#ml saltfic

[flightfoot]

For the record, I still think Alya telling Nino that she was still working with Ladybug in Rocketear, but just undercover, was something she had the right to do. Whether it was wise is debatable, given that Nino's not the best at keeping secrets, but that was primarily Alya's secret, and it was Alya and her family who would be in the most danger if it got out.

I was kind of happy when it happened, actually, because it showed that while Marinette mattered a lot to her, Alya DID have other priorities, other relationships she was balancing, and would make decisions for herself instead of just blindly following orders. I like it when Alya gets to be her own person, to take action based off of her own principles and convictions.

#alya cesaire #miraculous ladybug #Plus I've seen her horrifically vilified constantly for years #so ya know #I am going to defend her because nothing she's done could possibly justify the way I've seen her treated in ML saltfics #But even outside of that I thought what she did in Rocketear was fine and made sense #I just generally like when Alya takes initiative on things

[flowerchildasriel]

something I love to see is like. How fandoms treat villains differently and I think you can really see it in miraculous ladybug and the villains of Lila vs Hawkmoth

(cw HP) like it’s analogous to Harry Potter and how the fandom treats the villains of Umbridge and Voldemort. I’ve seen others say that Voldemort is such a far away and cartoony evil that it’s hard to relate to and feel threatened by… but Umbridge? She is every single teacher that hurt us, the uncaring and actively malicious authority figure in our school or work life, and the bigotry in the education system and legal system given a face. So she represents a much more close evil than the end of book villain, which is why fandom fixates on her and projects everything on here

And that’s what I think is happening with Lila in salt fics. Why she’s so demonized in comparison to Hawkmoth in those fics. (This is not to relate it to the canon because the canon isn’t supposed to be projection fuel) but really, most of us aren’t haunted by a distant evil man in a tower, we’re just not going to relate to that part. But most people have had that middle school bully who seemed to have it out for us. We’ve had friends with lying sides who made rumors about us or hurt us with fake sweet words, and Lila is just a stand in for everyone that did those things. We can project all of our anger and hurt on her, making her a demon because that’s how we felt about our bullies. And genuinely, no one really got justice or closure. Zero tolerance policy hurt the bullied kids just as much as the bullies, if not more in how it never really put a stop to bullying.

Maybe that’s why Lila can be so over the top in fics, her comeuppance so grand, and Marinette so willing and able to cut ties with toxic friendships. It’s wish fulfillment. We wish our bullies got what was coming to them, we wish we were able to walk away from things that we once loved but now was hurting us.

Idk, I just love it.

#miraculous ladybug #ml #miraculous ladybug salt #mlb #mlb salt #ml salt #salt fic #Lila salt #saltfic #character bashing #lila bashing #desi.txt #harry potter

[drawing2cope]

chameleon really fucked up the ability to find fics

#txt #ml fandom salt #so many untagged saltfics ahhhhhh #i just wanna read some chlogami in peace #miraculous ladybug #mess

[princess-of-the-corner]

Nah, its fine, even i dunk it Sometimes

Though i will admit it did was kinda fun to watch sometimes, mainly some new takes or things that made sense within the original but still could clasify as soft au

fair enough lmao

#tw fnaf #i mean look i can't judge #the reason i criticize ml's saltfics is because i read so many of them

[nemaliwrites]

So I wanted to ask about the new Big Bang fic you're coming out with, "In Pursuit of the Uneatable". I've really liked most of your other ML fics (as you well know), so I was thinking of checking it out, but well… the premise makes me wary, since it's one of those "Lila manages to isolate Marinette using her lies" premises. But I did notice that instead of talking about Marinette's friends "turning on her" or otherwise trying to hurt her in some way, you're just talking about them becoming distant, which is something I could feasibly see happening if Lila managed to sow enough doubt about Marinette's motives and actions. They'd never hurt her (everyone thinks of Chloe as a bully and they don't try to hurt HER, and I don't think that's just because of the potential of her father retaliating), but being a little more leery of her is possible if they aren't as certain of her moral character as they used to be.

And I also saw that you didn't mention anything about like, Marinette trying to get revenge of any sort against other people or leaving them to rot or anything, which makes me think it might not be that sort of fic? The vibe I'm getting from the synopsis you gave is that the main reason you went with the "Lila's lies manage to isolate Marinette" thing is to explore how she copes with not having a very stable support network (since in the show she has a huge, solid one, even with Lila's best efforts at sabotaging it), and to have Adrien serve as her main support until Lila's beaten, rather than to specifically demonize everyone in Marinette's orbit and have her take sadistic pleasure in hurting them in revenge.

That's really the crux of my question and my fear, I guess. Nothing in your previous works made it look like you'd be likely to go this route, but I really need to know before I chance glancing at your fic: are Marinette's friends, the class more generally, gonna be made to be awful people beyond anything that could be reasonably extrapolated out about them? Is Marinette gonna seek revenge or punishment for them for believing Lila's lies? Basically, are they gonna get "Ron the Death Eatered", if you're familiar with that tvtropes term? I've gotten pretty traumatized from running into that over and over in the ML fandom (and no, I'm not kidding about the trauma here, it's gotten really bad at times), so while I see lots of signs that this is gonna be a lot more reasonable than say, the "Alya strangles Marinette for being mean to Lila" or "Marinette intentionally arranges for Lila to be in a position to sexually harass Adrien as revenge for him advising her to take the high road" scenarios that I've seen in the past, I still want to check since I instinctively flinch when I see anything anything even remotely in the ballpark of a saltfic premise due to seeing those sorts of things incessantly for years.

Totally get your hesitation! As someone who generally isn't a fan of saltfics/bashing either, I understand being wary.

I will say that your read of the summary is an accurate one. This fic definitely will focus more on Marinette's mental state than anything else, and it is more of a "Marinette isolates herself from everyone on purpose" rather than Lila shoving her out.

I don't want to be like "oh i wrote all the characters perfectly" because....obvious reasons LOL but I made sure to give the other characters reasons for acting as they do. I know you're an Alya fan, so I will say that nothing bad happens to Alya and even Marinette never really blames her for believing Lila's lies - and the same for their other classmates as well. It's a lot more of Marinette blaming herself, I think, hence the unreliable narrator tag, but she does have a charitable view of her classmates. Instead of blaming them for listening to Lila, she'll still acknowledge the fact that they're her friends too, and them caring about Lila doesn't mean they still don't care about her.

More than the bullying/lying, I think this fic also explores ideas that are a bit different. Not to get too into spoiler territory, but it deals pretty heavily with sentimonter-esque creation, and the biggest thing for Marinette is understanding what it means to be human - and in that process, realizing that Lila, too, is just as human as she is. So more introspection/character study territory than "oh Lila sucks and she's going down'.

But yes, to answer your question: no revenge on her classmates, and no bashing/saltfics here!

#ask nem 🦚 #in pursuit of the uneatable

[gameguy20100]

You know, I saw someone say that Derision is like a ml saltfic, and I'm like...what?

How?

#miraculous ladybug #ml fandom salt #ml derision #peaches faust

[dizzying-faust]

For the ask game,

12 and 16?

the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

Tom and Sabine. I know I could have, but in Alya (and I agree she deserves love), but I feel these two also deserve their flowers. I've seen these two get unfairly hated on because some people in the fandom thing they are bad parents when they are the nice people imaginable. Sure, they have their moments, but it's clear they love Marinette with all their heart.

And speaking of parents...

you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

There's a lot of examples (i.e Sca//let Lady, Mari//bat, Lady//bugout, heck any saltfic/salt aus in general), but the one that comes to mind the most is the "Marinette gets adopted by x character" AUs Bio!Parent Marinette AUs.

For the former, they REALLY lean into the Tom and Sabine bashing by making them into abusive parents just so they can justify Marinette getting adopted by other characters, mostly Jagged, Gabriel, Audrey, or the batfam.

The latter is more so on Tom bashing by having it where he isn't Marinette real parent and that she was father of another media character, mostly Bruce Wayne, as a result of a Sabine meeting said character through pre-hook up or affair. I get in context it was a way for why Marinette has blue eyes, but I just hate the minor Tom bashing that comes with it. It's worse when they have it where they also have it where Sabine isn't her real mother at all and her mother is sometimes isn't Asian at all, erasing Marinette's biracial heritage.

I feel like people only like them just to project their found family headcanons, and, especially when it comes to batfam stuff, use Marinette as a self-insert/OC to hang out with their faves. Which honestly makes me wish they would rather make a self-insert/OC that warp an existing character to their liking. Especially since most of the people making them clearly aren't fans of ML.

Even if I was on board with the adoption AUs or bio!parent AUs, why use Marinette when characters like Adrien and Kagami are right there? I like Marinette, but she has loving parents already, Adrien and Kagami are people who need better parents more than ever. Heck, the bio!parent stuff could work for them as well, especially with the whole sentimonster thing they have. Even when there is a good concept with AUs, they pick the wrong ML character to use it on

Choose violence ask game

#ratatatbug2 #ml fandom salt #leave tom and sabine alone challenge

[mariharem-trash-heap]

About Adrien.

Sometimes I like saltfics. It’s a good outlet for frustration with the issues with ML’s writing, as well as some of the more ridiculous acts the characters are subject to during the series.

Sometimes I don’t like saltfics. While it can be satisfying watching a hated character’s downfall, something we all wish would happen in reality for fuck’s sake Thomas why won’t you just get rid of Lila or give her more depth already--

Ahem.

One of the characters I take issue with is Adrien. Yes, while he’s not given much more depth other than ‘lonely rich boy wants everyone to be friends’ and ‘mischievous inner self that only gets to surface when he’s Cat Noir’, sometimes y’all can really scare me with how downright awful you write him.

I’m not trying to tell anyone how to write Adrien in their saltfics - really, some of the best fics have Adrien as one of the worst kids in the bunch - but a lot of people get hung up on the ‘high road’ line, particularly “she’s not hurting anyone” at the end of Chameleon.

Did any of you notice, at all, that Marinette never went into depth about how Lila’s affecting her?

She never told him, “Lila threatened to take my friends away” and that she was planning on tearing the class apart. All she said was, “Hey, this girl is lying, why don’t you want me calling her on it?”

And honestly? This might be controversial to say, but Adrien has a point.

Keep in mind that this is the first time in what, months? That the class has even seen Lila. The last time we saw her was in the last episode of Season 1, Volpina, and that was supposed to be the very first day she came to Dupont. This is her first appearance in Season 3, one of the very first episodes to boot, and if the timeline in the wiki is correct, there’s about a 25-episode gap between them. These kids don’t know Lila that well.

And let’s pause a moment to think about the rest of Bustier’s class. Marinette, our lead, has not only designed Jagged Stone’s Eiffel glasses and an album cover, but babysits the daughter of a famous show host, has had a documentary filmed of her home, has won a gaming competition, has been in a music video, has a famous chef as an uncle, and unbeknownst to everyone else, is Ladybug. Adrien is not only the son of a model and a famous actress, but is pretty talented in his own right and is Cat Noir. Alya is a hobbyist journalist whose mother is chef at the hotel Chloe’s dad maintains and her father runs a zoo, as well as being Rena Rouge Nino is a DJ and Carapace Rose literally befriended a prince Juleka’s mom was once a famous performing artist (and according to later canon, her dad is literally Jagged Stone) Alix’s father is head of a museum Chloe’s father is the mayor of Paris and her mother is a famous fashion mogul, Sabrina’s father is a cop Mylene’s father is a talented actor And Max is a certified genius who has a personal robot and made a video game.

All by the age of 14-15.

That’s just what we know of at the time that episode was released.

Is it really so much of a stretch for them to meet Lila and think, “Wow, she’s the daughter of a diplomat! She really must have met a lot of famous people! She’s super cool!”

Keep in mind that although we, the audience, and Marinette and Adrien know she’s lying, to the others she just sounds like a larger-than-life girl who’s had enough experiences to make even Chloe seem boring.

I really don’t think he had any bad intentions when he told her to just stay under the radar. At this point he’s seen how she interacts with Chloe, and he’s grown up with Chloe as a playmate. He knows by now how they both operate. He knows Marinette hates injustice, but he knows the others won’t take kindly to what they consider mistreatment to someone who really hasn’t done anything wrong.

Remember, Adrien is not stupid. He’s sheltered, yes, but is it too much of a stretch to think he’s had enough experience with tabloids and people trying to damage the Agreste name to know that calling her out without any evidence is just going to pitch the accuser against the rest of the class? We all saw what happened in that episode. Everyone got super annoyed with Marinette for pointing out Lila’s lies because she just looked like a jealous girl trying to pit them against a newbie. And that’s not even mentioning her open crush on Adrien is making her look worse.

I love Marinette. Really, I do. But even I was cringing that entire episode. And not just from the napkin scene, because seriously, Max should have caught that one from the get-go. But even if he did, nobody else was speaking up about it, because why would they? To everyone there, everyone believes that everyone else will get upset at them if they speak up, much like they do to Marinette. Groupthink and peer pressure is a real thing, y’all.

Let’s not pretend Adrien is this super-weak spiteful doormat of a person who never does anything. Yes, he doesn’t really know how to comfortably say ‘no’ under pressure, yes, he hates conflict enough not to get involved, but does anyone really think he wants Lila to hurt his friends? The very first real friends he’s had in... forever??

I guarantee you that if she broke down and confessed to Lila’s threats, he would not have told her to lie low. He would’ve been right there with her, and he would’ve stood up to her a lot earlier. And hey, maybe Ladybug wouldn’t have happened.

#let's talk miraculous ladybug #defending adrien #anti adrien salt #ml salt #thomas astruc salt

[jacquesthepigeon]

People do AUs of the show that are like crossed over with violent media because they happen to enjoy both pieces of media. ML lacks a lot of interesting things outside of the potential of the characters, so its no wonder that people take the characters who they see a lot of potential in or that they enjoy and stick them in an AU for a different setting they like. Its genuinely not that deep. Most people tag their fic, if you don't like it just don't read it. Same advice that applies to people who whine about the existence of saltfic because they think it's evil and terrible. Go find fic you like instead.

.

#anon #ask

[sallertiafabrica]

💖, ✏️,🌙, 🌈(Tricky AU), 💋 (talk about your Tricky AU? I’ve seen a lot of your art but I haven’t been able to read the fic yet and I’m really curious about it!)

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

Something I really like about my writing process (and creative work, in general) is how intuitive it is to me. It’s a bit hard to explain it, but it’s like– when I visualize a scene, I keep in mind the main “object” (doesn’t need to be something concrete) within it and just stream words onto paper related to it. It’s something that I was always able to do and that helped me a lot when I first started, it helps keeping the scene focused and makes them fun? In my opinion?

Like, an early example– there’s a scene in Trickster where Marinette’s ranting to Félix about Alya; it’s from before they consider each other anything more than classmates and Félix’s a new student, he has no fucking clue what she’s talking about but can put together she needs to vent. The scene object is “puzzle”. While Marinette is ranting in the dialogue section, the narration (Félix’s thoughts) is focused on the puzzle of what the hell is going on. And this is what makes the scene engaging, fun, and a good show of the character’s personality and mental state, imho.

Another examples: Symphony of Lights’ main objects throughout the whole fic is “music” and “lights” (pretty on the nose, I know, but by this point, I was already aware of my writing habits and went all out on them); Brandish the Needle object is a less concrete one, more of a warm vibe of relief and grainy film tape (for the flashbacks) I kept throughout the oneshot. (I could prolly keep going but I’ll stop here). And ye, I really like this about my writing, the way I can pick a tone/vibe/“object”/whatever and keep to it.

✏️ Do you write every day?

Sometimes I do get a creative rush that’ll give me energy to write for days on end — and when it happens, it can last a while — but although those are quite frequent, all things considered, for my mental health’s sake and to avoid frustration and burnout, I don’t hold those moments as my standard of productivity. Usually, when I start writing a piece, I can keep going till the end of it (and be done in a day, that’s why when I share a snippet of writing in the server I post the whole thing later in the same day, lol), but I might need a few days without writing after it.

🌙 What time of day do you prefer to write? Why?

Afternoon. It’s after my lunch, so I already had time to get ready for the day, the house is probably empty (which means quiet), and, as I mentioned above, when I start something, I keep going till it’s done, so I also have time left to write it all if I can.

🌈 + 💋 What inspired you to write Trickster + your freeform question

Already talked a bit about what inspired Tricky to Lynn’s ask, but to add to that (since there I only said what inspired the fox!Félix brain worms, I realized): Other saltfics with the “Félix joins Dupont in the middle of the Lila drama” premise. I had become obsessed with them for a while, and I thought it was a great way to introduce Félix’s character to an ML setting that already has an established dynamic + ready story threads to unravel (in short, I didn’t want to go through the trouble of starting from season 1 so I borrowed the usual Lila saltfic set up and went from there).

Fun fact: Trickster’s original premise was that Marinette would be the one to give Félix the Fox necklace when he showed himself to be a trustworthy friend and possible teammate, but I didn’t have the patience nor the skill for this longer set up, so I just went, “FUCK IT! She’ll just drop it and it’ll fall on Félix’s head” (note: it didn’t actually fall on Félix’s head). And funnily enough, the alternative I went with for the sake of getting into the good stuff already, turned out to be the better one for this story’s themes and the characters’ arcs.

I could talk about this fic for hours on end (and will if enabled), but basically, it’s a timeline where Lila turned everyone against Marinette so she’s already withdrawn at the start of the fic and incredibly stressed with Ladybug duties, and after a particularly draining fight, ends up losing the Fox Miraculous only for it to appear again three days later around the neck of an unfamiliar hero (“unfamiliar hero,” Sal says, knowing fully well who everyone associates them with).

#thanks so much for the ask Ris! #mailbox #ask game #Sal Talks #Tricky Notes

[flightfoot]

As someone whose read a ton of ML FIC……. ML Fanfiction Pet Peeves?

Not counting tropes associated with typical ML Saltfics, you know all the betrayal ones with Saltinette? (Everyone already knows how much I utterly despise those things already)

As far as just pet peeves, things that annoy me when I see them... hm.

Okay there are a few.

"True Selves"

"Oh no, Chat Noir only loves Ladybug, he doesn't love ME, he must be shallow!" or "Marinette only loves Adrien, he doesn't love my true self Chat Noir, she must be shallow!" Please just no. There's some nuance here in that I can see them wondering whether the other person would like the parts of their personality that they display in their other form, but them reacting with actual disgust and anger at the thought of the other person only having expressed romantic interest in one of their personas is just... please no.

2. One of Marinette's or Adrien's friends yelling at Marinette or Adrien on the other person's behalf, when that's NOT being used to resolve a misunderstanding.

This sort of thing works well if it's being used as an opportunity to actually talk and have some character development, sort out what happened so that Marinette and Adrien can come together and resolve whatever conflict occurred between them properly.

What I do NOT like is one of their friends being made into an attack dog whose only purpose is to make the other person feel bad, or to be attacked in turn since the person they're attacking on the behalf of isn't available.

3. The rival love interests being made into jerks for no reason.

Okay so maybe I could just have shunted this under the "saltfic" category, except this doesn't generally happen in the ones I normally consider under that umbrella - in that case Adrien usually gets the short end of the stick. But every now and then I'll run into a Lovesquare fic that replaces Luka's or Kagami's personality (usually Luka's) to make him a jerk for the story in ways that have no basis in canon and just... even if it's not a story that's setting out to destroy him but more just casting him in an antagonistic role for story purposes, I don't like it.

#ask #ml fandom salt #Honestly so long as it's not the saltfic stuff I'll probably still read fics with these tropes #I'm not very picky and so long as something doesn't outright piss me off I'll probably tolerate it

[nxrthmizu]

kill em’ with kindness

fandom | miraculous ladybug 

genre | lila salt, so much salt 

summary | marinette takes the high road to a better life. 

w.c | 8.1k 

author’s note | had this idea for a few days after i wrote victory tastes bitter, which really blew up on ao3 (thanks for all the support <3). always wondered what it would be like if marinette just. played nice. so here she is, being an absolute badass. 

author’s note.2 | okay so since i did not write this in one sitting, i get that the story probably doesn’t flow as properly as it should. will edit if i ever find the will to do it. 

Marinette was done. They wanted her to be a model student? Fine. They wanted her to stop being mean? Fine. They wanted her to be friends with Lila? Fine.

Luckily for Hawkmoth, no akuma plagued the sky of the previous night, or she would rain hell on him. There was no more tolerance left inside her to spare, and she certainly wouldn’t go out of her way to make some for the manipulative pest problem Paris has had for way too long.

She looked up into the mirror, having exchanged her pigtails for a low ponytail, strands curled to frame her face. Bluebell eyes glistened with a fire that burned brighter than hope— Hope that her ‘friends’ would see sense. Hope that Adrien would be there for her. Hope that the good guy would always get the happy ending. No more being patient, no more being passive, no more putting up with things she didn’t have to.

If Lila Rossi wanted a battle, then fine, a battle she would get. Marinette was lowering her white flag, replacing it with a battle emblem that scorched red, redder than blood and redder than the anger her friends would feel when she was finished. No more peace negotiations. Rossi wanted a fight, Rossi wanted a challenge. Who was Marinette to deny her from what she wanted?

They didn’t know what was coming for them.

The power of makeup was truly one that reigned apex among the world. A few touches of her makeup brush was all it took to erase her dark eyes from existence, give her skin a more radiant glow (She promised that she’d take time to give it a natural glow after she was done being nice), and ease a cherry-pink blush onto her cheeks, making her freckles stand out more in contrast. Marinette Dupain-Cheng meant business, and when she meant business—

“Good morning, Marinette! You look great today!” The head of the student council, a sensible, down-to-Earth blonde by the name of Noelle smiled, speeding up slightly to catch the bluenette on the steps of Francois Dupont. “Love the new look.”

Ah yes. The new look— A royal blue blazer, detailed with golden embroidery of cherry blossoms bursting at the sleeves and the collar, accompanied by a classy-looking silk blouse tapered with a soft, black felt. The pleated black skirt (Made from heavy cloth so that it wouldn’t flap about in the wind) was lined with a beautiful scarlet at all the edges to complete the look. Knee-high black socks trailed all the way into the slight heels that Marinette had added flower adornments on, just so she could tap a little of her own touch on it.

“Thank you,” Responded the bluenette with a smile.

“Woah! Someone looks like they got a good night of rest.” Madeline, the president of the Art Club teased, flocking to the other side of the girl. “That mascara looks sharp enough to kill, girl!”

Sharp enough to kill?

Oh, that wouldn’t be necessary, Marinette mused to herself, sending out thanks to those who had complimented her on her way to class. Nothing sharp was going to be required for the liar’s downfall— No, no. That would just be too messy, and she wouldn’t even think of staining her new outfit. Of course, the ensemble was crafted from her own hands, as stated by the classic MDC that graced the inside of her blazer, the collar of her blouse, and one of the pleats of her skirt. Besides… Lila wasn’t worth getting her hands dirty.

She was going to do things the right way.

The kind way.

“Good morning, everyone.” She greeted, walking into the classroom, garnering their attention with her punctuality. Every set of eyes in the room were attracted to her, like iron fillings to magnets. Some of the gazes were malicious, hateful; Some were doubtful, wary; One was pleading, as if spelling out ‘Please keep taking the high road!’— And then there was Chloe, who was entirely uninterested.

Good, Lila was already present.

“I’d just like to take a minute of your time. Won’t be too long, I promise.” She took a deep breath, ignoring the imploring gaze that dug at her side, courtesy of a blonde that sat in the front row (And no, it wasn’t Chloe she was referring to). “I’d just like to say…”

The class watched with bated breath.

“I’m sorry.”

Alya blinked. So did everyone else in the room. Stunned faces greeted Marinette’s apologetic one, including Lila’s— She didn’t even have to fake her reaction. What on Earth was Marinette trying to pull off? What kind of stunt was this?

“I realise that I’ve not really been the best version of me lately,” She admitted sorrowfully. I haven’t been the best version of me because I was being boycotted and isolated, “It wasn’t fair to put you all through this,” It wasn’t fair that you idiots had to lose all your reputations because of the words of one liar, “And people got hurt as a consequence,” Me. I was the one who got hurt. “I realise that things haven’t been all smooth-sailing in our class lately, so I’d like to apologise to everyone.” I’d like to apologise for not being able to save you from a liar who only sees her own personal gain.

A practiced breath escaped Marinette’s throat as she waited for her cue— The school bell— And set her bag on the teacher’s desk. Good, everything was unfolding right on time. Not quite far away, there was a distinct clack-clack-clack of someone’s heels— An auburn teacher, perhaps? Marinette reached into her backpack and drew out a package she had meticulously wrapped in brown paper and tied in golden ribbon. Sitting passively on top of the package was a small note, decorated in hand-drawn flowers and a hummingbird in the corner.

“Here,” Marinette strode up the steps of the class, stopping right in front of her former seat— Now Lila’s— Internally taking pleasure in the first time she’d seen the Italian’s true expression. “For you, as a token of my apology. I understand if you don’t want to forgive me,” Marinette swallowed painfully, biting her lip, as if she was trying not to cry, “But I just want to make things right.”

Lila blinked.

What the hell was happening?

The silence was broken by a quiet sob, one that did not originate from Marinette. Instead, Mlle. Caline Bustier stood in the doorway of the class, clutching her books and notes for the day’s lesson, wiping away a tear that dropped from her eye. “Oh, Marinette,” The teacher sobbed, “I’m so proud of you.”

“That’s so sweet of you, Marinette.” Rose sniffed, wiping away a few tears of her own that had started dripping during the bluenette’s speech. Juleka patted her girlfriend’s back, trying to calm the emotional blonde before she cried out a tsunami on top of her textbooks, giving Marinette a thumbs up to show her approval.

Alya beamed, seemingly proud of her former best friend, who had (In her opinion) finally started to see sense. “I’m so proud of you, girl!”

(Adrien was too shocked to form any words.)

“Could you… Open it?” Marinette asked hopefully, ignoring the teacher for the favour of the liar who ruined her life. “I… Just want to know if you like it.”

The Italian could do nothing more than grit her teeth when Alya urged her to open it. What kind of trick was Mari-Brat up to? Never mind— She’d just spin it into something stupid and the class would take to it like starved animals. With no other choice, she tore apart the brown paper, discarding the golden ribbon on her desk. The class gasped, oohs and aahs echoing all around as the package unfolded to reveal a pretty, beige-coloured cardigan, hand-stitched with murals of foxes, jumping livelily among berry bushes.

Stitched into the inside of the cardigan in pastel blue were the words ‘Lila Rossi’, done in an exquisite cursive that could no doubt only come from Marinette’s hand.

“I made it for you myself,” Marinette sniffed humbly. “I know you’re a really great model and you’ve probably seen clothes that are much better than this one, but I poured all my feelings into it. I spent every night of last week working on it, and—” She hiccuped rather loudly, instantly covering her mouth with her hand in embarrassment. “I just hope you like it.”

“I…” Lila was at a loss for words. She had an itinerary full of the lies and stories she would spin that day (“Marinette texted me mean things last night,” she would weep tearfully to Alya, sniffing and wiping away tears on Alya’s shirt sleeve, “I just want to be friends but she just keeps… Attacking me!”) but no matter. A smirk danced along the Italian’s lips. “Did you design this yourself?” 

Judging by the smirk that Marinette could practically hear in the other girl’s tone, the liar already had a trick up her sleeve. If Marinette had to guess... 

Something along the lines of she stole this design from [random designer], who just coincidentally had the time to be Lila’s friend. Or maybe the friend of Lila’s grandmother. Whichever didn’t matter much, because Marinette was prepared. 

Marinette crossed the room in mere seconds, returning back to Lila’s seat with a sketchbook that she’d pulled from her bag. “Here!” She chirped, flipping open the page with an exercised movement, not even having to shuffle through the pages to find the correct sketch. “I brought the original sketch, just in case you wanted to see it so you could get a professional to redo it for you.” 

Lila opened and closed her mouth like a gaping fish out of water. Beside her, Alya’s eyes sparkled, envy still glowing in her eyes at the sight of the intricate foxes, coloured in hazel, gold, and orange threads. 

“Thank you, Marinette.” Lila gritted through her teeth, basically seething at the thought of having to thank the girl in front of her, who was smiling like an innocent sunshine child. 

The bluenette then turned her attention to her homeroom teacher. “Sorry for interrupting and taking up class time, Mlle. Bustier.” 

“It’s not a problem, Marinette,” Mlle. Bustier wiped at her eyes, slightly embarrassed now that the whole class was watching her cry at the sight of her ‘model student’ correcting her wrongs. “E— Excuse me.” She mumbled, clearing her throat. “Let’s pick off from where we stopped yesterday. Open your textbooks to page 63, please.” 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

The rest of the day went along smoothly. Marinette sat at the back of class, as usual, sighing in boredom as class was derailed off course, whisked off by another one of Lila’s tall tales. Honestly, they were already weeks off schedule— How the hell were they expected to sit for the final exam, at this rate? 

She huffed quietly to herself, watching Bustier trying (and failing) to act like she wasn’t interested in Lila’s story. The woman— An actual adult— Fell for Lila’s usual tricks like a fool, taking in every single word in drunken thirst. Did Mlle. Bustier really have nothing better to do than get absorbed in a teenage girl’s wild fantasies (in a way it was like that). At that thought, Marinette sat up straighter in her chair, an idea going off like a lightbulb above her brain. 

Was it...? 

After further thought, Marinette settled back into her chair, humming thoughtfully as she drummed her fingers against her table quietly. Yes... Yes, perhaps. 

Perhaps it was possible. 

The rest of the lesson passed in wasted time as the class took a major detour to go on a warped journey through Lila’s lies, and before Bustier knew it, the lunch bell had rung. Students chattered animatedly as everyone got up, Mlle. Bustier’s announcement of ‘please go home and study this chapter by yourselves, everyone’ was pathetically drowned out by the rest of the noise. 

Marinette collected her things quickly, needing her exit from the classroom to go off without a hitch, exactly the way she planned it. “I’ve got to go back to my parents’ bakery for lunch,” She said shyly, shrinking into herself as her classmates turned to look at her. “I... Was thinking of bringing some macarons back later. Before I go, though... Lila, is there anything you’re allergic to?” 

“What?” The girl being asked snapped back as a reply, the words leaving her mouth too fast for her to register. Before she knew it, the whole class was staring at her, mouths agape. “I... I mean.” Clearing her throat, the liar plastered on a sweet smile. “What was it, Marinette?” 

“I wanted to bring some macarons back for everyone.” Shyly, the bluenette repeated her plans. “And... Since I’ve been in class with everyone else here for a while, I know their allergies, but not yours. Is there anything you’re allergic to that could be in baked goods?” 

The Italian cursed under her breath— Mari-Brat really wasn’t letting up. The bluenette had made sure to cover any ground that the Italian could use and turn back against her. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m not allergic to anything.” 

Brightening visibly, Marinette nodded, shooting the Italian a smile. “I know things between us aren’t going to get better immediately, but I promise to do my best in fixing things! See you guys after lunch.” 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

Lila was getting really, really fed up. For the whole morning, she wasn’t able to come up with any reason to blame Marinette. If things kept going at the rate that they were, the class would be fully convinced that the bluenette was a changed woman, and that couldn’t happen. There was, in the end, a downside to having such a gullible bunch of classmates— Sure, they swayed easily to her side, but that meant that they swayed back to Marinette’s just as easily. 

Hissing under her breath, Lila looked up to catch Alya and Nino’s concerned looks. 

No. 

She was Lila Rossi. She was resourceful. She had Gabriel Agreste behind her back. She was powerful. She was not going to let Mari-Brat halt her plans in their tracks ever again. 

“I’m going to go use the bathroom real quick,” She said, excusing herself from the lunch table. Perfect! Now all she had to do was come back in tears, saying that Marinette confronted and mocked her in the bathroom, and the class would be all hers, once again. 

Little did she know that Dupain-Cheng was one teensy step ahead. 

As soon as Lila rounded the corner of the cafeteria, Marinette appeared, having just had a lovely chat with Rose (And Juleka, although it was Rose who did most of the talking). The two were at the front steps of Francois Dupont, having a lovely couple moment that Marinette hated to interrupt— But she needed to have at least a word with them. 

“Rose, Juleka!” Marinette greeted, box of macarons held carefully in her arms, as if it were a box of important jewelry instead of just a box of pastries. “Oh— Rose, is that a new watch? I’ve never seen you wear it before!” 

“Yep, it is!” Rose beamed, delighted that someone (Besides Juleka) had finally noticed it. “Isn’t it pretty?” Indeed it was. The watch in question was a pretty, intricate-looking thing done in rose-gold metal, with a pastel pink leather strap holding it down. The background of the watch face was a white background with a thin film of rose-gold metal, cut to resemble a wall of precious rose vines. 

“It is!” Agreeing wholeheartedly, Marinette offered her classmate a smile. “Oh by the way, what time is it?” 

Rose peered at the watchface, returning the answer with an equally-bright smile. “11.47.” 

“Thank you.” Marinette thanked, continuing her way through the school until she reached the cafeteria. Just before she fell into line of sight, though, she hid behind a wall, peering over the corner until she spotted the table she was looking for. 

Perfect— Lila just walked away. Marinette thanked the gods for all the luck that she was having— Okay, maybe she thanked one god in particular more than the others. Gently, she patted the secret pocket that was sewn into the lining of her blazer— Tikki, who had magic powers, managed to create a miniature ‘room’ inside the secret pocket, with the pocket itself acting as a portal of sorts to the room. After a few seconds, she felt the pocket tap back, managing a small smile of gratitude for her kwami’s constant love and support. 

“Hey, Alya, Nino.” Marinette greeted shyly, box of macarons propped up against her hip. “Where’s... Lila?” She hesitated slightly with her question, acting as if it was a little out-of-place to ask about the Italian girl. 

“She went to the bathroom.” Nino provided, mouth still full of unchewed food. This gifted him with a smack from his girlfriend (“Don’t talk with your mouth full!” she scolded,). 

“Oh, I see.” I definitely see. I know what she’s going to try and pull later— I have to time this properly. Timing is everything. 

Marinette continued to make small talk with the two, whom she had not talked to for a very long time. Much to her surprise, they were very warm and accepting, quite unlike the people who slung slurs and accused her baselessly a few days ago. One morning made all the difference to people who believed anything, she supposed. 

All of a sudden, something in her chest buzzed, as if it were a fire alarm, vibrating in warning— She had to go. “It was nice talking to you guys again.” She admitted, having briefly dipped into a pool of what their friendship used to be like. “But I have to go. I promised Kagami I’d meet her for a few minutes before lunch ended.”

Alya’s eyebrows jumped up comically in surprise. “I didn’t know you still talked to her. I thought you two were… Love rivals.”

“So what if we were love rivals?” Marinette shrugged with a simple smile. “Adrien is… As much as it’s odd to admit, he’s just a boy. Neither of us let him get in between us. He’s just a boy, and it’d be stupid for us to not get along just because we like the same boy. It doesn’t bother Kagami that we used to like the same boy, so why should I let it bother me? Besides,” Marinette tilted her head slightly. “It’d be stupid to give up a great friendship just because of a boy.”

With her last words still hanging in the air, Marinette turned tail and left, walking faster than usual. She had little time left— As she neared the wall that would shield her from the view of the cafeteria, she sped up her footsteps, practically half-sprinting just so she could get out of sight before Lila Rossi returned, looking like someone just killed a puppy in front of her very eyes.

“Oh my god, what’s wrong?” Alya jumped to her feet instantly, reaching out to comfort her best friend, who was moments away from having tears stream down her cheeks.

“I… I thought she’d changed.” Lila sniffled, biting her lip to appear as if she was desperately trying not to cry.

Alya frowned. “Who?”

“Marinette.” Lila stated as if it were obvious, faltering for a moment— Why had Alya bothered to ask? Shouldn’t it come pretty obvious? The liar dismissed the thoughts and continued in her performance. “She threatened me in the bathroom. She… She confronted me and mocked me, saying… Saying that all of you… All of you are idiots for believing that she’s changed. She… She said everything was an act to turn you all against me.”

Nino’s jaw dropped so far that it touched the floor. “Uh… Dudette, are you sure it was Marinette?”

“Yes!” Lila spun to look at him so fast that it was a wonder she didn’t break her neck. “Are… Are you doubting me? Oh my god, it’s working. She’s turning you guys against me. I just want to have friends, I don’t get why she hates me so—”

“You’re… Absolutely sure it was Marinette? You saw her face?” Alya repeated her boyfriend’s words, emphasising each and everyone of them as she looked Lila in the eyes.

“Alya, not you too.” Lila sniffled, tears basically dropping out of her eyes like big, fat droplets of salt water. “It was her— I saw her blazer, it had MDC stitched onto it.”

An uncomfortable silence settled in between the girl and her boyfriend, neither quite knowing what to say. “Oh. I… I see.” Alya said at last, turning back to her food. “Well… Lunch is almost over. Let’s… Let’s get back to class.”

“Marinette just threatened me in the bathroom!” Lila puffed up, clearly upset now. “She mocked me! She called you guys stupid for believing her act!”

“Dudette.” Nino shattered the ice-cold silence at their lunch table, swallowing heavily. “Marinette was with us the whole time you were in the bathroom.”

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

The tension inside the room was so thick that Adrien could cut it with his bare hands. God, what had happened? The day had started off so well— Marinette agreed to be friends with Lila, god bless the girl— But as it turned out, one hurdle folded over only to be towered over by a taller one. 

“Alya—” Lila began tearfully, her pitiful look attracting the sympathy of those who still didn’t know what was going on. 

“You claimed that Marinette threatened you in the bathroom.” Alya interrupted. “While she was with us the whole time in the cafeteria.” 

Faltering, the Italian struggled to find a way to squeeze herself out of the tight spot. “M— Maybe it was someone else.” Reluctantly, she backed out one trap into another one. 

“You said that you were sure! You said that she was wearing a blazer with MDC stitched on it. Marinette was wearing that blazer during lunch!” The reporter shot back, Nino at her side, trying to extinguish the conflicted fire blazing inside Alya’s heart. 

The seeds of doubt had been sewn, and Lila was going to have a tough time weeding them out. “I... I’m sorry!” She burst out into tears, sobbing pitifully in front of the class, most of which were already in attendance. “My lying disease is acting up again. I... I can’t help it. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone!” 

“Uh... Is this a bad time to ask if anyone wants macarons?” Marinette cleared her throat awkwardly, standing at the front of the room. Her royal blue blazer had been shed, and it now hung over her arm, properly folded into half. Earlier, she had asked Rose for the time to make sure that she had a witness in case Lila tried to pull another act— But as it seemed, the Italian was determined to dig her own grave and all the work had been done. 

The students of Mlle. Bustier’s class shared looks. 

“I’ll... I’ll have one.” Mylene cleared her throat, hoping that it would diffuse the situation. 

“Me too.” Kim followed, not missing the way Marinette flinched slightly at his words. Most of the words he had said to her of late had not been nice at all— But he justified that with the fact that she was being a bully to Lila, like Chloe had been to Marinette herself. 

“Great!” Marinette cleared her throat awkwardly, slapping on a strained smile. She passed the box to the front row, where Sabrina and Chloe were, gesturing for them to pass the box along until everyone got their fill. 

Internally, Lila seethed, anger burning like a wildfire that tore down every lush sign of life in her path. The girl had never felt that livid in her entire life— Who did Dupain-Cheng think she was, having a change of heart out of nowhere, pretending to play along with those oh-so-innocent eyes of hers? 

“I... I think I know why my disease acted up again,” Lila sniffled, loud enough to gather attention again. Unsure glances passed around like an object that no one wanted, carried from hand to hand forcefully as no one wanted to hold onto it for too long. “It... It must’ve been because of... Of the cardigan that Marinette made me! You must’ve known that...” The Italian squinted at the cardigan on her desk, “... Cotton triggers my lying disease!” 

The bluenette, still passing around macarons, stopped in her tracks. Inside her mind, Marinette was shaking her head, an amused smile on her cheeks. She had to give Lila credit for that one— She would’ve never anticipated that lie from her nemesis. “That’s terrible!” She sucked in a breath, putting on a dismayed look. “I’m really sorry, Lila! I know it seems like I did this on purpose, but I promise I didn’t! To make it up to you, I’ll make you another one.” 

Is she serious right now? Lila scoffed mentally. How long does she plan to keep this going? No matter— She’ll eventually drain herself out and I won’t even have to meddle in this matter. 

Marinette sniffled, collecting the cardigan pitifully from Lila’s desk. “But to prevent future incidents, Lila, I just want you to know that this isn’t made of cotton... It’s made from the highest-quality of star silk, which is incredibly difficult to produce and is rather expensive. It’s such a pity... I thought that only the best of materials would be deserving to be used to make an apology present... I guess you can’t wear it. I’ll just make another copy of the cardigan with some normal-range silk.” Sighing, the bluenette pretended to mull in sadness for a few seconds before an idea struck her. “Alya! You aren’t allergic to star silk, right?” 

The flow of conversation redirected suddenly, with the reporter snapping to attention and nodding eagerly as she realised what was about to happen. 

“Then... Since I’ve spent so long on this, I don’t want it to go to waste... Why don’t you have it, instead?” Offered Marinette with a sweet, shy smile on her face. 

Lila, still caught up in shock by the reveal of the material— Was then slammed with a wall of flaming anger as Alya squealed, coddling the soft, fluffy material that made the cardigan the exquisite product it was. 

“Marinette’s right,” Adrien chipped in with his own two cents, “Father can rarely get his hands on that material— It costs a fortune, and if hand-made... It takes forever.” 

“Oh, I wove the silk by myself,” Marinette added shyly after Adrien’s contribution, “So I apologise if it’s not up to the quality of industry-level star silk.” 

The reporter gushed, still cooing and running her hands over the gorgeous threads of fabric that made up the cloud-like base of the cardigan, eyes sparkling and the details of the embroidery. 

Marinette smiled, returning to her seat without a fuss. The rest of the class continued to pass the pastries around, the perfect description of ‘ignorance is bliss’ as they pretended as if they couldn’t see the way Lila was shaking in anger. Alya, on the other hand, could see nothing but the garment in her hands, her ‘best friend’ having become invisible for the time being. 

Just as well that it turned out this way, Marinette hummed, twirling her pen in hand, Let that be my departing gift to Rena Rouge. 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

Tomorrow arrived like clockwork, never late and always on time. The crowd of students clamouring by the front of Francois Dupont hushed to silence as they parted for two dark-haired women, both of which were giving off waves of confidence. Simple conversation flowed between the two, who were perfect examples of elegance and grace, their traditional-inspired attire complementing the royal-like aura they had. 

“This dress is really lovely, Marinette,” Kagami smiled gently, admiring the way the fabric flowed around her. The designer had gifted her friend with a maroon-coloured hanfu-inspired dress, complete with hand-sewn embroidery of a golden dragon curled around Kagami’s waist and neck. The dress was completed with a pleated skirt that went all the way to the heels. At first, the fencer was reluctant about the skirt due to the limited maneuverability, but then Marinette revealed that the skirt was very simple to take off as it was just tied around the waist. 

“You look gorgeous in it. It suits you.” Marinette replied, dressed in a similar looking dress. Her hanfu-inspired dress was light pink in colour, with silver threads depicting cranes flying about freely. The pleated skirt was grey in colour, lined with a soft circle of white. 

Kagami blushed slightly. “Thank you.” Briefly, the Japanese girl wondered why on Earth Marinette would go and embroider a dragon onto her dress— Was it purely a coincidence, or...? 

“I’m really glad you decided to transfer here,” Marinette smiled softly, her dark blue bangs framing her face as the rest of it was gathered into a braid that Kagami had helped weave. “It’s going to be nice! I’ll get to see you a lot more often.” 

“We’re in different classes, though.” Frowning, Kagami wondered if she should request a change of homeroom. 

“For now.” The designer winked playfully. “Oh, I have to get to class. See you during lunch?” 

Without waiting for a reply, the blue-eyed girl moved away gracefully, leaving Kagami in confusion. 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

“Good morning,” Marinette greeted gracefully, sweeping into the classroom with her bag over her shoulder and a package in her hands. This package was clearly not as exquisitely-wrapped as the one from the day before, as it was just brown paper and some rough string. 

Alya brightened at the sight of her friend, shrinking away slightly whenever Lila tried to say anything. Sure, the reporter did shake off the initial reaction and respond to whatever her ‘best friend’ said, but the damage had been done. 

“Here’s your new cardigan. It’s made from the same material as your shirt,” Marinette smiled warmly, placing the package on Lila’s table. “It’s a little different from the one I brought yesterday, but I still poured in all my emotions when I made it, so I hope you’ll accept it.” 

Through a gritted smile, the Italian thanked the designer, clenching her fists under the table. That was the second time in two days she had to thank Mari-brat! She swore that if she had to do it again a third time, she was going to slap someone. 

“Oh, Marinette!” Alya called out excitedly, wearing the cardigan that was originally supposed to be Lila’s. “This cardigan is so soft! It’s really amazing to wear! As expected of you, girl!” 

The bluenette stared back at the reporter, wavering for a bit. She had a feeling that Alya wanted something from her... 

“So... I was wondering...” The reporter’s expression turned sheepish, with Marinette’s internal thought-train going ah, there it comes— “Could you remove this and put my name instead?” Alya picked up the corner of the cardigan, pointing to the inside of the garment, where ‘Lila Rossi’ was embroidered on. 

“Ah...” Marinette didn’t even have to fake her nervousness. We already agreed on this, She told herself, No more doing free stuff for people. No more. “Sorry, Alya. My parents need a lot of help in the bakery recently,.. You know how it is! Family always comes first. I’ve already taken out a lot of time to make the cardigan for Lila... And I promised Kagami I’d go out with her this weekend. I’m afraid I don’t have time...” 

There was no missing the way Alya’s face fell instantly. “Couldn’t you put off Kagami for me? Aren’t we best friends?” 

“I thought Lila was your best friend,” Feigning an expression of innocence, Marinette tilted her head slightly. “You shouldn’t go around saying things like that, Alya. You might hurt Lila’s feelings. Besides, a promise is a promise. I wouldn’t want to hurt Kagami’s feelings either. Not to mention— I gave you that cardigan for free. That was two weeks’ worth of hard work. I’m afraid I don’t have the ability to take time out to alter it for free either. If you really want to get it done, you could ask an external tailor to do it for you. I know a few who can do really good embroidery.” 

Alya faltered. “But... We used to be best friends...” 

Snorting mentally, Marinette continued to hold her calm composure. “Like I said, you really shouldn’t say that, Alya. Lila might get upset and we don’t want to hurt her feelings— Right, Adrien?” 

The blonde jumped when the conversation turned to him out of nowhere. All of a sudden, every eye in the classroom was fixed on him. “R— Right, of course.” He said, forcing out each word. 

Satisfied, Marinette nodded, still wearing her ever-so-kind smile. “Exactly.” 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

“Hey, why don’t we all go out and have a picnic outside during lunch?” Alya suggested loudly, jumping up as soon as the lunch bell rang. “Marinette, you can come along too!” Something inside the reporter’s chest was stirring, and with the events of the past few days, Alya felt like she just had to quench that unsettling feeling— And the first step to that was to mend things with Marinette, even though it was the bluenette’s fault for always having been biased to Lila. Alya smiled, proud of herself. She would be the bigger person, she would forgive Marinette, she would integrate the designer back into the class again. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Marinette replied just as quickly, “We don’t know what Lila might be allergic to— She could easily trigger a reaction if we go out, especially since it’s spring.” 

A collective choir of groans rounded the class. 

“Well, I’m going to go back to the hotel to have a first-class meal,” Chloe turned her nose up at her classmates. “... Dupain-Cheng, would you like to come?” 

Shock painted the faces of the whole classroom. Did Chloe just... Ask Marinette something... Politely? 

“I’d love to take that offer, Chloe.” Responded the bluenette, graceful and flawless as ever. “Perhaps tomorrow?” 

“Suit yourself. They’re serving lobster today.” Chloe huffed. “If you’re really that busy, then fine. We can discuss...” The Mayor’s daughter trailed off as she blushed. 

The bluenette giggled knowingly. “You’d like to commission a dress from me, right?” 

“... No.” 

“...” 

“... Maybe.” 

“Alright.” Marinette nodded. “Then maybe it’ll be more convenient if I head over to the hotel after school. I’ll need to take your measurements and we can discuss the prices after.” 

“Whatever.” Chloe waved her away haughtily, a poor effort to cover up her embarrassment. “Sabrina. Let’s go.” 

“Chloe?” Alya guffawed. “Why are you commissioning something from Marinette?” 

Rolling her eyes as if Alya had just asked the stupidest question ever, Chloe answered plainly. “Because she’s one of the up-and-rising designers in the industry? Have you seen what Dupain-Cheng is wearing today? Celebrities are already fighting for spots in her commission list. Even my mother and Gabriel Agreste acknowledge her talent. I’m not dumb, Cesaire. I can recognise a future fashion queen when I see one.” 

Wow, Marinette breathed, looking at the stunned faces around the room, Chloe sure knows how to create an impression. 

“W— Well.” Stuttered the reporter after Chloe made her big exit. “Then... What about going to the bakery for lunch?” 

“Didn’t Lila say she saw a rat in the bakery the last time she visited it?” Marinette pointed out. “The health officer checked the surveillance and the claim was dismissed, of course, because my parents make sure the bakery is as hygienic as possible— But I’m sure Lila is traumatised from that incident. I wouldn’t want to force her to come along to the bakery— And we wouldn’t want to leave her out either, right?” 

This elicited another round of groans. 

Oh, I am enjoying myself way too much, Marinette chuckled mentally. 

“Then— Then...” Alya struggled visibly before she was put out of her misery. 

“It’s fine, Alya.” The designer reassured her. “I wouldn’t want to bother Lila. I’m sure she’s still upset at me. You guys go ahead. I have to go back to the bakery to help my parents out. See you guys after!” 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

Slam! 

Lila fumed, hand still pressed on her locker door. What. The. Hell. Was Mari-brat trying to do? She didn’t miss the way some of her classmates sent her unsatisfactory looks after that pre-lunch stunt that Marinette had pulled. 

And what was the thing about high-and-mighty Chloe commissioning from Marinette? 

Sure, Lila would admit that the cardigan that the designer made was indeed gorgeous, and the fabric was smooth and velvety, a quality unlike any of the clothing that Lila had ever had the privilege to touch— But surely a lowly brat like Dupain-Cheng couldn’t be that popular... Right? 

Dammit, hissed the Italian girl, Maybe I should’ve tried being friends with Mari-brat instead of Cesaire. 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

“Is that... Marinette and Kagami?” Nino gaped, prompting Alya to turn around. It was true— Walking up the steps of Francois Dupont together were the two blue-haired girls, a gentle smile dancing on Kagami’s lips as Marinette talked animatedly, her hands waving around quickly to further elaborate her point. 

Students lounging around the entrance for lunch couldn’t tear their eyes off the two and their matching dresses. Sure, the two girls had walked into school the same way that morning— But now that the afternoon sun was high up in the sky, the golden and silver embroidery was glinting luminously, revealing the true caliber of Marinette’s craft. 

“But... They’re rivals.” Stuttered Alya. She just couldn’t understand... Weren’t they supposed to hate each other? 

“They both like Adrien but they can still get along,” Nino remarked thoughtfully, taking a bite from his sandwich. “So Marinette wasn’t lying about going to meet Kagami yesterday.” 

Alya was silent. 

“Alya? What’s wrong?” Worried, Nino put a hand around his girlfriend’s shoulder, care and concern shining through his honest eyes. 

“If... If Marinette doesn’t get jealous or biased over someone who also likes Adrien...” Alya started quietly, eyes still fixed on the two girls, “Then why was she so against Lila?” 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

“Mlle. Bustier?” The teacher looked up at the voice of her favourite student. Fondly, she smiled. Marinette had finally seen the light and changed her ways, becoming the helpful, generous, kind Marinette that served as a great example for her peers. “May I make an announcement before class ends?” 

“Of course, dear.” Mlle. Bustier gave permission instantly— Marinette was taking up the reins of leadership again! The teacher couldn’t help but do a happy dance internally. 

“I have an announcement to make, so if everyone could listen, I’d be really thankful.” Marinette started, her clear blue eyes meeting those of her classmates. 

She took a deep breath. This is it. I’ve done what I needed to do, now it’s time to finish the job. 

“These past two days... Have been great,” Marinette started wistfully. “I really missed hanging around everyone, just like we did before,” Before you all turned your backs on me and stabbed me when I wasn’t looking, “But I can’t deny— And neither can you— That the things that have happened... They had a really deep impact. And I’ve realised that I can’t just ignore that damage that has been done.” The damage that has been done to me. “So, for the better of everyone— I’ve decided that I... Will transfer classes.” 

It was as if an explosion had gone off in Mlle. Bustier’s classroom. 

“Girl! You can’t do that!” Alya exclaimed in dismay, “We can fix things! Everything has been going well these few days, haven’t they?” 

“Dudette! Honestly, we forgive you.” Nino sighed, “Things just aren’t the same if you’re not here anymore.” 

Adrien didn’t say a word, but the imploring gaze he wore said enough. Please don’t leave me here alone. We promised we’d fight together, right? As long as both of us know... 

Marinette held her hand up to silence them, and the classroom, just as swiftly, became the deadly silence that followed post-disaster. “I understand. But once again, this is for the better,” — Of my mental health, “I’ve talked to Mlle. Mendeliev, and she’s agreed to take me in. I believe that once the changes have taken place, we can all grow more freely without restrictions.” 

In the corner, Mlle. Bustier was tearing up and dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve. 

“Mlle. Bustier,” Marinette turned to her teacher, no malice in her eyes. “I’ll be under Mlle. Mendeliev’s care now.” 

“Marinette...” The teacher sobbed quietly, with Chloe shooting her a look of disgust from the front row. 

“It’s not going to be easy for any of us,” Marinette turned back to the class, “But with time, I’m sure we will all prosper. Especially since you will now be under the care of our one and only Lila Rossi.” 

Adrien looked like someone had just killed a puppy in front of him. 

“Since I am the current class president, I thought I’d pass on the duties onto the most capable person in our class.” Marinette explained warmly, never moving her gaze away from the bewildered Lila. “Lila has the most connections in our class out of all of us, and she’s met so many CEOs and entrepreneurs that she must know a lot about organising and planning. I’m sure you can do it, Lila, but...” She paused. “You can handle it, right?” 

“Y— Yeah. Of course.” Lila stuttered. 

“You promised the class that you’d get BTS to perform for the year-end fundraiser since you were supposed to be in an arranged marriage with their youngest member, Jungkook.” Marinette continued, God I am enjoying myself too much honestly, but I ain’t going to stop now, “And you said you could convince your godfather, Bruce Wayne, to allow the class to go to Wayne Enterprises for this year’s class trip.” 

“She said she could convince Tony Hawk to give me an internship, too!” Alix chipped in. 

“And that she’d bring me along the next time Prince Ali asks for her help for a charity cause!” Rose smiled. 

“She said she’d introduce me to the CEO of Graham Films!” Nino’s eyes shone at the idea. 

The class continued to talk all over one another until Marinette silenced them once more. “Now, now. Let’s not overwhelm Lila. We wouldn’t want her to be overworked or to feel like the expectations are set too high, right?” 

The class agreed, nodding along. 

Marinette made eye contact with Lila, offering her a sweet smile as she did so. Lila, on the other hand, had no taste for such politeness. Instead, she straight-out glared at the former class president. 

This is your problem now. 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

“Marinette! I was hoping to catch you before you went home,” Alya panted, having been able to find the bluenette in the locker room before the designer slipped out of her reach. “You... You’re really serious about leaving?” 

“Yeah.” Smiled Marinette, organising her textbooks into her bag, dusting down her skirt. Noticing Alya’s crestfallen expression, she took the initiative to continue the conversation. “Is there anything else, Alya?” 

“Did you... Did you really hate Lila because she liked Adrien, too?” The reporter asked somewhat timidly. 

Marinette giggled. Normally, when the girl giggled, you could hear a gentle tinkling of wind chimes— But at that moment, Alya heard the freezing winds on Mount Everest instead. “Don’t be silly, Alya. All this over a boy? Besides, I’m over him.” 

“Then...” Alya swallowed difficulty. “Lila... Really was lying this whole time?” 

The gaze that swept across the reporter was stone cold, and it made Alya feel as if she was dangling over a valley of jagged rocks. “What do you think, Alya?” Even so, the bluenette maintained a sweet smile. 

“She was. She was lying the whole time.” Alya suddenly felt as if she had a shortness of air. “This whole time—” 

“Oh, good for you. You finally learned how to see further than one feet in front of you.” Marinette hummed. “I’m proud of you, really. But I’m afraid that I don’t have the time to listen to you slowly come to conclusions after I’ve tried making you see sense for the past half a year. I tried to stop you from ruining your futures, but I guess determination was always one of your good traits.” 

Alya slipped to the floor, having lost the feeling in her legs. She placed one hand against the lockers for support as she shook, weakly looking up at the girl who she was once so proud to call her ‘best friend’. 

“Marinette?” Kagami’s voice rang through the room, indicating that the girl was waiting at the doorway. “You said you were heading to Bourgeois’s hotel after school— Would you like a ride?” 

“That’d be nice, Kagami. A moment.” The designer looked down at her friend and smiled, albeit a little sadly this time— And then she lowered her voice. 

“Determination was always one of your good traits.” 

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

“Marinette,” Adrien perked up at the sight of the bluenette leaving the school doors— Side by side with Kagami, who looked ready to draw a sword and start a duel then and there. 

“This’ll just take a minute, ‘Gami.” Marinette reassured, gently patting her friend’s arm. “Why don’t you get in the car first? It looks like it’s going to rain.” 

Reluctantly, Kagami nodded. “Alright.” Warily, the fencer stepped down the stairs and into the car— But even as she sat in the vehicle, she watched over her fellow bluenette like a hawk, ready to jump out and challenge the blonde if the situation called for it. 

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say. Luckily for him, the designer decided to start the conversation. 

“I just wanted to say thank you.” Marinette smiled softly. A few months ago, when she looked at Adrien, she would see the kind, generous, pure-hearted boy with the finest golden hair and the brightest green eyes. Now? All she saw was a spineless, sheltered, passive child that was afraid of confrontations. 

“For what?” Adrien looked at Marinette, and no longer did he see the cute, pigtail-adorning girl that would blush fiercely everytime he tried to talk to her. Instead, he saw a beautiful, young woman, a rock that had pulled through all the odds to become a vibrant, iridescent diamond. 

Marinette was glowing with confidence, her presence diffusing into the air around her and triggering eyes to look up every time she walked by. There was something about the way she held herself that just made the woman demand awe and respect from those that crossed her path. The old ‘Clumsinette’ had been shed like an old snake skin to reveal a treasure, a better version of the bluenette that had always been waiting for her time to come. 

Bluebell eyes met green ones just as rain began to patter down onto the streets of Paris. Marinette glanced up slightly, not at all bothered as she smoothly retrieved an umbrella from her bag, holding it out for the blonde to take. A flush of deja vu burst through Adrien’s veins and through his skin as he took it with a mumbled thanks, eyes blown wide as Marinette let loose her hair from her ponytail, pulling her blazer over her head to avoid getting her head wet. 

Adrien could only gape as Marinette uttered familiar words back to him, a knowing smile dancing across her lips as she ran off into the rain as if an invisible weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The bluenette looked lighter, brighter, ready to take flight and soar towards the success that her crops of hard work had finally started to bear. Before the blonde model knew it, Marinette Dupain-Cheng had slipped out of his grip, already spreading her multi-coloured wings to land among the stars. 

“Thank you for telling me to take the high road.”  

──────── ⋆⋅❉⋅⋆ ────────

this was both satisfying and tiring to write... 

#ml salt #ml saltfic #saltfic #lila salt #marinette dupain-cheng #adrien salt #miraculous ladybug #alya salt #[ris writes]—✧

[caffeinated-croissant]

I've had a brilliant idea for a miraculous salt fic with a DC batfam crossover. Should Bruce have been in a throuple with Mari's parents?? And should Mari I include an older brother for her in Paris??

#marinette dupain cheng #mlb x batfamily #dc batfam #dc batman #bat family #batfam #miraculous lb #ml saltfic #saltfic #bruce wayne

[princess-of-the-corner]

A question has popped into my mind.

Are there any ML salt fics you enjoy?

It's..... hm.

I have my limits.

Sometimes I do enjoy the catharsis of characters being called out on the mistakes they've made and facing the larger consequences that can go wrong.

But I do have limits and a lot of saltfics just. Make everyone so fucking awful.

And that's not an ml-specific thing either. Back in my mlp days I read plenty of anon-a-miss fics and by fuck those could be dark as hell too.

[politely-writings]

Lily of the Asphodel

Author’s Note: This is a long one, so I apologize beforehand. I will reblog it later with tags. ^.^ Also - no beta’s. We die like men. (Which means, if there are spots where it switches from past to present tense, it’s because I kept forgetting to make it past. My bad.)

Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng has stayed strong throughout much in her life. With the risk of a villain taking advantage of your emotions, she learned quickly how to dampen them down and avoid Hawkmoth’s reach. But after a horrific tragedy, a confrontation with Alya and Lila sends her over the edge.

Watch out, Paris. A goddess is coming, and there is Hell to pay.

The second worst day of Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s life started with a dream.

The sun was bright and birds chirped around her, but the joy and beauty of nature had nothing on the cloud of emotions swirling inside the noirette. Her ‘friends’- though really, were they ever her friends at all? – were ganging up on her. A picnic during lunch the next day was the catalyst for the confrontation. Ironic, since she hadn’t even known about it until they needed something.

“Alya, I can’t bring you three dozen cookies by tomorrow. If you’d asked earlier, I might have been able to work something out, but we would have to go buy the stuff for them and we’re already so busy tonight that we wouldn’t get to them before we closed.”

She couldn’t remember exactly what it was they said that had convinced her to make the cookies. Maybe they’d begged, pleaded, made her feel guilty for not wanting to do the extra work. Maybe they’d yelled at her, or rolled their eyes in that way that they’d perfected over the last few months. Maybe Alya had actually had a conversation with her to talk her into it. She doesn’t remember. All she remembers is what happened next.

“Fine, Alya,” her voice rang out, and the group looked hopeful, “but I’m going to have to add an expedition fee to the charge since you want them so quickly.”

They froze. The emotions on their faces ranged from confusion to hurt, to downright rage in Alya’s case.

“You’re not seriously gonna charge us, are you?” Alya’s voice was dripping with distaste. It colored the world around her in gray and white. Monotony – that’s what her life had become. Asked for something, and berated if she didn���t give in.

“Yes, Alya, I am.” Marinette’s voice was silver – still hopeful that they could turn this around. “You want me to go out of my way to go to the store, spend my money on ingredients, and make three dozen cookies for a picnic that I am not even invited to. You want me to stay up all night to prepare, bake, and ice three dozen cookies when I’m already behind on homework and busy with the bakery. Of course, I’m charging you. You’re lucky I’m making the cookies at all.”

She remembered how harsh Alya’s words were after that. They finished painting the scene, every single one of her class now a black silhouette where they were once a rainbow of love and acceptance.

“God, Marinette! Can’t you stop being a bitch for five minutes? Honestly, you’re worse than Chloe!”

She woke up with a gasp, and almost screamed for her mother. Sabine had always had a knack for calming her with a few simple words and a hand on her back. The cry was on the tip of her tongue when she stopped, remembering that she wasn’t in her room anymore. She was in the mayor’s hotel, being taken care of by an aunt she’d never met. The woman reminded her of her father – tall, and broad, but as sweet as sugar. The thought of her father reminded her that he’s gone. Her mother was too.

Five days ago, Marinette lost everything that she had ever held dear. She spent a few minutes crying, begging for this to be another bad dream. Only Tikki’s comforting presence on her shoulder reminded her that it isn’t. It also reminded her that she had to get ready for school, lest she be charged for truancy. Apparently, losing your parents wasn’t a good enough excuse to get out of school anymore.

Classes passed by in a blur. She was vaguely aware of Mrs. Bustier saying hello to her, and the screech of her chair as she pulled it out to sit down. No one came to ask why she was gone for half of last week, so Mrs. Bustier must have told them what happened. Silently, Marinette thanked the Kwami that no one tried to talk to her about it. Before she knew it, the bell was signaling for everyone to head to lunch.

Sitting silently at a table – she wasn’t hungry these days – Marinette couldn’t help but notice the whispers around her. It was the angry grumbling that shook her out of her stupor. She looked up and watched as Alya, Nino, Lila, and Adrien walked up to her table. Maybe they would ask how she was doing, planning the funeral.

“What is wrong with you?”

She would have liked to think a girl could hope, but she’d lost hope days ago.

“What do you want, Alya?”

“I can’t believe you! First you act awful towards Lila, then you stop talking to us, and now you and your parents won’t even answer your phones?”

Marinette’s head shot back up with a glare, and Alya almost stumbled back. If she had been smart, she would have. But Alya hadn’t been smart for a while.

“We won’t be answering our phones at all anymore,” Marinette said in a hoarse voice. Briefly, she wondered if they were doing this to be cruel. The only other explanation was that they didn’t know, but, how couldn’t they?

She got her answer almost immediately.

“Marinette stop being so awful! What is wrong with you? Lila said she called the bakery this morning to try and find you all, but your parents were so rude to her that she hung up crying! I can’t believe you got your parents in on your little bully plan! Just get over yourself and apologize!”

Nino and Adrien were the only ones to notice the cold that dropped over them, seeming to come directly from the glare in Marinette’s eyes.

“I didn’t get my parents in on anything, Alya. Lila is lying to you.” She didn’t let Alya interrupt her, though the brunette surely was about to by the looks of it. “And I know she’s lying because my parents are dead.”

The room froze, and everyone found that suddenly it was a little harder to breathe.

“My parents died five days ago. So, they couldn’t have answered the phone, or been rude to her. She’s a fucking liar. And the fact that you didn’t even know about them dying tells me that you truly don’t care about me unless it gets you what you want. I’m only at school because the board threatened to consider me truant, which is bullshit. But thank you for reminding me why I stopped being friends with you long ago.”

The class watched her as she ran off, before they broke apart in shouts of ‘how didn’t you know?’ and ‘why didn’t anyone tell us!’. No one saw the black butterfly as it fluttered through the hallways, and hovered around Marinette. It landed on a ring on her right middle finger, the gem cut in the shape of a small lily. It had been the last present her mother had given her.

Persephone, the voice came, quiet and comforting and colorful. Not gray, not black, not white. It was blue, and purple, and reminded her of the world that she’d thought of Adrien.

Persephone, you have been wronged. You have been let down, and turned on. Your friends chose a liar and a bully, the boy you love chose cowardice and passivity. The flowers of your love for them have wilted, and in their place have grown weeds of doubt and betrayal. It seems to me that it’s time to cut them back, and allow yourself to bloom once more. All I ask in return is Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous. Will you help me?

Hawkmoth hadn’t known then that Ladybug was the small girl whose anger and betrayal rang so loudly through him that he physically felt hit. If he had, maybe he would have been a bit cleverer with the leniency he gave her.

“Yes Hawkmoth,” she whispered, the pastel purple butterfly silhouette around her face brightening. The akuma’s power washed over her in clouds of purple and black. It was cold, and malicious, and she reveled in the power she felt. She would may them pay for what they’d done to her. She would cut out the weeds and remake Paris. It would bloom once more, for her parents. For the girl she’d once been. For the love she’d lost when her friends became enemies.

Everyone in Paris felt the temperature drop when her transformation was finished. None could explain it, but all felt the darkening in their hearts. Flowers around them began to wilt, and the world seemed to lose its color. The students in the open area of the school turned at the doors slamming open behind them. Their hearts dropped into their stomachs when they saw the young woman standing before them.

The most obvious change was her outfit. Gone were her joggers and slightly oversized hoodie. They had been replaced by a sleek black dress, styled like a Greek goddess’. The neckline was cut low, and the chest stopped halfway up the length of her sternum, where it turned into a single string that wrapped around the back of her neck in a halter. At the end of her chest, it curved inward into a v, and then curved outward once more towards her hips, where it fell down to the floor. High up each thigh was a slit, cutting the skirt of her dress into two pieces, which exposed her legs every time she stepped. The chest of the dress was covered in purple, gray, and blue flowers with silver petals strewn throughout. The slip of the skirt that fell between her legs and the part of it above the slits were similarly designed, though the flowers were scattered about, and a few silver petals stopped the creation of negative space. The V’s of her dress’s design were lined in bright silver glitter.

When she turned to close the doors, they saw that the chest of her dress was held across her sternum by small tree branches, which connected to the skirt of her dress at her hips as it curved inward, into a V. Similar to the front of her dress, this V was also lined in bright silver glitter. Her bare back was covered in the smaller twigs of the branches, crisscrossing over her skin. The entire back of her skirt was black. She wore no shoes.

Her face, when she turned back around, was downcast. This allowed them to see the changes to her makeup and hair. Her makeup was now a smoky purple, her lips painted a deep plum color. Her eyeliner was dark and bold. Her hair, which had once been solid black-blue, was now an ombre from black so deep it felt like a void, to a dark midnight blue that seemed to glitter. It was longer, and was held back by a flower crown made of blue, purple, and gray roses with silver leaves.

The most shocking change, though, was the silver color that her eyes had become. It was cold, and stormy.

Her right hand, which was coiled by a black vine that branched off at her upper arm, raised, and suddenly the ground broke open. Large black vines with white thorns tore their way out of the ground, encircling the students still too shocked to move. Each time someone tried to run, they grew closer, trapping the students there.

“Hello, my flowers. It’s time for some weeding. Would anyone like to volunteer first?”

“Marinette?” Rose’s voice was small, but it still drew the Akuma’s attention.

“Actually, my flower, it’s Persephone. But thank you, for volunteering.” She smirked, a gleam in her eye, and held her right hand up. The ring around her middle finger, which seemed to be the beginning of the black vine, gathered a dark aura around it. Smaller vines shot up from the ground and wrapped around Rose, as well as Juleka, Nathaniel, and Sabrina. When the vines shrunk back, white roses were blooming over their hearts. That wasn’t the horrifying part. No, what struck the class with fear was the lack of mouths on their faces. They looked like they were trying to scream, but no sound came from them.

“White roses,” Persephone mused, tilting her head, “symbolic of silence. You all doubted Lila and her tales, but you stayed silent when she turned her guns on me. For that, you shall be silent always, unable to voice your concerns to anyone.”

The students began scrambling, before they stumbled back. Over the vines jumped large creatures, skeletal and covered in moss and twigs.

“Marinette stop this! What good does this do?” A voice called, and she turned her head slightly. There, next to Nino, stood Luka. He’d come in to share lunch with his sister. Pity, he’d been caught up in this.

“Luka, Nino. My truest love, and my first friend. You never should have been trapped in this nightmare.” She raised her hand again, and when the vines shrunk back, there over their hearts bloomed orange tulips. “Orange tulips, for understanding and true love. You both have always understood me, always protected me from those who would hurt me. For that, I protect you. You will always be understood, and never harmed.”

The slight orange auras that glowed around them were fiery and fierce, the only bright color that Persephone had shown off.

Next, she raised her hand at Kim, Alix, Max, Mylene, and Ivan. Vines wrapped around them quickly, and once bare they looked down to see columbines over their hearts. Kim looked up, and was about to ask what they meant when Marinette spoke again.

“Columbines, for faithlessness. You showed no faith in me. You never believed me, when I told you all she was a liar. You didn’t believe in me, when she tried to have me expelled. For that, no one will ever believe you again. No matter what you say, no matter how true it may be, you will always be believed to be lying.”

Again, and again she raised her hand, and again and again students faced punishment. Chloe became invisible and silent, the only signal of her presence being the narcissus that rested over her heart.

“You are selfish,” Persephone had said, “and care not for others. For that, you will be unseen and unheard. No one will ever pay attention to you again.”

As more students bloomed, the ground under Persephone blackened. It died under her bare feet, and added strength to the aura around her ring, which now wrapped around her skeletal animal army as well.

The only students left were Alya, Lila, and Adrien. She stepped towards them, seeming to glow with power. The purple butterfly mask that glowed over her face stopped her, but she merely narrowed her eyes and waved her left hand, as if swatting away a fly.

“I’ll deal with you later, Hawkmoth. For now, I have something to do.” She raised her hand. And the aura around her ring grew. The vines that encased Alya, Lila, and Adrien were cold, pressing in against them until it felt like their ribs would break. When they were gone, they looked down.

“A red dahlia, for you Lila. So dishonest, betraying everyone around you with lies and false promises. For that, you will  only tell the truth. No matter what, you cannot lie. Now tell them, tell all of them what you did to me.” Persephone paused while Lila broke out into a hoarse voice, revealing everything she’d done, every lie she’d told, every promise she never planned to keep. Before long, Persephone had grown tired of it, and waved her hand once more. Lila stopped talking, almost as if she’d been frozen. The akuma turned to Alya and Adrien, snarling.

“For dear Adrien, I chose a yellow carnation. My disappointment in you blooms wildly, my flower. You were a coward, and a fake. You said we were in it together, but you left me to suffer while you sat idly by. For that, you will disappoint everyone. Nothing you do will be right, and nothing you say will come out correctly. You will see how much it hurts to fail at every turn. And Alya. Dear,sweet Alya. I give you the yellow rose, for extreme betrayal.”

Her voice cut off there, as if she were trying not to cry. She looked sad, though her left hand clenched the skirt of her dress tightly.

“You believed a liar, over your best friend. You turned on me, accused me of jealousy and bullying, when I’d only ever tried to protect you from her falsities. You attacked and berated me for things I did not do. For that, you will feel what I felt. Everyone you talk to, everyone you meet, will turn on you. They will attack and berate you, as you have done to me. They will hurt you, and destroy your esteem.”

She had become so focused on Alya, that when Adrien managed to slip away, Persephone did not notice. She raised her arms, and the vines fell. The doors opened. Students began running, shoving each other as they scrambled to get out of the building.

“Go, my flowers. And feel what your punishments have wrought. Once you have given in to the bloom, I will remake Paris. It will blossom beautifully, to honor my parents. Go, my vines and my creatures. Make sure that everyone feels my pain.”

The ground that had blackened under her rumbled, and the dark shadow of the dying earth grew as her vines spread and her skeletal animals leapt off. Soon, it would encompass all of the Parisian ground, and she would be able to begin weeding. A scuffling noise sounded behind her, and Persephone turned.

“Chat Noir,” she murmured, eyeing the way he seemed to be unbalanced.

“Come on, Princess! Fight don’t make you me! You hate I’d hurt to!” Come on, Princess. Don’t make me fight you. I’d hate to hurt you. She doubted he could, though his voice drew her attention closer to him. The yellow carnation on his chest made her catch her breath, but she recovered quickly.

“Oh, silly kitty. You actually think you stand a chance against me?”

“This you why doing are?” Why are you doing this? She huffed, and it almost sounded like a laugh.

“They wanted me to be the bad guy. So now I am. They chose a liar, and a bully, over me! Adrien threw me to the wolves to save his own ass! They’re the real villains, but they want a reason to hate me? Fine then. I’ll give them one.” She charged at him, and he swung his staff around to block her.

The fight didn’t last long. Chat – Adrien – kept slipping up. He would stumble, or lose his grip on his staff. Persephone found that she didn’t want to hurt him, not really. He was being a nuisance, though. She needed him out of the way. She needed him to stop interfering. Her plan was still under way, and if he messed it up for her, she would be very upset. She picked him up and threw him, watching as he hit the lockers. His head hit the metal with a sickening thud. He hit the ground. When he didn’t move, Persephone gather herself and walked outside – only to freeze in place. There, on the steps leading up to the school, stood her parents.

They can’t be here, she thought, her left hand curling into a fist. They’re dead. This is a trick. They cried out when they saw her.

“My baby,” her mother cried, “my flower! What happened to you, to make you so angry?” Her father gathered her mother in his arms. “Where has my flower gone? What is this weed that has taken her place?”

Persephone fought to move, but found that she couldn’t. Her heart ached, and her ribs felt too tight. She couldn’t breathe – she couldn’t cry out.

“Sweetheart,” came her father’s calming baritone, “why are you doing this? What good does it do, to give in to him? What vengeance does it bring?”

“Maman. Papa. I never wanted to hurt them. But they turned on me! They made me into a villain! If they see me as such, why not become one? Why not show them how they hurt me?” Her parents just cried, and turned away from her. Persephone cried, and fell to her knees. She could feel Hawkmoth screaming in her head, could feel the cold rage he pushed her way, trying to reel her back.

Persephone screamed, and slammed her fist against the concrete, again and again, until her knuckles bled.

Her parents looked down at her, but then they vanished. In their place stood an old man in orange, a familiar necklace hanging from his neck.

“It is time. Marinette. Come back to us. Come back to them,” he whispered. Persephone – Marinette – cried out, and then curled her right hand into a fist and punched the concrete. The jewel on her ring shattered, pieces of the lily-shaped gem scattered across the sidewalk beneath her. A black and purple butterfly fluttered out, but a red blur quickly caught it before it could fly away.

Tikki. Marinette hadn’t even realized that she’d taken the earrings when the butterfly had first appeared. She felt relief and gratitude wash over her. In a flash of white, Tikki purified the akuma, and then turned back to her chosen. Nodding her head once, the red and black spotted kwami flew high into the air, and before anyone could blink a red cloud of ladybugs washed over the city, clearing away the damage Persephone had caused. Marinette blinked, and then there was her aunt. Tikki had taken her place back in Marinette’s bag. Her aunt gathered Marinette in her arms, and the next thing Marinette knew she was falling into her bed back at the hotel, exhaustion taking over her.

When Marinette walked into the school the next day, she could feel the stares of her schoolmates. She could have cut the awkward tension with a knife. It didn’t help that she remembered what she’d done as Persephone. The whispers and guilty glances served only to make her feel worse. But it was when she got into the classroom that things went to hell.

“Marinette, I don’t understand!” Lila’s voice was silky and full of whine. It grated on Marinette’s nerve, and she had to fight to avoid physically recoiling. “Why did you do it? You got yourself akumatised on purpose to hurt me! I spent all day telling lies because of you! Why would you try to ruin my life like that?” Marinette was about to snarl her reply when Alix’s angry voice cut her off.

“Stop lying, Lila! We all know that she was making you tell the truth. Everything she said would happen did. Kim and I tried to tell people about the akuma, but no one believed us. People were yelling at Alya everywhere she went. Rose and the others lost their mouths. We all heard what she said to you, and what you said after. She didn’t do it on purpose!”

“Yes, she did! I saw her!” Lila cried out.

“How?” The whisper was small, but it echoed in the now silent classroom. Alya looked up at Lila with dangerously fiery eyes. “How did you see her? You were with Nino, Adrien and I when she ran out. So how did you see her do it?”

“Well- I-,” Lila’s voice cut out as the class turned on her. Marinette watched it all numbly. Her hands and feet felt cold. Her steps were stiff when she turned and walked out of the classroom. She made it halfway to the door before something stopped her.

“Marinette.”

Adrien’s voice was low, and full of disappointment. She turned back to him uncaringly.

“What, Agreste?”

“That was wrong, Marinette. Letting yourself be akumatised like that. Exposing her did nothing but turn everyone against her. How is that good? How is that right?”

“It’s right, because she is getting what she deserves. She turned my friends against me. She lied, about me. She made me look like some kind of bully. How is that right, Adrien? Hm? You said she wasn’t hurting anyone, but she was hurting me. Am I no one, Adrien? Why is it that you only defend me as Chat?”               He gasped, and she let out a heartless laugh.

“That’s right, Adrien. I figured out your little secret. Did you think I wouldn’t recognize the carnation on your chest, or the way you couldn’t do anything right? Did you think I wouldn’t put two and two together?”

“Princess-, “               “No, Adrien. I am done. You have been a bad partner, but an even worse friend. If I can’t depend on you to protect me as civilians, I can’t trust you to protect me as heroes.” He looked devasted at what she was implying. “Adrien Agreste, you have proven yourself unworthy of the Black Cat Miraculous. As Guardian of the Miraculous, and holder of the Ladybug Miraculous, I deign you unfit for the title of Chat Noir. Return the ring to me, so that I may find someone worthy of its power.”

“No! You can’t! Chat Noir is all I have!”

“You are not Chat Noir anymore, Adrien. I will be taking the ring now.” It turned transparent as it phased through his finger, flying into Marinette’s hand. She closed her fist around it, and there was Plagg. He looked disappointed in his chosen, and guilty for the hurt he had caused. “Come, Plagg. We will find you the rightful chosen. And then we will stop Hawkmoth, now that I know who he is.”

Marinette looked at Adrien once more, a sad smile on her face, before turning back to the entrance of the school.

She had work to do.

#ml fic #ml salt #ml saltfic #akumatised marinette #akumanette #marinette dupain cheng

[geekgirles]

Me, remembering 'Ladybug' premieres next week:

Also me, realising it will probably bring lots of saltfics:

#miraculous ladybug #ml #mlb #ml spoilers #ml leaks #ml salt #ml season 3 #ml season 3 spoilers #Ladybug (episode) #ml fanfic #ml saltfic #Marinette Dupain-cheng #Adrien Agreste #Chat Noir #Anti Lila #Ladybug