#((thank you for letting Odette insult him before she kicks his behind))

[tenuuchlegch]

❝ you should’ve listened to me from the beginning. ❞ // from vauthry

Twilight Princess Starters

❃ There was no denying it, Odtsetseg could possibly die soon. The tainted light felt like it was pulsating underneath skin; chipping away at her resolve, like some heartless miner with their axe. Indeed, from an outsider's point of view she should be in no position to fight.

- But xaela would be DAMNED, rather than lose to the likes of him.

- From the moment they espied each other from top of Eulmore's lofty balcony, Odtsetseg had a feeling something was deeply disturbing about him. Not only did man have an ego which could rival mountains, but he practically acted akin to some spoiled brat whenever they didn't recieve exactly what their hearts desired. Obviously, he lacked a parent with backbone. That, and him being some twisted Lightwarden could have assisted with enabling Kholusia's former ruler ever more intolerable attitude. He went FAR beyond such excuses though, once monstrous scum indulged desperate men by feeding sin eaters (possibly former people) to those who lived in or a few malms away from his coveted "paradise".

- He was a monster; rotten to the core and Odtsetseg would gladly be his executioner. With this in mind, twas only natural that his words would be met with a scoff.

- "I will not waste my time lending an ear to the deranged... especially those with an ugly face on their tit." No words would further be required. She had said her piece, so it would only be natural that they should battle.

- It was time to end this.

[thatwriterchickrachel]

Mysteries at Midnight - 55.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Relationships: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng; Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe; Chat Noir/Ladybug

Characters:

Chat Noir (Miraculous Ladybug)

Ladybug (Miraculous Ladybug)

Alya Césaire

Adrien Agreste

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Nino Lahiffe

Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)

Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)

Madame Bustier (Miraculous Ladybug)

Chloé Bourgeouis (Miraculous Ladybug)

Nathaniel Kurtzberg (Miraculous Ladybug)

Lila Rossi (Miraculous Ladybug)

Additional Tags:

dance au

Ballroom dance

College

Grown up AU

Royalty AU

Language:English

Read on Ao3

Chapters 1-30 Chapter 31               Chapter 32 Chapter 33               Chapter 34 Chapter 35               Chapter 36 Chapter 37               Chapter 38 Chapter 39               Chapter 40 Chapter 41               Chapter 42 Chapter 43               Chapter 44 Chapter 45               Chapter 46 Chapter 47               Chapter 48 Chapter 49               Chapter 50 Chapter 51               Chapter 52 Chapter 53               Chapter 54

Chapter 55 - Fuel in the Fire

Summary: Things get tense in the semi-finals

Marinette felt her heart beat faster, she needed water, but Volpina was down the dressing hall, so she excused herself and hurried to the kiosk.

Of course Madame Bustier was telling her to be more like Odile. The black swan was seductive, captivating and cunning. Marinette tried not to think of the other connotations that she was sure Madame Bustier would not be implying, but they swam through her head anyway.

She was only asking her to charm the judges and the crowd, but every time she did she found herself closer to Chat Noir than she intended and after last night, she wasn’t sure she could keep it strictly professional.

The idea that she had to be Odile with Chat Noir when she was typically an Odette with Adrien was laughable to her and the addition of Adrien’s princely title – the irony was not lost on her. She would have laughed if she didn’t know they all died in the end.

She shook herself. She couldn’t let herself get caught up in some simple advice. Madame Bustier was telling her to step up her game, that was all. Why in such strange metaphors she had no idea, but it wasn’t the first time her instructor had provided cryptic words of encouragement.

The lights in the stage area shifted, colours changing from blues and greens to reds and yellows, the voice over the speaker announcing the first of the semifinal rounds were to begin. She finished her cup of water, refilling it for Chat Noir before making her way back, pausing until the line of dancers had trickled onto the floor.

She handed the cup to her partner without a word and watched carefully as the music picked up on the speakers and the dancers began to move. Any number of these could make it into the finals, they all spun with grace, their dresses twirling with their steps, their partners leading them across the space.

She tried to take mental notes but she could feel Chat’s presence behind her stiffen and she turned to see Volpina sneering behind them.

“Admiring the quality costumes along with the talent, I’m sure.”

“They’re nice, it’s unfortunate when someone goes for too many beads though,” Marinette replied, keeping her voice calm and her attention back on the dancers.

"She's right, it can look tacky and provide a hazard for other dancers," Chat added beside her, his attention also on the floor.

“Oh I’d be careful, little bug, about who you call tacky. At least my designer actually has talent and could create something that matched my personality – oh sorry, your designer did pretty well on that,” she added with a snooty laugh.

Mairnette felt Chat tense up beside her.

“You know it’s more about the quality of the craftsmanship,” she replied.

“You know what? I bet she was so embarrassed when her design got leaked that she tried to make a complete new one with no time to get it finished.”

“Volpina come on, drop it,” Dessinatuer’s voice was right behind them and Marinette’s neck hairs stood on end.

“Oh come on, it’s no secret you have a crush on Marinette, but I’m sure even you can see what a fail this dress is. It’s only redeeming quality is the dumb bow at the back, and that’s nearly hidden underneath that ridiculous tulle,” Volpina scowled, tugging at the bow causing it to come loose.

“Hey, hands off,” Marinette turned with a scowl of her own. “Marinette worked really hard to give me exactly what I asked for.”

“Oh so this trash is your choosing. That makes more sense.”

“Come on Ladybug,” Chat took her hand and lead her away. “I need to throw away my cup.”

She nodded but didn’t move until he pulled her away. Volpina was once again getting under her skin, she couldn’t go out in such a state.

“Let me fix it,” Chat said after a moment, his hands gently on her back and positioning her in front of him so he could re-tie her bow. “Are you okay?”

“She just… irritates me so much,” she frowned, crossing her arms in annoyance.

“Well, I like your dress design, it feels very much both like a Ladybug and you,” Chat smiled as he turned her to face him once he was done.

“Thanks Chat,” she sighed.

“Come on, we gotta go out there in a minute and start proving Alya’s viewers what we’re made of,” he rubbed her shoulders comfortingly, making sure to meet her eyes.

“And the judges,” Marinette added and he nodded.

“Sure, but let’s not focus on that. We dance better when we don’t stress, remember?” he asked, raising an eyebrow with his soft smile.

Marinette thought back, not to the night before, not even back to all their meet-ups or lessons, but to when he had lead her around in her living room. That was a feeling she wanted to channel, so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, remembering how nice it was just to step with him in the small space, no expectations, no pressure.

When she opened her eyes, he could see she was calmer and she gently pecked him on the cheek.

“What would I do without you, Minou?” she asked with a smile.

“Can we never find out?” he asked, his voice almost dream-like and she giggled before the applause in the next room brought them back. “Are you ready?”

“As long as we’ve got each other’s backs,” she smiled.

“Always,” he grinned in return.

Together they made their way into the line, ignoring Volpina’s sneer and stink eye as they stepped in front of her. Marinette thought she caught a worried look on Dessinatuer’s face but she ignored it. She couldn’t focus on them, she had to focus on her and her partner.

Renée and Carlisle made their way back in, shooting them thumbs up and Marinette spared them a smile. They were the closest thing they had to allies on the floor.

When directed, they followed the dancers in front of them and took position in a corner, Volpina and Dessinatuer in the centre like before. When the music began, Marinette smiled, meeting her partner’s eyes rather than over his shoulder as they had been. He tried to keep his eyes over her shoulder, but while they weren’t travelling, he allowed himself the moment.

Both gave small reassuring smiles to each other as they performed their steps to the beat, Chat looking up with his genuine smile instead of the ones they had before and leading her out of the corner as a pair of dancers barreled towards them. Marinette caught a second couple out the corner of her eye and lightly tapped Chat on the shoulder. He stopped her, leading her to kick her heels up in a boleo before taking her in a different direction, avoiding the other dancers.

They stepped in time with the music, but whether the tempo or change in their attitudes were affecting their dancing specifically, they couldn’t tell. Marinette could feel the crowd start to slip away but she kept herself aware of the people closest to the floor space. It helped her anxiety though, her nerves melting with their steps, each kick of her heel or swing of her body flowing and starting to feel somewhat normal again.

Chat stopped her for a moment as she felt a dancer nearly knock into her; by the way Chat grabbed her waist a little tighter, she could only assume it was Volpina. As they stepped away, ignoring the intrusion Marinette began to feel her waist becoming a little looser. She could feel her heart begin to pound faster in her chest.

Sure, she had planned to reveal her second skirt in the finale, but she had been considering leaving it unless they needed something a little extra, something to guarantee points over Volpina. It looked like the fox was forcing her hand, she thought, clenching her jaw. She inhaled and fought to keep her face calm.

“Chat, spin me out in a sec,” she whispered and he looked at her for a moment but didn’t question it.

When they found a space, her did as he was told, spinning her out and Marinette gave a small tug to the rest of the ribbon behind her, letting the wrap around skirt flutter to the floor and slide neatly against the edge. There were a few gasps and a small applause as she spun back to her partner, her red skirt now on display. She gave him the smallest of nods and let him continue, her thoughts swirling, now unable to relax.

She had to keep composure, she reminded herself. They had to get to the finals.

Chat was practically vibrating with anger as he stepped back and leading her around, both of them passing Volpina and her partner, the two of them doing a double take as they saw what Marinette had underneath.

“Easy kitty,” she murmured as the song ended, her face close to his ear. She was going to have to keep calm for the both of them she thought as he stiffly stepped away from her. They gave the respectable bow and as they made their way off, she ducked to the slide and scooped up her skirt as if it was nothing.

~~~~~

Adrien was furious.

Volpina had tried to sabotage Ladybug, right after insulting Marinette’s hard work. Of course, he was sure Ladybug also had a small smug feeling of pride that Volpina’s attempt had failed.

A few of the other dancers gathered around them and gushed at how unique the dress was and how elegantly Ladybug had made the transition. Of course, most of the dancers on the side hadn’t missed who the saboteur was, but they explained that it wouldn’t matter to the judges; they didn’t seem to put conduct on the score card, Adrien learned bitterly.

He left Ladybug with the other dancers and stormed over to Volpina and her partner who it seemed was also chewing her out.

“Dammit, I never agreed to that! What were you thinking? You could have seriously ruined their chances.”

“Don’t forget whose side you’re on,” Volpina sneered at him.

“No, he’s got a point. What the hell were you thinking?” Chat interrupted and both dancers looked surprised, Volpina recovering quickly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. The handiwork was just such poor quality that it simply came apart on its own. Wardrobe malfunctions happen all the time where I’m from,” she spoke as if it meant nothing to her and it only infuriated Adrien more.

“If you think that you can get away with this, you-”

“And what are you going to do, exactly?” Volpina narrowed her eyes. “You’re hurling wild accusations at me when there is no evidence that I did anything other than dance with my partner. If you had been paying attention to the floor, we would never have collided,” she added, crossing her arms over her chest with an indignant look in her eyes.

Adrien was flustered for a moment, his mind going blank; what exactly could he do? He could tell the judges, he thought, but something about the look in Volpina’s eyes was getting to him. Would they be believed? Would it make a difference?

“Chat,” Ladybug’s voice cut through the fog in his mind as he saw her appear beside him. “Will you come with me for a minute?”

“Need to fix your wardrobe malfunction?” Volpina jeered.

“Malfunction? Did you miss the part where it was supposed to come undone?” Ladybug asked, her voice calm. “Of course, we were going to save it for if we thought we needed something extra, but that’s no matter. I’m sure your attempted sabotage will work in our favour,” Ladybug waved her hand dismissively at the other masked girl before gently tugging on him once again.

How was she being so calm about this? He wondered.

Volpina tried to retort but Ladybug simply talked over her, trying to keep his attention.

“The other dancers were impressed with how well we handled it all. I’m sure we impressed some of the judges. Come on, let’s go see what Alya thought of us stepping up our game,” she said, her face close to his cheek. She tugged on his hand a little more and he felt some of his rage subside.

He regained his composure, hoping that it wasn’t too obvious, and turned, offering his arm for his partner without a word. When she took it, he led her in to the hall to where their small entourage was waiting.

“Whoa, Marinette really planned for everything, didn’t she?” Alya was saying as the approached. “Look how good that looks on the replay,” she pointed to her phone screen.

They had performed the reveal near the corner with the camera and the view was unobstructed as Ladybug made her turn, the black fabric slipping away revealing the skirt underneath. It looked elegant and planned, but as Alya rewound to their paths crossing with Volpina and Dessinatuer, Adrien saw the fox girl’s fingers hook into the bow as she pulled away, loosening it.

“That was definitely intentional,” Nino muttered.

“Oh Ladybug, how are you feeling?” Marinette’s parents asked, their faces troubled. “You must be so upset.”

“Actually, I’m okay,” Ladybug replied, her voice still calm. Adrien looked at her, but she was looking at Marinette’s parents with a reassuring smile. “Marinette thought ahead,” she added, gesturing to the fact that there was still a red ribbon around her waist, but it was sewn into the real dress.

“You guys really did make it seem natural,” Nino said, looking up from the phone.

“Well, Alya? Did we step up our game?” Ladybug asked, turning her attention to the journalist with a slight hint of satisfaction in her tone.

“I-I mean, yeah. Where was this hiding?” Alya stuttered, re-watching the replay on her phone.

“It was for the finale,” Ladybug explained, “in case we needed a ‘wow factor’.”

Adrien watched his partner as she talked, she seemed as calm and confident as ever, but as he took her in he noticed she was twisting her hands in the skirt she had picked up, her fingers white as the ribbon was twisted painfully tight around them.

She was keeping calm for them, he realized too late. She had to think on her feet in the middle of a routine, she hadn’t had time to take in what happened like he had, and he had immediately revealed his feelings. No wonder she was so calm, she was staying calm for him. If they both lost their composure they would appear unprofessional and Volpina’s intimidation would have worked.

He played right into her hands.

Adrien felt guilt flood through him, the anger he had burning inside him now feeling like a thick sludge of shame. She had his back, making sure he kept his cool, ensuring they didn’t get kicked out; and here he was, practically oblivious to her feelings.

“I see you got my message,” Madame Bustier was saying to Ladybug.

“O-oh, yeah. I just… It’s very intense out there.”

“Which is why I said it. Remember the note I wrote for you, that still applies in the competition. You too, Chat Noir,” she added, looking at him. He nodded to the instructor without a word.

What could he say?

“Ladybug, honey, can we get you a cup of tea? You seem like you could use a moment,” Madame Cheng asked, already standing with her purse. Ladybug couldn’t seem to find the words to refuse as she was swept away and Adrien felt himself sag into the nearest seat.

“How are you doing?” Marinette’s father asked him, placing a large hand on his shoulder. As intimidating as it was, it gave Adrien a strange sense of comfort.

“I feel terrible. I’m supposed to have her back, but I just got so mad at what they did. I didn’t think about how Ladybug was feeling, not really.”

“She’ll be okay,” Madame Bustier nodded. “She’s stronger than you think. She’ll bounce back quickly.”

“Yeah, a cup of tea with Sabine and she’ll be right as rain,” Tom smiled warmly.

“Okay, so Chat, what are we gonna do about this?”

“What?” Adrien turned his attention to Alya who had leaned closer to him, her phone screen lighting up under her face casting shadows that left her looking almost… maniacal.

“We need to strike back! The best time to do it is when the judges are announcing their choices for finals, she won’t expect it.”

“Alya, we aren’t going to ‘strike back’,” he sighed. If she had proposed that to him alone, a couple of minutes ago, he would have agreed. But he needed to think rationally now, he couldn’t let Ladybug shoulder this on her own.

“We just have to do our best in the finale.”

“You’re serious?” Alya said after a moment of watching him as if waiting for a punchline. Her expression fell into one of disbelief.

“We’re here to win, of course, but we aren’t here to play dirty like that. You know no-one would be able to accept our victory if we got it any other way,” he sighed. His head was incredibly clear, and it irritated him that it had taken so long.

“But she just… you aren’t the only dancers!” Alya sputtered but Adrien put up his hand to quieten her.

“Alya, please. We’ve got bigger concerns and you know it,” he said, looking at her carefully and hoping she would remember what was at stake for them.

“Fine, but I still think we should get back at them.”

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t think Dessinatuer had anything to do with it,” Adrien explained and Alya widened her eyes, giving a little nod for him to elaborate. “He and Ladybug had a discussion this morning, I don’t know. She took care of it and to be honest, he seems like he doesn’t even want to be here anymore.”

“He doesn’t,” Ladybug’s voice was quiet as she returned. Marinette’s mother had taken the skirt from her and sat back beside her husband whilst Ladybug sat on the arm of Adrien’s chair holding a cup of tea. “He doesn’t like the fact that Marinette cut him out. He wanted to redeem himself by throwing the competition.”

“You’re kidding?” Nino asked and Alya shook her head in disbelief with him.

“No. I told him he had no right to put us through what he has only to back out now.”

“Well you’re right,” Alya sighed shaking her head.

“Well, we better go,” Adrien said as he saw the dancers beginning to gather at the entrance to the hall. “It’s judgement day,” he said, flashing finger guns at his friends who just rolled their eyes and groaned.

“Couldn’t help yourself, huh?” Ladybug murmured as they left and he shook his head, a small smile on his face.