#((And in other news Shadow Moth can go shove it.))

[tmntxthings]

一∑Moth to a Flame・゜・。

author’s notes: this is my entry for @dancingdonatello ‘s competition :D this has been sm fun and I can’t wait to read everyone else’s stories!!!

prompt: "You like them...more? Is that it? Am I the second choice?" "That's not true..." "Then choose me. Choose us."

warnings: angst, situation-ship, aged-up characters, college au, alcohol consumption, jealousy, yandere tendencies? cliffhanger

—————————————————————————

Donnie didn’t know how much more he could take. His mind was simultaneously all over the place and singularly focused on one thing. You.

~

Mutants and yokai kind alike have been out for years. So in the ‘town’ he and his brothers grew up in, they finally came to be free from the shadows. As free as heroes can be at least. They still needed to be a bit secretive on where they lived, in case of revenge-seeking villains.

But with mutants out on the surface, New York had grown accustom to them. Well, as accustom as they can be…

Donnie has met many people. He’s been able to attend college. Mostly online. But he finds the time to attend some evening classes in person. He met you. A floundering classmate in need of assistance.

Usually Donnie can find an excuse to get out of helping every poor soul that crosses his path. That’s what the professors are for. The librarians. Hell the student mentors! But with you… he just couldn’t resist.

The study sessions were long. But in the end you were able to pass, “All thanks to you Dee!!” You had cheered shoving your research paper into his face for him to appraise your passing grade. Barely passing, but it showed your improvement nonetheless.

He had been about to tease you of this. Three months of his help and you hardly grazed by?! But the thought was cut short as you pulled the papers away from his face and up you jumped.

Arms going around his neck and squealing your joy. He was frozen for a millisecond before his arms twitched into motion. His hands going around your back, holding you. That was the first time you had initiated such skin-ship.

Sure there had been the occasional touching of hands, passing laptops, books and the like back and forth. There had even been moments of playful touch, nudging his arm with your elbow for his odd choice in coffee. A tap above his glasses when he got too focused on his own work to answer your sporadic questions.

The hug didn’t last very long in terms of time. Seconds merely. But it made a lastly impression on Donnie. With the class over, you had no other reason to see him again. The prospect had Donnie fumbling to invite you out, to do anything to prolong such an ending to this blooming relationship.

“What classes are you taking next semester?” He had asked. You promised to text him the list, already having to dash off for one last exam.

He worried that would be the end.

Thankfully it wasn’t. You texted him later that evening, telling him all about the rest of your day as well as the list per his request. Unfortunately the two of you didn’t share any other classes. And it seemed unlikely for the future as well, the two of you were on diverging paths. Donnie despaired.

But you found reasons to message him. By the time the next semester rolled around the two of you were study partners, no matter the subject. Donnie would help if he could, and usually he was able. But there was a shift in the relationship. Outings to the library and other study areas changed to coffee shops. Then to your place. It only felt natural to invite you over to his.

Preparations were put in place. As were warnings “Yes, I do live in a sewer with my brothers and dad.” And “No it doesn’t reek of waste or garbage.” And “Yes there is one rat actually, my dear Papa.”

You took it all in stride. The introductions to his family went as well as they ever did. Friends. The two of you were officially friends. Donnie couldn’t be happier. With such a title he took more initiative with online contact. His messages would ramble on, sprinkled with pictures and videos.

Semesters continued to pass by and the bond between the two of you only grew. In turn, with more trips to his home, you became friends with his brothers. With April. It was just natural.

And then there was graduation. A celebration was in order. Four years, you had been in his life for four years and he couldn’t imagine it without you. The plan was to dress to the nines, and go out on the ‘town’! Drinking and dancing.

Of course, his brothers were invited as well as a few of your other friends. Donnie was no stranger to clubbing. The bar scene had become somewhat of a regular occurrence once his friendship with you was solidified.

You liked to go out. You liked music. He obliged on a few occasions to be your dancing partner and thus every time after it was his official label. Donnie was adverse to the huge crowds. It didn’t offer much room for dancing, but he’d endure it for you. With you in his arms it all seemed bearable. The music that was so loud it thumped in his plastron. The heat in the room percolating from the sheer number of bodies. Even the taste of alcohol, on the very, very rare occasion you got him to drink.

It always tasted horrible. No matter the different shots or mixed cocktails. God forbid a beer. You had pushed all sorts of these beverages on him, eyes crinkling up at him with amusement as his beak wrinkled from disgust.

Those nights with alcohol involved always ended strangely. Your touch would light him up from the inside. He’d want to hold you closer, lean in as far as you’d let him. Pull at your waist, dig his fingers into your hips during the last dance before the two of you had to part for the night. Those nights ended with kisses.

And by the next day you would never talk about them. So he didn’t either. Even as his murky memory of all other events seemed to part with clarity for how you had panted heat into his mouth. He’d flush dark green at just the thought and have to swallow the spit that pooled in his mouth.

This had happened a handful of times. The kissing. And with no communication whatsoever afterwards it put Donnie on edge. He wondered why it happened at all if you didn’t want to acknowledge the deed once it was done. He wondered about what it said on account of his own self worth for him to continue to let it happen.

To look forward to nights out. To nights you pushed a shot glass his way. To want your lips on his by the end of it all.

So with this big celebration, Donnie was expecting the same routine if only highlighted by the fact that both of you were now graduates. He’d be your dance partner. The two of you would spin for an hour or two, or however long you wanted. And he’d order himself a drink this time. One that he found slightly bearable than the rest.

Only, that wasn’t what was happening. Drink in hand? Sure. Your hand in his other? No. He was grumbling over at the bar shooting hateful daggers where you resided on the dance floor. You were dancing with Leo.

Donnie grimaced as he took a long hard sip. It was like acid in his mouth. Donnie didn’t know how much more he could take. His mind was simultaneously all over the place and singularly focused on one thing. You.

You laughing as Leo twirled you around. How wrong it felt to watch your arms go up and around his brother’s neck. Donnie was a better dancer. He knew in his soul that he could beat Leo in any category. Waltz, disco, salsa, you name it, Donnie could dance it. But his prowess didn’t seem to matter. Which only further incensed him. Why were you doing this? How could you possibly allow Nardo to take his place? His rightful role. Donnie was supposed to be your dance partner. And the only time you were allowed to dance with another was whenever he deigned to skip such an outing.

He was here. Dressed in an aubergine suit. Jacket button undone. And his black dress shirt was unbuttoned as well. Three buttons plucked, showing off too much skin in his opinion for such a crowd. But he had been feeling flirty. Flirty for someone who wasn’t even glancing his way.

Donnie fumed once more. Cursing in his mind as he lifted his drink and threw his head back. Maybe the taste would kill him. His eyes squeezed shut as the liquid poured down his throat and he tried not to gag. Bad decision.

When his eyes reopened it couldn’t have been at a worse moment. Leo was dipping you, his face leaning dangerously close to yours, his hand snug on your waist. Leo said something in your ear.

Maybe it was the lighting. Maybe it was the heat. But when Donnie saw your darkened cheeks, he couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He stormed to the dance floor. Yanking Leo’s hand away from your body once you were upright.

“What’s up hermano?” Leo’s smile was grating. Donnie had to force himself not to snarl. He took your hand and pulled you after him. Leaving Leo. Leaving this place. He had to get out of here now.

“Donnie?!” You called out over the music. But you didn’t pull away. You let him lead you out of the club. Out on the sidewalk, then off to the alleyway.

“Is everything okay?” You asked once he finally stopped. When he turned to look down at you, your eyebrows were creased with worry. Lips pulled into a line. Donnie was cracking. He couldn’t do this any longer. Did you like Leo? Did you want a ‘face man’? Was he not enough anymore? Was he being replaced? The thoughts were suffocating him and he pulled you to his plastron, backing you into the building wall simultaneously.

“I’m here, but Dee you’ve gotta say something, I’m getting worried..” You mumbled into his clothes. Your arms going around Donnie’s shell, petting over his jacket. Offering him comfort. It wasn’t enough. He huffed his frustration.

“Should I go get your brother?”

It was the wrong thing to say. And this time he did snarl.

“No.”

Your hands froze. Falling back down to your sides. You’d never heard him so angry before. He couldn’t find it within himself to care at the moment. His displeasure written all over his face as you looked up at him.

“What’s going on?”

And Donnie remembered himself thinking that so many times with you. As you had took his breath away. And then again when you pretended like you couldn’t recall ever doing so.

“Don-“

He leaned down. Capturing your lips. Kissing you like you did to him. Only where you had made him breathless, this seemed to have the opposite effect. You puffed up. Bristling in his arms as you tried shoving him away.

It hurt.

He was much stronger than you. He could overpower you easily. But your push was like a blow to the plastron. He staggered back, all anger leaving him. A husk as he squeezed his fists shut, head hanging down as you berated him.

“What the hell was that?! Are you drunk?? Donnie what is going on? If you don’t fucking say something right now, I swear to god,”

“I don’t know!” He shouted back and it was enough to quiet you.

From there it was as if his mouth couldn’t be stopped. “I don’t know! I thought this was what we did. I didn’t hallucinate those three times you kissed me. Don’t deny it any longer!” He was heaving, face coming up to stare accusingly at you.

Your lips pressed together in a thin line.

“You kissed me! Drunkenly, but it was still there. And I can’t forget. I can’t pretend they never happened. I don’t know how you can.” His hands were in motion as he ranted. Throwing them out with the building of emotion.

“So I thought tonight would be no different. We’d get drunk. We’d dance. And we’d kiss! I want all of that. Even though I’d do it without the alcohol.” His voice cracked towards the end. But he continued to push on.

“But you danced with him. So I went and got drunk enough for the both of us.” He felt pathetic admitting this out loud. He staggered forward, unable to remain so far apart. Despite you having pushed him away. He was just a moth to your flame. He’d let himself be burnt.

“You like him more?” He asked in a voice so low it practically went unheard. His hand came up, a finger tracing down the side of your cheek.

“Is that it? Am I the second choice?” His lids lowered in time as he ran out of skin to skim. His hand fell away from your face but he had crowded you close to the wall once more. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

“That’s not true.” You exasperated. But that hardly cleared up anything for him. If that was the case then what were you doing dancing with his brother and not him? Why couldn’t he kiss you? Why were the both of you still pretending to be friends?

“Then pick me. Choose me.” Donnie pleaded. He didn’t care how needy it sounded. He’d do whatever it took. Get down on his knees if he had to. Because you had become a part of his life four years ago. Four years of a presence he didn’t know he needed. Up until it was far too late. And now there was no turning back. He’d be damned if he let you get away.

[selineram3421]

Dodadodadoo-

Temporary Control

Part 1

Prolouge

Alastor X Fem Reader

Warning! ⚠

⚠ using she/they for reader, cussing, fluff, soft Alastor, kisses. ⚠

Alastor was attending an Overlord meeting.

He sat in one of the chairs, making sure it was a comfortable one. The others trickled in slowly, talking with one another to catch up or trying to start a fight.

The smile on his face widens into a wicked grin when a fight did break out.

"You piece of shit edge lord-!"

"Who are you calling edge lord!?"

It soon breaks up when another yells at them into submission.

Like two children being scolded. He chuckles at the thought.

Then Vox enters.

Alastor's smile is strained as the T.V. Demon sits across from him.

Of course he would.

The other two V's took the seats on either side of their companion. Velvette on her phone and Valentino lighting his vulgar smelling cigarette.

"Oh goodie, everyone's here.", Lucifer says walking in.

The others still standing quickly go to get an empty chair.

"Its just the usual, regular check ups and keeping track of population on territory.", the King says as he walks over to his chair. "A good amount of demons died this year."

The Morningstar sat down and looked down the table.

"Who's first?"

The meeting wasn't anything special. It was like any other before, just keeping numbers on demons and reporting anything of importance.

Alastor just sat back and waited to give his report.

.

Vox was glaring at the Radio Demon, arms crossed and tapping his foot underneath the table.

What makes him so great? He thought with a huff. He's just a conceded, self absorbed, egotistical cannibal who's still stuck in the past and cares for no one but himself.

The red demon across the table ignores the glares, checking his claws instead.

He's not fit to keep them. The T.V. demon decides, beginning to think of ways to drive her away from Alastor and into his arms.

The meeting finishes quickly, nothing too interesting or new.

Vox continues to glare as the man in red stands from his chair and leaves the room, screen starting to glitch out and crash.

"You're gonna have to start up again if you stare too long.", Velvette comments after glancing over.

"Shut up.", he grumbles.

"Oh what hate can do to a demon.", Valentino says, blowing out smoke. "If I wasn't any wiser, I'd think you're in love."

"SHUT UP!"

"Oho~ He is! But not with the red man!", the social media demon says, placing herself on the table and shoves her phone toward the moth, showing him who. "Its this pretty little hourglass!"

"Damn it Velvette! I said shut up!", Vox stands up and tries to take her phone.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE BITCH!", she growls, quickly rolling off the table and away from the T.V. Demon.

The two fight over the phone and the moth demon just lets out a sigh, taking another drag from his cigarette.

After shoving Velvette's annoying face away, Vox leaves the two and walks out of the meeting room, hissing out curses while stomping out of the building.

His screen starts glitching again when catching sight of the damn deer demon again.

Fucking piece of crap!

.

You were helping Alastor with looking for spell books in the library.

He had just come back from an Overlord meeting and you noticed he looked a little tired, so you suggested to read together. With a smile, the demon in red accepted the invitation and walked into the library with you.

Now both of you were looking for books for each other.

"I don't think Charlie would have any books of witchcraft or voodoo in here. It is the library for guests.", you say, still looking anyway.

"I suppose you're right.", the radio demon says from the other side of the library. "But maybe you'll find something even more interesting while looking."

You're surprised when he appears out of the shadows with a small stack of books in his hands.

"I found your books darling.", he says and passes them over to you.

"I didn't find yours yet.", you pout.

Alastor quickly but gently held your head and tilted it up, using his thumbs to turn up the corners of your lips.

"Forgive me my little hour glass but you're pouting.", he says and places a kiss on your forehead. "Read me one of your books instead?"

You oblige and turn to head over to the seats nearby. The deer demon holds your hand as you read one of Edgar Allen Poe's poems out loud. Later, he walks you back to your hotel room and both of you make plans for a date.

Finally arriving at your door, both of you turn to face each other.

"Good night.", you say softly.

"Sweet dreams my darling.", he replied with a smile and gave you a kiss on the cheek.

You wave at him before entering your room and closing the door. Now in your room, you take off your shoes and get things ready for bed, turning on the radio on your vanity.

It's just the thought of you

The very thought of you

My love~

The radio plays a favorite of yours as you get into bed, letting the song lull you to sleep.

Sorry this is so late! I've finally written down the notes for this and I'm going to post the next part soon-ish? Soon.

~Seline, the person.

Part 2

Taglist@

@ducky-died-inside @c4rved-pumpk1n @stolas-thebirb @willowaudreykeyes @bisexualboba @+?

ML for Alastor🎙

ChL for TC

[commentroulette]

Turntable

“This like one of those Troll hoards the Hobbits said Bilbo talked about?” you asked in a curious step away from his side to both take opposing paths around the nearest mound to see what was on either side of it.

“Could be, all manner of foul creatures hoard things. This mine would have held ample treasures to plunder through the ages.”

Out of the side of the mound at the level of your shoulder you eyed an awkwardly latched chest, that with a wiggle and anxiety spiking shift of a chunk of the hoard on your side a couple inches downward you fumbled the oddly shaped thing into your belly to not loudly drop it. “Y/N?!” Boromir whispered sharply.

“I’m good,” you huffed out and still he hurried around the mound to get to your side, clutching the sword he had been quietly unsheathing to see if it was sized well for you to not drop or whack anything with it.

Onto the ground you eased the chest and timidly guided the lid back to see hints of a patchy velvet sheet partly eaten by moths that got inside of it you drew back to see a folded metal shirt. Up out of the chest to your rise off the ground you lifted the smooth silver ring woven shirt. Quick and soft a gasp left your lips from the hand that tapped your back only making him chuckle again to your neck shove into his chest seeing it was him. “Will you stop that?!” the plea squeaked out of you to his calming exhale that you were safe and hadn’t so much as stumbled.

A huff left your lips as you peered thanks to a glimmer of moonlight that reflected off his armored shirt sleeves that hung under his maroon shirt. Up against his broad chest you stretched the armored shirt you found and said, “Found this, go try it on.” His brows arched up to the lift of his free hand to collect an end of it to all but drop to the ground for what material this was.

“Y/N,” he replied breathlessly.

“If I can bruise you through that chain mail shirt you need another layer for someone with more girth, let alone a club or something more sinister. Don’t argue with me,” you said and turned in the pool of the material into his free hand to watch you swivel and drop, rising with a matching set of pants, “Some pants to match. Put these on too, look a bit long but Achilles was an unrivaled warrior where I come from, who died from an arrow to the ankle, spare inches couldn’t hurt.”

“I, won’t take but a moment.” He managed to say and moved to the side of the pile he could hear you stepping back to inspect and pull something shiny out to get a better look at.

“Ooh,” you said softly, admiring the sapphire decorated bracelet that unraveled to be longer to the size of a necklace. “Hope it’s supposed to do that,” you muttered and moved a step to the side, hearing his outer layers and spare weapons be removed but not the thunder of his heart, as he was lost to the notion you had just gifted him a set of mithril armor far beyond value of Gondor and a good chunk of its treasury. You wished to keep him safe. Somehow finding the most impervious material in Middle Earth to do just that you gifted him without so much as a pause or moment for thought if one other in the Fellowship might be more deserving of it in your eyes. You had come after him for the same reason. All to keep him safe and to remain at his side for what dangers may lay ahead.

Dressed again over his new layers that about had him shiver at the thought of them and their possible meaning as a gift from you he stepped around the mound to see you timidly sliding a possible bracelet to match the necklace that ended up being a ring on the end of a jewel encrusted chain. “Do you think we should, keep what we want, or would,” right away the hands engulfing your free hand broke off your words so you could stare up at the taller half shadowed figure peering at you with enough sentiment to drown an upright moose.

Right up into the shadows your hand was moved. The reasoning blind, then explained by feel of the gentle press of lips to the back of it, and a few moments you remained silent and a bit puzzled for what to say to this sudden mood that came upon the danger happy oaf you chased after. “What other treasures have you found? Let me see,” he hummed and with utmost care after inspection of where the clasp might be on the necklace he stepped behind you to secure it in place.

Sweetly ghosting a kiss to the top of your head, stroking his fingertips down the tops of your shoulders in a step to the other side of you to reach the hand holding the chain and ring. “This ring is too large and the clasp on this chain is broken. We will have it mended for you. Here,” he said turning you to vaguely make out a sheathed sword he drew back into his hand from the strap resting in the bend of his arm. “Found you a sword.” Around your waist in a crouch down he reached around you to secure the belt and stood with hand finding your shoulder blade to guide you along, “Let us see if we might find you some better chain mail as well.” Eagerly scouring the mounds for a smaller chest like the one you’d found his gifted set in.

2 choices

Turn Left -  Armored up with a few new daggers to spare sound of a distant commotion back towards camp had his hand claim yours to guide the way back to the others.

Turn Right - “What is that?” you asked at the next vibration you felt through the floor. The main task you both got distracted from, discovering the source. Return to that task had him guide you into another side room where he had to wrap his arm around your middle to keep you from being in the path of a rotating globe of metal bands, inside of which being a giant hourglass. The turn of which to flip over sent out another pulse through the stone floor. “Huh,” you mused to yourself pinned against his chest still with watch of the colorfully stained metal bands reflecting hints of etchings of some importance you guessed.

“Ahem,” Frodo cleared his throat turning the both of your heads to peer at the timid Hobbit who stopped a few feet away.

[shiocreator]

Go on talk aboiy your ocs from songs to backstories to fav stuff and atmosphere

WnbmHBJQHBJA WAH...

WnbmHBJQHBJA WAH...elL

Theres this evil warehouse created by a dead snake woman..-/lh...

I was not expecting this ANJBABJ... Guess I'll?? Add a readmore HJG

WELL... There's afew,,

Main stories are

Shattered identities

Final waltz

The Siren's Harpy

I FORGET what its called but magical girl story inspired by mlb

Isekai'd to an Odd World (name is temp)

Time's Rest Stop (name is temp)

And new one i created from a dream i had is (name pending but) A Crows Accidental Adoption of a Weird Child (y. Yeah just gonna get called accidental adoption)

Just an artdump of some characters but,, felows...

This doesnot even cover all the stuff i have but... i love them all

Most of the stories take place in the same world/town except accidnetal adoption and times rest stop!

Some favorites include;

Chaos(Shattered Identities)- The shadow wolf guy who has four limbs, he's a big sweetheart whos lonely and has people sign contracts that trick them into being his friend. Only three signers. His mom and dad are a singular warehouse, and he has two siblings. They are technically twin cats. one made of concentrated light and the other concentrated darkness

Scarlette(shes everywhere)- small angry 25yo woman who can shapeshift into a shadow light moth and a shark siren, and can touch ghosts. She is basically a magic sponge and accidentally cant expel magic normally if its just getting shoved into her by being near someone. Has two kids(cat things that can talk) and lives with her roommate Carter Carder!

1ND1G0(Final Waltz) - robot spy for war abandoned after they abandoned the project for being inhumane, she was awakened after two decades of rotting alone there. Fixing herself she ends up finding a strange crystal, and can now necromance. She ends up living with the first being to show her kindness, and after everyone in the town shows her compassion, when shes finally seen as another living being, a person, she soon falls for her human roommate Kenneth.

Corey (accidental adoption)- hes a crow train conductor in another world! One of the protags, he finds a little human girl hiding in his train and ends up taking care of her in the end, minor language barrior but they teach each other how to understand the other. found family single crow dad to one human

Shattered identities was inspired by rpg maker horror games tbh.. alongside fnaf and undertale-/lh my first major story...

And most stories take place in or near a small town called Tra'Mere! A supernatural town in the middle of nowhere, where there are a lot of missings posters from past warehouse related situations =)

But yeah theres... a LOT, so if people wanted to i could try and explain any specific stories wkjwh/lh..

[miraculouscontent]

Marinette was officially done with Hawk Moth interfering in her life. She could take him interrupting school, or her time out with friends (which had become increasingly awkward as of late anyway), or even her moments of being bogged down with projects.

But interrupting her one-on-one time with Luka? First their movie date and now their moment of getting ice cream together? Absolutely not.

As far as she was concerned, this meant war. If Hawk Moth wanted to shove himself into her life like a nosy busybody who couldn’t go five seconds without trying to take away her means of happiness, then fine.

Two could play at that game, and she was feeling petty enough to make the next move. She’d had to mull over the subject for a while to figure anything out, not to stop him for good exactly, but at least put an annoying dent in his plans, much like he always did with her.

She had an idea by evening, and got to put it into action right after school. She was saying good-bye to a few of her friends, and had hopped onto the back of Luka’s bike afterwards, her hands carefully on his waist while he rode off along the sidewalk.

A flicker of black and purple caught her eye, and instead of the usual dread or panic, she grinned to herself.

“Luka! Stop!”

He stiffened, but obeyed, putting full force on the brakes and screeching the bike to a sudden halt.

“What’s wrong?” he asked in concern.

Hurriedly getting off the bike, she took off her helmet and handed it to him. “I’m sorry, will you wait here for a few minutes? I promise I’ll be right back!”

Knowing she had to be quick, she didn’t wait for him to reply. She placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to place a long, meaningful kiss on his cheek.

If he had prepared a reply, the kiss stopped it, and she ran off to the nearest hiding place while he stared blankly ahead at nothing.

After ducking into an alley and taking a quick look around to ensure it was safe, Marinette opened her purse to let out Tikki, as well with the other kwami necessary for her plans: Kaalki.

“Let’s do this!”

— — — — —

Soon after Pegabug had entered the scene, giving chase to the akuma, Chat Noir wasn’t far behind. Part of her questioned how he’d gotten there so soon, but she squashed the thought just as quickly as it’d come so as to not dwell on the potential identity questions.

“Love the new look, m’lady. What’s the occasion?” he asked in his usual flirtatious tone. “Or did you dress up just for me?”

“Not now, Chat,” she replied shortly, adjusting her sunglasses as she neared the butterfly in question. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Of course! Anything.”

“When I give the command, grab the akuma.”

“I—” He blanked. “Grab it?”

“I’ll explain later,” she assured. Squinting at the butterfly, which seemed to be on a straight path, she felt the moment hit like the epiphany of her Lucky Charm. “Now!”

Slightly panicked, but not asking anything more, Chat Noir sped forward. He dropped to all fours to pick up speed, then leapt for the butterfly. In a swift motion, he trapped the akuma between his hands, and Pegabug reeled her hand back as she felt the charge of her power.

“Voyage!”

The portal launched from her hands, manifesting right in front of Chat Noir. He went through and she followed behind him.

On the side of the portal, she landed politely on her feet while he crashed onto the floor, though he managed to keep the akuma contained in his hands.

A startled Wang Cheng stood up from his chair, looking between the two in surprise, but he calmed himself soon after. “It is time?”

“Yes,” she confirmed, walking over and helping Chat up due to his inability to use his hands.

He shook himself of the impact, then glanced at Wang, Pegabug, and finally the night sky out the window. “M’lady, if he means time to explain why you catapulted us to China, then I’m all ears.” His fake cat ears twitched in emphasis.

“Not exactly, but we can do that too,” she assured. Closing her eyes, she whispered a quick, “Kaalki, divide,” to allow the horse part of her transformation to drop. Pulling out her yoyo to grab a treat, she offered it to Kaalki to let her recharge before addressing the issue properly.

“Chat, you remember Wang,” she stated, walking alongside Wang as they traversed the rooms of the house. Hearing Chat’s footsteps behind her, she continued, “We saved him after he was akumatized into Kung Food.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Chat confirmed, still just as puzzled as before.

“Well, he’s the only one I know who’s out of the country.” She grinned slyly. “And out of Hawk Moth’s radius.”

Chat tilted his head. “Radius?”

Ladybug waited to answer until she saw the little habitat that had been set up, exactly as she’d asked for. Wang opened it for her and stepped aside, then gestured to it, which gave Chat enough of a hint to approach and outstretch his arms so they were inside the mini enclosure.

He hesitated, but released the akuma and recoiled quick enough for Ladybug to snap the habitat shut, thus sealing the butterfly inside.

“The butterfly miraculous has limits,” she explained, pointing to the trapped akuma, “and this is one of them. Hawk Moth can’t sense or do anything with this akuma from this distance, and he’s only allowed one at a time.”

“Meaning...?”

“Meaning that he can’t make another until this one breathes its last breath.” She tossed a grateful smile Wang’s way. “So please take good care of it, sir.”

Wang bowed his head in respect. Chat, meanwhile, was gaping.

“Wait, so that means—?”

“It might not be long,” she admitted, “because we don’t know how old this butterfly is, but—” She raised a finger as she made her point. “—as long as it lives and kept in that habitat, he can’t akumatize anyone.”

With a confident walk, she made her way back to the room they’d originally come from.

Chat, still in a state of shock, followed after and kept pace with her. “What about sentimonsters?”

Ladybug shrugged. “Mayura can still send them if she wants, but it’ll go just as badly.”

“Why?”

“For one, sentimonsters follow the orders of the one with the object, and no akuma means that Hawk Moth doesn’t have any control. For two, if I can teleport the feather away before Mayura can de-power it herself, then she’s stuck with no sentimonster for even longer than the akuma. Feathers take a few months to wear out, and I think they know that. Once they realize the risks, I don’t think we’ll be seeing any sentimonsters all by themselves.”

Stopping at the spot where she’d made the portal originally, she tossed a smile Kaalki’s way and outstretched her hands accordingly, calling upon her transformation once again with, “Tikki, Kaalki, unify!”

Chat didn’t even flinch at the flash of light, staring at the floor instead as he scratched his head. “But—uh—” He paused, needing a moment to come up with more questions. “what if Mayura makes her own sentimonster again?”

“Then I’m sending it to the moon,” she answered nonchalantly. “If they want to waste my time like this, then I’m not messing around anymore. Either they come fight me themselves or I’m keeping every akuma and feather I can here, where they can’t do anything with them.”

He opened his mouth, perhaps to throw out another argument, but she’s stumped him. His lips pursed as he seemed deep in thought, which evolved into a pout as he asked, “So, I guess we won’t be spending as much time together?”

“What?” Pegabug raised a brow, thrown off by that being his concern.

“A-ah—” He seemed to catch himself, waving his hands in defense. “Nothing, m’lady! You’re a genius, as always, and we still have patrols!”

“...Thanks,” she said neutrally, her mind on anything but him even as he tried to flirt.

After all, there was someone waiting for her back in Paris.

— — — — —

“Luka!”

Marinette beamed in both gratefulness and relief as she saw Luka still in the same spot as before, and even in the same position as well. She ran up to him, grabbing his shoulder again with one hand while she took her helmet back with the other.

She kissed his cheek again, a little more lightly than before but with just as much affection. The contact seemed to bring him back to life, his smile returning to his face as he settled his hands back on the bike’s handles.

“Did everything work out alright?” he asked.

“Mhm. I was just—” She paused, a lie almost reflexively coming out of her mouth before she settled on the closest thing to the truth she could, deciding that he deserved as much. “—taking care of something. Hopefully it works out.”

“Knowing you, I bet it will,” he assured with a fond look.

She beamed at him and put her helmet back on, settling herself behind him on his bike so her hands could rest on his waist again. She heard the ‘clink’ of the kickstand as Luka nudged it up with his heel, and then they were off again.

Happy thoughts of Hawk Moth screaming in his lair as he discovered her plan slowly transitioned into blissful imaginings of all the uninterrupted dates she could go on now. Out of sight, out of mind, just as Hawk Moth deserved to be.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

GUYS! IT LEAKED!

THE FIRST TWO EPISODES OF ML GOT LEAKED! AND THEY ARE IN ENGLISH!

I don't know how long they will be active but I got the links to them while they are still up.

Truth

Lie

After you guys watch let me know your thoughts. And check out my review and live reaction of the episodes underneath the read more. Spoilers below

(This is an April fools joke)

Gale Reviews: Miraculous Ladybug, Season 4, Episode 1: TRUTH

(With Live reaction)

-So Marinette is trying to find a place to store the ladybug miracle box. Its funny for a bit.

-Tikki suggests hiding it under her bed. Which Marinette does for the time being. But find its way to hard to access normally.

-"Ill figure something out" Marinette explains.

-The Kwami are swarming around the room, exploring. Barkk found the TV.

-Marinette's phone rings, And its Luka. With a heart at the end of the contact. (Resisting urge to gag)

-Luka calls to ask if she remembers that they have a date planned for today. Going to see Jagged's new movie.

-The kwami are f***ing creeping on the conversation. Marinette says she remembers and that she won't miss this one. Like she did the other nine times. I cracked up at that part.

-Luka tells her that he made sure she wouldn't forget. Since he showed up to her place.

-Marinette quickly tells Luka that she has to go. Then yells at the kwami to get in the box.

-Sass asks if the boy she was talking to was Luka.

-"Yes. Now in the box."

-Sass ships Lukanette.

-Hilariously Barkk does not. I love Barkk.

-So Luka is in Marinette's house with her parents as marinette rushed downstairs.

-Its a really awkward scene since Marinette never told her parents she was dating Luka.

-Protective Tom activated.

-Luka assures them that they haven't been on their first official date yet.

-That eases the parents.

-Marinette tells her mom and dad a bit about Luka before her phone goes off, letting her know the movie is gonna start soon.

-The two leave in a hurry.

-"I prefer the one she confessed to last time."

-"TOM!"

-Tom ships Marichat

_____________________________________________________________

-Adrien tries calling Kagami to see if she wants to see the Jagged stone movie, but she says she is busy with archery.

-So Adrien tries calling Nino, who is with Alya.

-So Adrien thinks about it and remembers Marinette loves Jagged Stone. She would probably love to see that movie.

-"I will call Mari... wait."

-Adrien has an imaginary scenario.

-He asks Marinette to the movies, Luka is mad and Kagami is mad.

-"Maybe that wouldn't be a good idea..." Adrien said kind of bummed.

-Plagg asks why it isn't a good idea. Isn't he friends with marinette?

-Adrien explaining why asking another guy's girlfriend to the movies is wrong.

-"You sound more bummed that you can't go with marinette then your own girlfriend." Plagg is SPITTING TRUTH!

-Adrien dismisses that notion, and decides he will try a few other people.

___________________________________________________________

-Wow Nathalie looks awful. She tries to get out of bed with a cane and falls down.

-Gabriel there to help her up. I wish the show would stop shoving the adultery subplot down our throats.

-Gabriel explains that he finally figured out how to use both miraculous at the same time. Which means Nathalie can focus on resting.

-Nathalie insists she can help. But Gabriel tells her that she has done more than needed. She deserves a break. He can't thank her enough for everything.

-Nathalie looks like she wants to confess.

-"You are truly an irreplaceable friend and confidant."

-MOTHERFUCKING GABRIEL 'just a friend' AGRESTE! ITS GENETIC

-Nathalie says of course, and says she is tired.

-I feel bad for Nathalie.

_____________________________________________________________

-Okay so Lukanette date.

-Marinette springs the gift on him.

-Its a necklace made with the guitar pick he first gave her in Captain Hardrock I think.

-Luka loves it.

-Okay the scene that was leaked in the trailer. Big moment, WILL THEY KISS?

-and its really close and... AKUMA ALERT! Right off the bat. So close.

-Marinette gives an excuse about her dad calling. She will be right back before the movie starts.

-Luka says its okay. And says when she gets back to grab some popcorn

-Marinette gives him a peck on the cheek and rushes off.

-Well you get a cheek kiss. But DAMN they really made me think they would actually do it. I got nervous.

-Ladybug arrives on the scene and its... mr.Pigeon again.

-Ladybug is really annoyed, until she sees the Giant PIGEON SENTIMONSTER!

- Chat noir arrives and comments that this might be more difficult then they thought.

-Ladybug says that they will handle it in a flash.

__________________________________________________________

-Luka watched the whole movie alone. The Usher told him to leave the seat.

-Just OUCH, I legit feel bad for Luka. My dude. I am so sorry

-Luka looking for Marinette at the theater but she is gone.

-DOUBLE OUCH

-He tries calling... and straight to voice mail. and 3 strikes!

-Luka starts walking out very disgruntled

-He gets to that bridge in the promo (its sunset) and Marinette arrives running to him. Telling him to wait.

-He turns around.

-She starts apologizing. Some excuse that its a bakery emergency

-"Your not being honest."

-Marinette tries to recover, but Luka says he wants to know what she has been hiding.

-"I am not hiding anything."

-"Marinette, please stop lying to me. Just tell me whats going on. I will understand. Just tell me."

-Marinette says softly she can't.

-"What?"

-"I said I can't tell you. Im sorry"

-She runs off.

-Luka looks hurt, and then angry. Looking at the necklace.

-"Why can't you trust me... What is so big you can't trust me?" He looks so angry. And frankly, I don't blame him.

-And cue Shadow moth, who is now revealing his transformation as shadowmoth. And I still think its ugly.

-Hawkmoth comments the spiel about being a disgruntled boyfriend who is felt put out by his girlfriend.

-Sends the akuma and Amok.

-Luka gets akumatized.

-Okay, now THIS is a good akumatization. I am not spoiling it but Shadowmoth and Luka's dialogue is TOPS here.

-He runs into Alya and the girls and tests out his powers on them. Alya thinks Nino looks better without glasses. Rose admits she only loves some of her stuffed animals and the guilt is killing her. Juleka admits that Luka dating one of her friends is creepy. THANK YOU JULEKA FOR SAYING IT.

_____________________________________________________________

-Adrien is bummed that he didn't get to see the movie. and as he was walking Bumps into marinette. Who ran into him

-Okay so this scene, TOP TEIR ADRINETTE.

-Adrien comforting Marinette, saying that Luka would understand.

-"Is it wrong to keep secrets from him?"

-"Sometimes we keep secrets because it will keep them safe. There is a right time to tell them, but it isn't always when we want to tell them."

-Marinette thanks Adrien for the advice and... OH KWAMI! TRUTH IS RIGHT THERE WATCHING!

-He knocked Adrien into the water.

-Truth and the Sentimonster are tailing Marinette.

-Adrien got a chance to transform.

-Marinette swerved to get to her house. Getting the giant eye sentimonster to bump into something.

-Marinette gets to her room, where truth tries asking her what she is hiding!

-AND CHAT NOIR JUMPS IN WITH A HIGH KICK.

-They fight and Marinette tries to make sure the miracle box is hidden.

-Chat noir asking if Truth had a bad date or something. VERY POOR CHOICE OF WORDS!

-Chat noir knocks Truth out of the bedroom. He tells Marinette to go hide. He and Ladybug will get her boyfriend back to normal.

-Marinette thanks chat noir and runs out of view.

-Shadowmoth tells Truth to get Chat noir's secret, it will help him deal with the pest so he can achieve his goal. Truth agrees.

-Ladybug arrives and wam bam.

-Ladybug tells chat noir NOT to get caught in the gaze of that

-If you are still reading this at this point I gotta say I admire your dedication, but this is an elaborate prank.

April fools!

[sugarakis-p2]

All knights and day must die ch8

Mothman Shigaraki is the new king and he has so much on his shoulders and wings. Nothing better than to use Ur (Aka Ur Name x reader) to relieve his stress as he plots to destroy the Order of the Azure rose.

Awww, sweet morning after loves and violence. Shigaraki is really leaving this time for your village and makes the arrangements for it. Some nice domestic fornication for good luck before he leaves.

@balanceisrelative @nut-in-me-jojo

Warning: Sweet soft delusional needy yandere Moth Shigaraki. References to knotting, finger biting, mild violence, being drunkish, bit o blood

Chapter 7

Chapter 8:

Dabi woke first, his vibrant turquoise eyes roving over the other two in the nest, and clutched Lyra to him.

Detangling her clinging limbs from Ur. When Shigaraki sleeps without his gloves, he keeps them balled in tight fists, and Dabi wonders how he managed that kind of discipline in his sleep of all things. He reaches out to caress Ur’s shapely jawline and runs his thumb over her lower lip, and her little tongue darts out and brushes his thumb pad.

Dabi shudders in pleasure. He wants to push his thumb in to see if she will suckle him in her sleep. A little hand reaches up and pushes it away from your face. He looks down to see Lyra’s eyes blazing with rage.

“If he catches you touching her, he will decay you without regrets. Don’t be stupid,” she hisses low at him. Dabi smiles and nuzzles her hair, and she makes a disgusted noise.

“It is odd. I never thought knotting was that important, but, it did churn up some feelings when it happened. I even felt a bit closer to you. That is pretty amazing since the only feeling I have strongly is revenge,” he coos to her. Lyra’s lower lip trembles and her eyes water.

“Revenge, I can understand, but this? We both know the only reason you did this was because it was the closest you will come to screwing Ur. Do you even like her? Or is it that she makes Shigaraki happy? You can’t have that can you?” she seethes.

“I was curious of what kind of spell she holds over him. I assumed it had to be a pure nest thing, but it’s more complex than that, and I’m only left with more questions. Bought into all the purity for a short time, I truly thought only a Mothwoman could make a Mothman happy, but now I’m wondering,” he chuckles.

“You two are noisy,” you say. You have no idea what they are talking about, but it sounded angry. You are groggy when Lyra tries to get back in your arms only to have Shigaraki shove her away. She squeaks in fear of his hands, so he doesn’t have to put much effort into it. Like a snake, he coils around you and separates you from the other two further. Shigaraki nuzzles and whimpers like a puppy as he kisses your neck. You smile and run your fingers through his long hair.

“We are going to pay dowry. Dabi and I. Will be gone for a little while. In a few days. Need to gather supplies for the flight. Kurogiri will watch over,” he rasps to you. Lyra stiffens. You can see her mind is racing with worry and possibilities.

“Who is Kurogiri?” you ask turning to him. He scrunches his face in frustration, trying to find the words. However, being in the same nest means he shouldn’t have to do this. He chitters to Lyra as Dabi rises, sits on the lip of the nest, and goes to get breakfast started.

“Kurogiri is a golem we call the shadow creature,” Lyra translates. Shigaraki is annoyed he does not understand several words she is saying.

“You are going to leave me with a creature that doesn’t know the language?” you asked, worried. He hadn’t thought about that. What a headache.

“Lyra fuck off. I want to spend a little time with my little butterfly,” he says, drifting his fingers under your clothes to grope your tits.

“He wants me to fuck off so he can hump you. Which is a no. It will get Dabi going again, and I never want to do this again,” she says, disgusted and waving her hand. Shigaraki couldn’t get it up suddenly. He felt drunk, and you giggled because you felt funny too.

“What is this?” You ask her.

“Don’t worry, it will wear off in an hour,” she says, getting up and limping out.

“Wait! I mean, what is it? I feel funny. I never felt like this before?” you shout after her. Shigaraki buzzes and snuggles on you, groping harder.

“Drunk. Feel drunk,” he slurs.

“Really? This is what it feels like? Jokes on her. I want to play harder now,” you say, kissing him.

“Spirit willing, flesh not working, later?” he mumbles, annoyed. He is still in a good mood from seeing Lyra with a few fresh burns and limping. He lifts you, grabs your crown, and starts to carry you back home. Dabi sees and stops him.

“Where are you going?” he asks, setting plates down on a small table.

“Oh, Shiggy! I want to stay. They have a table. I want to eat, please,” you say, struggling. You wriggle from him and start stuffing your face with dragon fruit.

“Shiggy?” He looks confused at how you managed to escape and the nickname, but he shrugs and starts eating next to you. Smacking at your hands because you will let him feed you, dammit. He makes you eat the meat, and it doesn’t taste human, so you ask for more. Dabi watches the two of you. He calls for Lyra. She enters and sits down next to you, groaning.

“Can’t believe you're eating the meat,” she snarks. You tell her it’s not human. Shigaraki hesitates for a moment, takes a bite, and confirms.

“Not human. How do you know?” Shigaraki asks, pointing to you and feeding you more. So, you tell him, and both Shigaraki and Dabi seem angry.

“They made a portion of their people cannibalize themselves! We don’t even stoop to that,” Dabi snarls.

“Oh, we have come close. When I was with the lessers as a child, it was brutal. I have made changes that have helped. This is why we must throw out the old ways, or we might end up like them,” Shigaraki says, suddenly giving you bigger bites. They both look at Lyra.

“How could you protect such a disgusting system,” Shigaraki sneers. Lyra shifts uncomfortably.

“I was in the order. I’m not in charge. I never knew it was that bad in the poorer regions,” she says.

“We are only poor because of the order,” you blurt. You regretted it. Lyra looked hurt, and Shigaraki was giving her a death stare.

“That reminds me. As much as I hate the idea of keeping my mate here, getting Lyra’s filthy scent all over her, but I can’t have my mate alone. At the same time, we are gone, with Kurogiri unable to speak the language,” he slurs, barely able to make the words in his own language.

“Yeah, have them stay here with several of the Nomu and Kurogiri,” Dabi says, munching on a massive chunk of meat. You decide to sit in Shigaraki’s lap while he feeds you, and he seems to calm down. He was staring at Lyra, and she didn’t deserve it for a change. It’s not like Lyra was in charge of all the Orders. He looks down at you with his crimson eyes and tickles you sweetly. Dabi turns to Lyra and instructs her to translate the plan. She does, and you light up.

“A sleepover Lyra! A sleepover! What are Nomus?” You squeal and rub yourself into Shigaraki. He purrs and fluffs his ruff.

“Nomu are bigger, less complicated golems,” Lyra translates. Dabi quirks his head and buzzes in confusion. He has only ever seen Shigaraki playful and affectionate when drunk or right after mating.

“That is an incredibly adorable sight. Why are they behaving like that? What did you do?” Dabi sighs, looking at Lyra.

“Nothing!”

“She cast a spell on us. One that makes us feel drunk. I like how Ur is like this,” Shigaraki says, making you giggle.

“Nothing harmful!”

“Did you request for it?” Dabi asks Shigaraki, staring hard at Lyra. She squirms.

“Yes,” Shigaraki says, lifting you and twitching a thank you as he moves to leave. Lyra’s eyes shift in surprise.

“Huh, very well, go feed the new mates and stay out of my sight,” Dabi shoos Lyra and watches his guest leave. He is excited that he will be having new fun in a few days.

Shigaraki puts on his gloves and tells you to get nude. You giggle and obey but then hide under the blankets.

“You will never find me,” you tease. Feeling silly, you are pleasantly surprised when he played with you. Removing his clothes and crawls under the blanket to lick and nip at your squirming body. You giggle and try to wriggle out of his grip, and he hisses. Pretending he has no idea where you are until he yanks you to him.

“I found you,” he chuckles as he captures your nipple.

“Ow! Careful, don’t suck so hard. These metal bars hurt. They make me oversensitive,” you pout. He growls and tries again gently, this time licking at your nipples. You groan and bump your crotch up into him.

“Naughty little mate,” he rumbles and chirps, “Lyra’s spell is wearing off. Feel that?” he asks, rubbing his quickly hardening cock over your clit hoop, making you whimper for him.

“You feel so good,” you moan, becoming dripping wet. Shigaraki stops and chirps. He wants to tell you how much you matter to him. How much you have helped him in so many ways. How he was lonely without you and the thought of leaving you for a moment plagues his thoughts. Your love has pierced his very soul.

He wants to sip at the source of your love to feel quenched and whole, again like when you said, ‘I adore you, I will never leave you.’ You have ravished his heart he did not know was there. Your little arms had pulled him down to you because he is weak when it comes to you. Your sweet mouth found his. Your tongues entwine and play with each other.

You rub yourself against him provocatively, slipping your hand to his hard-thick length, you lick your lips and guide him to you. The head of his leaking cock finding your entrance, he pants and make sharp chirps as you suck him deeper into your wet warmth. Once you had him deep inside, you started to slowly rotate your hips. Each grind brings him to the edge of his primal urges.

He can feel your toes curl against him, and he loses his feeble restraint. He bucks his hips rapidly, snapping his pelvis and growling. Fuck! You make him feel the same way when he was destroying. You are his completely when he knots you, a primal binding of flesh that leaves you linked in ways you can’t imagine. You are screaming and writhing under him. Begging for him to go feral, allowing him to bury himself totally, your cunt clenching at him.

The urgency he feels to have you melting under him becomes painful to his throbbing dick. The heat builds a blazing pyre between you until his core tightens. His hips stutter, and he explodes, spurting as your pussy drinks him in.

“Oh, gods! You are the fucking best,” you screamed like his wild nymph. You are bowing up to him in worship and taking his knot like a good little slut. Crying and biting him. He is filling you, snarling, buzzing, drooling sickly like your puppy as he watches the bulge grow. You already look pregnant. An ancient part of him is pleased. A part of him wants to see you swollen with his grubs. He’s almost completed the ‘nursey.’

“I adore you, never leave me,” he rasps huskily in your ear. You wrap your arms around him. Love is such a sneaky squirming thing, so hard to pin down. Your older sister never taught it to you, but you assume it is this feeling. You're heart racing whenever he is near. You miss him when he is not.

Later he encourages you to write your family, explaining who he is and why he is there. He is excited when he hands you the special writing kit. It has a seal, your name with his royal coat of arms, a circle of hands grabbing each other, and his last name. It had to be custom-made. Master told him it was customary for human females to take the male's last name. It made no sense to him, but he wanted you happy.

“I can, but the only other person that could read in my family is Maude,” you tell him. He struggles to tell you to address it to her then. You can tell he is pretending that he’s disinterested in what you are writing and failing. Every ten seconds, he finds an excuse to be near you or be nice to you. Clearly trying to influence the tone of the letter. You write two pages, a novel for your family, and he flutters around you, eager to watch you use the seal.

“You are too cute,” you say, kissing him. He twitches in confusion, pulling away to wonder about the word.

“Cute,” he hisses and shakes his head, “Sssssexy, that the word. See, I know better words than you, now.” He teases. You laugh. This is the first time you have ever seen him attempt a joke.

“You’re right, my mistake. I meant sexy,” you purr, running your fingers through the plush fluff of his groan. He closes his eyes and rumbles. Wrapping his arms and wings around you as he pulls you down in the nest. You try to move to get on your hands and knees. He stops you, making you wrap your legs around him.

“Eyes,” he coos, “look in eyes. Pretty shiny eyes. So…. moist…water? You feel so…. Wet!” He manages as he works himself in. He is so sweet and gentle as you run your hands over him. Touching every inch of him, remembering every scar and curve of wiry muscle. He freezes and lets you explore with your fingers. If you subtracted all the insect and damage, he would be sought after by every pretty girl in the kingdom, but you don’t want to subtract it. He is handsome.

“Very sexy,” you moan as he slowly glides over your inner walls, unable to hold back any longer. You feel all the muscles on his back flex. You run your fingers over his wings. He flares them for you and smiles in pride. He is highly observant, and he sees your eyes blown in bliss more than when he has knotted you.

He waits until you are fast asleep to slip away. He places his golden robe over your body. It has his scent and will add more warmth. He runs his fingers through your soft hair. All humans are soft, but you are the kind of soft he wants to melt on him. Ordering Kurogiri to watch over you while he is busy. It is aggravating. He had allowed the hive to sort out the social structures, only tweaking when he needed it to be.

The fighting pits are nasty and gritty. The harsh scent of death curdled blood and piss. He grew up here. He learned here and came up in ranks right here in this very arena. He was a lesser, and so many have underestimated him for it. He was told they had captured some knights coming too close to his territory.

Toga was there trying to get them to talk. She laughs and giggles as she shoves a gag in one of their mouths. Two male knights and a female amphibian guide. They were trying to come in through the bog area, a place that was not well guarded until he took over.

“Tomura-kun! They are here for the squire you screwed to death awhile ago,” She flutters.

“Going to have to be more precise than that,” he rasps, vexed. The burly one was shouting around his gag. While the two-tones soft-looking one seemed more interested in their garb. He didn’t appreciate it. He does not like how intelligent humans can be. Humans who are not a part of his hive under his control are not tolerated.

“The one in Lyra’s group,” Toga teases Shigaraki. That got his attention, “Evidently; he was from an influential family, and that one there is his older brother.” Toga points to the burly one. He looks at him closer. It takes him a moment to remember the little male he mistook for a female.

“Your parents must not have liked him very much. Forcing such of weak feminine creature to join a ruthless order. The order seemed to feel the same. They sent him here …. with no….Toga word,” He hisses.

“He was sent here under-equipped. Under everything, really. Tomura-kun tore through them like lacewings,” Toga says for him, pulling the gag out. Close up, the scent was strange. One of them smelled so familiar. The burly brother raged about how he would create a tornado and destroy them, blah, blah, blah. He scents them more closely. He points to the quiet one with his hair half red and white.

“You are a wingless. What are you doing here? Where is your hive? What is your name? What are you? You smell familiar, and you are clearly part firefly. You should know better than to enter in our territory,” he chitters. The boy doesn’t seem to know the language, so he has Toga translate. The boy clams up. Out of frustration, he orders someone to fetch Dabi. Perhaps this one came from his hive.

“I want the girl. She is so cute,” Toga squeals. Shigaraki rolls his eyes.

“Whatever, I want to kill this one in the arena before Dabi gets here,” He says, pointing to the bulky bald-looking male. He reverts to human speech, “A chance for revenge. No magic. Then you can beat death. Yeah. You like that?” He offers this with glee.

“Do you have any loved ones? Because you should kiss them goodbye,” The male seethes. Getting Shigaraki excited for a real challenge.

“Make no mistake. Rather be fucking my tasty female treat in the nest. But least can do for such a tender fuck from tiny brother,” Shigaraki jeers. The male was frothing to get at Shigaraki. Oh yes, this will do nicely. Curb some of his more insidious tendencies.

She is so gentle and sweet; she could never handle the true him fully. The nasty part of him that enjoys killing and destroying, The rotten part that also delights in her pain. He can’t let his precious mate see that part of him anymore. So, he needs this to keep that part away from her. He laughs in hopes the little boy can last longer than his little brother and not caring if he doesn’t. Either way, he knows he will be back in a warm nest with a female that loves him.

“Don’t,” the two tones one finally says, “He’s just trying to get you angry. Trying to get you to make a mistake. He’s dangerous. Don’t take the bait. All one-on-one fights in the pit are volunteer. It’s a part of their code. Don’t fight him.” He says in his emotionless tones to Inasa Yoarashi. Shigaraki snorts in disgust.

“It speaks! So cold, reminds me of an asshole I know. You meet soon,” Shigaraki chuckles.

Dabi stares at his brother in confusion. He thought his dad would have trained his little chosen one to do better and be smarter. He chuckles. He remembers how naïve he was when he was a larva, to think he was the chosen one. That all others that were born after him was just a mistake. Now here it was. Here it was mocking his hard work by existing. He laughs harder. A thing that is even setting Toga on edge.

“So, tell me? Why are you here? Makes no sense, you stupid. Huh, no speak. What? Didn’t daddy tell you no go to other hives? You have daddy issues? Can’t handle a little advice from a vet? The old man is rolling in rage, I’m sure, but he won’t be in his grave, right? Toga! Tooooooga!”

“I’m right here,” she mumbles.

"What the fuck is Shiggy looking for? Tell him yes. I’m taking this one home with me. IT’s mine. Make up any shit you want,” he says.

“Okay, you both are acting so weird. I mean, Shigaraki just said he was fighting before you got here and not to let you…oh….”

“What! That fucking stupid fuck! End it now! He is the king! He doesn’t need to prove shit to anyone until he is actually challenged! Tell him to stop it now!” he yells at Toga. Toga shrugs

“I’m a female! We don’t have that kind of power, ever! You tell him!” She huffs. Dabi is losing his shit. This is so much pressure. The pressure he is not allowed to buckle under. The man is supposed to be a man, not a child. He is the strongest and does not have to prove it all the time. The world is not fair. He is tempted to go to his mate. That will break the man down, so Dabi can build him up, but he doesn’t have enough time.

Time is so short. Fifty percent of his body is already ruined! He knows the ‘master’ doesn’t like this either.

“Stop the fight. Let us go. Some people know I’m here. One of them will tell my father, who is Endeavor, I am Shoto Todoroki,” Shoto warns. Dabi smiles.

“Let’s make a deal. I stop fight. Let go, frog and boy. You tell me names. Names of trainers, names of those that are unhappy. After we check, we let you go,” Dabi says. Hey, Toga huffs. Dabi is taking away her toy.

“You don’t want my father to come here. I don’t need to make a deal. Stop him, or the king of the Hell flame fireflies will come after me,” Shoto threatens.

“Oh, will he? Promise?” Dabi mocks, “Will he bring mama to cut off wings?”

Shoto's eyes widen, and he gasps. Dabi ignores Toga’s whining. Shigaraki has the kid on the ground beating him with bone-crushing pummels. The boy is bigger than Shigaraki. A part of him wishes he got to see some of the action. The flesh of Shigs lip was flapping loose. His face was a mess, broken nose and a few missing fangs, his wings frayed around the edges, good.

There are only two people on this planet that could curb this shit. One wouldn’t care, but the other, you push the other just right, she will threaten you with a pair of scissors, a wicked gleam in the eyes. A gleam he thinks about sometimes, he is sure Shigaraki has never seen it, he is getting hard at the idea of making him see it. However, this is fucking with his plans.

“Shiggy!” he shouts over the roar of rampant bloodlust. He shifts his attention to Dabi, and the kid punches Shigaraki in the crotch, making him stagger back. It might hurt if this kid had any idea of Mothmen anatomy. As it was, it only allowed him a moment of rest before Shigaraki grabbed the offending fist and pulled him into Shigaraki’s overhand haymaker. Credit to the kid, he took a beating and looks like he put up a decent fight. This time when Shigaraki let up, the kid writhed but stayed down.

He walks over, dripping a trail of blood and saliva.

“That little two-toned shit is a prince of the Hell Flame hive. Unless you want to start a war we’re not ready for, drag him out of there,” he says, pointing to the kid who was trying to get to his feet and failing. Shigaraki makes a gesture, and they pull him out. To the groans of the lesser who came here for entertainment. But They still chanted Shigaraki's name as they left. No doubt Shigaraki seems to still have the support of the rabble.

Shigaraki had bit off a couple of the young knights’ fingers. Shoto and the frog girl were helping Inasa in the cage. The doctor was fixing Shigaraki’s mouth while Dabi explained.

“One of the biggest reasons I left my own hive. I joined this one because the Oder of the light has taken many of our kind. But our hive, in particular, grovels for them. The current king, Endeavor, attempted a magic marriage between the Order of the light and the Fireflies. He is obsessed with physical power, and many of us have an overheating problem,” Dabi explained. Shigaraki’s mouth almost looked normal except for a small new scar, “Shit, amazing work Doc.”

“This one has a good eye," the doc says pointing to Dabi, "Come by later to check on your mate's progress, Dabi,” Doctor Ujiko said, leaving.

“The kid cheated. Took off his magic suppressor band somehow. Nasty fuck can create gusts of wind. Tossed me around for a while because of the wings,” Shigaraki says. working his jaw leaning on the bars and grinning at the prisoners, “I admire that. Only heroes play dirty. Does he know?” He asks, pointing to Shoto.

“Know what?” Dabi hisses.

“Hmm, well, that’s a ‘no.’ Honestly, I don’t care about your family drama. But it does explain some things. I feel so much closer to you. Regardless they have pushed up our timetable by being here. I will give you three hours to decide what to do with them, then we are leaving for Ur’s village. In the meantime, I’m going to spend it with my mate. Toga quit fucking pouting. You will have plenty of toys soon enough,” Shigaraki says, flying away.

When he arrives back at the nest, he hands Kurogiri the letter you wrote.

“Leave it mostly intact but make sure it fits our goals. Fits with my surprise. In three hours, we leave. Gather, get ready,” He orders. Putting his gloves on, snuggling up to you until you wake, he kisses and chirps.

“I am leaving to see your family. Be good, and I will come back with a surprise for you.”

“Oh, you are! Yes. Thank you!” You shout, clutching him close. Then leaning back and getting a good look at his face, a sudden flare of concern rises in you, “What the hell is that?” You say, pointing to his lip. Now that you are looking, he is battered. You fuss over him in worry, and he chitters in pleasure.

“Ur perfection. My world. My heart. Do not worry, sweet mate. I will be back soon, and you will be happy. I promise you,” He says, kissing your fingers. He just ate some, which gave him a different kind of thrill. He inhales deeply and shoves that thought away. The point was to keep you safe from that part of himself. Yet you jerked your fingers away and gave him a strange stern look. One a mother gives a nasty grub who has bitten the breast too many times. You seemed to read his mind at times, and he is worried you sensed it.

“Don’t make a promise you can’t keep. The world is a cruel place, and hearing words like that makes me feel cursed. Since you lie so much,” you say, narrowing your eyes. He’s flustered and bewildered since your words hurt. Crushing and rude! Flinging his failure in his face.

“Good reason. No bad, for mate, good thought for Ur,” he whimpers and nudges. Reverting to basic human tongue, he’s so flustered. You are stiff and not looking at him. He hates it when you’re not looking at him! He hates he cares so much that you’re not looking at him. He needs attention. He needs your attention; how can you be so cruel? How did this even happen? You are supposed to be heaping praise on him.

“If that’s true, that means you have been manipulating me. So, which is it? Are you a victim of your own nature, or are you deceptive to me? It’s hard to tell sometimes. I will make you a promise. I keep my promises. You save what is left of my family from poverty; I will never run away. I’ve been fortuitous so far. You scare me, hurt me, humiliate me. I’ve stayed because you promised to pay that dowry. Maude said happiness can be too much to ask for. So, all I am asking is you keep your word Tomura Shigaraki,” you say to him. The gleam in your eye, he feels scolded. He doesn't like it. You mean it, and it makes his antennas droop.

He should just tell you that you can be as defiant as you want; it doesn’t matter. You are trapped, and you are his. You are blood-bound, and he can find you anyways. It’s too late to run. You are the queen, and any that see you would gift wrap you back to him in the hopes of gaining his favor. You are lucky he decides to let you live. You are so lucky to have him. His mind ranted…briefly. That look.

That is the look of a woman who has had nothing but pain, work, stress, and the threat of death looming daily. He knows it because he has seen it in himself. You are a hard woman, and if he drives you too far, he will see just how hard. That is the look of a woman who will plunge to their death to spite you.

She may even wait until pregnant to do it, and he shudders at the thought. What he had in mind won’t be enough. To protect his heart and his future offspring, he will need to keep his word in the truest form. He is coming up blank. The stakes need to be higher and more present for him. He needs you here when he gets back. Otherwise, he doesn’t feel he can go on.

He shoves his pinky in your mouth.

“Bite,” he commands, “Bite harder. Til bleed.” You do as he commands. He chitters and snarls. Yanking his pinky out, showing you the black nail, “Blood magic. Keep word or die. What’s left of Ur’s clan will have status. Be safe. Promise.”

“How do I not know that pinky wasn’t already hurt?” You ask. Teasing him viciously. He captures you up into his arms.

“Mean,” he growls. He knows you are playing. You send such clear signals to him. Another thing that enticed him to choose you. He can tell you want to give him a reward for giving in. He was a whiney limp mess under you when Kurogiri told him it was time.

“Goddammit! Knock first!” Shigaraki snarls at the shadow creature while you try to cover yourself. A thing Shigraki could care less about as he pulls your sopping cunt off of him with a lewd popping sound. You bury yourself in your blankets and squeal when Shigaraki lifts you.

“Kurogiri take you to Dabi’s nest. You will be safe,” he kisses you and hands you off.

Leaving for your village.

Chapter 9

[doodlegirl12345]

Mirror Image {5/5}

When it feels like it’s an end of a era. Hello my Miraculous Lovelies it’s time to finally end this story. So let’s conclude this with the fifth and final part of Mirror Image. I hope you like it. 💕

Previous Parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4

Here’s the recap for anyone who needs it:

Things are going well in Sabrina’s life as she now has a great group of friends and thriving in her new role as the super heroine Honeybee. However, things goes awry at a Halloween dance when her friends accuses her for misdeeds that she never done. Have her friends turned on her or is there something more insidious happening in the background?

Also available on Wattpad

Mirror Image

Choices.

One of the few consistent truths in life is the fact that nothing ever stays completely the same. Life is not supposed to remain stagnant where growth and success stays dormant. Growth is driven by your choices as that’s what carves out the future. The choice not to change for the better leads to personal stagnation. Either you will grow with the world or it will inevitably grow around you.

There was always a small part of her that felt like this side of her life was a gamble. Nothing was ever definite with infinite chances to win along with the exact amount to lose. Yet here she was, standing in this cluttered alleyway trying to scrounge up the courage to follow her part of the plan. Honeybee laid her back against the wall clutching the silver pendant around her neck. With the pitch black sky hanging above her she looked around the alleyway spotting the two metallic trash cans a few inches away.

She often wondered how she got herself in these situations.

But the moment when Honeybee caught her own reflection in the large puddle stretched out at her feet. She knew the answer in her reflection, seeing her teal eyes behind the yellow and black mask. Her long fiery reddish orange hair with jet black highlights pulled back into a high ponytail with a black headband with matching ribbons like antennas sticking out contrasting with her fair skin. The yellow and black jumpsuit she wore had a black collar, black full length gloves with fluffy pollen yellow cuffs. The suit’s torso was bright yellow with a large black v-shaped stripe across the chest with two thinner black stripes underneath. The lower half of the suit was black with knee high boots that ended with yellow wedges. The most important thing being the golden hair comb placed on the right side of her head.

That was the source of it all, accepting the responsibility of being the second bee miraculous holder. Although what had brought her to this specific position tonight was another choice that was born out of desperation.

The fox miraculous.

“Are you ready?” a small voice repeated.

Honeybee’s eyes pulled back up from the puddle toward the miniature fox right in front of her. Trixx, the fox kwami she had summoned a mere minute ago. Without a word the bee held her hand up toward the fox. Silently requesting a moment before stepping toward the edge of the alleyway. Honeybee peered her head from the corner gazing into the city block. Not much had changed within the few moments she had stepped away.

Just a few feet from where she stood was Chat Noir.

The cat swung up his two batons crossing them in front of his face blocking the blade of his opponent, Shadow Moth. Chat Noir shoved him prior to swiping with his batons. Shadow Moth deflected one of the batons with his blade while the hero swung his leg hitting him in the head. As the cat proceeded forward, sparks were forged between their weapons with the constant cycles of intense collision.

Shadow Moth dove between the string of attacks, grabbing Chat Noir’s wrist and striking it with the handle of his blade. The cat cried out in pain causing him to drop the baton. Shadow Moth reached for his ring when Chat Noir used his other baton, cracking it right in the supervillain’s ribs. A howl of pain came from his mouth as Chat Noir struck him for a second time.

On the other side of the street was Ladybug who was flinging her yoyo, cracking like a whip to create distance from her own brazen opponent. Pieces of garbage flew toward her such as wrappers, soda cans and glass bottles. The bug spun her yoyo into a shield deflecting the objects. The yoyo’s wire sliced through three concrete bollards and a metal trash can. Suddenly Ladybug’s body slammed into the building behind her, creating a cloud of gray dust from the impact. The dust cleared revealing Ladybug having a set of fingers wrapped around her neck.

Behind that grip was the other opponent the trio of heroes had been facing tonight, Mirror Image.

A doppelgänger of Honeybee’s civilian identity: Sabrina Raincomprix. The lookalike was even wearing a replica of Sabrina’s Halloween costume for tonight. A white lace knee length dress, a matching white shrug, solid white tights, white wedges, a white headband, a long plastic pearl necklace with matching bracelets, an orange rubber wristband and silver glitter fake angel wings.

However, this version procured damage throughout the night such as an orange fruit punch stain that ran down the front of the dress and multiple slits in the jewelry. With burning bright red eyes, the sentimonster reached toward the heroine’s earrings.

But Ladybug had other plans, swinging her legs forward into Mirror Image’s stomach forcing her opponent to be knocked back, dropping her. The sentimonster looked toward the ground noticing the manhole cover within. Mirror Image lifted up the metal cover chucking akin to a frisbee. Ladybug ducked as the cover flew into the building behind her. The bug stood back up while pulling the wire from her yoyo. Mirror Image darted toward her while Ladybug blocked another blow, delivering by a swift kick to the side. Another brutal strike was delivered right to the face.

Things weren’t supposed to be this way.

None of this fulfilled Sabrina’s expectations for the night of her first Halloween dance. At first, it seemed Shadow Moth’s objective was to turn her friends against her so she would become his victim for tonight. Although the truth was much more insidious, this was a test for him to confirm suspicions about her.

That she was the second bee miraculous holder, Honeybee.

Sabrina denied it stating that his accusations were baseless continuing the fallout. Once Ladybug approached her with the bee miraculous there was some hesitation. The bug reminded her about Shadow Moth’s trend of victimizing others which momentarily erased her doubts. After she transformed, Ladybug proposed a plan that would cover her tracks and even beat the supervillain at his own game.

Phase one had already been completed: ambush Shadow Moth and fight Mirror Image.

But now it was time for phase two but even though Ladybug explained the details and had summoned Trixx to inform them ahead of time. Still Honeybee felt a modern day Atlas carrying the weight of her world. Her eyes drifted back down to the pendant because if this failed her other choice would be to leave into the city to have complete peace of mind. Nerves clustered in her stomach as the location of Mirror Image’s amok was still an enigma. Honeybee looked back into the city block watching Chat Noir and Shadow Moth.

With the slim hope that there was something that could give her a clue of the amok’s location. Since searching for Mirror Image had been fruitless.

Shadow Moth charged toward Chat Noir while his blade caused the cat to block while crossing his batons. He grabbed Chat Noir by his ring hand forcing the baton to be dropped. However, before the attempted theft was completed Chat Noir kicked Shadow Moth onto his back. Honeybee noticed underneath the supervillain’s overcoat was a thin dark purple two pocket holster belt. The left side had a closed pocket while the right side had another pocket with a small silver object poking out of it.

Wait a second. Honeybee thought while Shadow Moth quickly moved his jacket back into place. Could that be where the amok is?

It would explain why Shadow Moth attempted to keep himself in the shadows. Chat Noir, preoccupied with securing his ring, seemed not to notice the revelation. Honeybee felt a soft tap on her shoulder causing her to turn, meeting face to face with Trixx.

“I think we should go on with the plan,” the tiny fox whispered. “We shouldn’t wait too long.”

“You’re right,” she whispered back. “Let’s do this.”

The bee moved deeper into the alleyway for cover. Ladybug’s instructions still in her memory, she moved her hands side to side before joining them together.

“Pollen. Trixx. Unify,” she whispered.

A flash of golden light covered her body causing her suit to change. Her mask shifted in design, a yellow base with a large black v-shaped stripe across the center. The heroine’s hair reverted back to its’ natural orange shade, pulled back into a braid and tied with a black ribbon. The bee miraculous remained on the right side of her hair while a pair of long yellow fox ears with black tips appeared on her head. Black and yellow were still the dominant colors of her suit and there were still significant alterations. The black collar remained the same with the color continued down the suit onto the shoulders, triangulating off the top part of the chest. A white section similar to a fox’s belly ran down the front stopping at the hips.

The remaining parts of the sleeves were yellow, ending with black wrist length gloves. Around her waist was her trompo while the suit’s lower half was yellow with a black vertical stripe going down the side of each leg. Her boots were simple black ankle booties. The suit’s back had a hostler with a yellow and white flute while a long triangular fabric tail with black v-shaped stripes hung off her waist.

She became Honey Fox.

The hybrid heroine looked down at her reflection in the puddle, amazed. She noticed the fox miraculous had merged with her collar with gold lines representing the time limit. Honey Fox stepped away from the puddle pulling her flute from the hostler.

“Mirage,” she whispered.

With a particular image in her mind the hybrid heroine summoned an illusion by swinging the flute in her hands forward. In a matter of seconds after a flash of orange light, mirages of Honeybee and Sabrina in her Halloween costume appeared. Honey Fox grinned as the mirages were exact copies with the important details such as Sabrina’s hair pulled into a bun and wearing borrowed jewelry. She brought her hands to her chest while pointing with one hand while holding the flute with the other.

This would be her only shot, it had to be perfect.

“Hey! What are you doing here?” Honey Fox cried out, causing the Honeybee mirage to repeat the question seconds later. “Stop! It’s not safe.”

The two illusions ran out of the alleyway avoiding the puddle while entering the city block. Mirage Sabrina led while Mirage Honeybee followed close behind.

Eventually stopping a few feet away from the battle between Ladybug and Mirror Image.

“Hey didn’t you hear me?” the mirage heroine caught up with the mirage counterpart. “I said this area was closed…”

“Uh…I can explain,” Mirage Sabrina spoke, reading Mirage Honeybee’s aghast face. “I-“

“It’s clear what happened even though I couldn’t see it before,” Mirage Honeybee reached for the trompo on its waist. “Shadow Moth made another sentimonster.”

“Wait no!” the angel mirage cowardly held its hands up. “Trust me, it’s not what you think!”

“Sabrina?” asked a familiar voice.

The two illusions look over to see Ladybug standing beside them. The bug’s facial features started to harden.

“Uh…hi Ladybug,” Mirage Sabrina meekly finger waved. “You may be wondering why I’m here. It’s actually a pretty funny story.”

“Really, how funny because I’m not laughing! I told you to stay back at the school,” Ladybug scolded. “What are you trying to do? Get your yourself hurt-“

However before the bug could finish Mirror Image approached grabbing her shoulder. Ladybug quickly pried the hand off as the sentimonster was swung around and thrown back to create distance.

The bug turned back to the illusions.“Honeybee, get Sabrina to safety, now!”

After delivering that instruction Ladybug charged toward Mirror Image to keep her opponent at bay.

“So you’re the Sabrina that I had been hearing about,” Mirage Honeybee said.

“You know who I am?” Mirage Sabrina asked back.

“Of course, Ladybug always gives us a debrief of the situation. So I have heard what you are going through. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, none of this has gone exactly as planned.”

“I know, but you shouldn’t be here,” Mirage Honeybee took the counterpart’s hand. “It’s not safe, you need to go.”

“NO! I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!” Mirage Sabrina ripped its hand from Mirage Honeybee’s grip. “NOT UNTIL I’M ABLE TO DO WHAT I CAME FOR!”

“Came for what?” asked the mirage heroine.

“Revenge on him for trying to ruin my life!” the mirage angel pointed over the counterpart’s shoulder.

Mirage Honeybee turned to keep up with the illusion. Chat Noir laid flat on the ground while Shadow Moth stood in shock with the painted expression of bewilderment on his face. Almost if his mind was processing what his fragile ego had tried to deny.

“Hey don’t draw attention to yourself like that,” Mirage Honeybee warned. “Look, you need to go. I’m worried about your-“

“What? My safety?” Mirage Sabrina spoke icily. “He already attacked my friends. It’s time to get even!”

“You realized who you are talking about here, right? This is the same guy who can turn someone into a fifty foot monster because they failed a math test. He’s someone not to take lightly especially since you don’t even have a miraculous.”

“Don’t remind me, I tried to convince Ladybug to loan me one. But she turned me down because she and Chat Noir were going to face Shadow Moth tonight. So she wanted someone more experienced.”

“That’s probably why she asked me to be here tonight.”

“Which is why it’s so unfair! My whole night got ruined because he thought I was you. My friends hated me tonight because you exist!”

“I know, like I said before I’m sorry that happened. My intention was never to hurt anyone.”

“Well, I’m going to put things in my own hands. I’m sick of being the victim.”

Mirage Sabrina started walking toward Shadow Moth’s direction.

“Hey!” the mirage heroine grabbed the angel mirage’s shoulder. “Let’s not do anything drastic here, you’re not in a good emotional state right now.”

The angel mirage looked over at the supervillain who had a sick satisfied grin on his face. He started to walk forward when Chat Noir threw one of his batons hitting him in the back of the knee, knocking him off balance.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Chat Noir questioned. “We’re not finished here.”

“Do you realize what you’re doing here?” Mirage Honeybee asked. “You could get hurt or even akumatized.”

“That won’t happen,” said Mirage Sabrina. “I’m not hopeless here.”

“Is that so? Alright, if that’s the case then prove it,” the mirage heroine moved its hand from its counterpart’s shoulder.

“Huh?” the angel mirage asked, stunned.

“You said you’re not hopeless so prove it. You’ve made it this far without being under Shadow Moth’s influence so you must be special.”

“But Ladybug said-“

“Ladybug told me to get you to safety. But according to you you’re safe right here. It’s a bit of a loophole but Ladybug uses them all the time. Just don’t get in Chat Noir’s way. He already has a lot on his plate.”

Both illusions looked over toward the cat who threw one of his batons at Shadow Moth causing him to deflect with his blade.

“Fine, I will,” Mirage Sabrina started walking forward, head held high.

Chat Noir lunged toward Shadow Moth’s chest aiming at both of the villain’s miraculous uttering his famous phase, “Cata-“

All a sudden Shadow Moth cracked Chat Noir across the jaw using the handle of his blade, knocking the cat back.

“Nice try,” the supervillain taunted while Chat Noir pressed a hand against his own jaw. “Just be happy it wasn’t the other end.”

“Go ahead,” Mirage Honeybee ordered as Mirage Sabrina stood completely frozen. “What are you waiting for?”

“I…I..I…” Mirage Sabrina whimpered as tears started to flow. “What I’m I thinking? I can’t do this. I’m not you or Ladybug. I’m so stupid thinking I can do this all spur of the moment.”

“Spur of the moment?”

“I…I didn’t plan to come here. After Ladybug left I went back to the dance and overheard some people talking about the akuma alert on their phones. I asked them where and they told me. I wanted to take a walk to clear my head. But I kept thinking about how I could confront Shadow Moth tonight. So I made my way here.”

The mirage heroine looked uneasy as the counterpart continued to sob. “I’m not really good with emotional stuff. Would a funny quip make you feel better?”

Mirage Sabrina kept weeping, causing a panicked look on Mirage Honeybee’s face. “Would it make you feel better to know that I punched Shadow Moth in the face?”

The angel mirage stopped sobbing, wiping away tears. “You did?”

“Totally, I punched in the face and he went down like a chump,” Mirage Honeybee boasted. “That’s the reason why I put on the mask to help people against that creep. All three of us have been trying to help you tonight, which is why Ladybug wanted you to stay back at the school.”

“You’re right, I should have listened to her.”

“It’s okay, we all make mistakes but you should leave. The last thing I want is you to get hurt,” the mirage heroine reassured. “If you still need to talk I can spare a minute or two but I need to come back to help my teammates.”

“Alright,” Mirage Sabrina let Mirage Honeybee guide her toward one of the nearby alleyways. “But wait, were you actually going to let me confront Shadow Moth?”

“Of course not,” the mirage heroine admitted while the illusions ducked into the alleyway. “I was planning to hog tie you if you got more than five steps past me. But I wanted you to make your own choice just like someone had done for me.”

Once the illusions were out of sight, Honey Fox retracted her head back into the alleyway saying the final word. “Reality.”

She let out a sigh, noticing the last section of her pendant dwindling. “Trixx. Pollen. Divide.”

Golden light surrounded her as Trixx flew out of the pendant. Her suit reverted back into its original state.

“Great job. Especially on your first try,” said the miniature fox. “But I guess this is also good-bye, too.”

“I guess so,” said Honeybee. “But I really want to thank you for helping me, Trixx.”

“No problem with everything that Shadow Moth has been putting everyone through, we should help each other out,” Trixx told her.

“That’s a good way to see this,” the bee unclasped the pendant. “So goodbye for now Trixx.”

The moment that the pendant slid off her neck the miniature fox vanished. Honeybee took her trompo off her waist, opening the top pulling out the black spot earpiece. She placed it in her left ear and dropped the fox miraculous into the trompo before snapping it shut.

Time for phase three.

After wrapping the trompo around her waist, Honeybee hopped onto the nearby trash cans giving herself a boost onto the adjacent rooftops that had made the alleyway. She advanced forward to the next rooftop, noticing the battles in the distance. The bee tapped on the earpiece to inform Ladybug of her progress.

“Honeybee to Ladybug, phase two is completed and phase three is in progress,” the bee leaped forward. “Also think I know the location of Mirror Image’s amok which gives me an idea to go along with what we already planned. Can you hear me?”

A mix of background noise came from the earpiece consisting of the sound of colliding metal and screaming.

Honeybee felt her blood run cold as she heard Shadow Moth’s voice in the background. “This will be the end of you, Ladybug!”

Honeybee picked up her speed. “Alright, I think I got the message. I’m on my way.”

After a few short leaps the bee landed on the rooftop of a mid rise building in front of the simultaneous battles. She approached the ledge surveying the scene, noticing her teammates had switched partners. Chat Noir fended off Mirror Image using his staff to deflect multiple hits. While Ladybug threw her yoyo repeatedly at Shadow Moth as he swung his blade at her.

“I’m here,” said Honeybee. “Now awaiting your signal.”

The bug looked up, giving her a little nod before throwing her yoyo up in the air. “Lucky charm.”

Ladybug threw her yoyo up in the air as a sheen light changed the bug into her lucky charm suit. The yoyo spun, releasing little hearts that formed an object that landed in the spotted heroine’s hands.

A ladybug patterned can of silly string.

“Silly string?” the bug pondered as her eyes darted around. “That’s not what I expected.”

At that moment Shadow Moth charged toward her. Ladybug pressed the nozzle of the can, spraying the red string into his eyes.

“AHH!” Shadow Moth screamed, dropping his blade.

“Chat move!” ordered the bug.

The cat dove forward rolling past Mirror Image. Ladybug began spraying covering the sentimonster.

Well that’s my cue. Honeybee thought.

She leapt off the building landing in the midst of the battle. Shadow Moth still pulling string from his eyes reached underneath his jacket revealing the glistening object from earlier.

A small silver pocket mirror.

“Mirror Image vanish!” he ordered.

The sentimonster followed orders but the blanket of silly string made it impossible to hide. Honeybee threw her trompo hitting Shadow Moth’s hand causing him to drop the mirror onto the ground.

The bee pulled the string of her trompo declaring. “Venom!”

A quick jab struck Mirror Image in the chest between the strands of silly string.

“So Shadow Moth,” the bee asked the villain. “So do you want to surrender now or you still want to drag this out?”

“You!” the supervillain hissed removing the last of the silly string from his now red eyes.

“Yes it’s me, one of the city’s favorite superheroes at least according to the polls,” she smirked while looking down for a second before putting up four beckoning fingers. “So what are going to do about it?”

“I might have been wrong about my assumptions about you,” he hissed, picking up his blade. “But now you’re on my list just like the other two.”

“Wow, that’s such an achievement. If I knew this was going to happen I would’ve written a speech talking about the sequence of five events that lead to this,” Honeybee held up five fingers at her teammates who surrounded the two. She shot Chat Noir a look as her eyes drifted toward the ground before pulling them back toward Shadow Moth. “You know what I’m feeling charitable tonight. I’ll actually give you a free hit if you just come a little closer.”

“I’m going to get you if that’s the last thing I-“ Shadow Moth stepped forward before a splitting sound came from the villain’s feet.

His eyes widened while dread overcame his face as he looked down discovering the mirror at his feet. With the notorious blue feather fluttering from the cracks.

“I’ll be taking that!” Ladybug exclaimed, catching the feather with her yoyo.

Honeybee giggled. “Thanks for the assist Shadow Moth. Granted I could have broken it myself but having you assist in your own downfall is so much sweeter.”

Shadow Moth’s features hardened pulling his gaze from the feather to her. Pure rage singed right into his face as he charged forward swinging his sword.

Honeybee called out. “Chat Now!”

Chat Noir drove in front of the supervillain, pressing his ring hand against the road. “Cataclysm!”

The cataclysm spread forward crumbling the ground underneath the supervillain’s feet creating a hole into the sewers that Shadow Moth fell right into.

“Now that’s for earlier!” Chat Noir yelled into the hole.

“Alright, it’s time to finish this,” Ladybug spun her yoyo around to purify. “Bye-bye little feather.”

She released the purified feather letting it flutter in the wind. Followed by a quick toss of the silly string can into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

A wave of ladybugs washed over the city repairing all the damage that had been done. The magical swarm swept over Mirror Image causing the sentimonster to disappear. The hole vanished causing Shadow Moth reappeared back above ground. While he groaned, the heroes circled around him, weapons ready.

“It’s over Shadow Moth,” said Ladybug. “You’re outnumbered.”

“Yep,” Chat Noir agreed. “By the way, nice job breaking that mirror. How many years of bad luck is that again?”

“Seven, the last time I checked,” Honeybee answered. “So the next couple years are going to be really rough unless you surrender now.”

Shadow Moth narrowed his eyes as tonight had become fruitless. But at that moment all three of the heroes’ jewelry beeped causing him to smile.

“Insolent children, don’t pretend you three do not have shortcomings of your own,” his hand moved underneath his jacket. “Unless you three want me to know your identities, consider this stalemate until next time-“

Honeybee noticed the placement of his hand. “Hey! He’s pulling out something-“

Before she could finish that sentence Shadow Moth pulled out a silver marble size orb and threw it onto the ground. A fog of purple smoke enveloped the heroes. Seconds later the smoke pulled from around them revealing Chat Noir spinning his staff around like a propeller.

“Does everyone still have their jewelry?” he asked.

Honeybee ran her fingers from her hair until her hand hit her hair comb. After she looked over seeing both Ladybug and Chat Noir were still intact.

“I think we’re all fine,” Ladybug reported. “But Shadow Moth has escaped.”

The bee looked around realizing that the bug’s statement was true.

“Dang it!” Honeybee shouted. “We were so close!”

“Don’t worry, considering who we are dealing with,” Ladybug put her hand on the bee’s shoulder. “This won’t be the last time.”

With that a round of fist bumps, gratitudes and goodbyes were quickly exchanged before departing. Chat Noir ran into an alleyway while the heroines ran down the street removing the manhole cover to enter into the sewers. Ladybug went first, rushing down the ladder to get behind one of the walls while Honeybee sealed the whole. After coming down the ladder the bee pulled out the fox miraculous from her trompo. A gold light shined reverting her suit back to her angel costume with her hair down, her purse back on her shoulder and her friends’ jewelry had disappeared.

“That was amazing, your Highness,” Pollen cooed after reappearing.

“Aww thanks Pollen,” Sabrina walked over to the sewer wall. “But it’s no big deal I followed Ladybug’s plan.”

“Yeah but you outsmarted Shadow Moth by tricking him into releasing Mirror Image’s amok,” the miniature bee followed behind her. “That was not part of the plan, you’re just so clever.“

“Pollen is right,” Ladybug spoke from behind the sewer wall. “You did good tonight with that mirror trick. Also it was clever silently signaling Chat Noir to do sequence five with holding your hand out and word choice.”

“I’m just glad he got the message before I became a bee kabob,” the angel pulled out a plastic sandwich baggie with a snickerdoodle out of her purse and handed it to Pollen. “I think tonight shows we finally got this sequence code thing down. So do you think Shadow Moth believed my illusion?”

“Considering he mentioned wrong assumptions about Honeybee I believe he did. He should now think you are two separate people. But just because you’re no longer a suspect doesn’t mean we should start being careless. So that means for a while we might have to meet down here. Is that okay with you?”

“Of course,” Sabrina nodded. “I’m just happy that I get to still be Honeybee after this.”

After a quick recharge, both the fox and bee miraculous were returned to Ladybug. The bug led Sabrina through the sewers back to the school to enjoy the remainder of the dance. Once the pair was a block away from the school Ladybug handed her a magical charm. It was white with diamond spots covered with a white lace pattern. Ladybug explained this was a test charm she had made directly from the amok, hoping it could be used as a source of protection in case Shadow Moth ever summoned Mirror Image again. Sabrina thanked her while putting the charm in her purse before climbing up the sewer ladder. After a short walk Sabrina arrived back at the school. Upon Ladybug’s suggestion she had been led a block away from the school to avoid questions. Once she got closer the angel noticed someone standing atop of the building’s front steps.

It was Chloé.

She was wearing her Queen of Hearts costume, a black medieval styled knee length dress with vertical glitter gold trim on the bodice. The dress had a sweetheart neckline, puffy short sleeves, a white merci collar and a two layer skirt dotted with glittery red hearts. Chloé also had on solid black tights, black high heel ankle booties and a circular black crossbody bag on her shoulder. A golden crown sat on the top of her head with this being the few moments Chloé had her long blonde hair down.

Sabrina raised a brow while coming up the steps. “Hey, did you come out to get some fresh air?”

Chloé shot her a bitter glare. “If you must know I’m leaving! Coming to this stupid dance was a big mistake.”

“Oh wow, sorry to hear that,” the angel walked toward the door. “But thanks again for helping me out earlier. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Is that really all you have to say?” Chloé questioned while Sabrina put her hands on the door handle.

“Yep,” Sabrina spoke brazenly, still keeping her back turned. “It really is.”

“I’m standing here alone in the cold and you don’t care!” the mayor’s daughter shouted. “How could you be so selfish?”

The angel flinched, keeping her back turned, she could see what Chloé was doing. In the past during their friendship, if Sabrina did not immediately respond to her beck and call, Chloé would make her feel like the worst person in the world. But after the nightmare she just went through, not this time.

“You’re not going to answer?” Chloé spat.

“I guess I don’t matter to you anymore. So, did you have fun hanging out with Ladybug?”

Sabrina completely froze wondering how it was possible? Twice in one night she had been questioned about her affiliation towards Ladybug. Was she literally the unluckiest person in the world?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the angel turned to face her.

Chloé’s lips curled into a proud smile. “Don’t lie to me. I saw you two walking into that classroom after talking to Chat Noir.”

An inward panic spread throughout every inch of Sabrina’s body. Her thoughts begin to race while trying to pull another excuse from her arsenal.

“The worst thing about this was when I tried to listen through the door, Tsurugi and Cèsaire interrupted me,” the mayor’s daughter scoffed. “So what, are these friends your little bodyguards now?”

Sabrina’s features began to harden. “Wait, why were you trying to listen through the door?”

“What?”

“Did I stutter? Why were you trying to listen through the door? How much did you hear?”

“Not much,” Chloé’s proud stance slightly deflated. “Only up to the point when Ladybug said something about feelings and sleeves before Tsurugi and Cèsaire interrupted me before telling me to leave.”

Sabrina analyzed Chloé’s movements to see if she was lying. She learned how to tell after a long period of time. Usually it was a slight eye twitch, a pouty lip or crossing of fingers. At least to her it appeared that Chloé was telling the truth.

“I’m going to ask you one more time Chloé,” the angel crossed her arms. “Why were you trying to listen to my conversation with Ladybug?”

“Maybe because after helping you out of that janitor closet I felt entitled to some information about you,” the mayor’s daughter huffed. “Instead of finding out because I’m your last option. Especially when it involves Ladybug of all people.”

“You’re not entitled to know anything about me anymore, Chloé. I don’t know why you think otherwise. The only reason I clued you in is because Mirror Image approached you.”

“It’s because a few months ago I was! Until you downgraded to Mari-Brat and her squad. After all I have done for you!”

“Oh yeah, treating me as an unpaid servant and emotional punching bag. You were so kind. By the way, as I said before, stop calling Marinette names!”

“It’s like I don’t even know you anymore!”

“It’s because you don’t. I refuse to go back to a time where we were not on equal footing.”

“Is that why you’re friendly with Ladybug? Just to spite me?”

“Oh my gosh Chloé not everything is about you! I was talking to Ladybug to give her information about Mirror Image. It’s not like we went out for pizza!”

“Then why were you walking back here?”

“I took a walk to clear my head. Are you of all people trying to shame me for accepting Ladybug’s help?”

Chloé’s face started to burn bright red. “Well sorry for questioning your oh-so-perfect life!”

“Perfect?!” Sabrina exclaimed. “Did you literally forget what I’ve been going through these last couple hours?”

“Oh please, I saw the ladybugs swarming around here which means it’s all over now. Just a little bump in the road for the perfect princess and her kingdom of dorks.”

“Perfect princess? Is that what you think of me? That I’m some princess with a perfect life?”

“Seriously, how did you become this dense?! You have a boyfriend who came across the world to see you. Your stupid little cosplays are getting popular online. You seem to have a decent relationship with the heroes and have annoying little friends who often defend you. Don’t you think it’s irritating seeing you getting by so well without me!”

“What was I supposed to do, shrivel up and die because you weren’t ordering me around anymore?! I mean, are you jealous or something?”

“Jealous! How could I be jealous? I’m a politician’s daughter. My mom runs a successful magazine in New York. We’re loaded, I literally live in a luxury hotel where the staff waits on me hand and foot. I’m-“

“Still alone? All the things you listed were about money or status. But when you described my “perfect” life you talked about my personal relationships. Is that what you really want?”

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Look if I’m right then I understand. But that does not give you the right to take it out on me.”

“Like you know how it feels. You’re always posting about going out with the same fifteen people, working on your cosplays and hanging out on Juleka’s boat.”

“Wait? Have you been stalking my socials?”

“That’s…that’s not the point here! What I’m trying to say is that you don’t know how it feels to be alone.”

“Did you forget all those times you stood me up to be Queen B.”

“Sabrina that was-“

“For the city I know. At least that’s what I hope you were going to say. But most of the time you wouldn’t tell me even after the fact. I often heard it from either the news or Alya’s blog. Do you know how humiliating it was to wait for hours for someone who never showed up? I wasn’t even worth receiving a after the battle text from you. So don’t tell me that I know nothing about feeling alone when I do. Especially when you already had your chance.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“When you were Queen B, people were willing to open up to you. But instead of changing for the better you just had gotten the worst. Even siding against Ladybug just to spite her.”

“Who told you that?!”

“Honeybee mentioned it in one of the videos on Alya’s blog. Before Ladybug left I asked what Honeybee meant by that and she told me the truth.”

“You’re going to believe someone like her? I told you she was jealous of me!” Chloé’s left eye twitched slightly. “Now she’s bad mouthing to anyone who would listen!”

“Is it really bad mouthing when it’s true?” Sabrina pressed. “The timeline matches up with the day you called me ranting about how Ladybug was the worst person in the world. It was also the day the city was attacked by those wasps.”

“Even if it’s true, why does it matter now? Ladybug took my miraculous and give it to that stupid Honeybee.”

“Well you were never entitled to it in the first place. Based on what you told me, you practically forced yourself in and Ladybug gave you a chance. A chance not everyone is given and you wasted it.”

“What’s your point here Sabrina?”

“My point…my point here is you had a chance to grow and decided not to. Now you’re mad that I had something similar and unlike you I took it. That’s why you’ve been horrible to me since you’ve come back from your trip, right? It’s because you couldn’t handle the responsibility of bettering yourself!”

“No, the reason why I’m mad is because you ditched me for those losers!” Chloé’s left eye twitched again. “Who barely noticed your existence until a few months ago.”

“They’re still some of the kindest people that I have ever met. Yes we might have had a bump in the road tonight but if I can give you a million second chances. I can at least give them one.”

At that moment the Bourgeois family’s car pulled up in front of the school. The driver honked the car’s horn. The two girls stared at each other almost as if realizing they had become mirror images of a path each other did not take.

Chloé broke away from their gaze, started to walk down the steps toward her family’s car.

“Chloé, I don’t know if we could ever be friends again,” Sabrina called out. “But like it or not you did help me out tonight. I know you can be better than this. It’s still not too late to take a different path and change.”

Chloé kept her back turned. “Change for what? There’s nothing wrong with me.”

The mayor’s daughter finished walking down the steps and entered the car in front of her. After the car sped away, Sabrina put her face in her hands feeling like this was not the end between them.

“Sabrina?” asked a familiar voice. “Are you alright?”

The angel looked up to see Marinette and Luka climbing up the steps toward her.

Sabrina looked at her Marinette, noticing the stark contrast compared to when she first saw her tonight. She was wearing a soft pink full length dress with a corset bodice and decorated spaghetti straps with pink fabric flowers and green fabric leaves. Her raven hair was down in soft curls covering her ears while a light pink flower crown was on her head. On her shoulder was her trademark pink purse and had a pair of sparkly pink fairy wings on her back. She was still wearing her garden fairy costume but all the food stains were removed.

“Wow, you look so pretty,” Sabrina gushed. “I see that the ladybugs have gotten to you.”

“They did,” the garden fairy hugged her. “But are you okay? We…we overheard what happened between you and Chloé.”

A look of horror flashed across Sabrina’s face, she had forgotten that the bakery was across the street. The way that both girls were yelling it would be impossible not to overhear.

The angel took a deep breath before letting go of her friend. “I’m fine, I just needed to get a few things off my chest.”

She looked over at Luka who also was clearly swarmed by the ladybugs. His make-up was now intact as his skin was a limp green tinted gray with a black scar besides his mouth. The rest of his costume, a faux leather jacket, distressed graphic t-shirt of a zombie’s rib cage, black fingerless gloves, ripped blue jeans and black Converse, were now stainless, making him an impressive zombie rockstar.

“Luka, how’s your head?” she asked.

“Much better, I just needed to sit out for a while,” he said. “But I really want to apologize for what I said to you tonight.“

“It’s okay,” the angel told him. “You were just reacting to what you thought you knew. It really did look like I turned against everyone.”

“Let’s go back inside,” Marinette suggested, her phone now in her hand. “We still have an hour left in the dance.”

With that the trio entered the building, the moment Sabrina stepped onto the steps she could feel a surge of positive energy in the atmosphere from the crowd. She looked over toward the DJ booth at Nino who was still working. He was still in his Dracula costume, a white long sleeved frilled shirt with a burgundy vest, black trousers, black dress and a black cape with a vampire collar. He must’ve noticed her because he waved back before pulling the booth’s microphone towards him.

“Alright party people, we still have about an hour left tonight,” Nino announced into the microphone. “So for the rest of the hour I will be accepting requests. Just approach the booth to put your request in. But the first request for tonight is “Warrior” by Sasha Durand dedicated to Sabrina Raincomprix from a group of people who want to apologize to you.”

“Wait what?” Sabrina sounded completely flabbergasted.

A string of electronic beats played for a few seconds before the rest of the musical accompaniment came in. A harmonic voice sang:

🎶 These new roles haven’t been easy.

Even in the moment when I fight.

Walls closing in, getting tight.

But I’m ready to pave the way.

Just for a better day.

I have become a warrior.

Finally free and glorious. 🎶

The angel turned to the couple who were smiling at her.

“Did you two know about this?” she asked.

“I might’ve texted a suggestion in the group chat about doing something like this since this is your favorite song,” Marinette admitted. “But everyone else agreed on it.”

“I also might’ve been the one who she ran this idea by and agreed on it before putting it in the chat,” Luka added. “And when I say might’ve right now, it actually means definitely.”

“Sabrina,” said a voice behind her. “Can we please talk?”

She turned around to see the remainder of her friends standing in front of her. All of them were wearing costumes that were restored to their former glory along with the dance’s provided orange wristbands. In her Claudia, the celestial witch costume Alya stood wearing her black witches hat with faux silver roses at the band. Along with her black lace front knee length dress paired with silver glitter black lace and black ankle booties. The reporter’s crescent moon pendant had returned back on her neck while her silver hoop earrings with threaded star charms was also spotless. Kagami wore her costume proudly a black unity jacket with her returned mockingjay pin, black t-shirt, olive green pants, soft brown ankle boots and arrow quiver of her Katniss Everdeen costume. Adrien stood right by her side wearing his Dread Pirate Roberts costume, a black v neck pirate shirt, black pants, black skull cap, black masquerade mask with matching sash.

Rose looked like a little princess in her pink puffy ball gown, white full length gloves and a golden paper crown of her Princess Peach costume. Juleka appeared on the sinister side of the royal spectrum with her Zombie Prom Queen costume. Similar to Luka, her skin was a limp gray with a greenish tint. Both her eyes were sunken while a large scar ran down her cheek. Juleka’s long hair was pulled into a bun while wearing a silver plastic tiara. Her dress, a glittery tattered black puffed sleeved prom dress had her PROM QUEEN sash covered in specks of fake blood. Mylène’s hair was in braided pigtails, tied with blue plaid ribbons. Her blue pinfold dress, white knee socks and ruby slippers made her look like a suitable Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.

Ivan was in his black grim reaper cloak wearing his gray plastic skeleton mask on his face. Lastly, Alix wore her black overcoat, white vested shirt, black combat boots, black shorts with black and white striped tights and black top hat with glued on white rabbit ears for white rabbit costume. She, along with the others looked, very apologetic.

“I think I can speak for everyone here to say we owe you an apology,” Alix continued. “Isn’t that right everyone?”

The rest of the group nodded and verbally agreed.

“We should have thought about all the possibilities first before being all passive aggressive toward you,” said Alya. “Especially what happened was completely out of character.”

“I think we all had forgotten that we live in a world where Shadow Moth exists for a moment when that happened,” Adrien added.

“True, as not everything is what it seems,” Kagami agreed. “I think we all learned that lesson the hard way tonight. Our anger clouded our judgment.”

“I shouldn’t have doubled down when you told us the truth either. Sorry about that, I also shouldn’t have brought up Chloé either,” Alix admitted. “I thought you had betrayed us. It wasn’t until I saw you and Mirror Image at the DJ booth to realize how wrong I was.”

“You saw that?” Sabrina asked.

“Adrien sent a text in the group chat that you and Mirror Image were at the DJ booth,” Mylène replied. “Once we saw both you and Mirror Image together we all realized the mistake we made.”

“We wanted to apologize earlier,” Ivan told her. “But we couldn’t find you.”

“I had to take a walk to get some fresh air and think over some things,” the angel told them. “Take a break from the drama.”

“That’s completely understandable,” Rose told her. “We didn’t believe you when we should have. But is there any chance you can forgive us?”

“Well…” Sabrina brought her hand to her chin. “There’s a lot to consider here.”

She looked over at the group who all had concerned and apologetic looks on their faces.

“Just kidding!” the angel smiled. “Of course, I forgive you all.”

“You do?” Juleka asked.

“Of course, I can’t even fault you guys too much because you were tricked. Besides I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m in if it wasn’t people giving me a second chance,” she smiled at Marinette. “It’s about time that I’ll pay it forward. Besides, there’s one thing that I’ve been wanting to do all night.”

“What’s that?” Kagami questioned.

Sabrina smiled as the music switched to a more poppy uplifting beat. “Have fun with my friends! Come on everyone you heard Nino we technically have less than an hour left. Let’s make the most of it!”

With that she grabbed the hands of the friends closest in her proximity: Marinette, Kagami and Alya while leading the rest of the group to dance the night away.

Finally at peace, content with her life and the choices she made including the path she decided to take.

The End.

Thanks for reading! 😊

Woo! We are finally done with this story. As previously mentioned I did not expect to take this long but life had gotten in the way. But at the same time I did want to explore Sabrina’s and Chloé’s relationship after Sabrina character development and seeking new friends. Future Sabrina stories will fill up the summer between Confetti and Mirror Image that reached towards this point. I already have a few planned which even includes a birthday party story. For those who were patient for all those months. I really appreciate it. Hopefully we won’t have that serious of a gap for a very long time.

I’m excited for the next story. Not wanting to give too much away it will likely be a two parter and be very special as the first part will be release on my birthday 🎂.

I would also like to note that the song in the story was inspired by the real life song Warrior by Chloe x Halle. They aren’t exact but it was the inspiration. I did not write the original song but the story was mine.

This is story is also available on Wattpad.

The song for this week is “What I Believe In” by NerdOut.

See you next time. 👋

[bakatenshii]

Blitz

Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader (Haikyuu!!)

word count: 2.5k

TW: 18+, smut, exhibitionism, a spritz of omorashi

A/N: this is completely diff from what I’m used to and comfy with; it’s truly the softest thing I’ll ever write— for the real angel, Weese, who welcomed me into my first ever fandom with open arms. I wouldn’t be here without you, wouldn’t have met any of my best friends were it not for you. From the bottom of boku no kokoro, Happy Birthday <33

Weese’s Birthday Bash masterlist

blitz

/blits/

a sudden, energetic, and concerted effort, typically on a specific task.

(slang) heavily intoxicated

He gives credit where credit’s due, and in all fairness, you have been well-behaved, glued to his side til 2am that night. Might even be a new record; usually you’d have gone off and disappeared at the strike of midnight like you’ve got a pumpkin carriage awaiting, only it brings you to a different destination each time.

Whiskey mixers generally mean you end up at some twenty-four seven conbini chatting up the cashier to give you the karaage for a discounted price because you’ve ‘lost your wallet’. It’s never lost; Ushijima knows this because he’s chained it to your belt, lil lobster claw too rickety for your drunk fingers to maneuver.

Tequila shots are the killer; the ones that get his protective mode on overdrive, eyes scanning the streets littered with stumbling drunks until he finds his stumbling drunk. 

It’s currently quarter to three, which means it’s been a solid twenty minutes since you’ve wandered off. If he calculates the rate of distance in your drunken state, you couldn’t have traveled that far— two streets down, at most. He hopes, anyways.

Ushijima doesn’t like going out, doesn’t quite get the appeal of being shoved into crowds of people in a cramped room with perspiration mixing with other spilled fluids coating sticky skin. ‘It’s just ‘cause you’re too la-’ a hiccup, a giggle, ‘large, ushi.’ is your usual response. ‘Take up too much space.’

Ushijima goes out because you go out, and when you go out, your Find My Friends icon seems to like playing Pac-Man, navigating through the map like you’ve got dots to clear past every street and building. It worries him. So he goes out.

Tequila shots usually bring you to another club, whichever looks the most bustling, because you flock to crowds, like moth to flame. It’s your first character flaw.

“I’m not that drunk,” he whips his head to see your frame swaying outside the queue of a club entrance, bouncer leaning in close, too close.

Your second character flaw is that you’re too friendly. You tell him he’s too cold, too curt, but he thinks you’re just too outgoing. This is what happens when you’re so sociable.

It only takes him two long strides to cross over the street, extend out one long arm over to your shoulder, and pull you into his chest. The bouncer looks up at him, neck craning probably more than he’s used to, before spitting on the floor and turning back.

“Toooooshi,” he doesn’t think his name has that many vowels, but you’re pawing at his shirt, trying and failing to slither an arm around his waist. “‘m hungry.”

This is standard, this is the usual routine. He’s used to this now, “let’s go home, we have food at home.” After the third night out, he’s made a habit out of cooking before you leave. Because you’re always hungry, you always— “want Maccas,” you’re giggling.

“McDonald’s is going to be closed.” It’s a fact, there’s a slim chance you’ll make it before three, no point in wasting time. Besides, there’s food at home.

But you’re tugging at his arm and dragging him down the street, and he’s letting you, because the best way to appease you is to let you see for yourself. You’re bouncing with excited chirps, skipping down the road with grace that will always impress him given the stilts attached to your feet.

McDonald’s is closed.

It’s like he said, so he allows you to pout and sulk for a minute, run a hand down your back in comfort, before taking out his phone to call a cab. He can feel your shoulder bump into his chest, hands fidgeting with the hem of your short dress, “what’s wrong?”

You’re blushing, cheeks tinting over with a light shade of pink illuminated by the bright yellow lights, and it’d be cute if he wasn’t worried. “What’s wrong?”

Another tug at the black fabric, eyelashes fluttering to point towards the wall, the sign; anywhere except him. “I need to pee.”

It comes out so quietly, so docile, a contrast to your otherwise boisterous drunken state. He leans down, face brushing past your hair until it’s only a mere inch away.

“What’s that?”

He watches as your glossed lips push out into a pout, huffing out a, “I need to pee, Toshi, I need the toilet.” Your heels clack on the gravel a few times as if to prove a point.

“I’m calling a cab right now,” he reassures you, “we’ll be home soon.”

You don’t seem reassured. You seem more anxious, if anything. “No, Toshi, I need to pee now,” he can feel your fingers fidgeting with his shirt, yanking the fabric in nervous twitches.

He watches you chew on your lip, willing a solution out from the pink gloss staining your teeth, any solution—

“Alley.”

It’s barely left his mouth before your head’s whipping to glance at the dark narrow street hidden behind the fast food joint. It’s tight, or maybe you’re right, he’s just too broad, but he barely fits down the cramped road.

You’re not moving, though, just staring up at him expectantly as if sending him a message, a signal. He doesn’t really get it. “It’s fine, there’s no one on the streets right now.”

Your bottom lip snags under your teeth, doe eyes looking up through fluttering lashes as you shake your head. The tint on your cheeks grow darker, and he takes a few steps forward, shadowing your smaller frame in his large silhouette. “I’ll block you, you can go now.”

Ushijima’s not the best with people, he’s always been told this. He knows it himself, but he thinks he knows you pretty well, at least.

He’s lost.

He’s waiting for you to say something, anything, an explanation for your odd behaviour, but instead he feels dainty fingers tug on his shirt again before shoving him lightly.

“Turn around,” you won’t look at him, eyes fixed on the broken bottle on the dingy alleyway floor, “Don’t look.”

People are a mystery to Ushijima, but at this moment, you are an enigma.

All 200 pounds of pure muscle on him is stagnant. He’s confused; he’s seen you naked, seen you from all angles in all sorts of positions, he’s brushed his teeth while you were using the toilet before— he doesn’t get it. So he tells you.

Your fists meekly punch at his arm, at his chest, wherever they can reach, “It’s embarrassing,” you’re pouting now, and he thinks it’s cute. Under any other circumstances he’d lean over and kiss you, but not right now. Right now he wants understand what’s going on up in your mind.

“Why?”

It sets you into a frustrated huff, cheeks puffing out before a dejected sigh, “fine, whatever,” and then you’re squatting down, finally, to his relief. Your dress is hitched up only a fraction before he hears the trickling, but you don’t stand up when it stops.

His whole body freezes at the feeling of a warm hand pawing at his crotch. “What are you doing?” He snatches your hand off by the wrist, pulling it into him to stand you up; you don’t stand up— you fall, on your knees in front of him.

He’s used to you being a handful when you’re drunk, used to you falling all over the place, but the alleyway is soiled, filthy, not entirely appropriate for the thoughts he’s having with you on your knees. So he’s trying again, reaching down to grab hold of both your hands this time, and lugging you up.

You don’t budge, don’t even glance up at him, and he has half the heart to reach down and carry you out, but another hand lands on his crotch again and it’s getting harder and harder to ignore the strain in his trousers.

“Toooooooshi,” you’re still not looking up at him, eyes fixated on the growing tent he’s presenting in front of your face. Another soft touch, another purr, and Ushijima knows he’s a lost cause.

He lets go of your wrists, bending down to wrap an arm around your knees and picks you up before standing you back up against the wall.

“Spread your legs.” It’s not really a suggestion.

He watches as you comply, thighs parting as far as the black lace still bound around them will allow, so he rips it down before pocketing it.

He can hear your whines of complaint, it’s your favourite pair, but it’s all drowned out with a gasp as he buries his face into your wet cunt. His hands wrap behind your thighs, large palms pushing them apart until they rest over his shoulders.

His tongue flicks up your drooling slit, lapping at the juices dribbling out your needy hole and down his chin. You’re whimpering now, hands shoving at his face, “stop, Toshi, I—” he looks up at you, gaze piercing through your flushed expression, “I just peed, ‘ts gross.”

“I know.”

“Toshi we’re—” a moan, nails digging into his scalp when he dips his tongue into your clenching hole, “in public, please,” your face whips to the side, anxiously scanning for passerby’s.

“I know,” he echos with a harsh squeeze of your thighs, fucking you down onto his tongue. He can feel a hand threading through his hair, gripping and pulling while the other is obediently clamped over your mouth in an attempt to muffle wanton moans.

“Toshi, stop,” you’re crying now, legs around his head trembling with every lap and lick into your dripping cunt, nose grazing that sensitive bud as he presses your body into the wall. The fingers meekly pushing at his face are chased by your hips bucking against it, and he can feel your hole clench around his muscle.

He doesn’t stop. 

He doesn’t stop because he can feel you coming undone, feel your tight cunny quiver with every thrust— and you do, with a loud sob of his name, before he removes his hand from under to clamp over your mouth.

“You’re gonna get us caught,” he doesn’t think you can hear him, your eyes rolling back and tongue pressing into the pads of his fingers.

He can still see your hole quivering when he stands back up and unbuckles his trousers. His aching erection springs free with a tug of his waistband, snapping up and wetting his shirt with pre.

Normally he would’ve prepared you better, laid you on your back and fucked you on his tongue and thick fingers until you’re wailing his name, legs shaking with the overstimulation. But he doesn’t have that luxury now, doesn’t have the soft mattress, the plush bedding to sink you into; he only has the brick wall digging into your back in a dingy alleyway.

So he sinks his cock into your drooling cunt, pushing his cockhead through the first ring of muscle. There’s nails clawing at his shoulders, back of his neck, anywhere they can reach, anywhere they can grasp.

It’s tight, so tight he doesn’t think he can fit, thinks he should’ve prepared you after all, but one look down at your tear-stricken face crumbles any inhibitions. His hips snap forward in the same breath his large palms find themselves back under your thighs, lifting you up against the wall.

The jagged wall is probably digging into your back, and normally he would’ve tried to appease the pain, shift the angle so you’re more comfortable, but right now all he can think about are your doughy walls sucking his cock in, one slow inch at a time.

It’s excruciating how tight you are; by the third inch you’re throwing your head into the crook of his neck, nails digging into his back trying to ease the stretch— Ushijima’s trying, too; trying to make sure he doesn’t drown in the feel of your fluttering walls and snap his hips forward until he can feel the kiss of your cervix on his cockhead.

It doesn’t work, not when you’re chanting his name like a mantra, crying about how full you feel, how much he’s stretching you out— you can feel him in your stomach.

He drops your body down into the thrust of his hips and buries his cock to hilt. Five seconds, then ten, then thirty; he lets you catch your breath, catch his breath, before you’re whimpering in his ear begging him to move.

There’s no time for modesty, an alleyway is hardly the setting for soft gentle sex. With a vice grip in the flesh of your ass, he hugs you into his chest and steadies a hand on the wall behind you.

He can feel your legs attempt to wrap around the width of his hips, his waist, can feel you cooing soft moans into his ears, can hear you sobbing his name like it’s the only word you know. Every piston of his hip echoes in the cramped alleyway, heavy balls papping against your mound.

He’s breathing in your moans, letting himself drown in you desperate whines of his name, “cum in me, Toshi, fill me up”— he’s shoving your pliant body into the harsh wall, arm moving down from the jagged surface to grip the soft flesh under your thigh.

In one swift movement he’s pinned your knees to your ears, limp calves bouncing off his sturdy shoulders as he pounds into you at an unrelenting pace.

Your moans turn to sobs, wails of Toshi, Toshi, Toshi; his breaths turn to grunts into promises to breed you so good, fill you up with his cum until it’s dripping out of your sweet lil cunny. There’s mini crescents marking up the back of his neck, dark purples and yellows running up along yours as he suctions onto new blank patches of skin.

Loud, unrhythmic squelching echos in the alleyway, his arms bouncing you onto his length until you twitch, spasm around his cock, and you’re coming undone for the second time that night with his name spilling out in broken sobs.

Ushijima doesn’t stop, fucks you through your squeals and shoves until he feels your greedy cunt milking his cock again, then he’s spilling into you with hot ropes of cum.

He doesn’t stop until your body’s gone pliant caged inside his, knees still pushed against the wall and saliva dribbling past your lolling tongue down to your messy pussy, mixing with creams of cum and slick and drool.

One limb at a time, he unfolds you and carries you in his arms, cradling your limp body into his chest. He looks down, admires your hazy gaze, pupils blown, and presses a gentle kiss onto your forehead.

A soft hum leaves your lips, or maybe a giggle, but you’re squirming in his arms, body leaning up until he can feel your soft lips grazing his ear.

“Toooshi,” you drawl, and he almost chokes at how fucked out you sound, the rasp in your voice sending dangerous jolts down to his no longer softening cock.

“Hm?” He’s debating on flagging a cab instead of calling one; can’t really reach into his pocket when you’re in his arms.

“Want Maccas.”

[winter-turtle]

Hello Kitty pants

Peter wore those pants again.

Those damn pants.

It was practically impossible to ignore the bright pink color. No matter how hard Tony tried, he couldn't stop his eyes from sliding to that ridiculous pattern, drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

He didn’t remember what his past self had thought while getting those pants. Now thinking back to the whole incident, he couldn't fathom how he could have exposed the kid to the ridicule of walking the streets in that outfit. Sure, you saw weird things on the streets all the time and Tony had been angry, but that was no reason to behave like an asshole. Peter almost got ripped in half. The least Tony could have done was to offer him a ride home.

It was so easy to forget that Peter was a teenager; plus, it's been a while since Tony was one and frankly, he forgot how fragile teenage self-esteem was.

Yet another thing he'd fucked up.

And if Peter held it against him, he didn’t let it show.

Then again, the kid could be wearing those to remind Tony of the whole incident without saying anything. Like he was daring Tony to speak up just so he could rip him a new one. Nobody would suspect that level of malice from such innocent-looking face-

No.

Peter wouldn't do that. He wasn't like that. The kid had the purest heart of gold in the world - for heaven's sake, he'd saved the Vulture from certain death even though he himself could barely stand! The most likely scenario was that Peter looked at the hideous thing and realized it could make decent pajamas pants.

It wasn’t like the kid was wearing them everytime they had a movie night.

Yeah, that was definitely the case. No ulterior motive.

The kid was too good for that. Too good for the world.

Too good for Tony.

The next thump of his heart was painful.

The kid, oblivious to Tony's internal turmoil he faced every time he saw those pants, was sitting cross-legged on the couch, picking a movie for them to watch.

Though his eyes held sadness and pain, small smile pulled at Tony’s lips. It's gonna be Star Wars. Tony knew it's gonna be Star Wars.

He knew the kid well enough.

Lucky.

Tony was so lucky he had Peter in his life. The teen had this aura that lit up the whole room every time he walked in, chasing away the shadows that plagued Tony every time it got quiet.

He couldn't imagine what he would’ve done if he lost Peter because of his own stupidity.

He'd lost enough already.

"Mr. Stark?"

Tony blinked, snapping back to reality. His eyes subconsciously slid to Peter's legs, expecting to see those stupid pants, but instead finding that the kid had thrown a blanket over his legs while he was spaced out. The tension bled from Tony, his shoulders, although barely noticeable, sagging in relief.

"Yeah?"

The microwave beeped. Tony opened the door and pulled out the bag.

The kid’s head tilted to the side, eyebrows drawing together in worry. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes," Tony said as he filled the bowls with popcorn. "Just got lost in thoughts for a sec."

"Okay,” Peter nodded. “Hurry up so we can start," he patted the spot next to him, grinning.

Tony took the bowls, exaggeratingly rolling his eyes like it was inconveniencing him. The moment he sat down, Peter threw the other end of the blanket over Tony’s legs. Tony in turn passed one bowl to Peter and ruffled his hair.

“Hey, cut it off!” the kid half-heartedly protested while swatting Tony’s hand away.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you going on some late-night date after this?” Tony smirked. “Apologies. Let me fix that for you,” he said and buried his hand into those soft curls, messing it even more. The kid squeaked, then giggled as he tried to dodge Tony’s relentless attacks.

“Okay, okay, stop. I wanna watch the movie before it gets too late and you fall asleep halfway through.”

Tony lightly shoving Peter’s head away. “You little shit.” He knew, in fact, that it was going to be Peter who will fall asleep halfway through the movie. “Come here,” he said and lifted his arm.

As expected, the kid glued himself to Tony’s side.

“All good?” Tony asked.

The kid hummed, satisfied smile on his face.

“Let’s start then.”

Yeah, Tony wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world.

He was truly lucky.

[vvienne]

CHENGXIAN FIC RECS

Petals on a Wet Black Bough by DachOsmin

While drinking at a tavern that caters to men that favor men, Jiang Cheng happens upon a masked stranger that looks eerily like his dead brother.

from these nettles, alms by callowyn, zorrosuchil

Jiang Cheng didn’t have a plan for Wei Wuxian coming back into his life, and he realizes now this was a mistake. He’s going to slip up. He’s going to give it all away.

Fate—or at least Jin Ling—is going to make sure of it.

you're the one that I want by verity

They haven't really talked about what's going on between them, except this morning while Jiang Cheng was eating breakfast and Wei Wuxian was lying on the sofa with his arm over his eyes, Wei Wuxian said, "Are you going to be weird about it if I hold your hand in front of our friends?"

Jiang Cheng chewed his youtiao.

"Just let me know," Wei Wuxian said. "It's chill."

Oh, Jiang Cheng knew very well that it was not chill. But he wasn't like Wei Wuxian; he couldn't just do things like that, like it was nothing. Wei Wuxian could name his sword—gleaming now on the rack above his head—Suibian, he could do whatever he wanted. He got all the curses and the blessings of being always inside and outside the Jiangs, and Jiang Cheng got everything else.

"You can hold my hand," Jiang Cheng said after he swallowed, feeling like he'd just walked over a bed of hot coals.

letters from inside the storm by serein

"Jiang Cheng," Wei Wuxian hears himself say, echoing and strange as if from underwater. His hands feel slow and fumbling as he reaches for Jiang Cheng's chest, watching the blood soak through the silk and keep dripping.

______________

A year post-canon, Jiang Cheng takes a blade meant for Wei Wuxian. Things unravel.

family resemblance by ruche

“I am good-looking,” Wei Wuxian cuts in, theatrically pouting. Then he drops the act and gestures at Jiang Cheng’s-- everything, “but in a different way than you, obviously.”

In which Wei Wuxian takes Jiang Cheng to a sex store. They are, as always, so incredibly supportive of each other.

i was put together wrong, still i was made for you by finedae

Wei Wuxian wakes up in Mo Xuanyu's body, and the five slits across his wrist. He also wakes up in a brothel where the Mo family had sent Mo Xuanyu after the embarrassment of harassing Sect Leader Jin Guangyao, his half brother and now Chief Cultivator.

Jiang Cheng pays for a night, looking for a demonic cultivator.

too much, not enough by Shamelesscooper

“Okay, so good news!” Wei Wuxian says, swanning into the room with just enough energetic cheer that Jiang Cheng knows whatever it is he’s going to say is going to be awful. “We figured out the nature of your curse! You’re probably not going to die! It’s not even going to hurt!”

“Yeah? And what’s the bad news?” Jiang Cheng gruffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

Wei Wuxian does a double-take, like he’d expected his (fake) good mood to fool Jiang Cheng. Like it’s ever managed to fool Jiang Cheng. His laugh is a little shrill, a little frenetic as he says, “Well, uh. You know our ghost friend back there? Yeah, she’s possessing you. Which is why...” He makes a gesture at the general area of Jiang Cheng’s... problem.

“Ah,” Jiang Cheng said, expression souring. “I’m not going to like the cure, am I?”

“You’re not going to like the cure,” Wei Wuxian nods.

--

Jiang Cheng gets cursed on a nighthunt. Wei Wuxian helps him with the cure.

Halves by jusrecht

What do you call halves that fit each other in all the wrong ways?

Start a Riot by ohwhatevrewhatevr

“They killed A-Die and A-Niang,” Jiang Cheng says, his sharp but defined muscular frame curling in. He's all lean, purposeful muscle, nude and bruised.

“Wei Wuxian -” Jiang Cheng grits out in a dangerous, furious rasp - there’s a slight tremor to it still. He still isn’t looking at Wei Ying, just lying there limp, his face to his side, showing his profile and those sharp cheekbones. “Where the hell did you go? Where did you go that was worth leaving me behind ?”

“I-”

“And why won’t you tell me? Why won’t you-”

TL;DR Jiang Cheng goes into heat, they fuck, and hormones make them spill some of the beans before they go spill some Wen blood. (no romance happens :/, just sex)

like you’ve never known fear by tsunderestorm

He doesn’t want to take it slow, because Wei Wuxian doesn’t want things slow. Wei Wuxian wants passion and skill and things Jiang Cheng doesn’t have, he just has anger and inferiority and a head full of fucking thoughts that won’t stop running around and bumping into one another when he’s trying to focus on this.

翻云覆雨 // in clouds and rainfall by oh_fudgecakes

A night hunt goes wrong when the group encounters a Qiongqi. While protecting his nephew, Jiang Cheng is hit with poison by the beast. They don’t have time to research an antidote, but prolonged dual cultivation with another cultivator will neutralize the poison...

When he’s chosen for the job, Wei Wuxian is surprised, and determined to give his shidi a good time. Alternatively: In Which Yunmeng Recon Happens While Wei Wuxian is Balls Deep In Jiang Cheng.

oh my god they were (step)brothers by serein

"Really, boys?" Yanli sighs. "Right in front of my salad?"

________________________

chengxian and step-brothers porn tropes: a montage.

baby it's a black hole by villainousfriend (katzenfabrik)

"What's wrong, Jiang Cheng?" he asks suddenly, looking up from his bowl.

Jiang Cheng just meets his gaze, not even lifting an arm to convey, Where do you want me to start?

"You've been... staring at me, this whole evening, shidi," Wei Wuxian adds, more slowly. The colour in his cheeks didn't fade after the bath, and now, with the food and candles, the room's got stuffy and he's even pinker than before. It should look healthy but it only highlights the shadows under his eyes, so deep they look like grooves in the skin.

"No, I haven't," he says automatically, and shoves a meatball in his mouth.

Jiang Cheng meets up with Wei Wuxian after Baoshan Sanren restores his golden core, just as they planned. After this, surely things are going to go right, right?

don't you worry honey, 'cause i can't say no by Runespoor

Wei Wuxian tests a talisman and hopes Jiang Cheng doesn’t make it weird.

hungry little fool by serein

Despite the easy warmth of the picture, Jiang Cheng immediately pegs something as wrong.

Wei Wuxian's looking at his slim forearms, held aloft in the air, with that look on his face like his unease is lapping at the edges, threatening to escape.

Like the tide is rising too high, and it's threatening to wash Wei Wuxian away.

[soft chengxian post-canon ft learning to love your new body]

lotus bridge by Sectionladvivi

Wei WuXian comes to visit Jiang Cheng's shitty apartment and they wax nostalgic about when they used to whack off to porn together as teens.

for a moment (i forget to worry) by everyearning (noctiphany)

He wants to fuck him, of course he does. But this is good. It’s almost too good. Wei Wuxian is afraid of things that feel too good now, too scared that he’ll wake up and it will all have been a dream. But he thinks as long as he can keep them like this, right on the precipice, maybe he won’t have to find out. Maybe this won’t get stolen from him like so many other good things.

smoke by serein

"You do piss me off," Jiang Cheng replied automatically, ignoring Wei Wuxian's faux-sad swoon. Jiang Cheng scowled. "If I'm such an oblivious idiot, why didn't you say something?"

Wei Wuxian huffed. "Well they're very confusing feelings to explain, Jiang Cheng. I want to kill anyone who thinks they can hurt you, but I also want to fuck you until you cry." Oh. Jiang Cheng's stomach fluttered in mixed interest and trepidation.

Canon divergent AU chengxian ft. Jiang Cheng's not so subtle danger kink and Wei Wuxian being a jealous, dangerous gremlin.

when everything soft abrades you by tsunderestorm

Jiang Cheng had said “no” when Wei Wuxian had first asked him to wear lacy panties and a bra when they fucked. He doesn’t feel bad about that, either - after all, it hadn’t even been a serious request, more rather one of Wei Wuxian’s off-hand, teasing remarks. They come off as jokes - at least, he means for them to - but Jiang Cheng knows from experience that they are backed one hundred and ten percent by Wei Wuxian’s modus operandi of “haha, unless it you’re into it though”.

Turns out Jiang Cheng is into it, too.

weaving figure eights and circles by vrooom

“Wait hold on. Jiang Cheng?” The voice is no longer sultry. It’s matter of fact, incredulous, and horrifyingly familiar in a way that makes Jiang Cheng’s insides shrivel up and crumble into dust.

“Wei Wuxian?” Jiang Cheng says, holding the phone as far away from his ear as possible. He glares at the phone like it personally betrayed him. “What the fuck are you doing on my phone sex line?”

can’t train a moth by Runespoor

"Hey. You alright?"

"My boyfriend wants to put nudes of me after sex on Grindr. Take a wild guess."

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng attempt communication and a new kink.

clothes make the man by verity

Jiang Cheng requires a new suit. Wei Wuxian removes it.

[bluebellwriting]

Love Me Tender Part 5

Walking down the street is harder without your own personal Radio Demon parting the crowd for you, but you make do as you near your sister’s boutique. At first you wanted to be alone, but that’s kind of hard in the most crowded place in the universe, and as you continued on your mindless walk through the Pentagram you realized that being alone might not be the best thing. What you needed right now was a hug and someone to tell you that you deserved far more than whatever Alastor could give you. You couldn’t be alone with your thoughts right now.

The neon from Molly’s sign hurts your eyes from a block away, and like moths to a flame shoppers flock towards the pink light. Molly’s Miracles is the place for those in Hell with an eclectic style and a preference for the sexy. It’s very rare that you find yourself actually stopping by for a reason other than checking in on your sister, but that excuse will have to do for now.

Just like the sign, the amount of glossy white furniture and sequined clothing forces you to blink and adjust your eyes. There aren’t too many people inside, thankfully, just a moth demon posing for her friend in a red dress with the deepest v you’ve ever seen. Not your thing, but the friends cheer and squeal at the sight of it, so Molly must know her clientele quite well. 

“(Y/N)?” Molly emerges from the back, her arms full of some green, glittery fabric. She all but drops them on the checkout counter so that she can properly engulf you in a hug. It’s scary how fast she can traverse a room with all those legs, but your desperation for a proper hug is too great to be startled right now. 

“I didn’t know you were coming by today!”

“I just,” you sniff, “wanted to check up on my baby sister.”

“Aww that’s so sweet!” She squeals. “But I thought you were out with a certain you-know-who? Is he here?”

You shuffle out of her arms and embrace yourself with your own.

“Who told you that?”

“Angie did. Text me this morning that you too had a little date,” she coos.

Of course Angel would find a way to blindly inform your sister about your love life. Except that it wasn’t your love life. Just life. Normal, regular, loveless life. 

“He just happened to have some business to attend to at Rosie’s at the same time as me.”

“But he walked you there.” 

“Molly--”

“And he didn’t have to! But he did! That is so cute!”

“It’s really not, Molly,” you grumble and move deeper into the store. You trail your fingers through the silks and tulle, pretending to be interested in something from the wracks when you and Molly know there’s only ever one article in the store at a time that you would actually wear.

“You okay, hun?” She trails you through the store.

“I’m fine, Mol. Just fine. I made a great deal today, dad will be really happy. Things are going well at the hotel.” You turn to her with a sigh, hoping with expulsion of breath you will also rid you of the sobs bubbling up in your throat.

It works for a minute.

“I’m fine. I’m doing fine.” Your voice cracks at the end and Molly rushes you again, except this time you’re also being surrounded by the moth demon and her friends who apparently can’t mind their own business.

“Oh sweetie, did he hurt you?” The moth asks.

“Men are fucking pigs!” One of her friends -- a wolf -- cries.

As these complete strangers surround you with man-hating indignation, Molly rubs your back and strokes your hair.

“I-It’s okay. It’s just a guy,” you gasp.

“That’s right, it is just a guy. You don’t need him and his nasty ass.” Another friend -- a blowfish -- says as the rest of the friends and your sister release you from their grasp but remain in a circle around you like some Sisterhood Against the Radio Demon.

Oh, if only they knew that was the man they were bad mouthing right now. Actually, you kind of wish Alastor was here right now. You’d pay money to see his reaction to the Sisterhood calling his ass “nasty.” Probably confusion, mostly.

"You know what you need,” Molly chimes in. “A new outfit!”

The friends cheer and you really wish you could just melt into the clothing racks. They’re all sweet, impossibly so, for helping out a complete stranger just because of the universal experience known as “guy problems.” But the last thing you want is to be surrounded by eyes scrutinizing your body in new clothing. Your heart feels like it’s about to implode in on itself and if one person says anything about your love handles or your back fat you are definitely going to ignite this entire city block on fire.

“Molly, that really isn’t necessary--”

“I know the perfect thing! You just head back into the changing room,” she says, making her way to a shelf of silk blouses. Your eyes dart to the door, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Molly.

“Don’t. You Dare.” Her eyes flash a brief red, so you shuffle over to the changing rooms.

---

Alastor sits in Rosie’s office, well, it’s more like he’s lying down on her chez, moaning towards the ceiling, and clutching his gift to you tightly as if it were the last piece of you he had left.

Rosie watches him from her desk, looking wholy unimpressed by this display from the all-powerful Radio Demon.

“Why did I even--”

“I don’t know, Alastor.”

“I never should have--”

“No, you shouldn’t have. As intelligent as you are, dear Alastor, you can be exceptionally dumb.”

Letting out another long whine, he grips the gift box harder and rolls over onto his side. He’s an Overlord. He should not be debasing himself like this in polite company. Or anyone’s company for that matter. But this is Rosie, who was for so long the only person in the history of human existence who he could trust with his truest emotions. But even this exhibitionary indulgence is a new milestone in their relationship, one he wasn’t even ready to take right now. He can’t help it though. Not when his heart feels like it’s being gripped and twisted between two fists. Not when his stomach has taken on this horrible, aching feeling, as if he’s being repeatedly kicked there. 

The worst part is the empty feeling that has been growing deeper and wider since you left him at Rosie’s. For so long now it��s been just this nagging little spot that formed when you first met, situated in the center of his chest, reminding him that he no longer owns the piece of himself that once filled it. You do. And as long as you were with him, close to him, that hole stayed the same, was comforted by its close proximity to its missing piece. But now you were gone, and the hole has become so gaping and so hollow without you, with the thought of truly losing you forever.

“You could always go find her,” Rosie implores, shoving away the paperwork she’s fruitlessly been trying to complete.

“She said she wanted to be alone,” he moans. 

“And since when were you one to respect others’ personal space?” She doesn’t get a response. He just rubs his face deeper into her chez, ruining the fabric with his blubbering. Part of her wants to relish the sight of her egotistical, maniacal, normally heartless friend reduced to a weepling in front of her. But the bigger part of her just really wants to get back to her work and Alastor’s need for validation is in direct conflict of that. 

“Alastor,” she sighs, “I know she wanted to be alone, but honestly, this might be an appropriate time for you to tell her how you feel. Or at least to try and remedy the situation a tad.”

Alastor sits up, shoulders hunched.

“Really?”

“Yes, you emotionally obtuse oaf. Go! Be romantic! Be spontaneous!” Get the Hell out of my office, she wants to add. 

Rosie goes over to him and all but yanks him off the chez. She places a jovial arm around his shoulders but is shoving him quickly through her store, past her girls, and outside.

“Good luck, darling!” She calls as she pushes him onto the street. He whips around, eyes briefly flashing her his radio dials but her motherly wave quickly reminds him of the task at hand. 

The dials disappear but he shoots her an uncharacteristic glare before he puts on his smile. He summons a shadow to traverse the Pentagram in search of you. As his shadow wiggles off, he begins his stroll through the streets roughly in the direction you were heading.

---

Molly brings you a red silk blouse and a red and black plaid pencil skirt. They seem modest enough but you dread the way the skirt will make your curves look, the lumps and thickness it will accentuate. The blouse is nice though, if not a bit tight around the stomach, but it makes your chest look amazing. You try looking for the flared skirt you came in with, but not so mysteriously, your clothes seem to be missing. Thanks, Molly. 

You have two options now. Go out into the store in front of strangers and in front of the giant windows Molly has in the front, or squeeze into the skirt, suffer through it for five minutes, and then demand your clothes back.

Once you actually have the skirt on it’s not... that bad. It digs into your waist just a tad, making your back straighten to make breathing easier. The fabric is thick, wool-like, but soft to the touch. It comes to your knees, probably the only skirt in the store that does so, and much to your surprise, it smooths out every piece of pudge even without tights. You look at yourself in the mirror and you look... lovely. Elegant, with a hint of sexy that looks good on you for once. 

Peaking your head out of the room, you see Molly and the group of friends -- Ramona, Hugh, Paul, and Chandler, you’ve since learned -- eagerly eyeing the dressing rooms. They’re all sitting on the pink, crushed velvet couch Molly has set up for shoppers, their knees bouncing with anticipation. 

You move your body out inch by inch, as if to step out of the room too quickly would cause your body to burst into flames. The closer you get to the main room, the hotter your body burns with embarrassment, the harsher the feeling of invisible eyes feel on you. You know that Molly won’t tease you, that she is a constant purveyor of how naturally gorgeous you are. But somewhere in the back of your head, the harsh words of your mother hammer away. You can just imagine that Ramona and Hugh and Paul and Chandler and whoever peaks through Molly’s windows will have some awful things to say. It wouldn’t be anything new, you’ve heard it all. Doesn’t mean you want to keep hearing it.

Molly spots your hair poking out of the doorway and squeals. Your “new friends” squeal in response and then it’s just a chain reaction of everyone squealing and cheering at you. You creep further into the room and Molly pushes you the rest of the way onto the fitting pedestal. 

“Do a twirl!” Molly yells and the rest of them start chanting until you do, in fact, twirl on the pedestal. More squealing. Their joy and support become infectious, and slowly you pull your arms away from their place shielding your stomach. 

You look head on at the three full length mirrors set up opposite the couch, you don’t shy away. You’re loving how you look in this moment, you find it impossible to fixate on the lumps and bumps anymore. It feels as though you made to look like this, still so completely you and yet as beautiful as you always wished you felt. It’s perfect now.

“Go off, girl!” Chandler yells.

“Your man is going to wish he had you back,” Hugh cheers.

“If he bothers you again you call us and we’ll all beat his ass,” Ramona says and her friends whoop in agreement.

Behind you, you can hear the jingle of the bell hanging from the door. Raising your head to stare at the door through the mirror, (e/c) eyes meet glowing red ones, wide with shock. He has a sheepish smile, not all teeth like his “going out” smile, but just as wide. He has that damn box in his hands, his claws tapping the sides. 

Everything goes quiet and you might as well have been the only two people in the room. Molly ushers Ramona and her friends into the back room before the terror can fully set in and you’re grateful. You don’t really want anyone nearby for whatever is about to happen. 

Once everyone is out of the line of fire, you sigh and turn to face him, willing the confidence from your little fashion show to sustain you for just a little longer. 

“Alastor.”

He doesn’t say anything back, eyes still trained on you, because what is he supposed to say? ‘I’m sorry for taking you to a cesspool of women thirsting after me?’ ‘I’m sorry I’m such a tainted, wretched soul who is so undeserving of you?’ ‘I’m sorry I’m too much of a coward to tell you I love you?’ He pulls the box closer to his chest. 

“You look stunning,” is all he can muster. Not horrible, probably not the best thing either, though.

“I know,” you say back, keeping your face stern.

His smile grows wider but remains sheepish, maybe even bashful, which is impossible because when has Alastor ever been bashful? 

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he murmurs.

“I’m really fine, Alastor,” you lie. “You don’t have as much of an effect on people as you think.” Another lie.

“There are millions of dead souls who would beg to differ but--”

You send him the most seething glare you can muster and he pulls back. He looks back down to the gift, eyeing it as if it has all the answers, the map to getting back what’s been lost between you.

“I apologize if you were uncomfortable. That was not my intention.” 

“I wasn’t uncomfortable,” you seethe. “I wasn’t anything except tired and overcome with a desire to see my sister.”

“You’re a horrible liar,” he says as he starts to roam around the store while remaining a safe distance from you. In the mirror, you catch the red glint in your eyes and blink to force it away.

Words start to pour from your mouth, recklessly and unhinged, “And you don’t owe me anything. I don’t need you following me around town after I explicitly told you not to follow me. I don’t need you to “escort” me to meetings just so you can see your girl toys. I’m not an excuse, I’m not a guise. I can take care of myself, lord knows I’ve done so for decades without you.”

“I know.” You were expecting the room to burst into flames and for the sound of radio static to overwhelm you, not for him to remain smiling down at the floor, albeit with a hint of melancholy.

“You know?”

“I know.” He starts to take small steps towards you. “I know you don’t need me, you proved that today. You are more than brilliant and poised and powerful in your own right. I know that. But I’m afraid that what has happened is rather the opposite.”

He makes it to the pedestal and even with the extra inches you are barely as tall as him. But he has never seemed so small to you in this moment.

He is not a man who cowers, he does not beg, that shows weakness and he learned from a young age that you cannot afford weakness. Don’t show your neck, don’t bow your head, stand as tall as you can and bare your teeth. He can’t do that, though, not with you. What you need is openness and vulnerability from him, signs that you bring out something that no one else can.

“My dear, you do not need me,” he whispers and holds out the box to you. Somehow you tear your eyes away to focus on unraveling the bow and peel back the packing paper. There, glittering on a small slice of foam, are two necklaces: one a heart with a keyhole cut out, the other, the matching key.

Alastor dips two claws into the package and takes with him the heart-shaped lock, and to your surprise, he clasps it to his own neck.

“But I, dearly and desperately, need you.” He plucks the key from the box and holds it out to you in the palm of his hand. 

“Alastor...”

“You can say no. You can throw this in my face and I won’t stop you,” he smiles sadly. “But you will always, in a way, have it. You will always have me.”

You’re not an impulsive person, not really, and not compared to your siblings and friends. Now that you think about it, you’ve never actually had an urge like that. Until now. Until the feeling of something glowing and bright moving up from the pit of your stomach, through your throat and your vessels until they reached your chest.

You surge forward, pull him down by his lapels, and kiss him. He tenses initially, and you hear the familiar pop of a radio cutting in and out, before he melts against you. One arm encircles your waist and the other goes into your hair, keeping you securely against him. The kiss itself is a little sloppy on his part, inexperienced and cautious, which makes sense considering his aversion to intimate activities. But there’s a relief in the inexperience, in knowing that you’re one of, if not the, first one to do this with him. It doesn’t go any further than passionate lip-locking, but the way he clings to you and you to him, like two cogs sliding together, is more than enough for you both. 

When you pull away he chases after you and his arms tighten. He’s not quite ready for you to be any less than a few centimeters from him. You release a giddy giggle and lean your forehead against his own, noses nuzzling, heartbeats sharing. You feel cool metal against your neck and look down, spotting your half of the necklace resting against your chest.

“We should go,” you whisper.

“Mm, go where?” He asks as he begins to sway your entangled bodies back and forth.

“Somewhere far away from the eager ears of my sister.”

Alastor’s ears perk up and his eyes dart to the back room, where he can just catch a retreating shadow, presumably belonging to Molly.

“You might be right about that, dearest.”

[heyitsani]

WIP Wednesday

Okay, at the request of @mlim8 I whipped up a piece of the Beauty and the Beast AU piece for JD week.  Everything else I have done for this story gives away major plot pieces, so I wrote this yesterday just because she wanted something for this story.  

This scene is my version of the all too familiar exchange his life for yours scene. The story will be told entirely from Dick’s POV and loosely follows the Disney movie storyline.  There are just modifications to fit the Batman world versus the fantasy of the movie.

Completely unedited and subject to minor changes, but it’ll mostly stay the same.  Feel free to dm me if you want to scream about this or any of my other pieces that are coming.  I love making new friends!

Also thanks to Mel for letting me continue to bounce my ideas off her!  You’re the best!

Pulling up to the same place where Bruce had parked the batmobile, Dick frowned when he noticed the car was no longer there. They were far enough away from the majority of the city that thieves wouldn’t have gotten to it, but that didn’t account for whatever magic that had been used to protect this area. So he carefully set his motorcycle into stealth mode and left it tucked between two smaller buildings in the area. If he was lucky, it would be there to get him and Bruce back to the cave once he found the other man.

“I’m approaching now, Agent A,” he reported to Alfred through the comms, sticking to the shadows as he approached. He kept one eye on the grounds and the other on any possible movement around him. “I didn’t notice it last time, but you can actually see the current.” He moved to stand about a foot away from the now just slightly visible wall of magic. He looked up, trying to see how far it went, but after about ten feet, the angle didn’t provide a good look.

It almost reminded him of heat waves that came off the pavement during the worst of Gotham’s summers.

Reaching out a hand, Dick carefully touched the wall and jerked a hand back when it felt like he had been zapped by one of his escrimas. “It feels like electricity,” he said into the comm but the reply he got back was crackled and broken. And that meant he was probably on his own. “I’m not sure if you can hear me anymore, but I’m going in. Call for the League and the Robins. Find a magic user and get them here if you can. I’ll bring him back, Alf.” And with a deep breath, he stepped forward and into the wall of magic.

And when he came out on the other side, he bent forward with his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. “That is not a good time,” he groaned to himself as he tried to pull himself together. With a few more deep breaths, Dick straightened and gasped in surprise at the sight of what was on the other side of the wall.

The image projected on the city side of the wall was what he remembered the area to look like. Three large, abandoned warehouses and their various grounds surrounding them. Gray and boring, weathered from the lack of upkeep and use. But what was before him seemed almost gothic in comparison. In fact, it looked like some of the older buildings of the city. Gargoyles and all. The plain concrete walls had been replaced with stone, vines that had not been there two years ago had begun to creep up them giving them an even more aged look.

The grounds themselves were green and reminded him far more of the Manor than what he would have expected a warehouse to look like. They also looked immaculately kept. It was almost as if whoever had done the spell had taken a gothic castle and placed it on the edge of Gotham while making every one in the city believe the warehouses remained.

It made Dick feel like he had a rock in his stomach. This was a very powerful spell.

Scouting the area as best he could, Dick carefully made his way forward with his escrimas in hand and ready for a fight. He didn’t know what he was bound to encounter, but he wasn’t going to chance not being prepared. Not when it might be Bruce’s life on the line.

When the grounds revealed little information, Dick snuck his way inside through one of the windows in the front and quietly made his way through the main foyer. The more he saw of the building, the heavier the pit in his stomach got.

The sound of fierce whispering hit his senses as he came to the base of a set of stairs.

Nightwing, it is Nightwing.

He frowned, looking around to try and find the source.

Nightwing can do it.

He wanted to ask what exactly the whisperers thought he could do, but instead he remained silent and looked up the stairs. There was a faint light further up and like a moth, Dick made his way toward it. The whispers got quieter and quieter the further up he went. Until they had vanished all together and he was standing at the top of the stairs, looking at something that he was struggling to understand. It looked like cells but it wasn’t making sense in his head.

Of course, if this really was some sort of medieval structure, it would make sense for their to be a tower with cells for keeping prisoners. But what that even what this was.

The sound of movement from one of the ones on the right caught his attention and with barely a thought, he rushed forward to peer inside. “Batman!” He cried, latching his escrimas on his back before gripping the bars of the cell door. “Are you okay?!” He questioned as he looked the older man over.

“Nightwing,” the name came out as a groan and Dick frowned. Bruce looked roughed up, but he didn’t look like he was in that bad of condition. “You have to leave. Get out of here now. Before it takes you like it took them all.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not going to just leave you here,” he shook his head before searching his utility belt for his lock pick so he could get the cell open and get Bruce out of there. He had just about gotten the lock open when a loud crash sounded behind him and he was flying toward the cells on the other side of the small hallway.

“What are you doing here?!” The question was practically growled, and Dick tried to focus on the source but all he could see was a shadow and a pair of glowing green eyes. “You don’t belong here. Leave!”

Shaking his head, Dick looked over at Bruce before looking back to the shadow. “I’m not leaving without Batman.”

“Yes, you are,” the shadow growled. “He’s my prisoner. He’s cursed to remain.”

Dick carefully stood to his feet and grabbed his escrimas, moving into a fighting stance. “I’m not leaving without him. So either you give him to me or I take him.”

“Nightwing, no!”

But Dick ignored Bruce’s call and carefully moved so he was standing in front of his mentor’s cell. He didn’t know who or what it was he was facing, but he had fought enough in his years to be adaptable. “Dick, please just go. Get out while you can.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“One of you is leaving before I really lose my temper.”

That gave Dick pause. “One of us?” The shadow seemed to tilt it’s head and Dick considered the idea building in his mind. He could get Bruce out of there. He could get Bruce home to Alfred. And Bruce would figure out a way to get him out of there. He could do that. Dick would never be able to figure out how to combat magic like this. He wasn’t sure even their magic users in the League would be able to. But Batman always found a way. “Take me instead.”

“What?”

“No!”

“You heard me. Take me instead. Release Batman and I’ll take his place.”

“You…” the shadow paused, sounding almost awed. “You would do that for him?”

“Yes.”

“Dick don’t do this, please.”

Turning his head just slightly to lock eyes with Bruce, Dick pursed his lips. “I have to. You’ll figure it out. You’re already there. I trust you.” The man frowned but understanding filled his eyes and he gave Dick a firm nod. Turning back to the shadow, Dick latched his escrimas again and raised his chin. “I’ll stay as long as I have to if you promise to let him go safely on the other side of the magical wall.”

There was silence before the shadow moved like liquid, shoving Dick out of the way and getting Bruce out of the cell. In a blink of an eye, the pair were gone and Dick was left alone wondering what he was supposed to do now.

[miraculouscontent]

It’s heeeeere! Another summasalt, this time with nearly twice the length of the first one!

(Turns out that not having caffeine doesn’t help me talk any slower.)

Script below:

Anonymous asked:

Thoughts on Rocketear?

Can you Rocketear the newest episode apart with your salt, my beloved Salt Queen?

Penny for your thoughts on Rocketear?

Aw, anon! You can have that for free! I'm a generous goddess.

"Rocketear" begins with Chat Noir and Carapace - just Carapace, really - holding back a pack of what I presume to be the physical manifestation of the writing staff's age, or at least a representation of how behind the times the writing seems.

Just as the dinosaurs break through Shellter. Ladybug shows up with the scientist who revived the dinosaurs in the first place and said scientist uses a whistle to calm the dinosaurs down. There's also a line from Bob Roth about putting the dinosaurs in a theme park to make money and I know what it's referencing but it's so incredibly random that it doesn't really come off as a proper joke.

Carapace was notably sad right after battle, but insisted that he was fine when Ladybug asked. Rena, sporting a... - I would like to say "new design" but it's a recolor in every sense of the word - is hiding behind part of a building and smiles after the heroes before walking off. Ladybug takes Nino's miraculous back but sees that he's still upset and asks him again what's wrong. Nino asks where Alya was and Ladybug claims that she only needed Carapace for the job, which cheers him up but only until Ladybug is already gone.

Mm, I guess Nino and Adrien relate in heroism not being enough for them unless they have their respective love interest to flirt with.

Also, I know this is an obvious set-up, but the show can't tell me that Ladybug just always brought Nino and Alya whenever she needed one of them. Season 3 required her to go to Master Fu to get the miraculouses, and unless she already knew that Nino and Alya would be in the same location - which, okay, the show does basically shove the two of them together whenever Nino is onscreen, fair, if two characters are in a relationship in this show then it's weird for them to NOT be with that person - but it just seems like a gamble, not to mention proof to Shadow Moth that the two are close if Ladybug constantly brings both of them.

Anyway, Ladybug goes into the sewer and asks Rena if she's seen any sign of Shadow Moth or his traps. Rena didn't see anything and they de-transform. Marinette is about to leave when she thinks of something, but Alya assumes it's about her new look, which was apparently not voluntary on her part and the suit automatically adapted to Alya's new role as Rena Furtive, which she has now named it as.

Marinette reminds her that this is supposed to be a secret and that they agreed that the fox has no owner. When Alya is evasive about whether she told Nino that she won't be Rena anymore, Marinette stresses that everyone needs to believe that Alya won't be using a miraculous anymore so that she can remain an undercover spy.

What's the point in changing the look if you're not going to show yourself anyway? I mean, insurance, I guess, but still.

Alya, exasperated, parrots what Marinette has apparently told her before: that she helps Ladybug with Mirage in case Shadow Moth tries to follow her so Rena can follow him instead. Marinette stresses the situation again and Alya tries to get Marinette to agree on her telling Nino that she's Rena Furtive, but Marinette refuses.

At Marinette's house, Alya talks further and explains that she doesn't know if she can lie to Nino since they don't keep any secrets--Alya, babe, you kept Rena Rouge from him and didn't tell him that you knew he was Carapace until Ladybug was forced to give you your miraculouses at the same time. I don't wanna hear it.

Marinette states that it's too late for that and also not technically a lie, but Alya gets upset and says that Nino will never trust her again if he finds out that she kept something from him. Marinette brings up how she had to keep secrets from Alya too, but they're interrupted by Tom appearing and wanting to play games with them. Marinette makes an excuse about homework that she's repeated many times, as Tom comments that the teachers give her too much. After Tom is kicked out - hang on, lemme just... - Marinette uses the moment to show Alya that she's lied to her family a lot and hasn't played games with her father in months. She states that there's no other option as they have to protect their identities, and Alya agrees to talk to Nino.

In Alya's room - I just presume at this point that Nino's house doesn't exist and Chris is an illusion - Alya tells Nino that they need to talk, but stammers and states that it's hard to talk about. Nino thinks that she wants to break up with him, but Alya assures that she loves him. She finally gets to the cover story that Rena herself made up in "Sentibubbler" and Nino understands, sad that she won't be around anymore but agreeing if it's what Ladybug thinks is best.

Is it weird that Nino respects Ladybug's wishes more than Alya does?

Nino hugs her and is confused by why Alya was nervous to tell him, as she can tell him anything and nothing will change their relationship. Alya feels guilty and hugs back, murmuring about how they don't have any secrets; that's not what Nino said, but sure, push this plot to its already predictable conclusion. I mean, I thought it was vaguely sweet that Nino switched to seriousness immediately when Alya said that she wanted to talk, but how am I supposed to be invested in this couple when their dynamic boils down to "STRONG, INDEPENDANT WOMAN who wears the pants in the relationship because her boyfriend is portrayed as a wimpy coward"? Like, the show constantly dragged Nino down to make Alya look "powerful" by comparison, and then when it comes to characters like Marinette, we get a girl who works very well outside of her relationship with her endgame love interest.

It's the fakest form of "girl power," dragging guys down to raise girls up or actually making a strong girl character but having her love interest be a weakness that creates flaws in her that weren't there originally and having that love interest be who she's "destined for."

I'm rambling, sorry.

In class, Marinette assures Alya that she did the right thing and Alya agrees. As they're leaving school, Marinette talks about how their "night walks" start soon, and Alya non-subtly talks about how Rena Furtive will be on the lookout while Ladybug and Chat Noir patrol. She stops, however, as gets excited about some pictures she took of herself as Rena Furtive, which has a lot of details that Marinette hasn't seen. I don't know whether to groan at what I just heard or remind everyone that Rena Furtive is literally just a recolor and therefore this is the writers patting themselves on the back for this design, so let's just move on.

Alya then shows Marinette her phone--AUGH, MY EYES--and suggests making a poll on her Ladyblog so people can vote for their favorite Rena design. Marinette has to stress again that Rena Furtive is supposed to be a spy and thus invisible, which Alya admits that she forgot about.

Okay, I've been holding off on talking about this, but now seems like the best time to bring it up. Alya has been a trash friend as well as a trash confidant, and her role as Rena Rouge boiled down to, "it was convenient for her to be the fox at the time it was needed." She's not particularly stealthy like one would expect of a fox, and she was easily one of the worst candidates to be told Marinette's big secret. I'll get more into this later, but I have to stress that Alya has treated Marinette no differently since learning of Marinette's identity and has already gone against Marinette's orders once before at the time of this episode airing. Episodes are constantly torn between validating their decision to have Marinette tell Alya, having Marinette be worried about the decision while the show considers her to be ridiculous for it, and then having Alya either consider or make choices that clearly don't gel well with what's good for her role. Much like Marinette, she lacks a sense of self-control and--wow, a female character who's impulsive, never seen that stereotype before.

Point being, "Sentibubbler" stressed over and over that Alya was the right choice and deserved to be both the permanent fox and the understudy for guardian, but then we have "Rocketear" here where Alya is making basic emotionally-driven errors that I'm not even remotely sympathetic to when Marinette has gone through so much worse over the course of three+ seasons.

*sigh*

Alya laments that it's hard to find new content for the Ladyblog - ah, yes, tell me more about your struggles, Alya - but figures that at least she can post stuff about Chat Noir instead of--I don't know--making fake Ladybug theories to lead people off Marinette's trail. Marinette says that it's a great idea, though Alya still doesn't look too happy. The scene then rewinds to a little bit to show a different point of view, this time with Adrien and Nino. Wait, this feels familiar, wasn't there another episode that did something like--ohhhh no, this is going to hurt.

After saying good-bye to Adrien - something I wish I could do every time he's mentioned or on-screen - Nino catches the bit of conversation where Alya talks about the Ladyblog. Nino talks as if Marinette isn't there and asks Alya out to the movies because Marinette is chopped liver and this is about Alya and how sad she is, guys.

Wow, she's turning into Adrien faster and faster.

Alya hesitates, but Marinette assures her that there's still time. Alya excitedly runs off with Nino and they watch what I presume are previews given the narrator, featuring recycled footage from the Ladybug PV. Nino is upset because Rena is mentioned but not Carapace, and the preview features Rena telling Chat Noir to forget Ladybug because it's Chat and Rena herself who are trulu made for each other.

I don't know what's funnier; the complete lack of self-awareness or the suggestion that a biracial couple would exist in this show outside of a special that gives them maybe a minute of screentime and acts more like suggestive canon anyway. I think I might've been too generous with that line about dinosaurs.

Nino is offended by the preview and Alya brushes off his comments, stating that it's just a cartoon and it's made to entertain people, though Nino himself is certainly not entertained. Can't say I entirely blame him considering that Alya doesn't really try to say anything substantial or even agree with him. No cuddling or reassuring kisses, she just gets slightly sad and turns to her phone for a bit.

After the movie, Nino is cheered back up again until he catches Alya on her phone once more. He offers to take her home, but she's distracted, and he comments that what she showed to Marinette looked pretty nice; I don't know because they didn't show it. Nino asks what it was and Alya evades the question, stating that her battery is running out. Nino is suspicious, but spots Andre's ice cream cart and the two head over there. Andre calls them his favorite couple and asks what they want, but Alya sees Ladybug gesturing for her and has to run off, giving Nino a cheek kiss as she goes which feels like too little too late at this point.

Nino catches some conveniently-placed kids arguing over who Chat Noir loves, but they settle on the fact that girls in general love Chat Noir. Nino is then seen at the Seine watching the Ladyblog's latest video, where Alya is talking up how amazing Chat Noir is. I hate to stop every five seconds to complain - okay, actually I don't - but I presume this video must've been made after the movie since Nino seems like the type who would actively follow his girlfriend's blog, yet not only is this video perfectly set up to echo the kids and the movie preview, but Alya - despite apparently caring about her boyfriend soooo much that she kept trying to convince Marinette to bend the rules - didn't even try to warn Nino or text him so he doesn't take it too seriously. It's like "Sentibubbler" with the conflicting messages about identity rules; Alya cares about her boyfriend but both isn't thinking about how he'll take the things she says and apparently doesn't know him well enough to realize that he wouldn't be mad over her keeping a secret that she was told to keep. I already talked about how they play up Nino to be the emotionally weaker one of the relationship, but then they don't have Alya try to cover or make up for that. She's been acting very much not like Alya - you know, the one who in "Sapotis" practically bragged about how great she'd be at covering for Ladybug - with her stutters and weak excuses, so I can't completely blame Nino for being upset after everything that's happened when he sees the writers projecting onto Alya as she talks about how Chat Noir is brave and funny and cute and showing all these images of him as well. I don't agree with all of his actions, but--oh yeah, speaking of which--

Nino calls Adrien and is talking to him about how Alya must be in love with someone else. Adrien dismisses the idea, as Alya and Nino are together basically all the time, and asks who she could possibly be in love with. When Nino suggests that it's Chat Noir, Adrien laughs and jokes about it being Fang instead. Nino points out the video but Adrien did see it but is overall unphased and convinced that it means nothing. Nino says that he'll find proof and hangs up, but Adrien is certain he'll find nothing. Plagg comments that Nino will find someone because Plagg's charisma has definitely contaminated Adrien.

Ugh.

Adrien expresses concern that he put on the cat's charm too much and accidentally made Alya fall for him, and decides to visit Alya as Chat Noir to be sure.

Meanwhile, we get a reference to film noirs as Nino narrates. That's the second blatant reference this episode and now I feel like they wrote this script while doing a movie marathon.

Chat Noir arrives at Alya's house and Trixx hides before Alya opens the curtains to reveal her surprise guest. Nino is nearby watching the scene with his phone as Alya wonders aloud if something's wrong. Chat assures that everything's fine, but brings up the video she posted. He insists that it made him happy, but points out that she's been following him and Ladybug since the beginning and that they know each other much better due to everything that's happened. He has some conveniently-worded dialog as he starts to say that he hopes something's just an illusion and Alya gets worried that he's about to bring up Rena. Chat continues and clarifies that he wonders if she started to feel something for him, though adds that he understands because just look at him.

UGGGGH.

Chat clarifies by making a heart with his hands, which Nino sees. Alya laughs at this gesture and states that she has a boyfriend, doing the same heart gesture and suggesting that her love for Nino is even more than that. Chat Noir apologizes - hm, I didn't know he had the capacity to do that - and hugs Alya, saying that he was just confused.

An absolutely unnecessary hug for two people who, at least in terms of their current selves, have had very little screentime together, but this is also the show where making eye contact basically means your friends and it's all just to push the plot along so Nino inteprets that Alya is in love with Chat Noir, so whatever I guess.

Alya states that Nino is far more irresistable than Chat, then adds that she doesn't even know his secret identity, and she'd never fall in love with someone she doesn't know. Nino then runs away upset and the scene cuts away to the next day where--

Wait, wait, wait, hang on a second. Two things right off the bat there.

First off, we're just gonna sidle past that "wouldn't fall in love with someone you don't know the identity of" while ignoring the existence of the love square? Not even Chat thinking about how he doesn't know Ladybug's identity and trying to excuse that he doesn't have to? This guy is that certain of their relationship?

Secondly, Nino is practically sobbing and Shadow Moth doesn't take this as his opportunity? Same guy who akumatized Mr. Pigeon 72 times and has akumatized Gigantitan more than once? What is this pacing???

But--alright, so Adrien comes into school and sees Nino, still dressed up in his detective gear, which gets ignored completely as Adrien goes to tell him about Chat Noir and Alya. Because the show doesn't know how Adrien would convey this within reason, Nino interrupts him, taking him down into the lower part of the school where he has a desk and chairs set up. Adrien goes to ask when Nino had time to do this, but Nino slams his hand on the desk to cut him off. Nino presents the evidence he took and they go back and forth, likewise with Adrien turning off the background music while Nino turns it back on. Adrien insists that it's a misunderstanding, but pleads innocent when Nino asks how he knows. Adrien states that Alya is just a superhero fan and that she and Chat Noir have nothing in common.

Again, the complete lack of self-awareness is astonishing.

Adrien repeats what Alya said about secret identities and how she wouldn't fall for someone she doesn't know - they're really ignoring this, aren't they? - and continues hitting Nino's soft spots about how unlikely it is until Nino decides to tell Adrien something he's not supposed to.

He tells Adrien, not only that Alya is Rena Rouge, but that he's Carapace. Adrien goes through a range of emotions beyond sAD for once, shocked at the fact that they know each other's identities. Nino states that they don't keep secrets from each other, except now Alya is with Chat Noir. Adrien still doesn't understand and brings up how secret identities have to be protected, or else Nino wouldn't have told him because Ladybug wouldn't agree to it.

Oh, here we go. So that's why they waited.

Nino states that it was Ladybug herself who gave them their miraculouses at the same time; not giving the reason why, of course, nor pointing out that they're temporary heroes so there's understandably some leeway. Adrien is having a moment, but manages to bring the subject back to Alya and Chat Noir, who he still doesn't think are a thing. Nino argues that it's because Adrien doesn't know Chat Noir, but he does because he's Carapace and knows how Chat Noir acts. He says that it's all flowers and confessions when Ladybug appears, but he gets rejected because Ladybug thinks that he's annoying, and she's right. He adds that Chat flirts with Rena Rouge and that's all that needs to happen, with Chat stepping in on the first mission Carapace lost in. Nino laments the loss of the love of his life and wishes to shut Chat Noir up forever; we all do, Nino, we all do. Shadow Moth finally steps in with - oh, less than eight minutes left in the episode, yikes - and Nino is akumatized into Rocketear.

Rocketear rejects Adrien's pleas to stop, insisting that Chat Noir is who he's after, not Adrien, and Adrien transforms in sad fashion despite Plagg's reminder of who Rocketear is after. Alya, meanwhile, is in the art club with Marinette - wait, since when was Alya in the art club - telling Marinette about how Chat Noir thought she was into him due to the video, which Marinette groans at. There's an earthquake and they peek outside to see Rocketear firing his tears at Chat Noir, shouting that he stole Alya from him. Chat Noir tries to tell him otherwise, but Rocketear won't listen.

Alya groans at Nino doing this, then she and Marinette set off to find a place to transform. They conveniently go to the same place Adrien and Nino were, so they see the desk that Nino had set up.

Genuine question, how seriously does this episode want me to take itself, because now when I recount all the unnecessary love square drama in my head - because you know that's where this is going - I'm going to have to think, "Nino, dressed in a detective outfit, ripped off his fake mustache and told Adrien both his and Rena's identities, and also that Ladybug was totally cool with it and thinks that Chat Noir is annoying."

Gettin' two completely different vibes here. The episode clearly wants to be important but it doesn't take itself seriously either, which it totally could while including enough jokes to keep things light. Instead, I'm just left scratching my head and wondering what tone they're going for.

Marinette finds Nino's phone on the desk - I'm calling continuity error on that one because he at no point put it on the desk, at least not on-screen - and she questions Alya on the video she sees. Alya insists that nothing happened, apparently completely unphased by her boyfriend having spied on her, and says that he wouldn't have misunderstood if he'd heard the actual conversation.

The two transform and Ladybug immediately uses Lucky Charm, receiving a projector. Ladybug is clueless and Rena Furtive suggests creating an imaginary movie like Nino. Ladybug gets an idea, remembering Alya's earlier comments, and Rena confirms that she remembers every word of it.

Aaaaand, just like that, all of the tension has been completely sucked away. You know, "Backwarder" was a trash episode, but at least when Ladybug was showing every step of her plan, she didn't tell us what it was.

Meanwhile, Rocketear and Chat Noir are still arguing--I started zoning out at hearing the same thing over and over again at this point, so I just presume they were fighting over who does stuff behind their love interest's backs better; I don't think they came to an agreement but they're both losers anyway.

Chat Noir says that he'll prove his innocence, tossing his baton aside to show him giving up, but Rocketear points out that it proves nothing and strikes Chat Noir with his tears.

Our endgame love interest, everyone. Straight As yet about as smart as a sack of bricks, and that at least won't flirt with anyone non-consensually.

Chat Noir makes a point that he doesn't want to hurt Rocketear, and Shadow Moth tells Rocketear to take his miraculous before finishing him. Chat Noir can only weakly tell him not to before Ladybug snags Rocketear's wrist and diverts the shot. Ladybug explains to Rocketear about the projector and how it'll let him hear the audio of the recording he took. She adds that she doesn't know what Chat said, but she trusts him.

Marinette, I'm sorry, I feel so bad for you.

Ladybug turns on the projector and Rocketear relaxes at actually hearing what was going on. Rena then de-transforms and hurries out to meet with Rocketear, hugging him as Rocketear apologizes for doubting her. Alya also kinda sorta apologizes in a way I don't understand and Rocketear then breaks his akumatization, very casually, all on his own.

Yeah, just--casually, in a matter of seconds in fact. You know, it's really sad when people resisting akumatizations are more tense and emotionally compelling than them breaking them. This is twice in one season now and has zero impact considering that Nino's reason for being akumatized was already taken care of so he had no reason to stay akumatized anyway. Him breaking his own object to release the akuma would've at least been different, but instead it's just a repeat of what Alya went through with even less tension considering that Alya's wasn't even that good in the first place, relying on her relationship to Ladybug rather than who she knew to be her best friend.

Moving on, Ladybug captures the akuma and uses Miraculous Ladybug to bring everything back to normal. Shadow Moth monologues about how love and secrets don't go well together and he's sure that she has a lot and I'll talk about this later.

Ladybug hands over the magical charm, which Nino takes but insists that he won't need it, as he'll never let Shadow Moth use his love to manipulate him again. Plenty of other things to get akumatized over, but they gave the supposedly ace character a robot to help him stick out and also gave the supposedly aro character a miraculous back in season one to give her more importance. If characters aren't in love then they need something to ceompensate for it.

Nino apologizes to Chat Noir for being wrong and Chat Noir assures him that everyone has doubts, even him. He gets sad and Ladybug asks him what's wrong, but he insists that he's fine - officially throwing away his right to be upset at her later as far as I'm concerned - and they do their usual fist buuuuu--

...Really?

Everyone then splits up and Chat Noir sulks by himself instead of--you know, talking to Ladybug, or asking her anything, or making any sort of excuse for her because that would mean he actually has faith in her and understands that their partnership is different from temporary heroes, even if the excuse was as basic as her wanting to protect him more than the others because he would be that egotistical if they didn't want to stretch out this unnecessary drama.

Later on, Adrien is staring at a picture on the Ladyblog that might be a metaphor for the show considering how "in the foreground" Chat Noir and Rena are.

Adrien vents about Ladybug giving miraculouses to Alya and Nino, but Plagg states that she's the guardian. Adrien clarifies that he's referring to Alya and Nino knowing each other's identities, but Plagg doesn't see the issue. Adrien gets huffy and asks why the rule exists for LadyNoir but not Ninya, but Plagg again points out that she's the guardian, so she makes the rules, though obviously he uses cheese metaphors to convey it.

Okay, Plagg is only, like--half-right because he doesn't have all the information. If you don't mind me rambling for a bit, I'm on the fence here because, on one hand--yes, I agree that Marinette should be allowed to make her own rules, and I often do that in my writing because I think she should be permitted leeway in order to let herself be happy, but on the other hand, it's not technically her rule, as she had to let Alya and Nino in on their identities back in the Season 2 finale, so Fu was still around for a season. She wasn't even guardian yet!

Now, presumably so the fandom could blame Marinette if anything happened, Marinette never discussed this with Fu on-screen, so I can't say whether or not Fu knew, but I feel like he must've since Marinette had to have told him the heroes' identities off-screen, given "Party Crasher," and thus I imagine that Marinette would tell Fu everything that happened, which is consistent with what she does on-screen even if she'd keep things from him for a little while.

"Furious Fu" had also established that not even Master Fu followed rules completely, meaning that Marinette is in this awkward spot of mostly following what Fu taught her, which aren't all guardian rules anyway, and having to break the rules on occasion for various purposes. I can't say what Fu approved of and what he didn't, because episodes spend so much time on the love square that they forget about Marinette as a person and how she interacts with everyone else. From an emotional standpoint, I can't blame Marinette for not revoking the miraculouses of people whose identities get discovered because of her, as I imagine she feels guilty and it probably doesn't seem fair to force them into another miraculous or have them be entirely without one because of a mistake that she made, meaning that someone needs to be throwing a lot of red flags for Marinette to be through with them.

Though obviously, from the show's standpoint, it's just an excuse to not make new models, but I complained about that enough in "Sentibubbler" and this episode even went out of its way to design a detective model for Nino while spraypainting Alya's bodysuit in the same breath, so this is the world we live in.

Anyway, Marinette is essentially in this position where she still has Fu's rules hovering over her, but she's also trying to step out on her own and make her own decisions to varying degrees of success or failure depending on your point of view. Tikki--wait, no, bad idea--Su-Han then, could easily give input on these things, perhaps with Marinette discussing a modern day set of rules for someone her age and going back and forth with Su-Han on what the right choices to make are, finding something that's comfortable but within a realm of predictable control. Su-Han was okay with some rules being broken after seeing how Ladybug handled them and they could've easily made this episode about that instead, but instead, we get rules being set and then being broken on a writer's whim.

Which now brings us to the end of the episode, where Marinette is on the phone with Alya and apologizes for causing trouble between her and Nino. Alya tells her not to worry and she'll fix things - you know, those things that, to Marinette's knowledge, have already been fixed - and asks if Marinette trusts her. Marinette does, and Alya hangs up in order to face Nino.

Yeah, that feeling of dread in your stomach? That means you know how predictable the writing is and what's about to happen, good for you.

Alya explains that she has to tell Nino something and he's worried, this time trying to sheepishly break the tension. She explains that she's still Rena Rouge, much to Nino's shock, and adds that she's in hiding, which is why Ladybug didn't want her to tell anyone. Nino asks why she's telling him if she's not supposed to tell anyone - proving my point from a while back that he wouldn't have been upset had she kept it a secret - then asks if Ladybug agreed with it.

I want to give him a pat on the back for considering Ladybug, but he didn't even tell her when he had the chance that Adrien knows his identity now, so I'm just beaten down at this point.

Instead of answering the question directly, Alya says that she can't hide her identity from him because she loves him and they don't have secrets.

You know, like Nino telling Adrien about Rena's identity, or Alya saying specifically that she's a permanent holder, which I'm sure both of them will confess to since they said that they don't have--aaaaand the episode ends on happy triumphant music, okay.

I mean, I guess Alya at least didn't tell him that Marinette was Ladybug, but that is such a low bar and not even remotely worthy of congratulations when Alya told Nino the specific thing that Marinette told Alya not to tell; the thing that they had agreed on.

Nino wasn't upset anymore. He won't be getting akumatized either. Alya endured the supposed hardship of being a permanent fox holder for four episodes before breaking down and telling her boyfriend. Even her excuse doesn't hold any water because, again, they're both still technically keeping a secret, particularly Alya who knows Marinette's identity as Ladybug. The episode also apparently forgets that Alya and Marinette's friendship must not be as strong by her logic of telling Nino specifically everything, as Alya kept Rena Rouge a secret from Marinette for all of Season 3, but tells Nino about continuing to be Rena Rouge in Season 4. Boyfriends before BFFs without explicitly saying it, or to be more specific, whatever screws Marinette over the most, because that's what this comes down to, made worse by "Optigami" where Marinette told Alya that she'd tell her everything and I guess that doesn't go both ways.

"Sentibubbler" had Alya stress that no one would ever know. She promised Marinette and told Marinette to trust her, and the episode spent its entire running time talking her up and assuring Marinette that she was the right choice, even considering Marinette ridiculous for worrying when Alya had done something without Marinette's permission the episode right before it. Then, three episodes after "Sentibubbler," when Marinette is finally comfortable and trusts Alya completely, Alya betrays that trust. Nino betrayed that trust, knowing he wasn't supposed to do so but telling Adrien his and Rena's identity anyway, because he was losing an argument and needed to PROVE something.

Marinette gives them an inch and they take a mile. Marinette bent the rules so that they could continue to have the miraculous they'd started with and they disrespected her because it was hard for like a day.

And if this bites them back, it won't reflect poorly on them, it'll reflect poorly on Marinette.

It's not like Alya just overrode Marinette. She didn't go, "Hey, I'm telling Nino, I'm sorry," or tried her hardest to go back and forth with Marinette until they both agreed. No, she did what she told Marinette she wouldn't do without saying a word to her, because LOVE and SEEEECRETS.

And this only applies to her, of course, because don't think I didn't notice the parallels between this episode and "Truth," because WOW.

Episode begins with Marinette hoping for something and it blows up in her face? A date at the cinema that ends on a sour note? Plot-centric couple trying to get Andre's ice cream and the female with a secret needing to leave in a hurry? Boyfriend character getting akumatized over their girlfriend's secret? Boyfriend assumes/suggests that the girlfriend's secret involves Aaaaaadrien - or his alter-ego in "Rocketear"'s case - and the episode hints as much to him even though he's completely wrong? Akuma's colors are blue and black? THE BRIDGE?

But, ahhh, little difference, here and there, y'know, like how Marinette was forced to break up with her boyfriend while Alya got to keep hers, and Nino got to have long talks with Alya while Luka got little to nothing with Marinette.

Because do note that Alya, while trying to convince Marinette and talk to Nino about not keeping secrets, at no point suggests that Marinette deserves to be happy and deserves to have a boyfriend and that Marinette should be allowed to tell Luka her secret so they can get back together, so you have Alya here selfishly prioritizing her relationship with Nino while making no comment about Marinette's relationship, essentially asking Marinette to allow her what Marinette herself didn't have the luxury of, and Alya knows this because Marinette told her. It is both incredibly insensitive of Alya and incredibly insulting of the show to make so many parallels between this episode and "Truth" just to have everything crash down for Marinette because she's Marinette while everything goes well for Alya and Nino because they're not Marinette.

We've talked before about the formulas that are literally baked into the show, and one of those is how Marinette makes a mistake in every episode and has to learn from it. What that mistake is in this episode, I don't know, but considering that she apologizes for Alya and Nino's problems, I guess the show blames her for what they themselves had taught her.

Point being, there's a clear karma system in place, but it only applies to Marinette, and forcing her to mess up in every episode means that she is literally not allowed to be with Luka because had she been able to clear things up between them, he would've eagerly accepted her and they could've been happy. It'd be too difficult for her to mess up when Luka doesn't put mountains of pressure and expectations on her like everyone else. Factor that in with how she can be herself around him and it leads to situation that are too difficult for her to screw up in because her mistakes - more often than not - center around Adrien or her role as guardian.

And because another rule in the show is to bring up Adrien so they don't "lose him for too long," she can't avoid bringing him up either. If he's not in the plot, he has to be mentioned, leaving Marinette in a lose-lose situation that she'll never be free from.

So, let me just get this straight then:

The guy who spied on his girlfriend instead of talking to her about his assumptions gets to keep his girlfriend, not because he realized it was wrong regardless of whether he was correct or not, but because the situation had been cleared up for him, yet the guy who actively resisted his akumatization, saddened by his girlfriend's secrets but wanting her to share them when she was ready, gets broken up with and tossed to the wayside because he's not a rich blond boy who got a miraculous because he happened to be within the twenty meters of space where Fu was searching for new holders?

Meanwhile, the girlfriend who has gone against the wishes and insistence of her best friend - guardian of the miraculouses, by the way, so she calls the shots, something that Alya herself said in "Optigami" BEFORE GOING ON TO DO HER OWN THING IN THE SAME EPISODE AND BEING REWARDED FOR IT - is allowed to go against the wishes and insistence of her best friend again for the sake of "all love, no secrets" with her boyfriend and so she can have the happy ending she wants, yet the girl who was chosen for a miraculous without her consent, forced to screw up and talk about a random boy who doesn't even go out of his way to spend time with her, treated like absolute trash by writers who find humor in her misery, and is the only one to receive overly harsh and long-lasting consequences for her actions while also covering up and forgiving the actions of others within the episode where they do it...

doesn't get her happy ending, and won't ever get her happy ending. That thing Shadow Moth said about love and secrets not going well together? Yeah, only goes as far as the writers want it to, because both Nino and Alya still have secrets, and some of the ones they did tell each other were forced by someone else and kept until that very moment. This idea that people in love have to tell each other everything and that it makes a relationship stronger makes me immensely uncomfortable, and that lesson is also in "Guiltrip."

People should be allowed their secrets, and obviously there are exceptions for things that are being hidden with malicious intent, but being essentially forced to share everything or risk not having a "full and complete" relationship is stifling and sounds like it'd only cause stress.

This episode sucks. It furthers and confirms everything I've already thought about the show, Nino's screentime continues to be dependent on Adrien, Alya, or both, there are pointless references that completely take me out of the experience, and the utter betrayal from Alya and supposed message of the episode just reminds me that Marinette is inevitably going to be stuck with a guy who didn't even DO anything in this episode and is going to let himself stew instead of asking for any sort of clarifications from someone he apparently trusts so much.

So the takeaway is that Marinette's life is awful, she'll be forced to apologize for rules that she didn't even come up with herself, her best friend will walk all over her for the sake of her relationship with a guy - not even for the sake, really, they were going to be fine, it was more for HER personal comfort if anything - and the guy who actually makes Marinette happy and could've known her identity instead BECAUSE HE AT LEAST DIDN'T HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF SPILLING HER SECRETS gets treated in the exact same way that she does; like nothing, just something to abuse unfairly.

What a waste of an episode.

[thiswasinevitableid]

since i am obsessed <33333 with the sternclay fill you did for this prompt, can you do 57 with indruck nsfw?

Here it is! Note: this mentions mating talk.

57: we’re fighting over the last box of half-off valentine’s day chocolate and end up in a “who has it worse” battle

This is it. Duck’s new low. Standing under the high ceilings of Wal-Mart at two in the morning, trying to decide if his dignity can take the hit of someone seeing him scale the shelves to grab the lone leftover bag of valentine’s candy.

Fuck it, those are Ghiradeli caramel squares, he deserves them after today.

Just as he’s choosing his foothold, a large, feathery shape rounds the corner. It figures that the one other customer in the store would need to be in the exact same place as him. He’ll just wait the mothman out.

Duck’s mostly used to seeing random monsters around town; back in the fifties, an interstellar gate opened up in Kepler, making it the home of a small population of cryptids know as Sylphs. When he was younger, he hated the fact he grew up in such a weird-ass place, but these days his brain barely differentiates them from the other Keplerites. They come to the national forest where he works, order their dinners in line ahead of him and, apparently, come to big box stores in the dead of night.

“Ah, excellent.” The mothman chirps, grabbing the bag of caramel squares from the top shelf.

“Hey!”

The antenna-topped head swivels, owl-like, and red eyes regard him with surprise, “Yes? Oh, apologies” he tucks his wings in “I didn’t mean to block your way.

“That ain’t it. I was gonna buy that.” He points at the bag.

The creature cocks his head, “But it was still on the shelf.”

“Yeah, because we ain’t all seven feet tall. I was about to grab it.”

“It’s not my fault you’re short.”

Duck bites back an unkind retort, sighs, “will you just give me the damn bag?”

“Absolutely not. I’ve had a very bad day and this is my conciliation prize.”

“You’ve had a bad day? I went out to a singles night for the first time after gettin dumped a month ago. Figured I’d finds someone to take home, but not a single fuckin person OR Sylph was interested. If anyone needs that candy, it’s me.”

A haughty flick of antenna, “I see your disappointing evening and raise you a reminder that it’s been five years to the day that anyone’s wanted to touch you.”

“Please, this town is crawlin with monsterfuckers, you can’t find someone to mess up those pretty feathers, that sounds like a problem with your personality.”

The mothman chirrs, annoyed, “There’s no need for such remarks. Wait, what was that about my feathers?”

Okay, so maybe Duck has jerked off to mothman porn once or twice. Or a few dozen times. He’s not about to admit that here.

“Uh, I, uh, fuck, I don’t not know, fuck-” he grabs for the bag, hoping to distract the Sylph. It works, but the mothman simply raises it above his head. Duck growls, too committed to his bad idea to back down now, and jumps for it.

A toothy grin, “Since we’re speculating, maybe everyone you encountered tonight was simply in search of a taller partner.”

“Fuck you, I’m five six.”

“What was that? It’s rather hard to hear you down there.”

“That’s it fluffball” He jumps again, fingers grazing the bag before it’s passed to the mothman’s upper set of hands. Mid-leap, he can tell he’s going to fall on his fucking knees, and a broken bone is the last thing he needs. His body acts on panic and wraps his arms and legs around the only stable thing.

“What in the world are you doing?” The mothman trills, lower hands catching Duck’s legs so he doesn’t slide straight to the floor.

“Tryin to get what’s mine.”

“This is ridiculous.” He keeps the candy out of reach as Duck tries to climb him.

“I know, but I ain’t about to let you win.”

“Gentlemen.”

They stop grappling and stare at the beleaguered employee at the end of the aisle.

“Please just get out. Don’t even worry about paying for that, it’s like two bucks and that is not worth dealing with you for.”

They both mumble an apology. Then he lunges up, snatching the bag while his opponent is distracted and bolts for the door. He’s without his car, so he’s half a block from the store when a shadow glides overhead and drops down in front of him.

“That was rude.”

“So was insultin me.”

“You started it.” The cryptid looms over him, “and you only have minor ego bruising to blame for your short temper and poor judgement. I spent the entirety of my day arguing on the phone with government officials until one of them finally listened to me about a dam bursting north of here. I, I deserve something nice.” The last part is said more softly, as if he’s not sure he believes it. That slaps Duck back to his usual sensible state.

Duck sighs, reaches for the cryptid’s arm, “Look man, how about we-”

When his hand makes contact the mothman purrs, then flattens his antenna. Duck runs his hand up the smooth chitin, making the purr double in strength.

“I, I apologize. I didn’t even know this could happen with a human so I did not check the futures for it.”

“For what?”

“I, my kind use playfighting and chase as a mating ritual. Which, combined with those gentle touches just now, means my body thinks you’re a potential partner.”

A thrill creeps up his spine, and he pets the Sylph once more just to hear him purr, “So, uh, what should I do?”

“I suggest you take the candy and” he shudders, “walk home, and we both pretend this never happened.”

“What happens if I run?” Duck sets his hand on the down of the cryptids chest, shivering as it sinks into the fluff.

The mothman looks at him, confusion warring with desire on his face, “I chase you. And since I foresee you asking, if I catch you I will take you then and there unless you tell me not to.”

“Got it.” Duck steps back, smiles when the cryptid tries to follow his touch and then catches himself. He could just walk home and wolf down his hard-won candy. But they’re right by his shortcut through the forest to his house and no one has wanted to chase him for months…

He takes off into the trees.

For the first few yards there’s no sound but crunching leaves and his breathing. Then soft, determined wing-beats glide through the treetops. The canopy is thick here and no one but him knows this path, so he likes his odds of making it home. He even knows where the most troublesome roots are so he won’t trip and lose ground.

Duck’s nearly home when nature betrays him; a deer springs across his path, startling him and sending him to the ground. He scrambles up, listening for signs of the Sylph’s location, but the wingbeats are gone. Did he give up? Is he lying in wait up ahead? Did Duck actually lose him?

The questions spin through his mind as he scans the treetops. There’s nothing, only shadows and bark.

“You know” a voice lilts, coiling around him, “I’d think someone who worked in the woods would know many moths excel at camouflage.”

Red eyes appear in the branches to his right. He gets out a single “fuck” before the mothman swoops down and knocks him into the leaf litter. The candy hits the dirt a few feet away as he’s roughly rolled onto his stomach.

“Holy fuck.” He pants as clawed hands undo his pants and push his shirt up his back, “holy fuUUUuuck, oh christ that’s good.” He rests his head on his forearms as the mothman drags his tongue up his back again.

“Mmmmm, what a lovely little mate I’ve caught.” One set of hands pulls his pants and boxers to his knees while the other caresses his ass, “all dressed up too. I cannot imagine why others passed you up tonight but I am glad they did. Hmmm” claws prick his inner thighs as they’re pushed as wide as they’ll go, “you’re a bit aroused already-”

“Wonder why.” He teases.

“-but I ought to make sure you’re ready to take my cock.” A long, flexible tongue traces circles on his folds. He groans, pushes his hips back in hopes of getting more. The Sylph grants his wish with a purr, thrusting his tongue in hungrily. Duck moans, then snickers into his arms.

“‘At’s ‘o ‘unny?”

“F-feathers, ticklish.” Is what he manages to get out before the tongue curls and finds his G-spot, making it impossible to focus on anything but the being behind him. But the Sylph only gives him a minute of delicious sensation before pulling back.

“There, now you’re ready. I, ah, I suggest you hold on.”

“To whatAHFUCK, fuck, jesusfuckingchrist” his fingers dig into the earth and dead twigs scrape his knees as the Sylph grips his hips and shoves in all at once. The upper set of hands drops to either side of his head as the cryptid hunches over him, snapping his hips while sharp trills and chirps fill the air.

“That’s it sweet one, goodness, years without a partner and the first warm hole I can catch is a tight one, I, I do so love fucking humans for that reason alone, but you, you feel exquisite, ohyes, yesyesyes” he chirrs triumphantly and Duck moans; he’s never been able to feel a partner cum like this. When he glances down his torso, he’s surprised to see the droplets shimmering in the moonlight as they drip down his thighs.

“That was fuckin incredibleAH!” He’s flipped onto his back, the mothmans body blocking out the sky.

“Did you think we were done?” He’s grinning again, the expression as charming as the starlight on his feathers.

“Kinda? Not, uh, not that I mind if you wanna go again.”

“I do.” The cryptid lifts his legs, removing his shoes and clothes as he adds, “again, and again, and again. After all, look how much it likes you” He adjusts so Duck can see his dick. It’s not the size that startles him; it’s the series of ridges on it and the fact that it’s fucking pulsing like it’s got a mind of it’s own.

Duck spreads his legs, “Only it likes me?”

“I’m beginning to share it’s opinion” The tip presses in and the purring intensifies, “though I must say you’ll need to be far more polite and submissive a mate to make up for your--ohgoodness--earlier behavior.”

“Yeah?” Duck smirks, dragging his hands up the soft feathers of his chest, then glides them out to stroke his inner wing “how’s that for a start?”

The Sylph’s chirrs change, growing needier the more Duck pets him, “So very good. No, no one has touched my wings in years.”

Duck studies their sheen, the little speckles of grey and white, and digs his fingers deeper, “Damn shame.”

A soft trill accompanied by three demanding thrusts and then cum spills into him once more.

“Heh, you like when I compliment your feathers? Ohfuckyes” He moans as the Sylph starts thrusting, slower than before but made far more obscene by the sound of his cum being fucked back into Duck’s body.

“I, I do.” He drops his forehead to rest above the top of Duck’s head, “it’s been so long. As you said, this town is full of people who would gladly take a werewolf to bed but have...reservations about one such as me.”

“Their loss” Duck nuzzles the ruff of feathers around the Sylphs neck, runs his hands greedily along his wings, “these alone are so fuckin gorgeous there oughta be a line of folks beggin for the chance to mess ‘em up while they ride you.”

The mothman whimpers, chirps when Duck leans sideways to trail kisses along his right wing. His hips are moving lazily in time with the roll of Duck’s own and he sighs with every thrust, as if Duck is his favorite place to be.

“Got some broken feathers.” He murmurs.

“A peril of fast flights and living alone. It’s better if someone else pulls them free and grooms them for you.”

“I could do that.”

A hungry moan as the mothman noses his hair, “You’re making me wish I hadn’t caught you so soon; had we played longer, my ovipositor would have joined the fun, and you’re so wonderful a mate I ought to lay in you.”

“Jesusfuck” Duck fists his hands into his chest feathers, bucking his hips.

“Oh, do you like that? The thought of being a handsome little hole for me to stuff my eggs in?”

“Yes, holy fuck yes.”

The thrusts turn demanding, “Just one more way in which you’re perfect. You’re strong, you’ve a lovely shape” one hand runs possessively across Duck’s belly and chest, “and it only takes a little bit of vigorous fucking to make you well-behaved and willing to be properly mated.”

“Fuck, fuckin christ that’s goodOH, ohfuckrightthere” one of the ridges is catching his dick, pushing him towards orgasm, “please don’t stop, don’t you dare fuckin stop-”

“Never” it comes out in a growl, “I want to see you be a good little human and cum on my cock while I fill you up. Oh yes, yes” he smiles down at him, “it seems you’re about to oblige meAHhnnnn, goodness you tighten so nicely when you finish” he speeds up, jostling Duck as his climax renders him limp, “yes, yes sweet one hold out just a moment, nnnf, oh, ohyes” He spills into him, Duck’s body unable to contain it all and sending it running down the cryptid’s shaft and the humans thighs. Then the mothman eases out with a low chirp and sits back on his heels.

Duck flops his arms about until he finds plastic, pulling the bag of candy to him as he sits up. He yanks it open, undoes the foil, and freezes. The cryptid isn’t looking at him, isn’t making any noise. He’s just hunched forward, antenna flattening.

“You okay?” Duck finishes freeing the chocolate square.

“Yes” there’s a sniff, “yes I’ll be fine.”

“That ain’t quite what I asked.” He holds the candy out. Antenna twitch, but the mothman keeps his head down.

“I apologize, I, I meant to wait until you left but I, I got overwhelmed. You were so sweet, you let me do all that and I, I don’t even know your name.”

“That’s an easy fix. I’m Duck. It’s a nickname.”

The cryptid finally looks up, takes the offered treat between his claws, “I’m Indrid.” He pops the candy in his mouth and chews miserably.

Duck pulls his boxers on to avoid getting any more pine needle pokes on his ass, then scoots closer, “So, uh, Indrid. Is there somethin special we need for groomin your wings? My place makes the most sense as a next stop, but if there’s a special tool might be better to go to yours.”

Indrid blinks, cocks his head, “You...you want to groom them? I, I thought that was just dirty talk.”

“Can be. But I was serious; now that I got a taste of those wings, I wanna touch ‘em whenever you’ll let me.”

“This is the least likely timeline.” Indrid whispers to himself

“What’d I do in the other ones?”

“Thanked me for a good time and left.”

“See, I thought about that” Duck tentatively moves forward, smiles when Indrid allows him into his lap to stroke his face, “but then I thought, ‘this fella’s fuckin mind blowin in bed, but I wanna get to know what he’s like the rest of the time. Can’t do that if I up and leave.” He offers another chocolate. Indrid eats it out of his hand, then wraps his wings around him.

“I, ah, there’s a special oil for my feathers.”

“Should we go get it?”

“We could. Or” he smiles, hopeful, “we could go to my place tomorrow morning. After we rest at your home and you let me buy you breakfast.”

Duck kisses his fuzzy cheek, “Yeah, let’s do that.”

[janekfan]

Saw you were looking for some Jon Tim prompts so here's a few! :D 1) Tim decides to stalk Jon to show him what it feels like. Jon is satisfyingly frazzled; then a fear shows up. 2) Jon protects Tim from the Distortion Michael. Tim's confused. 3) Jon get lost in the tunnels. Perhaps Tim can hear him from the trap door and ends up pulling him out. They're both in bad shape and Martin is ticked. 4) Tim finds Jon after he gets stabbed by Michael. Happy Prompt Hunting!

I went with number 4! :D All are very good though

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28436451

Jon was being shifty again.

Not like that was anything new, and Tim had caught wind of a bread knife rumor?

But whatever. It was no concern of his and he’d rather go the day withouth seeing him if he could. Avoid the hot spike of poisonous anger that followed after every infuriating interaction and seeped, staining, into all other aspects of his life. Better to leave him be. Let Basira and Daisy and Melanie and Martin deal with him and leave Tim to work on his high scores.

So of course it would just be the two of them in the office today. Martin dropped off Jon’s tea like clockwork and strode bitterly out of the Archives without so much as glancing at Tim. He’d delivered his warnings earlier when he’d been assigned this field research and Tim would follow the instructions to leave him be to the letter.

“He’s exhausted, Tim.”

“Don’t care.”

“I. I know. What I’m trying to say is don’t make things worse.” Tim scoffed at that. Yes, he would be the ones making it all worse. Because it wasn’t worse already. Sasha wasn’t gone, they weren’t trapped here because of Jon who definitely hadn’t turned into some paranoid stalker armed with evil powers.

But yeah. He wouldn’t make things worse.

The makeshift pad of gauze and bandaging was soaked through with his own bright blood and staring at it brought a wash of dizziness over him and flooded his mouth with salt. Before he could faint dead away he reached for his dwindling supplies and prepared to change the dressing. If it didn’t stop this time, he’d have no choice but to ask for help.

If they’d spare any.

Jon hissed through his teeth when removing the compress served only to break the clot, pouring a hot runnel over his skin that caught and welled and spilled over the ladder of his ribs. Blacked at the edges, his vision tunneled, and nausea coiled sour in his stomach. It hurt. It hurt to breathe, to think, to move, deep, deep, deep and aching in the very core of him. Graceless and bumbling, Jon struggled to cover the surprisingly small incision and wrap himself tight enough to please, please stop bleeding. Holding himself close and careful, Jon staggered to his feet only to knock his hip hard against the desk as he went woozy.

He’d stood for something. Risked toppling over for something but the pounding of his pulse in his temples made everything that much harder and the room was spinning around and around and he nearly joined it, teetering a half turn before lurching to a stop, pressing his arm against his throbbing side.

It hurt.

One of them must have painkillers of some sort. Sash--

She. He.

How could he’d have forgotten? A bolt of fresh sorrow struck him so hard in the chest it stole his breath away with it and he sagged beneath its gravity, gripping the cool metal of the door handle painfully for support, looking down and seeing it as though it were the first time.

Where…? He needed something. Needed...because it hurt. He hurt and he needed help.

“Jesus, Jon!” Tim’s whole body flinched violently when he realized Jon was hovering near his desk like a wraith, sallow and with shadows like bruises lining the sharp planes of his face. “What?” His silence was petrol on the fire of Tim’s always simmering anger and it flared brightly, blinding, such that Jon staggered a step back, lifting a trembling hand only to drop it back to his side.

“T’Tim.” He swallowed with a click, and Tim watched his throat work, lashes fluttering like moth’s wings, brows knit together in effort and confusion.

“Out with it!”

“D’you‘ave pa, para…?” Even with his tripped up tongue, the compulsion found a way to thread through the question and Tim saw the fear fill up Jon’s glassy eyes when he realized a beat later what he’d done. Resisting was painful, the static filled up his ears, his head, his blood with its continuous hiss, rising higher and higher as he tried his damndest not to answer what really was a simple question. It wasn’t about that though. It wasn’t alright for Jon to take like that, to use whatever the hell this was to pull what he wanted to know from the inside of them without a thought. To hurt them just to Know.

In the end, he had no choice and coughed up his elucidation like a mouthful of razors, slamming his fist against his desk and using the leverage to stand and confront him.

“S’sorry. Din’t...” slurred and barely intelligible, the empty apologies only made Tim angrier and for one awful moment, he wanted to hit him. Give back just a fraction of the pain he’d caused all of them with his selfish ignorance. He wrestled it down with difficulty, clenched his teeth against the residual ache of Jon’s power.

“What’d you do to yourself?” Because the man looked hungover, sweaty and sick, paler by the minute and he wouldn’t blame him for crawling into a bottle. Might even be inclined to join him if he ever extended an offer.

“H’hur’s.” Jon’s overture broke open in a sob, his clawing, grasping fingers twisted in his dark jumper over his stomach and it looked as though he was considering lurching for the bin.

“Are you pisse--whoa!” Instead, Jon stumbled into him and reflexively, Tim shoved him away, like he was something disgusting, watching him trip over clumsy feet and land hard on his side in a sprawl of uncoordinated limbs. Tim yanked him up roughly, ignoring the sharp intake of breath, and tugged him back to his office by a bony elbow, muttering unkindly, “just sober up or whatever.”

The door slammed behind Jon and reverberated into his aching bones. He’d forgotten what he needed and the pain was so bad now it had removed any remaining will he had to stay awake. After Tim pushed him and he hit the ground, (clumsy, stupid, can’t even walk on your own) it was like being stabbed by Michael all over again; a burst of bright white twisting, turning, contorting agony that wasn’t easing so much as it was spreading all the way to the tips of his fingers.

Maybe if he sat down, got off his feet, he’d not feel so ill. Yes...yes that would be good. It would be nice to rest for a moment, just close his burning eyes, just for a little while. Then he could get back to work, finish up those statements he was working on. He was working on statements? When he went to step forward a sharp pain rocked through him hard enough that he had to brace himself on the unforgiving hard wood of the desk.

What--

Suddenly weak in the knees, Jon all but collapsed into his chair, curling into himself, every harsh and hollow gasp of breath like the bite of a knife.

Half five and Jon still hadn't emerged a second time from his office. Tim was the only one left besides him and despite how adamantly he refused to care he does not want to draw Martin’s temper. This had nothing to do with his own concern and armed with the distance that afforded him, Tim knocked loudly, obnoxiously, rudely.

There was no response.

“Oi, Jon!” Shouldering open the door, he’s got a rant on the tip of his tongue and is looking forward to using it. “Drunk at work, whatever will Marto say? The scandal…” With no reaction forthcoming, no moaning or groaning or yelling Tim took a second to actually look at him, lying collapsed over his desk, cheek pillowed on one folded arm. He’s passed clean out, and Tim touched his forehead only to find it cold and clammy. Something was far from alright if Jon’s rapid, shallow breathing and nearly grey lips were anything to go by. “Boss?” He was slack and loose when Tim shook him none too gently, mouth falling open with an almost inaudible whine. Alarm bells were ringing, red flags cropping up the longer stayed in here with him and the weighty feeling of being watched made him shiver. Very suddenly he wanted out of there but when he pulled Jon upright his eyelids barely shifted and what little color remained drained from his face so quickly Tim barely got the bin in place for him to lose what little he had in his stomach, no more than a little tea really. If the moisture hadn’t glinted in the low light coming in from the other room, Tim wouldn’t have noticed the dark wet blotch blending with the fibers of Jon’s jumper or the red and rust staining his trousers halfway down his thigh.

“Jon!” He wasn’t awake, not really, body reacting with wretched whimpers and the sluggish shifting of his arms when Tim eased him out of the chair and onto the ground. “Shit. Shit!” 999. 999 and following their explicit instructions; elevate his legs, keep him warm, don’t let him aspirate on his own sick. He lifted the sopping and soaked fabric of his borrowed clothing and his hand flew to cover his mouth when he saw the damage and he thought back to Jon’s plea for paracetamol, the apparently accidental compulsion.

“H’hur’s.”

His whole flank was black with the blood pooled beneath his skin and smeared with crimson above and when Tim applied his own crumpled up button down over top of the drenched bundle of gauze Jon cried out, writhing weakly under his punishing hands, eyes rolling wildly under bruised lids.

God. What was the point of being angry with Jon for not being honest, for not reaching out, if this is what happened when he did? If Tim was going to be rough with him, accuse him of being soused when really--

When really he was bleeding to death behind the closed door Tim put him behind so he didn’t have to look at him.

“T…”

“Hey, hey buddy.

“Hur’hurting me…” Slicked with weals of blood, Jon’s thin fingers slipped against Tim’s wrists, no strength to shift him, to stop what was happening, to stop him from hurting him like everybody else had hurt him, even though he was trying to save him. Jon didn’t understand, couldn’t, and he sobbed helplessly, keening cry lancing through Tim like the sharpest spear as yet again he was at the mercy of someone with more power. Catching up his hands, holding both in just one of his own, the hot blood was a painful contrast with Jon’s icy skin.

“Hush, I’m sorry, you’re okay, you’re okay, you’re okay. I’ve got you, Jon.”

“Nngh…ah!” Tim lifted his hands to his chest, cradled them there in all their scarred roughness and fragility, deadweight and limp.

“Soon now, just stay awake, bud. Stay with me.”

“T’T…” rapid breaths choked him off, left him gasping, fingers spasming in his hold.

Pulled gently away by unfamiliar hands.

Strangers’ voices muffled in his ears.

Jon’s half-lidded dull brown eyes filled with sharp fear.

All so slow Tim wasn’t sure any of it was happening at all until suddenly, a dawning of crystal clarity. Numbers and instructions and bodies, shouting, changing, moving.

Jon begging them to stop, stop--

“Stop hurting him!”

A firm grip pulled him to the side, forced him to look away from the red, red, red rising like a tide in his eyes until he couldn’t see anything else.

“We’re going to help him, but you need to let us.”

“...Y’yeah…”

“Are you coming?”

“Hm?”

“Sir?” Tim took in the sight of Jon’s blood still wet on the tile, the papers and folders in disarray and stained with drops like poppy petals plotting a course of ache and agony he didn’t want to travel.

And then Jon. Strapped down, held in place, fluids being forced into his collapsing veins. Face grey and lined with pain and streaked with red and--

“N’no. No.” The paramedics were already hurrying away. “I’ll. Someone will be there.”

It didn’t deserve to be him.

“Martin.”

“Tim, I swear to god--”

“Martin.”

“--get a hold of yourself for pity’s sake--”

“Martin!”

“What?!” An irritated huff passed over the line. “If this is just--”

“Jon’s in hospital, i’in surgery.” Stony silence run through with the vaguest hum of static fell between them.

“Tim--”

“I. I. I don’t think it was a bread knife.” Tim’s fingers were clenched around his phone so hard he thought it might crack as he kneeled beside the stain Jon left behind. Say nothing of Martin’s implication that this was his fault. That he’d done this to Jon.

But hadn’t he driven him to it?

Hadn’t he driven Jon to keep his pain and terror and sadness and secrets to himself when he turned on him? When he blamed him? When he came to him today, tried to reach for him, to reach for help, and was again denied?

“Tim!”

“M--”

“Where?”

“Wh’happen’...?”

“Jon?” This wasn’t the first time he’d been awake but it was the first time he’d done more than weep with confusion. Perfectly normal, Martin had been assured, between the anesthesia, the medication for pain, the massive internal hemorrhage they’d had to go in and repair, somehow saving his spleen of all things.

“Mmartin?” The effort to speak was dragging him back out to sea with exhaustion, heavy lashes struggling to part under the weight of it and only offering glimpses of glassy brown.

“Shh, go back to sleep.” Gently, Martin brushed back through his curls taking note of the too-cool temperature of his skin and the ink-dark bruises like kohl under his eyes. “It’s alright, I’m right here.”

“I, I…” Somewhere between his protest and a damp sob, Jon dropped off the edge of the precipice and Martin thumbed away the tears lining his cheeks before taking up his hand to resume his attempts at rubbing the warmth back into it.

“You should go home.” Tim was quieter than he’d ever heard him before, still likely cowed from their earlier conversation where the only thing Martin could look at was the copper embedded under his fingernails, smeared across his wrists and gone dark with oxidation. “He’s in good hands.”

“And how would you know that, Tim?” Bitter. Frustrated. Angry. Jon should have been in good hands before. Trusted hands. Hands that may well be spiteful, resentful, but hands that wouldn’t let Jon slip through the cracks regardless.

“I just meant.” Martin wasn’t able to look at him, afraid of what he might say next, afraid that he might physically throw the other man from the room for daring to deny Jon the slightest support.

“Last time I left you with him, he ended up here.”

“That’s--” Voice raised, shouting, and even down deep Jon flinched, arms shifting in an attempt to protect his face. Martin was livid, settling Jon with a few whispered words before turning to confront Tim.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be here.”

“I didn’t…” Tim was small, folding into himself and sharp at his corners, bristling and contrite.

“I’ll text you with an update if there is one.”

“I. I’m sorry, Martin.” But he neither needed nor wanted an apology. He wasn’t the one Tim wronged today.

A week later saw Martin helping Jon up the narrow steps to his flat, concerned by his pallor and the trembling in his limbs and when he finally dropped him onto the lumpy sofa, saw that he was sweating.

“I’ll make some tea.” He’d purchased a few essentials to go along with his prescriptions. It wouldn’t do if he made himself ill on an empty stomach. If he listened closely he could just hear Jon’s panting, making certain to bring water along with the mug and a few chocolate digestives to offset the loss of blood still exacerbating his fatigue.

“M’quite alright, Martin.” He had yet to sit up, still laying back among the cushions, one scarred forearm laid above his nose. “Don’have to coddle me.” Martin didn’t rise to his bait, instead ignoring him in favor of sitting beside where his greater weight tipped Jon gently into his side. He didn’t resist, instead embracing his vulnerability and sinking deeper into the warm wool of his jumper with a sullen hum.

“I’m not “coddling” you, Jon.” Steeped to his preferences, Martin pressed the tea into his hands, lingering to be certain he could hold it on his own before tucking a biscuit between his forefinger and the porcelain and then another when he polished it off, probably not thinking about it.

“Have you heard from Tim?” Barely audible over the rim of his mug, Jon kept his eyes downcast and Martin couldn’t see under his long lashes from the angle he was at. He’d asked a few times, understanding his disappointment was aimed at Tim and not at Jon, at least not this time. They’d discussed the incident and Martin got the sense that he wanted no part in a repeat performance though he’d explained his attempt at asking for help was the last time he was cognizant enough to think in a somewhat straight line. After that it was pain and cold and shadow and Tim crushing him into the floor and he didn’t understand.

“Yeah.” Martin sipped on his own tea, encouraged Jon to do the same, but he was a dog with a bone.

“Is he. Uh. Cross? With. With me?” He looked up, tired eyes wide and round. “I mean, more than, than the usual?”

“Jon.”

“I know! I.” Falling silent, Jon nibbled absentmindedly on the last biscuit and accepted the tablets to swallow with the dregs of his tea. He’d be out like a light soon with that painkiller and Martin tugged him up when he hissed through his teeth at the agony of trying to move and caught him when he listed on his feet. Rather than hovering, Martin decided instead to keep an ear out as he put away the groceries and filled a glass of water for his nightstand, meeting Jon back at the sofa where he held a stack of bedding topped with pillows.

“I know.” He swallowed, “you’re here out of, of obligation? Kindness? But. But I’ll be fine on my own--you don’t have to stay.” Martin shook his head, a sad smile spreading over his lips as he relieved Jon of his bundle, longing to pull him into an embrace and relieve him of the invisible burden he carried alone. Compromising, he settled for cupping a slim shoulder, not missing how he melted under the soft touch.

“I’m here because we’re friends, Jon.” Unexpected tears welled in his eyes, spilling over as his staid expression crumpled. “Oh, oh, Jon, come here. It’s alright.” Spent, Jon let his forehead collide with his chest, crying silently, and Martin abandoned the duvet in favor of folding him up. “It’s alright.”

“S’sorry...just.” But he couldn’t get any more words out and Martin ran a hand up and down his taut back, rubbing circles over the sharp blades of his shoulders.

“You don’t have to be.” In a few moments the energy began to ooze out of Jon’s bones, the meds kicking in full force and taking his strength with it. “Okay, time for bed.” With a bit of cautious manhandling, Martin was able to get him tucked in between the sheets, meeting eyes blinking slow like those of a cat. “Comfy?”

“Mmyeah…” slipping out on an exhale and it brought a grin back to Martin’s face to see him so relaxed and more than a little loopy. “Hey Martin?” Graceless, Jon’s clumsy fingers tangled with his. “Thank you.” Cross eyed with the effort of sincerely conveying his gratitude, he spoke earnestly, if marble-mouthed and Martin felt his own cheeks flush hot in the velvet dark. He allowed himself to tuck stray and greying flyaways behind Jon ear before sweeping a thumb over the bone of his cheek and watching him drift under. Martin slipped away, keeping the door open in case something happened, and made up his own bed, listening to Jon’s soft and sleepy sounds.

“Good night, Jon.”