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alexseanchai · 3 years

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Fanfic 2020 in Review

I got tagged by @kasienda @noirshitsuji and @marvelousmsmol and I am tagging whoever wants to play!

1) List of fics completed this year in the order they were finished:

*filters own works to complete and updated in 2020*

1 - 20 of 57 Works by AlexSeanchai

nope. *adds filter to include only works of at least 1000 words*

unless otherwise indicated, these are all Miraculous Ladybug:

“don’t bake it lying down”, post-reveal Marichat vs Felix Graham de Vanily

“veracity”, canon divergence from “Ladybug” featuring Mister Bug and Verity Queen (so also Marichat, I guess)

“(no request is too extreme, if) your heart is in your dream”, in which Hawkmoth wins, for the thirty seconds or so before Emilie saves Ladybug and Chat Noir’s lives

“tell me you love me and make me believe it”, in which trans girl Chatonne Noire ropes Ladybug into helping plan her civilian self’s escape slash social transition

“kingmaker, oathbreaker”, in which Hawkmoth wins and Emilie watches her son remove himself from the family

“stay and let me watch you break it down” (Twelve Dancing Princesses), a modern setting

“set a course for winds of fortune”, in which trans girl Chatonne Noire has already escaped and Gabriel and Nathalie are trying to bring Gabriel’s son home

“we ground love in a hopeless place”, in which post-reveal Marinette’s attempt to remain resolutely not in love with her partner dissolves like sugar in coffee when they start a pun war

“ring the bells that still can ring”, in which Alya is deeply confused about why Adrien and Marinette are planning a wedding when last night both were single

“burning wishes at both ends (the cold wind and long loud wail remix)”, in which Gabriel made a monkey’s paw wish and Emilie makes another

“words cannot espresso”, in which Marinette’s OC roommate is justifiably worried for Marinette’s safety, and meanwhile Adrien takes care of Marinette

“the compromise of truth” (the chronologically second-earliest part posted to date of nine lives, snake’s eyes), in which Adrien tells his friends how he won some freedom and respect from his father

“At The Present Time”, the Ladrien/Ladynoir marriage proposal follow-up to @art-deco-shrimp‘s “Your Presents Required”

“j'ai rêvé (so I don't have to dream alone)”, in which the events of canon must just have been a series of dream sequences, Marinette and Adrien both think, until they both arrive at Chloe’s Halloween masquerade dressed as themselves from the dreams

2) Number of words written:

ahahaha no. I am not counting all my scattered fic drafts and trying to figure out what I did and didn’t write in 2020. I refuse.

AO3 says I posted 162K in 2020. it is counting all of keeps you guessing (like any real love), which (a) I started posting in 2019 (b) is co-written by @galahadwilder; it is counting all of my meta snippets collection, much of which was written in 2019; it is counting the Vimeo passwords for my vids. but I probably cleared 150K by a safe margin.

3) Your most popular fic:

“veracity” has a four-digit kudos count, wow, when’d that happen? this is also the 2020 work with the most hits and the most bookmarks, but “tell me you love me” has four-thirds as many comments as its nearest competitor.

4) Your personal fav:

“cannot break us, not with a thousand swords”, no question about it. this is the one in which Ladybug proposes marriage to Chat Noir via Princess Bride meme on Tumblr. (if you intend to download the work or otherwise to consume it with creator style off, you want the accessible version instead of the primary version.)

5) Your fav scene:

aaaaaaaaa

—okay so this is cheating and I know it, since Uncertain Humors (the one where Marinette/Adrien is both Orpheus/Eurydice and Theseus/Ariadne) is nowhere near finished, never mind posted (maybe I'll get “Sanguine” done to post on my birthday?)

but it is still my favorite of the year. as you might guess from that description of the story, this scene has content notes for character death:

Hell is a maze. Marinette walks.

This acrid passage has little to see but damp stone, seeming blood-stained in the dim carmine light. At about the height of her heart, the faintly glowing thread cuts through the not-clammy air; it ought to be pulsing at the same rate as the heart it's bound to. She might be able to see her own reflection if she looked down at the open sewage pipe, or at one of the puddles that now and again she splashes through, dampening the canvas of her shoes. She might see reflected what's behind her.

She remembers Mme. Mendeleiev lecturing on human physiology. In healthy humans old enough to have learned how, urination is a voluntary action: one may not know which muscles one tenses and relaxes in order to do so, and probably isn't paying attention to those details when one is doing, but one has conscious control over whether one does. Usually. Stress and anxiety mean some people are unable to relax the relevant sphincter muscle and others are unable to stop themselves. It's voluntary for cats, too: it's one way they mark their territories. Cat-boys have other ways.

There is a moment in every human life when all one's muscles relax at once. Some Parisians have had several such moments.

The thread is braided with itself around her left fourth finger, rows of tiny red half-hitch knots, and falls loosely over the back of her hand to loop twice around her wrist. She holds it wrapped between the fingers of her right hand to keep it at a constant tension, as though knitting with this insubstantial thread, so fragile for something two (two dozen, two million) lives hang from—too thin to sew with, no thicker than one strand of his hair. As she walks, she winds it around and around and around her wrist.

Between her ring finger and her right hand, it loops twice.

Marinette's shoe lands in a puddle she didn't see. The rainwater splashes soundlessly onto her bare ankle and on the stone.

(With cat-like tread, upon our prey we steal— It's a very loud song.)

She walks on.

6) A fic or scene that challenged you:

where the firelight fades, no contest. this is the second story I’ve ever been able to stick with more than a couple hundred words past the 20K mark, but it’s easily the twentieth novel-length I’ve begun. (though also, you know that kedreeva post? well, 90K later, I’m less than 15K from completing this 10K fic! I think.) and I have been learning so much about long-form fiction.

there has also been a lot of weeping and tearing my hair. case in point: I just trashed the chapter 15 draft because I figured out the reason it wasn’t going anywhere! I can probably keep the first few hundred words of that draft without any editing, and another few hundred with some revision...

7) A line of writing you’re proud of:

from “j'ai rêvé (so I don't have to dream alone)”:

Everything about their partnership is fragments of sentences in the dream diary Adrien writes in ultraviolet pen. Disjointed flickers of thought even when examined under the black light he hides in the snack cabinet under packets of Super Yoyo sandwich cookies and bags of cheesy Monster Munch potato chips and boxes of petit écolier butter cookies (chocolat noir)—none of which explains the gym-socks smell. All fleeting incoherent flashes, invisible between the mundane lines of La Modification shelved at his bedside between Leroux and Dumas. None of it is solid. Adrien has more proof his room's haunted.

okay let me break this down for you!

* Adrien started a dream diary to make sense of the memories

* in invisible ink, in a book that (according to Wikipedia) is thematically appropriate and won’t (if Gabriel sees it) look like anything other than Adrien developing an interest in French literature

* shelved between Phantom of the Opera and The Three Musketeers

* look I didn’t come up with the name “black light”

* or “chocolat noir” for what English speakers call “dark chocolate”, or “petit écolier” (that is, “little schoolboy”) for that sort of butter cookie

* also not my fault that “chocolat noir” sounds remarkably like “Chat Noir”, which, attentive readers may have noticed, is not a name that appears in the story after the header and before Miraculous Cure

* I found the website of a store in Boston, Massachusetts that caters to French expats, and the yo-yo cookies and the monster chips were right there in the photos, y’all

* the snack stash and the black light live in the cabinet where, in canon, the Camembert lives; yes, that cheese smells in the real world like gym socks

* this story’s akuma was not able to affect anything but squishy human memory: nobody affected remembers anything about Ladybug or Chat Noir or Hawkmoth, not in any solid way, not even when they read news articles about the subject, and this includes Marinette and Adrien not being able to see or hear or remember their own kwamis—but you know what Adrien’s Insta post about his poltergeist and Adrien’s Insta post with the floating sock don’t show and don’t explicitly refer to?

* I love this paragraph so much (my housemates may have been lovingly mocking me over it)

8) A comment that touched you:

there are people (y’all know who you are) who said y’all are studying my style. I ded of blush.

9) Something that inspired your writing:

by volume of fic drafts that can be blamed on any particular person, the winner is probably @norakwami

10) Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic; etc):

so that longest-story-ever-written record I set in 2007 with the 89.5K story that, till where the firelight fades, was the only story I’d gotten much past 20K?

I broke that fucking record!

and then I deleted the draft of firelight chapter 15 😭

11) Do you have any writing goals for the next year?

I’m starting work on a fantasy novel, a Sleeping Beauty retelling in which I explore (among other things) the economic consequences of the king’s ordering all the spinning wheels burned, and I want to make significant progress on that. and I want to not make my hands any worse; I kind of need those!

(breaking news alert: bodies fucking suck. so does giving yourself repetitive stress injuries in doing one and a half to two people’s worth of work for an organization that was never ever going to pay you more than one person’s worth of pay.)

#by alexseanchai #miraculous ladybug #tag game

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sincerelymarinette · 5 years

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A Recorded Life (26/50) - Miraculous Ladybug

Words: 1741 Chapter Summary: Adrien has a surpirse in for him, in the middle of the night! He can't let it bother him, he has an important interview in the morning. And, of course, Marinette is coming along to get some behind the scenes scoop. Something is bothering her, though. Author's Note: it's december! this is exciting. FUN FACT someone actually gave me the idea for this chapter/video on ao3 a few updates ago! I know the interviews like this are a little different, but I pictured this so clearly in my head, I changed it around a bit. More action to come the next few chapters :)

Prev / Next / Masterlist

Adrien's Buzzfeed Interview (Behind the Scenes!)

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Unlike Marinette, Adrien had been sleeping through the night. He's typically a light sleeper, so he usually wakes up to random noises in his room. He's been double-checking the locks on all his windows and even had Nathalie order new curtains that fully fit them in his room. Just in case Hawkmoth could see into his bedroom.

Plagg, on the other hand, was much more worried than Adrien. As a god, he didn't need as much sleep. He would only sleep in increments, though, concerned that someone could steal him away from Adrien.

The rare moment where both of them were asleep was when Adrien's bedroom door opened. It was dark in his room, but there was a little light coming in from the hallway.

Adrien heard the footsteps approach his bed, but thought it was only in his dream. A few moments passed before he realized no, that was real life. His eyes fluttered open, and he saw his father standing above him at the side of his bed, eyes fixated on Adrien's hand.

"Oh, father," Adrien sat up slowly, and Gabriel forced his eyes to look at Adrien's face. "You're home. Do you want to go talk now, or wait until morning?" As Adrien asked, he saw Nathalie peer around the open door to watch them.

Gabriel took a deep breath. "Let's go talk." Without another word, Gabriel turned around and walked out of Adrien's room.

"This should be interesting," Adrien said and got out of bed. "Come on, Plagg."

With Plagg in his pocket, Adrien found his father and Nathalie sitting at the long table. For once, he sat right next to his father and across from Nathalie at the same end. "You've been Chat Noir this whole time?" Gabriel asked, not looking at Adrien.

"Yes, father. I was chosen a few years ago, and Ladybug and I make a great team," Adrien explained himself.

"Of course," He nodded. "The Dupain-Cheng girl. I always knew there was something off about her."

Adrien perked up. "What?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I can't believe you went behind my back, Adrien. Sneaking out and putting yourself in danger? After you begged me to go to school, how much of it have you missed due to these fights?" Gabriel said.

"To be fair, everyone misses school when there's an Akuma. They want everyone to be safe from Hawkmoth when an Akuma is attacking the city," Adrien explained.

"I see," Gabriel nodded. "You should have told me."

Adrien looked down at his lap. "I'm sorry, father. But I couldn't. I couldn't risk putting you in danger, and I was afraid if I told one person, it would spiral out of control. Ladybug got that idea of me telling people out of my head really quick," He said. "It was kind of like a pact."

Gabriel still didn't look at Adrien. "Do you know who Hawkmoth is?"

"No, we're working on it," Adrien said. "I'm exhausted, can we finish this conversation tomorrow? I want to get some sleep since I have that big interview-"

"Yes, of course. Goodnight, Adrien. We'll continue tomorrow," Gabriel dismissed and waited for Adrien to leave.

Adrien shut his door and sighed against it. "That was...weird," Adrien announced.

"You bet it. I know your dad is creepy, but that was the creepiest he's been!" Plagg said. "I need some cheese after dealing with that conversation," Plagg flew over to the mini-fridge and grabbed a big slice of camembert.

---

Marinette waited outside of the bakery with her camera, smiling wide when Adrien's car pulled up. She got in the back to sit with Adrien as his bodyguard began driving them to Adrien's interview. "How are you today?" Adrien greeted.

"I stood outside, and no one came up to me," Marinette said. "So that was nice. I was expecting to walk out and be swarmed."

"That happened to me a lot," Adrien laughed. "Just from being a model."

Marinette shrugged. "Yeah, a model. That makes sense," She justified. "How are you? Excited?"

"My dad got home last night. It was an...interesting conversation," Adrien sighed. "He was upset I kept it a secret, and asked about Hawkmoth. We finished talking this morning, but all it did was upset me. But yeah, this interview should be fun," Adrien shook his head to make himself smile again.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Marinette offered.

Adrien shrugged. "Maybe later. I've got to keep myself happy for this interview. Do you want to start your video?"

"Oh, sure!" She smiled and turned the camera on. "Hi! I'm Marinette! I'm here again with Adrien-" She said and panned over to show him in the frame, a smile on his face, and he gave a wave, "And he invited me to get some behind-the-scenes of his interview."

Adrien nodded. "And it's going to be a fun one today! Some people from Buzzfeed are visiting Paris and asked me to do this interview, so I thought- why not? And I had to bring Mari, for obvious reasons," Adrien concluded. "I'm excited; we're almost there."

"I guess we'll tune back in when we get there!" Marinette said, and shut the camera off for the few minutes left in the car.

Only a few moments later, they arrived at the studio, and Gorilla waited to pull away until both of them were inside. He knew they didn't need the extra protection, but it was a habit, and he would always worry about them. Adrien and Marinette were greeted at the door with big smiles and welcoming faces.

"Adrien Agreste!" One of the men greeted in English. It was a good thing they both knew how to speak English...but Adrien wouldn't have agreed if he wasn't comfortable. "It's a pleasure to meet you, we're really excited to do this interview," He said, then realized Marinette was behind Adrien. "And Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Wow, a real treat to have both of you here!"

A woman appeared with wide eyes. "Wait...you guys are both here? This is amazing!"

Marinette shook her head. "I'm just here to get some behind the scenes for Adrien and to put on my YouTube channel after you guys upload the interview," She clarified. "Just act like I'm not even here."

"Also," Adrien interrupted. "I'm not sure what you guys have planned, but please don't bring up the Chat Noir thing. Marinette and I are really trying to keep it just to us who posts things, and I don't want it to-"

"No need to worry," The man cut him off. "We weren't planning on it, and honestly, we're still trying to figure out how this superhero thing even works."

Marinette chuckled. "Stick around for a few days, and you'll see," She said under her breath.

After a few more minutes of small talk conversation, they led Adrien and Marinette to where the interview would be recorded. It was a blue background, and they just told Adrien to stand because of "better posture." He understood, and stood on the small 'x' on the floor, looking right at the camera.

Marinette brought out her camera and started to record as they got everything set up. "Having fun, Adrien?" Marinette called for him to look at her.

"Oh yeah," He said, giving an enthusiastic thumbs up to the camera.

"Ready?" The man asked, and Adrien nodded as he looked back at the primary camera. At least she wouldn't have to subtitle this video. "Alright, first question: we know you're a model for your dad's company- what's your favorite part?" The man asked, and just as Adrien was about to answer, the door opened, and five puppies ran to him.

Both Marinette and Adrien gasped when the puppies came in. "It's a puppy interview?" Adrien squealed, sitting down to let the puppies jump all over him. "This is the best day of my life," He said, then looked back up as he held one of the puppies. "What was the question again?"

The crew chuckled as the man re-asked Adrien the question. "Oh! I love a lot of it. It's enjoyable to model, going to photoshoots, and just working, especially when my friends tag along. It's a lot of hard work, but definitely worth it," He clarified. "Oh my god, these puppies are the best ever."

"Do you get treated like a celebrity in school?"

With a puppy licking Adrien's face, he tried to answer. "No, not really. When I first came to school, people were excited, now we're all just normal friends and normal kids, we've just got a lot going on," He said in between giggles that came from the puppies. "I wish I could take one of these little guys home!"

"You do not need a puppy," Marinette scolded from the side, snickering behind her own camera. "Like you just said, you're too busy."

"Let me dream, Marinette!" He shouted back, holding the one puppy in front of him, and looking away from Marinette. "Plus, my dad wouldn't like a little trouble maker in the house."

The crew was loving seeing the interactions between Marinette and Adrien. "Maybe a hamster would be more suitable," Marinette smirked behind her camera.

Adrien shook his head, only slightly ignoring her. "Do we have another question?"

---

I just watched the BuzzFeed video and now marinette is posting behind the scenes?? i am not ok

they HAVE to be dating. the way they argue is so adorable, it's not normal??? ummmmmmmmm ship

adrien with puppies for an interview was too much for me to handle. You expect me to be better with a BONUS VIDEO? i mean i love it but i might be dead

i love that mari tags along to like all his events. friend goals. relationship goals.

I'm just so, so happy that she's still posting videos. I was really worried she was going to stop posting altogether after what happened.

They're really out here living their best lives. I stan

did the buzzfeed people freak out about ladybug and chat noir

Marinette was also happy she could continue posting, but the comments became less enjoyable to read when she would always find the comments about their superhero personas. She figured out that she just needed to stop reading when she read a few, and take a break from the internet.

She took a deep breath as she went to her bed. How hasn't an Akuma come after her yet?

---

@lady-of-the-roses-and-lilies @bookishserendipity03 @avatheexceed @gkz10 @coccinellegirl @kat-thatoneweirdo @strawberryblondish @snow-swordswoman @lilgaga98 @evufries

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mikauzoran · 5 years

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Adrienette Drabble: Daisy Chapter Thirty-Three: Unequal

There’s a Daisy Chapter Thirty-Three: Unequal

“I have to go,” Adrien realized, mind spinning, trying to come up with a plausible excuse to run out on his friends in his own home.

“Go where?” Chloé snorted.

“We need to get to shelter,” Elise took charge. “That thing is right outside the mansion, and it’s huge. It could easily crush us.”

“Maybe head for the basements?” Kagami suggested, taking Chloé by the arm and tugging her away from the window.

“Dad, I’m going to need my ring back.” Adrien held out his hand.

Gabriel blinked. “What? Why?”

“The timer,” Adrien explained as he gestured emphatically for the ring. “It’s not exactly five minutes anymore, so I can’t count it in my head. Ring. Please.”

Gabriel’s face drained of all colour. “Adrien, you’re not going out there. It’s too dangerous.”

“He’s right,” Chloé laughed, breaking away from Kagami to grab Adrien’s arm. “What are you even talking about? Now’s not the time to accessorize. You’re coming to the basement with us.”

“I need to call your mother,” Gabriel muttered, pulling out his phone with a shaking hand and beginning to walk away.

“Plagg, transform me!” Adrien called, and in a flash of green light, Chat Noir stood before them, hand outstretched for his ring.

Kagami and Elise gasped. Chloé shrieked. Nino groaned. Gabriel stared.

“Sorry, but I have to go,” Chat informed gently yet firmly, entreating with his eyes. “People trust me with their lives. I don’t have the luxury of sitting this out because I’m not at the top of my game. Ring, please, Dad.”

Gabriel handed over the ring.

“Thank you,” Chat breathed with a smile and then turned to his friends. “Sorry for springing this on you and running. Obviously, it’s a secret, so please don’t tell anyone.” He looked at Nino. “Please make sure everyone gets to shelter. This looks like a nasty one.”

“Dude, I’m coming with you,” Nino snorted. “Do you seriously think you and Ladybug will be able to work as a cohesive team with everything going on between you? Plus, there’s no telling how long it will take her to show up. You’ve been lying in bed not eating for a week. How long do you realistically think you’ll last?”

Chat winced. “You’re right…on all counts…. Let’s go.”

“Thank you,” Nino sighed in relief. “Wayzz, transform me!”

Elise, Chloé, Kagami, and Gabriel’s mouths dropped open.

Chat turned to Gabriel. “Dad, take everyone down to one of the basement levels, okay? Don’t worry about Nathalie; I’ll keep an eye out for her. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

Without another word, Chat Noir and Carapace jumped up to the windowpane Adrien kept unlocked for just such an emergency and were on their way.

“Do we have a plan?” Carapace wondered as they landed in a crouch on the edge of a rooftop overlooking where the sentimonster was stomping and waving its arms, throwing a fit and creating havoc but not really seeming to desire anything more than to draw attention.

“Normally, my plan is to wail on the monster and keep it distracted until Ladybug figures out where the amok is. I’m thinking we might want to try something different today,” Chat chuckled sheepishly.

“Yeah. Different sounds good. I’m worried about you getting hurt. Don’t push yourself, Mec,” Carapace sighed as he tried to size up the sentimonster.

“Look,” Chat whispered, pointing to a nearby roof. “Behind that gable. Mayura.”

Carapace nodded. “Wanna try to sneak up and capture her?”

Chat bit his lip. “Could be a trap. She’s being sort of obvious, not really hiding well. The sentimonster is kind of acting like it’s trying to draw us out too. I don’t think we should both go in there.”

“I don’t know why you’re always so down on yourself with your ‘Ladybug is the brains of the operation; I’m just the distraction’,” Carapace laughed, bumping Chat’s shoulder with his own. “Look at you thinking strategically, making the plays.”

Chat chuckled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Yeah, well…necessity is the mother of… What’s that saying?”

“Dude, I think she’s spotted us,” Carapace gulped, putting out an arm in front of Chat, as if to protect him from Mayura.

Chat smiled wryly, manually lowering Carapace’s arm. “Okay. Here’s the plan. I’m going in there. If it starts looking bad, call Ladybug…and maybe…I don’t know. If it looks like it’ll help, try to cover me or something, but don’t engage her if it doesn’t look like you can take her. I know that’s not as elegant or convoluted as a Ladybug plan, but…something like that, okay?” He shot a sideways glance at Carapace.

“I don’t necessarily like it, but I’ve got it. If it looks bad I’ll ping Ladybug, and if it comes to it…don’t worry, my friend. I will be your shield.”

Chat cracked up as he clapped Carapace on the shoulder. “Thanks man. Wish me luck because all of mine is bad.”

Carapace groaned, watching Chat pole vault to land on the gable overlooking Mayura.

“What have we here?” Chat purred, looming over her.

Mayura carefully stepped back along the edge of the roof, fanning herself lackadaisically, as if she wasn’t cornered. “You arrived faster than I expected.”

“You came back sooner than I would have liked,” Chat countered dryly.

“Good afternoon, Chat Noir,” she greeted, at ease.

“Is this a social call? I thought you and your boyfriend were retired,” Chat snorted. “Or did the old man have to take a medical leave of absence or something? Papillon is getting on in years, isn’t he?”

Mayura gave a snort of amused laughter. “That’s actually what I lured you out to talk about today.”

“So this is a social call.” Chat’s eyes narrowed, not trusting Mayura as far as the next rooftop.

“Papillon is retired,” she announced.

Chat scoffed. “May I ask the reason for this happy occasion? The creep terrorizes a city for half a decade only to suddenly give up?”

Mayura shifted ever so slightly, studying Chat before giving her response, “His priorities have changed…. He’s decided to focus on being a father.”

Chat’s eyes widened. “O-Oh? Um…congratulations? When are you due?”

The blue skin of Mayura’s face turned mauve as she looked away, a reflexive hand going to her stomach.

With some sympathy for Mayura’s flustered state, Chat cleared his throat and challenged, “So, why should I believe you? It feels like you’re telling me this to lull me off my guard. Sorry, but you two are notoriously tricky. Your MO is using other people. I have no reason to take your word for it that Papillon’s gone. I mean, he could change his mind at any time, and then where would I be?”

Mayura nodded, regaining her composure. “Right. It’s as you say. That is the primary reason why I lured you here today. I intend to put your mind at ease and ensure that he can’t go back, even if he wanted to.”

The sentimonster in the plaza below disappeared, turning back into a transforming robot toy as a white feather gently floated away on the breeze.

Mayura lifted a hand, warning, “Please don’t drop this. It’s old and priceless.”

Chat frowned in confusion. He opened his mouth to seek clarification, but she cut him off.

“Catch.”

His instincts kicked in, and he reached for the brooch, snatching it out of the air and then staring at it in the center of his palm in bafflement, not at first registering what it was.

He looked up to ask Mayura, but she was gone.

He blinked down at the lavender gemstone. A spark of recognition flickered in his chest, and he sucked in a deep breath.

“…Noo…roo…was it? Can you hear me?” he whispered.

The brooch seemed to pulse in response.

“Dude! What did she give you?” Carapace called as he landed on the roof two meters off.

Chat’s fingers clenched around the Butterfly Miraculous. He spun to face Carapace, his hand going behind his back. “N-Nothing.”

Carapace frowned, arching an eyebrow skeptically. “Chat Noir, I saw her toss you something. Why so jumpy?”

Chat bit his lip, grip tightening around the brooch. He could feel the edges of it cutting into his palm through the glove.

“Mec,” Carapace chided, hands going to his hips. “What did she say to you? You look spooked.”

Chat swallowed hard and slowly brought his hand around in front between them, cautiously loosening his fingers one at a time.

Carapace stared down uncomprehendingly. “What is it? A cabochon?”

Chat unzipped his left pocket and stowed the Miraculous inside so that nothing else could happen to it. He cleared his throat. “It’s Papillon’s Miraculous. Mayura said he was retiring to be a father.”

Carapace’s eyes flew wide, a gobsmacked look on his face as he exhaled an explosive, “What?! Wait. Dude. What?!” He reached for Chat’s pocket, but Chat dodged.

“Whoa! Hey!” Chat protested, leaping back.

“Mec, we gotta get that back to Fu. Like, yesterday. Like, last week. Like, two hundred years ago,” Carapace insisted.

“Dude, where’s the fire?” Chat demanded, taking another step back. “It’s not like you have to take it right this second.”

“Chat Noir, that thing is dangerous,” Carapace reminded, voice on edge.

Chat shook his head. “No. This thing is dangerous.” He held up his right hand, emphasizing the ring. “Period. I’ve got the apocalypse on my finger. I know a thing or two about dangerous. The Butterfly Miraculous is only dangerous if misused, and I don’t plan on akumatizing anyone with it. It can hang out with me for a few days.”

Carapace gnawed on his lip nervously. “What if you lose it?”

Chat stared at Carapace, expression utterly deadpan.

Carapace sighed. “Okay. Yeah. Sorry. It’s just…that thing has been wreaking havoc on Paris for five years. I’ll sleep better once it’s back in its box where it belongs. Dude, you know I’m right.”

Chat made a disgruntled noise. “Objectively, but…”

“But?” Carapace prompted.

Chat shifted restlessly, playing with his ring, spinning it on his finger like Adrien did when he was agitated.

“Chat Noir,” Carapace called gently.

Chat shook his head. “It’s going to sound stupid.”

“No it’s not,” Carapace assured. “Come on, Kitten. Talk to me.”

Chat Noir remained mute, looking down at the tiles of the roof, contemplating how overly sensitive he was being.

“All right,” Carapace sighed after enough time had passed to be certain Chat wasn’t answering. “But we have to tell Ladybug.” He activated the phone function in his shield.

“No!” Chat cried, leaping forward to press the call end button.

“Dude,” Carapace snorted, mildly put out.

“You can’t tell her yet. She’ll make me send him back,” Chat tried to reason.

Carapace frowned. “The Miraculous has a gender now? I know you get attached to things easily, Chat Noir, but—”

“—The kwami,” Chat corrected. “Nooroo.”

Carapace’s eyes widened. He lowered his arm, momentarily tabling the idea of informing Ladybug. “The kwami,” he repeated, beginning to nod.

“Hear me out,” Chat sighed, hand going to grip Carapace’s upper arm. “Nooroo’s been missing for nearly two centuries, right?”

Carapace nodded.

“And for the past five years, he’s been with Papillon. We know the creep’s a vicious nutjob. I don’t imagine he’s been taking very good care of his kwami. We don’t know where Nooroo’s been sleeping or what he’s been given to eat, how he’s been treated,” Chat listed, painting the worst-case scenario picture he had in his mind for his friend. “What if Papillon’s been starving Nooroo or pulling on his wings or-or…I don’t know what. But what if Nooroo is traumatized? Shouldn’t we make sure he’s okay before we lock him up in a box for who knows how long?”

Carapace bit his lip, seeing Chat’s argument.

“What if Papillon’s been keeping him confined? Shouldn’t we let Nooroo stretch his wings a bit? Shouldn’t we give him a good meal and let him sleep on a nice pillow? What if he’s not ready to go back in the box with the others? What if he’s ashamed of what happened, being used like that? What if he blames himself? What if the other kwamis are mean to him? What if he needs some time to process what happened and come to terms with it and learn how to love himself? Shouldn’t we let Nooroo decide what he wants?” Chat reasoned, a begging tone to his voice.

Carapace sighed, reaching out to pat Chat on the arm. “Okay. I think you’re projecting onto the kwami a little bit—”

“—I knew it would sound stupid,” Chat sighed, looking away.

“—but,” Carapace stressed, “I think your concerns are legitimate. You can take Nooroo home with you and make sure he’s okay.”

Chat gave a little hop and punched the air in triumph. “Yes!”

“We have to tell Ladybug and Fu, though,” Carapace informed. “This isn’t the type of thing we can keep them in the dark about. We have to let them know. Wayzz is going to tell Fu anyway as soon as I take him back this evening.”

Chat deflated. “Oh, fine. Go ahead and tell them but tell them too that I’m not giving Nooroo back until he’s ready and willing to go. We can at least respect his wishes that much.”

“All right,” Carapace acquiesced easily. “I’ll tell them. I can’t control what they do in response, but I’ll tell them. Ready to head back?”

Reluctantly, Chat nodded.

When they made it back to the Mansion, the boys spent a good thirty minutes under interrogation by Chloé, Elise, and, to a lesser extent, Kagami.

Nathalie, who had arrived at the Mansion only a fraction of a minute before Chat Noir and Carapace, spent the Inquisition pointedly avoiding Gabriel’s comical, “what the hell?!” gaze and deflecting each “Nathalie, can I talk to you?” and “Nathalie, if we could just step into the next room for a minute?” and “Nathalie, there’s something I urgently need to speak with you about.” with assurances that they would talk later once they’d finished their discussion with Adrien and his friends.

“I’m very interested in Adrien’s answers to Miss Bourgeois’s questions,” she explained as Chloé quizzed Adrien on everything from why the bell to if he knew who Ladybug was. “We’ll talk later, Gabriel.”

Gabriel, put out at being kept in the dark, tried several times to cut in on Chloé and ask what had happened with the sentimonster, but Chloé was having none of it.

“They obviously defeated it, if they’re here,” Chloé scoffed. “My Adri-chou has been running around Paris as a cat-boy for five years. There are more pressing issues than that ridiculous sentimonster to be dealt with!”

These “pressing issues” ranged from critique of sartorial choices to jumping down Adrien’s throat for reckless behavior as a superhero to what Chat Noir’s favourite spot around Paris to take in the view was.

Nino did not get questioned so thoroughly about his own part-time superheroing stint. Oddly enough, he was more than okay with that.

A literal half hour into the scene, Chloé finally asked about the fight with the sentimonster.

Gabriel and Nathalie tensed.

“Mayura was actually just luring us out to tell us Papillon was retiring,” Adrien explained, careful to leave out all mention of the Butterfly Miraculous.

Kagami snorted as if insulted. “She expects us to believe her?”

“Don’t trust those people, Adrien,” Chloé cautioned heatedly. “They’re tricky.”

Kagami nodded vehemently. “They subsist on using and manipulating people. I believe this is what they call an obvious trap.”

“Maybe so,” Adrien agreed, “but I think there might be something to it…at least in the short term. Mayura and Papillon are having a baby.”

“What?!” Gabriel exclaimed, staring at his son for a moment before whipping his head to the left to gawk at Nathalie who was putting a hand to her temple and rubbing, trying to fight off a migraine.

Adrien shrugged. “Don’t be so surprised, Dad. I mean it’s obvious they’re an item, and they’re not that old, so it’s not unthinkable.”

“Adrien, what exactly did Mayura tell you?” Nathalie prompted.

“She said that Papillon was retiring to focus on being a father,” he reported.

“Oh.” Gabriel’s heartrate and breathing went back to normal. “I see. That’s…good.”

“They’ll probably come back in a year or so,” Chloé reasoned. “Once the baby is a little older and they can leave it with a nanny.”

“Maybe.” Nino shrugged. “…Okay. I think that’s enough excitement for one day. Gang, what do you say we head out and let Adrien rest?”

Reluctantly, the girls all agreed, giving Adrien bear-like hugs and kisses on the cheeks as they said their goodbyes.

Afterward, Adrien headed for his room while Gabriel took Nathalie by the hand and gently marched her into his upstairs office for an interrogation of her own.

Adrien took the Butterfly Miraculous from his pocket and studied it for a moment as Plagg floated nearby.

The kwami seemed agitated, flitting high and low, peering down at the Miraculous with a worried expression on his face. “What you said to Hat-Boy was really nice, about making sure Nooroo is okay, but maybe we should leave that to Maître Fu,” Plagg suggested. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea. I mean, what if Nooroo’s gone totally insane, cracked under the pressure of torture? That’s not something you can deal with.”

“Maybe not,” Adrien admitted softly. “But I’m going to try. I don’t know, Plagg, but I just kept thinking…what if it were you?”

Plagg stopped fidgeting and really looked at his chosen.

“What if you had been the one lost and held prisoner? What if you were alone and being mistreated? I’d want someone to make sure you were okay too,” Adrien reasoned. “I mean, Nooroo has had plenty of other holders before Papillon, right? Surely there have been people who have felt about him the same way I feel about you.”

Plagg floated in to nuzzle Adrien’s cheek. “You’re such a sap, Kitten.”

“I love you too, Plagg,” Adrien chuckled, pinning the brooch to his shirt.

In a little pop of light, a terrified-looking lavender butterfly appeared, eyes shifting this way and that as he shivered and tried to make himself look even smaller than he already was, wings folding in on himself.

His eyes trained on Adrien and then slid over to Plagg. “Chat Noir,” Nooroo whispered. “You are indeed Adrien Agreste.”

“You can just call me ‘Adrien’. It’s nice to meet you Nooroo.” Adrien tentatively held out a hand, palm up, for Nooroo to perch on.

Nooroo stared at Adrien, bewildered. “Where…? The Maître and the Maîtresse…they…?”

“You’re safe now,” Adrien coaxed, indicating the brooch pinned to his shirt. “They can’t get you anymore. You’re with me.”

Nooroo’s eyes widened. “You…are my new master?”

“I’m your new friend,” Adrien corrected. “For as long as you want. You can stay here with me until you’re ready to go back to the Guardian and the other kwamis. Unless you want to go back right now,” Adrien hastily added. “You don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want to. I just thought that you’d want a little vacation maybe, but you can go home any time you want. Just say the word and I’ll drop you off with my friend who knows where the Guardian lives, and he’ll take you home.”

Nooroo blinked uncomprehendingly. “My home is there.” He pointed to the Miraculous. “You mean to return me to the Miracle Box? I do not understand…‘vacation’.”

Adrien returned Nooroo’s blink with interest. “You know, I’ve never been on vacation either, but it’s supposed to be when you don’t have to work and you get to go fun places and eat food that you like and get dessert every day. I was thinking…since you’ve had a rough last two hundred years…that you deserved a vacation before you go back to the Miracle Box with the other kwamis.”

Nooroo nodded slowly. “A vacation…I think that I would very much like a vacation, Master.” Tentatively he alighted on Adrien’s palm and bowed. “I am Nooroo. I am at your service, Master.”

“Uh, thanks, Nooroo, but you don’t have to call me ‘Master’. Just ‘Adrien’ is fine,” Adrien assured, wanting to nip this in the bud before it became a habit. He wasn’t really comfortable being anyone’s master.

Nooroo blinked innocently. “But…that’s disrespectful. You are my master. I should show my respect and obedience.”

Adrien shook his head, carefully reaching out a finger to stroke Nooroo from the top of his head down his back between the wings. “Nooroo, I don’t know what kind of relationship you had with Papillon, but things aren’t going to be like that anymore. I’m your friend. You don’t serve me. Plagg doesn’t serve me. We’re partners…and I want to be your partner too. You can just call me by my name…or, if you like, you can use a nickname. Plagg calls me ‘Kid’ or ‘Kitten’ a lot. If there’s something like that that you want to call me, that’s fine too. Okay?”

Nooroo bit his lip, looking troubled even as he leaned into Adrien’s finger. “I do not know…. It does not feel right to refer to an owner by name. I am not comfortable simply using your name like an equal.”

“Then how about you call him ‘Adrien-bocchama’?” Plagg, who had been unusually silent as he tensely watched the scene unfolding, suggested.

Adrien groaned. “Plagg.”

Nooroo looked back and forth between the two. “‘Bocchama’?” he tested the word on his tongue.

“It means ‘young master’ in Japanese,” Plagg snickered. “This guy is a total dork. He’s always reading Japanese manga and watching Japanese anime. ‘Bocchama’ is what they use to refer to rich young men. Try it. He’ll love.”

“Plagg,” Adrien whined.

Nooroo looked up at Adrien and smiled. “Adrien-bocchama,” he sang as he bowed.

Adrien’s cheeks turned peppermint red.

“See?” Plagg laughed. “He loves it!”

“Adrien-bocchama,” Nooroo repeated, wings giving a pleased flutter. “I like it. It has a nice sound.”

“Oh, all right,” Adrien sighed, not nearly as bothered as he was pretending to be. “I can live with that if it makes you comfortable. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get you settled in. You must be hungry. What would you like to eat, Nooroo?”

Nooroo’s eyes went wide. “Eat? But I haven’t transformed you. I do not need to eat.”

Adrien frowned quizzically. “Okay. Yeah, but…that doesn’t mean that you’re not hungry, does it? Plagg is always hungry. Do you want to eat?”

Nooroo stared at Adrien uncomprehendingly. “I’m not allowed to eat unless I need to.”

Adrien returned the kwami’s confused gaze for a minute and then took a deep breath to keep from futilely getting angry at Nooroo’s kwami-abusing former owner. “Okay. New rule. You’re with me now, and I say you can eat whenever you want. If you really feel weird about it, we can transform later, okay? But, for now, what can I get you to eat, Nooroo?”

Nooroo’s eyes started to mist over as tears of gratitude and joy filled them. “I can have whatever I want? Not just apple juice?”

“You never have to drink apple juice again if you don’t want,” Adrien assured, giving the kwami a few more gentle strokes from his head down his back. “What do you like to eat, Nooroo?”

Nooroo’s amethyst eyes became large and round as he hesitantly replied, “I like…fruit. Particularly bananas, but any fruit is good if it’s cut up. You wouldn’t happen to have any bananas…would you?” He looked up at Adrien with hopeful eyes.

It was kind of painful to watch. It made Adrien really want to track Papillon down and make him pay for what he’d done. For a moment, the thought of asking Nooroo to reveal Papillon’s identity and lead him and the rest of the team to Papillon’s hideout to bring him to justice flitted through Adrien’s mind, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He didn’t want to put Nooroo in that position. He didn’t want to drag the kwami back through all his trauma. He wanted Nooroo to put Papillon behind him and move forward. There would likely be no proof tying civilian Papillon to the supervillain. It would just be Nooroo’s word. Adrien didn’t want to put Nooroo through the ordeal of making police statements and testifying. It probably wasn’t even a good idea for regular people to find out about kwamis. There were all kinds of complications to taking down Papillon now that he’d given up his Miraculous and retired. As much as Adrien believed that a man like that needed to be punished for what he had done…if it were true that Papillon had retired to devote himself to his family…how could Adrien take a father from his child? Adrien has grateful every day for his own father’s change of heart and presence in his life. How could Adrien rob another child of that second chance? …Even if the kid’s dad was scum.

All Adrien could do was hope that Papillon really had turned his life around and wouldn’t stray again.

“I can definitely get you some bananas, Nooroo,” Adrien promised with a wide grin. “I’m going to run to the kitchen, but I’ll be back in just a minute, okay? You and Plagg stay here.” He looked to his kwami. “Plagg, could you please show Nooroo around and teach him the rules while I’m gone?”

“On it,” Plagg promised as Adrien set Nooroo down on his bed and started towards the door.

Adrien paused when a thought occurred to him. “Uh…actually…this brooch is kind of…conspicuous. I don’t know if I can wear this in public.”

“Do you have a cravat or a scarf you could hide it under?” Nooroo suggested.

Plagg stiffened.

Adrien shrugged. “Cravats are more of my dad’s thing. Um…I mean…I guess I could keep it in my pocket or…” A vision of the Miraculous falling out of his pocket flashed through his mind accompanied by Nino’s concerns about Adrien losing the Miraculous.

“You could redesign it,” Plagg weighed in, looking at Nooroo. “It doesn’t have to be a brooch, does it? That’s just what it typically is?”

Nooroo nodded. “Just concentrate on what you want it to look like. It should respond to your thoughts.”

“Like when I’m focusing on changing something about my Chat Noir costume?” Adrien inquired, tipping his head to the side, gazing back at the kwamis.

Plagg gave an encouraging nod. “Try it.”

Adrien took off the brooch and held it out in the palm of his hand, closing his eyes and visualizing what he wanted.

The Miraculous shifted, and when Adrien opened his eyes once more, he was holding a single lavender bead on a black chord.

“What is it, Adrien-bocchama?” Nooroo wondered curiously.

“An ankle bracelet,” Adrien explained, slipping off his left shoe and sliding the bracelet around his ankle, adjusting it so that it wasn’t too loose or too snug.

“Huh,” Plagg remarked. “Interesting choice.”

Adrien shrugged, resuming his quest for bananas. “I think they look cool, and people won’t be able to see it, so it should be safe.”

“Reasonable,” Nooroo agreed.

Adrien gave a wave over his shoulder and disappeared out into the foyer.

Plagg turned on Nooroo, brandishing his claws at the other kwami. “Don’t you dare say a word about his father. To him, to anyone,” Plagg hissed.

Nooroo backed away in alarm, hands up in submission.

Plagg advanced. “Maybe you’ve noticed, but that is a good kid. He’s going through some stuff right now, and finding out his father was a domestic terrorist and that stuff about his mother in the basement—that—would absolutely devastate him. Do you hear me?”

Nooroo nodded vigorously, completely taken aback at this sudden confrontation.

“So keep your mouth shut. Not a word about Papillon and Mayura. Adrien is probably going to tell his parents about you eventually. He’s probably going to introduce you. When that happens, you can pretend to be shy and scared of people, but don’t you dare let on that you know them. You understand? You have never met them before in your life.”

Nooroo, trembling, continued to nod.

“If Adrien found out, it would wreck him,” Plagg spat, “and I am not letting my kid’s kindness in taking you in come back to bite him like that. Nobody hurts my kitten.”

Plagg finally took a deep breath and lowered his claws, studying Nooroo. “…Sorry. Are you okay?”

Nooroo’s vehement nod turned timid. “I won’t say a word. I would never betray a master like that.”

The response gave Plagg pause. “Not even Gabriel? Not even after how he treated you?”

Nooroo’s wings gave a nervous flutter. “The Maître is complicated. I know you do not sense emotions like I do, Plagg, so I don’t expect you can tell, but there has been much pain in the Maître’s life. He suffers greatly, and his suffering makes him desperate. That’s why he behaves the way he does. I pity him. He was a hard master, but he was my master all the same.”

Plagg bit his lip. “He’s been getting better these past two months. He’s working really hard to repair things with Adrien…. That’s helped me forgive him for a lot of things.”

“I’m glad. He could use some forgiveness in his life. It would help to thaw his heart. He’s become so hardened. He is in sore need of grace,” Nooroo sighed.

“…I’m sorry I yelled at you,” Plagg mumbled shamefacedly. “I’m a little protective of my kid, and your presence here… You’re a threat, Nooroo.”

Nooroo nodded. “I can understand that. From what I have seen over the years, Adrien-bocchama is a very sweet boy. He’s very loving and easy to hurt. It is a shame that he finds himself in the circumstances he is in. He has a very warm smile…. I think I would like to protect that smile too.”

Plagg gave Nooroo a weary but appreciative grin. “I’m glad to hear it…. So. I’m supposed to be showing you around and laying down the rules. Let’s start simple. This is my pillow. This is my sock drawer,” Plagg began the tour, flitting around to each object and showing it off with a grand gesture. “This is the cabinet where I keep some of my cheeses. This is the minifridge where I keep the rest of my cheeses. Do not touch my things. This is important, so I’m going to say it again: touch my things, and we will have a problem.”

Nooroo nodded, committing the rules to memory.

When Adrien returned with a dish of chopped fruit, he had to clarify that he’d meant for Plagg to explain about internet and TV usage.

#Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Adrien Agreste #Miraculous Ladybug #Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction #Adrienette #Adrien Agreste #Nino Lahiffe #Chloé Bourgeois #Kagami Tsurugi #Gabriel Agreste #Mayura #Chat Noir #Carapace #Plagg #Nooroo #Mikau's Writings #There's a Daisy

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baneismydragon · 7 years

Text

Akuma-Chais Pt. 1

Ok. Here it is. The beginning of the crackiest of crack fics I have written since “the exploits of the FABULOUS Draco Malfoy”

Quick summary- In a highly unlikely future in which a new foe has lead to a truce between our heroes and their arch nemisis Hawkmoth, our semi- reformed villain has agreed to a community service rehabilitation work program.

Enjoy.... if you can... ( @gabriel-fucking-agreste this is dedicated to you. as it is your fault)

This might have been the most insufferable press conference he had ever participated in, and that was certainly saying something.

The press had turned up in droves of course, anxious to see the first public display of the city’s notorious ex-villain. A decent sized crowd of civilians had chosen to attend as well, though, unsurprisingly, many had chosen instead to watch the televised rendition from the relative safety of their homes.

The meticulously rehearsed apology speech had gone well enough, with enough verbal groveling and implied tragic backstory to ensure a good reception. The proposed “rehabilitation initiative” they had been pushing for the last several weeks also seemed to be winning over the public, if the crowd reactions thus far were any indication.

He had not, however, counted on Andre Bourgeois inserting his own lengthy speech into the mix.

The insipid man had been droning on for the last hour about the “tireless effort” that he and his associates had made to bring about this reconciliation.

As if the grossly incompetent politician and his police squad of bread eating layabouts had contributed to anything in the past 2 years.

The only reason he was here was because he had voluntarily chosen to ally with the teen heroes in light of current circumstances.

God knows the pair of super powered vigilantes had more to do with the reduced crime rate in the city than anything Andre’s stooges had ever done.

Hell the two children had even managed to pull of a more eloquent press conference speech than the narcissistic mayor when they had originally announced the arranged truce last month.

Not to mention that the entire rehabilitation initiative, as anyone who could read could tell you, was spearheaded and largely funded by the influential business mogul Gabriel Agreste.

Unfortunately, as Gabriel Agreste was unavoidably detained and unable to be present for this historic occasion, Andre had apparently taken it upon himself to try to steal the spotlight.

It was an election year after all.

Thankfully Hawkmoth could entertain himself by imagining the incredibly uncomfortable phone call that the insufferable twit would be receiving later that week from his less than amused campaign contributor.

At least this exercise in political mastrabation was finally drawing to a close.

Andre had finally introduced Ms. Nathalie Sancoeur- the overseer of the project- which meant this tedious event could finally move into its final stage.

Thank God Nathalie had never been one to waste time with needless exposition.

She stepped in from of the podium addressed him as well as the crowd.

“Good afternoon Ladies and Gentleman, as Mayor Bourgeois has said I am Nathalie Sancoeur, the primary coordinator and manager of the rehabilitation and restitution initiative. As I am sure you have been informed Mssr Hawkmoth, it is my job to ensure that you have paid off your debt to society through public service. In addition, all the proceeds from the establishment, which my employer has so generously founded for this program-“ he could hear the sarcasm dripping from Nathalie’s voice, though he doubted any of the other onlookers save perhaps one would catch the subtle difference in her cadence, “-will be donated towards the foundation for Akuma related trama and emotional destress you yourself will be expected to put in a required number of hours as a good faith gesture.”

He tried not to roll his eyes as Nathalie continued to list off the various details of his servitude to him, as the surrounding crowd of politicians and law enforcement officials nodded along encouragingly.

It was hardly as though he needed to pay that much attention, the entire concept had been his idea after all. A grand public gesture to keep Andre and the others feeling like they had some semblance of control in a world where magically enhanced heroes waged war on otherworldly beings.

More importantly, it was an attempt to display a sense of contrition for his previous exploits. The proposal had given him a tentative foot in the door in regards to making amends with the teenage hero duo. It had been hard enough to convince them to join forces even in light of their more threatening foe, and if he was going to continue to ensure that they didn’t attempt to rob him of his miraculous he needed to make some concessions.

All in all, a handful of hours of community service every week and the start-up capital for a local business establishment was a small price to pay.

Beside, at least Adrien had finally started speaking to him again when he proposed the scheme. That alone was worth the inconvenience.

“Now, if everyone would kindly follow me,” Nathalie said concluding her statement and pulling him out of his reverie, “I believe it is time to introduce you to our new business.”

He followed behind Nathalie as she descended the steps from the capitol building the rest of the committee trailing along from a safe distance and eagerly tailed by the substantial crowd that had turned up to attend the press conference.

For the first time he realized that he had never bother to actually check with Nathalie as to exactly what sort of plebeian work he was about to be subjected to. He had simply left the details entirely in her control. However, that also meant that he had no real idea what sort of business she had set up for this little charity project, and it certainly wouldn’t be anything that could risk exposing his true identity. He felt a brief shudder of dread as he caught sight of Ladybug and Chat Noir comfortably perched atop a small shop, holding a cloth banner over the entry display so as to ensure a grand reveal.

“Should I be concerned,” he whispered at his guide.

She turned towards him with hint of amusement in her eyes.

“I assume you Mssr Hawkmoth a great amount of thought and attention has gone into this project, and everything has been handled with the utmost consideration to your assorted skills and talents.”

Uh oh.

He looked up nervously and locked eyes with the manically grinning Chat Noir.

No this was definitely not good.

“Ladies and Gentleman,” Nathalie called out to the eagerly waiting crowd, “May I present to you, our newest café.”

Oh god… oh no…

He looked up in horror as the two heroes pulled away the cloth to reveal the gleaming storefront logo.

AKUMA-CHAIS café and lounge.

“You have got to be kidding me,” he hissed turning to glare at Nathalie.

“Is something wrong Mssr?” she asked coolly, the corners of her mouth twisting into the slightest hint of a smile.

He opened his mouth to argue but the words died in his throat as Nathalie lifted a single eyebrow knowingly.

He couldn’t say anything. Not here, not now. Hawkmoth had absolutely no grounds upon which to object, and it would make no sense for the recluse villain to suddenly begin snapping at his “project supervisor” whom he had only officially met once before a few weeks earlier. And she knew it too.

“So,” he choked out as calmly as he could manage, “I’m going to be working… here?”

“That is correct,” Nathalie said the lightest tinge of humor coloring her voice. “You see my employer, who as you know provided the funds for this establishment, and came up with this rehabilitation program-“

“I am well aware of that fact Ms. Sancoeur.”

“Well his wife used to work as a barista before they married.”

“You don’t say.”

“So when it was suggested that we could establish a café as our enterprise everyone thought it seemed like an appropriate choice.”

“I could have sworn I heard a rumor that your employer despises coffee, and in fact finds the smell rather revolting.”

“You know I do believe you might be right,” Nathalie said, still managing to maintain her impeccable faced of nonchalance, “but his son was the one who proposed the idea and My employer does so value the happiness of his family.”

This is why it was never a good idea to make ones employees indispensable. They became far to pretentious.

“I suppose he came up with the name as well?”

“Oh no,” Nathalie said unable to hide the slight smirk she had been holding back up to this point, “That was Chat Noir’s idea.”

“Very funny.”

#miraculous ladybug #my fanfiction #Hawkmoth #eventual hawknath #gabriel agreste #nathalie sancoeur #adrien agreste #what is this nonsense I wrote #yes gabriel is hawkmoth

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