#mariharem | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

olivia-anderson-fanfic · 1 year

Text

OHSHCAU (Keysmash)

Part 1

Summary: Flowers fluttered past her, carried by some kind of impossible breeze. One smacked her in the face. (Or the Ouran High School Host Club AU. Or the Keysmash AU for the cultured people of the MGI server.)

Marinette literally just wanted to find a quiet place to study.

The library had been full of people that apparently didn’t know that they were supposed to ‘sh’. The classrooms were locked. All of the clubrooms had clubs going on (which, duh, but it was still disappointing).

So, she made her way through the school, considering just giving up and resigning herself to doing her work on the floor even if she knew it would leave her with a back that ached for the next several days…

And then her eyes landed on a room at the end of the hall. The door was ajar, but she could only hear a faint murmur of conversation and the quiet clinking of porcelain.

She considered it for a few moments before sighing to herself and hiking her bag up higher. It was either this or beginning the painfully long trudge back to her house immediately after her gym class. She was already sore, she just wanted to relax for a few minutes.

So, she pushed the door open wider.

Flowers fluttered past her, carried by some kind of impossible breeze.

One smacked her in the face.

She brushed it off of her nose, only to find herself blinking up at the most popular person in the school.

Richard Grayson-Wayne smiled at her, pretty as ever with his perfectly gelled hair and perfectly pressed clothes. She suddenly felt a very strong urge to check her reflection in a mirror and sniff herself to make sure that her after-gym shower had been enough.

“Oh, are you a new guest?”

“Guest?” She repeated, a little dumbly. Forgive her, for he had taken her by the hand and started leading her inside and she was confused.

But then she glanced around.

Everything in the room was needlessly extravagant and expensive, but so was the rest of Gotham Academy. That wasn’t what she focused on, though.

Horror seized her as she realized what, exactly, she had stumbled into.

Because, as she looked around, she recognized more and more of the school’s most popular kids, and all of them were attending to the many people (usually girls, but not always) crowding them. And she remembered what, exactly, Richard Grayson-Wayne’s extracurricular was.

She jerked her hand away, eyes wide. “Uh, no, I think you’ve got the wrong idea, sir,” she said. And then internally freaked out because why the hell did she call him sir? He was two years older than her! Damn it! She could feel her face flushing in embarrassment.

He smiled and brought his hand up to cup her cheek. “Am I not your type? You can take your pick of the others, you know.” He smoothly moved to loop his arm around her shoulders and lead her further into the room. “What are you into? Women? Men? Both? Strong people? Smarts? A sense of humor or a mischievous streak? A stoic type? A princely person?”

“Um, listen, I was just looking for a place to study,” she said, slipping out from under him and taking a few careful steps backwards.

He smiled. “Of course you were,” he said in that tone people used when they were only humoring you.

She gave an awkward little laugh, still doing her best to back away from the situation in the most literal sense she could. “Seriously, I’m just going to go –.”

Her back hit something and she whipped around, her eyes wide, just in time to watch a vase pitch itself off a pillar.

She reached for it. Her fingers just barely brushed the handle. And then it hit the ground.

The porcelain shattered upon impact.

She stared at the shards, her hands resting on the pillar it had just been resting on as if trying to replace it, wishing that she could simply put the pitcher back together by sheer force of will. The color drained from her face as it slowly began to sink in that this was reality, that she had just broken a vase that had to be expensive considering everything else at this school was.

Marinette slowly turned back around to find everyone looking at her, their attention pulled by the loud crash. She swallowed thickly, her gaze flickering between the broken vase and Richard rapidly.

She needed to say something. Anything.

“I mean. It was kind of ugly.”

Anything but that!

At least someone was amused. A woman with blond hair – Stephanie Brown, she remembered her being on the news a while back – turned her head to snicker into her hand.

She cleared her throat. “No, sorry, that was weird to say. I’ll – I’ll pay for it.”

A dark-skinned boy made his way over, frowning lightly. The glittery, gold makeup dotted across his cheeks like freckles seemed to shine as he looked her over. She recognized him to be one of the kids in her science class, but his name eluded her. “Aren’t you a scholarship kid?”

“She is,” an unfortunately familiar voice chimed in. Her eyes narrowed in on Tim Drake. He was glaring at her over the rim of his rich kid teacup.

Marinette’s face suddenly remembered how to circulate blood, but it had overcompensated in its rush to fix its mistakes. A blush rose to her cheeks. “Okay, and? What of it?”

This got another laugh, but this one sounded different. A little colder. Someone clicked their tongue. A boy with tan skin around in his chair, stroking a cat in his lap, like some kind of D-list Rogue. “Then can you really afford it?”

She glanced at the vase again and shrugged. “I mean… probably? It can’t be more than a few hundred, can it? It’ll be a bitch, but –.”

A woman wheeled over, her wheelchair coming to a stop just in front of the pillar Marinette was still leaning against in the worst attempt at acting natural anyone had ever seen. She recognized her as one of the library assistants. Barbara Gordon didn’t even bother to look up from her phone while she ruined Marinette’s life with a mere sentence: “We were about to auction it off for charity, and the starting price was fifty thousand USD.”

Marinette choked on air. “Fifty… fifty thousand?!” She repeated. She barely fought off the urge to scream about how it wasn’t even a nice looking vase. She figured yelling at the people she was suddenly indebted to was, probably, not a great idea.

A guy in a leather jacket gave her an empathetic look. She pretended not to notice for the sake of her own sanity.

“That’s a joke, right?” She tried, ignoring how desperate she sounded even to her own years.

A woman lazing in the window shook her head, black lipstick-covered lips just barely curled into a frown.

“Any chance I can pay this off in parts?” She asked, resisting the urge to start doing math on her fingers to figure out exactly how much she was going to have to give up to work all of this off. She would do that later, when there were no eyes on her. “I – I don’t have a job right now, but I can get one, I promise, I’ll find a way to pay you back –.”

Richard clapped his hands together once, but this time his smile held no real warmth. “Don’t worry, I can think of a job that just opened up.”

*****

“Marinette, I left you alone for ten minutes,” Adrien said, pinching the space between his brows. He was currently messing with chemicals, so touching his face was not advisable, but he was wearing gloves so he was still, at least, more safe than 99% of other high school students would be.

“It was closer to an hour and a half,” she mumbled, watching the beaker in front of her bubble. She was very dedicated to lab safety, thank you very much.

“How did you even manage to become the – did you say you’re the host club’s dog? What? Like the kink?”

She groaned. “I can’t think of a less literal translation, okay? It’s like… they want me to clean, set up events, help them with clothes, serve drinks and food…”

“Servant? Assistant?”

“Sure,” she said, throwing a hand up frustratedly. “But could we maybe focus on the rest of my problem instead of the fact that English isn’t my first language?”

He gave her a mildly amused look that she didn’t return. And then he sighed, picking up his mortar and pestle again. “Okay. Well. I could always –.”

“If you say you want to pay off my debt for me I’m pouring this down your throat.”

He cleared his throat awkwardly, obviously not too fond of the idea if he was preemptively touching his neck. “I see. Well. Then. I guess we’ll be seeing less of each other.”

“Thank fuck for that.”

He elbowed her in the side. “Don’t think you can get out of doing your half of the presentation.”

She groaned and burrowed into her Batman hoodie. “But if I do the presentation I have to dress up…”

“Yeah? I have to dress up every day, make sure to always have an entire section of my backpack devoted to skin and hair care products in case of emergencies, bring extra clothes to school, and –.”

“Shut uuuuuup I get it,” she huffed, moving her now-luminescent pink liquid off its burner. “Rich people have their own problems or whatever.”

“We do. Like making sure we make good connections while in school, something you –” he poked her cheek. “– need to work on. Maybe this host club thing will be good for you. Help you put yourself out there or whatever.”

“You just want to laugh at me.”

His lips twitched into a grin. “True.”

She scowled. “Put down the mortar and pestle.”

He seemed to want to say no, he wasn’t stupid enough to not know why she wanted him to put it down, but then thought better of it. He resigned himself to his fate, sighing and setting it aside.

She tackled him off of his chair.

*****

Marinette was pretty sure that they were making her set up the auction she had accidentally ruined purely to spite her. Like, sure, setting up everything was technically her job, but the chances of this being her first assignment were abysmal.

She forced herself to breathe through it. Go to her happy place. Four in. Murdering the Waynes but also keeping her scholarship. Four out. Good.

She carefully made her way back and forth, setting everything in their respective spots, at an inching pace – she was not going to add more debt by breaking something else. Then she went around making sure the lights shined on them just so to make them seem shinier (“rich people are like magpies,” she had been informed with a sage nod). Finally, she checked that all of the notecards were in order and that the mics were all working.

She spun around in the middle of the room, going over everything with a critical eye, and then nodded once to herself.

She headed to the ‘dressing room’ (it was a closet they had repurposed).

“I’m done, Richard.”

“Dick,” he corrected lightly, leaning in to check his teeth.

She raised an eyebrow. “Sorry?”

His eyes widened and he whirled around, holding his hands up in a half placating, half surrendering gesture. “Nonono, I’m not calling you that, I’m saying that’s my name. Dick. Short for Richard.”

“I know. I’m just sorry.”

Dick sputtered. Damian made a wheezing sound that might have been a laugh.

Unfortunately for Damian, the wheeze drew Marinette’s attention. She groaned. “Oh my god, put the cat down, you’re in a suit for fuck’s sake,” she hissed. She looked around until she found a lint roller, and then thrust it towards him. “Trade me.”

Damian looked affronted. “I’m not putting down Alfred.”

She had to force herself to ignore the fact that he had named his cat Alfred of all things, she needed to concentrate on what was really important: threatening him.

“You are going to put down Alfred. I suggest you do it willingly.”

It was Dick’s turn to snicker at his brother’s misfortune.

Neither spared him a glance, too locked in their staredown. Marinette had thought for a moment that Damian was going to actually try and throw hands, but at least she would still be winning in that case because he would have to let his cat go to do so.

Eventually, Damian heaved a long-suffering sigh and handed off the cat. She set Alfred in her hood just so she could cross her arms over her chest while she watched Damian struggle with the lint roller for a solid seven minutes. She might be indebted to these people, but damn if she wasn’t going to be passive aggressive about it.

Dick grinned, leaning his arm on her shoulder. She felt short, in that moment, but it wasn’t her fault that the man was freakishly tall.

“You’re the best hire we could have ever had,” said the man who was unaware she was considering kneecapping him to make herself seem taller.

Not that she was going to tell him.

“I’m being held captive.”

“Same difference,” he joked.

And, despite herself, a tiny smile made its way across her face. His happiness was strangely contagious. No wonder he was so popular in the host club.

She reached up to tap him on the nose. “You haven’t done your stage makeup yet.”

He yelped out a curse and then ran to look for the makeup brushes, muttering under his breath about how that was what he had forgotten.

*****

Marinette stumbled into the library, a hand absently rubbing an ache between her shoulder blades. Her eyes locked with Babs’.

“Is it in ye –?”

“No,” Babs said, still tapping away at her computer.

Marinette slumped against the doorframe, letting her head knock against the wood. Maybe it would give her good luck.

“Life is a tragedy and I’m nothing more than Shakespeare’s bitch.”

The woman sighed and pushed up her glasses to rub an eye. “I’ll check it out for you when it comes in. Give it to you during the host club.”

Her posture brightened instantly. “Really?”

“Yeah, just don’t lose it. I have a perfect record when it comes to turning my books in on time and I don’t want you to ruin that.”

She grinned and did a mock salute. “Aye-aye.”

*****

Marinette absently stacked the plates, cups, and spoons on top of each other to take them into the next room for a quick wash. She kind of liked finding the optimal ways to stack things, it was like a very high-stakes game of Tetris. She carefully picked up her tower and was pleased to find that it didn’t shake in the slightest.

Only to blink when Jason stood up, holding a tiny stack of his own.

“Let me help.”

She stared blankly for a moment before she finally caught a quiet gasp nearby. Her eyes flicked in that direction and found a customer practically cooing over the basic human decency Jason had displayed. She sighed a little. Right, they had an audience. She pulled a slightly wobbly smile to her face.

“Sure. Thanks,” she said carefully. In the end, even if it was just to forward his image as a ‘baddie with a heart of gold’, it was still help and she wasn’t intent on saying no just to be petty.

Or, at least, that was what she had thought until he had kept doing it. Almost every night, without fail, he would help her clean up after everyone. Even if all of the guests were gone by the time he got away.

She finally gave in one day, her hands almost elbow deep in the sink water:

“Why do you keep helping me? You know that this isn’t your job, right?”

He gave her a strange look for a moment.

And then he gave the slightest of smiles. “I was poor, once, too.”

She nodded slightly. They went back to work with a quiet sense of solidarity.

“Also, you take too long to wash dishes on your own.”

She splashed him with the sink water.

He gasped, puffing up in his mock offense. “Hey! These pants are supposed to be cared for! They’re hand wash only!”

“Then this is perfect,” she said, grinning. “It’s totally deserved.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So is this.”

He used the cup he had been washing to scoop up some water and dump it over her head.

She stared at him for a full minute in stunned silence. And then a grin broke out over her face.

He suddenly looked like he was considering running away.

In the end, they finished the day more clean than the dishes, but hey. It’s the thought that counts.

(Just kidding. Sanitation doesn’t work like that. They overloaded the dishwasher to fix their mistakes.)

*****

Marinette sighed and set the cake down on a table, then turned to leave.

She stopped short when she saw Tim in the doorway, his bag half off his shoulder where he had been about to fling it away from himself like he did every day while opening up the clubroom.

“How’d you…?”

She shrugged and held up a keyring. “Asked the janitor.”

His brows furrowed momentarily, as if he were thinking, but then he just shook his head to dismiss the thought.

“Why do you have a wedding cake? Did you have a Vegas wedding or something?”

She groaned internally and forced herself to straighten up to her full height. “My parents are bakers. The wedding they catered today didn’t end up happening. Bride got cold feet – uh, literally, she was murdered, y’know? – and they said to give this to my friends.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So you brought it here?”

“Well, Adrien doesn’t have a cheat day for another two weeks, and if I ever have another slice of cake it’ll be too soon. This is kinda the last place I’ve got. Besides, it could please your guests.”

“Couldn’t you just give it out to the people in your homeroom?”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you want the cake or not? Because I have to go to class soon. Unlike you, I’ll get thrown out if I don’t attend every one of my classes, Drake.”

He snorted. “Aw? The scholarship student is struggling in her classes?”

“That’s not why, and if you really think that then you’re dumber than I thought,” she said, curling her fists at her sides.

A couple of complicated expressions flicked over his face, none of which she could get a good read on, but Steph’s head appeared over Tim’s shoulder before either of them could say something they regretted.

“Shut up and let the nice girl give us cake, Tim,” Steph said, smacking him over the back of the head as she brushed past him to get in the door. She grinned at Marinette. “Thanks for the food.”

Marinette gave a tiny smile in return.

She smiled even wider when, as Steph passed, she asked Marinette under her breath if she wanted to join her in throwing a slice of the cake into Tim’s face. As if it was even a question.

*****

Duke squinted at the needle in her hand suspiciously. His arm was already sanitized and the needle was prepped, it would only take around thirty minutes for her to get a sufficient amount of his blood to analyze. “Are you sure you know how to do this?”

She huffed. “Of course I do. Don’t be a pussy.”

“That’s sexist.”

“Okay? And not volunteering to help for my project is anti black.”

There was a beat before the pair of them broke into quiet snickers. Quiet, because neither of them wanted to get caught slacking off in the middle of their research class.

Marinette tapped the needle. “Don’t worry, if you’re good I’ll give you a cake pop.”

His smile almost seemed to light up the room. “Sounds like a deal. Stick me.”

(Later, she had found herself staring at his vitals with mild confusion. He almost didn’t seem human. And then she had quietly dismissed them as an outlier. Maybe she’d ask if he had been a victim of a Rogue attack recently when she saw him at their next host club meeting. Or not. That was kinda personal.)

*****

Marinette liked Cass. Neither of them really talked, but Cass didn’t talk much to anyone anyways.

Still, the girl was a soothing presence. Sometimes, when the days were slow or while they were waiting for the club to start, they could be seen sitting in the same window. Cass would listen to music. Marinette would do her homework or read a book.

It was pleasant.

At least, it was pleasant most of the time. It turns out a silent person can be a bad thing. Marinette now had a permanent chemical burn on the back of her arm because Cass had come up to her at the wrong time, had tapped her on the shoulder, and Marinette had flinched so hard in her surprise that she had ended up spilling an entire beaker over the back of her wrist.

She was pretty sure the seven solid, apology-filled minutes where Cass had helped her rush to the nurse’s office to stem the blood bubbling on her arm was the most she had ever heard her talk before.

*****

Marinette glared at her reflection, aggressively applying stage makeup to the area under her eyes. She would have to wash it all off right afterwards, stage makeup looks strange when up close and not under the effect of near-blinding lights. And then, after that, she would have to sit still while Adrien applied even more, but wildly different makeup to her face, for the second half of the conference where she would be forced to shmooze for the sake of funding.

But that was a problem for later. She needed to make sure everything was perfect.

Anything less than the best score in the school could throw her scholarship into jeopardy.

At least this was getting her out of her usual host club duties. Marinette and Adrien needed to present, so she would have gotten out for a few hours no matter what, but a solid number of the (actual, willing) host club members were in their age group. Duke, Tim, and Steph all had projects today as well.

They had canceled the host club for the day. Maybe the others would be attending the presentation, maybe not, she didn’t really care.

All she cared about right now was making sure she didn’t look like some kind of ethereal being made of light on stage.

A head dropped onto her shoulder and she rolled her eyes. “You look like a ghoul.”

Adrien grinned. “I think this is the best I’ve ever looked.”

“True.”

He gasped. “Rude.”

“I mean, you kinda set that one up for me,” she said, gently shoving him off so she could straighten fully. She patted down her deep red dress, checked her black heels to make sure they weren’t going to slip, and then turned to him. “Good?”

He hummed thoughtfully, tipping his head to the side. And then he shook his head, motioning for her to turn around. “I told you you needed to do something with your hair,” he said.

She huffed. “I did.”

“Letting it out of its usual pigtails is not ‘doing something’.”

“I mean… if you want to define the words –.”

He snorted. “Shut up. Let me fix this.”

She waited impatiently for him to brush her hair and pull it into a strict bun.

She scrunched her nose at her reflection. “I look like a teacher.” She pulled a strand out to frame her face.

He tucked it right back behind her ear. “Well, you’re teaching these people –.”

“You’re the most infuriating person I’ve ever met.”

“You’re looking in a mirror. Time to meet someone even worse. Nettie, meet Nettie.”

She pulled away the moment he was done. “The moment this is all over I’m beating your ass.”

“I mean, you kinda set that one up for me,” he mocked.

“I’m not kidding, Chaton. Meet me in the parking lot at 7pm.”

He only grinned, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his suit, and jerked his head to point towards the stage.

*****

Marinette and Adrien had chosen the safest possible option. Even if neither of them really cared about how the overexposure to chemicals had affected the average Gothamite’s physiology – they already knew that it would boost their immune systems in some areas, weaken it in some areas, and just generally cause a myriad of lung and heart problems, they weren’t stupid – it was something they knew was both a popular question at the moment and something that rich people would want to know so they could start finding solutions for themselves.

Which meant they might get funding from people that weren’t just Adrien’s Dad. Not only did Marinette not want to rely on him, grades and future teams/assignments were determined by how much funding you received. They were already at a disadvantage, Marinette’s parents weren’t rich and couldn’t make a sizable contribution like every other family at the academy could. They needed to win over anyone they could.

And they had done pretty well. Marinette had only stuttered and considered asking Adrien to anti-Bruce-Wayne her parents a single time.

They’d made up for it in the questions portion. The subject of chemicals was something they both knew an ungodly amount about, so they answered every question sent their way without a hint of hesitation. In the end, they’d gotten quite a few people to come up to tell them that they would be donating to their ‘cause’.

She hadn’t expected one of the people they had won over to be Bruce Wayne, though.

Marinette fought to not shrink back as the man that sponsored the scholarship program she used began to head her way. He was Gotham’s sweetheart, and a bit of a dunce, but he still held more power over her than she would prefer.

And he had his kids in tow. Even more people that could choose to ruin her life on a whim. Fun. She definitely wanted more of those.

She got a thumbs up from Cass, at least. Thanks, Cass.

As for the rest of the Wayne kids… they were currently looking at her like she had spontaneously sprouted an extra head. She made a tiny ‘what the fuck’ gesture with her hand, but they were too stunned to give her any kind of meaningful response.

Marinette looked to Adrien, and he looked back at Marinette, both of them making sure that they looked as good as was physically possible. They took the moment to share quiet ‘do you know what’s going on with them?’ looks, and ended up with nothing.

And then they threw a pair of identical smiles the Waynes’ way.

“Mr. Wayne!” She said with false cheer. “It’s so nice to see you! How is business going?”

He grinned. “It’s been great. You didn’t hear it from me, but I’m pretty sure our stock prices are about to jump.”

Adrien laughed lightly. “Oh? I’ll be sure to tell my dad to invest.”

Marinette wanted to die.

“Ah, yes, good investments are good,” the man said, giving him a daft kind of smile. And then he reached out and patted Marinette on the top of the head, making the tiny strand of hair tucked behind her ear fall back into her face. Luckily, the man didn’t notice. “Like her. Back when I first started sponsoring you, even I never could have guessed that you would become so smart.”

She forced a blush to her face. “Well, I’m just really good with chemistry. I’m just glad that it was accepted as being close enough to biology to count.”

“Our mutual love of chemical experimentation is what brought us together in the first place.”

Marinette leaned in conspiratorially, cupping a hand over her mouth to stage-whisper to the others: “Don’t let him fool you, he’s talking about the time he blew up his microwave.”

“For science! It was an experiment!” Adrien said with false offense.

Bruce chuckled good-naturedly and started rifling through his pockets for a checkbook. “Well, it would be wrong to give money to all my other kids and leave you out, don’t you think?”

Marinette stared at him for a moment, her fake smile fading slightly in favor of pure confusion. “Sir, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m not one of your kids.”

And, sure, she knew that Bruce Wayne’s kid situation was a little strange. There were only five actual Wayne kids: Dick Grayson-Wayne, Jason Wayne, Cassandra Wayne, Damian Al Ghul- Wayne, and Duke Thomas. There was also the weird gray area that was Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Barbara Gordon, all of whom had one or more living parents but often found themselves grouped with the others because of how close they were to the Wayne family.

But Marinette? Marinette was a scholarship kid that was being forced to be around them all. She had talked to Bruce Wayne a grand total of four times, and one of those times was happening at this exact moment.

Bruce Wayne blinked once. Twice. Three times. And then he smacked his palm against his forehead. “Oh! Right! Sorry, the others talk about you so much that sometimes I forget you aren’t my kid.”

Marinette sometimes wondered if a man could truly be this dumb.

“Ah, don’t worry, I’m sure my parents could identify every single one of them in a line up with how much I talk about them,” she said, forcing her sweetest tone even as her gaze cut to the Wayne kids in a way that screamed ‘I have talked about murdering you multiple times’.

The Waynes now looked like they had just watched her grow a third head and were now resigned to the fact that she could apparently grow more heads. An improvement? Maybe?

Bruce chuckled and patted her on the head again. “They are little scamps, aren’t they?”

“They’re sweet, though,” she lied through her teeth. “I enjoy every minute we spend together.”

“I’d hope so!” The man said cheerfully.

And then Bruce, the godsend, the best person to ever exist, wrote a check and dropped it in her donation box. Marinette only just refrained from pumping her fist.

Still, the smile Adrien and Marinette gave after that was far more genuine.

Adrien smiled. “That was very nice of you, Mr. Wayne.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said.

“Of course! And, please, both of you, call me Bruce.”

“I don’t think you understand how much I just… can’t do that.”

He chuckled and gave her one last pat on the head – Adrien looked like he wanted to cry a little as his careful work started to come undone for real – before heading off to do whatever it was rich people do.

His kids didn’t join him.

Marinette turned to Steph, Tim, and Duke. “Good job on your presentation, Duke.”

(Listen, she liked Steph well enough, but Tim was a dick and she would rather die than compliment his work. Especially not when he was her main competition at the school.)

Tim didn’t even seem to register the snub, for once.

This gave Duke plenty of time to snicker and tell her, “I totally bombed. My partner didn’t even read the note cards I gave her.”

“I mean, yeah, but you’re not supposed to say that.”

He could only shrug a little, somewhere between amused and annoyed.

Dick didn’t give her much time to register the motion, though, as he came up and rested his hands on her shoulders.

She blinked at him. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re weirdly touchy?”

“I – wha –?” He shook his head, and she wasn’t sure if that was an answer or if he was just dismissing the question. “You’ve been attractive this whole time?”

Marinette ignored the fact that Adrien had chosen to break down laughing. It was surely unrelated.

She looked up at Dick for a moment. “I mean… duh?”

“But…” Damian said, sounding almost pained. “Every time we’ve seen you, you’ve worn a hoodie and jeans.”

“Yeah, because I’m not really interested in looking good for – I don’t know – fucking Kyle from my Calculus class.” She huffed. “Besides. Nice clothes? Makeup? That stuff is expensive. Way too expensive to use when I’m not getting any kind of return, y’know?”

Steph nodded her agreement. Ah. Working class solidarity. It does exist, after all.

And then Babs wheeled herself closer, looking mildly amused. “And if you can get a return?”

~~~~~~~~~~

#maribat #mariharem #ig #maribatadrienette #ohshc au #dukinette #timinette #timari #daminette #maridami #damimari #jasonette #dickinette #babsinette #??#stephinette #cassinette #why do i feel like im missing someone

109 notes · View notes

wordsofrowan · 2 months

Text

The Shadow Court

Chapter 17: As the Shadow Darkens

Adrien paced back and forth in his lavishly decorated room, his fists clenched in frustration as he glared at the screen of his phone. The image on Marinette's Instagram sent a surge of anger through him, his blood simmering with jealousy and betrayal. How dare she declare herself part of a polycule with Jay, Chloe, and Felix? In his mind, Marinette belonged to him and him alone. The audacity of her to date others ignited a fire within him.

"Who does she think she is?" Adrien muttered to himself, his voice laced with venomous anger. The idea that Marinette could be with anyone other than him was unfathomable. He believed he was the only one worthy of her affection, the only one who truly understood her. As he plotted a way to reclaim her, he believed he held the power to set things right. All he needed was to separate Marinette from Jay, and then everything would fall back into place. In his twisted perception, Jay was a threat to his beloved princess, poisoning her mind and leading her astray. Adrien was convinced that once Marinette was away from Jay's influence, she would return to the girl he believed she should be.

As he plotted his next move to confront Marinette, his phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts. A notification from the Ladyblog flashed on the screen, catching his attention. The thumbnail displayed three mysterious streaks of color soaring through the Parisian sky, accompanied by the headline "New Heroes in the Midst."

Adrien's brows furrowed in confusion and irritation. Silver and yellow were not colors he associated with any known heroes. The realization that Ladybug might be preoccupied with these new heroes instead of him only fueled his mounting frustration. If these newcomers were the reason Ladybug had been avoiding him, he vowed to uncover their identities and put an end to their interference.

His mind racing with thoughts of Marinette and Ladybug, Adrien's determination solidified. He couldn't allow anyone to come between him and the two women who held his heart. With a steely resolve, he made a silent vow to reclaim what he believed was rightfully his, no matter the cost.

"Plagg," Adrien called out, his voice echoing in the dimly lit room as he watched the small kwami emerge from the confines of his cage. The air was thick with tension, the weight of unspoken threats hanging heavily between them.

"You're aware of Ladybug's true identity, aren't you?" Adrien inquired, his eyes fixed on the creature before him.

"Yes, that is correct," Plagg replied his voice a soft whisper that seemed to carry the burden of Adrien’s recent anger.

"Tell me," Adrien demanded, his eyes filled with a fierce intensity that displayed his clear obsession. The need for answers burned within him, a relentless flame that threatened to consume everything in its path.

A pained expression crossed Plagg's face. "You know I cannot reveal that information, Adrien. It goes against the very core of our existence."

Frustration boiling over, Adrien's facade of composure shattered. With a sudden outburst, he struck the wall beside Plagg, the impact reverberating through the room. "Tell me how I can uncover it then!" he yelled, his voice laced with anger and anguish.

"I... I can't do that!" Plagg's voice wavered, a note of fear creeping into his tone.

Adrien's patience wore thin, his emotions raw and unfiltered. "I don't want to hear your excuses!" Adrien's retort was sharp, filled with bitterness that cut through the air like a blade. His frustration boiled over, mingling with a sense of betrayal that threatened to consume him whole.

"God, you're just as useless as everyone else in my life!" Adrien's words were a bitter revelation, a stark reminder of the isolation and loneliness that had plagued him for so long. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, as he clenched his fist against the wall before turning away from the small god-like creature.

Adrien continued to let his annoyance rise as he went through the motions of getting dressed for school, the weight of his anger lingering in the air. With each article of c loathing he donned, a sense of irritation settled within him as his mind kept circling on Marinette and Ladybug.

Upon arriving at school, the atmosphere cracked with excitement and speculation as the students whispered about the new heroes spotted in the city. Adrien’s sour mood deepened as he absorbed the buzz swirling around him, how dare they be excited about new heroes? Traitors each and every one of them he thought bitterly.

Adrien walked into class, quickly noting that Nino was sitting with Alya today, he went and sat in the row behind them, huffing as he did so. Nino, ever perceptive, noticed Adrien's subdued demeanor and wasted no time in addressing it. "Hey, man, you alright? You're looking pretty ticked off," he remarked, prompting Alya to pivot in her seat to join the conversation.

Alya's voice carried a hint of annoyance as she chimed in, her words laden with disapproval. "I bet he's fuming for the same reason as me. What on earth does Ladybug think she's playing at, replacing Chat Noir and Reyna?"

Adrien's brows furrowed in confusion at the mention of Reyna being replaced, a revelation that caught him off guard. "She replaced Reyna?" he questioned, a mix of surprise and disbelief coloring his tone.

Alya shook her head, her expression a mix of frustration and uncertainty. "It's not official or anything, but I have a feeling that the Silver streak alongside Ladybug is a new fox hero. And honestly, I'm not a fan of it. She had a solid team with Chat Noir, Reyna, and Carapace. Why shake things up now?"

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Discussing the heroes, are we?" Lila's voice dripped with faux sweetness, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she inserted herself into the conversation, sitting next to Adrien.

Adrien's patience had already worn thin and his tone was sharper than he intended as he addressed Lila. "What do you want, Lila?" His words carried a hint of frustration, a reflection of her presence always seemed to bring unease. Adrien glared at Nino, silently annoyed that the boy had chosen to sit with his girlfriend today instead of beside him.

Lila's smile widened a calculated move to mask her true intentions. "I overheard your little chat about Ladybug. It's such a shame to see her ego getting the best of her, isn't it?" Her words were laced with a subtle hint of disdain, a veiled attempt to sow discord among the group.

Alya raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "You mean you didn’t know about this?" she inquired, her tone tinged with skepticism.

Lila's facade cracked, revealing a vulnerability that caught everyone off guard. "No, I had no idea. Ladybug's been pulling away from me, and I can't shake the feeling that those new heroes are somehow involved," she confessed, tears glistening in her eyes.

Adrien's expression softened slightly, the animosity he felt towards Lila momentarily replaced by a flicker of empathy. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, Lila. Maybe there's a misunderstanding. Ladybug's probably just caught up with hero stuff," he offered, attempting to soothe the tension that hung in the air.

Lila's gaze met Adrien's, a mix of relief and uncertainty in her eyes. "You really think so?" she whispered, her voice tinged with hope.

“I plan to fix this,” Adrien said with a threatening tone, that threw Lila, Alya, and Nino off. Adrien stood at the back of the classroom, his gaze fixed on Marinette as she entered the room. His heart clenched at the sight of her hand intertwined with Chloe's, and Felix's possessive gesture over her shoulder sent a surge of jealousy coursing through him. The air in the room seemed to thicken with unspoken tension, each glance and touch laden with hidden meanings and tangled emotions.

Alya's disapproving murmur broke the silence, "Ugh, what a slut," she muttered under her breath, her head shaking in disdain.

Adrien's jaw clenched, a surge of possessiveness bubbling within him at the sight of Marinette with Felix and Chloe. "It's all that damn Jay's fault. He's poisoned her mind and taken her away from me," he seethed, his fists balling in silent anger.

"She should've been mine," Adrien's admission hung heavy in the air, a confession of unrequited love and missed opportunities. The bitterness in his voice was matched only by the intensity of his gaze, fixed unwaveringly on Marinette and the company she now kept.

Nino's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to face Adrien, "Woah, you like Marinette, dude?" he asked, a mix of shock and curiosity in his voice.

Adrien's gaze remained fixed on Marinette, his expression a mix of longing and frustration. "At first, I was in love with someone else," he confessed, his voice tinged with regret, "but then I realized who I thought the real Marinette was. Now she's become tainted, and I just wish I could take her away from him and bring her back to how she was before, before they poisoned her mind.." His eyes burned with a fierce intensity as he glared at Felix and Chloe, who continued to display their possessiveness over Marinette.

"What if you just moved on, Adrien?" Lila's voice, though soft, carried a seductive undertone, her fingers tracing a tantalizing path over his skin. The intimate gesture was calculated, a display of her desire to claim him for herself.

Her words, laced with a subtle hint of possessiveness, echoed in the air, a siren's call tempting Adrien to consider a different path. "Surely you could find someone else to love," she purred, her gaze locking onto his with an intensity that bordered on obsession.

Adrien's expression hardened as he gently but firmly removed Lila's hand from his arm, his voice resolute. "Lila, I appreciate your concern, but Marinette is mine, and there is to be no questions or double about that," he stated firmly, his gaze unwavering. "I will get her back and I will get her to how she was before."

Lila's facade faltered for a moment, a flicker of disappointment crossing her features before she quickly masked it with a forced smile. "I was just trying to help, Adrien. You know I care about you," she replied, her voice tinged with false sweetness.

A sudden realization dawned on Adrien, a calculated plan forming in his mind as he recalled Marinette's unmistakable jealousy towards Lila. Perhaps, he mused, by showing a closeness to Lila, he could ignite a spark of emotion in Marinette, proving that she still held some care for him.

Adrien's arm casually found its way around Lila's shoulder, his touch eliciting a faint blush on the girl's cheeks. "You know, Lila, you're actually a really good friend," he murmured, leaning in close to her ear. The proximity between them crackled with a tension that was not lost on either of them.

As Adrien glanced back, a twisted sense of satisfaction blossomed within him at the sight of a flicker of disgust crossing Marinette's features. The realization that his actions had stirred something within her fueled a dangerous thrill in him, a game of emotions and manipulation unfolding before his eyes.

Lila, oblivious to Adrien's inner turmoil, leaned slightly into his touch, her eyes alight with a newfound sense of hope. The blush on her cheeks deepened, a physical manifestation of the emotions swirling within her at Adrien's unexpected display of affection.

"You're too kind, Adrien," Lila replied, her voice tinged with a hint of longing that went unnoticed by the boy beside her. The tension between them crackled with unspoken desires and hidden agendas, a dangerous dance of emotions unfolding under the watchful eyes of their peers.

The bell finally rang and Ms. Bustier walked into the room, however, Adrien never dropped his arm from Lila’s shoulder. In fact, he would occasionally whisper in her ear, and each time he did he watched the same disgusted expression cross over Marinette's face.

This solidified it for Adrien, Marinette still wanted him, and there was no other explanation for why she would be disgusted when he touched Lila. He let a sinister smirk linger on his face. He had an in, now he would just have to play it up until eventually Marinette exploded, and know his princess and how volatile her emotions were it wouldn’t be too long before she did explode and he would gladly take her back once she admitted to everything.

XoXO Rowan

#writing #spilled ink #miraculous fandom #miraculous au #marinette deserves better #akuma class salt #adrien salt #adrien bashing #chloe redemption #marinette x multi #Mariharem

9 notes · View notes

charlietheepicwriter7 · 2 years

Note

Hey I was the anon who some time ago asked what would be Adrien's role in an Adrien salt-less version of the Mariharem Yandere Au (I thought it was a great answer btw).

Now i'm curios to know what would be his role in an Adrien redemption version of the same au. Would it be different from the salt-less version, or would it be the same?

For a redemption, I think the best place to start would be when Hawkmoth bits it. Felix had poisoned Gabe, and arranged it so that he and Adrien find his body.

Adrien is in shock. He's an orphan. His father was a terrorist, the same terrorist he'd fought once. He no longer has the Black Cat. He's in shock.

But he doesn't miss the fact that Felix is trying to convince him to be the new Hawkmoth, to make the wish and bring his parents back to life.

His instant reaction is revulsion. Even the idea of being a supervillain disgusts him. Felix immediately back tracks, saying it was just a suggestion but advises Adrien to hide the miraculous anyway, that they'd get it to Ladybug eventually. It isn't until paramedics and the police come that Adrien realizes that Felix knows about the wish, somehow.

I'm not sure where to go from here, though. Felix's plan revolves around a supervillain the group can control, but if Adrien knows his cousin is manipulating him, they could loose the miraculous before they know it. However, Adrien's dissent isn't enough to stop the yanderes, even if he gets Marinette on his side.

I don't think Adrien should get a miraculous again, though. Not that he wouldn't deserve it if he redeems himself, but more along the lines of he should get to solve the problem solely by his own skills. A redeemed Adrien might just be the thing needed to keep the yanderes from locking Marinette away forever.

#mariharem yandere au #adrien sugar #adrien redemption #yandere au #mariharem #felinette #adrienette #adrien agreste #felix graham de vanily #yandere felix #mlb

75 notes · View notes

mariharem-trash-heap · 1 year

Text

Talk Her Down

The inevitable seems to have finally happened: Marinette gets akumatized after a friend gets hurt in the crossfire between her and Lila - and it’s up to her friends and classmates to do what they can to calm her down before Ladybug can purify her akuma.

Notes:

I really, really love the trope of “this isn’t you, I know you’re in there, let me talk you down”. ESPECIALLY when it’s between friends. It’s just so (chef’s kiss)

Also yes, I’m well aware eastern and western dragons are largely different - I’m keeping mostly elements from eastern dragons because they’re super cool and underrated over here in the west.

(This will have hints at a Mariharem (but I couldn’t resist adding a lot more Lukanette because that ship still has my heart, sue me)

What began as a bright, sunny day had suddenly grown dark, sinister clouds rising to shun the sun and bathing the city of Paris in a thick gray curtain of dread.

Civilians looked on in horror from the relative safety of their homes at the giant red and black dragon weaving her way through the air, steam hissing from her nostrils, gleaming golden eyes narrowed in rage.

“LILA!” A thundering roar reverberated through the streets. Whoever remained outside had to clap their hands over their ears lest the painful ringing the sound caused actually did them damage as raindrops began to fall from the skies.

The softest tinkling of bells in the akuma’s wake was offset by another earsplitting roar, masking the panting of the two heroes trying to follow her.

“Man, who gave her control over the weather?” Chat Noir complained, eyes narrowed against the growing sprinkling of rain.

“I think it’s-- a culture thing?” Chanceux answered hesitantly, eyes darting back and forth as they vaulted another rooftop. His fingers were beginning to slip. “We need to change her back before all of Paris floods!”

Chat winced, troubling memories resurfacing. “Yeah,” he quietly murmured.

“Marinette!” Alya shouted from the roof of Le Grand Paris, squinting against the pounding rain.

The dragon whipped her head around, and glinting eyes settled squarely on the reporter, just a tiny, tiny figure on the roof below her.

“Mari, hey,” she continued, her tone dropping into a more soothing one. “Look, I know you’re upset - but you can’t let Hawkmoth get to you! You’re hurting people!”

“Hurting people?!” She exclaimed. “Lila has been the one hurting people for far too long! She needs to face the consequences of hurting my friends!”

Alya tried her best not to heave a frustrated sigh. “I know! I know, believe me, Marinette, I know. But what you’re doing - this isn’t you! The Marinette I know would never hurt so many innocent people like this!”

For a moment, she thought she saw something flicker by the akuma’s eyes - something troubled.

“Please,” she pleaded, reaching out to her friend. “Fight him, Marinette. You’re better than him.”

It seemed to have worked. And then that irritating glowing purple outline appeared before her face and she let loose another earth-shaking roar; and with a rush of wind so strong it nearly blew her off of the building, the akuma - Marinette - had gone.

Alya huffed, raising her phone to speak clearly into it, “Sorry guys, I tried. She’s beyond even listening to me.”

“Got it, babe,” Nino answered, before hanging up and slipping his phone back into his pocket. Turning around, he surveyed the members of Kitty Section... minus their guitarist.

“Where’s Luka?” Mylene wondered aloud, worry knitting her brow.

“He...” Juleka hesitated, but Rose’s comforting arm around her shoulders helped her finish, “...he wanted to try and talk her down. I told him it was a stupid idea, but he insisted.”

“If he can’t do it, we won’t be able to either,” Ivan admitted glumly.

Rose looked around the group in desperation. “But we’ve got to try something! That’s Marinette!” She cried, turning her pleading gaze on her girlfriend. “None of us liked to be akumatized, did we?”

An awkward air hung around as the rest of them either shook their heads or mumbled various “no”s and “not really”s.

“It’s not our faults we were akumatized,” the blonde reasoned. “I know I would’ve loved someone to help me fight off Hawkmoth’s butterfly.”

Juleka turned to her, a soft, solemnness to her eyes. “But would you have listened?”

Here, Rose opened her mouth to reply... then a few seconds later, shut it and slowly shook her head.

“We’ve still got to try something,” Ivan repeated, raising his drumstick. “For Marinette.”

“For Marinette,” Mylene echoed.

“For-”

“Marinette!” Nino exclaimed, finally spotting the serpentine akuma slither its way through the clouds.

It almost appeared she didn’t hear them, but finally she slowly turned to fix a hard stare on the group. Steam hissed again from her nose, as if in an annoyed snort. Something akin to frills - or spikes? - flared back and forth down her back, jet-black fading to white tips.

“Marinette!” Nino repeated, relief flooding his voice as he adjusted his glasses. “Oh, dude! We’ve been worried sick-- hey, where are you going?!”

She didn’t dignify him with an answer, turning back and returning to her course.

Nino watched her go, agape in shock.

“We tried,” Juleka heaved a sigh and patted his shoulder. “It’s up to the rest, now.”

“Luka...” she quietly wondered to herself, “... where are you? Please be safe...”

“Ugh, why am I here again?” Chloe huffed, turning her back on the group in the courtyard.

“Maybe if we use you as bait, we can keep her in one place for long enough that Chat Noir and Ladybug--” Alix hesitated, “--Chanceux can purify her.”

“That’s ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Do you want all of us to become fish food?” The blonde demanded. “Sabrina, we’re leaving.”

For once, the redheaded girl hesitated, watching Chloe begin to walk off.

Once she registered that no footsteps were echoing behind her, the rich girl paused, turning back with a raised brow. “Well? We don’t have all day, Sabrina - I’m already soaked enough as it is from all this stupid rain.”

All eyes fell to the girl, who shrank a little from the scrutiny. Alix and Kim looked to her in disdain, Chloe, expectant, and Max was still searching the clouds.

“I... no,” she murmured.

“What?” Chloe squinted, leaning in with a hand cupped to her ear. “I didn’t hear you. Speak up, will you?”

“I said no,” Sabrina stated forcefully, more forcefully than she meant to, judging by the surprise in her face. “I’m staying here. I...” she glanced to Max before looking her friend in the face, “I want to help Marinette too.”

It was silent for a second, save for the pounding rainstorm. Chloe was utterly aghast.

Then the blonde scoffed, whirling around and walking away. “Whatever, your loss. I’m going home where it’s warm and safe.”

“Wait, there she is!” Max suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the skies. The other students crowded around, watching a bright red line rushing through the clouds, cutting clean through the gray like a bullet.

“Marinette!” Kim bellowed as loud as he could. “We need you to stop!”

Unsurprisingly, she didn’t give a single indication that she’d heard.

Max paused, pondering something quietly to himself for several long seconds. When Chloe gave another dismissive scoff, he looked up, a newfound determination in his eyes. “I’ve got an idea; but first, who has Lila’s number?”

“Luka, where in the hell are you?” Juleka questioned.

“Nowhere you should go to in this weather,” he answered, balancing the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he got off the bike. Pulling off his helmet, he returned his phone to his hand and looked around. “Wait for me at the Liberty. I’ll be back as soon as I talk to her.”

“You’re crazy, you know that? She didn’t even listen to us.”

“She’s... so angry, right now,” he murmured, and a chord of pain struck his chest as he heard another angry roar ripple through the sky. “I’m hoping I can at least keep her for a minute - but if I’m lucky...”

“If you’re lucky, she’ll decide to spare you,” his sister huffed. After a second of silence on her end, she added, “The band is worrying about you. Hurry up and come home.”

Luka managed a chuckle at the warmth belied in her voice. “Will do.”

As he hung up the phone, he walked through the park until he finally came to the spot - and pulled out his guitar.

“Marinette!” He called, seeing her soaring above.

At the sound of his voice, the thunderous rain seemed to lessen in intensity for a moment - and so did the heat in her eyes as she turned to hover above the park.

Smiling up at her, he ran a hand through his drenched hair and pulled out a pick. “I know you’re angry right now... horribly angry... but I want you to hear something.”

Tilting her head slightly, she gave no indication she would take off.

Strumming a few chords, he began to play a song - one that he knew almost as well as his own, or his sister’s, or his mother’s. As he looked up at her, he could see her golden eyes closing, an echo of the day they met.

“Is it working?” He questioned, sparing a glance up at her hovering form. “Can I finally... be the one to calm her anger, just as she tried to bring me back all that time ago?”

The next time he looked up at her, his hopeful smile fell into a despairing gape as a familiar purple mask faded before her eyes, and they reopened - full of pain and anger.

“Marinette--!” he began, but his guitar slipped from his hands as giant, gleaming talons wrapped about him, tight enough so that he couldn’t wiggle free.

“Marinette!” Another voice yelled, and the akuma turned with a growl at the people leaping into the park.

Chat Noir and Chanceux led the charge, a group of teenagers following close behind. With them was a familiar person wrapped up like a package, angry and glaring - until she saw the akuma.

Lila squeaked, struggling against the rope. “When you said you were going to get help, this is NOT what I--”

“LILA!” The akuma’s roar dizzied them for a few moments, and the rain began to pelt them like hail.

“Marinette, stop!” Chanceux exclaimed, darting in front of the girl as the dragon dropped Luka only a foot to the ground in anticipation of grabbing her instead. “This is what you wanted, right? You wanted Lila? Why?”

“Because she hurt Marc!” The dragon snarled, eyes flashing in fury at the memory. “She ruined his comic because he stood up for me!”

“Mari, Marc is okay,” the red-and-black-spotted hero tried to soothe, raising his hands placatingly. “So what if Lila ruined ou-- his comic? He’s already planning on making a better one!”

Marc chose that moment to hobble over from the crowd, trying to smile up at the serpent with tearstained cheeks.

“Marc...” The akuma murmured, all heat gone from her voice. “Your eyeliner is running.”

“Oh, is it?” His smile dropped, and he swiped at his eye with his thumb. Sure enough, a smudge of black stained it. “Well, that’s no big deal, is it? I’m more worried about you.”

“We all need you to shake off Hawkmoth,” Alya pleaded next. “We’re here to help. You would’ve done the same for us. It’s only fair we do the same thing for you.”

“We love you, Marinette,” Rose implored. “Please.”

The akumatized girl looked back and forth between her friends, brow knit in indecision.

Suddenly Hawkmoth’s voice snarled in her ears. “What are you doing, Huangdi?! You need to take the Miraculous!”

Clenching her eyes shut in pain, she screamed as a wave of agony flooded over her through the mindlink.

“He’s hurting her!” Ivan exclaimed.

“Quick, Chanceux,” Chat said, catching the hero’s attention, “where is the akumatized item? Do you see it?”

Scanning the creature, the hero’s brow knit together in confusion - until he saw it.

“The tail,” he stated. “The object is wrapped around the tail.”

Chat looked, and indeed, it was a beaded object tightly strung around it. His throat constricted, and his heart began to race - he recognized it.

“Do we have to break it to get the butterfly?” He questioned aloud.

“I hope we don’t,” the ladybug hero answered softly. “How can we talk her down with Hawkmoth abusing the mindlink?”

A cry from the dragon interrupted their little talk, and the two looked back to see the dragon land with a thud on the ground, her magnificent length spreading across the entirety of the park as she tried to cover her ears with her talons.

“Marinette!” Alya cried in alarm, rushing over to her.

“Please, please make it stop,” Huangdi begged, tears filling her eyes.

The group froze in fear.

Then, Rose spoke up. “Group hug!”

Determinedly marching over, she reached out and wrapped her arms around one of the dragon’s, holding it to her chest as tight as she could.

“Rose...?!” Juleka questioned.

“Go away, Hawkmoth!” Rose yelled as if she hadn’t heard her. “You big meanie! Leave Marinette alone!”

Bewildered, a few of the group exchanged glances.

Shrugging, Alix and Kim walked over with confident faces and joined Rose in hugging Huangdi’s arm and shouting at the villain.

“You stink, Hawkmoth,” Kim scoffed. “Hurting our friend like this? If you were here I’d punch you right in the face!”

“Not before me you wouldn’t!” Alix retorted, squeezing the scaled appendage as tight as she could.

“What... are they doing...?” Chat breathed as more and more made their way towards the dragon.

“I... I think they’re bullying Hawkmoth,” Chanceux let out a tiny little hysterical laugh. With an incredulous smile, he shrugged and made his way over to their hostage.

“You suck, Hawkmoth!” Nino joined in, pressing himself against their friend’s side. “C’mon, Marinette, you can totally kick him out!”

“Do it for me!” Alya added, trying her best to hug her as she planted herself firmly at her throat. “Come on, Marinette, you can do it. I know you can show this bully who’s boss.”

“Go away, Hawkmoth!” Sabrina yelled in unison with Rose.

Huangdi’s eyes continued to water, and large tears spilled over the sides of her cheeks and splattered to the ground with the rain.

Luka had long since picked himself up and pressed a hand against her scaled jaw. When she looked down at him, he gave her a reassuring smile.

“You can do this, Marinette,” he encouraged. “Where’s the amazing girl that stood up to XY for us?”

“I...” The dragon sniffled a little.

Slowly, her voice began to change from its guttural timbre to something softer.

“Hey, it’s working!” Mylene exclaimed in relief. “Come on, Marinette...!”

Slowly, the dragon began to flicker - and with a bright light and a sharp scream, she disappeared, leaving a shivering, sobbing Marinette in her wake. Her classmates fell to the ground abruptly, letting out exclamations of surprise, and Chanceux was quick to dart away from Lila and towards the dark-purple butterfly trying to flutter away.

“Gotcha!” He exclaimed with pride as it disappeared into the yo-yo. “Your evil comes to an end, akuma!”

Throwing the yo-yo into the air, he followed it with “Miraculous Ladybug!”

Almost immediately a bright light pierced the sky, and a swarm of ladybugs chased it as it shooed away the dreary blanket. Slowly, the bright blue sky came back into view as the rain came to an end. Rainbows danced about as the last of the rain shimmered in the sun’s cheerful rays.

Alya was the first to get to her. “Marinette, are you okay?”

Nodding wordlessly, she collapsed into her best friend’s arms, still crying - and one by one, the rest of them joined the group hug. Luka glanced towards Chat and Chanceux, gesturing towards the pile with expectant eyes.

The ladybug hero sighed, smiling in relief as he joined in. Chat hesitated, but Nino caught his eye and pointed at Marinette. He gave in and hugged around Alya and Luka.

“I’m... I’m so sorry,” Marinette whimpered, trying to wipe away her tears. “I was just... so upset and hurt that I lost it.”

“It’s not your fault,” Marc spoke up firmly, brushing away his own tears and squeezing her arm. “Like Chanceux said, I can always make an even better one.”

“Um, hello?” Lila groused. “Right here...”

“Oh, right,” Chat remembered with a glower, turning to the Italian girl. “As for little miss troublemaker, I want you out of the class effective immediately.”

“Wh- what?” It wasn’t just Lila, but Marinette who answered. The group stared at her even as she spluttered, “Chat, are you sure--?”

“She has caused too much harm in the classroom, Mari,” he stated, his usual banter traded for a serious tone that demanded she listen. “Not just to you - now she’s involved someone from another class, and it’s not just Bustier’s problem to deal with anymore.”

“He’s right,” Juleka added. “Nathanael and Marc are my friends. I can’t just sit and watch her start bullying Marc.”

“Th- that wasn’t-- I was just--” The brunette stammered.

“You tore up something precious to him,” Chanceux suddenly spoke up, voice flickering with anger as he stared her down. “That’s something Chloe would do, sure - but you? After everything we did to try and be nice to you?”

“It’s bullying,” Chat emphasized, folding his arms across his chest. “Marinette, I know you don’t want to make things harder, but I don’t feel comfortable having another bully in the classroom after everything else that’s happened this year.”

There was a heavy few seconds of silence from the group.

Finally, Marinette swallowed. She nodded her head and admitted, “... I’m not going to argue with you. In fact, I agree. I don’t want to have to deal with that anymore. It was enough being the only one having to keep quiet - but I am not going to stand around and watch my friends get the same treatment.”

Alya pulled away with a concerned frown. “So it was true, then? She lied?”

“She lied about the connection with Dargaud,” Marc confirmed. “I assume she’s lied about other things as well, but that one affects Nath and I.”

“I can’t believe this.” The reporter shot her a disappointed stare. “I was so set to publish that interview with you, too. That would’ve gotten me so much hate if people actually contacted them and asked about you, you know? I can’t believe I didn’t even see it earlier; you don’t even like comics.”

“I- I do,” Lila defended. “I read a ton of webcomics all the time!”

“You didn’t even know the name of the studio you were promising a gig with,” Chanceux pointed out with narrowed eyes.

“Do I have to know the names of every single last place I work with, now?” She questioned, exasperated and upset. “I mean come on, not even Gabriel Agreste himself would know like half the models and agencies he collaborates with. Excuse me for having a bad memory.”

Rose shifted from foot to foot. “This one was a lie, but... surely she can’t have lied about everything, right? Who just does that?”

Marinette turned to give Chat a flat look over Alya’s head. He nodded in response.

“Chanceux, why don’t we let her loose,” he said to the hero standing near her.

Pursing his lips, the redheaded boy thought for a moment. Finally, he sighed. “Fine. Might as well; the only thing she did was serve as bait for the akuma.”

Pulling at the end of the bow, the rest of the rope sagged free, and so did Lila. She got up, rubbing her sore arms, and glared at the group.

“Now I’m wet, muddy, and have ropeburn,” she complained with a heavy sigh. “Mama is going to have a fit when she sees how dirty my clothes got...”

As she ran off, the heroes returned their attention to the pile.

“Thanks, guys, I’m feeling a lot better now.” With another sniffle, Marinette smiled weakly at her friends. “I feel so ashamed for giving in...”

“Believe me, I was really close,” Marc commented with a light laugh. “If you hadn’t jumped in front of me and took the butterfly when you did...”

“You continue to be an Everyday Ladybug,” Chat praised with a soft smile. “Don’t beat yourself up over it, Marinette. I’m just glad we were able to snap you out of it.”

Extending his hand, he added, “Why don’t I take you home? I’m sure your parents are worried sick.”

“Better idea, why don’t we have a sleepover tonight?” Alya asked, glancing around at the girls. “That way, we can keep an eye out for any more nasty butterflies.”

“I’m down.” Alix nodded. “I’ll ask my dad.”

“Sounds like fun!” Rose cheered, Juleka nodding in agreement.

“I’ll ask my dad,” Mylene said, folding her hands together.

“It’s settled.” Alya smiled triumphantly, squeezing Marinette’s shoulder. “We’re all here for you, Marinette. Just say the word and we’ll help you beat away Hawkmoth’s akumas with a superpowered stick if we have to!”

“You don’t have to,” laughed the girl as she wiped her last tear away and took Chat’s hand. “But thank you. Really, thank you. I’m glad to have you all as my friends.”

“No,” said the ladybug hero, his eyes growing soft at the pigtailed girl, “thank you for being ours.”

#miraculous ladybug #lila salt #akumanette #akuma class sugar #angst with a happy ending #long post

65 notes · View notes

princess-of-the-corner · 6 months

Note

Mariharem + Soulmate Bodyswap

One day, The entire class, alongside Zoe, Luka, Marc, and Kagami wakes up in Marinettes body.

At the same time, Marinette has to somehow figure out how to control However many people there are I don't know the number.

Things get worse the moment the Akuma happens

oh no

17 notes · View notes

jacquesthepigeon · 10 months

Note

who would you ship marinette with if she didn't like neither adrien or chat. personally I prefer mariharem since she deserves it but if i had to pick a single person then it's a tie between lukanette and marigami

Mostly Luka but I like Alya and Kagami as well

#anon #ask

15 notes · View notes

sunfoxfic · 2 years

Text

THE MARIHAREM GROWS

#sunny reads a series bible #ml leaks

13 notes · View notes

aliensunflower-fics · 2 years

Text

Who Framed Marinette Dupain-Cheng

[ Alya can't seem to figure out why Lila and Marinette hate each other until one day Lila comes into class sobbing about the horrible texts Marinette sent her the night before. There's just one problem with that, Alya knows for a fact that Marinette's phone is broken! But she's also sure that Lila can't be telling lies! Finally Alya understands whats REALLY going on, someone is trying to frame Marinette Dupain-Cheng and she and the class will not rest until they figure out who's doing it!

This is a class sugar / comedy fic with just a dash of gratuitous Marinette multi-shipping as everyone has a crush on the girl. Enjoy some laughs and some light fun, and don't worry Lila gets her just desserts in the end. ]

Alya had been told more than once by her mom, her dad, her sister, and her friends that she had a tendency to sometimes jump to conclusions. She’d be warned over and over not to get so caught up in a story that she’d neglect to check the facts. She’d been teased about her occasionally not so on the mark 'journalist instincts’. But regardless of the warnings and jokes about her occasional slip ups Alya believed that she was a good judge of character! And that was why she just knew that she could trust her friends! Which only made this whole Lila vs Marinette situation so FRUSTRATING!

Lila was a sweet girl and she was Ladybug’s friend and now she was Alya’s friend too! Plus Lila had confided in Alya that the real reason she was at Dupont was because Ladybug needed someone on the inside as she suspected Hawkmoth had an ally at the school! After all so many Akuma’s were made at or around the school there was no way it wasn't suspicious! It made sense! Lila, loved giving to charity, cared about people's feelings and their futures, she offered to give so much! Sure she seemed awfully forgetful and she talked a LOT but that didn't make her a bad person! I mean Lila had even gone a step farther in her dedication to helping Ladybug that she’d given Alya that interview making herself, live bait for Hawkmoth! As far as Alya was concerned Lila was a saint! So then why did she keep accusing Marinette of being a bully!?

Marinette was their everyday Ladybug. She supported all of her friends, she was smart and creative and quick as a whip and seemed to have a radar for people in need of her help! She always gave her all for those she cared about. Without Marinette so many people would have been akumatized and so many romances would have never started! Sure sometimes she got jealous or she’d get swept up in disaster mode, and yes she was clumsy and had her faults. But she was a good person who had never even raised a hand against Chloe, her long time bully! She apologized even when it was sometimes someone else's fault, she was humble and she just cared so deeply about everyone! And heck she even helped Adrien date that Tsurugi girl! As far as Alya was concerned Marinette was an angel! So then why did she keep accusing Lila of being a liar!?

Alya knew there had to be some kind of answer that could fit both questions. And Lila’s theory that Marinette was jealous made sense at first… Until Marinette went out of her way to make Kagami a dress that looked like it was straight out of a fairytale and then helped Adrien organize what was THE most romantic date any of them had ever seen. Alya just KNEW that there was no way Marinette could be letting her jealousy get the best of her with Lila if she was willing to do all of that so that her rival Kagami could have the best date of her life. So then what was it?! What wasn't Alya seeing?! The answer came to her on a rainy Tuesday when Lila came to class sobbing about the awful texts Marinette had sent her the night before, for a second Alya was furious with Marinette until her reporter brain reminded her of one very important fact, that being that Marinette’s phone was one hundred percent BROKEN. In fact she’d busted it 3 days ago in front of most of the class at a picnic and wasn't getting a new one till Sunday! So then who would send Lila those texts but more importantly… Who was pretending to be MARINETTE!?

Finally Alya saw it coming together, neither of her BFF’s were wrong! They were being tricked! Someone was pretending to be Marinette in order to attack Lila, then when poor distraught Lila would talk about the attacks the REAL Marinette of course thought she was lying! But how deep did this go?! Was the Marinette imposter working for Hawkmoth?! Or was there sole ambition to frame Marinette! Alya needed backup and to of course clear her besties' names. So she called for an emergency class meeting after school, minus Lila, Marinette and well Adrien of course since he had a date, Chloe and Sabrina also skipped out but not without Chloe making a comment about having ‘better’ things to do.

With her mini-inspectors gathered, Alya started the meeting! First she presented her evidence in the case of Marinette being innocent! The phone and how Marinette’s was 100% broken! Therefore the texts Lila had gotten were clearly faked! But not by Lila, because well she would NEVER do such a thing no clearly someone was trying to frame Marinette! The class was shocked but soon some came forward with more evidence! Lila had claimed the bruise on her wrist was caused by Marinette 2 days ago but Juleka had proof Marinette was at Kitty Sections band practice! Alix admitted that when Lila said Marinette threatened her she’d seen Marinette in the art room on the second floor! More and more evidence came forward until there was no longer any doubt! Someone was trying to frame Marinette Dupain-Cheng!

Now the class just needed to find out WHO was trying to frame their beloved class president! Obviously Alya’s first candidate was Chloe and Sabrina! They certainly had motive and the means but… Chloe had recently apologized and had been making strides to better herself, she had been acting nice despite the occasional ‘im better than you’ comments and everytime the class tried accusing Chloe of anything Marinette would defend her, in fact the blonde had been spotted several times blushing and staring at Marinette. It could all be a trick but well… Maybe other suspects needed to be considered. Kagami went on the list for the sheer fact she had acknowledged Marinette as her ‘rival’! That was certainly the motive but… Kagami was dating Adrien already so why would she continue the ruse? Not to mention Marinette and Kagami seemed to be getting along great, Alya knew they were having juice dates every week or so! Ok so she’d stay on the suspect list just to be safe but Alya didn't think it was her. After that the class had a harder time finding names to add. Juleka suggested Adrien’s fangirls as an option as Marinette was on his instagram a few times, and Nino offered up the idea that it was a girl in a different class who was jealous of Marinette’s popularity. Alya wrote it all down and but mentally she listed ‘Hawkmoth’ as well. After all, it seemed way too convenient for Ladybug’s best friend to be the victim of the attacks even if they were framing poor Marinette!

With their suspects listed, the class led by Alya started planning what to do. Lila and Marinette wouldn't stop disliking each other until the class had proof, but ignoring one of the girls in favor of the other would only cause bigger rifts to form. And of course they needed to find proof of the culprit. With that in mind the class split into two groups! One group would spend time with Lila the other with Marinette. Occasionally the groups would switch and occasional people would swap groups just to keep a ‘natural’ feel and because well EVERYONE wanted to hang out with the two coolest girls in school! With the two groups watching over the girls they would always have an alibi if the imposter tried to strike! It also meant they could look for proof and surely the imposter would have to stop the physical attacks on Lila's person if she was being guarded right? The only tricky thing would be making sure neither girl found out until they knew who the culprit was! But that was a small price to pay to help the two girls become friends and have the class become harmonious once more!

With the plan set and everyone in agreement the class began operation WFMDC or ‘operation: Who Framed Marinette Dupain-Cheng’ it was Kim’s plan name and no one liked it but he wouldn't stop yelling it and they had no other names so that's what it was getting called. For the first few weeks the operation went great, better than great! Neither girl felt neglected, both knew they had the support of their friends! Sure, full class activities were a bit… Difficult but they always managed to make it fun! Girl nights had to be done twice, once with Lila and once with Marinette and there were occasionally some double bookings but they made it through ok! But then a month went by… And another… And a pattern started to emerge, one that left a sour taste in everyone's mouth. The first thing was after two months they were still no closer to finding out who framed Marinette, and their suspect list had actually shrunk as they went over each suspect's alibis.

Chloe and Sabrina had been the first girls to be cleared of suspicion much to everyone's collective shock. Chloe openly admitted to be attending regular therapy sessions both with her family and solo which meant that a lot of the times she might have been masquerading as Marinette were accounted for. There was also the fact that she had started hanging out with the class as a collective more and had even been joining Marinette and Kagami on days out giving her a solid alibi. Sabrina was no longer tied to Chloe’s hip due to the two taking a bit of space apart to work on building a healthier friendship. In her new free time Sabrina had taken an interest in sports and Alix was the one who taught her then encouraged her to sign up for the rugby team where she was an apparent powerhouse. So needless to say Sabrina had a solid alibi. Of course Alya suspected the whole thing was a lie but after some (stalking) sleuthing she confirmed the whole thing was legit.

Kagami had also been knocked off the suspect list fairly quickly. Like Adrien her schedule was near permanently full giving the fencer zero time to think let alone run around playing Marinette. But Alya wasn’t so easily convinced! And had considered the possibility of Kagami hiring an imposter. So she did what all good detectives do and she fished for information, one long conversation with Kagami later and it became clear to Alya that Kagami had no vendetta against Marinette if anything Alya got the feeling that it was never really Marinette vs Kagami fighting over Adrien but rather Kagami vs Adrien fighting over Marinette not that either of the sheltered rich kids had realized it yet.

So with the suspect list whittled down and Kagami added to the long list of people not so secretly in love with Marinette the class was facing a dilemma. At this point they were stuck considering Adrien’s fangirls as suspects and considering the rest of the school. With no time like the present the class got to work. Their fellow students were cleared one at a time. Most of them either knew Marinette well enough and liked her a lot thanks to her spot on the school council helping organize school dances, fundraisers, and trips. Or they had no real idea who Marinette was and therefore no reason to target her. With them down all that was left were the Adrien fans. The less obsessive fans could easily be written off the list as they just thought Adrien was cute but not much else. No, the real suspects were the crazies, the screaming mob of creepy weirdos who’d fight each other over a signed Adrien poster and bought ‘totally authentic Adrien Agreste lock of hair!’ To add to their shrines. They’d be the ones likely to see Marinette on Adrien’s instagram and lose their minds with jealousy.

The problem was… Adrien had a LOT of fans and going around asking them if they knew anything about Adrien Agreste’s very good friend Marinette was about the dumbest thing they could do so instead Nino got into touch with a trustworthy Adrien Superfan and asked the guy to keep an eye out for any other superfans trying to harm Adrien’s interpersonal relationships. When Alya asked where Nino had met the guy Nino’s only answer was to open his jacket revealing a ‘President of The Adrien Agreste Needs a Rest Club’ pin attached to his shirt. Alya felt that was all she needed to see to understand the situation and left the investigation up to Nino and his ‘inside man’.

So with several months of investigations under their belts and no leads the class was feeling understandably frustrated. Worse still the attacks on Lila had not stopped and her refusal to offer context or details left more questions than answers! Alya had tried pressing Lila several times for more information but the girl would just burst into tears recalling the traumatic events and Alya did not have the heart to put Lila through that, even if the lack of info meant that there was nothing to go on.

Another thing that had become apparent after spending so much time on plan WFMDC was that Marinette was perhaps more fun to spend time with. No one said it out loud obviously, and Alya would deny it until she was blue in the face. But shameful as it made them feel Marinette was just more fun. They told themselves it was because they had known her longer but sometimes when they’d be hanging around Lila they could admit what it really was. Lila was selfish, sure she came up with fun activities for everyone to do together, but that was the thing Lila ALWAYS came up with what they were doing. She never asked other people for their opinion, instead she’d suggest her idea and before anyone could try to bring up another one they’d find themselves at the mall, or the movie theater, or the new restaurant. It didn’t help that Lila always seemed ill prepared for her own suggestions! She’d suggest the movies and when they arrived at the theater she would suddenly discover her wallet was missing, leading to someone always ALWAYS paying for her snacks and ticket. Sure she SAID she would pay you back but so far the entire class had yet to see a single cent. Whenever Lila wanted to go shopping she needed help carrying her pile of purchases due to her arthritis, at restaurants her special diet meant she always ordered the most expensive thing all while never having enough money. And then there was her never-ending TALKING.

Now everyone in Bustier’s class was a passionate soul, they could all admit that sometimes when something happened in their lives they might dominate the conversation a little with their personal joy and enthusiasm. But Lila was something else entirely, sure her stories were always interesting and amazing, but the more time they spent with Lila the more it felt like she was the only one allowed to have amazing stories to tell. When Alix won the roller-skating competition she’d been training several months for AND found out she’d be going to the regionals to compete she was off the walls with joy but barely a minute in and her news was quickly overshadowed by yet another one of Lila’s unbelievable stories, no one missed the twinge of disappointment in Alix’s face as her victory was overshadowed by Lila telling them about how she had been a champion ‘figure’ skater before yet another injury ruined her career. And it wasn’t just Alix. It happened with everyone whenever they had any news to share at all, and when they compared that to Marinette who had squealed in joy at Alix’s news and announced that they had to throw her a party to celebrate her hard work… Well it was clear which friend seemed to really care for them wasn’t it?

But no one wanted to think ill of Lila, she was… Nice. Even if a bit selfish and full of herself, she still offered helpful advice and told people how they could improve. But even then her advice wasn’t always warranted or kind. For instance the modeling advice she gave to Juleka had left the already insecure girl feeling terrible, and everyone could see it and felt awful and unsure how to tell Lila that her advice was more harm than good, the italian was just so sensitive that no one really wanted to broach topics that might send her into one of her spirals of sobbing and shaking, not to mention the guilt tripping. Here again they could not help but compare Marinette and Lila, as not even 2 days after Lila’s terrible advice to Juleka did Marinette tell everyone she was launching her own fashion website and wanted Juleka to be her top model because of how talented and beautiful she was! The shy girl had taken a bit of coaxing but a week later they were at the park modeling and Juleka seemed to beam with pride and confidence as she posed in Marinette’s newest line. In fact where Lila promised she would ‘talk’ to her connections to get you an opportunity, Marinette simply MADE opportunity. Nino made the music for her website and got contacted by someone who heard it and wanted to offer him an opportunity, Rose who had made some jewelry for Marinette’s line saw a bunch of cash come her way, both the Ladyblog and Nathaniel’s comics got attention after Marinette designed a small Hero line of hoodies and collaborated with the two to bring them attention. In fact Marinette did something like that for the whole class!

They started switching team ‘Marinette’ and team ‘Lila’ more often to avoid the silent slow building frustration that the class was dealing with. Alya was the one most frustrated with the situation at large as they were not coming any closer in their investigation and the class kept complaining to her about Lila’s forgetfulness draining their bank accounts. She’d promise them that their enemy would slip up soon and that she’d remind Lila again about remembering her wallet. Then Lila would cry when Alya would bring up money and sob about how everyone was going to hate her and it had been stolen, Marinette would call Lila a liar and try to demand Lila pay everyone back and Alya would be forced to play peacemaker. It was getting tiring and no progress was being made. It was time Alya thought to tell the class about the ‘Hawkmoth’ theory.

It took a week before the opportune day presented itself. Marinette claimed to have an appointment with a ‘secret new client’ and it took everything in Alya not to gush and demand info. Instead she wished her bestie good luck and asked her to text her about it later. Lila meanwhile latched on to Adrien and dragged him away saying they had a photoshoot. Chloe said she had a day with her mom planned, Sabrina was out with her dad on a week long bonding trip. Perfect. Alya rounded up her fellow inspectors headed to the park and they got to talking. The info was about as dead end as it could get.

No one had seen one speck of the ‘imposter’ Marinette. Whoever or whatever the imposter was it would never appear in person to Lila when the class was around. However the moments their backs were turned for a second Lila would somehow get attacked or robbed or threatened! And each time she’d claim it was Marinette. The real Marinette however had an alibi for each incident thanks to ‘team Marinette’. She’d only disappear when she was in a private bathroom stall or an akuma attack happened and at this point they all knew Marinette had some trauma regarding those so it made sense to them that she'd just flee and hide on instinct even if the akuma was across the city. The sweet girl was probably curled up somewhere having a panic attack plus she’d always pop back up the moment they were over with some shaky excuse probably to try and reassure all of THEM she was fine! The point was clear, there was no way Marinette was going after Lila unless she could teleport! In fact there was no way ANYONE was going after Lila unless they could teleport! And that left them all with only one option: Hawkmoth!

The class was skeptical of Alya’s claim at first after all the idea of Hawkmoth making a ‘centi-monster-marinette’ aka a Centinette to attack Lila seemed crazy! Lila was just a girl! Was Hawkmoth some sort of creepy middle aged dude who enjoyed causing petty teenage drama for fun or something? Alya however stood firm as she presented her evidence! Lila wasn’t just a random girl, she was an important diplomat's daughter AND Ladybugs best friend! She likely had secret info Hawkmoth wanted! At this point it was Alix who pointed out the obvious hole in Alya’d theory.

“If Hawkmoth wanted info from Lila why would he be terrorizing her as Centinette? Why use Marinette’s image at all?”

“The creep probably wants Marinette to get upset by Lila calling her a bully so he can akumatize her!” Kim angrily kicked a rock as he let out an angry puff of air.

Max spoke before Alix could offer a rebuttal. “Perhaps but bullying Lila is more likely to lead to HER being Akumatized not Marinette! Not to mention Lila never said anything about Marinette demanding info on Ladybug. It's always about Adrien or taking her money or spilling juice on Lila’s clothing. That doesn't exactly sound like the work of a brilliant mastermind villain does it? Perhaps it is best to revisit the theory that it is one of Adrien’s superfans?” Max’s words caused a ripple of murmurs to pass through the class.

“I think the funniest thing here is you're all talking like Hawkmoth is actually intelligent. Did we all forget the man akumatized a baby.” All heads turned to look at Nathanial who was drawing quietly under a tree. The redhead flushed when he noticed there looks and mumbled a quiet “Sorry just thinking out loud”

Kim hummed in thought “I don't know guys my man Nath’s got a point. Hawkmoth’s never been the most logical guy!”

“So what he’s making Centinettes to bully Lila about a boy and to take her lunch money in hopes she what? Snaps and spills all the beans about Ladybug? And as a side bonus he gets to MAYBE Akumatize Marinette or Lila?” Nino scratched the back of his neck with a sigh. It didn’t sound like a plan that made a lick of sense but maybe it was the type of plan Hawkmoth would go for? With his track record of logical decisions… It wasn’t entirely out of the question but man was it stupid.

“Maybe… Maybe Lila hasn't told us about all the bullying! Maybe the Centinettes ARE demanding info on Ladybug and Lila didn't say anything so we wouldn't worry!” Rose bit her lip as she acknowledged her own words. “I'd be a bit sad though if Lila didn’t think she could trust us about something so serious though!”

That made Alya frown. Lila had told her about working with Ladybug on her first day at Francois she said she ‘knew’ that Alya was a trusted ally of Ladybugs! Did she not trust Alya with potentially vital information because she was Marinette’s friend? Did Lila want to handle it all on her own? Was Lila telling Ladybug that Marinette was evil and also Hawkmoth’s ally!!! Was Hawkmoth trying to frame Marinette as his ally to hide his TRUE ally at Francois Dupont!!!!

Alya desperately wanted to tell Ladybug but her mind was swirling with doubt. Ladybug would want proof it wasn’t actually Marinette and what if their words were not good enough because they were Marinette’s friend!? No, at the end of the day it was clear they needed evidence! And Alya was going to get it! She clapped her hands to get everyone's attention and started telling them about her plan.

The plan was simple-ish a bit… Invasive but hopefully worth it to get the evidence they needed.

Stage 1: The class had begun rejecting invites to go out and do stuff with the girls claiming to be ‘busy’ in order to reduce suspicion AND ensure there was no hurt feelings from the rejection the class made sure to loudly whisper and drop hints about a ‘surprise party’ when the girls picked up on the whispers they stopped asking to hang out Marinette was clearly trying to hide the fact that she’d heard about the surprise party but was obviously excited, Lila on the other hand made not so subtle remarks about gifts she wanted or treats she’d enjoy. Alya felt awful about the lie and not hanging out with her besties but it would be worth it in the long run she was sure of it!

Stage 2: Have Rose and the other members of Kitty Section actually plan a party? Wait no! That wasn’t right!? But then Ivan pointed out that it would look more suspicious if there was no physical evidence of the party and Rose said something about celebrating the imposter Marinette’s defeat and okay fine! Stage 2 was to do some light party planning while they waited for the set up to Stage 3.

Stage 3: Split the class in two and take shifts secretly following Marinette and Lila around with cameras in order to get proof of Marinette’s innocence and of the obvious evil Centinette hurting Lila! This stage would be admittedly easier if Marinette didn’t find ways to disappear every akuma attack but the class was determined.

Stage 4: Review the evidence.

Alya rubbed her eyes tiredly as she peeked out from her hiding place watching as Lila walked to school. They had been (stalking) observing the girls for a little over a week now and the results were worrying. Lila hadn't been attacked by Centinette once while the class was observing her in secret but she was still claiming that Marinette had attacked her this led to some members of the class namely, Max, Alix, Juleka, and even Nino to lose faith in Lila going so far as to claim that the italian was clearly a liar and that the almost 2 weeks worth of evidence was proof enough. The rest of the class was on the fence though Alya suspected it was more for her sake as she had yet to give up on the italian. Yet despite the class trying not to admit their doubt out loud, many had not so subtly dropped out of the plan instead choosing to join Rose and Kitty Section in planning the party… The party which happened to be morphing into a ‘were sorry for not believing you earlier we love and appreciate you Marinette’ party. The only way to change the tide of the class was to get that proof and Alya was a good friend, the type of friend who was determined to get it. Hence why she’d been waking up at 5am everyday to go to Lila’s house and follow her to school everyday.

Today Lila was running late and Alya had almost fallen asleep in the bush outside her apartment building as she waited for the girl. Despite running late the Italian didn’t seem concerned in the least in fact she walked casually. As the school came into sight Alya contemplated dropping her hiding and just running past Lila to try and get to class on time. But a gut instinct told her to hold on and keep following Lila until class just to be safe. She was desperate for proof of Marinette’s innocence and one tardy or two was acceptable. As Lila made her way to the locker room Alya crept behind her careful to wait a second or two before prying the door open and sliding inside and then behind some lockers. It was only then she heard a familiar voice.

“What do you want, Lila? Can’t you tell that we're BOTH late for the first period?” Alya’s jaw dropped as she peeked around the row of lockers, her cellphone at the ready and recording. Sure enough standing there was Marinette rifling through her locker in a hurry. And next to her was Lila hand on her hips with the smuggest smile Alya had ever seen.

Was this it? Was Alya finally going to capture proof of Centinette’s existence? But if so, why did Lila look so hostile? So unlike the girl Alya and the class had come to know?

“What's wrong Marinette? Can’t you spare a few seconds to talk to the most popular girl in school!” The shark-like grin Lila wore only grew as Marinette shot her an annoyed look as she deposited her books in her locker.

“Aww now what's that look for? You know it's true! The whole class is even throwing a surprise party just for ME, I’m sure you’ve heard them gossiping about it.” Alya felt her stomach twist at Lila’s words, each one spoken with a venomous tone. Had she gotten it wrong? Was this Lila the Centimonster? Was the real Lila at home?

“I have but I wouldn’t be so quick to assume it's for YOU Lila. The class often throws surprise parties. If anything, my guess is it's to celebrate Kitty Sections new album.” Marinette closed her locker, her head down clearly trying to avoid the confrontation she knew was coming.

“UGH, they're making more of that trash music? Well whatever, It's not like their childish little boat band is ever going to get successful, not with Rose’s awful singing and their lame little costumes.” Lila’s mocking laugh echoed through the room and Alya saw Marinette grit her teeth, her eyes narrowing into a deadly glare.

“They will succeed! Because they are passionate and hard working! The whole class is! Unlike YOU who only knows how to leech off other people!”

Alya felt her heart swell, Marinette had no reason to defend them not now, she was alone in a room with her bully and it would have been easier to just say nothing, or even agree to try and escape Lila but no Marinette had defended them even when no one was around to see or hear. Well Alya was around, and recording, but Marinette didn’t know that and she still stood up for them, a true friend no matter what. She was so getting the best party ever Alya would make sure of it.

Alya shook her head and focused back on the situation in front of her Marinette was moving past Lila the Italian left gaping in clear offended shock as Marinette’s bold insults sank in, but within seconds she recovered a snarl leaving her as she whipped around to grab Marinette by her arm before slamming her into the nearby lockers, Alya horrified and shocked gasps were smothered by the loud bang of Marinette being forced into the metal.

Alya was shocked, Lila was clearly not the person they had known she’d figured that out during their conversation about Kitty Section but violence? She was violent??? How far was this girl willing to go? What else had she done to Marinette? To her friends!? Alya felt righteous fury fill her; the only thing keeping her from rushing out to tackle Lila was the little voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Trixx telling her that foxes were patient hunters and that she needed to be smart or Lila would lie her way out of trouble. So Alya grit her teeth and dug her nails into the palms of her hands watching painfully as Lila threatened Marinette and told the girl that she was unwanted, unloved, and useless before whirling around and walking away head held high completely unaware of Alya capturing the girls true hideous self on camera.

As Alya stopped the recording she quickly made sure to save it and send a backup to her email before she stood up on shaky legs. She wasn’t sure what to do now, she had proof of Lila true nature but she wasn’t sure what to do with it, and more pressingly was Marinette who had just been slammed against some lockers, threatened and insulted. Swallowing Alya shook herself off and peeked around the corner, Marinette was standing up from the floor a dazed distant look in her eyes and she seemed to be mumbling to herself Alya instantly snapped out of her thoughts, she could talk to Marinette about Lila later when the Italian was gone and no longer able to hurt her but right now what Marinette needed was a big hug, and a mood boost, no way was Alya letting Idiotmoth akumatize her friend.

Walking out from behind the lockers like she herself had only just arrived Alya let out a loud laugh and sigh of relief joking that the two of them could be late together. She wrapped her friend in a one armed hug and led her to class all while asking Marinette to hang out with her later and watch some new Fashion Show she’d seen a commercial for on t.v the combination of physical touch, and the distraction of fashion and the promise of a girls day seem to work as the distant look left Marinette’s eyes and she gave a weak smile. For the rest of the day Alya stuck close to Marinette. She kept her distracted, worked hard to make her laugh, and hugged her tight all while her brain plotted Lila’s demise.

Two days later Alya had her plan nailed down and called for an Emergency Meeting. It took her a good 30 minutes to get everyone to stop screaming after Alya showed them the video, and the only reason they didn’t cause an akuma was likely because everyone was too yelling out various bloody revenge plots it was Marinette’s ‘always think of a solution Hawkmoth can't akumatize you if you have hope’ philosophy only with a lot more yelling about getting Lila shot out of a cannon into a cell. After Alya got them to simmer down she told them her plan, and watched with glee as one by one they all smirked as their own brains began to click ideas into place.

Alya’s revenge was less dramatic than the cannon plan but it was karmic in a sweet way. The first part of the plan had been simple, the class had a lot of evidence against Lila already but with an afternoon of research and work they were able to gather even more, from Alya’s interviews and her recording of the ‘locker room incident’ to Max’s proof that Lila had been copying her classmates assignments instead of doing any of the work herself, to Markov’s many recordings of Lila’s lies in and out of class, and the recordings of Bustier and Damocles blatant favoritism for the girl. Alix and Kim ran around getting witness testimonies from students in other classes who had seen and heard some of Lila’s not so well hidden lies, they even got one from Kagami with the girl providing a photo of Adrien looking horribly uncomfortable while Lila forced a kiss on him, needless to say Nino was smiling eerily as he added ‘ignores sexual harassment’ to his growing list on why Gabriel deserved to lose custody of Adrien. It is unsurprisingly a long list and Alya was pretty sure that Gabriel would not stand a chance once Nino was done gathering his evidence against the man. But that was for another day, today was all about taking out Lila.

After they had their evidence Alya sent one copy off to the school board and kept another copy for herself as a backup that she planned to send out to all the parents if the school board didn’t respond to the issue fast enough. Rose had suggested sending a copy to Lila’s mother but after they considered the fact that Lila had clearly done this song and dance before the class worried that informing her could lead to Lila facing minimum punishment and simply being changed to a different school to repeat the process again.

After that it was time for phase two, the fun part. Finally it was time to make Lila squirm. The entire school minus the teachers (though Nino suspected Mendeliev knew) was in on it by that point all while Lila was oblivious. For the next month Lila was slowly driven insane as the students of the school (but Bustier’s class especially) remained unimpressed and unmoved by her lies, they’d nod along and congratulate her vaguely before stealing her thunder with tales of their own very real accomplishments. Alix was happy to gloat about how she had entered the Regional Rollerskating Competition and won; she claimed it was all thanks to Marinette helping her train. Juleka known for her usual quiet demeanor was happy to preen about her rising Instagram fame thanks to her modeling gigs with Marinette. Rose was surprisingly petty as she smugly told Lila about Kitty Section’s success with their new album and how much fans loved there album cover and new outfits made by Marinette. Nino won the film competition he entered and claimed Marinette’s advice and her killer costumes made all the difference. Nathalie’s comic was selling out and he claimed it was Marinette’s endorsement that made it take off. Everywhere Lila turned hoping for praise and adoration for her false tales she was met with pitying “that's nice Lila” before being demolished by their much more real accomplishments.

The cherry on top was watching Lila try to target Marinette only to find herself blocked at every turn, Marinette was never left alone long enough for the liar to corner her and when Lila was inevitably akumatized she was still unable to target Marinette as the pigtailed girl had instantly been swept away by a bickering Chat Noir and Ryuko the two heroes arguing about who was going to carry the girl to safety before Queen Bee swept in stole her and ran off leaving the pair stunned, huh more people to add to the unofficial ‘not so secretly in love with Marinette list’ apparently, luckily Rena and Carapace were there to save the day and get everyone focused back on the fight because Ladybug seemed to be running late.

By the end of the month Lila looked like she was two seconds away from throwing the world's biggest tantrum because she wasn’t at the center of everyone's lives. And then it happened. An inspector school board arrived and Alya struggled to hide her grin as the professional woman prowled through the school clipboard out pen ready writing up everything she saw. By the end of the day the entire school got to witness Lila being dragged by her ear out the front doors of the school while she wailed uselessly about her innocence. Bustier was enrolled in a course about how to properly deal with bullies and would not be allowed to teach again until she was able to better perform her job. Damocles was ‘retired’ and lucky to keep his pension and most shocking of all Mendeliev got a date with the hot school inspector responsible for it all.

Well the other surprising thing was the lack of akuma’s to come out of the whole affair, but Alya had learned long ago that there didn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason for when Hawkmoth took breaks. Either way she was sure it had nothing to do with the court case that had landed on Gabriel’s neck a week before Lila’s downfall. Nino had somehow gotten his evidence proving Gabriel’s status as worst father of the year and had quietly delivered it where it would do the most damage. Now the red pants wearing weirdo had been forced to finally leave his house and defend his actions to the media and to a judge and it was looking more and more like Felix and his mom would soon be moving to Paris so Adrien could continue attending school with his friends while finally living in a healthy environment.

It took 2 more weeks for everything to finally settle down. Lila had been sent back to Italy to attend military school under her strict grandfather's watch. Marinette’s record had been cleared, and she had finally been informed about everything that had transpired, she laughed when she learned that they thought she was being framed but thought it was sweet of them to believe in her innocence so completely that they’d come up with such a wild theory on her behalf. Adrien’s father had unsurprisingly lost custody and Nino still hadn’t stopped smiling, his cousin Felix joined the class not long after and Alya rolled her eyes watching Sunshine and his cousin vie for Marinette’s limited attention. Luckily the distraction of Felix's presence gave the class the time to finalize the big party.

The celebration was huge, having outgrown Juleka’s moms boat long ago only to be moved to Chloe’s hotel at the blonde's insistence. Kitty Section played their newest album that featured a song from Luka that Alya suspected was about Marinette herself. Decorations and balloons covered every corner of the room and it would be a pain to clean up later but for now it gave the room a festive feel, the buffet was huge which was good because the whole school had seemingly showed up. Marinette herself had cried when she’d first walked in, lured by Alya who had lied and said her mom wanted them to test some new dishes for the menu. The pigtailed girl had forgotten all about her friends ‘not so secret’ party thanks to all the chaos of Lila’s departure. After that the girl had been whisked away with everyone wanting to spend time with her, thank her and apologize again for not noticing Lila’s lies sooner, but the people who were really getting her attention were her ‘suitors’ as Alya had dubbed them. Kagami and Adrien who were still dating all while being oblivious to there obvious attraction to Marinette, Felix who had started his flirtations as a way to annoy Adrien but had clearly caught genuine feelings, Chloe who had turned over a new leaf… Sorta, and now wanted a fellow Queen to rule by her side. And poor Luka who watched from the stage with calculating eyes. What really mattered to Alya was that Marinette's smile was finally back and Alya felt herself beam with joy as she watched her best friend laugh, finally happy and carefree. As her ‘suitors’ began to bicker, Alya walked over to go rescue Marinette from the small unruly mob. After all that's what friends are for.

[ Wanna Support Me? Donate HERE! ]

[ Wanna Read More? Masterlist HERE! ]

[ Ya’ll I have been working on this fic for way to long I kept having to deal with writers block and also the garbage that is moving to a new country during a PANDEMIC but I’m happy to report that im almost done with a few other fics some part 2′s and other stuff so keep your eyes out and dont be shy! send me some messages sometime I don't bite - Sunny ]

2K notes · View notes