#(feel free to send them things. or have your muse get a little valentine treat!!!)

[the-rat-house]

Oh, speaking of Valentine's Day, there is a fun little party with the Squeak Squad at Daroach's cafe! Lots of sweet treats - candies and pastries and oh so much chocolate - and an open invitation to anyone to get a free treat!

Even Dameta is there, hiding in a corner to keep any eyes off of him...

[hopeaulait]

   VALENTINE’S DAY FES-- ღ ;

    have you ever wanted to give someone you cared for something on Valentine’s Day, but was too shy to? or perhaps you couldn’t think of something they’d like or just didn’t have the time? it happens to the most of us and is hardly anything to be embarrassed about but this is why, on this year, Hope-au-Lait has decided to join in on the love holiday fun in a way that everyone can enjoy!

    it’s simple: you gives us the name of someone you wish to send something to and any extra little tidbits about them like they’re favorite dessert, flavor, etc. etc. so we can make them a special treat and we will give you a small card. on it, you are free to write anything! a special message, maybe a thank you, something you’ve always longed to say but can’t find the write words to-- the sky is the limit (so long as it isn’t derogatory). never feel rushed to finish it at the cafe; as long as you get it to us the night before the 14th, you are free to take as long as you need!

        once we have the card, we will package the treat and the card and deliver it to them, along with a single tea-rose we grow right outside! you can remain anonymous and all deliveries will be made as such, unless you wish for us to state your name or you write it on the card yourself. all deliveries will be made the morning of the 14th.

   keep in mind that none of these have to be romantic! you can send chocolates and such to your friends or coworkers, whoever you please. just as long as it comes from the heart, that’s all that matters

and, as an extra bonus, on Valentine’s Day, the cafe will throw a little party for any and all island residents AND the animals will be dressed up to boot! yes, that includes heart shaped capes and hats, it’ll be cute i promise.

     this is not a group event or anything big, but me wanting to do a little something fun for muses! if you’d like to participate, just submit a form found on the forms page here with the required information to the blog for your muse to give a valentine’s gift to another! as stated above, all presents will be given out come the morning of the 14th and submitted via the main blog (hopeled)! all submissions sent to the cafe blog will be kept secret so think of this as like a secret valentine’s sort of thing! you don’t have to participate either, it’s a purely fun thing to do if you wish!

[we-love-imagines]

Sweet Words, Sweet Lies

Valentine’s Event: Day 5

Prompt: Caesar + Roses

Ao3 Link

Author’s Note: Hello again everyone! Today we have everyone’s favorite flirt, Caesar! The only warnings in this one are some suggestive themes (no actual nsfw) and while the reader is gender neutral, Caesar refers to the reader using female Italian pet-names (Like Cara instead of Caro). Enjoy!

You had known Caesar for quite a while. Even before you were formally introduced, the man had a reputation surrounding him: a no-good Casanova who would treat you like royalty before kicking you to the curb. When you started training together under Lisa Lisa, you saw that there was more to him- but after seeing so many ‘partners’ come and go from his life, you knew his trail of broken hearts was lengthy and loveless.

That’s why, when his advances started to be directed at you, you were having none of it. You two were friendly enough, so you played along for a little bit, always quipping back at his pick-up lines or pointing out his wandering eyes. As of late, however, you’ve been getting more and more frustrated with his insistent begging to go on a date with you. While he certainly was attractive, a capable man many desired to have for a partner, you refused to fall for the pickup-artist’s charms.

“Cara, you don’t know what you’re missing,” he spoke, trailing behind you as you went back to your bedroom after the day’s training, “Just spend one dinner with me, you won’t regret it.”

“Are you sure? It looks like a lot of people regret spending their evenings with you. Like Rosemary, Patrizia, Mattia-”

“-All satisfied customers!”

“How do you know they’re satisfied when you never see them again, hm?”

As you reached the door to your bedroom, Caesar fell silent behind you. You were afraid, for a moment, that you hurt the young mans feelings; however, as you turned around, you saw the roguish grin on his lips.

“Look, Tesoro,” he purred, taking one of your hands into his own, “I know I have an... experienced reputation, but I would move Heaven and Earth for the chance to woo you. All I ask is that you give me the chance.”

Before he could bring the back of your hand to his lips, you pulled away from him. He looked bewildered for a moment, confident those words would work on you, before straightening back up.

Opening your door in a huff, you spat, “How many people did you use the ‘Heaven and Earth’ line on? I’d rather keep my dignity than be another notch in your belt, Caesar.” With that, you went into your room and slammed the door in his face. He flinched as the distinct sound of a lock turning hit his ears, silence filling the hall soon after.

While you were right about a few things- Caesar had used that line on someone else before, and he really only wanted to get in your pants- you were still missing one key piece of information on Caesar. Like most flirts, he loved ‘the chase’, the two-and-fro as he slowly made you fall for him and give into his advances. You were certainly not the first person who rejected him at first, but they all eventually came around. If you were going to play hard to get, Caesar would just have to up the ante.

The next morning, you opened your bedroom door to find a single pink rose waiting for you on the floor. The day after that, another. The day after that, there was a whole bouquet at your feet.

You weren’t dumb, this had Caesar written all over it. You had even seen him give flowers to potential lovers before; it was an easy, cliché trick he used to get people to fall for him quickly. While you would take the roses and keep them in your room, since no pretty flower deserved to wither away on the floor, you paid them very little mind. It’s not like his aggressive flirting or fleeting touches were letting up- this little plot was weak, at best.

That was, until, the letters began arriving. Attached to the fanciful bouquets, which were growing larger and certainly more expensive by the day, were little notes and messages written in Caesar’s handwriting. 

You told yourself you wouldn’t surrender yourself to him, but Oddio, this man could write! The blood rushed to your cheeks as you read paragraph after paragraph of praise from him, about how strong, beautiful, and capable you were. With the grace and skill of a poet, he compared your eyes to the moon and stars, you voice to the sweet chirpings of birds, and your intelligence to that of a scholar. 

For a few days, it was flattering to read his wonderful letters, a smile spreading across your face when you’d find one attached to some roses at your door. Eventually, however, you had to sadly tuck the letters away. You knew he wasn’t writing from the heart, that he was just abusing those sweet words to spend a single night with you then throw you away like the others. Not having the heart to throw them away, you placed them in the back of a drawer somewhere in your room, hoping you could ignore them for the time being.

Little did you know, those letters had sparked something new in Caesar. Writing letters was a new tactic for him, something he was driven to because you didn’t react as he planned to the expensive flowers, but he was taking a liking to it. The first letter was simple enough, a barrage of compliments that would make anyone’s heart swell. Hiding behind a corner, he secretly watched as you read it to yourself- while your cheeks turned a light pink, it didn’t get a very big reaction out of you.

So, he began writing about things more unique to you- your soft-looking lips, your exceptional skill with Hamon, your kind nature; suddenly, he found himself writing longer, more passionate pieces than before. Sometimes, he’d catch his mind wandering to you, wondering if you’d ever like to call your partner pet-names. He began to feel worried for you if you got hurt during Hamon training, feeling like he failed to protect you, even though it was just a training exercise. Caesar also noticed that he started going out of his way to be around you, not just to try and romance you, but to just feel your soothing presence.

Was he falling for you? 

No, no that couldn’t be. You were a fling, nothing more, he had never felt that strongly for anyone.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked down at the letter he was composing for you. He had already filled up two pieces of paper just musing about your character, front and back, and he was nowhere near done. Sighing, he thought there was no reason to deny his feeling further. He had it bad for you.

The next morning, you expected to find another bundle of roses and a love letter at your door. At this point, you hadn’t even read the last few letters, just tossing them into your drawer so you could ignore your growing feelings for Caesar. 

But, much to your surprise, you opened the door to see the very man you were trying to push aside standing right in your doorway. He held a very large bouquet in hand, full of roses in various colors, wrapped in a bright white bow. You were tempted to roll your eyes and send him away, but the nervous expression on his face intrigued you.

“Caesar?” you quirked an eyebrow, foregoing a greeting and cutting right to the chase.

“Ciao, Cara,” he smiled, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck, “These are for you.”

As he handed you the large bouquet, your eyebrow somehow went even higher. His face was the slightest bit red, so little one could barely notice it, and he was nervously trying to find a place for his hands as you eyed him up and down.

“Mind if I speak freely?” he asked, letting you think for a moment before nodding. Taking a deep breath, he began to let everything out.

“Look, (Y/n)- I know you think I’m a bad guy. I’ve done some pretty sleazy things in the past, and you totally have a right to be weary of me. You figured me out pretty fast, y’know? I’ll admit, at first, I did just want to fool around with you, nothing more.”

Your expression quickly soured with disgust, so Caesar decided to get to the point before you slammed your door in his face.

“-But, (Y/n), you changed me. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Writing those letters and buying you these roses became the highlight of my day. I mean every word I write, Amore. I really, really like you.”

For a moment, you stood there, heat rising in your cheeks. Your stomach was full of butterflies, your heart pounding full of love for the beautiful, well-written man who just confessed to you. Your mind, on the other hand, was trying to get you to see things logically: Was he being honest? Was this all an act?

“Caesar, I-” you mindlessly spoke, trying to get your head and heart to agree on how you were feeling, “-How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“I thought you might ask that,” he laughed nervously, taking your free hand into his, “I’m really asking a lot for you to trust me. I totally understand if you refuse me, I haven’t been the nicest guy with you.”

Rubbing a gentle circle into the back of your hand, he gave you a pleading smile.

“-But I can promise you that there will be a second date.”

Reluctantly, you accepted his offer, hesitantly accompanying him to his favorite restaurant in town.

You really enjoyed that first date. And the second. And the third. And the one-hundredth!

[nobodyfamousposts]

Missing - Part 3.3

There will be one more part to finish this chapter.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice. We just have a few questions to ask you.”

“Of course! Anything to help!”

“I guess to start: What is the nature of your relationship with Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

“She’s a cool kid. She works hard, goes above and beyond, and is really creative. She’s got talent, let me tell you!”

“I see. So you’ve had interactions with Marinette? Perhaps even meetings?”

“Well, sure. I’ve commissioned a few things from her. She’s one of the only ones who gets my style, you know?”

“Were these meetings generally private?”

“Yeah. We kind of have to keep them on the down low. She’s just a kid, after all and the last thing anyone wants is for her to be hounded or bothered by the media. So it’s just me and my team and her and her parents.”

“Wait—and her parents?”

“Of course! Have to get the parentals’ okay before asking their little girl to make anything, regardless of what I’m paying for it. It only seemed right since my requests are taking up her time. She’s just started working on a new jacket that includes an accent that is supposed to glow in the dark!”

“I…see…”

“Yeah. Plus Tom and Sabine are awesome. Even if they put their foot down about allowing her to try and make a jacket for pet—”

“Sir, are you aware of Miss Dupain-Cheng being in a relationship?”

“You mean that blond kid she’s crazy about? Did she finally ask him out?”

“Well, no. There have been some reports of her having an...um...older boyfriend?”

“...what?”

“And that he looked like...you?”

“WHAT?!”

_______________________

Paris was a lovely city. Full of equally loving people.

“Here!” Andre held out the ice cream with a joyful note in his voice. “A magical treat for our magical savior!”

Ladybug started in surprise. She tried to decline politely even as she couldn’t help but eye the ice cream with longing. “Oh, I couldn’t—“

“Nonsense!” He reassured her, pushing the cup to her. “It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done for Paris!”

Well, if he insisted...

She accepted the offering, feeling the chill in her fingers even through her suit. “Thank you.”

“But of course! And who knows? Maybe it will help bring love to your life.”

She highly doubted ice cream could accomplish that.

“You never know.” He told her as he gave her a conspiratorial wink. “There is all sorts of magic in this world. You are proof enough of that!”

She simply smiled and bade him a good day before leaving with ice cream in hand.

Such a strange man, she mused. But the offer was nice of him. And the ice cream was rather good.

The people here were quite kind. Upon seeing her, many of them had wanted to give her such treats or other foods for free. Part of her felt bad for accepting the offers, even as they insisted it was out of thanks for helping them so much.

But as much as she wanted to decline—and probably should have at points, she kept accepting. It seemed likely for the best though. And now she wasn’t sure she should refuse.

She hadn’t realized how tired she had been getting until after that first incident of a civilian insisting on giving her cookies. While she had reluctantly accepted at the time, she had noticed a marked difference after ingesting the first one and almost inhaled the rest afterwards.

It was…unusual. She didn’t remember being like this before.

But it became more clear over time that she was losing energy. And food—particularly sweets and confections of that like—would be enough to recharge her strength.

When she first realized she was able to stay out longer after a battle, she had taken to patrolling and trying to track down any potential akumas before they could reach their target in hopes of determining their origin and where Hawk Moth may be hiding. But she hadn’t made any progress after the first couple of days, and didn’t realize just how much energy she was using up.

Now, she was trying to be more cautious and conserve her strength. After all, Hawk Moth was bound to send out an akuma sooner or later. And while she hoped to find the butterfly before it could akumatize anyone, Paris was a big city and it was not logical to expect she would just happen to be in the right place at the right time to find it before an attack could occur. In that event, she needed to ensure she still had energy for the battle. So while she would still patrol regularly, she had been making a point to take breaks and rest more often throughout the day.

But why was she still out? What normally happened once the fights were over to restore her strength? And why wasn’t it happening this time?

Something felt wrong, but try as she might, she couldn’t figure out what it was.

She paused for a moment, considering.

Perhaps Hawk Moth was planning something?

It had been a good few days since the last akuma. And he had yet to try anything since.

She frowned. It was rational, but something felt wrong.

She drew out of her musings to look around the park. It was rather empty, but it was also getting late so there were less civilians around. There were only a couple of people in the area. One was a young woman walking a dog. Two kids who were cutting through the park to get somewhere. And a single elderly man in a Hawaiian shirt who was seated on a bench nearby and appeared to be having tea.

Noticing her gaze, the man smiled and nodded to her in greeting.

“Hello, Ladybug. It is a rather lovely evening, is it not?”

“I suppose.” She replied, more out of politeness than any real agreement. It was just another day in Paris, as far as she could tell. Though the lack of an akuma was nice.

The man smiled, not at all put off by her response. “It is getting later, though. I imagine many people are are returning to their homes.”

She nodded. That made sense. And explained the growing lack of people in the area.

He looked up at her, seemingly curious. “Should you not return to your home as well?”

Ladybug blinked at that. “Home?”

“Certainly. I am sure that even a hero of Paris has a place she can rest at the end of the day.”

She frowned, trying to consider his words.

She had been active for days. Probably a week or so by this point. Whatever was supposed to happen after an akuma fight hadn’t this time, so she didn’t have a place to go.

“I have nowhere else I need to be.” She replied simply. It was true enough at any rate. Clearly dealing with Hawk Moth was the priority, and this was as good a chance as any to try and gain some advantage or intel.

The man, however, appeared concerned.

“Do you not have a life to return to? A family waiting for you?”

A life? A family.

How bizarre.

Such little things. So pointless. They would only hold her back and distract her from the mission at hand.

“Of course not.”

Homes and families were for the civilians she protected.

She didn’t need those things.

Why would she? She was Ladybug.

Just Ladybug.

_______________________

Kim liked to think he had grown some since the school year started. A bit at least.

He would admit he wasn’t the smartest person—that title belonged to Max and he was quite proud of his friend for it. After all, not just anyone could make a working robot that could live and feel.

But nonetheless, Kim wasn’t stupid. He just liked to believe the best in people.

Granted, that didn’t always work out—like with his attempt to ask out Chloe on Valentines Day.

But then there were the times it did—like when he sacrificed himself to save Chloe and his other classmates during the whole ‘kissing zombies’ incident.

Well…sort of. Chloe was still Chloe either way. But at least the zombies were dealt with. And Chloe…did seem to be trying to do better.

Emphasis on ‘trying’.

But in that regard, Kim had been trying as well. He had undergone some changes since the start of the year. He didn’t like to think it, but he hadn’t been the most observant or empathetic guy. He was self-centered in a lot of ways, not out of any malice, but simple ignorance. He had often done things without thinking. And while he may not have intended to be mean, he would still act in ways that would upset others without realizing he was doing it.

But having a friend turn into a stone monster and try to kill him made Kim reevaluate his idea of friendly teasing or just how he interacts with people in general.

And his idea of gentle ribbing may not be so gentle or friendly to others. It was…something he’d had to learn the hard way. And even relearn, given the panther incident. And again with Odine…

It was something he was still working on. And had to catch himself at times. Whether or not he intended harm didn’t matter. That he had been trying to be helpful in his own way also didn’t matter. Because Kim’s idea of tolerance and what was okay or too much or not enough was different than other people’s. It was something he still struggled to be mindful of.

That was why he didn’t comment on the strangeness of Lila’s injuries.

A sprained wrist should have been in a brace of some sort. Some of her reported injuries should have had indicators like scratches, bruises, or red marks. Her claimed arthritis should have involved swelling or tremors. But there was often nothing.

There were points when Lila’s claims of being in pain made him raise an eyebrow.

Kim was an athlete, and had his fair share of experiences with people who had injuries and how they worked. So it was strange to him that Lila could be lacking any of the common indicators. But some injuries couldn’t be seen easily, and he also had experience with what could happen if they weren’t treated appropriately because of assumptions based on that.

Lila’s symptoms were strange and all over the place. But Kim wasn’t a doctor. It wasn’t his place to judge or determine.

Not to mention that people were different. She could just have a lower pain threshold. And it was possible her body could just outwardly heal fast as far as appearances go.

Kim had no way of knowing for sure without either questioning her or becoming invasive. But he wanted to take her word for it, so he continued to help her out. He didn’t mind, really. What was a lunch tray or an extra bag to carry for a few minutes anyway?

He understood Marinette’s anger at the idea of being used. He didn’t like the thought either. But if it did turn out that she was lying, what did he really lose? He still would have helped out. There didn’t need to be any injuries involved. Honestly, he would have done the same if any of the other girls had asked. Heck, even if one of the guys had.

There was nothing he lost by a few minutes of kindness here and there. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t worth questioning or trying to argue over.

While he could understand why Marinette might be upset if she thought Lila was lying, he didn’t see any reason to actively try to disprove it.

It was like people with allergies or unseen medical issues. Just because you couldn’t see where they had a health problem didn’t mean it wasn’t there.  Even if there isn’t necessarily active proof, it was safer to treat the person like the condition was real because you don’t know for sure. And you could just be making yourself out to be a jerk either way if you did act on it.

Even if the napkin incident was kind of lame.

He saw the way the class almost got up in arms over Lila’s claimed injury by a napkin. He saw the way Max clearly wanted to say something to correct them. He also saw the way Marinette only got upset because of it. Maybe he should have spoken up then, but he didn’t want to be dismissive of Lila’s health issues regardless of how real he thought they were.

Maybe catching the napkin WAS enough to bother her? It could have been the movement of her arm rather than the weight of the napkin. He didn’t know. And he’d had enough instances of being a jerk because he questioned and pushed things instead of simply accepting them.

He did feel bad for Marinette though. If she was so distrustful of Lila, he was sure she had reasons. But trying to disprove someone’s medical condition in such a blatant show wasn’t really the best way to go about things if she didn’t believe they were real. He agreed with her that it was fishy, though, and considered that if it kept happening, maybe they could try some other way of finding out for sure. Talk with the teachers about their concerns. Check with the nurse to confirm if any of this is in her medical history. Maybe see if as the Class Rep, Marinette couldn’t get in touch with Lila’s mom to determine her needs. That way, they could at least be sure and have all the information straight.

He figured he could talk to her about it at some point when there was time.

He thought they’d have time.

But life happens.

People act without thinking.

Akumas go on a rampage.

Friends go missing.

And suddenly little things like whether a classmate is faking injuries for perceived special treatment he would happily have given regardless seemed a lot less important.

He had to have priorities.

His main priority at this time, other than schoolwork and sports, was to try and find Marinette or any clues on what happened to her. Which was why he was still going out on the streets after school to search.

It had been something he started since the class initially discussed plans to try searching themselves. And it’s something he hadn’t stopped since then either.

Admittedly, it wasn’t the brightest move to go searching alone, but that was why he had Max on speed dial in case anything happened to him. His parents were informed and knew where he would be each outing. And he also had his phone set up to keep track of his location, which his parents could easily find and Max was no doubt keeping track of even at this moment.

They made a good team this way. Not just brains and brawn, since Max wasn’t weak anymore than Kim was stupid. But they both had their strengths and they worked best as a team when they each played to their strengths.

In this case, Max was searching as well in his own way, even if that way was from his computer rather than in person. Kim could get farther faster on foot whereas Max could span miles in minutes by computer. That way, they could coordinate and cover more ground.

They kept in touch constantly though. Which is how Kim knew something was wrong.

“Max? You there?”

There was only silence.

He looked at his phone in worry. Of the two of them, Kim was the one who was supposed to be more likely to encounter some sort of trouble. What could possibly happen to Max in his room?

“Max? Anyone?”

“Kim?”

That wasn’t Max.

“Markov?”

“Oh thank goodness!” The AI spoke from the phone screen, clearly frazzled. “An akuma appeared and took us!”

“Wait—what?! Why?!” Max had been in his room! Why would anyone try to go after him and Markov specifically? Kim frowned, eyes narrowing as he took charge. “Do you know who it is?”

“From my data, the akuma was a match for Lady Wifi.”

Kim gasped. “Alya?”

It made sense, now that he thought about it. He hadn’t been there for the incident, but he had heard from others in the class how Alya had apparently been suspended after supposedly attacking Lila while they were alone in class. He wasn’t sure he believed it, as that sounded particularly out of character for the blogger. It was now with a sickening realization that he remembered the last time Alya had been suspended in what was later revealed to be an unfair manner.

If Alya had been wrongfully accused and punished—especially if she was suspended a second time for a similar reason—they should have figured that Lady Wifi would be likely to make a reappearance.

But why go after Max? He hadn’t even been involved!

“What should we do?” Markov asked. “I’ve routed myself to Max’s phone to contact you, but I don’t know how long it may be until she realizes it.”

“Do you know where she’s taken you guys?” Kim asked, glancing around his own location and already starting to work out what would be the best course to take.

“We appear to have been taken to a cellphone tower. One near the TVi station.”

“But why there?”

It didn’t make sense. If Alya was Lady Wifi, wouldn’t she go after Lila? Or the school? Or really anywhere that has more cellphones around for her to make use of?

“I am uncertain.” Markov replied, all the more worried. There was a pause, seemingly as something was happening on Markov’s end that Kim couldn’t hear. “She wants us to hack the tower. What should we do?”

Okay, this was time for action. Alya was the akuma, meaning the Ladyblog wouldn’t alert anyone of the attack. Quickly, Kim sent out a mass text to the class to give warning in case Lady Wifi would try going after them as well.

“Do what she says for now and keep an eye on her and Max. I’ll try to see if I can’t find help.”

Ladybug had been patrolling more actively lately, hadn’t she?

He just needed to find her.

Kim: Need to alert LB nd CN. If anyone gets ahold of them, let us know!

A few minutes later, he had a response.

Adrien: Just spoke to Chat. He’s on his way.

_______________________

By the time the two came down from the roof, school was already over.

Nino noticed the time and groaned once he realized how late it was. “I’d better check in with Alya and let her know we’re okay.” He pulled out his phone and started up a text as the two continue walking out of the building, passing other students. Nino gave a mutter about how he was already going to have one lady angry with him once his mom found out he’d skipped the rest of his classes for the day.

Adrien smiled sympathetically, but knew he wouldn’t be much help. He was pretty sure his father would be furious with him as well once word got back to him. So focused on their encroaching doom, neither noticed that they had passed Ivan and Mylene, getting their attention.

“Wait, Nino? Haven’t you heard?” Mylene called out to him. Nino and Adrien drew to a stop as the couple approached. There was something about Mylene’s terseness and Ivan’s frown that made them worry.

“Did something happen?” Nino asked. He and Adrien had been on that roof for a while, so there was no telling what they may have missed.

“Alya’s been suspended for fighting.” Ivan told the, looking distressed.

Both boys gaped.

“What?”

Mylene nodded, upset. “Rose and Juleka came in and told us that Alya attacked Lila.”

“WHAT?!”

“Where is she?” Nino demanded.

“Lila’s at the nurse’s station.” She continued with a gesture back towards the school. “She had a mark on her cheek but wasn’t hurt otherwise.”

But Nino only shook his head, appearing more frantic. “No, not her! Where’s Alya?”

“She left, man.” Ivan answered, drawing the attention to himself. “She was taken to the Principal’s office and her mom came to pick her up.”

Mylene shuddered. “I’d never seen her so angry before.”

Nino and Adrien shared a look, both worried and feeling a sense of foreboding.

“This is bad.” Nino moaned.

Adrien wilted in on himself at the news.

“It had to have happened just after I left.” He murmured in dismay.

Was this his fault?

Would it have been prevented if he had stayed?

“Wait a minute. Adrien, were you there?” Mylene asked.

He froze at that. They...they wanted to know, right? They wouldn’t be asking if they didn’t. Part of him wanted desperately to tell the other two what had happened.

But would they believe him?

“Go ahead, man.” He heard Nino say from right next to him. “They’ll listen.”

Both Ivan and Mylene nodded encouragingly.

He didn’t want to say it.

He didn’t want to revisit that moment of heartbreak, even as he tried to convince himself that none of it was true.

“Lila said that Marinette ran away.“ Seeing their horrified expressions, he steeled his resolve and continued. “Because of us.“

Mylene gasped.

Ivan clenched his fists, his smile dropping in an instant. “She what?!”

“They were already arguing by the time I got there.” Adrien explained. “Alya was angry. Lila was taunting her. Saying...all kinds of hurtful things.” He took a breath. “She admitted to lying about everything. Insulted Alya and everyone else for believing her. And she said…” He felt Nino’s hand come to rest on his shoulder, encouraging him and emboldening him to continue.

“She said we were bad friends and it was no wonder Marinette ran away.”

“Are…” Mylene hesitated, looking pale and stricken. It was clear she didn’t want to believe it. “Are you sure you didn’t mishear? Or maybe misunderstand?”

Adrien started to shrink in on himself, uncertain and beginning to second guess everything he’d witnessed. Maybe he had misunderstood? Or Lila meant something else? Or—

Nino’s grip on his shoulder tightened—not painfully, but enough to remind Adrien he was there and that he had support.

“That could explain one or two statements, but not everything.”

But it wasn’t Nino’s voice that spoke up in his defense.

Mylene wasn’t the only one to look to Ivan in surprise. The bigger boy looked angrier than they’d seen him since the start of the school year. Adrien was half worried he would become akumatized again.

It wasn’t long before Mylene appeared angry enough to match him. It was to Adrien’s relief though that both seemed to be angry on his behalf rather than with him.

“If that’s true, then it’s no wonder that Alya slapped her.“ She said darkly, sounding as though she wished for the chance to do so herself.

“I don’t think she did.“ Nino said flat out, drawing everyone’s attention back. “Alya texted me about that time to let me know what happened and asked me to look for Adrien. If she was rational enough to put a friend first after a comment like that, I don’t think there’s much else Lila could have said to make her react violently.”

Ivan started in surprise. “So you don’t think Alya attacked Lila?”

Mylene even looked to Nino, almost hopefully.

Nino shook his head. “Adrien said that Lila’s been lying about a lot of things. She was probably lying about that too.“

“No wonder Marinette didn’t like her.” Ivan murmured. “She’d been trying to counter any of Lila’s claims all this time. She probably knew they were lies.”

“I thought it was jealousy.“ Mylene admitted, guiltily. “Or maybe that she had just gotten the wrong impression like she did with Adrien at the beginning of the year.“

“I think we all brushed it off more than we should have.” Ivan took her hand in his own, giving a gentle squeeze in comfort. He straightened though as he remembered something.

“But what about the mark?

Nino scowled at that. “I’d be willing to bet Lila did something to make it look like Alya slapped her in order to gain sympathy and discredit Alya if she tried to tell anyone the truth.”

Adrien’s mind flashed to his initial meeting with Lila. How she expressed an interest in superheroes only after seeing him reading about them and the disappearance of his father’s Book shortly afterward. How Lila went so far as to get a necklace to try and pass off as a Miraculous in order to convince him she was a superhero.

“I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s certainly done it before.” He admitted. “But what can we do about it?“

Alya was already suspended. Lila had no doubt spun her web and shared her “version” of events with everyone. The teachers, the administration, the rest of the class...she probably had them all hanging off her “sob story”.

To everyone’s surprise, it was Mylene who stepped up to take charge.

“Adrien, you need to go to the Principal and tell him what really happened.”

He balked at that. “But I wasn’t there for the actual incident.“

“But you were there for what set it off.” She gently reminded him. “If nothing else, that gives context and at least shed some doubt on Lila‘s story.“

Ivan grinned. “That’s right! If you tell him that Lila instigated the incident, he may reverse the decision—or at least the suspension.”

“Do you really think so?” Adrien asked. He wasn’t used to authority figures listening to him and changing their minds about things like this. He was still half convinced his father’s agreement to letting him attend school was a fluke. His father’s response to the loss of the Book during the Volpina incident certainly hadn’t helped with that.

“It’s worth a try.” Nino said, encouragingly. “I know it’d be at least one more voice in Alya’s corner than she had.”

“And Alya’s parents would know if nothing else.“ Ivan added. “Even if the school decides to keep the suspension, it would certainly make a difference to her parents to know the full extent of what really happened. They may lessen her punishment at home, or at least not ground her.“

Adrien fought with himself.

There was that part of him—an admittedly big part that wanted to stay out of things. It would prolong the conflict. Lila was dangerous. She had some sort of influence on his father. She could get akumatized again. She could hurt him. Nathalie could find out. His father could find out.

But…

He’d told Marinette once that he was in her corner and hadn’t followed through.

And regardless of the reason she was gone, if he did ever see her again, he at least wanted to be able to look her in the eyes.

He didn’t think he could do that if he just abandoned her best friend—HIS friend when she needed him.

“Okay.” He agreed at last. “Principal Damocles is gone for the day, so I’ll come see him first thing in the morning and tell him what I know.”

The other three beamed at him. And for a moment, Adrien actually felt like things might just work out.

Then a text came that brought everything crashing down.

Kim: AKUMA ALERT!!! Lady Wifi is back and kidnapped Max and Markov!

_______________________

It had been a peaceful evening. Ladybug appreciated it and resented it at the same time.

Appreciated it for how the peace meant that the civilians of Paris were safe.

But resented it because it meant she had no akumas to track for leads to Hawk Moth. And if things were peaceful, it was likely that he was plotting something. Like the calm before a storm, knowing something was bound to happen but not necessarily what or when.

It also meant she was stuck with nothing but her own thoughts. About her presence here outside of akuma battles. About her general lack of purpose outside of fighting. About the inexplicable sense of longing though she knew not what it was for. And now about that elderly man she had met.

Asking questions that made no sense. Bringing up concepts that didn’t apply to her. Making her wonder things that didn’t matter.

And worst of all was that expression he had. There was a look in his eye as he gazed at her. Concerned and sad and disappointed all in one.

And she didn’t know WHY!

It was irritating. An intrusive, niggling feeling that just wouldn’t go away. And for all that she tried to brush it off, the strange thoughts and the man’s expression kept flickering back into focus as soon as she let her mind wander.

So she was grateful for any distraction by that point, even if it was a message from Chat Noir.

At least it was something useful for once.

“Ladybug! I just received word that Alya has been akumatized.”

Well, that was a relief. There was an akuma at last. However, the way he said that made it seem like the akuma was the lesser issue than who the akuma was. Which led to a problem on her end.

“Who?” The name sounded vaguely familiar, but didn’t stand out to her.

He paused at that, frowning in confusion. “Uh...Alya? From the Ladyblog?”

“Oh, that little fan site?” It was cute for what it was.

Chat’s frown only grew at that. “It’s not just a fan site. You’ve done interviews with her before, remember?”

Did she? She didn’t know why. It seemed silly to indulge something so inane. Not to mention dangerous to encourage the blogger’s antics and insistence on getting footage of akuma battles. The last thing she needed was for a civilian to jump into the fight, distract her, and get in the way. Not to mention how much more difficult it would be to deal with the akuma while trying to protect the civilian who lacked the sense to leave the area.

She shrugged.

“It doesn’t stand out.”

He gave her an incredulous look and mouthed the words to himself like he wasn’t sure what he was hearing. She didn’t know why this came as a surprise to him. Or why he would have such a reaction over something so frivolous.

“Okay…” He said, uncertain. “I got the report from a classmate that she’s taken hostages to the TVi station. I’m already on my way there now.”

“I’ll head that way as well. Stay in contact just in case.”

Chat seemed perturbed, but didn’t argue.

That may have been because he didn’t get the chance, as a sudden yelp from nearby caught Ladybug’s attention. A passerby dropped his cellphone just as the screen sparked and a figure appeared.

The akuma.

“Lady Wifi is here.” She muttered into the communicator.

That was rather fast. But at least it didn’t mean wasting more time than necessary.

It seemed she didn’t need to go to the TVi Station after all.

“Hang on! I’m on my way!” Chat’s voice exclaimed before the call ended.

However startled Ladybug was by her sudden appearance, the akuma even seemed just as surprised at seeing her there.

“Ladybug?!” She gasped out. But her eyes narrowed. “No. I don’t know how you found me, but you are not getting in my way!”

Wait. Found her? But she hadn’t even started looking for her yet!

There was no time to question it, however, as Lady Wifi proceeded to go on the offensive. Ladybug ducked out of the way just in time to avoid the multiple symbols being flung at her from the akuma’s phone.

She flipped backwards and landed on the lower roof behind her, breaking line of sight with her enemy. Taking advantage of the moment, she then jumped from to a ridge on an adjoining building where she would have cover and not be easily viewed from above. Glancing up, she frowned when she noticed that she could not see her foe. It was like she had disappeared.

Or...had she simply left altogether once Ladybug was out of sight?

Strange, shouldn’t Lady Wifi be looking for her? They had only just crossed paths. Normally, akumas would attempt to continue pursuit.

She jumped down to street level and kept looking around, warily. Perhaps the akuma had gone into one of the buildings?

There was a sudden outburst of screams from a nearby store as several civilians ran out of the building. She rushed over and noticed that...yes, it was a phone store. And sure enough, the akuma was inside and the cause of the scare that drove all potential customers away. Without hesitating, she ran inside to continue the fight.

Lady Wifi growled in frustration at her appearance and sent more attacks at her. Ladybug dodged them easily enough, but to her surprise, Lady Wifi simply took off shortly afterwards, rushing out the back and out of the building altogether. Her attempt to follow only drew her further into the busier part of the city. And soon enough, she had again lost her target.

Until there was another flash followed by a shriek from a nearby civilian who had been hiding from the chaos. Sure enough, Lady Wifi was once again present, only looking all the more agitated once she appeared and saw Ladybug already there.

“How do you keep finding me?“ She demanded as she swiped at her phone again.

Ladybug didn’t bother to respond as she simply ducked, dodged, and jumped out of the way.

But the angry accusation kept ringing in her head. Because the truth was that she didn’t know. Really, she had thought it was the other way around. Why would Lady Wifi leave just to keep coming back? It wasn’t even a fighting tactic as she wasn’t utilizing any element of surprise it could grant her.

A purple glow appeared over the akuma’s face. No doubt Hawk Moth was trying to give her orders.

But...Lady Wifi just blew him off?

“No! I’ll get you your stupid jewelry, but right now, I need to keep looking while I still can!”

Looking? For what?

The glow only increased in response. The akuma seemed to shudder under an unknown force.

“All right. Just to get her out of the way.” She agreed before switching symbols on her cell and sending them flying at Ladybug.

Unimpressed, she prepared to move. If she jumped, she could go over the symbol and even Lady Wifi herself. She was close enough that she could land behind her and then try to take her out. Just keep her yoyo at the ready to tie her up and—

“Look out!”

Something slammed into her from the side, sending her and whatever the force was rolling towards a nearby truck. There was at least partial cover between them and the akuma now, but it ruined her plan and now she was on the defensive.

Who?

She looked over to see...sure enough, Chat Noir had interfered.

“Are you blind?!” She hissed, pulling him fully behind the cover.

“She was attacking you! I was just trying to help!” He said, defensively.

“You can help by not getting in the way.”

His ears lowered. He looked genuinely hurt. “Sorry…”

“Look, let’s just get this over with. I’ve been stuck playing ‘Hide and Seek’ with this akuma and I’m tired of it.” She pulled out her yoyo. “We’ll split up and come at her from both sides. Then I’ll tie her down and you can break her phone. Ready?”

There was a pause.

But he didn’t move.

She raised an eyebrow in annoyance.

“Well? What are you waiting for?”

He simpered, gesturing pathetically at her yoyo. “Uh, aren’t you going to use your Lucky Charm?”

DONOT

She gave him an incredulous look.

“Why would I do that?” Really, the Lucky Charm was useless and a waste of her energy. It only served to force her out of the fight sooner.

“Well—” He stammered. “I mean—you usually—it’s always…” He seemed to realize it was a stupid question and looked away. Whether in understanding or embarrassment, she didn’t particularly know.

“Just go already.”

Honestly, the flinch was unnecessary. It wasn’t like she’d struck him.

She wasted no more time worrying about her partner and whatever his latest antics were. Instead, she put her focus back on the akuma where it should be.

It wasn’t a very complicated plan. And it didn’t need to be. They had fought this akuma before. It wasn’t like it was that hard. With Chat charging from the front and taking her attention, Ladybug leapt out from the other side and had Lady Wifi trapped in her yoyo wire, forcing her arms to her side and sending her cellphone clattering to the ground.

For all the trouble and annoyance, the fight was over disappointingly quick.

Within seconds, the phone was broken and the akuma released. A simple flick of her wrist and the butterfly was purified and sent on its way. And soon enough, Lady Wifi was a normal human teenager once more. Ladybug sighed in relief that the latest upset was dealt with at least.

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

The Cure did its work per the usual. But something seemed off. And there was a small amount of the ladybugs that seemed to hover around her before she waved them away. Honestly, she shouldn’t have to keep doing this every time.

Taking no notice of her state, Chat bounded up to her, fist out.

“Pound—”

Except Ladybug had already turned away, leaving Chat feeling put off and especially alone.

“...it?”

He frowned, uncertain.

“Uh...Ladybug? Is everything okay?”

No. She was lost and confused and that strange man’s words wouldn’t leave her mind.

She had no home. Nowhere to go.

So why did she feel she was supposed to be somewhere? And ‘where’ was she supposed to be?

“I’m fine.” She told him as she turned and walked away.

She was fine.

_______________________

He ran down the street, cursing himself the entire time. He should’ve known something would happen! Alya had clearly already been upset. While he had talked to her about not confronting Lila, he knew very well how Olea was and that there was only so much she could hold back if directly confronted.

Alya had been the one to text him to warn him to look out for Adrien. His focus has been on finding his friend at that time, that he had completely neglected to consider how she would even know about the situation or what her knowing had to mean.

If he had been there, he could have backed up Alya. Been a witness to counter Lila’s lies about being attacked—if a single slap she more than deserved could even count as that.

No! No. Not the time! Alya now. Deal with Lila later.

Because of that, Alya had been suspended. Her parents had no doubt been given the wrong version of events by the school thanks to Lila, and probably grounded her on top of that. Right now, Nino must have been the only one Alya knew was on her side. She wouldn’t know that Adrien knew the truth or that he would even speak up in her defense. She only knew she was alone and everyone was against her.

And now Lady Wifi was back. And while he knew that Lila was responsible, he could not help but blame himself for failing to be there for her.

That was why as soon as he got Kim’s message, he had taken off for where the alert said Lady Wifi was attacking. Maybe he could calm her down? Or at least be there for her once it was over.

Because surely the heroes would be fixing all of this soon enough.

It was the Ladybugs that led him to her. A small group that seemed...a bit detached from the rest. Following them, he found the aftermath of the battle. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir were moving away, leaving Alya just...sitting there on the sidewalk.

Wait. What?

Didn’t they normally talk to or try to comfort the akuma victims?

Glancing over, however, he noted that both appeared to be rather tense. And Chat in particular seemed worried. He didn’t know why. They were a distance away and quiet enough that he couldn’t hear. But neither seemed happy. Maybe the fight was harder on them than it seemed?

His focus, however, went to Alya. She seemed almost out of it by the time he reached her.

But when he called out her name, her eyes met his immediately. And her face crumpled into a sob.

“Nino!”

He was there by her in an instant, holding her as tightly as he could and whispering reassurances.

He’d lost one friend.

He didn’t want to lose her, too.

_______________________

Alya didn’t know what happened when she was an akuma. Nobody ever really remembers, after all.

But she knew...she’d been looking for something.

Desperately trying to find something.

And she half believed that something was her best friend.

She hoped, at any rate.

It was dark out by the time the fight was over, and Nino was walking her home. He promised that he would also talk with her parents to let them know what’s going on with Lila and that she was lying about everything. Neither of them knew just how much good it would do since it was their word against Lila’s, and anything he tried to say might just be construed as solely a defense due to being Alya’s boyfriend. But it was something and it was certainly more than she’d had when she was on trial at the school.

But…

The worst of it all as that her thoughts kept going back to Lila and those damn words.

“Don’t blame me just because you’re a bad friend. Honestly, it’s no wonder Marinette chose to run away.”

Maybe...maybe Lila was right?

Maybe she did run away?

…

…

...

No.

She took a breath and forced herself to focus.

Facts, Alya. Think about the facts. She had made enough poor decisions without bothering to get information. Now was the time to not repeat those mistakes. The first thing to do was look at the facts of what she knew.

Fact: Marinette was her friend. Even at times when Alya wasn’t the best friend to her in return, Marinette still cared. This was clear in the way that Marinette still tried for her—continuing to try to warn her or look out for her and yet going along with her even after the way Alya acted.

Fact: Marinette was stubborn to a fault. If she knew there was something she could do about a problem, she would keep trying. And it would take something pretty severe for her to give up.

Fact: Despite how strained their relationship had become, things had not become so broken that they would stop being friends. That tension was nowhere close to being severe enough for Marinette to give up.

Fact: Marinette was not one to seek attention. She never needed to. She never did anything to intentionally draw attention to herself and if anything, had willingly given up chances to get attention if it meant helping or supporting someone else.

Fact: Even if Marinette was having trouble in the class, she still had support. And more importantly, she had her family. She would never allow her parents to be hurt because of her.

With these facts in mind, Alya knew with some certainty that Marinette would not run away.

She just had to hold onto that.

“Marinette wouldn’t have done it.”

Nino started at that. “What?”

She turned to him, looking tired and weary, but so very certain.

She looked up at Nino, resolutely. “We made the mistake of not believing in Marinette before. We didn’t trust her when we should have. But just because we didn’t believe in her doesn’t mean she ever gave up on us.”

Alya smiled. “That’s just the kind of person Marinette is.

She rested her head on his shoulder.

“That was why she was our Everyday Ladybug. Because big or small, no matter the problem, she was there. Trying for us.”

She wouldn’t just leave.

Alya couldn’t expect Marinette to always be there. That wasn’t fair to her. To be required to keep trying despite the futility of it all was a burden that no one should ever be expected to continue to carry, especially if it was only hurting her. She knew that eventually even Marinette, as kind as she was, could have enough of the strain and move on. But she also knew that in her kindness, Marinette would never just disappear without a word.

She would never leave without saying goodbye.

“That’s why I know she didn’t run away.”

Because Marinette hadn’t said goodbye.

Nino took a breath, hesitating.

“You know that means that...something...probably happened to her.”

Alya nodded, barely holding back the tears as that horrible truth fully presented itself.

“I know.”