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darkwitch1999 · 10 days

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☕🥱A Random Headcanon: How Marc Got The Coffee Part I 🥱☕

Collège Françoise Dupont: Boiler Room

Nathaniel: (visibly annoyed) So we’re really doing this, huh?

Nino: Yep.

(Down in the boiler room, Nino had set up a small desk with a desk lamp, a radio that played what sounded like the soundtrack of an old detective movie, a stack of books, and a manila file folder. The teen wore a fake mustache and an old-style detective costume. On each opposing side of the desk stood two chairs, the one on the right being currently occupied by an exhausted Marc Anciel. The poor, tired writer was suffering from the effects of his caffeine crash and could barely keep his eyes open. His make-up was a dreadful mess from when he had his breakdown earlier, his hair was a frazzled mess, the dark circles encased around his eyes looked as though they had gotten deeper and darker, and his body that had before trembled and twitched so terribly now struggled against the intense feeling of exhaustion. Out of earshot in a corner, Nino and Nathaniel discussed Nino’s plan, which Nathaniel found to be very unnecessary, and annoying, and he would have been against taking any part in this ridiculous plan if the artist was not worried about his partner’s well-being.)

Nino: I’m sorry, Nath, but this is the only way.

Nathaniel: There are more than one, much better ways we could handle this! I don’t think this is best for Marc’s well-being right now. Just look at him! (points to the exhausted writer) He needs sleep!

Nino: Look, I get it. Marc’s crashing down from the caffeine and needs rest. But we have to do this for his own good! We need to find out where or more specifically, who did he get that coffee from! (starts counting off his fingers) The first time this happened he asked you to buy the coffee for him because he knew you didn’t know he couldn’t have it. The second time he took advantage of Rose’s kindness and trusting nature to secure the coffee. This time, however, he must have gone to someone who didn’t know that he couldn’t have coffee, and since no one is fessing up, we will have to find out who the guilty culprit is.

Nathaniel: But couldn’t we just ask him after he’s had time to rest and recover? Interrogating him when he’s in this state just seems too cruel. It feels like we’re treating him like some dangerous criminal.

Nino: (puts a reassuring hand on Nathaniel’s shoulder) Nath, I don’t want to watch him suffer any more than you do, but I’m afraid it has to be this way to prevent another episode from ever happening again. If we let him sleep first, he’ll have more energy and focus to come up with a lie or ID a scapegoat, and it will be even harder to get Marc to confess the truth. Marc may be more reasonable when he’s off the coffee, but he definitely wouldn’t give up his supplier willingly, especially if he knows that the rest of us don’t know who gave him his fix.

Nathaniel: (shoots Nino an incredulous look) “Supplier”? Really, Nino?

Nino: (defensively) Hey, technically caffeine is considered a drug! I looked it up!

Nathaniel: (crosses his arms) Not an illegal one. Hence why I feel like you are treating Marc like a dangerous criminal.

Nino: Oh come on, Nath! The last thing I want to do is treat Marc like a criminal!

Nathaniel: (raises an eyebrow) Then what’s with the Sherlock Holmes cosplay?

Nino: Because we’re trying to solve a mystery and I thought it would fit the aesthetic! (sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose).

Nathaniel: (appears hesitant) I still don’t like this….this feels like torture.

Nino: Nath, please trust me. I swear we’re not going to torture Marc. Just give us thirty minutes or so to question him, an hour at most. If he doesn’t confess within that amount of time, we’ll back off and let him get some sleep. On the other hand, if he tells us who supplied him with the coffee before the time is up, we’ll let him sleep sooner. And I promise, I’ll back off if he reaches his limit. Whatever happens during this, I won’t make Marc suffer more than he already has.

(Nathaniel pondered for a moment, considering Nino’s plan and compromise. The artist still felt conflicted about putting his partner through an interrogation while he was so sleep-deprived. He knew how physically exhausting the combination of caffeine withdrawal and insomnia from the previous night was on the writer along with the mental and emotional exhaustion of the pressure that Marc was clearly under mixed in with the aftermath of his breakdown from earlier. Nathaniel wanted Marc to rest. He wanted Marc to get better. He wanted to see that beautifully contagious and unburdened smile spread across his partner’s face again and never to see that strained and unhinged smile or the exhausted frown again. However, as guilty as Nathaniel felt for even considering going along with Nino’s plan, he also knew that Nino made some truthful points to defend his plan. Nathaniel didn’t want to admit it, but Nino was right when he argued that Marc wouldn’t easily name whoever gave him the coffee. Rose and himself were willing to own up to mistakes those times they had given Marc coffee, but this time no one is willing to admit that they had given Marc coffee. And knowing the writer, he would try to play off that “everything was fine” and there was no need to worry about who gave him the coffee, desperately trying to avoid talking about what had been bothering him so much and what was causing all the stress and pressure that he was under in the first place. Marc was never one to be willing to talk about his problems with others and always tried to appear as if everything was okay as best he could because he didn’t want to make others feel worried about him. If they were going to have any chance of finding out how Marc got coffee, now was their best and possibly only time while the writer didn’t have the energy to resist telling the truth.)

Nathaniel: (sighs) Forty minutes. We’ll question him for forty minutes and no more. And when I say “that’s enough”, I mean that’s enough. We won’t push him any farther than he can handle.

Nino: (nods in agreement) Alright, deal! Now that that’s settled, let’s get to it. Get ready to assume your role, good cop!

(Nino took a deep breath in and out as he adjusted his usual demeanor into a more serious demeanor as he now bore a stoic expression on his face. As Nino started walking towards the desk, Nathaniel rolled his eyes in annoyance.)

Nathaniel: (annoyed) Right, forgot that Nino wanted to do “Good Cop, Bad Cop” too.

(The two boys approached the desk where the exhausted writer now had his head face down on the desk, moaning in discomfort. Nino sat in the desk chair opposite the writer while Nathaniel stood next to the cosplaying detective. The “detective” then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a tube of bubble solution and a bubble wand.)

Nino: (blows bubbles from the bubble wand with a stern look) Rise and shine, Marc.

Nathaniel: (smiles nervously) H-Hey Marc…um…how are you feeling?

(Marc rolls his head to the side, revealing his dreadfully exhausted face to the other two boys.)

Marc: (moans) My head…feels like it's going to split open…

Nino: (blows another bubble) Mhm. That would be the caffeine withdrawal hangover for you. Though we both already know that you are well familiar with the feeling.

Nathaniel: (shoots Nino a warning look) Nino…

Nino: (clears his throat, unfazed by Nathaniel’s glares) Anyway, enough beating around the bush. It’s time we all talk.

(Marc lifted his head off the table to give the “detective” an annoyed, tired look. His expression then turned into one of confusion as he took notice of the outfit that the young boy was wearing. The writer turned to look at Nathaniel with an eyebrow raised in confusion.)

Marc: Nath, why is Nino dressed as Sherlock Holmes?

Nathaniel: (sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of his nose) I have asked the same question, Marc.

Marc: Wait, does that mean you are supposed to be Watson?

Nathaniel: (shakes his head and glances annoyed at Nino) No, apparently I’m supposed to be “good cop”.

Marc: (tilts his tired head in confusion) Wait…(yawns)...I’m confused….(points to Nathaniel) If you’re “good cop”...(points to Nino) and you’re “Sherlock Holmes”....then who’s “bad cop”...or…what’s even going on here? What are you guys even doing?

Nathaniel: (smirks) Actually, Nino’s supposed to be the “bad cop”. The Sherlock Holmes cosplay is just Nino doing his own thing.

Marc: (gives Nino an incredulous look) You do realize your “Sherlock Holmes” cosplay doesn’t make any sense if you guys are doing “Good Cop, Bad Cop”, right? I mean, for one thing, Sherlock Holmes was far too intelligent and dignified to resort to such a cliche interrogation tactic that wasn’t even developed during his time! Not to mention that Sherlock Holmes didn’t even work for the British Police! Yes, they did work together on a few cases, specifically with Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson the most, but still-...

Nino: (slams his hand hard on the desk, startling Marc with a jump) That’s enough out of you! Nathaniel and I are the ones asking the questions here, Anciel!

Marc: (rolls his eyes) And I thought Jean was over dramatic…

Nino: (regains his composure and clears his throat again) Anyway, I hardly think that you’re in any position to judge my choices right now. After all, you’ve made some rather “questionable” decisions yourself recently, now have you?

Marc: Not more questionable than your choice of interrogation methods…or fashion…

Nino: Got nothing to say, huh? That’s fine, we’ll start things off then. (opens the manila folder) I don’t care to mince words with you, so I’m just going to come out and say it. (picks up three pictures from the folder) We all know that someone gave you coffee and we know that someone had to be someone who didn’t know that you couldn’t have coffee for reasons that we all know too well, i.e. one of these three prime suspects.

(Nino places all three photos in front of Marc. The first photo was of Zoé Lee, the second was a photo of Devin Nolan, and the third photo was of Noelle Odeja. Marc takes a brief look at the photos and averted his gaze away from the pictures.)

Marc: You don’t know what you’re talking about, Nino. You couldn’t even be more wrong. (smirks tiredly) That ridiculous hat you’re wearing might be too tight.

Nino: (smirks, unfazed by Marc’s remark) Seeing as though you still have enough energy to be cheeky, you’ll have no problem naming your supplier.

(Nathaniel rolls his eyes at Nino using the word “supplier” again.)

Marc: What makes you think that someone gave me the coffee? How do you know I didn’t just get the coffee myself?

Nino: You mean other than the fact that you’ve done this before?

Nathaniel: (places a hand gently on the writer’s shoulder) Marc, we know you didn’t get the coffee yourself. We know your moms won’t let you have coffee and for good reasons, too. (The writer shifted his eyes away from Nathaniel, but the artist continued.) We also know that the coffee you’ve been drinking is from your mama’s shop since you would never betray the family business by drinking coffee from a different coffee shop, which brings us to the ultimate reason why we know that someone bought the coffee for you. You would never even think of trying to steal coffee from your mama because too good of a person.

(Marc remained silent, knowing he couldn’t argue with their reasons given that they were right. Marc was raised too well to steal anything and would feel like a traitor if he tried to buy coffee from anywhere other than his mama’s shop. Nino noticed how quiet the writer had become and smiled a satisfied smirk.)

Nino: (smugly) I’ll take your silence as proof that we’re right. Now then, as we speak, our three prime suspects are currently being interrogated by my lovely partner and her best friend…

Marc: (rolls his eyes in annoyance) Great…Alya and Marinette are doing this too, huh? Let me guess, is Alya dressed up as well? Is she Watson? Or maybe she’s that reporter from New York who always writes about Majesta?

Nathaniel: (raises an eyebrow) C’mon Marc, it’s Alya.

Marc: Yeah, you’re right, Nath. (smirks at Nino) She doesn’t quite share the same flair for the overdramatic as other people do (snickers).

Nino: (slightly offended) Mock me all you want, Anciel. One way or another, we are going to find out the truth. We don’t care how long it takes. We’ll keep going all day and night if we have to.

Marc: (smiles smugly) We can’t stay on school grounds past five.

Nathaniel: And we’re not doing this any longer than forty minutes.

Nino: We’ll keep going till five if we have to.

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Detective Nino is on the case (whether anyone asks or not)! Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this continuation of the "Why Marc Shouldn't Have Coffee" saga. I was going to do a full headcanon, but I decided to split it into parts since it was getting rather long. Probably a bit out of character for Marc to be a sarcastic, smart mouth in this headcanon, but in his defense, he's exhausted. Stay tuned for part two when we read about Alya interrogating the three suspects. Who do you think did the crime? Share your thoughts, opinions, and theories about the guilty party.

@andromeda612 @artzychic27 @username8746489 @nerd-chocolate @imsparky2002 @msweebyness

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marimbles · 8 months

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Ey I forgot to post this here but! I wrote a lil ladrien fic!

Word count: 3.2k

Summary:

Ladybug sniffed. “I saw through you right away. You look just like a celebrity trying to sneak past the paparazzi.”

Adrien frowned. “Well, I think I blend in better than you do. What are you supposed to be, a film noir detective on holiday?”

Or, Incognito Adrien runs into I'm-Not-Here Ladybug on the bus.

Mr. Perfect Disguise

13:38

adrienagrestbrand

HALLELUJAH! My shoot was canceled!

lahiffesbeats

oh sweet!

wait the one with Lila?

adrienagrestbrand

Yes!!!

Apparently she caught the flu

lahiffesbeats

uhh why are you so excited that lila’s sick. that’s not cool man

adrienagrestbrand

Oh um I’m not excited that she’s sick! I’m just glad to have some extra time.

One of my mom’s movies is playing at this indie cinema downtown. Want to go see it with me?

lahiffesbeats

aw man, i cant :( im watching chris

adrienagrestbrand

Maybe you could bring him?

lahiffesbeats

nah, he can’t sit still during a movie lol

maybe alya is free?

adrienagrestbrand

Uh, you don’t think that would be a bit awkward?

lahiffesbeats

why

adrienagrestbrand

I mean, Alya is great, but we never hang out with just the two of us.

lahiffesbeats

ok so ask marinette

adrienagrestbrand

I don’t think Marinette would want to go with me 😅 Last time we went to the movies together, Gorizilla showed up and it was kind of a disaster.

I think I’ll just go on my own. I’m not sure the movie would be that interesting to any of you anyway, haha.

lahiffesbeats

well i know for a fact that marinette would be 3000% down to go to literally any movie with u but ok lmao

adrienagrestbrand

What do you mean? How do you know for a fact?

lahiffesbeats

nvm

have fun dude!

adrienagrestbrand

Sorry, but would you mind covering for me? I told Gorilla I was going to study with you.

lahiffesbeats

sure thing bro. i’m honored to protect your scandalous sneaky ways

i’m proud. honestly i might tear up

adrienagrestbrand

Thanks

And shut up

Gorilla will drop me off in a few, OK? Then when the coast is clear I’ll head over to the theater

lahiffesbeats

How are you gonna get there

adrienagrestbrand

I’ll take the bus

lahiffesbeats

the bus?

mr. famous rich boy teenage heartthrob model adrien agreste is gonna take the bus

adrienagrestbrand

Yes

And shut up

lahiffesbeats

bro i hate to ask but have you ever been on a bus

like do you know how it works

adrienagrestbrand

Yes!!!!

But how hard can it be? You just get on and pay the driver and ride it, right?

Wait, do they give change back for 100€?

lahiffesbeats

probably not lol

just take my travel pass

adrienagrestbrand

Really? You’d do that?

lahiffesbeats

ofc. i’m very invested in your teenage rebellion

u can give it back tmw

adrienagrestbrand

Thanks, Nino!! You’re the best

lahiffesbeats

yeah, yeah. i know

just have ur bodydude drop u off here and i will help u turn on Incognito Mode. for maximum stealth

i will make you a kit

adrienagrestbrand

A kit?

lahiffesbeats

yee

for Operation Teenage Rebellion

just trust me

see u in a few

adrienagrestbrand

See you

— — —

“Uh, Nino, are you sure about this?”

Adrien frowned down at his outfit. Nino’s “Incognito Mode” had turned out to be a pair of sunglasses, his signature red hat, and an old denim jacket with a mysterious stain on it, which he insisted Adrien wear to hide the fact that his shirt “cost literally a million Euros, dude.” He’d even made Adrien swap out his orange Agreste-brand sneakers for pair of Nino’s old Nike slides, which were the only thing small enough to fit him.

“Have I ever led you wrong?” Nino grinned. “Just trust me.”

Adrien opened his mouth to name a time or two when Nino had, maybe, actually, led him wrong, but before he could say anything, Nino was nudging him out the door.

“Sorry, man, I really gotta get back to Chris. And you gotta get to the bus.” He shoved a plastic sack into Adrien’s hands. “Later! Keep me posted.”

The door clicked shut behind him.

Adrien peered into the bag. It contained a neon yellow sports drink, a pack of American crisps with a cartoon cheetah on them, and a plastic blue card, which he assumed was Nino’s transit pass.

The bus would arrive in just a few minutes. Adrien hurried down the steps of Nino’s building and jogged to the corner to wait.

Soon, the bus rolled to a stop in front of him. He climbed aboard, pulling Nino’s hat lower over his eyes. The woman in front of him drew a ticket from her pocket.

“Oh—shoot.” Adrien reached into the bag and grabbed the blue card. The plastic rustled loudly. Blushing, he tapped the plastic card on the reader with a beep.

There was photo of Nino on the back of the card. Adrien’s hand shot back. He glanced up nervously at the bus driver, who was busy adjusting his mirror. Adrien’s muscles relaxed.

He followed the woman into the aisle. At this time of day, it was a crowded ride—standing room only. He squeezed through to an empty space next to a girl in a sunhat, pulling out his phone.

adrienagrestbrand

Why didn’t you tell me your transit card is also an ID??

lahiffesbeats

eh, they never check

how is operation teenage rebellion going

adrienagrestbrand

Well, I’m on the bus, at least.

lahiffesbeats

:’) proud of you, bud. my little rebel bro. breaking the law and everything

adrienagrestbrand

Wait, using someone else’s travel pass is illegal???

Before Adrien had a chance to fixate on the horror of his father bailing him out of jail (in this outfit), the bus took off with a lurch. He stumbled forward, nearly dropping his phone and treading on the toes of the girl in the hat.

“Sorry,” he said with a wince. So much for staying inconspicuous. He reached out and gripped one of the metal handlebars, tucking his other hand into his pocket. His fingers found his Marinette lucky charm, rolling the beads between his fingers.

“Oh, um, it’s fine!” The girl ducked her head. “It’s not a problem.”

Adrien blinked. There was something familiar about her. And something strange. Maybe it was the dark trenchcoat, which looked too heavy for the mild weather. Or maybe it was her wide-brimmed hat, more suitable for a beach than a crowded city bus.

He glanced down at her black leather gloves. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she was trying to hide, just like him.

The bus rounded a corner, and despite his hold on the bar, Adrien staggered to the side. His free hand was thrown out wildly to try to keep his balance, and he nearly hit the girl on the nose.

“Sorry! Sorry,” he said quickly, scrambling back into place. His neck burned underneath the collar of his jacket.

“Don’t worry about it,” the girl mumbled.

Adrien shoved his hand back into his pocket and froze. His lucky charm was missing.

He scanned the floor and spotted it next to the girl’s boot.

“Um, excuse me, miss,” he said. “Would you mind handing me that? I dropped it.”

The girl peered down where he was pointing, face still hidden from view. Then she seemed to stiffen, frozen in place as she stared at the charm.

“Um, miss?”

She scooped it up and held it out to him, head bowed. “Here you go.”

“Thank y—” he started to say, but the words got lost on their way out. The girl’s hand was still outstretched, and he stared at the gap between her sleeve and her glove.

It was bright red, with a black spot.

The bus hissed to a stop. People clamored to their feet.

“Ladybug?” he whispered.

Her head snapped up. He caught a glimpse of her wide eyes through a pair of oversized sunglasses. Then she shot to her feet and pushed past him.

“Wait!” he called. He stumbled after her, down the steps and out the door. “Wait, please!”

She didn’t turn around. Just strode quickly down the street, the brim of her hat flopping with each step.

He broke into a jog and to catch up with her. “Ladybug!”

“I’m not—uh—who’s Ladybug?” She let out a breathless laugh. “Or, I mean, of course I’m not Ladybug. Why would you think that?”

“I, uh, saw your suit. Could you stop for a second?”

“No! I have to ca—I have … important business to attend to.”

“Um, before you do that, would you mind giving me back my lucky charm?”

She came to a halt, and he almost ran into her.

“Right,” she said quickly. “Here you go.”

She shoved the charm at him—he had to fumble not to drop it—and kept walking. But Adrien wasn’t willing to lose her that fast.

“What kind of business?” he asked quickly, dropping the charm into his plastic sack.

“Superhero business. Top secret.”

“Well, if it’s superhero stuff, then, um … why isn’t Chat Noir here too?”

“Because! It’s not—he isn’t—” She let out a little huff. “Because he wouldn’t get it. I have to do this alone.”

“I don’t think you ever have to do anything alone,” Adrien said. “Maybe he would get it if you explained.”

Finally, she stopped. Even with the double layer of her mask and her sunglasses, he could feel the weight of her gaze. “Why are you following me, Adrien?”

He blinked. “I … I didn’t realize you’d recognized me.”

“Well, um, that disguise isn’t very good.”

“It’s not?” He glanced down, suddenly feeling very self-conscious of the stained jacket and open-toed shoes. There was even a hole in the toe of his sock—Plagg kept stealing all of his good ones, and he always forgot to ask Nathalie for more.

Ladybug sniffed. “Not for me, anyway. I saw through you right away. You look just like a celebrity trying to sneak past the paparazzi.”

Adrien frowned. “Well, I think I blend in better than you do. What are you supposed to be, a film noir detective on holiday?”

Ladybug stiffened, and Adrien’s stomach dropped. He’d done it again. He’d let a stupid joke fall out of his stupid mouth, and now his lady was upset with him—this time, with Adrien him.

But Ladybug didn’t scoff, or cross her arms, or do any of the things she usually did when she didn’t like his jokes. Instead, she groaned, flattening the sides of her big, floppy hat to her head.

“This is so embarrassing,” she muttered. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“It’s—it’s not that bad,” Adrien tried, but Ladybug just buried her face in her hands.

“Ugh! This stupid suit!” Her head snapped up. “If you have any better suggestions, Mr. Perfect Disguise, I’m all ears.”

“You could just … detransform?”

She froze again, and before she could say anything, he went on in a rush.

“I mean, if you don’t want to be noticed, couldn’t you just take the bus as, like, yourself? And then just transform when you get to wherever you’re going? That would draw less attention. Unless, by chance, you daylight as a circus clown.”

He laughed awkwardly, mentally kicking himself for cracking another bad joke. But to his surprise, she laughed too.

“Nope,” she said. “That’s Chat Noir’s civilian identity. I’m just a normal girl with a normal life.”

He clung to the echo of her laugh, letting it fill him up with a hesitant sort of confidence he couldn’t resist testing.

“Aw, come on, mila—Ladybug,” he dared to say. “I’m sure there is nothing about you that isn’t special. Spots or no spots.”

“You’re wrong. I’m super normal. The normalest.”

“No way.

“Yes way! I bet—” She seemed to hesitate. “I bet I could sit behind you at school and you wouldn’t even notice me.”

“Lies,” Adrien said. “I would definitely notice.”

“Right. Well … um, wow, would you look at the time!” She let out a nervous laugh, glancing down at an invisible watch on her wrist. “I’d better be off. It was nice to love you, Adrien—I mean, nice to see you. Bug out!”

She spun on her heel, and without his permission, his hand shot out to stop her.

“Um,” he said, “do you—I mean … well, I still don’t get why you’re in disguise. Do you need help with something?”

“No! I mean, thanks, that’s okay, but I really need to … oh.” Her voice trailed off, mouth falling open.

“What is it?”

“I was going somewhere, but I guess now I don’t … need to.”

“What do you mean?”

She held his gaze, biting her lip, and then released a breath, her words spilling out in a rush. “I heard you and Lila were gonna have a photoshoot today, so I was going over there to, like, stake it out and stop her from whatever terrible thing she was planning. But I was worried that if I wasn’t suited up already I’d have to find a place to transform and that could take forever because do you even know how hard it is to find a decent hiding place in one of the biggest cities in Europe?”

“Well—”

“And by the time I hid and transformed and got back, who knows what kind of damage she could’ve done? So I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll just have to suit up beforehand so I’m ready for action at a moment’s notice.’ But there really isn’t much that can cover a whole supersuit, so I stole—borrowed—my mom’s coat and the hat she bought for her trip to Côte d'Azur last year because, I mean, she literally never wears it, and I was gonna put it right back when I was done, and I couldn’t use any of my hats because they don’t have a big enough brim to hide my mask. Because, like, even with sunglasses on you can still see it, so I thought I could just kind of, like, bow my head and it would be fine—”

“Ladybug—”

“—and of course Tik—my friend told me it wasn’t a good idea, but I just couldn’t let anything happen because I’m the only one who knows what Lila’s capable of. So I’m the only one who can stop her.”

At last, Ladybug paused, breathing heavily, looking flushed beneath her mask.

“This is about Lila?” Adrien asked. “What were you afraid she was gonna do?”

She was definitely blushing now, pink spilling out from under all her layers of disguise. “Well—I don’t know! She would think of something! She’s a liar. Or—I mean …” She breathed in, closing her eyes briefly. “She is at high risk for akumatization. Or getting others akumatized.”

Adrien nodded. “I know.”

“You—you do?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I thought you did, at one point, but then you started doing all these photoshoots with her, and you guys seem pretty … friendly.” She made a face at the word, like it was something slimy and poisonous. “I mean, like, being all cuddly and couple-y and—like, if you’re dating Lila, that’s … that’s fine, I just have to, um, warn you that—”

“We’re not dating,” Adrien cut in. “We’re not even friends.”

“You’re not?”

“No,” he said firmly. “The photoshoots are my father’s idea, and I kind of let Lila do what she wants with them because, well, I made a deal with her.”

Ladybug frowned. “What kind of deal?”

“I told her I would do the shoots with her if she’d leave my friend Marinette alone. Lila got her expelled from school temporarily. She almost got her akumatized. It was terrible.”

“You … you did that?” Ladybug asked, sounding strangely distant. “You did that for Marinette?”

Adrien nodded. “She’s really important to me. I couldn’t let anything else happen to her. I mean, I hate having to hang around Lila and pretend to be her friend, but”—he shrugged—“it’s worth it. To keep Marinette safe.”

Ladybug appeared to be in some kind of daze. She wandered to the edge of the walkway, sinking down onto a bench.

“Is something wrong?” Adrien asked.

She shook her head slowly, taking in a deep breath. “That’s, um, really nice of you, Adrien.” A pause. “You’re a good friend.”

He sat down beside her. “You know Marinette, right?”

“Yeah,” Ladybug said. “Yeah, I know her.”

“Then please don’t tell her about this. I don’t want her to feel guilty or anything. She has enough on her plate already. She does so much, and she cares about people more than anyone I know, and I don’t want this to be one more thing for her to worry about, you know?”

“Right.”

Adrien pulled his lucky charm from the sack. “She’s the one who gave this to me. Maybe it’s silly, but I feel like it brings me good luck. I always carry it with me wherever I go. My Marinette lucky charm.”

“That’s …” She looked down, hiding her face under the brim of her hat. “That’s really sweet.”

“Maybe … maybe this is what made me run into you today. At least, I feel like it’s good luck to see you.” He paused, smile faltering. “But maybe it wasn’t so lucky for you that I, like, chased you down. Sorry about that.”

She raised her head. “No! I’m really glad we ran into each other. Maybe that thing is lucky after all.”

“But you don’t need luck anyway, huh? You’re Ladybug.”

She laughed, and for the first time, she leaned her head back, lifting her face to the sky. “Trust me. I need all the luck I can get.”

For a moment, they just sat there, watching the people passing by. It was strange, to sit side by side like this with Ladybug—exactly like he’d done a thousand times before, but nothing was the same. A bench instead of a rooftop. The street instead of the sky. And Paris, bustling all around them, instead of twinkling from below.

He liked it like this. (He liked it any way, with her.)

“So,” she said, “were you not actually supposed to have a photoshoot today?”

“I was, but it was canceled.”

“Oh? Why?”

“Because Lila has a huge zit.”

Ladybug’s eyes widened, and then she snorted as her face crumpled with laughter.

“I’m serious,” Adrien went on. “It’s enormous. Like, a category 5 disaster event.”

“You’re lying! They’d just cover it with makeup.”

“You can’t cover a geographical landmark with makeup,” Adrien said gravely.

Ladybug doubled over, clutching her sides as she howled. He laughed with her, feeling almost weightless with the thrill of it. He was laughing with his lady, without his mask. He’d made her laugh, and she knew it was him, and when she lifted her head again, the smile on her face (big, bright, beautiful, brilliant) was for him, Adrien Agreste, and no one else.

Finally, Ladybug straightened, nudging her sunglasses up on her nose to wipe at her eye.

“Wanna go out with me?” Adrien blurted.

She froze. “What?”

“I mean—sorry!” Adrien shook his head quickly. “I was on my way to a movie. And since you’re free now, and you’ve already got your disguise, I thought maybe you’d want to … come with me? Or—or not! I don’t mean to presume any—”

“Yes,” she said.

“Wait. Really?”

“Yes, I’d, um …” She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’d love to go with you.”

Warmth shot through him like a firecracker, and he felt his face split into a grin. “Great. I’ve always wanted to see a movie with Beach Vibes Sherlock Holmes.”

She laughed. “Lead the way, Mr. Perfect Disguise.”

#ml #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #ladrien #ml fanfics #mine #my fics

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gale-gentlepenguin · 2 months

Note

Ask game: Nino wasn't the Devil in Rocketear, like yeah he was in the wrong but a lot of teenage boys probably would've acted in a similar way to him if they thought their gf was getting close to a hotter guy than them, I don't think he deserves to be demonized forever over that episode.

I didn’t think anything negative over it, if anything it actually made me laugh.

His GF was acting sketchy, and he wanted to know what’s up. He tried talking with her several times. Then he decided to play detective and came to the wrong conclusion. It happens.

Plus he’s 14! He’s allowed to make a mistake. If he did this again in the future you can be more concerned.

#miraculous ladybug #ml #nino lahiffe

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runawaycatwalker · 10 months

Text

Part 22. A Best Friend's Interrogative Prerogative

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Description below the cut

Bonus: Alternate version shot in NinoVision:

In black and white, Nino pulls on the brim of his cap as he watches Catwalker uses his baton to leap around the buildings of Paris.

Nino (voiceover): The name's Lahiffe. Detective Lahiffe. The foxiest gal in the world, Alya Césaire, called me for a favor: Sniff around the new hero who'd sauntered into Paris.

The image of Catwalker holding his hands up in confusion by a picture of Adrien being sad and a question mark.

Nino (voiceover): I'd met this smooth cat once before. I assumed he was naïve and oblivious. He wasn't.

Cut back to Nino hiding behind a wall as Catwalker continues to leap above the rooftops.

Nino (voiceover): According to Alya, the charming kittyboy was secretly involved in the departure of my closest bro, Adrien. She wasn't sure how the guy had managed to act under all our noses or why, but I am determined to find out. I'll need to draw upon all my knowledge of the greatest detectives as I stake him out and gather enough clues to—

The panel abruptly switches to color as Catwalker drops in behind Nino, making the latter leap back and hold his hands in front of his face, thoroughly startled.

Catwalker: Are you following me?

Nino: Aaah! No! Why would I be following you?

Catwalker holds up a courteous hand.

Catwalker: Perhaps you wanted an autograph?

Nino: No! That's not...

The panel swiftly switches back to grayscale as Nino pushes up his glasses in a serious manner.

Nino (internally): Get it together, Detective! Interrogate him!

Nino (aloud): I was just curious if you'd managed to get any info about Adrien Agreste.

Catwalker places a hand on his chest with a look of sympathy.

Catwalker: You're a friend of his, I presume? My condolences for your loss. It must be hard not knowing what happened to someone you care about. Unfortunately, my efforts in searching for Adrien have been fruitless thus far, but I assure you that I will be keeping my eyes open if he turns up.

The grayscale bleeds away back into color as we see a close-up of Nino’s eye, rage bubbling inside him.

Nino (internally): I can't believe this guy! Acting like he's all innocent! Screw the subtle approach, this slimeball needs to have the truth forced out of him.

Nino flares his hands out to either side indignantly.

Nino: You can't lie to me, Catwalker! I know you were behind Adrien's disappearance!

Catwalker’s pupils narrow in shock.

Catwalker: Who told you that?

Nino rebuffs with folded arms.

Nino: A little birdie. It doesn't matter.

Catwalker holds up a hand, expression now severe.

Catwalker: Your 'little birdie' could be the real reason Adrien had to go into hiding in the first place, so: Yes. It. Does.

Nino fumes, waving his arms above his head.

Nino: She would never do that!

Catwalker: 'She' wouldn't happen to be affiliated with a girl named Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would she?

Nino: Even if she is, that's none of your business!

Nino points an accusatory finger, his other hand starting to clench up as if ready to start tearing someone apart.

Nino: You're the one who needs to explain yourself! What did you do to Adrien? Where is he now? What did his father do to him that made him so terrified of anyone knowing where he is?

Catwalker looks down stiffly at his own fists.

Catwalker: Your 'birdie' should already know that I can't provide answers to those questions.

Nino: You have to know something! Spill!

Catwalker is exasperated as he rubs half of his face.

Catwalker: Please understand. The nature of Adrien's situation is extremely precarious, so much so that I cannot share what I know with anyone.

Nino: I'm not just 'anyone'!

Nino places both hands on his chest with a look of defiance as tears start to stream down his face.

Nino: I'm Adrien's best friend! I know everything about him! I'm the only person he contacted the night he ran away! So if anybody deserves the truth, it's me!

Catwalker folds his arms and looks away with regret.

Catwalker: If the fallout of his disappearance had gone how Adrien expected it to, you'd know that he's kept an entire part of his life a secret from everyone. Even you. Some things are too important to share, even with your best friend.

Nino puts his head in his hands in exasperation.

Nino: But why would Adrien tell you of all people? He can't possibly trust you more than his friends! Did you get inside his head? Gaslight him? Blackmail him? Torture him until he did what you wanted?

Nino has now sunk to the ground, hands still grasping at his head, as he weeps. Catwalker squats about a meter in front of him with a look of restrained beseeching.

Catwalker: Adrien told you as much as he thought he could get away with. He does care about you. But he didn't expect that you'd be able to keep whatever he told you quiet for very long. I'm no friend to Adrien, but he trusted me with his escape. He knows that I can keep his secrets safe indefinitely. And I can only consider entrusting you with some of the answers I have if I am certain that you won't tell anyone—especially not the person who asked you to investigate me. It is vital that you tell me who that person is so I can deal with her.

Nino yells at Catwalker as an akuma starts to fly in behind him.

Nino: Screw you!

Nino’s teeth clench as he is absorbed by his crying rage, right as Catwalker reaches out a Cataclysm-powered hand to touch the akuma, mere inches past Nino’s head.

Nino: You can go—

Catwalker: Cataclysm.

Seen from below, Catwalker looks imposing as he holds the akuma in his hand as it crumbles away, bitter tears starting to fall down his conflicted face.

Catwalker: I'm sorry. I never wanted this. Please, for Adrien's sake, let your investigation go.

Catwalker turns away as the remnants of crushed butterfly fall from his fist.

Catwalker: And Nino? You should be more careful about who you confide in. You never know who might be your enemy.

["Alternate "NinoVision" version is recolored to be all in greenish sepia, with Catwalker's expressions recolored to be opaque and distorted: no green in his eyes, just the black mask and a misplaced line of gold]

Below is the same image as above, only without text:

#runaway catwalker #catwalker #cat walker #nino lahiffe #shoutout to flightfoot (Keyseeker) for getting more of your eyeballs on Runaway Catwalker #shes been highly supportive of this comic for a while and her spotlight here on tumblr two weeks ago brought an influx of new followers #extremely grateful for her and her willingness to engage with and signal boost fan creators #and to everyone new here: welcome!#i promise that i can give adrien and nino nice things #just not this adrien and this nino at this moment #ill try to put more fluffiness for them in my other main wip to make up for it

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