#and so are the rest of the akuma class girls

[pearl-star]

It's Not My Job

I had written and had this story finished back in August of last year, but just never got around to posting it. I revisited it again yesterday and decided to just go ahead and post it. It's crossed posted to my AO3 if if you would prefer reading it there, here's the link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54107548. (Also, fair warning, this fic is 10K words long. I didn't feel like dividing it up into different chapters so here it is in its entirely.

Summary: After becoming too stressed out from her class rep duties, Marinette talks to the other class reps about the work she’s been doing, hoping for some help. In a few moments, she discovers that none of the work she’s been assigned to do is what she should be doing as class rep. And when she goes to Miss Bustier only for her teacher to threaten her, her friends and family finally decide that enough is enough and take the issue to the higher ups.  

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

Marinette was on her last legs. The swell of akumas over the past month was bad enough, but the extra work that came with it just made her life so much harder. On top of her regular school work and make-up work from missed classes, she had to handle her class rep duties as well. She had to be an example, help her classmates when Chloe acted up, check essays and homework, and do her other general class rep tasks.

 Not only that, but she had to hatch out a whole plan for the class trip. Not just a general idea but the specifics of where they would stay, the exact activities they would do, how they would get there and travel around, and so on. She also had to plan out the fundraising activities, and had to do enough of them otherwise she would have to put in the rest of the money herself. Chloe had no issues with that in the past, but she was also rich. Marinette couldn’t exactly use her parent’s credit card to get it all situated. 

Alya, by her sense of duty as both her friend and class deputy, tried helping her out but for some reason wasn’t allowed. She could help instruct people once the plans were made, but she couldn’t be a part of the planning process. Otherwise, according to Miss Bustier, the plans would have to be redone completely. The blogger had suggested working on it together secretly, but Marinette was hesitant. She didn’t want to risk Miss Bustier finding out and for her to demand that the plans had to be redone. So for now, the bluenette was working on her own.

Everyone in class had noticed the toll the extra work was doing on her. She barely made it to class on time and was always the last to leave. Her bookbag was stuffed with papers with notes and plans. She always had her shoulders slumped, like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and her eye bags were barely being covered by her makeup. She never smiled unless Miss Bustier told her to be a better example, in which case she would stitch on a mechanical smile similar to that of Adrien’s model smile.

The model, for his part, was freaking out over the fact that the sweetest and most happy girl in class (besides Rose, who is just a sparkling ball of pink, glittery sunshine) was struggling. He went so far as to get her coffee order from Alya and made sure to bring one in daily, as well as leave a thermos of heavily sugared black tea on her desk after lunch. The fact that Marinette wasn’t reacting to Adrien’s actions with anything more than a thank you, with no stuttering or blush in sight, proved how tired she really was.

Marinette’s sole goal was to catch up with all of this work as fast as she could, otherwise she would get behind again and be stuck in this loop forever. So when she was asked to attend a lunch out with the other class reps, she hesitated. She didn’t really have time to do much of anything. Even patrols had been cut down, something her partner had insisted on when she almost fell off a building when she zoned out mid jump. Still, maybe they could help her.

Miss Bustier had said that planning the class trip and all that was only the job of the class rep, so her getting advice from the other class reps shouldn’t be against the rules. So Marinette found herself that Friday walking to the cafe where Aurora said to meet. Once she got there, the weather girl waved her over to an open chair next to her. 

As she walked over, she looked at the group. Marinette knew who most of the class reps were, but never got the chance to talk to any of them. Some were in the art club with her, but they tended not to discuss class rep duties there. 

“Sorry I’m late.” The bluenette apologized, sliding into the empty chair. “I had to show Miss Bustier my progress for the class trip.” 

There was silence, and then.

“What do you mean?”

“You know, my plans for the class trip. I’ve narrowed it down to a place and found a hotel that we could stay at, but I still need to figure out travel plans and the exact activities.” Marinette looked at the confused faces around her. Then a thought came to mind. “Am I late on this too?! Miss Bustier only brought it up to me at the end of last month, so I thought that I had plenty of time still but-”

“No it’s not that.” Kimberly said, cutting Marinette off from her panic. “It’s just that… class reps don’t plan out their class trips.”

Marinette blinked at the news. She had been class rep for the past two years. The first year, she didn’t have to be as in depth with the class trip. She proposed a general trip idea, fundraising ideas, and helped coordinate the fundraisers, but this year Miss Bustier said that class reps had to be more hands-on with the trip. The teacher had even given her a packet on the new rules.

“What do you mean? Yes they do. It’s in the newest handbook.”

“What handbook?”

Marinette dug in her book bag before pulling out the packet and handing it to Claude. He flipped through the pages, scanning them while a few other class reps looked over his shoulders. As he read, his frown deepened. 

“This isn’t right. The handbook has been updated last year, but not in this way. It actually had deputies taking on more of the load to help lessen the stress of class reps, as well as a newly added duty to help plan out relaxation days throughout the year to try and lessen the chance of akumas during testing weeks. Where did you get this from?”

“Miss Bustier gave it to me and explained it all. She did say how class reps were now responsible for helping to lower the class’s stress.”

All of the class reps looked at each other, before Aurora finally spoke up.

“Marinette… I don’t know why Miss Bustier gave this to you, but it isn’t right. I don’t have the handbook on me right now but there is one in Ms. Meedeveli’s classroom that I can show you once we get back to the school.”

Marinette paused, before nodding and thanking the weather girl. Slowly the conservation changed to something else, but the bluenette’s mind couldn’t stop from drifting. Why would Miss Bustier give her the wrong packet? Maybe the school had made this version and then changed it, but didn’t inform the teacher of the change. Marinette did become class rep for the first time last year, so it is possible that Miss Bustier went and asked for the newest handbook early so that she could have it at the start of her role.

The pigtailed girl was finally able to relax. That had to be it. Miss Bustier thought that this was the correct version and just didn’t know. Once she gets the new copy, they can figure out how planning for the school trip should really go.  

After lunch she walked back to school with all of the reps, and then split off from the group as she followed Aurora to Ms. Meedeveli’s room. The science teacher was already in the room, working on writing something on the board for the lesson later on.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Meedeveli. Do you have a copy of the class rep handbook?”

“Good afternoon to you too, and yes I do. It’s over on the wall next to the classroom rules.”

“Do you think Marinette can borrow it for the afternoon? There was a bit of a mix-up with the handbook in her homeroom.”

The teacher stiffened at that, and Marinette was worried that she would say no. Instead, once the woman realized the bluenette’s eyes on her, she shook her head.

“Go ahead. And feel free to keep it in your homeroom, Marinette. I can pick up another copy later. Just let me know if you need anything else.”

Once Aurora handed her a packet, a by far smaller one than the previous one, Marinette nodded.

“Thank you so much, Ms. Meedeveli. I’ll see you later in class.”

She gave her thanks to the blonde as well before walking out of the room, looking over the packet. She was in such a rush that she didn’t notice the usually strict teacher give her a look of pity. 

As Marinette read through the packet, she felt less and less stressed already. It was definitely much different than the one she was given, and would absolutely help her catch up on all her other activities. Without having to plan the class trip, she would have so much more freetime. All she would have to do is tell Miss Bustier of the mix up and then she’ll be good. 

She decided to wait until after school though, since class was about to start and she didn’t want to be the reason they had more makeup work. However, once class was over and she talked to Miss Bustier, she got a rude surprise.

“What do you mean this packet is wrong? I got this from Ms. Meedeveli’s room. All the other class reps said that the handbook you gave me was the wrong one.”

“Yes, the other class reps have a different handbook, but you need to follow the one I gave you. You’re my star student, Marinette. You can handle more work.”

“I can’t though.” Marinette nearly cried, before composing herself. “I’m really struggling with just homework with all the akumas interrupting class time. And the handbook you gave me said that Alya can’t even help me with all of these extra duties. I’m gonna fall behind at this rate.”

“Now Marinette, that would be your own fault. You need to manage your time better. Also you do need to help prevent akumas. That thing in the other handbook we can include in ours. I want you to plan a destressing activity for the class to do by the end of next week. We can do a different one every week to keep things different.”

Upon hearing that more work was being put onto her, she opened her mouth to refuse before being silenced.

“I really wouldn’t want to have a talk with your parents about you becoming a problem to our classroom, so make sure to keep up your good job as class rep okay?”

Miss Bustier was… threatening her? The bluenette was so shocked that she could only nod, numbly leaving the classroom. As soon as she turned the corner, she bumped into Alya.

“Oh. Hi, Alya.”

“Marinette… did Miss Bustier really say that?”

It was then that Marinette realized how shaken up her friend was.

“What do you mean?”

“She really-” Alya started, before looking at the direction to the classroom door in contemplation. It seemed like she made a decision, as she pulled Marinette away.

“We’re telling your parents. I can’t believe she said that to you.”

The bluenette got a sense of dread with Alya’s suggestion, realizing that Alya had heard some if not all of the conversation she just had. The reminder of Miss Bustier’s earlier threat rang in her mind.

“No. Miss Bustier-”

“She’s forcing you to do more work. Quite frankly, I was about to ‘accidentally’ hide some of the work I’ve been doing for the class trip in with your notes so that you’d actually be able to get some sleep. But now? I can’t just sit by and let this happen to my best friend.”

“But my parents won’t believe me.”

“Don’t you have both packets? Show that to your parents. Besides, it's the entire class’s words against Miss Bustier. Your parents will believe us.”

Marinette still didn’t like the sound of it. She’d never gone against her teacher before. But Alya was hard to stop once she got an idea in her head, so the bluenette was dragged to the bakery.

Her mom was handling the counter, and was finishing up checking out a customer. Once they left, she finally noticed them.

“Good afternoon girls. Feel free to take a pastry on your way up.”

“Actually Mlle. Cheng, we need to speak to you about something.”

“What is it?”

Alya nudged Marinette forward, but when it was clear that she wasn’t going to talk, Alya took charge. She grabbed the two different class rep handbooks, walking forward and giving them to the women. 

“Miss Bustier has been forcing Marinette to take on more work as class rep. When Marinette asked her about it, she threatened to call you two up and tell you that she’s causing issues.”

Sabine blinked at Alya’s words, before her confusion was swapped for a blank stare. Her eyes shifted from the packets in her hands to her daughter. 

“Marinette, is this true?”

“We-Well I mean, I’m sure Miss Bustier didn’t really mean-”

“Marinette. Please tell me the truth.”

Yep. Her mom was definitely mad at her. She sighed and decided to just take the bullet.

“It’s true, but I-”

“What has she been making you do?”

Marinette flinched at the anger sounding clearly in her mother’s tone. She looked down at her hands. Alya kept a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her. When it was clear that the bluenette had no intention of speaking, the blogger took over.

“She’s been forced to plan the whole class trip by herself. Where we’re going, the hotel we’re staying in, activities we’re doing, the exact travel plans, fundraising, all of that. I wasn’t even allowed to do any of the planning process with her.”

“Anything else?”

“I had to help with grading some things.” Marinette finally added, sighing in defeat. “I also had to help when Chloe acted up.” She leaned back into Alya’s touch, causing the redhead to wrap her arm around her and give her a tight squeeze.

Sabine looked between the two girls and then back at the packets in her hands. She frowned in thought at the clear size difference between the two.

“I’d take it that this is the real one?” She asked, holding up the smaller packet.

“That’s the one that the other class reps use. I got it from Ms. Meedevelei this afternoon.”

“I’m gonna look these over during my break. That will be in… thirty minutes. For now I think you two should grab a treat and relax upstairs. Would you two be okay staying here in case I need to ask you something else?”

The two girls nodded, grabbing a pastry and heading back and up to the apartment. Marinette fiddled with the hem of her jacket, thinking about what had just happened. Alya sighed and pulled her towards the chaise.

“Don’t worry, let your parents handle this.”

“But what if I get in trouble in school? Miss Bustier could do to Principal Damcoles and say that I’m not cooperating and-”

“And then everyone will tell him off if he tries to punish you. Miss Bustier threatened you. That’s a whole other thing to consider, above her dumping a bunch of work onto you and making you do it by yourself.” Alya scowled. “I don’t understand that part. Why did she not want me to help with anything?”

Marinette didn’t have an answer to that. If Miss Bustier truly wanted her to do all of these things, then having Alya help her would have made life so much easier. Why not let someone else who was willing to help take some work off her shoulders do it? The redhead shrugged and reached in her bookbag.

“I guess it doesn’t matter right now. I know your mom said to relax, but I also know you can’t do physics for the life of you so let me help you out while I can.”

The bluenette felt tears prick up at the offer of receiving help, but she quickly wiped those away before her friend could notice. They were so distracted with the work that they didn’t hear the muffled shouts from below. 

“That woman did what?!”

“She threatened our daughter. All because Marinette asked her why the manual she was given as class rep was different from every other class reps’ handbook.”

The two adults were hard to anger. Their life was full of simple joys, being able to live peaceful lives despite running a business and being in a time when a magical terrorist was in their city. But let it not be said that they could never get angry. Because right now, the only other thought in their minds besides concern for their daughter was the anger towards the girl’s teacher. 

“I want to talk to Miss Bustier today. I know that Alya can be dramatic sometimes, but Marinette would never lie. Especially with something like this.”

“We can close the bakery. I want to be there as well.”

Sabine thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.

“No. I’m just gonna do a phone call for now. Besides, we can’t just close the bakery today. I’ll update you once I’m done talking to her.”

She thought that it would be a fifteen minute phone call max. Just her asking to confirm things and then asking for them to be changed to how they should be. She didn’t expect Miss Bustier to try and defend herself. Yes, Marinette was a bright kid and an excellent student, but that didn’t mean that she should be doing the work of her teacher. The more she tried to defend her daughter, the more the teacher defended her own actions. Sabine ended the call more frustrated than before, and she decided to instead talk to Mr. Damocles. Because surely he would be able to correct the teacher? After all, what Ms. Bustier was doing was an abuse of her power.

Alas, Sabine ended her night early. Both adults saw it best to just close the bakery early. Heaven forbid if that principal or teacher decided to pay them a visit. The cup of chamomile tea was not helping her to calm down in the slightest, and her husband paced around as he ranted. The woman herself, while not outwardly expressing her thoughts, did silently stew on the issue.

How dare those people do this to her child. It wasn’t a big deal? It absolutely was. Neither parent had missed the way Marinette was getting more sluggish and tired. It was part of the reason why they had stopped making her work in the bakery as of late. All that extra work was affecting her studies and normal life, and neither of those adults cared? It was an outrage! But who else could she turn to?

It was then that an idea struck her. Sabine grinned, leaving her half finished tea on the table and walking off.

“Calling them back is not going to do anything. I think we need to go in person and demand that they stop this.”

“Oh, I’m not calling them. I have a better idea.”

If those two wouldn’t listen to her, then she would have to get someone who would make them see the error of their ways. Sabine sat down at the computer, typing out a very detailed email before sending it off. She continued to check her inbox throughout the weekend, waiting for a response, but there wasn’t one. Not until Sunday afternoon. 

Dear Madame Cheng,

We have reviewed your complaints regarding Madame Bustier and Mister Damocles, and have officially filed for an investigation to take place. We will begin the investigation starting tomorrow, Monday XX/XXXX, and will inform you of any updates as well as the results. If you are worried about any misaction towards your daughter by Madame Bustier because of this investigation, please let us know. We will be happy to make arrangements for her to be situated in a different homeroom both during and after the course of this investigation. 

We ask that you and your husband be available during some point this week for a meeting to discuss the problem more in depth. We will try our best to be courteous and inform you ahead of time when we will be paying you a visit. If you have anything urgent to report before our meeting, please do not hesitate to reach out either through email or using the phone number listed below. We promise you that your concerns will be taken seriously, and the investigation will not end until a solution is made.

Jon Garnier, Dupont School Board Member

Sabine smiled at the email once she finished reading it. It was done. With the school board involved, Miss Bustier would be forced to take off the workload from her daughter. She sent a response email to him, thanking him and informing him that he could come to the bakery at any time and she would be sure to be available to talk to him. 

There were some other things, some very concerning things, that Alya had filled her and Tom in on Friday before the girl went home, but Sabine didn’t add those in. As awful as they were, they could wait to be discussed once she was face to face with someone.

Marinette was told that things were being handled, but the girl still seemed worried. She was given a choice to switch homerooms temporarily or even just stay home for a day or two, but she rejected both. Not only was Marinette behind on classwork, but she still needed to continue her class rep duties, even if her parents didn’t seem happy when she said that. Reluctantly, her parents sent her off to school on Monday.

Alya made sure to pick her up, trying to offer her support and then try to distract her with little success. It was very clear to anyone that Marinette had not gotten any rest, despite the reassurance from her parents and Alya. She was told not to do any of the class rep work and instead just relax and focus on her other school work, but she wasn’t able to feel calm. Her anxiety at what would happen now that her parents had talked to Miss Bustier and Mr. Damcoles kept her from sleeping. So she worked on not just all the extra class work, but also her guardian work. Tikki was not happy with her, but there was only so much that the kwami could do to stop her. 

The two girls slowed down a bit as they approached their friends by the steps. Both boys eyed the bluenette with great concern with one of them being… a bit more dramatic about it.

“Marientte! What happened? Why do you look more tired now?” 

The blond fretted, handing the cup of coffee he had to Nino to hold as he examined the girl, holding onto her face with one hand as he lightly touched the bags until her eyes with his finger. 

“I couldn’t sleep.” 

“Couldn’t sleep? You look more tired than I do when I have a night and morning shoot back to back. Maybe you should go home and rest for the day?”

“I can’t. I’m already behind on all my work. Besides, as class president it’s my duty to show up.”

The pigtailed girl couldn’t say it with as much conviction as she once might have, due to how much energy that would have taken. Even talking was just wearing her out. How she would be able to handle Chole’s inevitable fits, she didn’t know, or really care about right now. None of the trio were happy to hear that, and even the students who fluttered around looked at the girl with a mix of concern and pity. 

Adrien had always wanted to be able to have a straight conversation with the budding designer. One where she wouldn’t be so flustered that she would have to run off. But if she would have to be like this for him to get that? He would have never wished for it. For now he turned and took the coffee cup back from Nino to hand it to the girl.

“Here you go. If you refuse to go home then at least have this.” 

The small smile she gave him was genuine, and Adrien only wished that it had come at a time when she wasn’t so tired.

“Thank you. I need to get some things done before class starts.” Before anyone could stop her, Marinette started her walk up the stairs. Alya was immediately on her trail.

“She’s wearing herself out. I want to be able to help her more but…” The blond murmured, wishing that he knew what was happening to her. He knew that she was stressed out, but surely there had to be something else he could do besides keeping her caffeinated. Nino patted his shoulder, still looking at where the girls disappeared off to. 

“You’re doing what you can. Besides, Alya’s figured things out.”

“Figured what out? Marinette is still… like that.”

“She didn’t tell you? With the way Alya went off in the group chat and then to me, I thought for sure you would have known.”

Alya did what? Adrien had been on his phone, and he hadn’t noticed any messages coming in at all. Checking his texts, the last message from the class chat had been someone commenting on Marinette’s behavior, but it was just a message of concern from Rose. Nothing from Alya. Nino looked over his shoulder and let out an oh.

“You must not have been added to the chat. Here, let me do that real quick.”

In a few seconds, a request to join a group chat came in. Clicking accept, he quickly scrolled to the top of the conversation before pausing. He blinked once, twice, then screamed.

“She did WHAT to Marinette?!”

“Yeah, it happened on Friday. Alya overheard it and went to Marinette’s parents. They-” Nino went on, but Adrien drowned him out.

He couldn’t believe it. He knew that Marinette was stressed out about her class rep position and he saw how Miss Bustier treated Marinette sometimes, but this? That woman just decided to threaten her? A growl sounded out, and it barely registered in his mind that it came from him.

“That’s it. I don’t care what I have to do, I’m-”

“Adrien.” Nino said, grabbing onto his shoulders and snapping him out of his thoughts. “You need to calm down. Trust me, everyone is upset about this, but you can’t get akumatized.”

He tried to calm himself, but it was hard. This whole time this was happening without him knowing. He was a failure to his princess, his everyday Ladybug. Did his partner have something like this happening in her life and he was failing her too? He knew that she was more tired lately, due to having more work in her civilian life on top of guardian work but she didn’t give specifics. He had tried offering to do some of the guardian work too, but she had declined citing how it would be too dangerous to do it in the open and they had nowhere private to go. Maybe he should have pushed more?

“Dude, calm down.” He instructed again, once again jostling him from his thoughts. “Alya already told Marinette’s parents. They have things covered.”

The question of “how” popped into his mind, but before he could voice it he spotted two adults walking up the steps. Adults who he did not recognize, but felt like they held an air of authority to them.

“Trust me,” Nino said, and it was then that the blonde noticed his friend’s knowing look. “They have things covered.” 

Adrien knew that there was something else to Nino’s words, but decided against asking exactly what. For now he would simply keep a closer eye on both Marinette and Miss Bustier. No one would be allowed to hurt his princess on his watch.

Inside the school, whispers had already begun. There had already been some talk about the bluenette before. With her being one of the only two people in the akuma class who hasn’t gotten akumatized yet, they figured that the noticeable stress she was under would due her in. 

But now the whispers were revolving around the reason for the two adults who entered the building. A man and a woman, both dressed in business attire and wearing the same stern expression. They came in to get answers, and they would get just that. 

Walking straight to Mr. Damocles' office, they gave a sharp knock before letting themselves in. The man, for his part, seemed confused by someone bursting into his office. His confusion quickly turned to concern as he recognized the people standing before him.

“We’re here from the school board. There’s been a recent complaint filed and we will be investigating it.” The woman’s tone left no room for an argument. “I’ll be discussing this issue with you while Mr. Garnier does an observation in one of your classrooms. Depending on what happens, we may have to pull some students out of class to ask them a few questions.”

Mr. Damocles only had enough time to realize what the recent complaint was before the man walked out. The woman sat down in the chair across his desk, setting a file in front of him. 

“So, tell me about your response to the mistreatment of one Miss Marinette Dupain Cheng?”

There would be no use lying. As required with all staff members, their school issued phones recorded every phone call that took place on them. It was meant to protect them if a parent tries to deny something that they said over the call, but in this case it would be used against him. He cleared his throat, trying to figure out a way to save himself. He remembered that last time these people came in they said that then was his final warning, but surely he would be fine. He was an excellent principal, and this issue wasn’t big enough for him to be fired, surely. So he began his defense.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mr. Gariner walked through the hallway, trusting that Mrs. Monet would be able to handle things. She was slightly biased in this case, as she had a soft spot for the victims in cases like this, but she was a professional above all else so she should be able to prove well into finding out exactly what Mr. Damocles’ thoughts were. 

Truthfully, they should have done an investigation at this school sooner. They had seen the news reports about the students in this class, but since Hawkmoth was a new thing they had waited. He took his victims by using their emotions against them, and since uncontrolled emotions tended to run higher among adolescents they didn’t push investigating directly as their top priority. 

They had simply decided to send an email and request that something was done within the classrooms to allow for some form of relaxation or meditation to be done. That had gotten accepted without any issues, and they foolishly had allowed their attention to relax from the school. But now they noticed the repeated pattern of akumas forming from one specific class, and something had to be done.

Even without Madame Cheng’s email, they would have been investigating Miss Bustier and her class anyways. Of course, what was said in that email worried them. From what it sounded like, it seemed like Miss Bustier was fostering her work onto a student. That would be bad enough, but threatening said student to continue doing the work was an extra layer that they would have to address.

For now he tried to clear his thoughts, knocking once on the classroom door before walking in. The students were all whispering to themselves, but stopped once they saw his presence. He simply ignored them, turning to the confused teacher.

“My apologies for interrupting your classroom, Madame. The school board sent me to do your regular classroom observation.” It wasn’t true, but it would at least help to make her not mask her true behavior as much. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t be showing off her real behavior though. She seemed a bit flustered, but nodded nonetheless. “I’ll just be sitting in the back. Please just go on with your lessons as you normally would.”

Without another word, he walked up the stairs and took a seat in the very back. The woman eyed him wearily, but called the class to attention anyways. Throughout the morning, he noticed all the students at some point or another looking back at him. 

The one that caught his attention though was one blonde student in the front. Not because he was looking at him, but because he was turning around to look at another student. Marinette Dupain Cheng, he had to presume. He did see her photo when looking into her file, but even without that he could tell that she was the student whose parents had made the complaint. The amount of papers that were on her desk, as well as how the other students occasionally looked over to her in concern was enough of an indicator. 

There were no major issues that had popped up, but there were a few times when he noticed Miss Bustier looking at Marinette. The first came when another student (Chloe Bourgeois, he remembered her from numerous reports before) made an insult to the girl. Instead of calling the student out, Miss Bustier looked over to Marinette and waited. When nothing happened, she opened her mouth before looking back at him and closing it again. Whatever she was going to say was instead replaced with her continuing the lesson as if nothing had happened. 

There were a few other times, when she mentioned the graded homework and a quiz and she looked over to the girl, only to quickly say that she would be passing them back tomorrow. He caught her looking back at him then too. It happened several other times, one notable one being when she mentioned the class’s end of the year trip. The way Marinette’s body stiffened when the teacher commented that all plans would be finished and presented on Friday was noticeable to everyone but the teacher. 

Another thing he noticed was the same blonde boy from before making to stand up, only for his desk mate to pull him back down and shake his head. It was easy enough to tell why he did that when they both looked back at him. He didn’t know if it was out of fear that they would be punished or if they were hoping he would do something.

He was going to do something, of course, Mr. Gariner would never allow for this kind of treatment to continue past today, but he was required to wait until the students left before talking to Miss Bustier directly about these issues. Of course, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t doing anything right now.

A few quick emails and texts got sent out and exchanged. Another member of the school board would be coming to help with asking the students and other teachers some questions regarding both Miss Bustier and Mr. Damocles. The principal had been warned not even a few months ago that he needed to have better control on his students and staff members. 

Those issues had all stemmed from one Miss Bourgeois who had caused issues and hurt students all while never facing any consequences. He was warned to not let a student get out of trouble by threatening to call her father. He was even told that if the mayor tried to actually follow through on the threats his daughter made, that he would be abusing his power and would be kicked out of his position. 

They hadn’t received any complaints since then, but it was a wonder if students had been making them and they never got received. That thought was also troubling. Not all people would consider turning to the school board for issues, not at first anyways. Contacting the teacher or principal was what families were encouraged to do. The issue needed to first be, or at least, attempted to be, dealt with at the school level before going up to the school board after all. 

It was meant to stop unneeded cases from clogging up and stopping them from being able to work on more pressing issues, but it could be possible that people didn’t bother trying to contact them. It could be that they were promised that everything would be settled, or even that the school board wouldn’t be able to help out anyways. Another thought was that they could have been threatened as well. If Miss Bustier made a threat to her one student without a second thought, was it possible that other students were coerced into keeping quiet? 

Once the bell rang for lunch, all the students were packing up and Miss Bustier said one final thing. 

“Marinette, please stay behind for a few minutes.”

Those words caused everyone in the class to stop what they were doing and look between the two. The tension was noticeable, and Mr. Gariner decided to settle things. Walking down the steps and towards the front, he addressed the teacher, not even having to raise his voice to be heard by the rest of the students in the pressing silence. 

“Actually, Miss Bustier, I need to discuss some things with you.” When she opened her mouth to refute, he pressed on. “You can discuss whatever it is with your student later on.”

Seeing how he wasn’t going to budge, Miss Bustier nodded. Marinette quickly walked out, the rest of the students following right behind her. Closing the door after the last student walked out he waited a few moments just to make sure that no one else was going to come in before turning to address the teacher.

“Please take a seat. This will be a long discussion.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette was freaking out. Not only did she not get the chance to hand Miss Bustier the homework and quizzes she helped to grade and would be getting in trouble for that, but she also would need to finalize everything for the class trip before Friday. Even with all the work she did over the weekend, she still wasn’t close to done. 

She hadn’t been able to book anything since she wasn’t an adult, and even if she could bug her parents to help she wouldn’t be able to since they wouldn’t be going on the trip and whoever booked things had to be in attendance. 

That left the only choice being Miss Bustier. She debated sending her an email, but Tikki had actually been able to stop her from doing that, unplugging the computer and causing enough commotion that her parents came up and brought her downstairs to get away from the work laid out on her desk. Her hope was to ask the teacher before class but then she didn’t come into class until the start time. And she wasn’t able to meet with Miss Bustier during lunch since then the man from the school board needed to talk to her, so she would have to put it off until after school.

Right now Alya was dragging her off outside the school and towards her house. She didn’t register the conversation that Nino and Adrien were having behind them. It was when she almost stumbled and felt arms wrapping around her body to keep her upright, while she could see Alya bending down to pick up her dropped items, that she realized they were outside the bakery’s doors.

“Okay. You’re eating lunch and then you’re gonna relax. Maybe you should take a nap too.”

“Adrien?” She tried to turn to look at him, but his arms pulling her back to be flushed with his chest prevented her from being able to do more than glance at him from the corner of her vision. 

“You need to let her go dude. Unless you want to carry her inside.”

There was a pause, and it seemed for a second like he was actually going to do it. As he was adjusting his arms, Alya stopped him.

“Let’s just let Marinette walk. We’re here anyway.”

Adrien did let her go enough for her to walk forward, but kept his hand ghosting her back. The four walked in and headed up into the main part of the house. Marinette was sat down on the couch, held down by Adrien when she tried to grab the papers Alya was still holding.

“I need to work on the rest of the arrangements for the class trip.”

“Nope. That’s not your job.” Alya said, leaving no room for argument. Before Marinette could try though, the blogger walked out of the room with Nino in tow.

“Everything will be okay.” She turned and blinked at Adrien, who was still holding her. “I won’t let Miss Bustier hurt you again. I promise.”

“What do you-”

“I heard about Miss Bustier threatening you. I don’t care how I do it, I promise you I won’t let her get away with that.”

Marinette turned to better face him. Half of her brain was trying to mentally arrange things for the class trip while the other half was too tired to fully comprehend what all was happening. It still hadn’t even processed the fact that Adrien was going to carry her earlier. Before she could even attempt to understand what he was telling her now and how he knew, Alya and Nino walked back in with a bunch of food.

“You’re going to eat then you’re gonna take a nap until lunch is over.”

“But I need to get back to school before lunch is over.” If she was lucky, Miss Bustier would be done talking to the man from the school board. Then she could try and get things figured out in time for Friday. 

“Eat. Then sleep.” 

Alya pushed the plate of food onto her lap. Deciding that she could just sneak out after she got done eating, Marinette began to eat the sandwich Alya had made. During the whole time they ate, their eyes kept drifting back to Marinette. As soon as she was done eating and made to stand, they acted. 

Marinette’s brain was able to conjure up the question of if all her friends were physic or if they had discussed this plan in front of her and she just didn’t realize it, because they all acted in sync. Nino grabbed her plate and cup from her hands, moving out of the way while Adrien pulled her down to lay on the couch. Alya threw a blanket over her body and adjusted it as a pillow got placed under her head. 

“Nap time.”

“But-” 

“You will be stuck here until the end of lunch either way. You might as well just sleep.”

Marinette let out a huff, making to move only for a hand to press her down. She looked up at Adrien’s face as he loomed over her.

“I will lay on you if you try to resist Marinette.” 

That reminded her of Chat Noir. Even though he had canceled group patrols, and he took over her solo ones, she had decided to go out for one last weekend. She couldn’t help herself. She was anxious and just wanted to go out for a little bit. Still, once he realized she was out and hadn’t slept at all, he ran off before returning with a pillow and blankets. Somehow she ended up wrapped up in what she could only refer to as a blanket burrito with a pillow under her head and Chat Noir laying on top of her. She had fallen asleep to the sound of his purring. 

Of course there was no way that Adrien would do that. But he did. As soon as she tried to sit up again, he laid his chest on top of her’s. He was still kneeling on the ground, so it wasn’t all of his body on top of her, but it was enough weight that it kept her from moving.

“Sleep.” He said, turning his head to look at her. His breathing began to slow, and her body mimicked it without thinking. Soon she was out like a light. He didn’t want to move, but slowly lifted himself off her.

“How did you do that?” Nino asked, his voice in a whisper to keep the girl asleep. 

“I read that if you are with someone you both subconsciously match your breathing to theirs.” 

He didn’t say it, but he had specifically looked it up on the off chance that he would have to help Ladybug fall asleep without being transformed. His purring only happened in suit, after all. Before anything else could be said, Madame Cheng walked into the room. Adrien quickly leaned back, hoping that she didn’t notice him laying on top of her daughter. She opened her mouth to speak, but the three teens shushed her and waved her off. The woman smiled to see her daughter asleep, but the expression slowly dropped. 

“You three are wanted downstairs.”

“For what?”

Adrien resisted the urge to lay back down on top of Marinette and hold onto her. She was finally sleeping, and he wasn’t about to let her have any chance of waking up from her nap too soon.

“There’s someone from the school board who is interviewing the students in your class. She was interviewing me and Tom, but when I mentioned the four of you being here she said she wanted to interview you all now.”

“At the same time?”

“No. Tom and I went separately, so I imagine it would be the same for you three.”

“You two go down. I’ll wait here until one of you gets done.” 

Even if Adrien wasn’t the one to watch over Marinette the whole time, he could at least make sure she stayed asleep while Alya and Nino got interviewed. They nodded, and soon Adrien was left alone. He waited a few seconds before laying his head back onto the girl’s chest, smiling as he closed his eyes.

“Oh Plagg, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Marinette is just a very good friend.” 

Adrien let out a huff before looking up and glaring at his kwami. He really didn’t want to argue today, so he tried to close his eyes and ignore the god.

“If you think that will stop me, kid, you’re wrong. I-” Whatever Plagg was about to say was cut off. Adrien opened his eyes and looked up, to see him sporting a look of worry. Slowly lifting his head off Marinette’s chest and turned to look off where the kwami was starring. Nothing was there. 

“Is something wrong?” He asked, turning back around. What Adrien did not realize was that Tikki was floating right behind him, giving Plagg her signature death glare. 

My bug has had no rest at all. Her eyes said. If you stop her from being able to sleep because you’re too busy teasing your kitten and wake her up then I won’t hesitate to end you. 

“Nothing.” Plagg said out loud, not wanting to unleash Tikki’s wrath. He was concerned for her bug too, which was why he was trying to get his oblivious holder to realize his feelings so that she would be cared for on both sides of the mask. Of course, he could do that later when he wasn’t at risk of being destroyed. 

Confused, but deciding not to question it, Adrien laid his head back down and shut his eyes, falling asleep to the sounds of her gentle breaths. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing that Marinette noticed when she woke up, was the voices drifting into the room. She sat up and looked around, confused as to what she was doing in her living room. She turned around and looked over the couch in time to see her papa coming into the room with another woman. 

“I guess she woke up.” Her papa said, before addressing her. “Marinette, this is Mrs. Blanchet. She’s from the school board and is here to ask you some questions.”

Marinette was immediately confused and also worried. She noticed the woman’s professional attire and immediately went to smooth out her messy hair. Mrs. Blanchet didn’t seem to care though, as she walked over and took a seat on the chair across from the couch, not once giving any judgemental looks.

“Sorry about my appearance.” Marinette muttered.

“It’s quite alright. I’ve heard from your friends that you haven’t been able to rest, so it’s good that you got some sleep at least.”

She had spoken to her friends? The questions continued to build up. She knew that there was a man from the school board who was speaking to Miss Bustier, but that didn’t explain why there was this woman here and why she would speak to her friends. The answer finally snapped into place with the next thing she said.

“So, Ms. Dupain Cheng, please tell me about your experience with Mlle. Bustier. And please, be honest.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Is she okay?”

“Relax, dude, her parents are with her.”

“But she should have been done by now.”

The trio had long finished their interviews with Mrs. Blanchet and were sent back to school. Miss Bustier wasn’t in class, but a sub was brought in to cover for her. Mr. Fournier was allowing them to work quietly together on the assignment, or really was just letting them have some time to discuss what was going on. 

He knew that there would be whispering and notes being passed anyways, so it was better to simply let them go ahead with it so they could not feel so anxious about things. Besides, a few students were still out doing their interviews. It wouldn’t be fair to teach with several students missing due to the investigation.

“Should we call her?”

“Adrien, she is fine. We asked her parents to call us if something bad happens, remember?”

It was the only way they were able to get Adrien to leave the bakery. Even telling him that his father would be upset to find him skipping out on class didn’t get him moving. The two bespeckled teens tried to keep Adrien distracted with the worksheet they were giving, but his eyes kept snapping to the door each time it opened. 

More students returned, none of them being Marinette, and Adrien was at the point of considering if he could run out of the room and to the bakery without being pulled back by Nino. So far the only three students out of the room were the bluenette, Chloe, and Sabrina. 

But then Sabrina came back, and quietly explained to Mr. Fournier that Chloe wouldn’t be returning to class today. Adrien assumed that it was because Chloe didn’t want to bother returning to class, but if he was paying attention he might have noticed Sabrina’s wide eyes and flustered tone. As if she was just exposed to some harsh truth and still trying to comprehend it. 

By the time the door came open again, Adrien was standing up to run to the bakery. As soon as he spotted the familiar pigtails, he got in front of the girl and hugged her as quickly as he could.

“Is everything okay? Are you feeling a bit better now?”

Marinette, for her part, did get enough rest to comprehend some things. Not enough for her to be flustered around Adrien yet, but enough to realize how he got to her so quickly.

“Did you just… jump over your desk?”

“Dude.” Nino muttered, head in his hands.

“Um… no?” It was more of a question, because Adrien truly didn’t know if he did that or not.

“Please sit down. I need to make an announcement to the class.”

It was then that Adrien realized that Marinette wasn’t walking in alone. Behind her was another woman, one who he hadn’t seen before. It also registered in his mind that if he really did jump over a desk, not only did this woman see it but the rest of the class also did. He quietly went back to his seat, but not before making sure Marinette got seated in hers. 

“My name is Mrs. Monet and I am a member of the school board. As you know, we have been asking you questions regarding your teacher and your time here at Francoise Dupont. The school board doesn’t like to make rushed decisions, but we feel like this decision will be best for the students and other members of this school’s safety.” She took a pause before continuing. “Miss Bustier will no longer be your teacher.”

Before, if someone were to say that to the class, they would all be devastated and demand answers. However they had seen how she’s been to Marinette over the past couple weeks. Not just that, but once they heard about her threatening Marinette a lot of the love and respect they felt towards the teacher was burned out. Mrs. Monet had been expecting them not to be upset, and continued on with her speech.

“I am sure you might be confused as to what is happening, but I assure you that the school board makes all of its decisions with the school’s wellbeing in mind. We will be ensuring that this choice doesn’t harmfully impact your education. Mr. Fournier will be taking over as your sub for the rest of the school year. I do ask you to please be patient with getting answers to the questions that I’m sure all of you have. 

“We cannot give out full details of an investigation without permission from several people, and that only can happen after the investigation is fully finished. Of course, if you do have questions you need answered you may contact me and any of the other two school board members who you’ve seen today with the emails we’ve provided you. We will be happy to answer your questions if we are able to.

“It is also decided that since the decision to remove Miss Bustier as a teacher here is affecting multiple classes, that tomorrow will be an optional school day. Students may come in to work on school work or just hang out. However you will be required to come within the first hour of school and stay the whole day if you do wish to come here. It is to ensure all of your safety. Your parents have already been notified and told that they will receive a call just to confirm that you aren’t coming to school. If you have any more questions regarding that, you can ask Mr. Fournier for more details.

“Another change that is taking place is that your principal is also being removed.” This caused whispers of confusion to sprout up, but they quickly died down when the woman raised her hand. “We unfortunately cannot say much about this other than he was breaking some rules and had to be terminated. An official announcement regarding that will be made once the investigation is finished. I wish you all a good rest of your day, and if you have anything else you need to ask or have to tell us please reach out to any of the members you have seen today.”

With that, Mrs. Monet walked out and allowed the class to finally speak what was on everyone’s mind. 

“This is my fault.”

Well, clearly one student didn’t share the same thoughts as everyone else. All eyes immediately turned towards Marinette, who looked very upset at the current news. Which didn’t make sense given what had happened to her just last week.

“Marinette, no it’s not.”

“But, Miss Bustier-”

“Did you ask to have all that work dumped on you? To be threatened?” Adrien said, eye flashing with rage. A pat from within his pocket, unknown to anyone else in class, reminded him to take a deep breath and calm down. 

“But what about the class trip? I still needed to get things booked.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Dupain Cheng. As your current homeroom teacher, I’ll be handling things. Everything will be fine. As for you, I think that it would be a good idea for you to take a break being class representative so that you can focus on your school work and your other activities. Your class deputy can take over for a few weeks, and can appoint someone to help her temporarily as well.”

In the back of her mind, Marinette knew that what the man was saying was supposed to lift a burden off her shoulders. After all, she had been wanting a break for weeks now. But right now it felt like all the work she had done up to this point was all for nothing. 

“But, what about the plans I’ve already made? All that was left was to book things and get them approved?”

Mr. Fournier paused in consideration. It would be wrong to use work that a child was forced to do, but it was clear that it could cause the bluenette more distress if all of her work was for not. 

“See me on Wednesday. I’ll have to reach out to the school board to ensure that it is okay, but if you wish we can take your plans and implement them without you having to do all of the work. For now you all can just finish up on the worksheet I gave you and then have quiet conversations. If you need anything feel free to ask.”

Alya handed Marinetted a worksheet but less for the reason of working on it and more just so she wouldn’t forget about grabbing one later. Right now she wanted to check in on her.

“Miss Bustier had this coming to her.” Alya didn’t let Marinette try and defend that woman. “She was the one who purposely dumped her work onto you. Not just that, but she refused to let anyone else help you out. Then she decided to threaten you whenever you were politely trying to figure out the truth. Whatever happens to her is on her.”

Adrien and Nino nodded, and the rest of the class would have agreed but were pretending that they weren’t eavesdropping to try and give her some privacy. Marinette didn’t seem so sure, and the rest of the class all came to the silent collective decision that they would make sure Marinette wasn’t hurt from this. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Before the end of the week they found out that Chloe got expelled. Turns out all the threats she gave to both staff and students alike was enough to seal her fate. Her father tried to fight it, but there wasn’t a lot that could be done with all the evidence. In fact, he was too busy trying to save himself from being exposed of him abusing his power at the school to worry about abusing it even more. 

Another two weeks passed before they found out why Mr. Damocles was fired. Besides just ignoring Chloe’s behavior and Miss Bustier’s abuse, he had also been stealing the school’s money. Turns out the pay of being a principal alone couldn’t afford him all the comic books and fancy gadgets he wanted to become The Owl. 

It took a few weeks for Marinette to feel okay about things. Tikki adamantly went through, relaying out what responsibility meant for her to ensure that Marinette would take care of herself. Adrien, Alya, and Nino all distracted her when she got doubt that it was her fault more than Miss Bustier’s, and all made sure that she got plenty of rest. 

With all the rest she was getting she was finally able to go on patrols again with Chat’s approval. That still didn’t mean that he didn’t wrap her up in a blanket and make her take a nap instead of patrolling some days, but Marinette found that falling asleep to his purrs made her feel more relaxed so she was okay with it.

It was two months after the whole debacle, when Marinette was made to nap before a study session with her three friends only to wake up to the purring coming from a different blonde boy, that she realized something else. A quick freak out, the two hiding in the bathroom whilst Alya and Nino looked at each other confused from their spots in the living room, and Adrien decided that he really wasn’t going to let Marinette go. Like, literally.

“Adrien.”

“No.”

Marinette sighed, deciding to just lean back into him. He immediately burrowed his face into the crook of her neck, and it was only due to her slowly slipping out her exhausted mindstate and being able to be calm around him during that time that she wasn’t a completely flustered mess. Oh, she was still blushing hardcore, but at least she wasn’t squealing like a kettle.

Alya and Nino could only stare at the two, who had emerged from the bathroom with Adrien carrying Marinette before the blond sat her down between his legs. After a few moments, Alya was able to speak.

“So… are you two dating now or?”

“Engaged, actually.”

“I don’t remember you proposing.” 

“I would say married, but just because we act like a married couple doesn’t mean that we are legally married yet.”

“We’re fourteen.”

“... I can wait.”

#miraculous fanfiction #miraculous ladybug fanfic #mlb marinette #marinette dupain cheng #Ms. Bustier Salt #mlb salt #Alya sugar #protective adrien agreste

[mcheang]

The return of Amy Squirrel

“When the superintendent personally asks you to work at one of the worst schools…you say yes.”

Not only is Amy a more suspicious teacher than Ms Bustier, but she will be taking over Ms Bustier’s class while the latter is on maternity leave.

Now Amy may treat everyone like they are in kindergarten, but she has a history. She was forcibly transferred after her rival framed her for being on drugs. Said rival Elizabeth was now a guidance counselor but it galled Amy to be sent to Paris, aka the emotionally troubled city, to teach the akuma class, under false charges. In hindsight, she really should have returned Elizabeth’s desk after stealing it to check for drugs.

The unfairness and humiliation made Amy reflect on the situation and she vowed to be smarter, more prepared to see through such tricks.

Naturally, when it comes to Chloe’s bullying, Amy puts Chloe in a time out. When Chloe calls her father angrily, but Amy scolds her for talking to her father as if he is her servant. And Chloe is making her family look bad. Audrey happens to be near Andre when Amy says this and hearing this, agrees Claudine should be disciplined and gives Amy free reign. Until she is respectable, she isn’t a Bourgeois. Chloe is akumatized except Amy has a solution for this. While the butterfly is happily accepted by Chloe, Amy punches her, knocking her unconscious while Alya posts on her blog about the akuma so Ladybug has an excuse to come purify the butterfly.

Chloe: You punched me!

Amy: Your mother authorised me to use any means to make sure you don’t keep embarrassing her. Frankly, you losing again to Ladybug would be humiliating since it just enforces to your mother that you are a loser.

Chloe is stunned to see she has lost influential power. Aka she can be sent to detention and her parents won’t help her.

Now, Marinette is holding a car wash for a future field trip. Seeing Marinette’s clumsy and efficient record (she was practically doing half of Caline’s work for the pregnant lady), Amy did not mind. She minded however when Lila, who did not show up at the car wash at all, said she felt bad about not being able to help and volunteered to help with the money arrangements.

Marinette and Caline: Absolutely not

The class was stunned. Marinette was not expecting someone to be on her side.

Caline: I know your reputation for being charitable Lila, unfortunately it is that reputation that leads me to mistrust you with this. Mylene told me how you had donated the money she organised to your fundraiser for the poor instead of her preferred save the earth charity. While the cause is still noble, the donators wanted the money to go to the earth. I cannot risk you donating our fundraiser trip money to another one of your noble causes. If you are that worried about their causes, you can ask your class to help with another fundraiser, except Marinette and Alya, they need to help me plan the field trip.

Lila gritted her teeth. This immature teacher was a hindrance!

Amy had done her research on Lila too. A disturbing number of ailments and disorders, long leaves of absences with parent approval, and she was not unaware how the class catered to Lila by helping her copy notes, buy her lunch, carry her backpack, etc. All in all, Amy would not want to look before she leapt and think Lila a liar but she finds her suspicious. When she confides to Damocles, he mentions Lila’s lying disorder.

Amy: THAT’S BONKERS! And if she is telling the truth, how can you know when she lies, we need a proper authority figure to guide us on how to help accommodate Lila’s needs. We cannot trust the poor girl whose ability to distinguish fact from fiction is so hampered.

Damocles: I have tried reaching out to her mother, but she’s so busy, I’m afraid emails are allowed. Rest assured they are detailed.

Having dealt with Elizabeth, Amy was not discounting the possibility that the email was a fake.

Amy: May I see Mrs Rossi’s occupation? What job is more important than being here for her daughter.

Principal passed her a paper. “She’s the ambassador of Italy.“

Amy: And what does it mean for Italy if she cannot even be there for her child?

Principal had no idea how to respond to that.

Amy personally went to the embassy to talk to Mrs Rossi and boy was there some clarifications to be made.

If Amy was immature, Diplomat Rossi was oblivious/ignorant. The diplomat readily agreed to come with Amy and see the principal.

The next morning, Lila was called to the principal’s office where she was roundly scolded for lying and framing Marinette.

Damocles: Lila Rossi, you are hereby expelled.

Lila promptly runs away, to become Cerise. She has 2 more mothers to financially rely on.

Mrs Rossi speaks to the class and tells them the truth about Lila. She apologises to Marinette. She also asks that if Lila should contact them, to call her.

Only, Lila isn’t answering any of their calls.

Marinette is so thrilled with Amy handling her bullies. She is so much more efficient than Ms Bustier!

Her efforts were enough to get her promoted from substitute to main teacher.

#miraculous ladybug fanfic #miraculous ladybug fic #ml fanfic #ml fanfiction #ml fic #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #ml salt fic #lila is exposed #lila gets exposed #miraculous ladybug and bad teacher crossover

[liquid-luck-00]

Marks of Magic

Day 1 Moon

Maribat Spooktober 2023

Next

I don’t know if this is going to be a stand alone or a short part story or if it will be the whole month.

Let’s see where it takes us.

I’m restarting my permanent taglist since I’ve been inactive for so long. Sorry!!!

Language and cursing is used

1500 words

~~~~~~~~~~

Three years.

THREE YEARS!!

she has dealt with this stupid Moth's reign of emotional terror. And she is done.

She is done with Chat's dumb jokes and worse, his unwanted advances. she is done with having no one she can trust. she tried giving second chances to Alya, Nino, and even Chloe. But each time she did they broke her trust again and again. She stopped calling on other holders.

She is done with fighting this war alone. She reached out to the Justice League but they laughed in her face. So she stopped asking for help.

The Akumas would target the non-holders group of heroes so often and defeat them or worse until the cure would be cast. that they either left the city or gave up.

she is done being alone and fighting this uphill battle alone.

She doesn't know when the change happened but it did. Her suit darkened and changed, to a point where most was a pitch black. Accents of red and black spots littered the suit, but it darkened.

She couldn’t stand it anymore, her hero life is suffering because she had no one to turn to. That leaked into her personal life as well, she couldn’t trust her friends, so as the guardian, she wiped their memories of ever being a holder, and in Alya’s case the fact she is Ladybug. On top of that Lila held on to her threat, and it came to pass, the class turned on her, as they iced her out of their lives she did the same. She focused herself into her brand and grew her client list.

•••

"Seriously Gurl!" she heard Alya starting to stomp up the steps towards her. Marinette didn't look up from the tablet she was currently reviewing before class started.

"You could at least look at me!" Her hands slammed down on the desk infront of her.

"Alya." She responded, making a note on the document. "What can I do for you?"

"Cut the Snark, Marinette, we all know what you did."

"Oh really." A smirk played on her lips. she looked up at her ex-friend. "Do tell, what did I do?"

"Lila can't even stand being in class since your here."

"And.."

"You really are a bully, Mari, how can you not even show remorse for what you did."

"Your right, I don't." Marinette stood up. "Granted you haven't told me what I did yet." she crossed her arms, watching the other girl get madder at her 'attitude'.

Alya was about to respond when in walked Lila, but with one big difference. Gone was her long hair and stupid sausage pigtails that framed her face. Now it was cut short, a Pixie cut that now showed off her high cheekbones and her eyes, that were Puffy and rimmed in red from what she assumes were tears. The girl looked at her quickly before averting her gaze and dove into her seat. Mari didn't say anything. It was shocking to see her this way, so much she almost dropped her defensive posture. Luckily she didn't say anything as Mdm. Bustier walked in to start the class.

Mari quickly sat down as Alya flew down the steps to console the Italian.

The class period seemed to stretch out longer than normal, but that only caused her mind to race more with every tick of the clock.

All to soon Mdm. Bustier clapped her hands, pulling her from her stupor. "I would like to congratulate Marinette for being our lucky winner to spend the next semester at our sister school, Gotham Academy."

Every one turned towards her, if she looked closely their smiles were forced, almost sneers.

She never applied for it.

Her eyes travelled to her ex-friend, Alya who looked triumphant.

But jokes on them. She was glad. Glad she wouldn't have to deal with them for almost six months now.

So she smiled.

Not one of her strained smiles that had become so common place, but a true genuine smile.

The rest of her day went by in almost a blur. Teachers and other classmates would congratulate her but it didn't register fully. A plan forming in her mind.

•••

She was glad that there was no akuma today. As soon as school let out she got to work.

Through the photos she took of the grimore she learned, during dire situations, the butterfly could embue its own holder as a champion. Gabriel Agreste, then came back into the forefront of her suspects.

She didn't suspect to act on it, but while outside she saw him. Gabriel moved to a subterranian green house, where she then saw a kwamii.

She didn't think and acted on pure instinct.

she dove through the window, Agreate turned and before he could say anything she charged at him.

The yoyo in her hands extended into a weighted bo staff. Agreste getting over his shock called on his transformation. The two of them danced circles around the other as their weapons clashed in the underground room.

"How?!?!" she heard him snarl at her, but she didn't answer.

She was tired of this bull shit.

Tired that this peice of crap of a man made her life a living hell for three years.

Until ...

A flash of light enveloped the room. There Gabriel Agreste knelt on a knee, his hands balled into fists as he glared up at her. The butterfly Miraculous clutched in her hand.

A spark eminated and from it out came the kwamii of transmission, Nooroo.

"Ladybug... I..." The kwamii tried and failed to speak.

"Please go and retrieve the Peacock and the Grimore." She said never taking her eyes off of Agreste.

When he returned she placed both Miraculi in her yo-yo and finally spoke again. "Why?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you." He practicaly spat.

"No you don't, but I want to know the reason before I deal out a verdict." she hummed.

"And why would you be doing something like that, Ladybug." He tried to stand but fell back, too tired or too hurt, she doesn't know. She lowered down to meet his eyes, but didn't say a word.

In that moment he was so defeated, he finally collapsed to the ground barely able to lift his head to speak. "No use telling you now. You’ve already won."

He attention pulled towards the large window, seeing the full moon overhead illuminating their conversation.

"I guess that’s true. But why wouldn't I want to know why. Why I fucking fought for three years against you for so long. I need to know why." She stared up at the moon not sparing the man a glance.

"For her." There was a silence but she didn’t look at him, not yet. "All she wanted was a child, but in order for him to grow, she had to..." He didn't finish his thought.

She looked back at Agreste, she took in his battered spirit and body before standing again. She looked around the room until her eyes landed on it, a cyro chamber with who she assumes is Emily Agreste. "No matter what, there’s always a price for a wish. to bring her back something else must be taken from you."

"Please. Please just do what you have to."

"No. You have to live with the fact that your decisions ensured she would never wake up. That she was wrong to place her faith and love in you." She pulled out her Yoyo and flew out of the room, back home. The moon's light guideing her.

She fell onto her bed dropping her transformation as she thumbed through the grimoire until it landed on a page of spells.

She doesn’t know if it’ll work or not, but it’s worth a shot.

"As the guardian of the miracle box I, Ladybug, call upon the powers of the Kwamii held in my protection."

She closed her eyes and continued to recite the word she’s read over and over for the past few months.

"For my conviction is absolute and I release the Kwamii from their jewels, never to be used again by mortal beings."

Several voices were heard in front of her now, all the Kwamii she’s met floated in front of her in between her self and the moon. She doesn’t know how but even Plagg was among the others.

"Is this truly your wish guardian?" Was spoken by both Tikki and Plagg.

"Yes." That’s single word rang resolute within the empty room.

One by one each kwamii approached her, said a goodbye and thanks before disappearing.

Plagg came towards her and was the first to place his miraculous in her hand.

"Your one hell of a kid, Pigtails. Be unappoligetic. If you ever need to." He held up a paw. "Just give me a shout."

"Plagg!" Tikki exclaimed.

"I said what I said." He cackled before dissapearing.

She heard Tikki sigh before hugging her cheek. "You've grown so much, my little bug. "She pressed a flipper to her earring." Plagg's right though. If you ever need to. Call upon our power and we will lend it to you."

"Thank you Tikki." she felt tears beginnig to sting her eyes. Tikki dissapeared. "Thank you. All of you."

~~~~~~~~~~

Next

#Maribat Spooktober 2023 #Maribat October Prompts #maribat #dc x mlb #mlb x dc #dc x miraculous #miraculous x dc #ml marinette #luka x mari x jason

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Biodad! Bruce Wayne

Realised I haven't posted anything Maribat related in a while. Also realised that it's Biodad! Bruce Wayne month.

I am currently on break from fic writing until October. This happened because the wifi was out for a while and I lacked motivation to study.

-----

Marinette is a Wayne and everyone knows except for the new kids aka Alya, Adrien and Lila.

Mari doesn't flaunt her wealth or tried to hide it but everyone just sort of forgets when she is as down to earth as the rest of them.

Except for the certain times she shows it and everyone is violently reminded that she is richer than Chloe Bourgeosis (who can't stand that fact.)

Picture this, Set season 3-ish, Spring Break is over and everyone is coming back from their vacation.

Chloe comes in a limo and bragging about her vacation in the Carribean or something.

Adrien looks around and is like, "Where's Marinette?"

Marinette hasn't been heard from all break and Alya is only aware that she is visiting family in the States.

Anyways, bell rings to signal classes and still no sign of Marinette.

Then, the chopping sounds of a helicopter is heard and everyone looks up to the sky and sees one.

Everyone moved out of the way as they realised that it was going to land in the courtyard (Or the sake of crack and the magic of imagination and fiction, let's pretend this is allowed and possible)

"I wonder if that is a new student." Adrien wondered.

"Ooh, I hope they aren't another Chloe. They seem rich if they are coming to school by helicopter." Alya said.

"That's Marinette." Nino explained.

"Where?" Adrien looked around for his very good friend.

"The helicopter. It's hers. Well, it belongs to her family. See?" Nino pointed out the Wayne logo to his friends.

"No freaking way." Alya exclaimed, "Marinette's not…" She stopped upon seeing a familiar girl exit the helicopter, arguing with a man in English.

"B, I am not going back out on this. I am staying in Paris and that is final." Marinette yelled.

"Sweetheart, but think of the akumas. They are dangerous." The man tried to appeal to her.

"It's fine and I am not dead yet. Plus I don't want you bubble wrapping me to 'protect' me if I stay in Gotham."

"I am not that bad."

"It's that Bruce Wayne? That's Bruce Wayne." Alya pointed and turned to Nino, "Why is Bruce Wayne here and why does Marinette know him?"

"You don't know?"

"Of course, I don't." Alya feels like there is a story here and Nino is not telling her what it is.

Adrien raised his hands, "Same here."

"How do you not know?" Nino waved towards the pair, "Mari's father is Bruce Wayne."

"What?" Alya and Adrien exclaimed. Brain.exe has stopped working.

"Everybody knew that."

"We didn't. What do you mean my girl's father is one of the richest man on the planet?" Alya demanded as she shook her boyfriend for more answers.

"I know it sounds hard to believe but yeah. Marinette is Bruce Wayne's daughter."

Alya walked away in disbelief and muttering on her phone, trying to see if it was true. She screamed, "Oh my God" when she found Marinette's Wikipedia page.

Adrien is just looking like a lost puppy.

"Dude, you okay?" Nino asked.

"Why didn't Marinette tell me? I thought we were friends."

"Adrien, I think she forgot that you didn't know since all of us already knew and plus I thought you would have known before this. Don't you rich kids hang out in the same circles or something?"

"If my father lets me go out and that is rarely. So no."

"Oh right, your old man. Look, Mme. Mendeleeve is coming. We better get to class. You can ask Marinette why she didn't tell you then."

In the Meantime, Marinette and Bruce had stopped yelling at each other and were angrily doing ASL to communicate hero business.

The helicopter had flew away after dropping off its passengers.

"Mme. Marinette and M. Wayne, it's time for Mademoiselle's class to start so I hope you can continue this fight after school." Mme. Mendeleeve interuppted them.

"Yes, Ma'am/miss"

"And Marinette," Bruce called, "We will negotiate this for a compromise over lunch."

"Fine." Marinette groaned and walked away with the teacher.

Bruce ignored Damocles, who had hurriedly changed out of his Owl Knight costume to greet the billionaire, as he made his way to the expensive-looking car parked in front of the school.

"Oh, wait. Principal Damocles." Bruce said as if he remembered something before opening the door, "Marinette had been complaining about another girl in her class who had been threatening her and apparently framing her for cheating on test and theft. I was also told that she was expelled because of it. Why was I not aware about this?"

Damocles paled and stuttered out a poor excuse.

"I also hear that the Bourgeosis girl is still having her way with everything and picking fights with my daughter."

"About that. Chloe insists on being in the same class as Marinette and the Mayor intervene everytime we try to do something about it."

"I see. I am already considering pulling her out since Hawkmoth is making a big mess of the city. At least back at home, there are protocols in school for attacks but I don't see any in your school policies for akuma attacks."

"Um. We- er are working on it. You see Hawkmoth is a recent thing and um-" Blah. blah. blah. Bruce just hears more excuses.

"Hn." and Bruce gets into his car and drove away.

Damocles made a note to tell Bustier to take Marinette's side for a while.

In the class, Lila was eagerly bristling with excitement. There was a new student in school who arrived by helicopter and it had the Wayne logo. One of the richest children in the world was attending the school. Forget Agreste, this was a bigger fish to fry. She was far away to see who the student was and Mme. Mendeleeve prevented her from getting a closer look but she could recognise them by the red clothes they wore to school. Hopefully, they were in the same class as hers. Lila prayed hard to see a new face as people trickled in. She even got Nathaniel to sit with Ivan so there is an empty seat next to her.

However, she had no luck when Marinette, usually the last one to class, arrived and there was still no new student.

That is until Adrien asked loud enough for everyone to hear, "Marinette, why didn't you tell me that your father is Bruce Wayne?"

Lila nearly crack her neck by turning her head so fast to stare at Marinette who answered, "I thought you already knew." in a confused tone.

Sure enough, Marinette was wearing the same clothes the supposed Wayne child had. Lila has a crisis since one of the best golden ticket to fame and fortune already knew she was a liar.

"Is he really your father?" Alya grabbed Marinette.

"Yes." Marinette looked between Adrien and Alya who both looked betrayed, "Why do you look so confused about it? Everybody knew."

"Everybody. Except us."

Lila picked that moment to chimed in, "Marinette, how could you not tell me that you are a Wayne? I thought that we were friends." Hoping she could salvage something.

Marinette made a face and it was gone as she replied, "It's not like I hid the fact that I am a Wayne. Maybe I wasn't as obvious about my wealth like Chloe and most people assumed that my last name is Dupain-Cheng because she called me that. I kinda forgot you didn't know because everyone already knew. So no hard feelings?"

Alya sighed, "I can't get mad when I know how scattered you get. I mean some things are now obvious now that I think about it and it explains some things."

The rest of the day, Lila tries to act all buddy-buddy with Marinette and Marinette ignores her.

#maribat #biodad! bruce wayne #this time #ml x dc #mlb x dc #everyone knows marinette is a wayne #adrien is oblivious enough to not know something like that #as for the rest #Marinette has a Tony Hawk problem where unless she is wearing formal wear like a evening gown or a suit #People don't know she is a Wayne #that is why most people is so chilled about her being famous

[heqvenlymoons]

The Chronicles of Links & Connections [2]

I'm going to start a tag list for this fic! Comment if you want to be tagged when I post future chapters here onto Tumblr <3

Not a fan of the formatting here on Tumblr, it messed with the article and I'm not going to find a way to fix it 😭 I also can't figure out how to underline so~

Ch 1 | The Chronicles of Links & Connections Masterlist | AO3

Chapter 2: Clara Nightingale

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From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Date: 28 March 2023, 9:32 A.M. Subject: Thank You

Marinette, 

Thank you so much for the dress! It’s beautiful and fits my album theme super well. As a thank you, I’ve sent over tickets for my concert happening on the 10th of April, they should be arriving in your mailbox in the next few days. There should be enough for your entire class to attend, as well as a few backstage passes for yourself and your trusted friends!

Xoxo, Clara

From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Date: 30 March 2023, 10:02 A.M. Subject: RE: Thank You

Clara,

Thank you so much for the tickets and backstages to your concert, I’ve just received them! You didn’t have to, but I appreciate it all the same! I’ll be sure to attend your concert along with the rest of my class.

Love, Marinette

From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Date: 30 March 2023, 4:47 P.M. Subject: RE: Thank You

Marinette,

It’s no problem! It’s the least I could do after all your hard work on the dress. You kept insisting on giving me a discount even after I refused. I can only pay you back in another way. You deserve it!

Xoxo,  Clara

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April 10th, 2023— Collège Françoise Dupont, Paris, France. 

Marinette stumbled into the class just as the bell rang, her classmates giving her exasperated looks, used to her tardiness. She gave a tight smile before heading to the back where her seat was beside Felix, who looked up from his book to give her a look. 

“You live across the school. It is a wonder how you still arrive late to class every day,” he said, looking amused at her antics. 

She huffed, crossing her arms as she protested, “I don’t arrive late every day! It was my alarm! I turned my phone off yesterday and forgot to turn it back on before I went to sleep. My mom had to come and wake me up.” 

It wasn’t entirely the truth, Tikki had woke her up. There had been an Akuma in the middle of the night, she had to sneak out to deal with it as Ladybug and didn’t get any sleep until five. When her alarm rang, she had been too sleepy to get up. 

Felix tsked. “Today your alarm did not wake you up. What of yesterday? Or the day before? And the day before that?”

“Alright, alright. I get your point.” She grumbled, yawning as she closed her eyes and laid her head on their shared desk. 

She heard him sigh, and then he turned his attention back to his book, leaving her to catch up on the few minutes of sleep before class started. The familiar voice of Lila Rossi had Marinette muttering curses under her breath. 

“I’m really sorry for not attending our girl’s sleepover yesterday! There was a last-minute change of plans, Clara Night— Clara texted me about wanting to go shopping together and I just couldn’t refuse, it’s been a long time since our last hangout,” Lila said as she entered the class, making her way to Alya but still speaking loudly for the rest of the class to hear. 

Marinette sighed, muttering to Felix, “Here we go again.” 

He shook his head, scoffing. “She does this every day. How your classmates have not got tired of Miss Rossi’s voice is beyond me.”

The class raised to the bait, and in an instant, gathered around Lila in anticipation. 

Kim let out a gasp. “Clara Night? You mean Clara Nightingale? You’re close friends with Clara Nightingale? That’s so cool!” 

“Girl! You didn’t tell us you were besties with Clara Nightingale,” Alya said wide-eyed, bumping her shoulders with Lila’s. “And it’s alright, I get you. She must be busy a lot and it’s good that she still found the time to hang out with you.”

Lila gave a bashful shrug, smiling at them. “You’re my bestie, Alya. Clara and I are close, but not as close as me and the rest of you guys.” 

Rose let out a squeal, hugging her. “That’s so sweet, Lila!”

Marinette and Felix exchanged exasperated glances as Ms. Bustier arrived just as the bell rang, signalling the start of class. 

“Class, I have great news. Someone in the class dropped off tickets to the Clara Nightingale concert happening tonight—” Ms. Bustier had started to say when the class broke into excited chatters. 

“How much do you want to bet that Lila claims to be the one to drop off the tickets?” Marinette muttered, glaring at the girl in question. 

Felix shook his head. “Not taking the bet. Why fight a losing battle?” 

“Who could’ve sent the tickets to our class?” Sabrina asked, looking happy as she looked around the class, trying to figure out the mystery. 

Kim rolled his eyes. “Who cares? We have the tickets and we’re going to the concert— ow!” 

Alix had smacked him on the back of his head. “You gotta learn how to show your gratitude, man!” 

“Yeah dude, not cool,” Nino said, looking at Kim with disapproval as Kim looked chastened.

“Wow, whoever it is, it was nice of them to give the tickets to the class. It’s going to be my second concert after Jagged Stone!” Adrien said, his eyes shining with excitement as they flickered to the back of the class where Marinette was sitting. 

His bright smile dimmed as he saw her and Felix speaking in whispers to each other, envying their closeness. 

Lila, unhappy with the lack of attention she was getting, coughed. When everyone turned to her, she spoke in a shy voice, “I was actually the one who dropped off the tickets to Ms. Bustier.” 

Ms. Bustier blinked. She looked over to Marinette sitting at the back, who only shook her head. 

“Girl, why didn’t you say so then?” Alya asked, smiling as she linked elbows with Lila. 

Sabrina had stars in her eyes as she said, “Thank you, Lila!”

Lila soaked up all the attention as the class thanked her, no one paying attention to the two students at the back. 

Felix eyed the girl sitting beside him with a considerate look. “You were the one who dropped off the tickets.” It wasn’t a question and they both knew it. “They are taking advantage of your kindness. You don’t even get the recognition you deserve for your acts of kindness. Instead, the credit gets claimed by a lying snake.”

Marinette shrugged. “Clara Nightingale gave me the tickets specifically for the class. What else was I supposed to do with the 15 tickets?”

“Have you thought of selling them?” He said in a patronizing tone, making her faux glare at him. 

She shook her head. “It wouldn’t be right to. Besides, I don’t mind giving the tickets to the class.”

“They don’t deserve it,” He murmured, sending glares at their classmates who were surrounding Lila, Ms. Bustier having given up on trying to teach for today. 

Marinette smiled, it warmed her heart how Felix was always quick to defend her. “Anyway, enough about that.”

Felix watched with a curious gaze as she took out a lanyard pass from her purse. 

“A backstage pass, for you. Clara gave me three of them, including one for me. I’m going to give the other one to Chloe when I see her tonight as she’s currently not in class,” she said, placing the lanyard on their shared desk with a light clink and pushing it toward him. 

“Thank you,” He said, his lips quirking up into a slight smile and she took it as a win. 

──────────

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April 10th, 2023— Le Grand Paris, Paris, France.

Arriving at Le Grand Paris with Felix in his limo, Marinette sighed in relief when she didn’t see any signs of the paparazzi. After her accidental tweet on her MDC Twitter account from earlier, the paparazzi were sure to be on the lookout for her tonight. 

“Paparazzi are not allowed anywhere near the property of Le Grand Paris, remember?” Felix spoke as the limo came to a stop. 

Marinette still didn’t let her guard down, eyeing the entrance with a cautious look. “That didn’t stop Vincent Aza from stalking Jagged Stone, did it? There’s always a few people who think they can get away with the rule,” 

She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, lost in thought. What if someone discovers she was MDC because she arrived with Felix? The world knows Felix and MDC are dating— even though they’re not— and everyone knows Felix is not the type of person to get close to just anyone. After her slip-up from earlier on social media, her arrival with Felix is a big giveaway. 

A light touch on her arm broke her out of her daze and she turned to see Felix looking at her with a frown, his eyes holding concern as he reassured her, “No paparazzi would be foolish enough to step foot onto Le Grand Paris after what happened last time with Vincent Aza. He was sued by both Jagged Stone and André Bourgeois.” 

When she still looked convinced, he added, “I am sure Miss Bourgeois took proper precautions and security has been doubled, especially with tonight’s event.”

Marinette gave a slow nod, taking a deep breath. 

Felix nodded at the chauffeur out the window, who promptly opened the door. As the door slid open, Felix stepped out, eyeing the guards at the hotel entrance and the area around it. He then extended his hand, assisting Marinette out of the limo. 

The two showed their backstage passes to the guards standing at the entrance and they were granted entry. 

Chloe greeted them as they crossed the threshold. “There you are, Dupain-Cheng, you’ve made it. You as well, Graham Cracker.” 

Marinette huffed out a laugh at Felix’s annoyed look at the nickname. 

“How many times do I have to tell you to refrain from using that name?” he said, scowling at the Bourgeois heiress. 

Chloe went to link arms with Marinette, then responded, “Your last name is too long. You can’t seriously think I’ll call you Graham de Vanily every time I have to address you?”

Felix sent her a flat look. “Graham de Vanily is too long, but Graham Cracker is not?”

As the trio made their way to the ballroom, Marinette took out a backstage pass by the lanyard from her purse and handed it to Chloe. “Not that you need it since you technically helped host the concert, but it would avoid misunderstandings,” 

Chloe smiled, taking it. “Thank you, Mari.”

The three flashed their passes to the man standing guard and he unlocked the red velvet rope for them to enter. The ballroom was spacious, with a bar at the side serving drinks and a large stage at the far end of the room. Groups of guests were already gathered around, speaking to each other in loud excited voices. 

At their entrance, heads were turned and many were staring at Felix. Being the famous actor he was, he was recognized in an instant. Marinette shifted on her feet, feeling self-conscious as their gazes drifted to her and the chatters grew louder. 

“They’re only antsy because it’s a high-profile celebrity making an entrance. It would soon die down when the concert starts. After all, they’re all here for Clara Nightingale,” Chloe said to her, grabbing her hand in comfort.

Marinette nodded, her gaze flickering to Felix who had a blank look on his face as he appraised the crowd. Without her permission, her eyes had wandered away from his face to appreciate the rest of his outfit. 

She blushed when he caught her eye and a nudge from Chloe had Marinette dragging her gaze away from Felix’s. 

“Let’s go backstage, it’s way too crowded and I feel stuffy,” Chloe muttered and Marinette murmured her agreement. 

Marinette looked to Felix who was already looking at her. “Come along, Graham Cracker.”

Ignoring his look of disbelief and betrayal, she followed Chloe to the front where the stage was. The trio had walked passed their classmates when Lila’s faux sweet voice crooned at them. “Oh, Marinette!” 

Marinette exchanged eye rolls with her two friends before she turned to Lila with a fake smile that could rival the Italian’s. 

Alya went to link arms with Marinette, pushing Chloe out of the way, who glared at the spectacled girl. “Hey, girl! Are you excited for the concert? It’s all thanks to Lila that we all get to enjoy it,” 

“Yes. It’s all because of Lila that we get to attend Clara Nightingale’s concert,” Marinette said, her voice sarcastic but Alya didn’t seem to have noticed. 

Marinette removed her arm from Alya’s and was on her way to go backstage with her real friends when Lila’s voice stopped them again. “Where are you going, Marinette? Shouldn’t we enjoy the concert together as a class? After all, I got the tickets so our class can spend time together!” 

Marinette gritted her teeth. Lila was not going to leave her alone. “I have a backstage pass.”

Lila’s eyes widened as the class exchanged excited glances. 

“Wow, girl! Since when did you and Clara Nightingale become besties? You would have to be quite close if you managed to have a backstage pass,” Alya asked, looking happy for Marinette. 

“So cool,” Juleka mumbled as Rose looked at the ravenette in admiration.

Alix beamed. “That’s awesome! I wished I had a backstage pass,” 

“I was wondering where my backstage pass went. Turns out, you’ve had it all along,” Lila said, her eyes gleaming with greed as she looked at the pass around Marinette’s neck. 

Alya frowned at the implication before her eyes cleared. “I see what’s going on. Thanks for being such a great friend to Lila! But Lila’s here now, you can return the backstage pass to her,” 

Marinette narrowed her eyes at Lila. “Ms. Bustier personally handed out the tickets to everyone. We all saw she handed you one. If you had a backstage pass, you wouldn’t have needed a ticket.” 

“You’re the one with the backstage pass right now. I was confused when Ms. Bustier handed me a ticket when I knew I was supposed to have a backstage pass. I didn’t want to bother anyone at the time because I thought maybe Clara just forgot that she had promised me she would give me a backstage pass,” Lila said, her eyes widening with tears as she ‘figured’ out what had happened. 

The happy smiles on her classmates' faces melted away as they processed what Lila had said. 

“I have a backstage pass as well. By your logic, does that mean I also stole your backstage pass?” Felix intervened, glaring at Lila. 

Chloe waved her pass in the air in front of her. “And me.”

Lila’s eyes widened even more if possible while the class wavered with uncertainty. 

“Well…” Max had started to say when Lila sniffled. 

“I’m sorry, it’s my lying disease acting up again,” Lila cried as the class gathered around her, offering their comfort and sympathies. 

“Pathetic,” Felix muttered, taking Marinette by the arm as they headed backstage. 

Showing their backstage passes when prompted, the trio was granted entry and they spotted Clara Nightingale being interviewed by Nadja Chamack. 

“Marinette! You made it!” Clara went to hug Marinette, then murmured a greeting to Chloe before turning her attention to Felix. “You are the famous Felix Graham de Vanily! I love your work in The Vengeance, your portrayal of Octavius Valdez captured your essence.” 

Felix nodded in acknowledgment. “Thank you, I am flattered.” 

Nadja Chamack seemed surprised at the interaction, but her surprised gaze was on Marinette. “Marinette, it’s good to see you again! Manon misses you.” 

“It’s good to see you as well, Aunt Nadja. How have you been? Tell Manon I said hi,” Marinette said, accompanied by a warm smile. 

“Of course! I’ve never been better. I was just asking Clara Nightingale here some questions for my news report,” Nadja said, looking at Clara with a smile. “What’s your relationship with Marinette? You two must be close if you gave her a backstage pass.”

Marinette tensed but kept on a bright smile as Nadja looked at her for a reaction. Nadja Chamack might be a family friend, but Marinette couldn’t know for sure if Aunt Nadja would report her identity if she knew. Especially if Nadja sees the news as newsworthy and MDC’s identity is bound to create a buzz in the public. 

Marinette wasn’t willing to risk it. 

Clara swung her arm around Marinette’s shoulder, silently assuring her that MDC’s identity wouldn’t be exposed. “Ever since I thought Marinette would make a great Ladybug for my Ladybug and Cat Noir music video, we’ve been close ever since.”

Marinette nodded in confirmation, subtly squeezing Clara’s hand in thanks for her quick thinking. 

Nadja nodded, moving to jot down the explanation in her notepad when Marinette spoke up, looking nervous as she chewed on her lip. “Do you mind not including that question in the article you’re writing? I would like to stay out of the spotlight. After what happened the last time when the media caught me with Adrien, I don’t want a repeat of what happened,”

The reporter looked up, her face softening at the nervous look Marinette was sporting. “Of course, I understand.”

Marinette nodded, looking relieved. “That’s good.”

Clara smiled, rubbing Marinette’s shoulder in comfort as she suggested, “Why don’t you go hang out with your friends for now? I’ll come talk to you again before the concert starts.”

“Okay,” Marinette agreed, Clara gave her a gentle push towards her friends who had taken a seat on the couches as they lounged. 

“I was scared for you for a second, good thing for Clara’s quick thinking,” Chloe whispered to her friend as Nadja continued to interview Clara, their voices carrying over to the lounging area. 

Felix looked up from his book, adding his own two cents in a quiet voice, “You have to be more careful which accounts you are posting on, Marinette. I only hope Ms. Chamack does not put two and two together and figure out your identity as MDC from your earlier tweet.”

Marinette nodded, taking his advice to heart. She would make sure to double, triple and even quadruple-check to make sure she posts on the right account from now on. It had been a close call. 

The trio settled into quiet conversations and bantering during the intermission of the concert. It was going to be a fun night. 

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news • 58 minutes ago Clara Nightingale Concert At Le Grand Paris

news • 1 hour ago Felix Graham de Vanily Spotted At Le Grand Paris For Clara Nightingale’s Concert

news • 3 hours ago Theories & Conspiracies: MDC’s Identity

news • 5 hours ago MDC Accidentally Tweeted She’s Going To Be At Clara Nightingale’s Concert

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The Clara Nightingale Concert At Le Grand Paris Nadja Chamack

Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news! Tonight, Clara Nightingale shook the world with the concert held at Le Grand Paris in honour of her latest album, Cherry Venom. Parisians and people from all over the world who hadn’t attended the concert had to live vicariously through clips and footage of the concert posted on social media. 

Cherry Venom is Nightingale’s most successful album up to date, garnering over 1 million plays on Spotify since its release and hitting the top of the Billboard charts within a month. 

[Source: Promotional shots and concept photos from Clara Nightingale’s Instagram]

I had the honour of interviewing Nightingale for my news report article tonight before she went on stage to perform. The most outstanding question was: What are you wearing?

It comes as no surprise when Nightingale said “The outfit I’m wearing is designed by MDC”. The renowned MDC, the fashion designer taking the world by storm could rival Gabriel Agreste and the Style Queen, Aubrey Bourgeois herself. 

The beautiful dress Nightingale had worn in her concept and promotional shots were designed by MDC as well. 

In answer to my question, “Is MDC your go-to designer when you require a dress or outfit for your music videos or concerts?” 

Nightingale responded, “I would like to say MDC is my personal designer, but Jagged Stone would fight tooth and nail for that title. I could only say MDC and I are very close friends, I often go to her when I need something designed. Her works have never once disappointed me.” 

Readers may be wondering if MDC and Nightingale are as close as Nightingale says, does that mean Nightingale knows MDC’s identity? Well, Nightingale’s answer will certainly shock some readers:

“Yes, I do know MDC’s identity. I won’t disclose her identity because it’s not my place to. MDC is someone who doesn’t like to be in the spotlight and we all know how vicious the paparazzi and the media can be. It’s also one of the reasons why MDC doesn’t take commission requests from just anyone.” Nightingale said. 

The reason for MDC remaining as an anonymous designer explained by Nightingale is understandable. With that said Nightingale and Stone are the only known ones so far to know of MDC’s identity. 

[Source: Photos taken from the concert, posted on Clara Nightingale’s Instagram]

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#felinette #felix graham de vanily #marinette dupain cheng #mlb social media au #felinette fanfic #Links & Connections AU #social media fic

[nobodyfamousposts]

Both concepts (Littlebug and Chaton meet ninja turtles) sound really cool, so either option sounds good. :)

Then let's do Overlord/Light Lord/Doll Army!

For the lulz...

(During the class trip to New York...)

Alya: I'm finally gonna see my penpal!

Marinette: Penpal?

Alya: Yeah! It was part of a project back at my old school before I moved to Paris. I became penpals with a girl in New York named April O'neal. And guess what? She's into comics, heroes, and journalism! Just like me!

Marinette: That sounds really cool!

Alya: I'm gonna meet her at the park during our break and we're gonna chat for a bit over lunch!

Marinette: Just make sure to be careful. New York is weird.

Alya: Pfft! Hardly. Sure, she's written about some crazy stuff, but there's no way any of it is true.

Marinette: Like what?

Alya: Like mutants and yokai and papermen and aliens and "mystic" stuff. I mean really! What are the odds of something like that happening in New York?

Marinette: The same as Miraculous and akumas and sentimonsters and "magic" stuff in Paris?

Alya: …

Marinette: …

Alya: …I'm gonna take the Dolls for protection.

Marinette: Your protection or theirs?

Alya: Gotta go! (Grabs bag with Chaton and Littlebug)

Littlebug and Chaton: (Are startled by the sudden movement but let themselves be taken along for a ride)

(At the park, April and Alya meet up)

Alya: Are you April?

April: Alya?

Alya: Oh my gosh! It's awesome to finally meet you!

April: Same!

(The two are chatting. Unbeknownst to them, Littlebug and Chaton have gotten bored in Alya's bag and have snuck out to play.)

April: (Looking at Alya's phone) So this is the Ladyblog?

Alya: Yep! My pride and joy!

April: (Looking over the blog and the posts) And this is all for real? The superheroes and monsters and everything?

Alya: I kid you not. Sometimes I wonder how Paris is still standing…

Chaton: (Finds a carousel and climbs on it)

Littlebug: (Spins the carousel)

Chaton: (Spinning around on the carousel)

Littlebug: (Jumps on)

Alya: Speaking of things you can't believe…were you joking about that stuff you wrote about?

April: What stuff?

Alya: Like…with the mutants? And the demon armor? I mean, I told my friend about it and she freaked out a bit because yeah, things get crazy in Paris, so I want to reassure her it's not real so she doesn't have to worry.

April: …

Alya: …she doesn't have to worry, right?

April: …

Alya: Right?

(Meanwhile, Chaton falls off the carousel, his eyes spinny. Littlebug hops off the carousel and helps the dizzy Chaton to the girls and into one of the bags to rest.)

April: Well, would you look at the time! Gotta go!

Alya: Wait! I need answers!

April: (Grabs her bag and leaves)

Alya: (Huffs) I'm gonna get that scoop sooner or later!

(Alya lifts her bag….then pauses once she notices the weight.)

Alya: (Opens the bag to see no dolls) ….uh oh.

(At the Lair…)

April: Hey, guys! (Sets bag down)

Mikey: Hey, April! What happened?

April: Nothing much. I finally met my penpal today.

Mikey: Ooooo! What's she like?

April: Nice girl…a bit brash though. She's running a blog in Paris that's all about the crazy stuff going on there.

Leo: Mutant crazy or New Jersey crazy?

April: All this stuff about "Miraculous" and monsters and magic. (Pulls up Ladyblog on her phone and shows it to the boys) And a cult apparently?

Leo: Like the Foot?

April: I dunno. Cuter, I guess?

Leo: (Reading) "Join the Light Lord Marinette's followers and get your own doll?" I don't see the appeal.

(Unbeknownst to the assembled group, the dolls have gotten bored and jump out of the bag to explore. Chaton wanders off.)

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

(Meanwhile...)

(Raph has been minding his own business and just finished doing some training so he was putting the equipment away. All that was left were the weights.)

Raph: (Picks up the weights one at a time to put back on the stand)

(A small weight is lifted up to Raph by little hands.)

Raph: Thank you! (Takes the weight and puts it on the stand)

(Pause)

Raph: …wait. (Spins back to see Chaton)

Chaton: (Lifting another small weight, trying to be helpful because Mama taught him to always clean up and put things away when he's done with them)

Raph: …

Chaton: (Smiles)

Raph: …AAAAAAAAAAH!

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(Back with the others)

Leo: So monsters and superheroes and ladybugs, oh my!

Donnie: Impossible. If even half of that stuff is true, how do they even keep the city standing?

April: It's magic, I guess?

Mikey: OooooOOOooooo! Magic! Like real magic!

Donnie: Scoff. It's not magic.

Leo: You can't just deny magic in everything.

Donnie: I'll admit to actual magic when it comes alive and beans me in the head.

(A red and black-poka dotted ball smacks Donnie in the back of the head.)

Donnie: …oh hah hah, Leo. Slow clap. (Picks up ball)

Leo: That wasn't me.

Mikey: (Looks behind Donnie) There's nothing back here.

Donnie: See? It was Leo.

Leo: Not everything is my fault!

(Long pause)

Leo: …today, at least.

Donnie: And I suppose one of those "magical creatures" just somehow found their way to the Lair? Without any of us knowing? To just surprise us?

(Suddenly, the sound of Raph screaming from another room can be heard)

April: …

Mikey: …

Leo: …

Donnie: …

Leo: …aren't you gonna…?

Donnie: No. I refuse.

Raph: (Shouting from the other room) AAAAH! DEMON DOLL!

Donnie: It's not magic.

Raph: (Shouting from the other room) MAGIC DEMON DOLL!

Donnie: If I don't acknowledge it, it's not real and I am technically not wrong.

April: DONNIE!

(They run to the other room.)

Raph: (Backs away from Chaton in fear)

Chaton: (Confused)

Raph: Wait! If this is a demon like that creepy Cuddles demon, all I have to do is laugh at it! (Laughs at Chaton)

Chaton: (Stares)

Raph: (Laughs louder)

Chaton: (Starts to cry)

Raph: (Immediately stops laughing) Wait.

(Donnie, April, Mikey, and Leo rush into the room.)

April: What's going on?! Is Mrs. Cuddles back?!

Leo: Is that a catboy doll?

Mikey: (Gasp) And is it crying?

Donnie: …nope. I draw the line at crying inanimate objects. (Turns to leave, revealing Littlebug had been clinging to the back of his battle shell)

Raph: AAAH! There's another one!

Donnie: Wait—what?! (Spins)

Littlebug: (Hopes off Donnie and runs over to Chaton)

Chaton: (Still teary) ;_;

Littlebug: (Turns and glares at Raph)

Raph: (Tenses)

Littlebug: (Wags her finger at him, clearly giving a lecture and looking quite cross)

April: I think you upset them.

Leo: (Hamming it up) Raph! I expected better of you!

Raph: I didn't mean to! He was there and I just…

(Chaton's tears fall to the floor and everyone stares in shock and growing concern as the tears begin to burn through the floor where they land.)

Donnie: And its tears are corrosive, apparently.

Leo: Yeaaaah, you might want to make it stop before we end up with a basement?

Raph: (Looks down at Chaton)

Chaton: (Looks up at Raph, eyes still teary)

Raph: I'm very sorry.

Chaton: (Wipes his nose)

Littlebug: (Huffs at Raph, then pulls out a red and black-spotted handkerchief and wipes Chaton's eyes)

Chaton: (Sniffles but smiles once the tears are dried)

Leo: Well, I guess we know who the big sibling is.

Mikey: (Gushing) AWWWWW! They're so cuuuute!

Chaton: (Preening at the attention)

Mikey: (Pokes Chaton)

Chaton: (Nuzzles Mikey's hand)

Mikey: (Gushing even more)

Donnie: So I don't mean to interrupt this…this, but am I the only one concerned about the intruders to our Lair?

Leo: Good point. Any idea how they got here?

April: Didn't Alya mentioned something about Dolls on her blog? Maybe they hitched a ride with me during my meeting with her?

(They look at April's phone.)

Raph: So there are monsters and heroes in Paris?

Mikey: And these little guys are based on those heroes! How neat!

Leo: Does kinda give more credence to the whole "Light Lord" and "free doll" business.

Raph: So your friend just happened to have magic dolls with her?

Donnie: How do you even know they're magic?

Leo: Because they're dolls? And alive? Kinda screams magic there, Don.

Donnie: Not necessarily! EXPERIMENTATION will determine the truth!

Mikey: (Looks worried)

April: (Looks worried)

Chaton: (Looks worried, lip wobbling)

Littlebug: (Glares, silently promising swift and painful retribution)

Donnie: …and by "experimentation", I mean non-invasive non-painful mystic scanning.

Chaton: (Smiles)

Littlebug: (Suspicious but allows it)

April: Orrrr I could just try calling Alya.

Donnie: Sure, if you want to be boring about it.

April: Seriously, it'll take five minutes. Don't do anything while I'm gone! (Leaves the room)

All: ...

Donnie: You all know I'm doing it anyway, right?

Leo: You wouldn't be you if you didn't.

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

(With April)

April: (Calling Alya)

Voice: (Picks up) Hello?! HELLO?! Is this April?

April: Uh yeah. Who this?

Marinette: My name is Marinette. Alya told me about your meeting and...nothing weird or anything, but would you happen to have a couple of dolls with you?

April: You mean the living dolls? Then yes, I have them here.

Marinette: Oh no! Please don't freak out! They're good kids, I promise! They're just children who like to play! They don't hurt anyone and usually stay out of trouble. Wait they haven't gotten into trouble, have they?

April: Trust me, they'd be in good company.

Marinette: (Confused) Eh?

April: Nothing! So about this whole "Doll Army" and "Light Lord" thing?

Marinette: I keep telling Alya to take that down! (Sighs) Can you tell me where they are and I'll explain it on the way? Preferably before anything happens?

April: What could happen?

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

Donnie: (Scanning Chaton) Seriously, what are you made of?

Chaton: (Goes BRRR in the scan, clearly having fun)

Donnie: No mechanical parts to be seen. Just pure energy. And felt.

Leo: Soooo…magic?

Donnie: Not EVERYTHING has to be magic, Leo!

Chaton: (Nods because he is magic! Mama said so!)

Donnie: (Points at Chaton) Don't you argue with me!

Leo: (Looks back and forth between them) But…he didn't say anything?

Donnie: I know what he said! Per my scans, these two apparently have empathy—

Mikey: Awww!

Donnie: No, I mean empathy as an ability. Where they can sense the feelings of others and convey their own in their own form of communication. Like something out of a badly written teen vampire romance novel, but less pretentious. And annoying.

Mikey: (Gasp) They communicate through their FEELINGS!

Donnie: The one language barrier we cannot cross.

Chaton: (Holds up arms to Mikey because it sounds like he wants a hug)

Mikey: AWWW! (Hugs Chaton) You are adorable!

Chaton: (Smiles and purrs because hugs)

Raph: (Still nervous) Are we sure that hugs don't power them somehow? Like screams did for Mrs. Cuddles?

Donnie: (Doing energy readings) ….oh, they do. He's absorbing the ambient energy from Mikey’s presence as we speak.

Mikey: (Pauses, then goes back to hugging Chaton anyway) It's not like a little lost energy never hurt anyone.

Raph: Mikey! Put him down! He could kill you!

Mikey: (Hugs Chaton tighter) Worth it! 

Chaton: (Hugs back because Orange boy is warm and sunny and he would never hurt him)

Donnie: Calm down. They’re merely absorbing excess energy. Like osmosis.

Raph: …why?

Donnie: (Shrugs) They appear to just be storing it like little batteries.

Leo: Okay…to do what?

Littlebug: (Throws hand in the air, causing a red and black-spotted screwdriver to appear)

Turtle Bros: (Stare)

Donnie: (Intrigued) …okay, that’s handy, actually.

Raph: Donnie.

Donnie: What else can you make?

Raph: Donnie, NO!

April: (Pokes her head in) Guys! I talked with their Mom. She says they aren't evil but ARE magic.

Leo: (To Donnie) Told ya.

Donnie: (Glares)

April: I'm gonna meet up with her to get an explanation. Don't do anything too crazy while I'm gone! (Leaves)

All: ...

(Ten minutes later)

(The Dolls are set up on the table and looking confused or amused in Littlebug’s case. Mikey is sitting on a chair in the corner, underneath a sign that has “Bad Boy Jail” crossed out and new words of “Quarantine Corner” written on it instead.)

Mikey: Can I come out and play with the Dolls now?

Raph: No! You just hugged one, Mikey! And we’re still not sure what it’s done to you!

Donnie: (Checking Mikey over) Nothing yet as far as I can tell.

Mikey: Nothing other than giving me AFFECTION AND HAPPINESS! Like that’s so bad, Raph!

Raph: We can’t let our guard down until we know what we’re dealing with! The last time we had a doll in the Lair, it turned out to be evil.

Mikey: Awww, these guys aren't evil! (Turns to the Dolls, talking baby talk) Awre youw?

Littlebug: (Nods)

Turtles: (Stare)

Turtles: (Glance at each other nervously)

Raph: Okay…so how evil are we talking exactly?

Littlebug: (Frowns, considering)

Littlebug: (Holds her hands a distance apart, which amounts to half a foot or so)

Leo: Eh, still less evil than Donnie.

Donnie: Eyeroll. You just can't appreciate genius.

Raph: I would feel better if we knew exactly what we are dealing with and just how evil these two are.

Mikey: Don't worry! Doctor Feelings can handle this! (Turns to Littlebug) So, what exactly do you mean by "evil"? (Does air quotes)

Littlebug: (Makes a gesture indicating a box and taking something and putting it in the box)

Mikey: You dumped a man in a dumpster?

Littlebug: (Holds up two fingers)

Mikey: AND his assistant?

Littlebug: (Nods, proudly)

Mikey: Well, that's not good but not so bad. But why?

Littlebug: (Frowns)

Littlebug: (Makes a comedically frowny face and gestures at her face)

Mikey: Uh huh…

Littlebug: (Stands up and strikes several poses then collapses to the floor)

Mikey: (Eyes widen)

Littlebug: (Sits up, taps her wrist but shakes her head)

Mikey: Oh.

Littlebug: (Points to herself and makes the gesture of the box again)

Mikey: (Looking less nice and more angry)

Littlebug: (Holds up three fingers and makes a sad face)

Mikey: (Expression is now stormy)

Raph: Uh…Mikey?

Mikey: (Pulls out weapon) And where did you say this guy lives again?

Raph: MIKEY NO!

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(Five minutes later)

Mikey: (Sans weapon and pouting, now sitting back in the "Quarantine Corner")

Raph: Okay, now that we've confiscated Mikey's weapons...what should we do about...(Looks down at Chaton)

Chaton: (Smiles up at Raph)

Raph: Yeah…and we're SURE they're not evil?

Mikey: Only to those who deserve it. (Darkly to self) And trust me, they deserve it.

Leo: Okay, anyone else worrying about Mikey's sudden turn to the dark side? And if the Dolls have hypnotic capabilities? No? Just me?

Chaton: (Climbs up on Raph)

Raph: ….uh hi?

Chaton: (Smiles)

Raph: (Staying very still)

Chaton: (Leans on Raph's plastron and purrs)

Raph: (Eyes wide and shiny)

Leo: Raph? You okay?

Raph: (Hugs Chaton) It's everything I've ever wanted.

Leo: Aaaand we've lost Raph. Looks like it's just you and me, Don…

Donnie: (Talking to Littlebug) And you think a death ray would be enough for that?

Littlebug: (Nods and points to a section of a map)

Donnie: I see! I could easily increase the output to scale for size of land mass…

Leo: …I have concerns. I have many concerns.

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(Meanwhile)

(With April and Marinette, the two are heading to the Lair.)

Marinette: I am so sorry about this! They're usually pretty well behaved, but sometimes they can get into mischief.

April: (Pats Marinette on the back) Well, that is what kids do. Still, I can't get over how you manage everything. Emotional terrorists. Magic. Monsters. Being a mom to magical dolls. And your own friends trying to take over the world on your behalf? The only way it could be tougher is if you're Ladybug.

Marinette: (Laughs nervously) Y-yeah...hahah.

April: No worries! They're with some of the best guys I know right now. I'm sure they're being responsible and not doing anything too crazy with the Dolls.

Marinette: (Hopeful) Really?

April: (Nervous smile, lying through her teeth) Totally!

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(At the Lair)

Leo: Okay. Recap. Dolls are magic. And possibly evil. Raph, Mikey, and Donnie are apparently hypnotized by their cuteness.

(The sound of lightning and evil cackling comes from Donnie's Lab)

Leo: ...no no, that's just Donnie on a Tuesday.

Leo: (Pulls out his phone and looks up the Ladyblog)

Leo: So it looks like the Dolls are...weirdly popular. And in high demand. Huh, no wonder they've got a Doll Army. And this "Light Lord" is their creator....and mother. (Thinking a plan) Hmmmm...

(Five minutes later)

(Leo is sitting across from Littlebug, )

Leo: Okay. So what IS your plan?

Littlebug: (Holds a picture of the world and words "Domination!")

Leo: Kind of figured. And where do my brothers fit in?

Littlebug: (Holds up picture of Littlebug and Donnie in mad scientist gear with a giant ray gun zapping things)

Leo: That sounds like Donnie, all right. Jerk was probably just waiting for the excuse, knowing him.

Littlebug: (Shifts the various papers and holds up a picture of Donnie wearing a sash that says "Minister of Science")

Leo: Yeah, he would love that. What about Mikey and Raph?

Littlebug: (Points to a picture of Mikey dangling a weird-looking blond man over a pit)

Leo: Ah. I'm not sure who that is, but it seems Mikey does. He looks happy about it, at least. And Raph?

Littlebug: (Points to a picture of a happy Raph covered in dolls—more than just Littlebug and Chaton. Apparently there were others?)

Leo: That can't be all?

Littlebug: (Pauses and turns over the picture to reveal another drawing of Raph having tea with a young lady with pigtails, both smiling underneath a banner that says "Leader Stress Free Zone")

Leo: …huh. Okay. May need to talk to Raph about that. And I'm guessing the girl is your Mom, right?

Littlebug: (Nods)

Leo: So…why all the rest of this then? What would you even do with the world once you conquered it?

Littlebug: (Holds up a picture of the Dolls giving the world to their Mom)

Leo: …okay, that's cute. But does she even WANT the world?

Littlebug: (Pauses)

Littlebug: (Frowns, thinking it over)

Leo: Or does she want you guys because you ARE her world?

Littlebug: (Pauses)

Littlebug: (Tears up)

Leo: Maybe you should give her a hug or something the next time you see her instead of a planet? I think owning the world would just stress her out more.

Littlebug: (Nods and looks up at him pleadingly)

Leo: Do you want me to call her?

Littlebug: (Nods)

Leo: Sure thing.

Littlebug: (Hugs Leo)

Leo: (Sighs)

(Pause)

Leo: Wait. Did I just save the world?

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(Later)

(April arrives with Marinette)

April: Hey guys! I brought their Mom!

Leo: So you're human?

Marinette: And you're a mutant.

Leo: I just thought a creator of living dolls would be a yokai or something.

Marinette: This is a crazy world we live in. I hope they weren't trouble.

Leo: Well they DID kinda try to bring my brothers into their world domination plans, but I managed to talk them out of it.

Marinette: What?! HOW?!

Leo: (Acting serious and dramatic) With the Power of Love.

Marinette: (Grabs Leo) No, seriously! HOW?!! I have been trying at length for AGES to get them and my friends to stop this insanity and you managed it in two hours!

Leo: Oh. Uh...sorry?

Marinette: (Releases him and takes a breath of relief) No. No. This is...this is great actually. Thank you!

Leo: Anytime.

Donnie: (Slams open door) DAMMIT, NARDO!

Leo: What?

Donnie: You talked them out of world domination! NOW what am I supposed to do with the Apocalypse Device?

Leo: ...why do you have an Apocalypse Device?

Donnie: For the World Domination Plan I was helping create for the Dark Lord!

Marinette: (Annoyed) I'm not a Dark Lord!

Donnie: (Ignores her, continuing to lament) My inventions would go down in history. AND I would become the royal scientist! But now the Dolls don't want to do it! 

Leo: ...sucks.

Donnie: I created a whole PLAN, Leo! It was a 12 step process!

Marinette: But how do you take over the world if you destroy it? Wouldn't an apocalypse leave nothing left?

Donnie: ...oh. (Eyes widen) I have to go stop the timer! (Runs out of the room)

Leo: .....what?

Marinette: (Eyes wide)

April: ...so yeah. These are my friends!

Marinette: (To Leo) It's no wonder you knew how to deal with the kids. You must be used to it.

Leo: (Shrugs and refrains from mentioning his own antics) Yeah well y'know...

(Littlebug and Chaton run out and hug Marinette's legs. Raph and Mikey watch from the door, teary and sniffling at the reunion.)

Marinette: I've been worried sick about you two! (Hugs the Dolls)

Chaton and Littlebug: (Hug Marinette back because they didn't mean to make her worry, honest!)

Marinette: (To April and the others) It's been nice to meet all of you. Sorry about the trouble.

Mikey: It was no trouble!

Raph: Yeah. They're good kids. We wouldn't mind seeing them again.

Mikey: Speaking of, Littlebug mentioned a certain someone and I was hoping you could give more information on who it is. He needs a meeting with Dr. Delicate Touch.

Marinette: Who is—

Leo: And that's our cue to leave! (Pushes Marinette and April out) Thanks for everything! Lovely to meet you! Give a call if anything happens! Buh-bye!

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

(Three days later)

(Leo gets a phone call.)

Leo: Hello?

Marinette: Hello, Leo. It's Marinette.

Leo: Oh hey. Something wrong?

Marinette: I wanted to say thanks again for derailing the whole "world domination" plans the Dolls had. But they seem to have picked it back up again.

Leo: What? Why?

Marinette: They wanted to do something nice for me and are convinced that I deserve the world.

Leo: Cute. Evil...but cute.

Mari: You seem immune to the chaos and talked them out of it once. Do you think you could do it again?

Leo: Well, I can try?

Mari: Please! I will give you a box of croissants if you do!

Leo: Sold!

(Fifteen minutes and a portal later)

Leo: (Enters room with a box of croissants and jam, and wearing a sash that says “Minister of Foreign Affairs”)

Mari: (Stares)

Leo: (Shrugs) So yeaaah…they made a better offer.

Mari: If you wanted jam you should have said something! I WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU JAM!!!

And thus the struggle continues...

#ml fic #ml crossover #rottmnt #rottmnt crossover #marinette dupain cheng #dolls au #littlebug #chaton noir #rise leo #rise donnie #rise raph #rise mikey #if their cuteness cannot sway you their bribery will #dark lord marinette #light lord marinette #reluctant overlord marinette

[msweebyness]

Sasha’s Cuteness Proximity Powers

What happens when you introduce the teens of Miraculous to a ridiculously adorable little girl? Moments like this! Featuring the Akuma & Theater Classes! @imsparky2002 @artzychic27

———

(Marinette’s Room)

(Sasha is getting fitted for the Polymouse hoodie Marinette is making for her)

Sasha: Marinette, look at me! I’m a fashion model!

(Mari looks over and sees Sasha wearing a big floppy hat that keeps falling over her eyes)

Marinette: (Immediately whips out her phone and takes pictures as she’s trying not to squeal from cuteness)

———

(On the Liberty)

Sasha: (Holding Juleka’s bass as she strums a few off-key notes) I’m doing it!

Luka/Rose/Juleka: *Trying not to cry tears of sheer euphoria*

Juleka: That’s perfect, Sasha. Let me just grab my phone.

———

(At the Pool)

(Junior swimming lessons are taking place, and Sasha is among the kids)

Kim: (On the phone) Omigosh…her little ducky floaties…she’s too precious, Dine, I can’t!

———

(Outside the School)

(Sasha darts up to Nathaniel)

Sasha: Hi, Mr. Nath! I drew this for you!

(She hands him a messy drawing of Mightillustrator fighting an akuma)

Nathaniel: (Definitely not crying)….I will treasure this for the rest of my days.

———

(School Gymnasium)

(The Akuma class is supporting Adrien and Kagami at a fencing competition. Ivan is babysitting Sasha so she came along.

(Sasha has a little toy magic wand that she uses to clumsily imitate the fencers’ movements)

Adrien: …Kagamiiii…

Kagami: I know. I have just met this child, but I would lay down my life for her.

———

(Ms. Bustier’s Classroom)

Sasha: You look pretty. (Runs off to join her brother)

Chloe: ….Th-thank you. (Also definitely not crying)

———

(Back-To-School Night)

(*Evie babysits Sasha from time to time when Ivan is busy)

Sasha: EVIE! (She runs over to hug her)

Evie: *Thoughts* I am blessed on this day.

———

(Sutcliffe Regional Animal Shelter)

Sasha: (Bringing a tray of food to some of the shelter dogs) Hi Puppies! I’m gonna feed you now!

Brecken: Ohmagod…so pure…(Crying into his hands)

———

(Place Des Vosges)

Sasha: You talk really pretty, I like you!

Anthony: ….*Thoughts* So this is why people embrace the light…

———

The power of the precious child! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reblogs!

#miraculous ladybug #sasha bruel #adorable baby #cuteness proximity #fluff #akuma class #theatre class

[artzychic27]

In response to your Nathaniel WandaVision AU, I suggest an AU where the reasons why the show keeps changing and assasinating characters and making everyone support Adrinette is because Marinette in control of the narrative, and has the town of Paris under her spell. That's why the Science Kids and some of the Akuma Class get little to no screentime, it's why everyone now blindly supports her getting together with Adrien.

Adrien: Hey, Nath? Do you notice anything… Off?

Nathaniel: *Sketching Adrinette scenes* Nope! Everything’s fine here. Oh, and if you see Marc, tell him our date is cancelled because we’re spending the day helping you and Marinette with your more important date.

Adrien: … Uh… Thanks? *Rests his hand on Nathaniel’s shoulder, and he takes a sharp inhale*

Nathaniel: … Where am I? What day is it?! *Looks at his sketchbook* What the fuck am I drawing?!

Adrien: Nath, are you alright?

Nathaniel: … Since when did you start calling me that?! O-only Alix and Marc call me that! We never even hang out!

Adrien: What are you talking about? You and Marc have been helping me with dates for Marinette-

Nathaniel: What?! Dude, that’s- NO! Why would we ever help her get together with you?! She’s a creep!

Adrien: But didn’t you have a crush on her?

Nathaniel: That was before Alix helped me realize she’s nuts!… Where is Alix?

Adrien: You don’t know? Nath, she’s been gone for… For weeks, now.

Nathaniel: … What month is it?

Adrien: It’s May.

Nathaniel: No… No, I-it was February- Wait! No… No, I-it was October, and- Oh, God. I-I was with Marc and the others after Miracle Queen, and, uh-

Adrien: I really think you should calm down-

Nathaniel: Don’t tell me to calm down! I’m sitting here drawing cringe romance scenes between you and Marinette, Alix is gone, and I can’t remember a single thing after Chloé got Akumatized again!

—

Adrien: There’s no way any of what he said is true. Marinette’s not a stalker… *While he’s walking, he bumps into Denise* Oh! Sorry!

*Instead of saying anything, Denise just smiles and goes back to silently talking to Simon*

Adrien: Uh… Hello? *Remembering earlier, he places his hand on Denise and Simon’s shoulders, and they have the same reaction as Nathaniel*

Simon: What the bloody fuck just happened?!

Denise: I-I’m okay. I’m alive. We’re alive! We’re alive, right?! This isn’t hell?!

Adrien: What do you mean?

Simon: … You can hear us? *Adrien nods* H-he can hear us! It’s a fucking miracle! He can hear us! We haven’t been able to talk in forever!

Denise: You never talked to or interacted with us; we thought we were dead, or something! What about the others?! Are they alright?!

Adrien: Who?

Simon: Reshma, Aurore, Mireille, Ismael, everyone!

Adrien: Who’s Reshma? What are your names?

Simon: … You seriously don’t remember? C-come on! I taught you all those cheat codes in your video games!

Denise: I literally carried you to safety when an Akuma was after you! How do you not remember?!

Adrien: I-I just don’t; I’m sorry.

—

Max: *After getting de-canoned* So… You’re telling me that there’s some sort of interference in our universe that has kept us and our friends stuck on sort of this pause effect for months, and when you interact with us, we “wake up?”

Adrien: That’s what I’m saying.

Max: Well, Adrien… I believe you, and… *Whispers* I’m secretly freaking the hell out, but I don’t want to alarm anyone.

Adrien: Oh… You don’t want anyone alarmed.

Cosette: *Running past them screaming* WHAT FUCKING DAY IS THIS?! WHEN DID I GET A GIRLFRIEND?!

Zoé: *Running and screaming* WHAT AM I DOING HERE?! THIS ISN’T NEW YORK!

Kim: *Screaming and bashing his fists against the wall* WHY! AM! I! SUDDENLY! A JERK?!

Adrien: … Yeah, anyway! Can you help me?

Max: I suppose the first step is to find the cause, but- I am a sore loser who cannot handle losing to a girl, Marinette is the best at video games, and I suck, I never deserved to go to the championship.

Adrien: What? Max, why are you-

Marinette: Adrien! There you are! Come on, or we’re gonna be late for our date. Hi, Max.

Max: Hello, my video game superior. I would challenge you to a game of Ultra Mecha Strike, but that would be pointless. So, I will spend my valuable time coming up with several clothing combinations Adrien will love on you.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #science kids #Marinette salt #wandavision #answered ask #ask me stuff #adrien agreste #that explains so much

[the-delta-42]

Pulling the Trigger

Pulling the Trigger

Marinette nervously bit her bottom lip; her new school was a boarding school just outside of Paris. Kaalki had agreed to help her get back to the city in the event of an Akuma attack. She’d been forced to change schools after Adrien had gotten her a meeting with his father, Gabriel Agreste, one of Marinette’s idols. In the meeting, Gabriel had torn into Marinette’s designs, belittling them and mocking her choice of style, before tearing into Marinette as a person and her effects on his son and then, quite coldly, informed her that she would never have a future in the fashion industry and if she was ever near his son again, he’d be sure to have her behind bars.

So, here Marinette was, sitting in a hallway, waiting to be called into a classroom full of strangers. No pressure.

PTT

A blonde-haired girl with tanned skin, called Allegra, pulled Marinette through the halls, talking at a mile-a-minute and introducing Marinette to other students along the way.

“Claude, Allen!” Yelled Allegra, waving at a light-skinned boy with brown hair and a dark-skinned boy.

“Who’s this?” Joked the light-skinned boy.

“This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” Said Allegra, making the dark-skinned boy choke on his drink.

“That designer you’re obsessed with?” Asked the boy, as Allegra nodded eagerly, “I’m Allen, this wannabe magician is Claude.”

Marinette waved nervously.

“Sorry, we’re not used to being in the presence of a celebrity.” Said Claude, grinning, “Speaking of, what are your next designs like?”

Marinette winced, “It’s not, I’ve, erm, I’ve kinda been black-listed.”

The three froze.

“Um, can I ask by who?” Asked Allegra, her voice strained.

“Gabriel Agreste.” Responded Marinette, as Allegra sighed in relief.

“Oh, phew, for a moment I thought it was someone relevant.” Said Allegra, “The Gabriel Brand has really gone downhill lately, it doesn’t help that the new model keeps making Adrien look uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, she’s always like that,” Said Marinette, folding her arms, “trust me I went to school with them.”

Allegra froze, and then started squealing.

PTT

Adrien’s leg bounced as he waited for class to start. His father had spoken to him last night about how he had issued a restraining order against Marinette, as well as blacklisting her. He’d made a similar announcement at a social dinner with other fashion designers and members of the elite. His father didn’t like the fact he’d been laughed out of a room.

“Hey, dude!” Greeted Nino, Alya and the rest of the class behind him, “How were your holidays?”

“Could’ve been better.” Said Adrien, glumly.

“How’d things pan out with Marinette?” Asked Alya, smirking slightly.

“Terribly, my father issued a restraining order against her and black-listed her.” Answered Adrien, glaring at the table, “All because Lila claimed Marinette was a stalker and was crazy.”

“Lila, said that?” Asked Alya, in disbelief.

“She practically gloated about it at the photoshoot, actually,” Said Adrien, looking around for Juleka, “Juleka, I need to borrow some of your makeup.”

“Why?” Asked the Goth, frowning slightly.

Adrien pulled back his sleeve, revealing crescent-shaped scars all along his arm, “Lila got handsy and refused to let go.”

“Didn’t anyone do something?” Asked Rose, tears gathering in her eyes.

“They did, but father,” Adrien spat the word out like it was a curse, “refused to listen to anyone but his precious little Lila.”

Alya looked Lila up on her phone, dread filling her when the only result was her interview and Lila’s social medias.

“The lying bitch.” Said Alya, collapsing into her seat, “Marinette told me, and I didn’t think to check!”

Adrien glared at the table, trying to set it on fire with his gaze, “Father’s lost two of his biggest sponsors because of this.”

Alya frowned, just as Lila walked into the class.

“You guys aren’t going to believe what Marinette did to me!” Whimpered Lila, as everyone in the class glared at her.

“You mean telling us about your lies?” Snapped Alya, burning holes into Lila’s head.

“I’m not a liar!” Gasped Lila, her eyes darting to Adrien with a silent command to defend her.

“What?” Scowled Adrien, glaring at Lila as well, “If you’re expecting me to defend you, that deal only worked while Marinette was still in school.”

Lila gaped like a fish, as Adrien leaned forwards, “You do know that lying to my father made him lose two of his biggest sponsors? The Cheng’s and the Ricca’s cut their contracts immediately. The thing is, they had a little clause in their contracts that should their partnership with my father was ever terminated for whatever reasons, he would have to pay back every penny they gave him?”

Lila continued to gape, before clearing her throat, “Well, my mother is a Ricca, they’ll be back in the fold soon enough.”

“Lila, they’ve started proceedings to claim the mansion and they’re claiming all the bank accounts in my father’s name.” Stated Adrien, “Your lies have practically cost my father everything.”

“What’s going to happen to you?” Asked Nino, breaking his glare form Lila to look at Adrien.

“Father’s been under investigation, and I’ve been moved into a temporary home.” Shrugged Adrien, leaning back in his chair, “I’m not getting my hopes up about anything yet.”

Lila went pale, if Gabriel went under, she could kiss her dreams of being rich, famous and wanted goodbye. Lila’s eyes darted around the room, before she scarpered out and started to make her way home. Perhaps it was time for a fresh start somewhere else, somewhere far away from this mess.

PTT

“I can’t do that!” Protested Marinette, as Allegra stared at her with starry eyes.

“Please?” Begged the girl, forming a pout, “I can ask him for modelling tips, and you can just happen to be in the classroom?”

“That would only succeed in getting you in trouble, Allegra.” Said Felix, a blonde-haired, grey eyed boy a couple seats away from them. Marinette felt she’d met him before.

“Oh, please, Felix,” Sighed Claude, “just because you can’t meet Kitty section doesn’t meant I can’t meet Adrien Agreste.”

“Ms. Dupain-Cheng, Ms. Grey, Mr. Cadabra, Mr. Ricca, please be quiet and face the front.” Said the teacher, making the four flush.

“Sorry.” They all muttered and focused on their books.

The name Ricca niggled in the back of Marinette’s mind, trying to remember where she’d last heard it. Her Nonna’s maiden name was Ricca. Marinette’s mind screeched to a halt, and the girl’s head snapped up and stared at Felix.

“Is there anyone in your family called Gina?” Marinette asked Felix, making the boy look up.

“Yeah, my great-aunt, she travels around the world, why?” Responded Felix, as Marinette gaped at him.

“Her surname wouldn’t happen to be Dupain, would it?” Questioned Marinette, leaning forwards.

Felix frowned, before he made the connection.

“Holy shit.”

PTT

Candence Ricca jumped when the phone went off, she quickly checked the caller ID and frowned when she saw it was Felix.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Asked Candence, before quickly pulling the phone away from her ear.

“Why didn’t you say Great-Aunt Gina had family here?!” Demanded Felix, making Candence sigh.

“Rolland doesn’t want to be part of the family, Felix-” Felix cut her off.

“No, not him, Aunt Gina’s son and granddaughter!” Said Felix, making Candence frown.

“I thought they were still in China.” Mused Candence, as the dog ran behind her, chasing the cat.

“Marinette’s attending my school!” Said Felix, making Candence freeze.

“Felix,” Said Candence, her tone serious, “Keep Marinette with you, I’m coming to you.”

“Why?” Asked Felix, confused at his mother’s tone.

“Because we’ve been operating under the assumption that Marinette and her parents died in that plane crash.” Growled Candence, before hanging up.

Candence grabbed her coat and walked out the door towards her car.

PTT

Marinette stared at Felix’s phone. She and her parents were believed to be dead? But they weren’t. They were alive. Weren’t they? Marinette pinched herself, wincing as her nails dug into the skin on the back of her hand. Nope, definitely not dead.

“Any idea what that was supposed to be about?” Asked Felix, looking at Marinette.

“This is the first I’ve heard of being dead.” Shrugged Marinette, frowning, “Unless everyone’s actually dead and this is the afterlife.”

“The afterlife fucking sucks.” Said Felix, before looking at his phone, “Should we head outside and meet her, or should we just wait for the wardens to collect us for death row?”

Everyone stared at Felix.

“Boy, you’re a freak.” Said Claude, after a moment had passed.

The sound of squealing tyres made them look towards the window, a woman with brown hair and forest green eyes all but charged out of the car, while a chauffeur calmly started reading a book.

Felix shrunk slightly, Candence was tall and boarder line intimidating and the impassive expression on her face was usually reserved for the paparazzi. Candence stopped in front of her son and looked down at the, ridiculously, short girl next to him. A familiar pair of blue eyes stared back up at her.

“Marinette?” Murmured Candence, frowning.

“Hi?” Marinette gave a small wave.

Candence grabbed her face and looked either side of Marinette’s head. After letting Marinette go, she turned to Felix, “Wait here.”

Marinette and Felix watched Candence stalk over to the school’s receptionist. A moment later, both of them were in the back of the car Candence arrived in, while Candence was snarling down her phone in Italian. Marinette prided herself on how much Italian she’d learnt from her Grandmother, but now she was silent in shock at the number of profanities coming from Candence’s mouth.

The car came to a stop and Candence hopped out and stalked into a building. Marinette paled that the bakery, before sinking into her seat in an attempt to hide from any passers-by. Felix idly watched his mother speaking with one of the bakery’s owners, a short Asian woman who looked confused. His mother’s posture relaxed, before she calmly made her way back to the car. Opening the door, she gestured for Felix and Marinette to get out. Marinette rushed into the bakery as fast as she could, in an attempt to avoid being seen.

“Marinette?” Asked Sabine, as Felix and Candence came in after her.

“Hi?” Marinette waved.

“What’s this about?” Asked Sabine, looking at Candence, “I’m not sure I understand what you meant when you said we’re ‘supposed to be dead’.”

“You were in a plane crash, ten years ago.” Said Candence, “The majority of my family were under the impression that you, Tom and all five of your children were on board.”

Marinette frowned, “What do you mean ‘five’? The only siblings I have are Michael, Skye and Toby.”

Sabine groaned, before locking the Bakery door and leading the group upstairs.

“This is going to take a while.” Muttered Sabine, as they entered the apartment.

PTT

Adrien shifted uncomfortably as Chris ran around being chased by the twins. The rest of the class were scattered around the living room, Chloé was hugging her legs to her chest, in an attempt to prevent either Chris or the twins from touching her.

“Why are we here again?” Complained Chloé, getting scowls from most of the group.

“Chloé, you weren’t invited, you just followed Adrien here.” Said Alix, leaning back against the sofa.

Chloé huffed, but didn’t say anything.

“We’re here to figure out how to get Adrien’s dad to withdraw the restraining order and blacklist on Marinette.” Said Alya, “She’d do the same for us. Now, we need to focus on what Lila said to him and how we can disprove it.”

Meanwhile, across Paris in Gabriel’s office, Gabriel was fighting off an incoming headache.

“The Chengs and the Riccas are willing to come back to the table if you reverse you decision on Dupain-Cheng’s restraining order and Blacklist status.” Said Nathalie, standing by the door, “It would seem your attempt to akumatize her has failed. Again.”

Gabriel groaned, but Nathalie found she had little sympathy for him, “There’s also the matter of Mlle. Rossi, she’s at risk of being sued for defamation and/or slander by a number of parties. A number of Gabriel employees have now come forward and have reported that Mlle. Rossi has been harassing Adrien during the photoshoots.”

“Release her from her contract, as get M. Hayworth on the phone.” Grumbled Gabriel, as Nathalie sent the various messages off.

“Today couldn’t possibly get any worse.” Muttered Gabriel, taking his glasses off and looking up.

PTT

Hector frowned at the letter in his hand. He’d just posted his notice; he was getting too old to deal with the mayor and having to cave to his whims and wants. He hoped Arthur would accept his request.

Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t tolerate Bourgeois, any of them. He only bowed to their wishes because otherwise the school’s funding would ‘mysteriously’ get cut. But, Arthur’s school was independently funded. It had a lot of wealthy doners, preventing Bourgeois from taking full control of the school for their principle. Hector knew he wasn’t a good man, evidenced by his handling of the Dupain-Cheng-Rossi incident. He acted to hastily, due to the fact that Rossi was shaping up to be another Bourgeois. A headache within a migraine, within another migraine. Hector ignored the pain in his chest, putting his proposal to Arthur in an envelope, before getting to his feet and walking out of the school to find the nearest post box.

PTT

Marinette choked on her drink as she saw the headline on the common room tv.

Local Paris School Principal found dead

Marinette quickly located the remote, before turning up the volume.

“Don’t be bemused, it’s just news,” Said Nadja, to the camera, “Earlier today, Hector Damocles, Principal of College Francais Dupont, was found dead near the Eiffel Tower. Police are not treating his death as suspicious, and believe it to natural causes.”

Marinette stared at Damocles’ picture before it faded away as Nadja moved on to other topics she had to cover.

PTT

Arthur Coleman frowned down at Damocles’ letter to him. The Academy had been looking to expand its reach, as well as find an appropriate campus for ‘day’ students. He decided to put the letter to the side and bring it up at the next governors meeting.

PTT

“Don’t be bemused it’s just news,” Marinette idly listened to the TV in the common room, as she scribbled in her sketch book, “earlier today, Gabriel Agreste, Head designer and owner of the ‘Gabriel’ brand, formally ‘Papillon’, has declared bankruptcy. This occurred after two of his main investors unexpectedly withdrew their support after nearly twenty-five years. Neither Gabriel Agreste nor the investors were available to comment.”

Marinette stared at the TV, before Allegra dropped down onto one of the sofas, “Didja hear the news?”

“You know, you have the powerful ability to chew and swallow before you speak.” Said Felix, snapping his book shut, “But of course, you have to get the first word in, as always.”

Allegra chewed a couple of times, before getting up and walking over to Felix, crouched down to they were level and opened her mouth, showing him the mess of chewed food and saliva, “Blegh!”

Marinette internally groaned, before resting her head against her sketchbook. Claude and Allan were greeted to Felix trying to hit Allegra with his book, with Marinette curled into a ball with her hands over her ears, nursing a headache.

PTT

Adrien stared down at the pile of paper in front of him, “You mean I own everything?”

“More or less.” Said M. Hayworth, “The house, the company, practically everything your father had been using.”

Gabriel scowled as Hayworth spoke.

“If he hadn’t made that ridiculous restraining order, no one would’ve known.”

“Oh.”

“As it stands, your father made illegal modifications to your property, as well as some other, far more serious, charges.” Stated Hayworth, “Mdm. Sancoeur has volunteered to look after you while this matter has been settled.”

“Okay, what were the other charges?” Asked Adrien, making Hayworth sigh, before he cast a dark look at Gabriel.

“It came out that your father has some…connection to Hawkmoth.” Revealed Hayworth.

“What the fucking shit?!”

PTT

Ladybug skidded to a stop on the roof of the police station, before looking up at the detective, “Sorry, I’m late. I had to sneak out of my dorm.”

“You’re in university?” Asked the detective, getting a wince from Ladybug.

“No, I’ve started to attend a boarding school.” Answered Ladybug, rubbing her arm.

“And you’ve snuck out and come here,” Said the detective, slowly, “on a school night?”

“You, erm, you said you had a lead on Hawkmoth.” Excused Ladybug, looking up at them.

“Gabriel Agreste had been allowing Hawkmoth to use modified areas of his home as a lair.” Said the detective, “He’s been cautioned and is currently being questioned. We’ve also made sure to confiscate everything he had on him, minus his clothes and glasses.”

“And you want me to go over the stuff and see if any of them are a miraculous.” Stated Ladybug, getting a nod from the detective. “Okay,” Sighed Ladybug, “let’s do this.”

PTT

“Settle down.” Yelled M. Coleman, looking out at the sea of students, “SILENCE!”

Everyone went quiet, allowing M. Colman to continue, “As everyone knows, the foundations beneath our school has started to degrade and, as we are a private school, we lack the funds to repair it.” Coleman took in the faces of the students in the first few rows, “Which is why we are entering a partnership with College Francois Dupont, allowing us to continue your education while were repair and decided what to do with this campus.”

Some muttering broke out amongst the students.

“As of January, everyone will be attending Dupont.” Said Coleman, “We have been allocated dorms by Dupont, so that any students who live further away from Dupont will still be able to attend and keep with any groups they may have made or joined.”

The muttering started up again, as Coleman walked away from his podium, talking quietly with another member of staff.

PTT

“So,” Said Allegra, looking up at the school, “I guess this is the last time we can look at the dump before we go to your old stomping ground.”

Marinette hummed, “Part of me doesn’t want to go back. I haven’t been in contact with my friends there, I didn’t want to find out if they’d agreed with Adrien’s dad. I mean, I know they probably didn’t, but I didn’t want to take that risk, and I didn’t know if the restraining order covered allowed me to contact them, since there were around Adrien so much.”

“Being scared is normal,” Shrugged Claude, playing with his deck of cards, “unless you’re Felix, who has no emotions.”

“Say that again and I shove those cards right up your-” Felix was cut off by Allan clearing his throat, “rear.”

The group silently looked up at the school.

“Two and a half years.” Said Allegra, suddenly.

“What?”

“It’s been two and a half years since Marinette came here.” Answered Allegra, wistfully, “It’s been a fucking ride.”

“You can say that again.” Muttered Allan, before picking up his bag, “I think I can hear the bus arriving.”

“Thank god, I’m freezing my tits off.” Shivered Allegra, getting a snort from Felix.

PTT

Tom helped Marinette carry her bags into the apartment above the bakery, with the latter making sure she didn’t walk into anything. Marinette blinked as she tried to adjust to the darkness of the living room, after placing her bag on the floor, she reached out for the light switch and clicked it on.

“SURPRISE!” Everyone yelled, making Marinette yelp and jump a foot in the air.

All of Marinette’s former classmates, and the friends she made at the boarding school stood in front of her.

“The, the ‘surprise party’ trick,” Gasped Marinette, “is for birthdays only.”

“No, it isn’t.” Disagreed Alya, before throwing her arms around Marinette, “I’ve missed you girl.”

Marinette gingerly wrapped her arms around Alya, “Me too. I’m, I’m sorry that I haven’t been in contact with you.”

“Allegra explained everything, with the whole restraining order and phone troubles you’d been having.” Said Alya, “Adrien’s had his lawyer rescind the restraining order, but I think they’re attempting to use it as evidence in his dad’s trial.”

Marinette winced, before glancing over at Adrien, “Yeah, I heard about that. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not.” Chirped Adrien, his hair streaked with green, “I brought a copy of the restraining order. And a cigarette lighter.”

Marinette gave Adrien a small smile, before the sound of someone choking got her attention, “Allegra, you're supposed to chew before swallowing.”

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe #lila rossi #rose lavillant #juleka couffaine #chloe bourgeois #gabriel agreste #nathalie sancoeur #original characters #Delta Writes

[vintage-retro-queen]

Paris Reacts to The Not-So Great Outdoors

Akuma Class

"Dude, we sent Marinette to Total Drama!" Nino exclaimed. Alya started texting Marinette, demanding she give her the details. But she gets an automatic message saying, 'We're sorry, but the number you have texted has been disconnected.' Alya's eyes widened in shock. "Her number's disconnected!" she gasped, getting the rest of her friends' attention. They all looked shocked, knowing that Marinette's number was now disconnected. Adrien was the one that was the most shocked hearing that.

He tried to call her number but got no answer, yet a message saying the number was disconnected. He was shocked that he couldn't get in contact with Marinette anymore.

He looked to see Marinette at the campsite next to one of the international idols from the MetaBetas, and the two seemed to be getting along. He and his friends were then shocked seeing and hearing Duncan. He asked Chris if he could bunk under Marinette. Adrien's heart started to ache after hearing that. However, they were relieved to hear from Chris that the cabins were not co-ed. After Chris splits the campers into two teams, such as the Screaming Gophers and the Killer Bass, they learn that Marinette and the MetaBeta idol Lucy get to switch teams since it was Chris's way of making a twist in the show. Adrien's eye twitched, seeing Cody sigh in relief after Marinette and Lucy were now on the Screaming Gophers team.

When they got to see the confessionals, they saw Lucy's confessional, and now they see Marinette's confessional.

"Okay. I don't know what to say in this confessional. But I like to say, this is gonna be a good camping experience for me." "Well, at least she's getting comfortable in the camp so far," Adrien said, trying to lighten the mood of his quiet friends. "True. But I didn't think we had sent her into a reality show instead of an actual camp." Alya said, shocked to now know they sent Marinette to a reality show instead of an actual behavioral camp.

After a little while, they all looked shocked as they saw a cooking knife thrown and hit the wall between Chris and Marinette. Mostly Adrien after he saw that the knife was almost near Marinette.

They became more shocked when they learned their first challenge was jumping off a thousand-foot cliff with two zones. One of them includes man-eating sharks. After seeing the Killer Bass finish their turn to jump or chicken out, they were surprised to see Lucy throwing Heather off the cliff and into the Safe Zone. After some of the Screaming Gophers jumped, Beth chickened out, and they noticed that it was Marinette's turn. Adrien looked worried, thinking that Marinette would get attacked if she jumped. But he was shocked to see that Lucy offered to jump with her. After seeing them jump off the cliff, they were relieved that Marinette had made it safely into the Safe Zone. However, they see Lucy was outside of the Safe Zone. They were shocked to see Lucy grab the two sharks by the gills and pull them hard as a toddler pulls a mother's hoop earrings. As the sharks swam away, they heard Lucy mumble out, "Thank you fact-checking." "What does she mean by that?" Alya mumbled to herself, looking at Lucy suspiciously.

After seeing everyone jump or chicken out and build a hot tub, they were surprised that Marinette and the Screaming Gophers won the first challenge. Adrien looked as he saw Lucy and Marinette fist pound and said, 'Punch it in.'

They watched the teams back in the main lodge, and the Killer Bass were talking about who they're voting off. They then all became shocked to hear Ezekiel saying that the Screaming Gophers were the ones with eight girls. And talks about Lucy being a "Hot Idol Wannabe."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Bridgette. "Yeah, homeschool. Enlighten us!" Eva said, putting her fist on the table. "Well, guys are much stronger and better at sports, music, singing, and dancing than girls are," said Ezekiel. "What did he just say?!" Rose asked, offended by the words Ezekiel had said. Juleka's eye started to twitch as she also heard what Ezekiel said. Ezekiel continued. "My dad told me to look out for the girls, eh? And to help them in case they can't keep up." Eva then grabbed Ezekiel by the neck with her two hands and lifted him. "Still think we need your help keeping up?" she asked, shaking him to prove her point. "Not really," he said. "You show him, Eva!" Alix said, encouraging Eva to prove a point to Ezekiel. The rest of the class cheered, backing up Eva and the rest of the girls in the show. "Guys, it's probably not even Ezekiel's fault. He's probably trying to look after them like his father told him to." Adrien said, trying to calm his friends down. That was until Geoff jumped in. "Okay, guys. Let's give him a break," he said, while Eva dropped Ezekiel. "I mean, at least he doesn't think that guys are smarter than girls." "But, they are," said Ezekiel. Before Alya could say anything, Lucy beat her to the punch. "Okay... THAT DOES IT!" Lucy yelled, grabbing Ezekiel. She then takes him back to the cliff, throws him outside the Safe Zone, and yells, "FATALITY YOU, YOU BETA-PUNK! GO BURN IN LAVA!" After that, she walks off, dusting off her hands and ignoring all the screams from Ezekiel while he was swimming away from the sharks. The girls cheered when they saw Lucy do that. "You show him, Lucy!" said Alya. Adrien looked at Lucy in disbelief. 'Why did she do that? All he was doing was trying to prove a point that he was trying to protect them.' he thought to himself. That was when they watched her confessional. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the triggers of my anger issue. One is sexist punks, sexism, misogyny, misogynists, and chauvinists. People and things like that always get on my nerves since I was four. And don't even get me started on that play I used to be on when I was that age." Lucy stuck her tongue out in disgust, reminiscing what happened in her old school days. "I can hardly imagine what it was," said Juleka. 'But that still doesn't explain why she has to do that to Ezekiel.' Adrien thought.

After watching the elimination ceremony, to no one's surprise, Ezekiel was the one who was voted off. "Serves him right," Mylene said while Ivan nodded in agreement. "Duncan was right about one thing." he said, "Ezekiel has a lot to know about the real world."

They then watch Marinette celebrate her hot tub party with the Screaming Gophers, looking happier than ever. That was until they noticed Courtney turning to the camera. "Are you recording this? Good. They can enjoy their little party all they want. But I'm gonna win this competition. And no one is gonna stop me." she said. The class looked shocked hearing that from Courtney. Until a water balloon hit her on the head.

"Sorry! Foul ball!" called Lucy.

When the episode came to an end, the class still looked speechless.

After that, they all agree to meet back to watch what will happen to Marinette all week. After the agreement, they all went home. When Adrien heads back home, he sees that Nathalie is there. "Your father is expecting to talk to you in the morning." "Thanks, Nathalie," Adrien said with a nod. When Adrien finishes changing into his nightwear, he lies on his bed, thinking about what will happen to Marinette while she's in Wawanawkwa. Adrien hopes that when the show is over, Marinette will come home, apologize for her behavior towards Lila, his friends will all make up, and they can all stay friends again. With those thoughts in his mind, he falls asleep, hoping that those ideas will happen soon.

Celebrities

"There she is! My favorite little lady is now on reality T.V.! Rock and Roll!" Jagged cheered as he raised a cup, happy to see Marinette on live T.V. again. Luka smiles as he watches Marinette offering the host and the other contestants the macaroons she brought from home.

After a while, Luka, Jagged, Penny, Ali, and Clara looked surprised to see the MetaBeta idol, Mary-Loukritia Corleone, befriending Lucy. "I'm impressed to see Lucy quickly befriend Marinette. She never does that with anybody else." Clara said, with Ali nodding in agreement. "Of course she does. Madame Hatter always takes one look to see what that person or people are like inside and out. That's how Madame Hatter is." Jagged said, pouring more soda into his cup. Luka nodded and said, "It's true. It's like hearing their melody. When you listen carefully. You'll hear the actual melodies of their souls on the inside."

After Chris split the campers into teams of two, they were surprised to hear that Marinette and Lucy got to switch teams. "Hey, good thinking, McLean! Marinette deserves to get to switch teams." Jagged said, raising his soda cup again.

After seeing Marinette getting settled and getting her lunch from the main lodge, they were shocked to see Marinette's first challenge. After seeing some campers jump or chicken out, Luka smiles, seeing Marinette comfort D.J. for chickening out of jumping. He and the other celebrities looked surprised, as they now know that Lucy has had stress and anger issues since her first year in high school. "Well, why didn't Madame say anything?" Jagged asked in disbelief. "She probably didn't have the time to tell anybody about it, maybe?" Penny asked, guessing why Lucy never told them. "I suppose that might be why. After all, she, Miss Maleficent, and Queen Red Hood have been touring a lot until their first manager's boss was caught on a scandal." Prince Ali explained, looking down at his phone and an old article about the boss being arrested for getting involved in a former lawyer's multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal along with a former female nurse. Then, Luka gets their attention back on Marinette. When they did, they were surprised to see her and Lucy jump off the cliff. Luka was relieved seeing that Marinette safely made it into the Safe Zone. "Alright, Marinette! That's our rockin' little lady!"

However, they looked surprised to see Lucy outside of the Safe Zone. But before the sharks can attack her, Lucy grabs the two sharks by the gills, pulling on them as a toddler does to a mother's hoop earrings, causing the sharks to swim away from her. "Well, that's a smart move from a MetaBeta," Penny said, crossing her arms and smiling, impressed by what Lucy had done.

After the Gophers won the first task, they made it to their campsite and built their hot tub, with the Killer Bass following. And to no one's surprise, the Screaming Gophers won their first challenge. "Rock and Roll, Marinette!" Jagged cheered, happily seeing that Marinette won her first challenge.

But the good feeling disappeared five minutes later. After they hear Ezekiel talking about the girls in the Screaming Gophers, including Lucy, calling her a "Hot Idol Wannabe." "What's that supposed to mean?" asked Bridgette. "Yeah, homeschool. Enlighten us!" Eva said, putting her fist on the table. "Well, guys are much stronger and better at sports, music, singing, and dancing than girls are," said Ezekiel. "What did that homeschool boy just say?! When I get my hands on him, he's going to pay!" Clara yelled with anger running in her veins. Jagged and Penny both grabbed Clara by the shoulders, looking unamused. "I'd save my complaining for sending a warning hate letter to his parents if I were you, Clara," Penny said as they had her sit down again.

After talking trash, Lucy had about enough and snapped. After grabbing Ezekiel by his hoodie, she takes him back to the cliff, throws him outside the Safe Zone, and yells, "FATALITY YOU, YOU BETA-PUNK! GO BURN IN LAVA!" After that, she walks off, dusting off her hands and ignoring all the screams from Ezekiel while he was swimming away from the sharks. Clara crossed her arms, smiling in approval after seeing that. "You showed him who's boss, Lou. My respect goes out to you," she said with a nod. "I wonder if that catches on?" Jagged said after hearing Lucy say 'Beta-Punk' before she threw Ezekiel. "I highly doubt that." said Penny.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the triggers of my anger issue. One is sexist punks, sexism, misogyny, misogynists, and chauvinists. People and things like that always get on my nerves since I was four. And don't even get me started on that play I used to be on when I was that age." Lucy stuck her tongue out in disgust, reminiscing what happened in her old school days. 'I can hardly imagine what it was and what it was like.' Luka thought.

After the elimination ceremony, the celebrities were happy to see Marinette celebrating her hot tub party with her new friends. And ignoring what the girl with the swollen eye said and got hit with a water balloon.

When the show was over, they all made plans to watch the show weekly to see how Marinette was doing on the show. Luka also plans on calling Marinette to check on her and see how she is at Wawanawkwa. 'I'm glad that you're okay, Marinette. I hope you have a great time in Wawanawkwa.' he thought, feeling proud of Marinette.

Family and Friends

"There she is!" Zoe said happily. The kids cheered as they saw Marinette, safely arrive at Wawanawkwa. After hearing about the camp Bustier and her class sent Marinette to, Aurore did some research on the camp, and she, including her peers, realized that it was actually a camp for a hot new reality show. After telling the Dupain-Chengs about it, they were surprised that Marinette was going to a reality show instead of an actual camp. They were relieved that Marinette was not in any military camp, (There's nothing wrong with anything related to the military, I respect the military, and I thank them for their service) or anything worse.

"Bonjour. It's very nice to meet all of you." Marinette said, smiling shyly. She then looks shy but then offers them the baked goods she had brung with her. "Macaroons?" Chris gladly takes one. "Merci." Marinette then headed to the other campers and gave them some while heading to put her luggage up with the others. "These are good!" Owen says, happily enjoying his. Tom and Sabine smiled, happy to see Marinette safe at the camp. Even though it is actually a reality show, they don't care. As long as their daughter is safe and okay.

After splitting into two teams, the Screaming Gophers and the Killer Bass, Cody asks about Marinette and Lucy. "Well, since we can't decide which team they will be in, we decided to let the two switch teams. Isn't that fun?" Chris said, "So for right now, they will be part of the Screaming Gophers." "I can understand why. And that, seems fair enough." Kagami's mother, Tomoe said, with Kagami nodding in agreement.

After the first seven confessionals, they head over to their cabins. "Gophers, you're in the east cabin, bass, you're in the west," Chris explains. When the Screaming Gophers got to their cabin, Heather looked as if she saw someone grow another head. "Bunk beds? Isn't this a little, summer camp?" she asked. "That's the idea, genius," Gwen said as she moved past Heather. Heather scoffs, "Shut it, weird goth girl." 'Jeez, I feel like Chloe would have a competition if Heather was here.' Zoe thought to herself. "Look, if you two are gonna start a rivalry, leave me out of the chaos. I already had enough drama in my life since my first year of high school," Lucy said, with seriousness and venom in her tone. Heather, Gwen, and the friends in the bakery watching the show shivered from Lucy's venomous words. Heather and Gwen then kept their mouths shut and unpacked their things. "I've never seen Lucy act that way before," Zoe said, surprised about Lucy sounding so serious. "She's probably not a person wants to be in any kind of drama, maybe?" Claude guessed. "That could be possible." one of Marinette's New York friends, Aeon, said, with Jessica and Marinette's Shanghai friend Fei nodding in agreement. "Uh, guys?" Socqueline gets their attention as she points to the scene where everyone avoids the cockroach crawling around the floor. But the cockroach then stops in front of Duncan, who is holding an axe, ready to decapitate it.

However, Marinette stops him, has the roach in her fingers, and takes it outside. "There. No cockroaches in my cabin," she said. "Wang has taught her too well," Sabine said, proudly crossing her arms. A little while later, they see Marinette and the campers doing the first task of their first challenge.

As they watched the campers jumping or chickening out, they watched as Lucy angrily grabbed Heather and told her to go down there and threw her into the Safe Zone. That was until they watched her confessional. "I had this stress and anger issue combination since my first day and freshman year of high school. After going through some things, I've been having these two issues all my life, to this day. The only thing good to know is that I have two systems of calming my stress and anger. And one of them is my two essential oils." Lucy then shows two bottles of essential oils labeled Stress and Anger Management. "These two are the only things that can help me calm down when I'm out. Without them, who knows what could happen." "Oh, that's why." Zoe said, now understanding. "I wonder what it was that caused Lucy's stress and anger?" Mirelle said in curiosity.

"I'm not sure, but it must've been tough." Aurore said, with Kagami and her mother, Tomoe, nodding in agreement. After that, it was now Marinette's turn.

Zoe and Socqueline looked at Marinette worriedly. Mostly Socqueline after what had happened when she used to go to school with her. But that all changed when they saw Lucy offer to join Marinette. And they both jumped. When they did, they saw Marinette make it to the Safe Zone safely. They cheered as they saw Marinette get up and on the boat. "It's a relief to know Marinette made it." Kagami said with her mother nodding in agreement.

After jumping and building a hot tub, the Screaming Gophers won the challenge and earned a hot tub party. Marinette's friends and family cheered, knowing she and her team won. Unfortunately, their happiness for the girl died down after hearing the homeschooled boy, Ezekiel, started talking down about the girls. But their happiness was back after they saw Lucy throw Ezekiel into the shark-infested water with no regrets or remorse.

After the elimination ceremony, the Screaming Gophers celebrated their victory in their hot tub party. The family and friends were glad to see that Marinette was having a great time at the "summer camp" she was sent to. After turning off the T.V., not paying attention to a girl with a swollen eye talking, they all talked and made plans to meet again every week to see what would happen. The friends and the Dupain-Chengs agreed to call Marinette all week to see how she was doing. With that, they all said their goodbyes and headed home for the night.

??? & ???

After watching the first episode of the new reality show, one of them looked as if they saw a ghost. "She's alive," they said in shock and disbelief. The second one nods in agreement. "It's possible that she is reincarnated and is becoming a more popular person than she was back then. But then again, I cannot blame her for having a fresh start. I believe, no, I know that she deserves better." the second one said, reminiscing the past with the said girl. "Agreed. However, with this, it will be useful to have her with this plan. And since she has befriended Miss Dupain-Cheng, this will be a useful idea to get into her good graces as it was back. Let Adrien know I need to have a talk with him in the morning." "Of course."

Desc. Prologue. Get to Know My OC Chapt 1. Chapt 2. Reaction Pt 2. Chpt 3 Reactions Pt 3 Chpt 4 Reactions Pt 4 Chpt 5 Reactions Pt 5

#total drama miraculous island #miraculous crossover #total drama #total drama crossover #total drama island #miraculous salt #oc insert #class salt #lila salt #lila sucks #cerise bianca salt #iris verdi salt #who the freak is she?!!💢 #adrien salt #gabriel agreste redemption #gabriel is not a monster #nathalie sugar #good parents tom and sabine #tom and sabine sugar #caline bustier salt #damocles salt #marinette protection squad #marinette deserves better #marinette defense squad #everyone loves marinette #marinette needs a hug

[disaster-biraven]

The Lazarus Problem Chapter 2

Jasonette Ch1 Ch2(you are here) Ch3 Ch4

Ao3 Dedicated to @girl-in-thechair

Ever since the world had witnessed the final battle between Hawkmoth and the Parisian heroes, Wonderwomen had been adamant that they needed to find and recruit Ladybug and Chat Noir. She had even made a presentation on what the miraculous was and why having them on the side of the Justice League was a need and not a want. So Batman had been tasked with finding them, and although he is the best detective, there had been no lead. Their magic did an amazing job of concealing any leads, and he was certain Ladybug had left Paris. Hippolyta, a former Ladybug holder had said it was likely the heroes moved on to the next big unbalance, but mentioned there was a chance they had retired the miraculouses.

Now there was an unknown Meta in Gotham, and the only thing that is known about her is her ability to turn invisible. After everyone had finished up at the docks, an irate Red Hood had debriefed the family on the unknown girl. Batman decided to delegate the task of finding her to Red Hood and Red Robin, as he thought he found a lead on who Chat Noir was. This led to a sleep-deprived Tim staring blankly at a file, while Jason used Barbara’s surveillance system to see if he could figure out any leads on the Meta’s location or identity. Tim closed the file and turned to Jason.

“Hey, did you check the list of people who recently moved here? There’s a chance she’s from somewhere else.” He sipped out of his coffee cup which came from seemingly nowhere. Jason didn’t question it, and the idea had more merit than staring at video footage.

“Ok, I’ll start at three weeks and go up from there,” Tim replaced his empty mug with another one. “Tim, what the hell.”

“If you tell Alfred, I’ll mention why you hung up all that artwork in your room.” Jason thought about all those bullet holes he hadn’t gotten around to fixing yet. “Deal. Asshole.”

The list of people finally loaded, and he started to rule out suspects based on height and other factors. While skimming the names and pictures, he felt the blood drain from his face. Tim noticed and shook his shoulder. His partner in crime from his time on the streets was staring back at him. Marinette, who for the last decade he thought was dead, had moved back to Gotham. A search revealed that soon after he had been taken in by Bruce, she had been adopted by a couple in France.

“Do you know her? She was a street kid from Gotham.” Tim still looked a little concerned but didn’t hold back from questioning Jason.

“Tim, not every street kid knew each other. But yeah, we were close. I thought she was dead, I never thought to look her up though.” Did she think he died too? Technically he did. Maybe she looked him up and found his obituary.

“She lived in France, maybe she could help in the Ladybug and Chat Noir case. Everyone but her and some guy got akumatized in her class.” Tim started looking closer at how she was related to past akumas while Jason was spiraling on how to reconnect with her. ~~

Marinette works at a fabric store part-time, and Jason wants nothing more than to run into her. But he has to case to solve and needs to focus. Tim has the decency to not mention her again, keeping the conversation from the others. But Jason knows Tim thinks he should go see her.

On top of continuous surveillance around the city, and going through a list of suspects, there isn’t much more to do than keep an eye peeled during patrol. The lack of any leads drives Jason insane, but it still seemed to go better than Batman’s investigation. The trail had gone cold on the possibility of finding Chat Noir’s identity, the magic was stronger than ever. Dick claims he once walked in on Bruce banging his head against the desk and slowly backed out of there.

Jason caught a break in the form of a brief sighting near the Wayne Tower and changed his patrol to overlap with that area. Tim wasn’t able to join him as he was still on bed rest from a surprise attack from Damian over the last slice of pie.

“Congratulations, Demon Spawn you just volunteered yourself as my patrol partner, seeing as you took out my first one.” Jason ignored his protests and finished suiting up. ~~

Shit shit shit. The Meta dodged his fist and kicked him in the face. Fuck.

“What is your motive here in Gotham, Villain?”

Robin’s question caused her to pause. She hesitantly put up her weapon? Flute?

“I am here in Gotham to help restore the balance, but if I say how you may not believe me.”

“Try me.” Jason really hoped her way of restoring the balance wasn’t to blow something up.

“I know both of you have been in the Lazarus pits. And I can help.”

Robin’s face twisted as he lunged toward, almost stabbing the Fox Meta.

“Were you sent by my mother? Who are you? Stop moving away from my sword!”

“Okay, Robin that’s enough. Let’s hear her out before we try and impale her.”

She seemed to appreciate that. ~~

Jason relayed what the Meta he now knew as Lyca told him to Tim. They were all hesitant to believe her, as she could have ulterior motives. She agreed to meet them in a few days with Batman so he could get a feel for the mysterious girl. Jason didn’t want to get his hopes up on the possibility of actually having a cure for the pit madness. If he were to reconnect with Marinette, it would be better if he wasn’t affected. She didn’t deserve to have to deal with his anger, especially since he looked into what she had to deal with in Paris. After dealing with an emotional terrorist she shouldn’t have to deal with an unbalanced vigilante. He’d have to get the nerve to go see her anyway, which looked unlikely. He hated feeling like a coward.

#maribat #marinette dupain cheng #mlb x dc #fanfic #jason todd #jasonette #childhood friends to lovers

[flightfoot]

What do you think of the idea that Adrien's classmates don't really trust him or like him that much after what happened in Felix? They saw Felix's recording and assumed it was Adrien. It has come up in a few posts by Adrien stans that the class doesn't really trust Adrien and can't really be called his friends.

I decided to rewatch it and tbf, Nino (and Marinette) did have Adrien's back there. Max doesn't really turn on him either. He evaluates the video with his AI and states that it hasn't been tampered with but he never makes a judgement on Adrien. Rose and Juleka don't say anything. They're just sad. Only Kim and Alya really make the judgements.

Kim says they haven't actually known him that long and Alya points out that he was friends with Chloe and he might be not a great person by association. I don't know if it's enough to say he can't consider most of the class friends...

It's kind of in character for Kim to be this callous occassionally and Alya... she is a journalist and tends to evaluate all evidence/possibilities, even when they are thorny. She chased the idea that Chloe might be Ladybug because of the evidence, despite despising Chloe. She doesn't immediately believe Marinette when Lila frames her because of the lack of evidence. Her only evidence against Adrien in 'Felix' is that the meanest girl in school was his best friend for most of his life and, perhaps reasonably, she submits it as evidence that they may have misjudged him as a nice guy. It's not like her to deny what she sees with her eyes off of blind faith, especially after Markov eliminated tampering as a possiblity. It's not in her nature to judge without evidence, but it's also not in her nature to dismiss evidence without due judgement. She'd perhaps make a good lawyer too.

Anyway, my point is, was this a sign that the class are poor friends to Adrien? I'd say MAYBE Kim isn't so great, but I never thought he and Adrien had all that much potential to be close. Alya did jump the gun a bit with the Chloe comment, but all evidence DID point to Adrien making the comments and she is a truth seeker over being comfortable. The rest seem pretty innocent imo. It seems more telling that Rose and Juleka care about Adrien's friendship that it led to them being akumatized. And Nino and Marinette weren't even about to entertain it.

It's a bit disheartening how most of the class doesn't consider alternate explanations for why Adrien may suddenly have appeared to turn nasty (seriously we've had several mind alteration akumas), but I don't consider the class to be bad for doubting Adrien there. Most of them like him, but don't actually know him all that well - he doesn't get to hang out with everyone after school as often as he'd like to, and they HAVE only known him for a few months.

I still consider Adrien to be friends with most of the class, but it's sadly a more casual friendship, not because the rest of the class doesn't want to be closer, but because he's limited in how much time he gets to spend with them. They do all care for him and try to help him when they can, they're definitely friendly with him, they just don't know him all that well. It mostly just goes to show that they need to spend more time with him, but that's not really been possible due to Gabriel being a dick.

I will say that if Adrien was the focal character, I think "Felix" would have been the equivalent of Chameleon, with thousands of betrayal fics being launched to demonize anyone who hadn't immediately rushed to Adrien's defence. Since Adrien's NOT the focal character though, the people who really like those sorts of fics didn't latch onto the episode, and everyone else just plain wasn't interested. I don't actually remember any Felix episode fics engaging in a betrayal plotline for Adrien's sake.

And yeah, this is another episode where the Derision backstory being retconned in is pretty obvious, though it's still not as bad of a case as Animaestro at least.

#ask #miraculous ladybug #ml felix #adrien agreste #ml analysis

[if-you-give-a-chat-a-cookie]

Untitled spy!Marinette draft

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a seemingly normal girl with a normal life, who occasionally masquerades as the super heroine ladybug, right? No. 4 years ago she transferred to Collège Françoise Dupont from the elite boarding school known as The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women obviously the newly formed French division, to the rest of the world it is known as an elite boarding school one could only get into if they were extremely rich or extremally smart, in actuality it is a school meant to teach the next generation of spies.

In a school where you defuse a bomb in gym class and everyone has to learn and speak fourteen different languages, Marinette thrived. She was smart, extremely so, calculating, athletic, and she could kill a man in eighteen different ways with a pencil, all of her qualities made her the perfect person to infiltrate Collège Françoise Dupont. 

From what she’d been told this was a practice mission, sometimes she wondered if that was true considering how long she had been here. For 4 years it was her job to watch, to look for anything that might make it harder to keep the public safe, to find political corruption, or acts of terrorism. Shockingly, she found political corruption on the first day of school, when Chloe had first targeted her, unfortunately the organization failed to do anything about it because there were no long term affects to the public, Marinette thought that was stupid. 

Even so Marinette was a good spy, every move was calculated, every word, every action had a purpose. One thing Marinette hated though, were the lies, more than anything she hated lying, But one can’t be a spy if you can’t lie, that's why every lie she told held a bit of truth. Her name really is Marinette just not Dupain-Cheng, Tom and Sabine are her parents, just not bakers, not professionals anyway, though their treats somehow became the best in Paris, one would suppose they are bakers now but still spies. 

She wasn't as clumsy as she made herself out to be, and truth be told she didn’t have a crush on Adrien either, Alya just caught her staring at him one day and she had to think quick. Something about him caught her attention, but she couldn’t pinpoint why she still cant, and that frustrates her. The stuttering around him was an accident she decided to roll with to make the crush thing more believable. And despite having a hatred for lies and despite what her friends would tell you, Marinette was an amazing liar, she just didn’t try when with her friends because she knew they were trusting enough to know that if she wanted to tell them the truth she would in her own time.

Alya is Marinette's best friend, she’s tough and smart, most importantly she’s a good person who wants to help, Marinette had considered once or twice, asking to recruit Alya to be a Gallagher girl, she would have taught her everything she knows, There are many things Alya can do, Marinette had seen many qualifications first hand, she was resourceful, she knew how to investigate, she was cool under pressure, but if there is one thing Alya Cesaire can’t do, it’s keep a secret from Nino, her boyfriend. 

Becoming Ladybug had been a shock, never once did Marinette consider the possibility of magic being real, she had always relied on facts and things that could be proven right or wrong with a bit of investigation and maybe a bit of hacking (that may or may not be completely legal), because the difference between belief and fact for a spy could mean death. Nonetheless magic was real and she was using her powers for good, though she did send a detailed report about the akuma attacks she just left out the part about her being ladybug, that was something just for her. 

Something about Chat noir made her wonder if he was a spy too, though his mannerisms told her he was a class clown type, when he got serious there was a mysterious vibe about him, he was sneakier, almost hyper aware of everything, and when he got mad he was almost scary. He spoke multiple languages too, Mandarin, which Marinette was currently learning, but for some reason it is just difficult for her to grasp, Japanese, and surprisingly morse code. What teenager learns morse code for the fun of it?

He’s really good at hand to hand combat, though Marinette wondered if it was natural ability or if the miraculous had something to do with it, she never saw an improvement in the abilities she started with, she assumed they were natural, but one should never assume with the miraculous. 

Despite it all, Marinette was happy with her life in Paris and even wondered what life would be like if she wasn’t a spy, sometimes she debated quitting spying all together ands just living a normal life, but she loved spying it was what she was born to be, literally. She just wished akumatized villains would stop showing up at the most inconvenient times…like right now. 

#my post #miraculous ladybug #Marinette is a spy #im bad at writing clearly #just an idea #based on the Gallagher girls series i loved as a kid #my wrting

[dramatic-squirrel]

Daminette December Day 31- Beginning/ Class

@maribat-calendar-events

A bell rang signaling to all of the students that the start of a new school year had begun. Most of the kids trudged along to their respective classrooms, but Marinette practically raced into the classroom, throwing herself into the chair next to Alya.

“Chill girl, you didn’t need to run. You’ve still got five minutes.”

“That’s not it Alya.” Marinette barely looked up as she started talking notebook and pens and her sketchbook out of her bag. “I’ve got too much to do, not enough time, so I got save time whenever possible.” She started making a list of field trip ideas for the upcoming school year, her leg jittering underneath the table. 

“Did you raid the coffee in the bakery again,” Alya stared at her with accusing eyes. “I swear to God Marinette, you’re the most exasperating best friend I’ve ever had. We talked about this yesterday, for the third time.”

Her pen continued to scribble across the page, this time creating the outline of a new trick box. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night and I can’t fall asleep during class.” Alya shook her head and was about to retort but got cut off by the bell ringing again.

As soon as it did, Ms. Bustier walked in followed by a boy right next to her. “Welcome back, class. I hope you all enjoyed your summer break. Now, before we get started on the syllabus for this semester, I want to introduce to you a new classmate.” Ms. Bustier went to put her hand on the boy’s shoulder, but the glare he sent her way made her think twice. Clearing her throat, she continued. “This is Damian al-Ghul, he recently moved to Paris from Gotham so I’d like you to all help him fit in. Especially you Marinette.” She looked at the girl who still hadn’t looked up from her notebook. “Marinette?”

Alya nudged her. “What? Oh, yes Ms. Bustier. I was totally listening.” She whispered to Alya. “What did she say?”

“You’ve got to help the new kid out.” Marinette groaned internally as another new responsibility got added to her list.

“Since that’s the case, how about we rearrange seats this year?” Ms. Bustier clapped her hands. “That way Marinette and Damian can be desk mates and Marinette can more easily help him whenever.” This time everyone in the class groaned and even Damian looked disgusted at the request. But nobody wanted to get on Ms. Bustier’s bad side the first day so, everyone got up to move. “Marinette, Damian, how about you sit up front?”

Seeing the logic in it, Marinette nodded her head and went to move but Damian spoke up, halting her progress. “I’d actually prefer a seat in the back. I’d be too…” he seemed to struggle to say the next part. “...embarrassed to sit where the rest of the class can see me. You know, since I am the new student.”

“Oh, of course. I should have considered that.” Ms. Bustier apologized. “Sit in the back.” The words were barely out of her mouth before Damian began moving, Marinette following behind. He took the seat closest to the corner of the room, leaving Marinette to sit next to the aisle. To her luck, Alya snagged the aisle seat right across from her, Alix sitting beside her.

Remembering her manners, Marinette turned towards Damian to introduce herself. “I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng, nice to meet you.”

He looked her up and down in a blatant show of judgment. “Damian. I want to inform you that I do not need you to help me,” he used air quotes, “Miss Dupain-Cheng. As I’m not five, I am capable of taking care of myself.”

“Are you sure?” He nodded his head. “Well… that’s fine with me. But at least let me take you on a tour of the school.” Damian was about to refuse but Marinette beat him to the punch. “It’ll be helpful to know where every hiding spot and exit is in the case of the next akuma attack.”

Relenting, he agreed. “Fine, but I’d like you to fill me in on the competency of your heroes as well.” She raised an eyebrow at that. It seemed a little suspicious to her but she quickly brushed it aside. Most people would probably want to know about the local heroes as soon as they move to a new town.

“I think they do a great job. If you want more details you can ask Alya,” she pointed to her best friend. “She’s blogging about all of their fights and interviews. Oh, and most of our classmates have met the heroes at one point or another, but Chloe has actually worked beside them. I wouldn’t talk to her though, she has a tendency to akumatize others.”

“You seem to know a lot about your classmates.”

“What, the Chloe thing? Everyone knows she’s a witch.”

“I meant in general, as well as the fact that one of your classmates is apparently a superhero.”

“Everyone knows that Chloe was a superhero. She announced that on t.v.” she dismissed the idea that she knew anything about Chloe, the thought of it made her shudder. “As for everybody else, they’re all friends, so of course I know everything about them. I’d be a pretty bad friend if I didn’t know anything about them.”

“My god, you sound like Kent.”

“Kent? Is that a friend of yours?”

“Noisy too. But yes… he is someone I would consider a friend.” To his own surprise, Damian offered up the information freely. His eyes narrowed as he considered his new desk mate, her interrogation tactics were sly. “Would you like to consider a partnership?” Afterall, they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

She scrutinized his expression. “What kind of partnership?”

Damian considered what to say next. He had no idea what she wanted so there was no way they could form a partnership on mutual benefit. “A friendship. I’d simply like to get to know you better.”

Marinette’s shoulders relaxed. “Oh, that’s what you meant. That’s a weird way to ask someone to be your friend. To answer your question, yes. We can be friends.”

“Great. I-” Damian got cut off by Ms. Bustier at the front of the classroom.

“If you're all done settling in finally, we can get started on class. This year, we’ll be covering the importance of diction and sentence structure within literature. Rose, can you hand out this syllabus?”

“Of course, Ms. Bustier,” she ran up to Ms. Bustier in a whirl of pink, and began handing out the paper with a huge smile on her face.

“Excellent. In the syllabus is the list of books we will be reading as well as a compilation of the assignments due. I’ve also explained the grading procedure.” A note landed in front of Damian in the midst of the teacher’s explanation, distracting him. On it, there was a message that read, I think I forgot to welcome you so, welcome to Francois Dupont. The staff can be infuriating but most of our classmates are great people. And you already said you don’t need help, but I’ll leave the offer on the table in case. No one, including himself, noticed the faintest blush rise on his checks. No one except for Rose of course, who had just made it to the back row.

#daminette December 2022 #daminette december #daminette #maribat #maribat event

[intercoursefluids]

Where Do I Belong Chapter 3

Marinette shouldered her bag, waiting for Alya and Nino to finish gathering their belongings. 

They had a plan, they would walk to each of their houses together, gather their supplies, and meet everyone else back at Chloe’s.

It was a good plan. With everything that had happened recently, being able to get something under control felt amazing for everyone, it felt even better that they were all putting their heads together to find Adrien.

It helped them do something other than just sitting around and waiting for news on the case.

What didn’t feel so good however, was how everyone else in the school had been giving the “Akuma Class” a wide berth.

They tried to be subtle, not outright running away when one of its members walked in the room but still leaving the first chance they got.

It hurt but Marinette understood.

Hawkmoth just loved to target her and her classmates, it was to be expected that everyone would be rather cautious.

What wasn’t expected, and was rather unsettling, was how quiet Hawkmoth had been.

The whole class had been on edge. Jumping whenever something fluttered near them, constantly looking around for any signs of evil butterflies.

The longer they went without an attack, the more anxious everyone got. 

They were stuck in an awful loop.

Marinette was pulled from her thoughts at two different hands jerking her back onto the sidewalk just as a motorcycle blew past.

“Thanks, Nino.” Marinette smiled at him, ignoring Alya’s betrayed gasp from behind her.

“Thanks ‘Nino’ ?! How about a ‘Thanks Alya !’. ‘Cause y’know, I kinda saved your life there girl!” Alya blurted, yanking on Marinette’s arm.

Marinette turned to Alya, a completely blank look on her face.

“Nino pulled me to safety, you tried to simultaneously launch me into the concrete and rip my arm off.”

Nino snorted beside her, nudging her to walk since the light had changed.

Alya sputtered, dramatically claiming betrayal and abandonment as they neared Marinette’s Grandpa Rolland’s place.

The group walked through the door still giggling, quietening down once they noticed the guests in the living room.

Two men and two boys around their age.

“Oh, hello! Sorry, I just need to grab a couple things then I’ll be out of your hair.”

Marinette turned to walk to the room she had been staying in, her friends following close behind when her Grandpa called out to her.

“Marinette. Come sit down, we need to talk.”

Marinette turned just in time to catch the glances that the men sent each other.

They seemed confused, and a little worried.

Marinette looked at her friends, shrugging at them before turning around and taking a seat in an armchair.

Nino and Alya followed her, Nino resting his elbows against the back of the chair and Alya sitting down beside Marinette’s legs, throwing her arms in her lap.

“I’m not sure you will want your friends here for this, Marinette. This will be very personal for you.” Rolland warned her.

Marinette looked at Alya, feeling Nino place his hand on her shoulder in silent support. She was starting to worry.

“They can stay.” Marinette stayed firm, if more life changing news was going to be dropped on her, she would need her friends.

Rolland nodded, seeming to accept her answer even if he didn’t approve.

“Do you remember how your father and I had refused to talk to each other for a few years? I believe you were told that it was because I didn’t approve of the way he was doing things.” Rolland never looked away from her eyes, it made her more nervous than it should.

“I remember.” Marinette was hesitant, leaning more and more into her friends’ support.

“What you were told is only half true. It wasn’t that I disapproved how Tom handled his business, I disapproved of him adopting you.” 

The air was punched out of her lungs. A roaring sound filled Marinette’s ears, it was like she was underwater.

All of a sudden Marinette was aware of everything, Nino’s hand moving from her shoulder to wrap around her chest in a one armed hug, Alya’s gasp, the straight panic that had made its place on the two strange men’s faces. The shock and concern on the boys’ faces.

How her Grandpa- how Rolland - was looking at her. It was pity, pure and unadulterated pity.

“What…?” Her voice sounded like a whisper to her own ears but for all she knew she could have been shouting.

“With Tom and Sabine’s… unfortunate passing, I have decided that it would be best if you were sent back home.”

Marinette tried to speak but Rolland plowed on, talking over her.

“I tracked down your real family, they expressed how overjoyed they would be to take you back and came to Paris to pick you up. I have taken the liberty of packing your belongings for you. You will be going home-”

“I AM HOME!” Marinette screamed, shooting out of her seat. Her chest was heaving, she felt like she couldn’t breathe, she was drowning.

“I am home! This is my home! Paris is my home! I don’t understand! What are you talking about?!” Marinette’s voice was ragged, sobs wracking her body as she demanded answers.

“Do not raise your voice at me child! I am doing what is right! Paris was never meant to be your home! You belong with your family!” Rolland’s voice echoed around the small building but it didn’t deter Marinette.

“I am with my family! You are my family! I belong here!” Marinette sobbed. It was too much, too much all at once.

“This is why I told them not to adopt you! Your REAL family has come for you and you can’t accept it! I told them that this was not how it was done! You do not separate family from one another!”

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!?” 

“I AM DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU! You belong with your family! You were never meant to be here! You WILL go with your family and you will be better for it! One day you will understand.” Rolland’s voice softened at the end, he was not moving on the matter. He had already decided she would go with her ‘real’ family and there was nothing she could do to dissuade him.

Marinette took a ragged breath, ready to begin her pleas anew when Alya’s shriek tore through the building.

“AKUMA!”

Marinette turned, spotting the butterfly heading straight towards her and did the only thing she could think to do.

She ran.

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#maribat #ml x dc #dc x mlb #mlb x dc #marinette x damian #siblings jonette #biodad superman Au

[wordsofrowan]

The Shadow Court

Chapter 14 - The Shadows Unveiled

Marinette's anticipation for tonight's patrol was palpable. Despite the annoyance that Lila's actions had stirred within her, she held onto the comforting knowledge that her true friends were by her side - Jason, Felix, Luka, Kagami, and Chloe. They were the ones who truly mattered, the ones who had stood by her through thick and thin.

A genuine smile graced Ladybug’s lips as she perched atop the Eiffel Tower, gazing down at the sprawling city she had vowed to protect. The sight of the bustling streets filled her with a sense of purpose and determination. The people moved with unwavering resolve, their lives continuing amidst the chaos that Shadow Moth had unleashed upon Paris.

As a gentle breeze danced through her hair, it carried with it the irresistible aroma of freshly baked pastries and the distant melodies of street musicians. The enchanting symphony of the city embraced her, filling her senses with a vibrant energy. In that moment, Marinette felt truly alive, a renewed zest coursing through her veins, as if she had been awakened from a slumber that had dulled her spirit for far too long.

 "Good evening, M'Lady," Chat Noir purred, his voice filled with playful charm as he approached Ladybug. "Might I have the purr-ivilege of expressing my feline emotions to you about this-" His words trailed off abruptly as his emerald eyes met Ladybug's, his playful demeanor fading slightly. "You appear to be positively radiant and full of joy on this fine evening. I would be devastated to dampen your spirits with any unpleasant news."

“Sure Chat, what news do you have for me?” Ladybug asked, looking up at Chat Noir as he took a seat on the railing next to her. 

"Well, Ladybug, prepare yourself for the tale I'm about to spin," Chat Noir replied, settling onto the railing beside her. He leaned in slightly, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. "You see, it all started when the school year kicked off. Yours truly, the new kid in town, managed to stumble upon an amazing group of friends, and among them was this remarkable girl who reminded me of you with her intelligence, strong will, and sense of justice."

Ladybug raised an eyebrow, a skeptical expression crossing her face. "Oh, really? Someone who reminds you of me?" she questioned, her gaze fixed on Chat Noir, waiting for an explanation.

“Yeah well she used to, I thought she was this really sweet, kind, and honest girl, but I found out she’s nothing but a liar and a manipulator.” Chat Noir said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Ladybug gave Chat a questioning look as she waited for him to continue. 

"So, anyway, a few months later, this other girl joined our group. The first girl and I were the only ones who knew about her deceitful ways, so I made a solemn oath to stand by her side," Chat Noir explained, his voice tinged with frustration. "Little did I know, she would constantly ignore my purrfectly good advice. She would relentlessly antagonize the new girl, trying to expose her lies. But all it did was isolate the poor girl further from the rest of the class and her friends. It was like witnessing a car crash and I couldn't stop her from destroying herself!"

Chat Noir paused, taking a breath before delving into the worst part of the story.

"And then, it took a turn for the worse, you won't believe it," he continued, his voice filled with disbelief. "We discovered that she had been continuously deceiving us, hiding her whereabouts during akuma attacks, fabricating stories about where she was and what she was doing. It was like a never-ending game of cat and mouse, a web of lies! We couldn't ignore the most logical conclusion: she had never been akumatized herself. Instead, she was deliberately trying to manipulate the other girl, to push her towards akumatization. Either she's Shadow Moth, which is utterly im-paw-sible since Shadow Moth is like a 60-year-old man, or the more logical conclusion which is that she's working hand-in-paw with Shadow Moth, playing the role of a cunning deceiver in this grand scheme of hers!"

 Ladybug's eyes widened with a mix of shock and disbelief as she stared at her partner, feeling her blood run cold with each passing second. The details of Chat Noir's story struck a nerve, sounding eerily familiar to what had happened to her. Her fist clenched tightly by her side, her knuckles turning white as the weight of the revelation sank in. Yet, Chat Noir remained blissfully unaware of the emotional turmoil brewing within Ladybug as he continued to recount the events.

"We could try to confront her, but I highly doubt she'd willingly divulge any information," Chat Noir remarked, his tone laced with frustration. "She's cunning, manipulative, and utterly ruthless. Oh, and here's the kicker - towards the end of our argument, she dared to claim that the girl who had been lying threatened her, and then she tried professing her love for me. It's utterly preposterous, though. Why didn't she bring up these allegations sooner? It was clearly a ploy to gain sympathy and-"

Ladybug's heart pounded in her chest, the sound reverberating in her ears as her mind raced to connect the dots. The similarities between the story and their own reality were hauntingly uncanny, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. With each passing moment, it became increasingly challenging for Ladybug to distinguish between the story Chat Noir was sharing and the painful truth they both lived.

A whirlwind of emotions swirled within her - anger, confusion, and hurt intertwining to form a tempest threatening to consume her. She couldn't ignore the growing realization that there was only one reason why this tale felt so achingly familiar, so deeply personal. The weight of it all bore down on her, and she knew she had to gather herself before facing the truth head-on.

"Chat," Ladybug interrupted, her voice trembling with a mix of urgency and vulnerability. "What is the girl's name?" The question hung in the air, pregnant with implications and the potential for a revelation that could shatter their reality.

Chat Noir's eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by Ladybug's sudden intensity. "M'Lady, are we really going down this path? Revealing their identities could complicate things, especially since you mentioned she was your friend. But-"

"No," Ladybug snapped, cutting him off sharply. "I don't want to hear excuses. Just tell me her damn name."

Chat Noir stumbled over his words, clearly hesitant. "Uh, are we planning to confront her about Shadow Moth? I mean, if she's been deceiving us, things could get messy, but-"

"Tell me her fucking name, Chat, right now!" Ladybug insisted, her voice seething with frustration. She struggled to contain the overwhelming surge of anger that threatened to consume her. The once-endearing banter and playful exchanges with Chat Noir now ignited a fiery rage within her, twisting her insides with an unprecedented intensity. But if her suspicions were correct, if he truly was Adrien Agreste, then her world would come crashing down. The trust would shatter irreparably. If he had willingly withheld his akumatization and deceived her during their battles, toying with her emotions only to betray her civilian self without a second thought, he would be quick to accuse her of aiding Shadow Moth without considering the truth.

At that moment, Ladybug locked her gaze with Chat Noir, her eyes burning with a volatile mix of desperation, fury, and profound betrayal. The weight of the situation hung heavily in the air, threatening to suffocate them both.

Chat Noir's words reverberated in the air, the name he uttered hitting Ladybug like a tidal wave. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng." The weight of his revelation settled upon them, filling the space with an unspoken realization. Ladybug's mind raced, desperately seeking clarity amidst the swirling storm of emotions. She couldn't believe it. The pieces of the puzzle began to align, and she found herself studying Chat Noir's face intently, searching for the hidden connection between him and Adrien. Slowly, the mesh between Chat Noir and Adrien became undeniable, their features blending together in a way that made her heart sink. The truth unfolded before her, and with it came a profound sense of betrayal and loss.

 Ladybug's words cut through the tense air like a knife, her voice filled with unwavering conviction. "You can't seriously believe that, Chat. Marinette is innocent."

"Innocent?" Chat Noir scoffed, his voice tinged with disbelief. "After everything, I just told you? How can you defend her? She's been lying and manipulating everyone around her. She's far from innocent."

Ladybug's eyes flashed with anger as she locked her gaze with Chat Noir. "Marinette is more of a hero than you have ever been," she hissed, her voice dripping with venom. The harshness of her words struck Chat Noir like a blow to the chest, his heart sinking at the venomous tone in her voice. He couldn't comprehend why she would fiercely defend Marinette, even after he had laid out the truth before her.

"Enough, Ladybug!" Chat Noir's voice thundered, frustration boiling over. His eyes blazed with a mix of anger and hurt, his claws digging into the surface beneath him. "You can't ignore the truth right in front of you! Marinette has been manipulating us, playing with our trust. She admitted it herself!"

Ladybug took a step back, her face contorted with determination. "And what about you, Chat? What have you been hiding? I've seen the cracks in your stories, the inconsistencies. Are you telling me you've never lied? Never kept secrets?"

The accusation landed like a punch, Chat Noir's chest tightening with a pang of guilt. "I... I have my reasons, Ladybug. But I've never betrayed you. I've always been here, fighting by your side!"

Ladybug's voice dripped with sarcasm as she retorted, her eyes blazing with anger and betrayal. "Oh, fighting by my side? Is that what you call it? Maybe I've been fighting alongside an imposter this whole time. A fraud who's been toying with my emotions and keeping me in the dark. And let's not forget the countless times you simply never showed up."

Chat Noir's ears flattened against his head, his voice cracking with emotion. "Ladybug, please, you have to believe me. I would never betray you. Marinette, on the other hand, has been deceiving us all. You can't defend her blindly."

A bitter laugh escaped Ladybug's lips, devoid of any mirth. "Blindly? The irony is not lost on me, Chat. I have trusted you with my life, with my secrets. But now, it seems you're the one I can't trust."

Chat Noir's voice wavered as he pleaded for understanding. "Ladybug, I don't know what else to say. Marinette is not who you think she is. I've seen the evidence and confronted her myself. She confessed."

"Confessions can be coerced, Chat. We've seen it before," Ladybug shot back, her tone cutting through the air like a blade. "I won't abandon someone who has stood by me, believed in me, even in the darkest of times. Marinette has shown her loyalty, and I won't turn my back on her."

A heavy silence settled between them, the tension palpable. The truth hung suspended, a chasm that seemed impossible to bridge.

Chat Noir's voice trembled, sadness and frustration etched on his face. "Ladybug, if you won't listen to reason, if you won't see the truth, then I don't know how we can continue as a team. Our bond, our partnership, is built on trust. And right now, that trust is shattered."

Ladybug's jaw clenched her expression hardening. "If that's what you believe, then maybe it's time for us to go our separate ways. But remember, Chat Noir, one day the truth will reveal itself, and then you'll understand the weight of your accusations," Ladybug retorted, her voice tinged with a mix of determination and sadness.

With those final words, Ladybug turned on her heels, her crimson suit shimmering in the moonlight, and disappeared into the night, leaving Chat Noir standing alone in the darkness. The cold air whispered through the streets, carrying with it the weight of their shattered partnership. Chat Noir's heart felt heavy, burdened with a mixture of sorrow and disbelief. The fracture in their once unwavering bond seemed irreparable, and the uncertain road ahead loomed before him, shrouded in shadows of doubt.

Ladybug gracefully landed on her rooftop patio, her breath ragged and her body trembling with a mixture of fatigue and anguish. Her slender figure slumped as if the weight of the world was pressing down on her shoulders, threatening to crush her indomitable spirit. The revelations about Chat Noir's true identity and the heart-wrenching betrayal of her classmates were too much for her to bear.

"Spots off," Marinette whispered, her voice laced with weariness. The radiant glow of Ladybug's transformation slowly faded, revealing the vulnerable girl who wore the mask. She crumbled to her knees, feeling the weight of the day's events crash down upon her fragile frame.

With a heavy sigh, Marinette turned to face the small red creature nestled in her palm. Tikki, her kwami, looked up at her with concerned eyes, filled with empathy and unwavering support. The exhaustion etched on Marinette's face was mirrored in Tikki's own gaze.

Tikki floated beside her, her gentle voice filled with concern. "Marinette, are you okay? I can’t imagine how you must be feeling after finding that out."

Marinette nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "I just need some time to collect my thoughts, Tikki, to process everything. Wake me up in an hour, unless something urgent arises."

"Of course, Marinette," Tikki replied softly, understanding the gravity of her partner's exhaustion. "Rest well. You deserve it."

XoXo Rowan

#writing #spilled ink #miraculous au #miraculous fandom #marinette deserves better #akuma class salt #adrien bashing #Chat Noir Bashing #Adrien salt #Chat Noir salt