#【 mixy interaction 】 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nyxmainex · 1 year ago

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I finished it guys. I finished them. IN A DAY.

Be it, they are VERY rushed and look as such, but I AM PROUD OF MYSELF FOR ONCE.

@velnna @bara-izu @necromosss

Fanart for your characters.

(Warnings: Me rambling)

If any of the artist I made this for see this, I hope you like it even maybe a portion as much as I do. Maybe more. Genuinely, each of these three artists inspire me to continue my hobby of making art. The reason I even do this hobby is to share it in hopes to inspire others. As much courage as it takes for me to even make these much less post them is just proof to myself how far I've come in terms of social interaction. I thank my friend, my mom and teacher for supporting my hobbies and specifically convincing me to make this. I'm off on a ramble, apologies.

I really do hope you like this. Each character has something I added to them, and I explain in their dedicated paragraph. Then you also get an overall part:).

MIRA ♡

Necromosss is the second BG3 artist I found on Tumblr and I adore their art. Everytime I see Moss post, I promise you I immediately spread it to my friends just so they get the recognition they deserve.

Mira was the last character I ended up drawing, and is definitely the most hurried and sloppy. I made hers pretty late, close to the time I sleep, yet I do feel proud of how I made her. Imagining Mira in the stories I've created, I believe she'd fit in with Meladonia, a kingdom of ghosts, poison, and death. Overlooking the main theme, Meladonia's queen, Chamixie (and funny enough, my character who romanced Gale), is a very lighthearted, flirty person. She, while respecting death and it's concepts, is always up to make an occasional joke. She doesn't take everything personally, and I think she'd get alone well with Mira. The Meladonia magic is dark magic known at Kalak. 'Mixie (Chamixie's nickname) created Kalak as a form of a way to express herself. Kalak magic is not negative, and it's not harmful. In fact, Kalak magic is meant to heal and embrace your fears to use positively. Most of the time, using Kalak magic causes small white, almost snake-like slits to form in the pupil of the user's eyes.

I hope you like how I drew her!:)

STAEVE ☆

MAF is the first BG3 artist I found on Tumblr. I can't put in to words how much they've inspired me. Me and my mom both love Staeve, we think he's great, and I can't wait to see more art from Velnna.

Staeve is the first character I drew, and though not as rushed as Mira's, I wasn't confident drawing him. I'm not too sure about how I drew him, though I do hope anyone reading this likes it. Much like Mira, I imagine he'd be from Meladonia if put in my stories.

In case you haven't read about Kalak magic, I'll copy it: The Meladonia magic is dark magic known at Kalak. 'Mixie (Chamixie's nickname) created Kalak as a form of a way to express herself. Kalak magic is not negative, and it's not harmful. In fact, Kalak magic is meant to heal and embrace your fears to use positively. Most of the time, using Kalak magic causes small white, almost snake-like slits to form in the pupil of the user's eyes.

I've, as an anon, told Velnna about one version of my first OC (Broodmother Nera). And she's a version of my main five characters. Her and Chamixie are sisters, four years apart (Nera is 28). Chamixie is a much more sort of flirty person and takes everything told to her with a drop of comedy, unless it's extremely serious (ex: any abuse) as she has experienced negative situations herself. I imagine that she'd want to be friends with Staeve as long as he wants to, but would likely rather protect him even if he doesn't want to be friends. Staeve reminds Chamixie of Alison, the youngest of the five sisters, and was Chamixie's previous life's bio daughter. Even if they are sisters in this life, Chamixie still, while not overprotective, is cautious around Alison. To an extent, Staeve gives off a similar vibe as Alison, and 'Mixie would do more than her best to help Staeve without being overbearing.

I hope this is interesting enough, and that you enjoy how I drew Staeve.

HALION ◇

I have so much trouble remembering how to write this lovely man's name, please correct me if it's wrong, I have terrible memory.

I recently found Bara, and I love all their characters. (No joke though, I ran to my mom to show her your characters). Halion is definitely one of my favourites.

I was the most confident creating Halion, and I genuinely am proud of my art. This is honestly one of the few times I do feel proud of myself. From the posts I read, which is not too many, I love his cheery personality. He makes me believe he'd be from Parfi if he was in my stories. Parfi is the kingdom of the Wasteland, but is known for war, previously known for lust, but after Lord Clemin became the ruler, she changed it to accommodate travellers. While it was re-built for wars, she's made it a beacon of light within a desert. That reminds me of Halion. Clemin, as a ruler, comes off as strong and demanding. But out of all five of the rulers, and as the second oldest sister, she's very soft. Even with her own insecurities, she lifts people up and encourages their positive ambitions. She's actually not very confident, even though presenting as such. Even if she is very silent, and kind of reserved, she'd feel comfortable with talking to Halion.

She created Taei magic, the magic of heat. Taei magic is considered neutral magic, and though she has used it negatively on herself, Taei was meant to be positive. Using Taei magic is essentially holding the essence of a flame, and it's a guiding light to find others. Clemin wants the people of her and her sister's kingdoms to never have to experience what any of them did/do. Using it reflects a flame in the user's eyes.

I hope you agree he'd be from Parfi, and if not, tell me why:)! I also hope you like the art I made for him.

OVERALL/EXTRA

I'm sorry this post is so long, and I wanted to be finish setting up my blog when I made this but I'm just too impatient to do so. The reason this post is so long is because while I could've made art of any artist I enjoy, these three artists inspired me the most. (And I'm an overthinker, so I want to make sure you understand how much I appreciate these artists.)

I hope you enjoy the ideas I had and the art I made. I love all three of these pieces I've made, and I love the original art that they were based on more. And if it's alright with the artists, I'd love to draw more!:)

While writing this, my hands are shaking. Ignore any mistakes in the writing.

(References)

Mira: (her Notion page)

Staeve:

This

And this

Halion:

This

And this

PROGRAMS USED:

Infinite painter for lineart and Clip Studio Paint (pro) for everything else.

Edit: LOOKING BACK AT THIS, IT'S SO SAPPY AND LONG I'M SORRRYYYYYY

#art #artist #baldurs gate #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 #fanart #staeve #halion #mira #velnna #maf #bara izu #necromosss #please like this #social anxiety #i was convinced #:)

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rosie-b · 2 years ago

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How Marinette Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Ball

Chapter 3: The Heirs' Ball (Links to Ch. 1, Ch. 2)

Summary: Marinette crosses into the fairy realm for the first time and attends the heirs' ball, where the prince's soulmate will be announced.

As always, you can read the whole chapter below or on AO3 using the links above!

On the evening of the ball, Marinette spent about two minutes getting dressed and ready.

It would have taken her even less time, but the instructions written on the tiny acorn she’d gotten in the mail were a bit hard to decipher, and Marinette wanted to make she didn’t say the wrong thing and accidentally tamper with the premade spell’s effect on her outfit, so she spent a minute and a half checking to make sure she had all the words right.

Standing in front of her mirror and wearing only what she wanted underneath the gown, Marinette took a deep breath and pictured her hopes for the dress one more time. With a single whispered sentence, she unlocked the enchantment in the acorn, and as Marinette held it, it began to grow, stretching out to become a long bolt of red fabric, which wrapped around Marinette and began to shape itself into an elegant gown. On Marinette’s feet, two slippers formed, and when she looked in the mirror, she saw that they were made from a red-hued crystal, strong and unbreakable but comfortable to wear. Marinette allowed herself a private smile. She knew getting an outfit from the fae would be exciting!

The fabric continued to shape itself around Marinette, spreading out into a sleeveless A-line gown with a Queen Anne neckline. The bodice was made of a red silk taffeta with black diamonds sewn in it, reminiscent of the ladybug-inspired dress Marinette had designed all those years ago, the first time she met Chat Noir. As the taffeta ruffled out and ended just past Marinette’s hips, a black tulle layer formed under it, creating the base of the full skirt. To finish, a golden glow of magic rushed up past Marinette’s shoulders, twisting her black hair into a low inverted bun and adding a thin layer of makeup to her face. The magic tucked a golden flower pin into her hair, and then it rushed down again to Marinette’s hands, manifesting as a thin card with her name on it. Marinette knew from the second letter she’d gotten from the castle, after she sent a letter accepting her invitation, that this card was to be presented at the main fairy gate, where she’d meet her assigned Seelie guard and cross into the fae realm for the very first time in her life.

Marinette felt a thrill race through her as she thought about it. For all her years interacting with Chat Noir, Alya, and various other fairies or mixies, Marinette had never yet had the chance to visit their home realm.

There’s nothing that special about it, Marinette told herself. It’s just that everyone there has magic, and you might finally get to meet the real Chat Noir, who you are in love with, and his family after you leave the ball. Yeah. No big deal.

Brushing an imaginary speck of dust from her dress, Marinette headed downstairs, where her parents were waiting to see their little girl off.

“Marinette! That must be the dress they sent you, isn’t it?” Marinette nodded shyly at her papa’s question. “I had trouble believing that an outfit could grow from that acorn, but here the proof is in front of my own eyes! You look so grown-up,” Tom said, wiping a tear from his eye.

Nodding her head in agreement, Sabine pulled her daughter into a short embrace, pulling back and resting her hand on Marinette’s cheek. “You look simply beautiful, Marinette. I’m so proud of you,” she said.

Cheeks turning a light pink, Marinette looked down at her mother with a smile.

“All I did was get a random invitation, Mama,” she insisted. “I didn’t even have to do anything but accept it.”

“Maybe, but the fact that you might be the prince’s soulmate speaks for itself!” Tom boomed excitedly. “I’m sure he’ll fall in love as soon as he sees you. But you don’t have to marry him, sweetie,” Tom said earnestly. “If he turns out to be a jerk like Chloe, dump him and come straight home. Okay?”

“Okay, Papa.” Marinette said, turning to give him a hug too before she left.

“Ah-ah! Hold on, Marinette, we need a picture before you leave! That dress is absolutely stunning, and you look gorgeous in it,” Sabine said, walking over to grab the camera from off the table.

“Mama,” Marinette protested, but she stood still for the pictures anyway, a radiant smile on her face. Afterwards, both her parents encased her in another warm hug, offering to walk with her to the gate and making sure she had a ride home after the ball, since they both had to go to bed soon after she left so that they could the bakery on time the next day.

Finally, Marinette was on her way to the fairy gate. A collection of about a dozen or so girls was already gathered by the gate, some of whom she recognized and most of whom she did not. One blond girl with a pixie stood out from the crowd, though.

“Rose?” Marinette asked when she drew close enough to confirm her suspicions. “You got invited, too? I thought you were dating Juleka.”

Rose turned to face Marinette, a bright smile on her face. “Marinette! You look gorgeous,” she exclaimed, running her eyes over the details in the red dress. “I am dating Juleka, so we both figured that I’m not the prince’s soulmate. Even if I do turn out to be his soulmate, I’d obviously choose Juleka over him anyway. I’m just here for the ball,” Rose laughed. “There are going to be so many pretty dresses to admire, and I’ve heard the palace ballroom is full of famous art. I promised Juleka I’d take pictures.”

“That was nice of you,” Marinette smiled. “I have to admit, I’m mostly here for the dresses, too. Although, I have a friend in the fae realm I’d like to meet when all of this is done,” she admitted.

“Oh, that’s right! Alya Cesaire, the mixie you introduced me to! She made me a potion for my throat after it got sore from practice once.”

“That’s her,” Marinette said, unsure if she wanted to keep up this facade or not. Technically, it wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth. “She promised to guide me back from the fae realm, actually.”

“That’s so sweet of her,” Rose cooed. “Oh! Marinette, you have to meet Celestine; she came all the way from Duxford, England when she got her invitation. There are girls here from all over the world!”

“Hello, Celestine,” Marinette said, offering the redhead a hand to shake.

“Pleased to meet you,” Celestine said, taking the proffered hand. “I was really excited to get the chance to come here. Even if I don’t turn out to be the prince’s soulmate, this is still a great chance to see the fae realm! Parisians are so used to having their own fairy gate, but the rest of the world has to wait for the fae to visit them, or come here if they want to cross realms. I’m thrilled to be offered this chance.”

“I’ve never crossed realms before, either,” Marinette said. “It can be dangerous without a Seelie guide. It’s true that Parisians have it easier than most, but we’re all very lucky to have this opportunity!”

As the town square’s clock struck seven, the Seelie guides arrived through the gate, finding the girl they were assigned to escort and crossing with them to the fairy realm.

“Celestine?” a dark haired guide called. Celestine raised her hand, and the guard stepped over, checked her name card, and bowed, offering an elbow for Celestine to hold as they crossed realms. As they headed through the gate, another guard appeared by Marinette, tapping her shoulder to get her attention.

“Hello?” Marinette asked, turning around to see who it was.

“Hello, Marinette,” a voice belonging to a boy who looked to be about her age. Greeting her with a warm smile, the guide held out his hand, waiting for Marinette’s card. She handed it to him, eyes searching the guide’s hazel eyes as she wondered how he already knew her name. “Alya told me all about you, but I don’t think she’s mentioned me by name to you yet. I’m Nino Lahiffe, guard to the prince, Seelie guide on the weekends, and recently promoted to being Alya’s boyfriend.”

Marinette’s eyes widened as Nino briefly checked the card over and released the spell on it, leaving a magicless acorn in his hands. The dress remained on Marinette, a permanent gift from the Seelie rulers.

“Oh, that’s how you knew my name! Alya did mention you to me, but she refused to tell me who her new beau was until after the first date. Did you have fun together?”

Nino smiled, tucking the acorn into his pocket with a far-off look on his face.

“I think we did,” he said wistfully. “She agreed to meet me again on Tuesday for coffee, so it can’t have been a bad date, right?”

“I don’t think Alya would have agreed to another date with you if it was,” Marinette laughed. Taking Nino’s elbow, the two of them stepped through the fairy gate, and the human realm vanished behind Marinette as she entered the fairy realm for the first time.

The gate stood in a park near the Seelie palace, partially to show the humans’ acknowledgement of the fairies’ right to rule the realm and partially to cut down on the number of Unseelies that came through the gate. Not many of them fancied going near the Seelie palace, but sometimes one or two would pass through to the human realm and cause some mischief. A misplaced wallet here, a possessed goat there, the damage was recorded and undone by the Seelies as soon as it was caught, but the gate’s placement helped to cut down on the frequency of these incidents. Since the palace was so close to the gate, the girls’ guides were really only a formality. Still, you never know when an Unseelie will pop up, so it is best that we stay on the safe side, Marinette mused.

Stepping through the elaborate gardens that made up the south part of the park, Marinette admired the different kinds of flowers and shrubs that were carefully trimmed and kept by magic. All kinds of songbirds made their homes in the arboretum nearby, their songs filling Marinette’s ears with sweet music.

This is definitely more impressive than the human side of the gate, she thought with a trace of embarrassment. Maybe she could bring the issue up to the mayor sometime and try to convince him to improve the town square a little to show more respect for the alliance.

As Nino and Marinette left the park and approached the palace itself, she stared unabashedly at its size and grandeur. The white brick walls were decorated with gold designs, and the doors were made of a strong mahogany. Several turrets stood on the outer walls of the palace, and Marinette walked by a large fountain near the front gate of the palace. Nino opened the door for her, and she took a step inside, but before her slipper could touch the soft carpet on the floor, Nino pulled her back.

“Wait,” he said. “There’s a quicker way to get to the ballroom.” Touching the doorframe, Nino closed his eyes and concentrated, and a green glow surrounded the pair.

“There,” Nino said, brushing off his hands. “Now, when we step through, we’ll transport right to the ballroom. After that, you’re free to enjoy the ball. Alya’s mom was in charge of catering, so you’ll get a chance to try some of her special recipes while you’re here”

Marinette cautiously stepped over the glowing threshold with Nino, marveling as the scenery around her changed once again to a large ballroom with violet-painted walls and fine art.

“Woah,” she whispered, turning to admire the room. “This place is gorgeous!”

Nino smiled at her tourist-like wonder. “It is a pretty cool palace,” he said in agreement. “Hey, if you get bored during the party, you can come find me and Alya; we were invited as guests since we work here. Just don’t forget to meet the prince before you leave the ball,” Nino said with a wink. “I have to get back to the gate now; there are a few other girls I’ve been assigned to guide over. Enjoy the party!”

Marinette smiled. “Thank you,” she said, eyes shining in the candlelight of the ballroom. “I think I will.”

Nino turned to leave, and Marinette walked over to say hi to some of the other guests she knew. The music hadn’t started yet, since Marinette was one of the first guests to arrive and was technically early. The refreshment table was already set up, so after Marinette greeted Alix, who was wearing a suit and had somehow influenced the magic to give her shoes with collapsible roller blades, she wandered over to try the crudités. Oh, they have asparagus! Marinette noted. It’s out of season in Paris right now, but I guess with magic, they can grow it whenever they want.

As Marinette sampled the various appetizers and mini foods, the rest of the guests arrived, and the band finished tuning their instruments, beginning to play a soft waltz as the guests mingled and waited for the prince and his parents, the queen and king, to have their grand entrance. As the guides and other guests arrived, a few couples began to dance, Alya and Nino being one of them.

Eventually, a swell in the music signaled that the royals were arriving, first the king in purple robes, then the queen in an elegant blue feathered gown that swept down to the floor, and last of all, the prince, all announced by a fairy who stood by the band and used magic rather than a microphone to make their voice carry across the room. Though Marinette was already in love with Chat Noir, she had to admit that the prince was handsome. His bright golden hair was swept back in gentle waves, and the green accents in his black suit complemented the grass green of his eyes. His gaze swept over the crowd as he made his way to the small dais in the far corner of the room, and as his eyes seemed to catch and linger on Marinette, a radiant smile spread over his face, leaving a gentle pink blush on his cheeks. Marinette fought the shivers running down her spine and furiously reminded her treacherous heart that she was already in love with one boy, and that was hard enough for her to deal with, thank you very much.

“Each invited guest will have the opportunity to meet the prince in turn, one by one, until Prince Adrien’s soulmate bond forms and the conditions of the kwamis’ blessing are fulfilled,” the announcing fairy boomed. “This Heirs’ Ball, you will be going in alphabetical order. Because there are so many of you here, we ask that you please wait to join the line by the dais until there are only a maximum of five girls ahead of you. To aid with this, I will cast a spell which will allow you to see your place in the queue written over the back of your left hand. As the queue moves along, the number will change accordingly. While you are waiting, we have a table with refreshments set up by the west side of the room, and of course, you are more than welcome to dance along with the music provided by our talented band! I hope you all enjoy the rest of the ball!”

Breaking off the spell that had allowed her to increase her voice’s volume, the fairy spoke another spell, and Marinette turned her left hand over to see a golden ‘9’ appear over it, like a tattoo in a fancy font. It seemed Marinette didn’t have long to wait until she got the chance to meet the prince.

She’d played down her excitement in front of Chat Noir when he talked about it, and certainly she didn’t care about the possibility — which was really no possibility, Marinette thought — that she was the prince’s soulmate. But Marinette couldn’t deny that it was exciting to meet the future ruler of the fairy kingdom. Prince Adrien Agreste was not very well known in the human realm, and he’d only visited Paris twice in all his eighteen years, once last summer, and once the winter before, on diplomatic meetings with his mother. Queen Emilie was a more familiar face to the humans, and she met frequently with the rulers of the human world. Her taste in fashion was impeccable, and Marinette had always looked up to the designs she wore. Marinette had heard a rumor that King Gabriel, her husband, had designed them all, but she didn’t know if it was true or not.

Marinette finished her cup of sparkling lemonade and returned the glass to a waiter, smiling her ‘thank you’ to them. As the number on her hand switched to an eight and then a seven a few minutes later, Marinette felt grateful that she had an early place in the queue. It meant she would get to sneak out sooner to find Chat Noir. The last time they’d talked, he’d seemed tenser than usual, especially when she insisted that she’d rather spend time with him than stay to talk with the prince for longer. She’d managed to get him to agree to meet her in the main courtyard sometime past eight, but now she was feeling nervous. What if he couldn’t slip away from his father? Or worse, what if he didn’t want Marinette to meet him at all while he wasn’t disguised as a cat? What if he was embarrassed to be friends with someone like Marinette, who didn’t want to fall in love with the prince?

Marinette stole a glance at him over the heads of those dancing in the middle of the ballroom. He seemed nice enough, but a bit distracted. As the girl he’d been chatting with bowed and walked away, a sad look on her face, Prince Adrien’s eyes lifted, and happened to meet Marinette’s. Shocked, Marinette’s face turned red as she realized she’d been caught staring, but the prince quickly recovered from his surprise. Raising one of his brows at her, his mouth twisted into a smirk. Marinette’s mouth fell open at his audacity, but then a pair of dancing girls whirled past her, obscuring her view. Marinette took advantage of them and disappeared into the crowd. A few minutes later, the number on her hand shrunk into a five.

On the other side of the ballroom, Alya and Nino were keeping an eye on both Adrien and Marinette as they danced across the wood floor in a style that theoretically resembled a waltz.

“Do you think he’s going to tell her?” Nino asked, his voice a whisper against Alya’s ear.

“Oh, he definitely will,” she said, lifting her arm to let Nino know to twirl her around. “They’re both smitten,” she remarked after her skirts had finished flaring out and back down again. “Adrien isn’t even trying to hide it. He’s taking as little time to meet with the other girls as possible, and his father is starting to catch on. He won’t last a minute without telling her,” she laughed.

“Hopefully he won’t need that long,” Nino said. “Once their soulmate bond forms, she’ll have to figure it out, right? I’m still new to this star-crossed romance of theirs, but I think that telepathy would be a fitting bond for them to have.”

“That way, he can tell her everything without his father’s influence, before she panics and has the chance to run away,” Alya mused. “Not a bad idea, Lahiffe!”

“Alya, we are literally dating,” Nino said with a roll of his eyes. “Are you really going to keep using my last name?”

Alya grinned. “Yes,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

The pair waltzed past Marinette as she looked down at the three on her hand, working up the courage to go over and join the short line of girls by the prince. It’s okay, you’re still being loyal to Chat, she told herself. You’ll be able to look into those emerald eyes and smile and not fall in love. Easily.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette walked over to stand in front of the dais, waiting nervously behind the only other girl in line. As soon as Marinette took her place, three other girls walked up behind her, making Marinette blush as she realized she’d forced them to wait longer than they’d wanted to to join the queue.

Soon enough, the fairy in front of Marinette was walking up to greet the prince, who was standing on the first step of the dais, his parents watching from their thrones on the top level. The girl bent into a deep curtsy and waited for the queen’s signal to rise. When Emilie raised her hand, the girl straightened and stepped closer to the prince, taking his hand in hers to kiss his signet ring, a silver band bearing the crest of the Agrestes.

The announcer, who was standing to the left of the dais, motioned for the girl to introduce herself, and she gave her name to the prince— Victoria Dubreuil, daughter of Eloise and Maël Dubreuil from the Southern province.

The prince greeted her politely, and Marinette realized she was close enough to hear their conversation, though she tried to tune it out in politeness. She supposed it was too late to move the entire line back now. That probably meant the girl behind her would be hearing her conversation with the prince, too, Marinette thought in mild panic. Everyone would be able to know if she slipped up! She should have studied fae etiquette more carefully before the ball.

Overwhelmed by her anxious thoughts, Marinette nearly missed the end of Victoria and the prince’s meeting. As Victoria left, a bit disappointed by how rushed the conversation had felt, the king motioned to the announcer, who motioned to Marinette that she should move forward. Catching her signal, Marinette took a lurching step forward, her heel catching on her long skirt as she moved. Eyes widening as she pinwheeled her arms in a desperate attempt to regain her balance, Marinette realized that she was going to fall, here at the dais, in front of everyone… including the king and queen! And the prince!

But Marinette didn’t fall very far before she was saved from hitting the floor.

“Falling for me already, Princess?”

Marinette’s head snapped up as she looked around for the source of the familiar nickname. But the only person in front of her was Prince Adrien Agreste, smirk back on his face as he supported her with both hands on her upper waist. He’d stepped forward to catch her, resulting in Marinette falling with her hands squarely on his chest. She stammered an apology as she pushed herself off of him, face turning red as she realized that this was much, much closer than she’d ever thought she’d be to the fairy prince.

“You’re sorry, I mean I’m sorry, Your Highness! It’s chest— just! I’m so clumsy, oh kwamis, I am so sorry—”

Adrien chuckled, a warm, deep sound that sent a thrill through Marinette. “It’s all right,” he said. Reaching down, he gently took her right hand and raised it to his lips. “I’m pleased to officially meet you,” he murmured as his lips brushed over her skin.

“Guh,” Marinette said intelligently, staring down at her hand. Where Adrien’s lips had been, a dark mark was beginning to form, and Marinette scrunched her brows together as she looked at it. Was it some sort of magical sign, to say stay away from this girl and do not let her into the fairy realm ever again, she committed crimes of klutziness against the crown prince ? Marinette shuddered at the thought of being tossed out of the fairy kingdom, a dark stain against her reputation literally on her hand for the world to see. What would she tell Chat?

Then the dark swirl on her hand began to clear, and Marinette blinked. It wasn’t a sign, after all! There were no words forming on her skin, only a silver tree with rust marking the edges of its boughs. A silver fairy gate, like the one hidden in the woods.

“W-what?” Marinette breathed, pulling her hand out of Adrien’s to look at it more closely. Sure enough, there was the secret gate, down to the rusted keyhole in the center! “What is this, what does it mean?”

Brushing his hand against hers, Adrien locked their fingers together, looking down at Marinette with a reverent expression.

“It means we’re soulmates, Marinette,” he said.

Marinette’s mind went blank. Stepping away, she pulled her hand out of his, hardly sparing a cursory glance at the prince, who looked like a kicked puppy.

Flexing her right hand, Marinette looked down at her mark again, her hand shaking slightly as she stared at it.

“We can’t be soulmates,” she whispered. “How could we be soulmates? Unless…” The mark on her skin had to mean something. Why would a picture of a rusting old gate make the prince think he was her soulmate?

“Princess,” floated through her mind. Adrien had called her Princess when he caught her. But that didn’t make sense. Only one person called her that!

“Marinette,” the prince said again, his voice soft and tentative. And that was wrong, too, she hadn’t had the chance to introduce herself! He shouldn’t know who she was yet… but he did.

Marinette paused, looking up at the prince’s open expression, his green eyes that seemed to be familiar, somehow, echoing the expression Marinette often saw on Chat when he talked about his hope for the future; how fragile it was. She looked behind the prince, at his parents, responsible for raising and protecting the country’s only heir. Wouldn’t they want to keep him where they could know he was safe at all times? Inside the palace, where the secret gate’s entrance was, hidden in one of the courtyards. Marinette inhaled sharply, peering closely at the prince, her lips forming a question she already knew the answer to.

“Chat Noir?”

Adrien’s face brightened suddenly, smiling hopefully as he looked at Marinette.

“Yes, Princess?”

There was no doubt about it now. The prince’s cadence was just like Chat Noir’s, every inflection was exactly the same.

“Oh, kwamis,” Marinette breathed. “It’s really you!”

Adrien laughed, glancing back at his mother, who was leaning forward in her chair with a hand on her chin, intrigued by their meeting. “Is that a bad thing?” he asked, a flash of uncertainty showing through the smile glued to his face.

Marinette stared at him. “No, but there go all my plans for the evening,” she said, trying to wrap her brain around the fact that for over six years, the crown prince of the fae realm had followed her around Paris and pretended to be her pet cat. He purred , she realized. Prince Adrien Agreste purred.

“Well, I think that we can make accommodations for whatever it is you wanted,” the queen said, rising up from her throne. Giving her husband a poke in the shoulder, she urged him to get up and meet their son’s soulmate. “Adrien, darling, could you remind us of your sweetheart’s last name again?”

“Dupain-Cheng,” Adrien said with a smile. “One member of the best family of bakers I’ve ever met. No offense, Marlena,” he said, and the woman, who’d come closer to the dais with the rest of the crowd, smiled and waved a hand dismissively.

“None taken,” she said with a laugh. “I know where my strengths lie. And I’m still the best chef this country’s seen.”

“That’s the truth,” Queen Emilie said with a laugh. “Now, Marinette,” she said, her voice falling to a lower volume, “About those plans of yours? We won’t take up much of your time with formalities tonight, though in the future you can expect a good deal more of them if you agree to marry my son. I’ve gone through this too, you know, I’m not planning to overwhelm you with duties. What was it you were hoping to do tonight?”

Marinette swallowed. “Um. I-I was going to steal your son away,” she said sheepishly.

Standing by Emilie’s side, King Gabriel looked taken aback. “What?”

Marinette smiled awkwardly. “I didn’t know who he was then,” she said, as if that explained everything.

“Because you wouldn’t let me tell her,” Adrien said, slinging his arm around Marinette’s back as they faced his parents together.

Emilie sighed. “You have to admit that it was for a good reason, son,” she said. “At first, at least, when we didn’t know much about the strange girl you’d met in the forest. And then, our rule was necessary to hold you back. Your soulmate bond hadn’t formed yet, but that extra distance between you and Marinette, your secret identity, was the only thing keeping you from throwing three thousand years of tradition away for the chance to date a human girl. Not that we hold it against you, dear,” she said, turning to Marinette. “We don’t have any problems with you being human, either. My son is just a little impatient sometimes, and it is our duty to make sure the kingdom survives.”

Marinette pursed her lips. “I see,” she said simply. “You’re talking about the kwamis’ blessing, aren’t you?”

The queen nodded. “It can feel like a curse sometimes,” she said, ”but it keeps our country strong. I apologize for any strife it has caused you and my son.”

Marinette bobbed her head in a jerky nod of acknowledgment, aware of the crowd’s stares like daggers at her back. She wasn’t sure how to feel about the way his parents had gone about it, but it was obvious that they thought they were doing what was best for Chat Noir. For Adrien.

Finding his hand by her side, Marinette took it in her own and squeezed it tightly. “So, now we know what my soulmark is,” she said, turning to look up at Adrien (and not down at Chat Noir. This was weird.) “But what about yours?”

“My guess is that it looks just like yours,” Adrien said, raising their joined hands to kiss hers once again. “But it hasn’t shown up yet, which means ours is probably a kiss-triggered bond. Wherever you kiss me for the first time is where my mark will show up.”

Marinette blushed. “Oh,” she said, feeling her cheeks become flaming hot. “W-well, where do you want it, then, kitty?” Marinette realized too late that that was probably an inappropriate nickname for the crown prince, but if the smile on his face was anything to go by, he didn’t mind it at all.

“In the same place as yours,” he said softly. “That way, anytime I look down to sign a paper or reach for another bite at dinner, I’ll be reminded of you.”

“You’ll carry me with you wherever you go,” Marinette said, heart pounding in her chest.

Adrien smiled warmly at her. “I already do,” he said, his gentle voice soothing the last of Marinette’s fears away.

“Silly kitty,” she said as her blush deepened again. “Just give me your hand.”

“In marriage? Gladly,” he grinned, presenting her with his right hand. Behind them, a few coos rose from the crowd as they watched.

Taking Adrien’s hand in hers, Marinette pressed a quick kiss to it, marveling as the silvery mark appeared over his skin.

“We really are soulmates,” she breathed.

“We are,” Adrien said, sounding immensely happy and a little relieved as he clasped both of Marinette’s hands in his and looked into her eyes.

Emilie stepped over to the two heirs, placing one hand on either of their shoulders. “Are you ready?” she asked with a smile. Adrien nodded, and Marinette decided to trust him, giving his hand a squeeze as she agreed. Loosening his hold on one of her hands, Adrien turned with Marinette to face the crowd as Emilie stood beside them, raising her hand to show them off in a grand gesture.

“Fairies and humans, I present to you the kingdom’s heirs!” she said in a strong voice. “Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. May the kwamis’ blessing keep them strong, and may this kingdom continue to know peace and stability into the future.”

A healthy round of applause rose from the crowd, and Marinette blushed again at the attention, wanting to hide her face in Adrien’s shoulder. At the front of the crowd, Alya and Nino were cheering the loudest of anyone, and Alix caught Marinette’s eye to give her a grin and a double thumb’s up. Standing beside her, Rose had to pause her clapping to wipe a tear from her eye as she smiled for her friend. I just love romance, she thought happily.

Adrien bent down to press a kiss against Marinette’s cheek, and a smile spread over her face. She pulled him back down for a second kiss, her lips brushing against the edge of his mouth. They stared happily into each other’s eyes as someone in the crowd started a second round of applause and the king came down to stand on the other side of his son. Emilie gave him an approving smile as cameras and magic began to flash, capturing the image for future years.

The realm’s future was in good hands.

__*__*__*__*__

Several years in the future, Adrien sat on a velvet couch in his room with Marinette. She rested halfway across his lap, hands caressing her belly as they took advantage of the first calm moment they’d had since announcing to the kingdom that they were expecting a child.

“What do you think you’ll name them?” Adrien asked, pressing a kiss to Marinette’s cheek.

Marinette turned her face to her husband, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “I suppose it depends,” she said. “Your grandparents got rid of the old naming conventions, so there aren’t any rules for us to follow. Now, there are almost too many options for us to choose from,” she said with a laugh.

“I have to admit, though,” she said slowly, her hand over Adrien’s as it rested on top of her barely-there baby bump, “When I was younger, I had three names picked out for kids, in case I married you.”

Adrien grinned. “You did? Princess, that’s adorable,” he cooed, pulling his wife close as she struggled in protest. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“It’s embarrassing,” she groaned. “And I knew you would tease me about it.”

Adrien gasped. “I would never make fun of my wife,” he said in false outrage. “That would make me nothing but a royal pain!”

Marinette giggled. “That wasn’t even good,” she said, poking Adrien’s arm.

“What do you mean?” Adrien asked, grinning up at Marinette. “That pun was my crowning achievement!” At Marinette’s unimpressed look, Adrien chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, loosening his grip on his wife as she slowly pushed herself off his lap.

“If you’d rather keep punning than listen to my name ideas you seemed so interested in, I can just go,” she said teasingly, making as if to leave the room.

“Nooo, Princess, come back,” Adrien whined, dragging her back down onto his lap. “I want to hear all about the names you came up with for our babies!”

Marinette smirked as she let her husband fold her tightly in his arms. “It’s just that there are so many of your ancestors with this name already,” she said with a sigh. “I never knew it was so popular. Seventy-four rulers named some variant of Louis in just over a hundred generations? You have to admit that’s a little ridiculous.”

Beneath her, Adrien froze, his arms loosening their grasp around her. “You were thinking of naming our daughter Louisa?” he asked, green eyes fixed on Marinette’s.

Marinette frowned. “We don’t know their gender yet,” she said. “But yes. If it was a boy, I wanted to name my firstborn Louis, and either Louise or Louisa if they were a girl. But I won’t be doing that now.”

“Princess, I’m telling you it’s going to be a girl,” Adrien said confidently. “I might not be able to see the future, but I can feel it in my bones. Comes with being a cat for so long, you know. And I think Louisa is a fine name,” he said. “It is a little weird that it’s popped up so often in our history, but it’s a good name. I had a theory about it as a kid.”

Marinette raised her eyebrow, settling herself into a more comfortable position on her husband’s lap. “Really?” she asked. “A theory? I want to know all about it.”

Adrien blushed. “It wasn’t a very detailed theory,” he said. “It was just, in history class we kept learning about all these Louis figures, and I figured it must have something to do with the kwamis’ blessing. They made the deal with the very first Queen Louisa,” he said. “Maybe that’s why so many of the heirs they secure are named in a similar fashion. The magic still recognizes who the original pact was with, so it influences the king and queen’s minds so that they’re more likely to choose Louisa for a name. If it’s a boy, then the name becomes Louis, and if it’s a girl but the parents want to follow Parisian naming trends, they’ll choose Louise as a name, instead.”

“Really,” Marinette said, pursing her lips as she considered the possibility. “Well, I guess there’s no point in trying to change my mind, then,” she remarked. “This poor baby was doomed to be named Louis since the magic influenced my name choices in collège.”

Adrien smirked. “You had their name planned since collège, you say?” he asked, nuzzling his nose against Marinette’s. “We were still so young and you already wanted to have a family with me! You’re right, that’s embarrassing,” he said, a teasing lift to his voice.

Marinette scowled and pushed his face away. “See, I knew you’d tease me about it,” she said with a huff. “Although, do I need to remind you that you’re the one who fell in love with me first? You weren’t even a teenager yet,” she said with a grin on her face. “ That’s embarrassing.”

“How is falling in love with your soulmate embarrassing?” Adrien asked with a laugh. “I’m just lucky that you fell in love with me right back. You know, I dreamed of having a family with you, too,” he said, lashes tickling Marinette’s cheek as he pressed a kiss to her jaw. “I wanted four kids, all with gorgeous blue eyes and dark hair like yours. That way, they’d be as pretty as you are.”

“Flatterer,” Marinette said, tilting her head back to give Adrien better access as he trailed kisses down her neck.

“An honest one,” Adrien murmured as a rumble like a purr started up in his chest. He kissed the hollow of Marinette’s shoulder. “And only for you.”

Lifting his head back up, Adrien pressed a lingering kiss to Marinette’s lips, smiling as she eagerly deepened it.

“I love you,” he said breathlessly, after she eventually pulled back.

Marinette smiled, looking radiant in the light from the afternoon sun as it streamed through the window in the room.

“I love you, too,” she said. “And… I think that four kids sounds like a lovely idea.”

Adrien’s eyes widened in shock. “Really?”

A smile tugged at Marinette’s lips. “Really,” she said. “But first, we have to see how raising Louisa goes. You have to prove that you’re a good father.”

“I’ll be an amazing father,” Adrien said, cupping his right hand over her cheek. “I’ll even let my kids jump down a well, like I did. As long as I’m there to catch them.”

Marinette laughed. “They’d be hard-pressed to find a well to jump down,” she said. “Your father closed off the old gate for good, remember? Now all that’s left of it is a pile of magic dust.”

“And our soulmarks,” Adrien said, holding Marinette’s hand out so that the light shone on the image of the gate.

“Yeah,” Marinette said wistfully. “We do have our soulmarks.” She watched as Adrien pressed a kiss against her hand, smiling.

“When I ran off from the palace all those years ago,” he said, “I wasn’t expecting my little escape attempt to work. I didn’t even know the gate existed; I just remembered about the old well and decided it would be a good place to hide from my guards. But they were starting to check the courtyards, and I knew my cat disguise wouldn’t fool them for long, so I took a chance and tried the gate to see if it would work. And, Marinette,” he said, “I’m so glad I did. I know I would have met you anyway because of the kwamis’ blessing, but spending those six years alone, waiting for a soulmate and hoping that they’d be easy to love, instead of seeing you every weekend and falling more in love with you each time, like I got to do? It’s unimaginable.”

“I’m glad you found the gate, too,” Marinette said, brushing a kiss against her husband’s lips. “Looking forward to seeing you every Saturday was the highlight of my teen years.”

“Really?” Adrien asked. “Because you have a very impressive résumé from those years. Designing for Jagged Stone, interning at Style Queen’s Paris location, starting your own online boutique… you have quite a lot to be proud of. I’m honestly surprised I was able to convince you to marry me,” he laughed.

“Adrien, I’ve been in love with you since we were fourteen and you know it,” Marinette said with a smirk. “I’m only surprised it took you so long to propose.”

“Well, everything had to be perfect,” Adrien defended himself. “And I wanted to make sure you were comfortable enough with where your career was going first.”

“I have to admit, becoming co-ruler of the fae kingdom was never on my list of dream jobs as a kid,” Marinette agreed with a laugh. “I’m happy I was able to keep designing on the side.”

“Me too,” Adrien murmured. “I’m glad you have a job that makes you happy.”

“You make me happy,” Marinette said, smirking as she looked deep into Adrien’s eyes and lazily traced his chest with one hand. She leaned in for another kiss, the golden sunlight from the window bathing the couple in its warm rays.

Adrien closed his eyes and wrapped his arms tight around Marinette, unwilling to let go of this perfect moment. It had taken over a decade of dreaming and hoping, but against all odds, he had this happily-ever-after with the woman he loved. It was better than anything he could have imagined, Adrien thought, and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

#rosie-b writing #ml fanfic #lovesquare #adrienette #adrinette #ml au #fairies #soulmates #royalty #ml leak free #miraculeakless #miraculous ladybug #I lost my beta for the very last scene due to schoolwork so I hope it's good!#let me know what you think!

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