#I asked for Mayura and they went ABOVE AND BEYOND

[totallovestrucksimp]

Someone was able to get Miraculous: Rise of the sphinx early and they released all the gameplay! AND LOOK!

We get to see them play chess FINALLY! And the birth of Hawkmoth!

Gabe judging me for simping for his Girlfriend assistant

“I’d like to offer you this pendent for my gratitude and my…affections.”

OH he liked Nathalie from the START.

Do you guys think this scene is cannon on universe?

[p-artsypants]

Longest Night (31)

Ao3 | FF.net

--

She awoke. The room was dim, and just the right amount of warm. Her throat felt dry and her limbs weak. She didn’t know if she had the energy to speak.

“Emilie?” A woman’s soft voice asked.

“Hmm?” She hummed back.

A hand fell on hers. “Good to see you awake. You’ve been asleep for a long time.”

“How…long?”

“Four years.”

She blinked more, trying to clear the haze on her mind.

“Shh, keep resting. You’re still very weak.”

“Where…?”

“We’re in Tibet, in the temple of the Guardians.”

“Temple…?”

The woman, now recognized as Gabriel’s secretary Nathalie, chuckled softly. “Go back to sleep. I’ll catch you up later.”

“Where’s…my husband? And Adrien?”

“Gabriel’s in Paris and…we’re not sure where Adrien is…that’s why Gabriel’s not here.”

Emilie pushed up on the mattress. “Adrien’s missing?! Why!?”

“Shh…” Nathalie pushed her back down by the shoulder. “Please Emilie, don’t strain yourself.”

“Well, I’m wide awake now, so you better get explaining!”

Nathalie rolled her eyes. “Will you relax if I do?”

“…Yes ma’am.”

“Alright…well. It started about a year after you fell asleep…”  

—

Everything happened in a whirlwind of action. Everyone wanted to know what was happening, and wanted to be a part of helping. The Gorilla got a police escort to the hospital, driving Alya and Gabriel, while Nino volunteered to stay behind and lock up. News vans followed the ambulance and car. Traffic stopped and pulled over as the cars zoomed through the city.

At the hospital, Marinette and Adrien were unloaded and rushed into surgery. Sabine, still transformed, and Tom were escorted to a private waiting room.

And then, silence.

All the rushing and shouting, it stopped.

Sabine stood in the room, trembling.

“I believe the phrase was ‘spots off’, darling.” Tom said softly.

“Hm? Oh, Spots Off.” The whirlwind pink disappeared just as it came, and Tikki appeared in front of her, barely staying afloat.  

“Madam Cheng?” She asked weakly.

“What is it, dear?”

“Um…I’m really hungry from the cure…do you have any cookies?”

Sabine gave her a sympathetic smile. “So you’re the little mouse that steals my cookies at night.”

Tikki smiled sheepishly.

“I don’t have any on me right now, but lets see what’s in this vending machine.”

Tikki settled for a bag of mini chocolate chip cookies and took her meal to eat on a chair.

Not much later, Gabriel, the Gorilla, and Alya were escorted into the room by a nurse.

“They got in alright?” Gabriel asked.

“Yes, they got right in. They didn’t even ask Tom and I for any medical information.”

“Ah, yes, that would be my doing.”

Tom and Sabine shared a look. “What do you mean?”

Gabriel thought for a second, then admitted, “I could have sworn I already told you, but perhaps in the rush of things, I forgot to mention it. I apologize. Do you remember a few weeks ago when I asked if you had packed up your medical files with your belongings?”

“Oh! Yes, you asked for Marinette’s!”

“Yes, this hospital has assembled a specific team of specialists to prepare for them. They studied the stream and have everything they need to get started right away.”

“Wow, that’s smart!” Commented Alya. “Was that your idea, Mr. Agreste?”

“I wish, but no. It was Dr. Ernest Boucher, an akuma victim who wanted to pay off his debt. We’ve taken care of everything. The bill is squared. You only have to worry about Marinette.”

Sabine let out a sob. “Thank you!”

Gabriel tried to smile, but it fell flat. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m not worthy of gratitude.”

At that, Tikki looked over to him, aware that she was exposed to the parents, but not really noticing it until now.

Alya knelt on the floor next to her chair. “Hi there, I’m Alya.” She introduced.

“Oh, I know.” Tikki said with a smile. “I’m well acquainted with you. So is Trixx.”

At the name, Trixx popped out of Alya’s shirt. “Heya Tik!”

“Hi Trixx!”

The fox floated down and joined Tikki on the chair. “Wayzz is with Nino and Pollen is with Chloe.”

“Nino should be here soon,” Alya provided. “He stayed behind to make sure everything was locked up at the bakery. Don’t want reporters getting in there after all.”

The door to the waiting room opened, a police officer entering. “Captain David Phillips,” he introduced with a bob of the head. “I’m in charge of security for your children during their stay here.”

Sabine breathed, another worry dissuaded. “Oh thank you!”

“Of course, Mrs. Cheng. There will be officers posted at each of their rooms. All staff working with them have already gone through background checks, and have been picked by Dr. Ernst Boucher to work on his team. If I may, I would like to write up a list of people with clearance to visit. My recommendation is that you keep the list short. It is likely the team won’t allow any guests besides immediate family in the beginning.”

“Right.”

He took out a notebook. “Of course, I have Sabine Cheng, Tom Dupain, and Gabriel Agreste on the list. Anyone else I should add?”

“Alya Cesaire and Nino Lahiffe,” Sabine stated. “And Roland and Gina Dupain.”

“Arthur Chevalier and Chloe Bourgeois.” Added Gabriel. “But not the mayor. I’d rather he stay away.”

The chief nodded, noting this all down. “Anyone else?”

“Oh! And Wang Fu.” Said Sabine.

“Alright. Anyone else?”

“Not at this time.”

“Alright. Just let me know if you need to edit the list. My men have strict instructions not to allow anyone in who does not have clearance. We are also keeping an eye out on both of your homes.”

“Thank you, Captain Phillips.”  

“My pleasure. I’ll leave you alone now.” And he left.

The Gorilla took a chair and gestured a thumb to the door, indicating he would wait outside.

“Thank you, Arthur.” Gabriel breathed.

Sabine collapsed into a chair next to Tikki, her hand resting on her face.

“Are you alright?” Tikki asked softly.

“I’m fine, dear. Just a little migraine.”

Tikki floated up and pressed her forehead to Sabine’s humming slightly. “Did that help?”

“Y-yes. It’s gone!”

Tikki smiled. “It’s not much, but I aid healing. You should give the earrings back to Marinette as soon as you can.”

“I was planning on it.”

Gabriel smirked at the conversation, and took a seat as well. There wasn’t much else to do but sit and wait. He took out his phone and checked his email. It wasn’t likely that he’d hear back from Nathalie on a constant basis. The Temple was out of cellular rage, and was still in the past as far as technology went. In order to send an email, she would have to hike down to the village. And that required her to be healed.

So it was to his great surprise that an email from Nathalie awaited him in his inbox.

Gabriel,

The Miraculous Guardians have been successful. I am writing this email on my first full hike down to the village with the monks. I’m feeling much better. Maybe the best I’ve felt in my life.

Emilie woke up yesterday evening. I told her a little bit of what’s happened while she’s been asleep. So far, she knows that you used the butterfly Miraculous to try to get a hold of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous in order to wake her up. She fell back asleep after that. She doesn’t know Adrien was the Black Cat. She knows that Adrien is missing, but I didn’t get that far into the explanation. I also did not tell her that you are considered a villain in Paris.

She is very weak, but the guardians assure me that she’ll make a full recovery. It may be a few weeks still. I will stay with her until she is ready to go home.

On a more professional note, I would like to take some time off after this. Nothing against you or Emilie, but my heart is in a dangerous place in regards to you. I need some time to put aside my feelings. I will return to work with you eventually.

Please feel free to email me back. I will return to the village tomorrow, as I have been assured that it is good for my health.

I am eager to hear how things are going with the investigation of Marinette and Adrien.

Cordially,

Nathalie Sancoeur

A smile graced his face as relief flooded through him. Tears came to his eyes, but he blinked them away before anyone would notice.

Emilie was awake!

And Nathalie was better!

And now, just to wait for Adrien. And Marinette too, of course. But mostly Adrien.

Rereading the email, a sinking feeling settled on his stomach. How was he suppose to explain his actions to Emilie? He certainly couldn’t lie to make it seem less horrible than it was.

He was definitely regretting some of his desperation.

“Oh yes darling, I am a terrorist and our son was fighting day and night to defeat me. Because of my actions, Adrien was picked to be a hero, and subsequently got kidnapped and tortured. But he’s fine now.”

Yeah, that sounded like a sane man.

Dear Nathalie,

Thank you for emailing me so promptly. I’m overjoyed to hear that you are doing better and that Emilie is finally awake. Thank you for being brief with her about the situation. I would like to explain more of it to her in person. I believe she deserves to hear it from me at least.

I will approve your time off when the time comes. Take as long as you need, you’ve certainly earned it.

I must apologize, Nathalie. I know I took advantage of you. No other employee would have gone above and beyond the call of duty. You became ill because of my actions, and that’s something I can’t apologize enough for. Furthermore, I think it would be wise for us to part ways for a while. I know you have a special place in my heart as well, and that’s not fair to you with Emilie waking up. I desperately love my wife. And I love you too, but in a different way. As my colleague, my confident, my friend. Thank you for all you have done. For raising our son for us, for managing the company, for Mayura. All of it.

You are forever welcome in our home, whatever you choose to do.

What more, I know Adrien has high regards of you. And he will be missing you turning his recovery. That’s right, they’ve been found! Both Marinette and Adrien are in grave shape though. I’m writing this from the hospital. I’ll tell you everything later.

Enjoy Tibet.

Sincerely,

Gabriel

And he sent it.

What came next, who could tell? His emotions straddled somewhere in limbo between anxious and optimistic. Looking around to the various states of worry in the room, he decided he didn’t belong with them. So he stood, and walked out, not offering a word to anyone as to where he was going.

He wasn’t quite sure where that was either.

He passed Nino in the hall, who gave him a questioning look.

“Coffee,” he responded automatically, giving himself an excuse.

“I’ll come along.” Said the teenager, squashing his hopes to be alone.

But he didn’t blame Nino. He wouldn’t trust himself alone either. For a while, they walked in silence, riding the elevator down to the first floor without a word.

It was evening now, dinner time for most folks. But neither Gabriel or Nino found themselves to be hungry in any capacity. There was a small cafe within the food court open, with a short line. The men stood next to each other, lost in their own thoughts.

“Your arm healed with the cure, right?” Nino suddenly asked, quiet so others wouldn’t overhear.

“Yes. The stitches are gone and everything.”

They stepped up and made their order. Gabriel ordered a black coffee for himself, while Nino ordered specific drinks for everyone else.

“That’ll be 24.86.” Said the cashier.

Gabriel handed over his card. “I’ll take care of it.”

Nino smirked as they went to sit at a nearby table to wait for their order.

“Sorry…” Nino began. “I didn’t mean to tag along if you needed a minute, I just…”

“It’s fine,” Gabriel stated, fiddling with a salt shaker on the table. “I’m the enemy after all, I should be watched at all times.”

“That’s not what I meant…your son is…he’s in the hospital and the future is uncertain. I’m just worried about you.”

“Thank you, but I don’t need your concern.” He said, a little harshly.

Nino sighed. “Adrien told me…after you lost your wife, you became a lot colder. No offense, but I’m worried for you for Adrien’s sake.”

Gabriel took a moment to relax his hunched shoulders and exhale slowly. He was way too tense, and that wasn’t good for anyone. “I’m sorry. I know it’s been a few years now, but I treated you unfairly the first time we met. I called you something unsavory, when all you were trying to do was make Adrien happy. That’s all you’ve ever tried to do. Thank you for ignoring my wishes and continuing to be his friend.”

Nino actually smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it dude—er, sir. Besides, you let me DJ that one fashion show. That was super cool!”

“You did a fine job. I’ll let you know if any more opportunities arise.”

“Thanks dude!”

Gabriel smirked. “You’re welcome…dude.”  

Nino erupted in violent laughter, nearly falling out of his chair.

“Forget I said anything.” Gabriel said flatly.

“Agreste!” Called the Barista.

The boys gathered their drinks and returned to the waiting room, still in silence, but a lighter feeling than before.

In the waiting room, Nino set the drinks on the little table and confessed he just picked out six drinks that looked interesting. One for each person, and one for the kwami’s to share.

Gabriel sat against a wall, watching the exchange while sipping on his black coffee. It felt awkward, as the elephant in the room sat between him and all these kind people. He rubbed his thumb over his ring finger, a force of habit from when he wore a wedding ring. His had been taken by Felix, so he wore Emilie’s for a while. But when she was taken to Tibet, he gave it back. Now he longed to have something to fidget with.

He reached into his pocket, immediately feeling the cool metal of Adrien’s Miraculous.

He had forgotten he picked it up. He just assumed his pocket was a safer place for it than Marinette’s bedroom. He took it out, resting the ring on his palm. It looked and felt like any other ring. He turned it over with his fingers, studying the design before it flashed green.

Plagg rocketed out, awake. “Adrien!” He shouted.

Well, if anyone was unaware of Chat Noir’s identity, he just blew it. But luckily, that wasn’t a problem in this room.

Plagg spun around, his eyes frantic. This was not the last place he was awake. The last thing he saw was that woman and she took off the ring—

He turned around, facing Gabriel, and saw the ring in his hand.

“Why do you have that?” He asked darkly.

“I—…” Gabriel gaped.

“That doesn’t belong to you! Give it back! That’s my kitten’s!” He shouted.

“Plagg…” Tikki tried to calm him down.

“Where is he?! What did you do to him!?”

Gabriel raise his hands in a pacifying nature. “Adrien’s in surgery.”

“Surgery!?! What did you do to him?!”

“He didn’t do anything, Plagg!” Tikki shook him. “It was that woman! That woman that stole the Miraculous! She hurt Marinette too!”

And then Nooroo peeked ever so slightly out of Gabriel’s pocket.

All hell broke loose.

“You!” Plagg grabbed Gabriel’s shirt, and yanked him to stand. “You disgusting piece of filth! Give me one good reason not to kill you this second!”

“Plagg!” Tikki grabbed him and tried to force the fabric from his paws. “Let him go!”

“You monster! Do you know how many nights I had to comfort him because of your abuse!? How many times he cried because you neglected him!? You might be his father, but you aren’t his dad! You’re a walking shit stain! Scum of the earth! A selfish, evil, pathetic excuse for a man! I hate you! I hate what you did to him! I hate what you did to both of them! And now this!? How could you betray him!?”

Gabriel wasn’t able to fight back. He was too stunned to say anything. This tiny creature could destroy him with a single breath.

“Plagg, stop it. You’re not thinking clearly!”

“I’m not thinking clearly!? Tikki! He’s Hawkmoth!”

“What?!”

“Nooroo! Nooroo get your ass out here!”

Tikki gasped as the lilac butterfly came into view, looking completely ashamed.

Plagg continued his rant, oblivious to the slack jaws in the room. “Is there a single person in your life that you haven’t hurt?! Haven’t manipulated into doing your biding!?”

“I didn’t mean to—“

“I’ve seen centuries, you vile worm! I’ve lived among humans as long as they’ve existed! So you listen to me when I say you are nothing but evil, Gabriel Agreste! Your heart is full of hatred and you aren’t capable of love! Not towards your son! Not towards your wife! That’s why she left you!”

Gabriel ripped his shirt out of the kwami’s paws. “She didn’t leave me!”

Plagg let him go, curious, but still fuming, as to why that was the only thing he argued.

“You’re right. I’m vile, and cruel, and evil. But Emilie didn’t leave. She…” He swallowed.

Everyone was watching him carefully, partly in fear of his violence. Partly because they wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself.

“The Peacock Miraculous is broken.” He began. “It was broken when we got it, though I didn’t know at the time. Emilie and I…we bought them from a vender in Tibet. Along with a book. We used them as inspiration in our designs. And for a while, thats all we used them for. But…Emilie, she always wore the peacock because she loved her Kwami so dearly. But Dusuu…she stole Emilie’s energy. And eventually, she fell asleep and wouldn’t wake up.” Gabriel fell into his chair, his head in his hands. “I didn’t know what to do. The doctors had no answers. She wasn’t dead, but…” He shook his head. “Nooroo told me there was a chance to save her, if I could get the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous. I could unify their powers and make an ultimate wish.”

“So, you had to lure us out.” Said Tikki. “By akumatizing people.”

“Yes,” Gabriel breathed. “So many times, things went too far, and I told myself I’d quit. But then I’d get so close and…it just got worse and worse. I neglected everything. I was obsessed! And then—And then Salo captured them.” He hugged his arms around his waist, feeling sick. “I had a hunch once, that Adrien was Chat Noir. He always wore the same ring, and got defensive when I asked him about it. But he was too clever and diverted my attention from him. It came as a shock when I saw his costume come off. All this time, I was trying to protect him…trying to bring his mother back and make us a family again…but all I did was drive him away. This is all my fault. Not Master Fu’s, not even Salo’s…I’m responsible for this.”

Plagg said nothing, just glared and listened.

Gabriel raised his head to look into the kwami’s ancient green eyes. “So you’d be doing Adrien a favor by killing me.”

Plagg groaned at the sacrificial tone. Humans were just so stupid. “No, I wouldn’t. That kid loves you. I don’t know why, but he does. So, if you are really repentant, and whatever…then you better start acting like a father. Getting rid of you would just hurt him more…he doesn’t need any more loss.”

Gabriel smiled the tiniest bit. “There is something good that came out of this.”

Plagg looked at him skeptically.

“Master Fu revealed himself to us. In order to apologize. I took him aside and explained all of this. He arranged Emilie and Nathalie to go to Tibet and see the Guardian’s at the temple. Nathalie just emailed. Emilie…she’s awake. She’s alright. Adrien will have his mother back.”

Gabriel continued to smile as Plagg stared right back, something akin to pity on his face. “So what? You think this is happily ever after now?”

Gabriel’s smile fell.

“Adrien doesn’t need his mom anymore. He thought she was dead. He grieved. Alone. And then he healed and moved on. He found family in his friends. You’re the one that stayed behind in denial. Instead of dealing with the consequences of your actions, you brought everyone else down into madness with you. Do you know what seeing her alive again will do to him? Do you know how badly that will mess him up? Knowing that she was alive the whole time and she didn’t return? Or that you didn’t tell him!?”

Gabriel’s face paled. “I tried to tell him…but I didn’t think he’d understand.”

“He wouldn’t’ve. I barely understand it myself, and only because it’s over now.”

Tikki floated a few inches away from Plagg, as he continued to crackle with energy.

“This is stupid. I’ve wasted enough time here listening to your pathetic excuses. I have to see him! I promised I’d never leave him alone again!” He darted through the nearest door in frantic energy.

“Plagg!” Tikki shouted, flying after. Trixx and Wayzz hurried to catch up as well.

In the hall, Plagg rushed around, peeking in every room he came into, and stopping every time he saw a blond head.

When it became clear that Adrien wasn’t on the floor, he darted through the floor and went on his search.

“Adrien! Adrien!” He cried, startling nurses and patients alike.

Plagg pulled up short in front of a man in full scrubs, mask and gloves. “Where’s Adrien!?” He asked.

The man blinked. “I—What?”

“Adrien! Adrien Agreste! Where is he!? I need to see him!”

“I believe he’s in surgery…what are you?”

“Where!?” Plagg just screamed louder. Then he caught sight of the white board on the wall. A quick glance showed the name Agreste in room OR4.

He was off again, without a look back.

Frantic, he flitted from room to room, tracking the numbers.

Then finally, he found it. OR4.

He burst in the doors, startling those inside. “Adrien!”

A nurse looked at him, tilted her head, and said, “I’m sorry, you can’t be in here…”

“He needs me! Please!” But as he came closer, dread wrapped around him. It had to be Adrien. There was a young man on the operating table, laying on his stomach. The height was the same, the hair was still that golden wheat color. But he was so skinny and pale...

But the worst part was that from the base of his neck to his lower calves, deep gashes cut into his skin and muscle. The worst was around his shoulder blades, which were visible through the gore.

“What are you doing to him?” Plagg’s voice came out hollow, and afraid.

The head surgeon looked up at him, his eyes narrowing. “I’m Dr. Ernst Boucher, in charge of Adrien and Marinette’s surgeries and recoveries. Who…and what, are you?”

“I’m Plagg.”

“Ah, I see,” said he and then gestured him forward with a bloody finger.

The team watched him as he floated closer, and hovered over Adrien’s heart.

“We’ve studied the footage very carefully. He called for you, asking where you were.”

“Footage? What are you talking about?”

The doctor pointed to the table, right beside Adrien’s neck. “You can sit here.”

Plagg floated down and nuzzled against his chosen.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir were kidnapped and their identities were revealed on camera.”

“So everyone knows?”

“The whole world knows. They’ve been broadcasting them for about a month and a half now. Live torture at any hour of the day.”

“A month…?” Plagg’s voice was gravelly and weak. “They were tortured?”

“Yes.” Said the doctor, as he continued the surgery. “Adrien has a some pretty severe tissue damage all through here.”

“How did this happen?”

The doctor was quiet for a moment, giving instructions to his team members, before answering, “Several hours of flogging with a cat-o-nine tails.”

Plagg didn’t say anything after that, just let out a quiet sob and snuggled closer to Adrien’s neck.  

—

Hours later, the group in the waiting room were high with anxiety. Gabriel continued to sit in the corner with his head in his hands. Light conversation had flittered around the room, but no one dared bring up Hawkmoth’s sad origin.

Tikki, Trixx, and Wayzz had returned after about a half hour, when they concluded Plagg was nowhere to be found, and he likely wanted to be left alone.

Alya rested her head on Nino’s shoulder while she napped. Tom and Sabine played cards at the table.

Then the door opened. There stood a doctor in still bloody scrubs, with a black blob in his hand.

“Are you Dr. Boucher?” Gabriel asked, at attention.

“That’s right. Mr. Agreste?” He held out his free hand for a hand shake. “Nice to meet you in person. Glad we were able to get on this as soon as possible.” He turned to Tom and Sabine. “Mr. Dupain? Mrs. Cheng? Marinette’s all stitched up. She has received a blood transfusion and a whooping 19 stitches on her back. Right now, we’re monitoring a pretty severe case of pneumonia, as well as an infection in her hand and her feet. We have her on an IV with antibiotics to help with this. She’s also on a ventilator to help with her breathing. She has some scarring on her neck from strangulation, but as that happened a while ago, I think any damage has healed. Examining the footage, we’ve deduced that the food they were giving them is what’s known as ‘food loaf’ a old prison practice. Leftover meals are blended and then cooked into a flavorless loaf. But most of the nutrients are there. While they aren’t completely starved, we still will have to ease them into a regular diet to avoid refeeding syndrome. They will both be drinking a lot of water and juice high in electrolytes.” He noticed the other kwamis sitting on a chair, watching them, and brought Plagg over to join them. He was asleep and curled up into a ball. “Marinette will be extremely tired because of the infections. She’s not likely to wake up for several days. And when she does, I’m not certain about her mental state. She will be confused, but that’s understandable.”

“What about Adrien?” Gabriel asked, once the man seemed finished.

Dr. Boucher sighed. “Adrien is still in surgery, or…more precisely, he’s back in surgery. His flogging wounds were much more severe since he was whipped for a longer period of time. He is being stitched where he can, but we had to do a split-depth skin graft over his shoulder blades. The whip went deep into his muscles and tore out his flesh right down to the bone. We were able to suture the muscles back together, but the skin was too far apart to stitch back together. We took a sample from his inner thigh that was wide enough to cover his wound.”

“So what’s happening to him now?”

“Now the team is preparing to examine his sternum. In the early part of their stay, he sustained a wound from a crowbar to the chest. During the wedding, the bruising was visible and I can already tell he has a few broken ribs. He may even have flail chest, where the ribs float in the plural cavity and can damage other organs.” He frowned, his lip pulling further on one side. “This is a very difficult case. In order to do either surgery, Adrien had to risk the other wound. Obviously, the back was the most pressing, even with the pressure his akuma suit put on the wound, it was still bleeding fiercely. In order to get it properly cared for, he would have to lay on his front, risking the broken rib. It’s a tricky situation.”

Gabriel didn’t say anything, just closed his eyes in defeat.

“Besides those wounds, I’m assuming Adrien also has pneumonia, as he was exposed to the same conditions as Marinette. Because of the blood loss, he entered Hypovolemic shock, and achieved stage 4, which resulted in kidney and heart failure. With a blood transfusion, he should be on the mend, as his heart rate has steadily decreased and his hyperpnea has slowed. His breathing still doesn’t sound good, but it’s a lot slower and stable. That leads me to believe that he’s come out of shock. We will have to monitor his kidney output.”

Gabriel collapsed in a chair, his head in his hands.

“He also has infection in his hand where he was branded. And unfortunately, the upper part of his left ear will have to be removed. The infection has turned gangrenous and could infect the bloodstream.”

“Please tell me that’s all…” Gabriel whispered.

“Once he has stabilized, we will operate on his arm. The dislocation of his shoulder has likely stretched his tendons, and his arm will not be usable until that is fixed. And, I have no proof of this, but I think he may have vocal nodules, little growths on his vocal chords that prevent him from speaking. This is usually caused by excessive screaming.”

“Can I see him?”

Dr. Boucher sighed again, and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Mr. Agreste, I can’t let you see your son right now. And it’s with a heavy heart I tell you…he may not survive the night. He lost a lot of blood.”

A sob broke out of the man. “But you gave him a transfusion! He has enough blood now!”

“Yes, but he’s not getting enough oxygen to his body! We’ve introduced a ventilator, but there’s not much else we can do with the pneumonia and nodules.” He swallowed. “It’s up to Adrien now.”

The room was silent as Nino embraced Alya, Tom held his wife, and misery choked Gabriel.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t give you more good news, but I wanted to provide an update as soon as I could. I have to go back now. We’re beginning Adrien’s rib fixation.”

No one tried to stop him.

He nodded once, and left the room.

Gabriel didn’t move, couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. He was suffocating. And he was all alone. This was when he really needed his wife. She deserved to know what was happening. But there was no way, in good conscience he could tell her. Not after all he did to her.

“Mr. Agreste?” A tiny voice spoke up.

Gabriel raised his eyes to a little red kwami, looking at him with so much pity he could drown in it.

“I’m Tikki, Marinette’s kwami.” She introduced, pleasantly.

He looked away from her.

“You know, Adrien’s really strong. And he really loves Marinette, so I don’t think he’d give up on her.”

“Why are you talking to me?” It was just a curious question, but came out so harshly in his voice. “Don’t you know who I am?”

She blinked. “You’re Hawkmoth.”

His lip twitched in disgust.

“But you’re also Adrien’s father, and Marinette’s favorite fashion designer.”

“I’m also responsible for this.” He spat. “If not for me, then they wouldn’t—“

“Perhaps not.” Said Tikki, wisely. “But it could have been someone else. Someone who would have been tortured and killed. They wouldn’t have been rescued, and the woman wouldn’t have been caught. She would keep on hurting people. No matter what you’ve told yourself, or what others may have said…this isn’t your fault. It’s Salo’s.”

He shook his head. “Regardless, I’ve still hurt so many people. I’ve hurt my son! Everything would have been better without me.”

“Really? Because…without you, I would have never met Marinette. And Plagg would have never met Adrien. And he’ll never admit it, but Adrien’s his favorite wielder.”

Gabriel just stared at her and listened.

“Without you, people would have never gotten to experience the thrill of superheroes. Adrien and Marinette wouldn’t have gotten to be superheroes. We keep focusing on the trials they had to endure, but not the joys they felt. Marinette’s boost in confidence, Adrien’s freedom to let loose. Paris wouldn’t have a reason to fight for positivity…And Ladybug and Chat Noir would have never become friends.”

“Marinette and Adrien know each other from school.” He argued.

“But the unwavering trust, the absolute devotion, that came from their bond as heroes. Not from being classmates.”

Gabriel hugged his stomach with one arm, as a hand ran through his already wild hair. He chanced a glance to the other side of the room, to see everyone staring at him.

He swallowed. “I have to turn myself in. I have to go to prison.”

“No, don’t.” Said Sabine, standing to walk over to him. “Hawkmoth is retired. He saved them, and that’s enough for me.”

His eyebrows raised. “Are you sure?”

“I know you want to do the right thing, Gabriel. But think of Adrien. He’ll need all the love and support he can get. I know Tom loves him like a son, but there’s no replacement for a father.”

Gabriel hunched his shoulders.

“And besides, do you really want him dealing with the press of that discovery? Do you think that’s fair in the wake of what’s happened?”

He scowled. “No. That’s not fair to him at all.”

“Then, here’s the deal.” She sat in the chair next to him, and made herself look professional. “You are going to get your act together. You’re going to be better. You’re going to be a dad for that boy. You’re going to get therapy and leave the past in the dust. Do we have an agreement?” She held out her hand.

Gabriel inhaled deeply, sitting up. He combed his hair back. “It won’t be easy. But I’ll do my best. In return, I ask that you call me out if you see me slipping into previous behaviors.”

“Oh, I promise I will.”

“Then we have a deal.”

And they shook on it.      

[agirlinjapan]

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars (Week 23)

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

Help me pay for my next translation project on Ko-fi.

It’s nearly summer! There’s another twenty or so days left of school and then we’re done! I think we’re all ready for the vacation (students and teachers), but we still have some fun things to do before we say goodbye including a major class trip and the musical. It should be a good last few days!

RDG will be going back to a weekly posting schedule starting on June 23 and going through the end of August.

We will be finishing RDG early in September!

Last year, Noriko Ogiwara, the author, published a book of RDG short stories titled Ice Shoes, Glass Shoes. I bought this while I was in Japan last summer, and I do plan to translate it like I have the rest of the series. However, I’d like to start a new project after RDG 6 ends and then speckle those short stories in here and there as I go.

I’ll have more information on what that next project will be as we get closer to the end of RDG. I tend to post more detailed information about my translation on my RDG translation twitter. Click the link above and follow if you’d like to hear more.

Finally, happy 5 year anniversary to the RDG translation! I can’t believe it’s been this long!

Translation notes:

This is what a Heian era nobleman would wear.

This is an ascetic monk/mountain monk outfit.

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 3: Winter Solstice Part 3 (1 of 2)

With Mayura’s help, Izumiko quickly decided on what she would wear to Saturday’s party.

Coming to the conclusion that buying something that could only be worn to a party would be a waste, they had decided to buy outfits they could wear on a normal day out and then accented them with corsages and jewelry. During the holiday season, any accessory shop was full to the brim with cute items. Izumiko and Mayura had gone from one to another, enjoying themselves, and buying things here and there.

But then, two days before the party, it was time to carry the decorations over to the space where the party would occur. Hoshino, the planning chief, declared their new outfits unnecessary.    

“We placed a rental order with the same group we used for the festival, so we have professionals to help us set up and break down. Plus, we get ten costume rentals included in the price. We have the teachers’ permission to use those rentals, and we’re planning to have the student government wear them. Claus has dibs on the Santa Claus costume, but we have costumes for the rest of the members, too. This is my decision as planning chief.”

The only people looking at each other in surprise were the first years. The second years appeared to somehow already be aware of this decision. They all looked calm.

Angelica was also at the meeting that day. “I always planned to go to the party in costume, so I’ll be attending in my own outfit,” she said brightly. “My highly esteemed father brought me one.”

The first year student government members looked at each other again. It was becoming clearer that Angelica’s showy Warring States era costume from the festival had been a product of her father’s interest in anime. They were sure her next costume would be something amazing, too.

“Will we be able to… choose the costume we like?” Shimamoto asked the chief nervously.  

“You can choose from what’s being ordered,” Hoshino replied sternly. “Choice number one is the Cinderella series. Choice two, the Little Red Riding Hood series. Choice three, animal costumes. That’s it.”

“What? Just those three?”

“During the school festival, we could only dress as kuroko, right? This time instead of just that, we’re all going to work at this party in the showiest costumes possible. It’s important that we make our guests feel welcome.”

Once Hoshino was finished speaking, Honoka spoke up, her voice serious as well. “Right. Obviously, Ichijo Takayanagi will be planning to talk himself up in one way or another while Izumiko does her best to not draw attention to herself. I think it would be good for Izumiko to choose an animal costume so that she can hide her braids. Everyone else will choose whatever showy costume they want, and do their best to make it hard for Takayanagi to stand out. President Murakami can’t make it on Saturday, but those are the instructions he’s left for us.”

Mayura appeared to automatically agree with the plan. “I get it. So that’s how we’re going to do it,” she murmured enthusiastically.

Manatsu raised a hand quickly. “I’ll choose an animal costume, too. I’ve always wanted to try one on.

“What costume are you going to choose, President Kisaragi?”

Once asked, Honoka puffed out her chest, and answered. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to be the prince from Cinderella. I wouldn’t give up that costume to anyone else.”

Knowing that she would have never chosen a princess costume, all eyes turned to Hayakawa who was looking visibly upset over this development. Clearly, he had been hoping for this costume as well.

On the day of the party, once everyone was changed into the costumes they had rented and got a chance to see what everyone else was wearing, it was plain to see that Honoka’s prince costume was far more impressive than anyone had expected. The whole Cinderella series had an early eighteenth century Rococo look to it. The prince costume was comprised of a tailcoat embroidered in gold and silver thread, a frilly shirt, shoes complete with ribbons, and a curly, white wig. No one had ever seen such a formally dressed prince costume before this.

The second-year bespectacled duo had chosen to dress as the prince’s attendants and were wearing something similar to Honoka with black hats tilted far back on their heads. They would walk around carrying a glass shoe, looking for a girl who might be able to fit into it.

It had been decided that Izumiko would wear a reindeer costume. It would go well with Claus’s Santa suit, thus keeping the spotlight off of her.

In a spare room, Izumiko slowly tried to pull the brown costume on over a t-shirt and light pants. Seeing as she was so petite, the pants attached to the bodysuit were far too long, but not so oversized that she wouldn’t be able to walk in it.

“This is the first time I’ve worn an animal costume…”

“Generally, I’d say there aren’t many people who have.” Mayura laughed as she closed the fastener at the back of Izumiko’s costume. She was wearing a kerchief over her hair with a patched blouse that matched a well-worn skirt and apron. There was soot on her face as well. For the second half of the party though, she would change into a Rococo princess dress, which would make her the flashiest person in the room.

“The chairman will probably be on the party floor today, so Sagara and I will make contact with him and try to figure out what the adults here have planned,” Mayura informed Izumiko. “You, on the other hand, should stay as far away from the chairman and the other adults as possible.”

“Right.”

The reindeer head was overly large, and looked as silly on Izumiko as it would have on a child. As a result, there was something charming about the way the antlers and muzzle rested over her head and face. Unfortunately, however, the mask’s big, round eyes were at the height of her forehead, and the only way she could see out was through the mask’s mouth. The opening there had netting stretched across it, creating a small window. That made Izumiko’s line of sight narrow, and when the head shifted even slightly, Izumiko lost her view. All in all, it was difficult for her to see the world beyond the inside of the reindeer head.

The polyurethane crafted head might have been a pain to wear, but at least it wasn’t heavy. Still, it was difficult to move in seeing as she couldn’t see her feet very well. What was more, as she didn’t know how tall she was in the reindeer head and kept bumping into this and that as she made her way out of the empty room. The whole getup was much harder to manage than she had thought it would be. Mayura held her hand all the way to the auditorium where the party was being held.

And so, when they arrived in the hall, they were surprised to see someone in a wolf costume, not unlike Izumiko’s, jumping around excitedly. Obviously, it was Manatsu, but Izumiko still couldn’t believe he could move around like that.

Mayura was also amazed by her brother.

“What’s up with you bouncing around like that? Is it really that fun to wear an animal costume?”

“Nah. That’s not why I’m so happy,” the wolf with its tongue sticking out said in Manatsu’s voice. He pointed towards something with a gloved hand. “If you look at Little Red Riding Hood, you’ll know why the wolf is so excited.”

They turned their heads to see a cute girl wearing a bright red cloak and holding a basket. She was standing nearby, surrounded by second year students. It was Wataru Shimamoto, grinning from ear to ear from all the praise he was getting.

Staring at the very cute Red Riding hood, it sounded very much as if Mayura muttered under her breath, “Oh no. He’s going to get way more attention than me.”

There was someone dressed as an old witch in a black cloak standing next to Shimamoto. It was Rena Akinokawa in the outfit, which only made Shimamoto seem that much more innocent in his own costume.

“The student government went all the way with this. Do you think it’ll be enough that Takayanagi will give up on standing out?”

Manatsu answered his sister’s question, his voice uninterested. “You don’t need to worry about that. Look over there.”

Izumiko reached up and moved the reindeer head with her hand so that she could look in the direction he had indicated. Ichijo Takayanagi had just walked through the entrance to the hall. Indeed, she could see why there was no need for them to worry about him tonight. Takayanagi’s costume was a Heian era noble’s outfit. The overshirt he wore with hakama pants was dark blue and the shirt underneath was red and white. To complete the look, he wore a tall, black, narrow hat on his head. The whole ensemble made Takayanagi’s small frame larger than it normally appeared.

…He went way too far…  

Izumiko and Mayura were left speechless as they watched Takayanagi approach. The costume didn’t make any sense in the context of a Christmas party, but it certainly matched the wearer.

“Thank you for dropping your barrier today,” Takayanagi said in his Heian attire. He stared straight at Izumiko in her reindeer costume. “I knew as soon as it disappeared this morning. I made a new shikigami. Isn’t that great?”

“…Ah, sure.” Izumiko emphasized her words with a careful nod of the reindeer head. First thing that morning, she had recited the charm Miyuki had taught her. However, as she hadn’t sensed anything change, this was the first time since then that she knew for sure that it had worked.

Right… There are going to be shikigami around today, and I’m going to have to deal with them.        

“Don’t use your shikigami for anything so big that you make trouble for the people around you,” Izumiko said, intending to sound firm, but Takayanagi was unfazed.

“I can’t really guarantee that. No matter what you might tell me, I’m the one in charge today.”

Mayura, standing there in her housekeeper’s costume complete with a long broom, scowled. “If Izumiko says to do something, you do it,” she broke in. “You’re just a diviner who uses minions to do your bidding. If you do what you want to do, we’ll kick you out of here.”

Takayanagi ignored Mayura. He turned back to Izumiko and continued on in the same tone as before. “Izumiko, you should be more receptive towards shikigami. We diviners are well versed in using spirits. You should know more about what we do just in case you ever want to join us. True cooperation cannot be achieved where there is no understanding, wouldn’t you agree?”  

“I’m guessing you want me to say that from here on out, I’ll let you use shikigami anytime you want on campus?” Izumiko responded cautiously.

“I’m acting as the top of the school’s public face because of your own strategies, aren’t I? Being who I am, I want to know a little more about you seeing as you’ve hidden yourself away from the public eye all this time. That way, I can be useful to you on my own terms even when you do not lift the seal on my abilities. While you might have sworn that you will not release the bonds you have placed on me, might it be correct that we’ll never fully come to a true understanding of each other as long as we are held within this arrangement?”

What he’s saying is true… Izumiko thought.

No one wanted to be controlled, Izumiko considered vaguely to herself. With that said though, she seemed to be fine being the one controlling someone else. She hadn’t thought about it that way until now, and it made her inwardly cringe.

“That’s true, but… Takayanagi, is there any way that I can convince you to stop using shikigami for good?”

“Using shikigami is the foundation of diviner’s magic. That’s something you’re unwilling to accept, isn’t it? However, like the Soudas, you can’t say that you feel uncomfortable dealing with the spirits of the dead. You’re working with one right now, aren’t you?”

Again, Izumiko couldn’t help but think over the words Takayanagi had said so confidently.

“Izumiko, don’t listen to him,” Mayura said sharply. She had not been tempted to rethink her opinions. “He was born talking garbage.”

Miyuki’s voice was suddenly audible from the side of their small gathering. “That’s so true. Save all those fancy words you’re trying to confuse Izumiko with for after this party. You should know that whatever you say, it’s not going to work anyway.”

Izumiko hadn’t seen Miyuki in the auditorium before now, but it seemed as if he had been close enough to hear the conversation that was going on. She turned the reindeer head to look at him and her eyes instantly went wide.

“Sagara… that costume…”

“It’s just a costume.”

“But it’s…”

“I said, it’s just a costume.”

Miyuki’s appearance was shocking enough to rival Takayanagi’s Heian outfit. He was dressed in full ascetic monk garb, complete with a wide shouldered traditional vest adorned with soft, pom pom looking decorations worn over hakama pants. There were cloth wrist coverings on his arms and straw sandals on his feet. He was wearing a stiff looking hat on his head and a braided cord wrapped around his waist held a small leather pelt in place against his back that would have been useful if he had needed to sit down on wet or dirty ground. And of course, he was holding a staff in his hands.

This was the first time even Izumiko had seen Miyuki dressed in full ascetic monk attire. However, she had absolutely no clue why he had gone to such lengths.

“But that’s not the costume the student government rented,” Izumiko said.

Miyuki answered in a strained voice. “One of the other students grabbed mine before I could get to it and the only costume left was Cinderella’s sister. I wasn’t crazy about either of them, but between the two, this seemed like the better choice.”

“Those are some interesting choices…”

Mayura looked as if she were about to say something, but she held her tongue with Takayanagi there with them.

Shimamoto, standing a bit apart from them, had something to say though.

“Oh man, too bad, Sagara!” he called over. “So I’m really the only guy dressed as a girl here?”

“Shut up. You can’t complain about something while everyone’s complimenting you on it,” Miyuki retorted.

He looked towards Takayanagi next. “I don’t think Izumiko’s power and your magic really have much in common, but if you’re saying you want to work together, we can probably come up with some sort of compromise or agreement. From here on, we need focus on figuring out more about how the goddess works.”

Tayakanagagi took in Miyuki’s outfit with interest, just like everyone else.

“Are you saying that as the ascetic monk’s representative, Sagara?”

“Probably not. Who are the people who are coming to see the World Heritage Candidate student today? Are they parents of exchange students?”

Takayanagi’s tone relaxed at Miyuki’s question. “It’s not necessarily going to be all foreigners. There could be some Japanese inspectors too. Either way, they’ll be people who know a lot about World Heritage.”

“Can they see shikigami?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. People’s understanding of shikigami most likely varies from place to place. A Japanese inspector would be more likely to know the same things we do because they’re Japanese.” Takayanagi readjusted his hat with a hand and then continued. “That’s the case with anything based in history. I don’t believe most average people in the world today can distinguish between diviners and ascetic monks. Therefore, I see nothing wrong with what I said before. It would be possible for Izumiko to join the diviners.”

Keep reading!