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peterxwade24 · 3 years

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Jonc de mer and Acropora

For Maribat March 2021 day 3 prompt Warmth. (If you squint hard enough).

This is part one of an I don’t know how many part fic. I hope you stick around because it’s going to be a ride.

Jonc de mer is French (I think) for Seagrass while Acropora is a type of coral (purple coral actually). Sticholodinae is a subcategory of Ladybugs that, as far as I can tell, have either no spots or one big splotch surrounded by smaller spots. The email address in this is fake, please do not send emails to it because they may get redirected to a very real person named Menene.

Of course a big thank you to @maribatmarch-2k21 for putting on the event, now lets get on with the fic.

The only thing Marinette remembers of her mother is the warmth she provided against a harsh cold. She remembers very little about her mother’s family, only that she seemed to be surrounded by purple anytime they were close. She only remembers so little because her mother, and her mother’s family, were slaughtered by the false king and she was left for dead. Thankfully, a pod of passing merpeople heard her cries and carried her to the closest shore. She tearfully waved goodbye to the pod as the surf carried her ashore.

She was taken in that day by a wonderful man, stocky in build with short brown hair and green eyes. She knew her life would change, beginning with the man renaming her. The name her mother gave her would always be what Atlanteans called her, it was as much a part of her as her purple eyes and her permanently tan skin. The man, named Tom, renamed her Marinette because she seemed to rise with the sun.

---

Marinette and Tom met Sabine in Paris, France. Sabine was a beautiful woman of Chinese descent with black hair and grey eyes. She smiled at the father-daughter duo sweetly and when Tom wasn’t within hearing range Sabine told Marinette that whomever her mother was, she was one lucky lady.

Sabine was aghast at the sight of little two year old Marinette struggling to hold herself together while she has to tell the kind lady that her mother is no longer with her.

Sabine walked right up to Tom afterwards to demand he married her right that instant so they could raise Marinette together.

They were legally married by the end of the day and Sabine had started the process to legally adopt Marinette.

---

Marinette had always felt drawn to the Seine, it is what drew her parents to purchasing a building just down the street from the river. Tom and Sabine wanted to always be close by when she had access to the river. One of them would always accompany her, needing to know she wasn’t going to get swept away in the Seine.

Marinette was five when she met him. Tom was sitting a few meters away on a nearby bench reading a newspaper.

The boy, who could only be the same age as her, had short blond hair cropped close to his head, deep brown skin and pale green eyes. His eyes reminded her of seagrass, the way they seemed to be hundreds of different shades of green all at once.

Marinette smiled, her eyes following the lines his gills left as he began treading water. “Hello.” She bowed her head in greeting and was delighted when he bowed his head in return.

“Menenne. I am Kaldur’ahm, it is a pleasure to meet you.” The boy, Kaldur’ahm, extended his hand in greeting.

Marinette simply clasped his hand and shook it in greeting, tucking away that name for later. “It is certainly a pleasure to be meeting you.”

---

They continued to meet up for years, Kaldur’ahm getting more and more comfortable around her, eventually enough so that she could introduce him to her Papa. He introduced himself as “Kaldur Durham” and Tom is hard pressed to find anything he doesn’t like about his baby girl’s new friend.

In the end the two Dupain-Cheng’s introduced Kaldur to Sabine, who simply smiled and asked if he was staying for dinner.

The Dupain-Cheng family simply gave him what he needed, time to tell them about himself and the opportunity to relax. However, Marinette continued to feel a pull to the Seine.

---

They were eleven when Kaldur, who Marinette had taken to calling Jonc de mer, told her that his mentor, Arthur Curry, was joining a conglomerate somewhere in America and that he was going with him. Kaldur held Marinette as she cried, not knowing that he was surrounding her in a familiar warmth.

The very next day, when they were saying goodbye, Marinette looped a scarf made in orchid, black, melon green and pale yellow yarn around his neck. “This will keep you safe, no matter where you go. No matter how far away you are.”

Kaldur grabbed her hands and nodded. “I will have you with me wherever I go, Acropora.”

Marinette smiled and pulled her hands away so she could quickly write something down on a scrap piece of paper. “When you get settled in America, email me.” She handed over the piece of paper and smiled as he looked over what she’d written on it.

“[email protected] ;) look me up Jonc de mer”

---

Since Tom had found her on the beach of Sicily, they took family vacations to Italy and it was on one of these family vacations that Marinette made a friend.

Marinette was eight, as was the little girl, when they met. The two were just running around and through the waves. They played for hours, just smiles and laughs passed between the two no words needed. The next day they finally introduced themselves before they continued to play.

They spent everyday together, so much time in fact that Marinette felt comfortable enough telling her about Kaldur, however whenever the duo were around someone who hadn’t been given special Marinette friendship rights, the duo referred to him as the boy with blond hair and green eyes.

---

When Marinette was eleven she finally became friends with Chloé Bourgeois. It was a few days after Kaldur had gone to America when Chloé happened across her while she was sketching something for a client.

“What are you making?” Chloé asked.

Marinette closed her sketchbook with a little more force than was strictly necessary. “It’s a commission and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t attempt to steal it.” Marinette would feel bad about being mean to Chloé later but for now all she cared about was making sure that her sketch was finished in time to present it to the client.

---

Marinette was sat next to Chloé in the classroom on the day she received her Miraculous. Chloé was being her usual bratty self when a girl who was classically pretty walked in the room and visibly stuck her nose up at Chloé.

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.”

Marinette gave her a once over, noting her lack of sense. Why would anyone pair an orange flannel with light blue jeans and black shoes with giant tongues? Marinette let out a nearly silent “tsk” before placing her hand on her friend’s arm. “Don’t listen to her Blondie. I know you aren’t evil.”

---

Marinette debuted as Sticholodinae, although all of Paris just called her Ladybug while Chat just called her M’Lady, a day before Stoneheart. She was photographed and seen swinging over the Paris streets testing her capabilities and her limitations.

Her suit, which Tikki said was not what she was expecting because every past Ladybug’s suit was mainly red, was mostly black. While her body was encased in black fabric, it was Kevlar enforced and didn’t shimmer in the sunlight. She had what appeared to be a bulletproof vest under a thick leather jacket which was black and faded to a very dark red at the bottom hem and the cuffs at the ends of her sleeves. Her legs were reinforced with a pair of joggers which had a very dark red waistband and were tucked into a pair of black reinforced combat boots. Her suit looked segmented like a bug to the untrained eye, however she knew that her suit wasn’t segmented but actually appeared to be scaled like a fish. Her hair was pulled up and back into a bun that looked like a work of lattice on the back while her face was obscured through several methods. Her eyes were obscured by a pitch black mask with white eye lenses while she had a charcoal gray tactical half face mask covering the bottom half of her face so that all anyone could see of her face was her forehead.

She knew her suit wasn’t what most thought of when they pictured a Ladybug, but she would do whatever it took to stay safe so that she could reunite with her Jonc de mer.

#maribat #maribat march 2021 #ml crossover #mlb crossover #ml x dc #mlb x dc #kaldurxmarinette #do they have a ship name??#childhood friends lilanette #platonic lilanette #platonic chlonette #childhood friends chlonette if you squint hard enough #eventually a betrothal au #see if you can guess what Marinette (Menenne) is

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annieleonhardt · 7 years

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Aruani Week Day 3: Admiration

AO3

The Pas De Deux they’re rehearsing.

I'm a ballet enthusiast, so when I realized I could use this prompt for one of my fave aus, I totally jumped at the opportunity. Enjoy! <3

Effortless.

Effortless extensions, effortless turns, effortless jumps. Ballet seemed to come as naturally to Annie as breathing. Every variation ended with grace and beauty beyond anything Armin had ever seen. Though her forehead pooled with sweat and her limbs ached, she rarely let it show. Composure that must have come through years of discipline.

It came as no surprise to him that Annie had reached principal status before he was even considered for a soloist. It was nothing short of her birthright, he thought. Her entire life, day in and out spent in a hot dance studio. Though very short statured, she made up for it with incredible strength and liquid movements. Annie glided across the floor en pointe, much like the swan she was trying to imitate.

“Wow,” He muttered as he watched her pique turns become chaînés. Barely a strand of blonde hair was out of place as she ended her variation, posed like a statue until, finally, the music stopped.

The members of the company clapped, all but their coach. Levi stood, arms crossed, waiting for Annie to cool down and gulp her ice water.

“Not bad.” He finally assured her, though Annie looked less than pleased. As usual, Armin found. For a woman so heavily praised in every dance magazine, and so heavily advertized for her principal debut that season as a prodigy, she seemed to think of it all as just another Tuesday.

“It could have been better,” She began, taking another gulp of water. “My attitude was sloppy as hell. I could feel my foot sickling.”

“Well, you’re not wrong about that.”

The two continued on, and the smile on Armin’s face couldn’t waver. Next to him, Mikasa plopped down; Tired after her own long rehearsal.

“You’re doing it again. The whole ‘googly eyes’ thing.” She teased, pressing a cool damp cloth against her forehead. Armin snickered, but rolled his eyes. “You’re going to have to watch that when you dance with her.”

“I can pass it off as acting. I mean, I am going to be her prince in the debut- Oh jeez that’s still weird to say.” His cheeks grew redder and redder, and all he could do was hide behind his hands. “I still have no clue what they’re thinking. There’s about six male principals they could choose from!”

Mika could only scoff.

“Well, I know for a fact Eren hates doing Swan Lake. Even when he and I did it together last season.” The memory managed to crack a smile. “Actually, I think last season is why. He still won’t stop apologizing for dropping me during the final act.”

It was a very quintessentially Eren moment. Armin found himself smiling at the memory as well. She loves him despite it all.

“Plus, the others are way too tall. Logistics, and all that.” She shrugged, all the while stretching into a split on the floor. As Armin gave her a moment to breath, he noticed a change in her face. Certainly not from the pain of stretching. “I better not hear her complain. Armin, if she says anything against your skills as a dancer, tell me immediately.”

“Mika, oh my god.” He stifled a laugh, though barely. “Do you two still have that silly rivalry going on? Jeez, you beat her at a grand prix once, and suddenly your entire careers are just a series of constantly one upping each other. She’s really not that bad once you get to know her.” Armin’s eyes drifted back up, catching sight once again of Annie. “She’s nice. I don’t think she socialized much growing up, so she’s a bit awkward, but...she’s nice. She’s...really cute.”

“...I’m definitely going to have to have a talk with her.”

“Mikasaaa.”

His pleas went unheard as she continued to stretch. Perhaps for the best. At the end of the day, he knew she’d never sabotage his happiness in anyway. And at the end of the day, Annie certainly made him happy.

He’d admired her from afar since their days as students. Even back then, Mikasa wasn’t the only one of their company to find Annie off putting. While undeniably brilliant, she carried with her an untouchable atmosphere. Some described her as cold. Others, as snobbish. Certainly her body language, facial expressions, and tendency toward isolation lent itself to that theory. Armin didn’t buy it for a second.

It took all his will and courage to finally talk to her one day during their lunch break. Between academics and dance, free time was scarce. Yet there she sat, alone as usual, staring into her phone as she ate.

“May I sit with you?” Armin asked, trying hard not to let his voice crack. Annie stared at him for a moment, wide eyed and confused.

“...Yeah, sure.” She scooched over, and pat the seat next to her.

It was immediately apparent that he wasn’t dealing with a snob. Armin had found on that first day, instead, someone who was incredibly real. A girl who was shy to a fault, and had been given little opportunity to even learn how to socialize with others. Her sense of humor veered on dry and blunt, a little melancholy at times. Something he didn’t mind. Many had told him he was morbid, after all. No right to judge.

He was amazed she’d let him keep sitting with her. Day after day, month after month. It wasn’t long until they were both taken into the company as members of the corp, and he was more than happy to watch her climb through the ranks. Even as he himself was behind.

“Arlert,” Levi’s voice brought him back to the present. “Get up, we’re working on your variation before the Coda. Chop chop, kid.”

Nobody could claim Armin was lazy. As Annie observed his grand jete, it amazed her just how far he’d come since their days as students. Chalk that up to hours and hours of practice with her, and Eren, and Mikasa. Long hours that would sometimes end in him gasping on the floor, yet Armin insisted Annie continued showing Eren her technique for a little longer.

Though concerned, she relented. And their last hour of practice featured Armin cooling down at the barre, as the other three continued with combination after combination.

Steadily through the years, she felt pride watching Armin’s stamina increase to the level of a professional. His jumps got higher, his movements lighter, his turns faster. All of it came as he matured into the steadily rising star he was today.

Steadily, being the key word. As it stood, Annie, Eren, and Mikasa had all been promoted to principal at the end of last season. Armin, finally, became a soloist.

She figured that was why Levi and Hange’s response to her request was so lukewarm.

“You heard me. I want Armin to be my partner in the debut performance.”

The two were silent, until Hange finally relented. It didn’t take too long to bargain. Annie would have her principal debut performing Swan Lake, and Armin would be her Siegfried. As long as Annie agreed to do the Nutcracker in December; something she hadn't done in close to ten years.

Sacrifices could be made.

His face when he heard the news was priceless. The shock, excitement, surprise. Unworthiness. There must have been a mistake, he’d said. She couldn’t help but smile.

Watching him now, practicing his variation before the coda in Act 3, his role was far from a mistake. Perhaps his jumps weren’t as high as Jean’s, nor were his turns as fast as Eren’s. But on his face was something she herself hadn’t felt in years; pure joy and passion. If his movements lacked, Annie was captivated by his musicality and emotion; Essential qualities of a dancer that were often overlooked.

Annie knew she lacked at least one of those qualities. Rigorous discipline and training from the age of three by her father may have sucked out a certain amount of love and passion from her dancing. For the sake of perfection, something which now seemed so out of reach.

And yet, as she stood up to make her entrance for the coda, something did feel different. Armin caught her eye, and smiled at her with such gentle encouragement in his eyes. He parted to give her space, watching excitedly as she took a fourth position. With a double pirouette, she began the signature 32 fouettes famous of the ballet.

“And turn! Turn! Turn! Turn!” Her father's voice often wrang through her head, just as it had growing up. Practicing what was considered the hardest move in ballet. He’d taught it to her at the age of 13. She landed her last fouette with a smile, and made way for Armin to finish his part.

Finally, they danced together. They looked toward each other as she moved his way, performing low arabesques until he caught her in his arms. Next came a backwards cambre as she, as Odile, reveled in tricking the young prince into her clutches. Somehow, it seemed like Armin was hardly acting as he watched her in awe. Next, her high arabesques travelling backwards to the rhythm of the climaxing score; Drawing him in with each stop en pointe. Armin could only walk slowly toward her, stars in his eyes. Then he was behind her, loosely holding her waist to assist in one final pirouette.

He lifted her in one breath, catching her just as fast. With one more turn, he kneeled at her feet. Armin lay his head against the back of her hand, and she performed the last cambre back. She threw her other arm back as well, miming a laugh as the piano came to a stop.

The rehearsal room was silent. All, except, for Armin’s heavy breathing. Annie straightened herself back up, and took Armin’s hand to help him do the same.

“You...are absolutely stunning.” Gasping breaths aside, Armin managed to smile so wide at her, Annie half expected his face to split. Strangely, she felt a familiar glare toward the back of her head.

She shook off the feeling, and returned his smile.

“Not really, but...thanks, blondie.” Annie squeezed his hand, completely unaware of just how long she’d been holding on. Not that it mattered. There was an odd comfort that came with his touch.

There was no one she’d rather partner with.

“You’ve gotten better.” She assured him, pushing a loose strand of blonde behind her ear. “Don’t be too nervous, though. There’s a certain amount of hesitation that you need to work on.”

Armin nodded, and grabbed his water bottle.

“I’ll keep that in mind, I...I know I can do this. I think. I hope.”

“There’s no reason you can’t.”

He answered with a sheepish smile, and a scratch on his nose.

You’ve got more guts than you think. More talent, too.

“...Come get coffee with me and I can critique you even more.”

#aruani #annie leonhardt #armin arlert #aruani week #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan

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