. TBH I really like the OC type of akumas for Marinette. Don't get me wrong I love the "Princess Justice" ones but unique IPs where there are no limits to a fixed idea just make it all the more fun IMO.

Anyway I was hopping for your opinion on this and if any of you you had any ideas on where to take this. Warning: this is very bare bones and more of a sleep deprived ramble written in 2 minutes, than an proper idea right now.

[loreensdarling]

this is clan wrens heir (ursa wren would spin in her grave)

[servesthemuse]

SABINE ISHIKAWA. 29, pureblood, de sympathizer.

- moody / whiny / controlling / conceited / possessive / lies impatient / selfish / power-hungry / greedy judgmental / spiteful / stubborn / petty

+ ambitious / intelligent / confident / focused observant / clever / charming / decisive / adaptive 

sole heir to a powerful pureblood family that made its wealth smuggling illegal artifacts and creatures across borders and supplying various black markets. tolerates death eaters in order to further her own goals and expand her family’s wealth. can be found trying not to talk shit at pureblood meetings and ignoring her not-yet-husband.

[worldofwardcraft]

Rage against the vaccine.

May 17, 2021

When Jonas Salk developed a successful immunizing agent against poliomyelitis in 1955 (with Albert Sabin's oral version following a few years later), so great was the fear of this highly contagious, paralyzing disease that parents flocked to have their children inoculated. Salk was even awarded the Medal of Freedom.

But back then, this country did not have a major political party totally dedicated to rejecting truth and science. It did not have a propaganda apparatus focused solely on spreading lies and disinformation. And it did not have a social media network capable of supporting anti-vax ignoramuses. Today, we are plagued with all of these.

While a majority of Americans are now at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19, an April poll by the Covid States Project finds that a full 18% of adults (almost all of them Republicans) say they definitely will not get the vaccine. Unfortunately, if this number continues to hold, it will prevent us from reaching the necessary herd immunity required to halt the spread of the disease.

Why are so many so vaccine opposed? Sure, there's been an "anti-vax" movement in this country for years. But the resistance to the COVID vaccine in particular was created and hyped through a vicious right-wing media operation. This has been carried on especially, but not exclusively, by Faux News, the most damaging of whose on-air liars is Swanson frozen food heir Tucker Carlson (pictured above promoting the conservative death cult).

Carlson began his campaign last winter by pretending that any efforts to vaccinate the public were some form of "social control." Then in April, when public health experts were recommending that vaccinated people still wear masks, he suggested, "maybe it doesn't work and they're simply not telling you that."

Now, he's moved on from mere skepticism about the vaccine's effectiveness to outright fear mongering. Here he is only last week.

Between late December of 2020 and last month, a total of 3,362 people apparently died after getting the COVID vaccine in the United States. The actual number is almost certainly higher than that, perhaps vastly higher than that.

You get the implication, right? That vaccine all those government officials (evil Dr. Fauci, fake president Biden and others) are urging you to get is dangerously lethal! It'll kill you! Carlson's gimmick has always been to ensnare his viewers by manufacturing reasons for them to be angry. To hear him tell it he's "just asking questions" about whether a malevolent government is purposely executing its citizens. But really he's simply stoking fury.

[ladysunamireads]

Wingroots

Wingroots by trashcatontherooftop

Half a day's ride from Paris, lost in the French countryside, lies the small but unusual village of Borbois, surrounded by forest. Adrien, heir to the Agreste estate, runs to the woods to escape his father's control, only to find himself trapped in a land of perpetual twilight, on the brink of war.

Marinette, the baker's daughter and sole witness to his disappearance, determines to find him and bring him home safely, no matter the cost.

Words: 2001, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen

Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Emilie Agreste, Plagg, Tikki, Tom Dupain, Sabine Cheng, Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, Etta Césaire, Ella Césaire, Chris Lahiffe, Félix Graham de Vanily, Chloé Bourgeois

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Victorian, AU Yeah AUgust, adrienette - Freeform, DJWifi, Time Travel Shenanigans, Seelie Court, Unseelie Court, Family tree shenanigans, The author will be taking certain liberties, Don't think about it too hard, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, more tags to be added later

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25637896

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

Wingroots

Wingroots by trashcatontherooftop

Half a day's ride from Paris, lost in the French countryside, lies the small but unusual village of Borbois, surrounded by forest. Adrien, heir to the Agreste estate, runs to the woods to escape his father's control, only to find himself trapped in a land of perpetual twilight, on the brink of war.

Marinette, the baker's daughter and sole witness to his disappearance, determines to find him and bring him home safely, no matter the cost.

Words: 2001, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen

Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Emilie Agreste, Plagg, Tikki, Tom Dupain, Sabine Cheng, Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, Etta Césaire, Ella Césaire, Chris Lahiffe, Félix Graham de Vanily, Chloé Bourgeois

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Victorian, AU Yeah AUgust, adrienette - Freeform, DJWifi, Time Travel Shenanigans, Seelie Court, Unseelie Court, Family tree shenanigans, The author will be taking certain liberties, Don't think about it too hard, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, more tags to be added later

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25637896