#Mme. bustier salt | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ravennm84 · 2 years

Text

Making Your Own Luck

Quick story I wrote while thinking of Plagg’s love of cheese, Tikki’s love of cookies, and the different ways we associate with good and bad luck. Sprinkle in a little Lila salt and you’ve got some wonderful brain candy to tide you over until the next story. Warm-Fuzzies and enjoy!!

There were more than a few abilities that kwamiis had that normally weren't used. Kaalki could improve her holder's horseback riding ability. Pollen could help flowers grow when she spent enough time in an area.

Tikki's power over luck and good fortune was very well known. But it wasn't only her lucky charm, but her ability to take away luck. Now, this wouldn't give someone bad luck, that's Plagg's thing and had started the whole black cat crossing your path superstition. It would just set a person's luck to zero, and their actions afterwards would determine if it turned good or bad. This is where the concept of karma and the saying 'making your own luck' came from.

Normally, these were abilities that kwamiis kept to themselves or would become a side effect of being active for an extended period of time. Tikki was able to control that ability easily… until her holder came across that Italian rat, Lila Rossi. Oh, how she wished for the chance to reset that girl's luck and let karma determine her punishment. It would be so easy, just a second of physical contact and all her luck would disappear. Then everything she did would continue to build and grow, not that the little Goddess had to guess which way it would go.

Then, one glorious Tuesday morning, Lila accused Marinette of stealing her orange pen. Tikki had been eating her blueberry and lemon curd macaron while reclining on a silk scarf when the girl snatched the purse she was in. Marinette tried to get it back, horrified when Lila opened the latch and shoved her hand inside.

The purse jostled roughly to one side, causing Tikki's cookie to fall to the floor as the stolen pen slid out of the girl's sleeve and into the purse. What happened next occurred so quickly, that she would always claim, while ignoring Plagg's jokes and side eyes, that it was a complete accident. Tikki grabbed the pen, touching Lila’s fingers as she pushed away and fazed through the bottom of the purse. With all the chaos of Lila keeping the purse out of Marinette’s reach and Mme. Bustier, demanding that everyone calm down, no one noticed the kwamii fly under the desks, drop the pen under Lila’s chair, and return to Marinette to hide in her backpack.

"...but she took my pen, I saw her put it in-"

"If that is the case, you tell me and I will handle it," Bustier said sternly, displeased that her lesson had been interrupted and her pregnancy hormones giving her a shorter fuse. "Give Marinette her purse back, now." She did, barely hiding her smirk. "Marinette, may I please take a look inside your purse?"

Hands shaking from the adrenaline, having a flashback of the last time her bag had been searched, and worried about Tikki being found, Marinette wanted to say no. It was only when she spotted Tikki out of the corner of her eye, head poking out of her backpack and giving a reassuring nod, that she handed over her purse.

A few seconds later, Bustier handed the purse back and cast a disappointing scowl at Lila. "I believe you owe Marinette an apology."

Shock broke through Lila’s façade as she sputtered. "But… but she took my favorite orange pen. I swear I saw-"

"Isn't this it?" Nathaniel asked, causing everyone to turn and see him pick the pen up from under their shared desk.

Sputtering a bit more, Lila clenched her jaw before giving Marinette a terse "sorry" before stomping back to her seat.

Plagg knew exactly what his Sugarcube had done, he'd felt the slight spike of power after the cookie had shattered on the floor and that brat had shoved her hand into Pigtail's purse. The embarrassment of apologizing in front of the class was just the start. He knew the girl wouldn't accept defeat so easily, and the consequences would keep growing.

And he was not disappointed.

Lila tried to trip Marinette in the cafeteria, and ended up stubbing her toe on a table leg hard enough to cry real tears. When she attempted to switch their homework assignments in Mendeleiev's class, the teacher not only spotted the switch but proved it in front of everyone by comparing handwriting. That got Lila a week of detention.

Then, at the end of the day, Lila accidentally dumped her water bottle all over Marinette’s head and backpack. Despite acting oh-so apologetic and reminding everyone about her weak wrist, she wasn't getting the support or assurances of "it's not your fault" that she expected. Many glared at her while others ran off to get towels to help Marinette. Realizing that she miscalculated and did too much on a single day, Lila made a hasty retreat outside. Only to get absolutely soaked when a car sped through a puddle on the street.

Plagg laughed his little whiskers off from that one. But he knew it was just starting. He couldn't wait to hear about what happened away from school.

~oOo~

The following morning, Lila looked like she'd been dropped into Dante's Inferno and spat back out just in time for school. What happened didn't even have anything to do with Marinette, so she couldn't blame it on her. That just annoyed her all the more.

While storming home wet from the puddle, she kicked a pebble that hit a bird, then a flock of birds swarmed her while she ran for two blocks. She shoved a neighbor out of the way when she got to her apartment building, and the door flew back and cracked her in the nose. It bled for over ten minutes.

She went to the mall for some retail therapy, coupled with a five finger discount, and was caught immediately. Her mother was called and she was banned from the mall for life. Greta was not happy with her daughter and gave her extra chores as punishment. While Lila was muttering mean and disrespectful things about her parents while cleaning the bathroom, she didn't account for the volume of her voice or the bathroom tiles echoing what she said. Her grounding was extended.

All this made Lila’s mood particularly volatile when she arrived at school that morning. Not bothering to pay attention to what was around her, she gave Mireille a shove out of the way, making the girl stumble down the stairs. A couple seconds later, Lila slipped on the wet steps and fell all the way to the bottom. Her classmates saw the whole thing, and although they were miffed that she pushed someone, they still helped Lila to the nurse to get checked out. Nothing broken, but there were multiple new bruises to match her black and purple nose.

In class, Marinette had to resist the urge to stare at the hot mess her bully had become in a single day. The rest of the class had noticed too. Nathaniel decided to move up a row to sit with Ivan. Rose and Juleka cast wary glances in her direction whenever Lila started muttering to herself. Even Mme. Bustier had to tell Lila multiple times to stop talking with the threat of detention.

By the time lunch came around, Marinette made sure to be with one other person at all times. With how unhinged Lila was getting, she didn't want to risk being caught alone with her. Luckily, Ivan, Rose, and Juleka wanted to talk with her about the new designs for Kitty Section, so she was covered.

Lila noticed how the class was starting to avoid her. Fighting off the urge to curse and scream at them, she took a few deep breaths to clear her mind. She'd been rushing too much for the last two days, she knew that. Trying to compensate for her failure was only bringing more attention to herself and the sheep were noticing that something wasn't right. She had to slow down and make them come to her.

For the next few days, Lila backed down. She smiled at her followers, paid attention in class, and would occasionally look at her phone in distress and act like she was fighting off tears. By Monday morning, things were going better for her. She'd avoided getting in any more trouble with her mom and teachers, she'd texted a fake apology to her classmates, and admitted that she was going through something that was causing a lot of stress. When some of them asked what it was, Lila timidly said that she was too nervous to say anything else. She knew they would bug her and assure her that she could tell them anything.

Monday morning, just as she planned, everyone was encouraging her to trust them and tell them what was bothering her. Seeing that Bustier and Marinette weren't in class yet, she knew now was the time to strike.

Squeezing her eyes shut as she harshly pinched the inside of her elbow to bring tears, she started weaving her story. "It's just, someone's been bullying over text. It's so bad. She keeps telling me that I'll lose all my friends and that I should just kill myself," she said between forced sobs as she dropped her head into her hands. "And it never stops. Sh- she texts all day and into the night. And when I tried to show my mom, the messages were gone. I don't know how, but it's like my phone got hacked and the messages disappear after I've read them."

Max mentioned that there are self deleting message apps, but he wasn’t familiar with them. Then he looked at her searchingly. "You keep saying 'she', that would indicate that you are aware of who is behind this?"

Doing her best surprised face, Lila shook her head. "I can't say, none of you would believe that Marinette would-" she gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh no, I really shouldn't have said anything."

Lila watched as the sheep exchanged surprised looks while Adrien glared at her, but he wouldn't say anything. His father would have made sure of that.

"You're saying that Marinette, our class rep, has been bullying you over text?" Alix asked, unease evident in her tone.

She shook her head while turning up the water works. "I knew I shouldn't have said an-anything. She's your friend, too."

"You said she's been doing this constantly?" Mylene asked, eyeing her carefully as Lila nodded. "When did she last send you one of those texts?"

Sniffling, Lila rubbed her eyes to give herself a second to think. It felt like these were leading questions, like they knew something she didn't. Meaning they'd probably spent time with her over the weekend and would have noticed her messaging Lila constantly. But since everyone was here and Marinette wasn't…

"Right before class. It- it asked if I was dead yet." Another sniffle and she was sure the class was wrapped around her fing-

"Marinette was right! You are a liar!"

Lila was so surprised by Kim's outburst, she forgot to keep crying and stared at everyone as they glared at her in disgust and moved away from her.

"I can't believe we almost bought that crap you were selling!" Alix turned away, face turning red in anger.

"But- but it's the truth! I-"

"There is a .03% chance of what you said being true." Max interrupted, staring down his nose at her. "At this point it is better that you admit it."

Casting a desperate look around the classroom, she was surprised that no one looked supportive. Even Adrien looked absolutely done with her. Realizing the jig was up, she let her expression morph to anger and annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Wow, I'm surprised you idiots figured it out. Usually you do exactly what I say after faking a few tears. I'm curious, what gave me away?"

The sudden change in the Italian girl gave them a bit of whiplash, but Nino answered her. "You ruined Marinette’s phone when you dumped your water on her. She isn't getting a new one until this Friday. No way she could have been messaging you at all."

"Huh, I guess it was worth dumping that on her, even if you idiots started to notice." Then she shrugged and stood from her seat. "Oh well, good to know for my next school, this place was getting stagnant anyway."

Kim blocked her way. "You're not going to get away with-"

"Shut it, you stupid jock. I've already got Bitch-stier and Dumb-ocles eating out of my hand. When I tell them you're ganging up on me, all of you will get detention while I walk free." Sidestepping her soon-to-be former classmates, she gave them a sarcastic wave and smile as she bid them "ciao" and opened the door…

To come face to face with a furious teacher, principal, and her mother!? What's she doing here? Did they just hear what I said?

The thought barely finished when her mother reached out, literally grabbed her by the ear, and dragged her out the door. The class watched in shock as Mme Rossi screamed and lectured her daughter all the way to Damocles' office.

They would be informed days later that Lila had been sent to military school in Italy. In lycee, they heard rumors that she had been arrested for stalking a local celebrity in Venice. During university, Alya found an article about Lila Rossi being sentenced to 30+ years in prison for attempting a ponzi scheme. It had failed terribly and her victims got all their money back, but Lila would have to serve 5 years for each of her victims.

Not that it mattered to them anymore. The class was too busy with their own lives and futures to put much thought into some lying brat that they went to school with for a little while.

Bonus:

Tikki fought her grin as she watched Lila being dragged away by her ear as she and Marinette came up the stairs. Sighing with relief, she was about to enjoy a well deserved treat when she heard a familiar snicker behind her.

"Nice going, Sugarcube. Couldn't have done it better, myself." Plagg cackled as he passed her a cookie before indulging in a wedge of cheese he'd brought with him.

She grudgingly took the cookie before looking away from him. "It was an accident, I touched her hand when she tried planting that pen in my holder’s purse. What happened was her own doing and not my fault."

"Su~re. And the fact that she interrupted your cookie time and dumped your macaron onto the floor had nothing to do with it?"

The look she gave him had Plagg laughing on the inside. Only on the inside.

"That was a perfectly baked, blueberry macaron with a tart, lemon curd filling. I only got one bite before it got dumped to the floor. A price had to be paid."

Plagg watched with great affection as his Sugarcube took a bite of her sweet treat. Oh yes, he'd learned millennia ago not to interrupt cookie time. Just like Henry the VIII, that Lenin guy in Russia, and a few others. They had experienced the wrath of the goddess of creation when interrupting cookie time, though Plagg was the only one to know why things went so bad. It made him smart enough never to do it again.

Taglist:

@2confused-2doanything @7-sage-7 @aadnrsstar @abrx2002 @awkwardromances @bayball @babylovebug18 @botanicalfoxx @back-cats-and-broken-mirrors @caffeinetheory @cheshire5210 @chocolateherringtacofan @city-of-all-tunas @classycollectorreviewworld @corabeth11 @chocolatechipcookiesandcamembert @darkened-flame @delightfulcookiesrecipespizza @fandom-trapped-03 @ghostmaster83@iamblinkmarvelarmy @interobanginyourmom @izang @jesussavedevenme @kazedancer @kitten12113 @lady-phoenix-of-tardis @lilypotter2018 @lunataravler @ladylupuscrow @maskedpainter @ miraculouslydumb @nerd-nowandforever @naruwitch @ola-is-dead @pandacatxd @plushbookworm @plz-excuse-my-inner-ravenclaw @pheonix-biach @pandora-fucking-box @raiderofthelostbooks @ramos123 @rowanrouge @rowanyx @ren121 @seesea22 @seraphichana @sashakoi @shypeacekitten @smartlanceisreal @tazer6787 @that-girl-sakea @thecrazyfantrollshasmoved @the-smallest-kittenz @tishwinchesterannabethjackson @t1dwarrior-of-earth @ulmban @with-forward-motion @wonderbat91939 @zoiechance

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous justice #lila lies #lila salt #lila bashing #class redemption #badass tikki #tikki and plagg

581 notes · View notes

writerofcrazydreams · 1 year

Text

Butterfly effect of the Reversal Salt AU

First thing first, I'm not bashing Adrien, Marinette, or anyone. However, the narrative is mostly from Lila's POV so, of course, she'd throw insults like candy, undermine everyone's worth (such as calling them by a superficial attribute instead of their names), and exaggerate their flaws.

On a related note. ML's characters are flawed. Marinette has creepy stalker tendencies, Chat Noir is a dogged nice guy, the class takes advantage of Marinette (even if unwittingly), and Mme. Bustier is an enabler for bullying. I'm not willing to overlook those flaws but seeing most of the characters are teenagers, I think they have room to grow and all of them deserve a chance for redemption. Yes, even Lila, loath as I am to say it. Most of the kids have also virtues worth of notice.

Secondly, this is a writing prompt. After reading too many Lila Salt Fics and a Lilanette one I stumbled upon by accident, my brain decided to wonder how would a Salt Fic be if Marinette and Adrien's roles were reversed.

For want of a nail (i.e., transferring six months later in the year), Lila has set her sights on budding fashion designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Because Marinette is infatuated by Adrien Agreste, Lila needs to get him out of the way. As a result, she plans on ostracizing him from the class and demonizing him so Marinette would lose interest. Lila's actions have some unexpected positive side effects. She's possessive, so everything Marinette does has to be to Lila's benefit which leads Lila to shame the classmates on how much they take Marinette for granted. Whether Lila successfully traps Marinette in an abusive romantic relationship it's up to whoever wants to continue this thing. More impactful is the fact Lila was never akumatized into Volpina or Chameleon, thus preventing Heroes' Day from happening. This means that Hawk Moth achieved the mass akumatization and discovered the temporary heroes' identities in another way or didn't do it at all. Another ripple effect is Lila getting a Miraculous by virtue of being on Ladybug's good side. I don't think Rena Rouge will be replaced, so no Volpina, but I'm betting she gets one of the Zodiac Miraculous or the Peacock if the heroes manage to retrieve it from Mayura.

In spite of a nail, Lila still eventually associates with Gabriel Agreste to manipulate his son into doing her bidding. And I can assure you she's still the cause of several akumas (the shaming part). She will still wrap Damoclès and Bustier around her little finger by claiming she's being bullied by a fellow student. Furthermore, it's still well in the realm of possibility Lila gets akumatized at some point. The girl' still has a penchant for holding petty grudges, so it's bound to happen. Maybe she does get turned into Volpina or Chameleon, but it will be later and in different circumstances. "The Collector" still happens more or less the same as Gabriel will akumatize himself to retrieve the Grimoire and get the heroes off of his trail, though there's the chance the middlewoman (Ladybug) is cut and Chat Noir gives the book directly to Master Fu, causing him to meet the guardian. Will that make Adrien a more responsible hero and prevent his tantrums from being locked out of the loop? It depends. If somehow Ladybug and Chat Noir go together, Ladybug will still be Fu's successor but Chat Noir will know more things from the get-go. If it's only him, either the guardian contacts Marinette later or starts training Adrien. Keep in mind, though, that his packed schedule won't allow him to visit Fu as frequently as Canon!Marinette could.

Whether she starts working for Hawk Moth is uncertain, though. It depends on your take on this prompt so nails don't have a say in this matter. Or not an obvious one, at least.

In the third place, this is a writing prompt and, as such, people have utter freedom to make of it what they want. Wanna bash the hell out of Adrien? Of Alya? Mme. Bustier? Chloé? Even Marinette? Go on. I think the kids can grow into better people, but if other writers disagree, have different stories in mind, or are simply salty over someone, I won't be the one to put limits to their creativity and desires. The same applies to whomever you choose to redeem. That's why I left it very ambiguous throughout the prompt on whether Chloé is working towards her Redemption or following her canonical Damnation. She defends Ladybug because she loves the heroine, she snickers when Alya has to change seats because she feels vindicated ("Origins" episode), and she stands for Adrien because he's her childhood friend. In the former case, both the vindication and the insults are little steps backward, especially considering Chloé knows how much Adrien fears conflict (he won't and doesn't defend himself that much).

Having said that, for all I respect freedom of speech, that doesn't mean I'll condone or agree with everything people write inspired on this prompt. Have fun, but it's not my responsibility if we end up with a "Dead Dove: Don't Eat" kind of fic, okay?

Fourth, here are some of my ideas about this Reversal Salt AU.

Lila's mother, here dubbed as Signora Rossi (Signora means Mrs. in Italian), is not an abusive parent but possibly a slightly neglectful one. That doesn't mean she's a bad person or that she loves her daughter any less. It just means she's caught up in a very demanding job either because she's ambitious and wants to succeed in her work field (which is fine) or because she's a single mother and thus is stretching herself thin to fulfill her daughter's physical and emotional needs. Or maybe she just wants to believe the best of her daughter and turns a blind eye to Lila's misdeeds. Despite that, she's caring and loving. I'm not keen on demonizing Signora Rossi because of these reasons but it is clear she ought to pay a little bit more attention to what her daughter is up to and is likely she for some reason failed to instill integrity in kid!Lila. An excellent take on this matter can be found in this fanfic: "A mother's love".

On the other hand, it's also entirely possible Lila was born a psychopath. I've been researching and some psychologists hold that a sociopath is made through trauma and a psychopath is born, but the result is the same anti-social tendencies. Though if you want to make her a sociopath and give her a traumatic past, go on. Canon!Lila not only scores high in psychopathy but also Machiavellism and Narcissism.

In regards to her other parent, I left their gender ambiguous because there are some fan theories that Lila has two mothers. Or it's maybe just an animation error, but I don't like to throw the chance out of the window. Now, in the case it wasn't a mistake, both mothers are what I described a paragraph ago but fanfiction exists to explore different scenarios anyway, so... Maybe this other parent influenced Lila to become who she is now.

About Adrien. As I said above, the kid does have some nasty flaws. What he does to Ladybug at the very least verges on sexual harassment and he's proven to be manipulative (throwing tantrums when rejected). In this AU, said flaws are at play as much as Marinette's flaws were in canon. She partially misused her powers out of jealousy (partially because she had a point in that Lila was making herself a target) and her reasons to eavesdrop on Lila and Adrien are definitely not pure. Here, it's her tendency to obsess over and idealize her crush what is going to be her downfall. I'm not victim-blaming, but abusers prey on their victim's weaknesses and those just happen to be Marinette's. And that's not counting how Marinette's yearn for control was aggravated since the "Chat Blanc" incident (it happens later, but the base is already there). Nonetheless, I'm of the idea that Lila opened Marinette's eyes a little when she attacked her crush on Adrien (like pointing out being a stalker is not healthy) and that's going to bite her in the ass later on. Marinette being a doormat to her friends is more tricky since Lila made it as to ensure Marinette will remain a doormat to her but not anyone else. It's workable when the time to heal comes.

By contrast, Adrien's doormat policies, pushiness, obliviousness, and social ineptitude are still going to be rocks in his path. He's now crossed at Lila for several reasons. The obvious is her "bad-mouthing" Chat Noir, but there's more. Up to this point, Lila has consistently stirred trouble in the classroom, menacing the peace he values so much. It's Lila's fault (or that's how he sees it) Marinette is "abandoning" her friends and being "mean" to them. His upbringing has left him rather unable to understand that kindness is not a synonym of "absolutely catering to someone's wishes" (as he often does with Chloé and always with his father) and that this behavior is not healthy. His obliviousness comes into play in regards to just how much Marinette means to him (platonically or romantically). Lila has been monopolizing Marinette all to herself even when the class hangs out as a group, which severely cuts the already scarce time the two interact. He's jealous without being aware of it. It doesn't help how touchy-feely Lila and Marinette are because it sometimes causes discomfort to the latter, which Adrien picks up and not only notices Lila's hypocrisy but also rubs him in the wrong way as it mirrors his behavior as Chat Noir. Now, don't get me wrong, the least he wanted was to cause a scene but couldn't help but glare and Lila capitalized on that.

What does Lila think of Ladybug? "Volpina" never happened and this Lila only intended on pursuing Adrien before discovering Marinette's promising career, so neither hates the other one nor harbors a grudge. In fact, I doubt this AU would last much if that were the case. I left open the possibility of Lila being the anti-Chloé (hates Ladybug, loves Marinette) with that part of suspecting Marinette is crushing on Ladybug (*laughs in Plagg*), but I have to note that the hatred cannot be mutual for this to work. Canon!Lila loathes Chat Noir and it's likely that will remain the same, just less vocal (Marinette admires Ladybug and has a way of contacting the heroine, so Lila won't bad-mouth Chat Noir in front of Ladybug).

What roles would Luka and Kagami play in this AU? Obviously, the love-dodecaedron has shifted. There are at least three people after Marinette/Ladybug's affections: Chat Noir, Luka, and Lila. And whoever you ship Marinette with. And, now, there are only two girls wanting to date Adrien/Chat Noir: Kagami and Marinette. Chloé is uncertain because it was stated at some point she wasn't in love with Adrien, she was just possessive for some reason (fanon says it was to protect him from fangirls and fanboys). One possible scenario in this AU is that Marinette's feelings towards Adrien fade for the most part (maybe they will resurge later or shift to return Chat Noir's), depending on how efficient you want to portray Lila. Getting back to the point, Luka still has a crush on Marinette as revealed in "Silencer" and Kagami on Adrien but the events of "Oni-chan" developed differently and it's as equally possible that she confessed her crush on him/was akumatized than it hasn't happened yet. If Lila somehow catches wind of Kagami's crush, she will set the two up to force Marinette to move on. She might even encourage Marinette and Kagami's friendship to bind Marinette to obey the girl code and support Kagami. If she learns of Luka's crush, then she'll either play the card that "he's too old for Marinette" (if we disregard the retcon) or try to exclude him from the class' activities. Taking more extreme measures will tip Marinette off of Lila's true nature. As I side note: I like this more than canon because I'm TIRED of watching four girls fighting over a guy.

How will Alya and Nino react? Without the jealousy component, what are the grounds to dismiss his warnings? Well, Adrien still takes the high road so he won't publicly confront Lila on her manipulations. He dreads conflict too much and if he finally does it, it will be too late — either Lilanette is official or everyone else believes so, therefore the class will be prone to believe Adrien is jealous. The lack of public accusations also rob Lila of one of her primary strategies: turn on the waterworks. Consequently, everything will be much more underhanded. Lila's association with Gabriel will result in Adrien spending far less time with his friends and maybe even pulling the same stunt of threatening them in the hopes of creating powerful akumas (again, "Chat Blanc" episode). But I digress, Lila will relentlessly target Alya and Adrien for supporting LadyNoir. Maybe Alya will learn her lesson but as Adrien already sees Lila in a bad light, he will take longer to budge or won't do it at all. Nino will try to change Adrien's opinion and that'll cause a gap between the two. Nino is very laidback, so he won't push as much but will be vulnerable to Lila's poisoning. Alya will remain Marinette's friend but butt heads with Lila as the latter tries to correct her occasional forcefulness. Marinette will intervene and either Alya regards Lila in a positive light because she did help Marinette (in a sense) or by holding onto her stubbornness will have a fallout with Lila and seek flaws on her. All in all, Alya and Nino's behavior are wildly variable. The only secure thing is that Lila is as capable as in canon of swaying them to her favor and making them unwittingly throw a friend under the bus, just in a different way.

I don't know if you've noticed but there's a theme about how holding onto flaws can sometimes yield positive results, often aided by virtues. In canon, it was how holding onto virtues can sometimes yield negative results, often exacerbated by flaws. Marinette's hatred of liars and loyalty to her friends are virtues but landed her on a bully's bad side and got isolated. Her jealousy and stalker tendencies (both flaws) didn't help matters at all. Meanwhile, Adrien's desire to see the best in everyone and give second chances are virtues but they made him act in the wrong way and fail to support a friend. His learned fear of conflict and submissiveness only made things worse. Lila has the virtue of being charming (for the wrong reasons, but still) and knowing her way with people which would turn her into a fine leader. Yet, she causes mayhem and destroys people's lives by using those virtues along with her fatal flaws — narcissism and vindictiveness.

In the Reversal Salt AU, however, most of the positive results stem from holding onto one's flaws. If Alya remains stubborn, she eventually learns Lila's nature aided by her reporter abilities and determination. If Marinette refuses to let go of her obsessiveness and refuses to think the worse of her friends, she forces Lila to ditch subtlety and thus expose herself. If Adrien continues walking the high road and keeps being nice, he provides Lila with far less ammunition against him. Nino has proved to be distrustful (dismissing Marinette in the Lila ordeal and believing Alya is two-timing him in "Rocketear") and if he does that here, he'll catch on to Lila's manipulations and even call her out given his outgoing nature.

This brief interpretation is merely a suggestion and, again, you are not obliged to use it as the central theme of your story. Personally, I'd use the whole "holding onto flaws gets better results" as a temptation in the characters' arcs whereas the "working on my flaws unwittingly aids the villain" as an angst-fuel when the characters learn of Lila's manipulations. One of the traits of an abusive relationship (romantic or otherwise) is how much the victim struggles to stop believing their abuser's words. Nobody is always wrong, so if my abuser was right about/helped me with this thing, would they be right about/had helped with this other one? Often, it comes down to finding a balance: you keep whatever good things you got from the relationship while discarding the harmful ones. Naturally, this is a lengthy, stressful process that Lila can very well exploit to blackmail her victims, make them second-guess themselves, or just make them miserable.

Last but not least, I want to comment on two Lila Salt Fics that depict similar ideas, although I only found them after crafting this AU. Little spoilers warning about them. The first is "Liar's New BFF" and delves into the idea of Lila being the anti-Chloé. After having her lies exposed at the end of "Volpina", she starts regarding the classmates as vermin and genuinely falls in love with Marinette because of her kindness. She then proceeds to create a riff between Marinette and them by pointing out how much they take advantage of her. In this case, Lila is partially redeemed and doesn't seem to hold a particular grudge against Adrien. The Reversal Salt AU can follow a similar path if you want to, but the idea is to not shy away from Lila's many shortcomings as a human being and how that would affect Marinette and Adrien in an alternate scenario.

The other is "Jerk in Sheep's Clothing", where Lila's spear counterpart, called Henri, acts pretty much as I described Reversal Salt!Lila. He gets infatuated by Marinette and after threatening Lila, makes a deal with her so it's easier for both to accomplish their goals (Lila: get Adrien and be popular, Henri: get Marinette all for himself). He exploits Marinette's broken trust in the classmates to bully them and get away with it, collaborates with Hawk Moth at some point, and even gets a Miraculous. The difference between them is that Reversal Salt!Lila doesn't have the benefit of Marinette being emotionally vulnerable due to Canon!Lila's bullying, nor her faith in her friends is weakened. This means this AU's Lila must resource to more deceptive tactics to get what she wants (she can't blatantly lie).

#reversal salt au #miraculous ladybug #lila rossi salt #canon divergent au

10 notes · View notes

kittysuicoffee · 10 months

Text

bloody Marinette au

bloody Marinette was an au I made back in 2021 it was a miraculous ladybug salt fic but it was horror theme. The plot of bloody Marinette is Marinette is sick and tired of Lila and her whole class Lila bullying and getting the class to go along with it and Adrien not helping her out causes her to become depressed. One day in class max was telling everyone about a game he saw online call the game of Bloody Mary but it's not the mirror game but a ritual. Where you have to summon a horrifying monster named bloody Mary... lila being lila lied about being related to the bloody Mary and would do the game to see her everyone believing her without a second thought. Marinette over heard this and decided to play the game herself. But after doing a but of research for herself she found the ritual and that night she summoned bloody Mary and Mary agreed to help Marinette on her revenge...

Currently there are two chapters. Chapter three is not done yet I am planning on finishing it but due to my brain and life stuff it's hadn't been Mt main focus for about two years now. I know some people liked the story and wish it could get an update but sadly that's not gonna happen anytime soon. But I did post an update for anyone to take the story and write it in their own way until chapter three and other chapters comes out. I have it written they would just have to ask for it and look at to see which they can start off on it.

The characters of the chapters are:

Adrien

Alya

Chloe

Luka

Juleka

Rose

Lila

Felix (canon felix)

Monstette's (monster + Marinette)

Rage rat (and her rats)

plague rat (and her rats)

Fabric ( takes the skin of her victims and wear it as her own)

Black-eyed ( Marinette but her eyes are just black she helps people escape/ hid from the other monsters)

Mini mouse( she's small but she hides anyway she can her sister the rats keep her under lock and key but she escaped her goal is to help the people hide and escape as well she will stay with someone that died and needed their soul to cross over.)

Ring leader

Bloody Marinette

Kwamis

When the ritual started tikki was in the room with Marinette but was sleeping so she never notices what Marinette was doing but bloody Mary did noticed tikki. When Marinette completed her ritual Bloody Mary would have to make sure that the kwamis wont interfere with Marinette plans of revenge.

Other students:

Died or going through psychological o physical torture.

Mme. Bustier

Unknown at the moment

Note this au is really really REALLY dark and have theme of death of all forms. I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea.

If your interested in reading it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31221530/chapters/77169017

If you want to ask some questions my ask is always opened.

#mlb juleka #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug and chat noir #lila rossi #miraculous fandom #ml lila #miraculous ladybug au #ml luka #ml rose #ml alya #ml chloe bourgeois #miraculous ladybug chloé #ml adrien #miraculous ladybug fanfic #miraculous ladybug fanfiction

3 notes · View notes

goldenlaurelleaveswrites · 2 years

Text

Juleka vs. the Forces of the Universe ch 12

Juleka vs. the Forces of Ladybug

Juleka vs. the Forces of the Universe (AO3)

I’m so sorry for the long wait everyone! I really wanted to have this chapter posted a long time ago, but honestly I just wasn’t feeling that great about any of my writing last month and ended up in quite the writing funk. I really appreciate your patience and support, and all of the lovely comments you’ve been leaving me. It really means a lot, and I want you all to know just how much I appreciate you taking the time to tell me what you think of the story so far!! 💖💖💖

I’m going to warn you all, I know I’ve been a bit vague with some of my responses to comments and that isn’t going to change since we are getting close to the end. I’ve had the ending written since December and I’ve managed to keep it a secret so far, I don’t want to spoil it now! So please forgive me for keeping responses vague, or not addressing parts of your comments. I swear I’m not ignoring what you have to say, I just don’t trust myself to keep my mouth shut 😅 Maybe I should start responding to comments with fake endings? 😝

Lastly, a bit of housekeeping. I will be going away on vacation this month, so while I will try to update, I want to focus on enjoying my holiday. So rest assured, if I don’t post in August, it’s just because I’ve been busy.

Now onto the story!

She had meant to follow Marinette. After two akumas in one day —and Hearthunter had been nasty. But of course, it had been! It was the Bourgeois —to say nothing of the total disaster Alya’s scheming had caused… she had figured Marinette wouldn’t want to be alone. But she had only turned her back for a minute! Just to make sure no one would see her sneaking off. But when she had turned around, Marinette was gone.

She had meant to follow Luka. She had seen him pedalling his bike like his life depended on it, and she had had a feeling he would lead her straight to Marinette.

She really hadn’t meant to intrude on such an intimate and vulnerable moment.

But from the side street she had been hiding in, she had seen the wasps before Luka and Marinette. And in a Hawkmoth-infested Paris—she didn’t care if it technically wasn’t an infestation if there was only one—she had learned to be wary of anything even remotely outside the ordinary.

And swarms of glowing yellow wasps definitely counted as outside the ordinary.

And she couldn’t just let those things sting Marinette or Luka! Paris needed Marinette. And Marinette might need Luka.

So she did the only reasonable thing she could think of in a split second; she flung herself out of her hiding place and tackled the two idiots out of the way.

And then there was a sharp pain, like a sting, in her shoulder.

And everything went black.

***

She woke up in the street, where she had tackled Marinette and Luka out of the way of the incoming swarm.

But there was no sign of either of them.

And she didn’t know why, but it felt like something had changed. Like somehow, the Universe had shifted.

***

She frowned at Marinette, who was busy frantically scribbling down notes in her notebook, despite the fact that they still had more than an hour left in the work period Bustier had given them.

Ever since that day with the wasps and the akuma nobody seemed to remember beyond said wasps... Marinette had been… different.

She had been quiet. Anxious- more so than usual, like she was almost always on the brink of panic. She had become more closed off as well.

Secretive.

It was… worrying.

That day, when she had woken up from the influence of the wasps, she had felt like something had changed.

At first, she had thought Luka and Marinette had finally gotten together. The way they had shared that ice cream by the Seine… the way they had looked at each other… It had all seemed to point to them getting together.

Except… they hadn’t.

They had continued to dance around each other, staring longingly at each other when they thought no one was looking and getting a wistful look in their eyes when the other came up in conversation.

Luka still spent every spare minute he had working on Marinette’s song. Or rather, songs. Because at this point, it felt like he had a whole album for her.

And Marinette…

Marinette warbled between hiding herself away and spending what little time she had just listening to Luka play. It seemed the only thing that provided any ease or comfort to the new and alarming frantic energy that had overcome her.

But those times were far and few in between and becoming increasingly more so. And to make matters worse, what little time they did get to spend together was always interrupted. Usually, it was an akuma that forced Marinette to run off, leaving Luka behind. But sometimes, when Marinette and Luka were talking—she wasn’t trying to eavesdrop! It wasn’t her fault the walls were thin—and it sounded like Marinette was opening up… she would shut down before running off in a flurry of nervous energy, spewing half-baked excuses over her shoulder.

She knew Luka was worried.

She was too.

The only difference was, she knew Marinette was Ladybug. And given the way the Universe had seemed to shift that day with the wasps, she would bet her best black lipstick that it had something to do with that akuma.

She just needed to figure out what it was that had happened.

***

She had her answer. Or, at least, an answer.

It was impossible to know for sure when she couldn’t exactly ask for the whole story.

But it felt like at least part of an answer.

It would at least partially explain why Marinette was so busy with akumas these days…

Carapace. Rena Rouge. King Monkey. Pegasus. Ryuko.

Out of action.

All of them.

Just like that.

Her frown deepened as Ladybug continued speaking to the cameras. “…for their own safety, as well as the safety of their families.” Ladybug’s face was the perfect image of strength and resilience. The facade was seemingly unbreakable. Looking at her, it would be impossible for anyone to tell she was wearing a mask in more ways than one. “They have my thanks and gratitude for their service. I-“ for the briefest of seconds, anguish flickered in Ladybug’s eyes. But it was gone in less than an instant. “Their courage and dedication will not be forgotten. It has been an honour working with them. Thank you."

Reporters began to shout from off-screen, firing off questions so rapidly and over top of each other. It was impossible to make out all of the questions, but she heard the words “why,” and “Hawkmoth” quite a few times.

It had to be those wasps. Viperion was the only temporary hero had been seen since the day those wasps had descended on the city. And Marinette hadn't been herself since that day.

“That will be all,” Ladybug said before swinging her yoyo and letting it pull her away.

Ladybug hadn’t even bothered with her usual catchphrase.

She switched off the tv and stared at the reflection of herself in the dark screen.

Almost all of Marinette’s back up... Gone…

She just had Viperion and Chat Noir—Adrien—left.

If she hadn't shoved him and Marinette out of the way of those wasps...

Would Viperion have had to been taken out of action as well?

Was that the Universe’s game?

***

She sighed as she watched Marinette disappear around a street corner.

Knowing the problem—or at least part of it, because who knew what else could be going on—was a double-edged sword. At least now, she had an idea as to what had caused the change in Marinette. But what could she do?

It wasn’t like she could march up to Hawkmoth and rip the miraculous off of him.

And how was she supposed to beat the Universe at this new game when she didn't even know the rules? It had been easy enough--relatively speaking--before, when it was just running interference with schemes and trying to get Luka and Marinette to see what was staring them straight in the face. But now...

Luka’s shoulders slumped as he sank back down into the lounge chair he had been sitting in. His eyes were still glued to the corner Marinette had disappeared around.

“I just wish I could help her,” he said forlornly, his gaze never wavering from the street corner.

She shoved his legs so she could sit on the end of the lounge chair. "You and me both," she said glumly.

Luka finally dragged his gaze away from the corner to look at her. “She won’t even tell me what’s wrong. She doesn't have to tell me anything. She knows that- I told her myself," Luka said ruefully. "But I wish she would.”

“I don’t know if she can.”

She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

She could feel Luka’s eyes on her again. “What do you mean?”

Shoot shoot shoot shoot- “Maybe she just doesn’t know how to talk about it? Or maybe she can’t? For whatever reason. But she still needs you,” she said, bumping him with her shoulder.

He sighed. "I don't know. It's not like I've been able to really do anything."

"Don't be stupid." Luka opened his mouth to protest, but she kept going. "You have been helping her. The calmest I’ve seen her lately is when she’s with you. You comfort her. It's a lot more than I've been able to do," she added bitterly.

Luka sighed. A faint yet sad smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He bumped her with his shoulder. “She’s lucky to have you as a friend, Jules.”

She shook her head.

She couldn’t comfort Marinette the way Luka could. She couldn't help fight akumas the way Luka did. All she could do was forge cease and desist letters and mess with Alya's schemes.

And for all she had done to try and help Marinette—and Luka—what did she have to show for it?

***

She cast another surreptitious glance at Marinette. At this point, she was surprised the tip of Marinette’s pencil wasn’t smoking from the intensity with which she was writing.

This was getting out of hand. Really, it had been out of hand since the beginning. But now… well, everyone in the class had noticed the change in Marinette. Even Chloe.

Well, everyone except Bustier…

The second Bustier had turned to start her PowerPoint, seemingly completely oblivious to everything that was going on with her students, Alya had sent out a text calling for an emergency girl squad meeting after school. Given Marinette hadn’t been included in the group text, it was obvious what the meeting was going to be about.

That had been at the beginning of class, and honestly, they probably could have had their whole meeting through text without Bustier noticing. But Mylène had pointed out it would probably be easier to actually talk. So they had agreed and all settled into pretending to pay attention to the lesson.

And the time had dragged since then.

Mme. Bustier was still cheerily droning on about personification and hyperbole, and dramatic irony and whatever else was relevant to the story they were reading. She hadn’t really been listening. No one had been.

Kim was slumped back in his seat, mouth wide open and snoring. Max was tinkering with his calculator. Alya and Nino were exchanging notes. Rose was doodling, Nathaniel was drawing, and Alix’s eyes were glued to the clock as it slowly ticked towards the end of the hour. Everyone else, barring Marinette, looked like they were ready to drift off at any moment…

Marinette was the only one who didn’t seem overcome by the early June energy—or lack thereof—that had the rest of the class half asleep.

Marinette was still scribbling notes on something.

“Oh my goodness!” She jumped at Bustier’s sudden outburst. In front of her, Kim snorted himself awake. She glanced at Marinette; she looked like she had just seen a ghost. Or like she had just seen Hawkmoth in the flesh more like it…“Look at the time! I didn’t realize we had so little of it!”

Bustier gave the class—now paying attention—one of her syrupy smiles. “I didn’t want to tell you all at the beginning of class, I know how exciting this kind of news can be, and I wanted to make sure we were all on task and ready for our learning…” she had to hold back a snort at that. “…but now that we’re close to the end of the day, I can tell you. There’s going to be a school dance at the end of the month. To celebrate an excellent year of learning! It will be held the evening of the last day of classes.”

Rose was suddenly vibrating with glee. Alya and Mylène had perked up too. In fact, the entire class had perked up.

She turned a hopeful look towards Marinette, only to have her hopes immediately dashed.

Marinette was furiously writing again…

She had hoped… foolishly, probably, but she had hoped the news about the dance would havegotten Marinette to perk up a little. Or at least gotten her to put her pencil down for a second. Because while she wasn’t as… enthusiastic about school dances as Rose was, Marinette loved school dances.

But Marinette either hadn’t even listened… or she didn’t care…

***

“She didn’t even listen when Bustier made the announcement about the dance!”

“I mean, she freaked out when Bustier started talking about it…”

“But she just went back to writing her notes-“

“Were we supposed to be taking notes?” Alix asked.

“She’s been acting so weird lately,” Mylène added quietly. “Has she said anything to you?”

“No! She hasn’t,” Alya sighed, crossing her arms. “It feels like I have no idea what’s going on with her these days.”

“And she’s always so busy now!” Rose’s eyes dimmed. “How many get-togethers has she missed now?”

“She missed the picnic on Saturday.”

Akuma.

“And the last trip to the pool.”

Akuma.

“And she said she was too busy to go shopping for craft supplies with me! It took me forever to pick out the perfect glitter without her help.”

Not an akuma. There hadn’t been one that day. But she was sure Marinette had declined for some other reason; she had never really thought about it before, but who knew what other responsibilities Marinette had as Ladybug besides saving the city?

“I went round to her place last week to ask her to fix a tear in my skating jersey. Only, her parents said she was busy with some a science project-“

Also not an akuma. Maybe it had to do with those notes Marinette always seemed to be writing?

Alya’s brows furrowed. “But we haven’t had any science projects recently.”

“I know. So I texted her. She said she was out.”

“And she’s been jumpy lately!” Rose added. “I saw her in the library, and I tried to ask her to borrow a pencil. But when I tapped her shoulder," Rose shook her head. "I've never seen her jump like that. And then when I asked what she was working on, she slammed her notebook shut.”

Marinette had always been jumpy. But it had been on a whole other level lately. Like every hand on her shoulder belonged to Hawkmoth.

“And have you noticed she’s put those trap locks on all her notebooks? Like the one on her diary? The other day, Ivan tried to pick up a notebook she dropped, and he almost got his hand stuck.”

To have a lock on her diary was one thing. A Completely understandable thing. Especially with Chloe and Sabrina in their class. But on all her notebooks…

She had never been that secretive before…

“The real problem is; she isn’t telling us what’s going on. Or anything for that matter!” Alya declared. “And I’m her best friend! She’s supposed to talk to me about this stuff!”

Marinette was supposed to be able to talk to her best friend. But she wasn’t obligated. Especially when said best friend had a tendency to steamroll…

“What stuff?” Alix mumbled. “We don’t even know what’s got her being weird.”

“Exactly!” Alya loosened her arms. Her shoulders deflated as she lowered her voice. “I heard her crying in the bathroom at school the other day, but when I tried to get her to tell me what was wrong… She said she wasn’t crying. And then she came out acting all happy.” Alya frowned. “It was weird.”

“Poor Marinette…” Rose sniffed, her eyes glimmering in sympathy.

Poor Marinette didn’t even begin to cover it. She couldn’t imagine the stress of being Ladybug. But to lose the temporary heroes and… Well, she wasn’t sure what else had happened. But she was sure it was more than just that.

And that whatever it was, it had to be awful.

“Maybe it’s the fact that Adrien and Kagami are dating now?” Rose asked.

Alya scoffed. “She dumped him last week.”

“What?” Rose’s screech was earsplitting. “How do you know?”

“Nino told me. She totally and completely dumped him. Apparently, she won’t even give Adrien the time of day now.”

Good for Kagami. Given Adrien had continued to flirt with Ladybug with every other breath he took…

What was wrong with him?

No wonder Kagami had broken up with him. Even if she didn’t know Adrien was Chat Noir… well, she assumed it was something to do with that. One way or another.

“But it might explain why Marinette is being so weird. If she doesn’t know Kagami and Adrien broke up…” Mylène mused.

Why did everything have to loop back to Adrien? And Marinette and Kagami were friends! Even if she did still like Adrien, Marinette would be supportive. She just knew it.

There was the whole skating rink fiasco that proved it.

And... oh.

She had been awful to Kagami. Not to her face, granted. But behind her back…

She owed Kagami an apology.

Hopefully, she wouldn’t get a sword to the face. But it was a risk she would have to take. When she wasn’t too busy dealing with-

“Why is she keeping all these secrets from us?” Rose asked with desperation in her voice. She laid a comforting hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder, but it didn’t seem to help much.

“If she’s not even telling Alya, then there’s a real problem,” Alix said.

Well… there was a bit of a flaw in Alix’s logic…

But something was wrong.

And Marinette needed support. Even if she would never be able to tell them what was wrong.

Mylène sighed. “So what do we do?”

Be there for her. Support her in whatever way she needs.

She opened her mouth to say as much. But Alya beat her to the punch.

“What Marinette needs is a friendly intervention!” Alya said decisively. Her stomach plummeted. Marinette needed support, but would she feel cornered if they tried to stage an intervention? “We’ll call her up together and see how she’s doing.”

Ok. A phone call was fine. Good. Marinette wasn’t obligated to pick up. Of course, Marinette was too polite not to pick up unless she was away from her phone. Or busy.

She was always busy these days.

But a phone call was good.

Noninvasive.

Easy to back out of if Marinette needed to.

“She isn’t picking up,” Alya mumbled.

“Should we leave a voicemail?”

“Who listens to their voicemails?”

“That’s why you never called me back!”

“Should we text her?”

“Shhh. We’ll leave a message.” Alya paused as the rest of Marinette’s voicemail prompt played. “Ok, and…. Go! Hey Marinette! It’s us,” Alya said into the phone.

She and the rest of the girls chimed in their greetings.

“We’re just calling to tell you we’re here if you need to talk. Whenever you want, wherever you want. Call us back.”

That was great! Perfect!

Supportive while giving her space.

Letting it be on Marinette’s terms.

She had had her doubts, but it was perfect!

***

She cringed at the clack of Alix’s jaw. How did she make it so loud? From where she lay sprawled out on her bed, Alya huffed. Mylène sighed as she picked listlessly at the buttons on the jacket she had shed after the first fifteen minutes of waiting. Beside her, Rose was tapping half-heartedly on her phone. She could just make out the images of the dating simulator game Rose was obsessed with playing.

She glanced down at her own phone, tilted so that none of the girls wouldn't be able to see it.

Queen of Darkness 🦇: is Marinette with you?

Idiot 🎸: no

Idiot 🎸: why?

If she was being honest, she had been more than a little disappointed when Luka had said he wasn’t with Marinette. When Marinette hadn’t picked up— and given she still hadn’t them back— she had dared to hope.

Luka’s response left her disappointed. But not surprised.

Queen of Darkness 🦇: just checking

Idiot 🎸: is she ok?

Idiot 🎸: I haven’t seen her since last week

Idiot 🎸: she said she’s fine

Idiot 🎸: but her song is off

Idiot 🎸: I’m worried

She sighed again.

Queen of Darkness 🦇: me too

“Ok. This is useless. She hasn’t called us back yet,” Alix groaned.

“It’s only been half an hour,” she mumbled.

“Maybe we should go to her house,” Alya suggested, already getting up from where she had been flopped.

“Maybe we should try calling again…” she offered.

Mylène brightened. “We can give her an eternal friendship bracelet!” she said as she dug a little baggie out of her pocket. She smiled as she dumped a bunch of colourful beads into the palm of her hand. “So that she never forgets that friends can tell each other everything and that we’ll always be there for her!”

She paused. Actually, it was a nice thought. And Marinette loved stuff like that. Ok, this would be fine.

“I read in a magazine,” Mylène continued as she began passing out beads, “that an ancient South American tribe did something like this. You tell a secret to the bead…” Oh no. “…in your mind.” Ok. In your mind. That wasn’t too bad. But still! They couldn’t go asking Marinette to share a secret she didn’t want to share! Even if it was just with a bead! “Once Marinette adds her secret to the bead, this bracelet will unite us all forever!”

This was going to end, if not in akumatization, at least badly.

Mylène beamed at them as she held up the strand of string, now with her blue bead strung onto it. “Ready?”

Alix scoffed. “Seriously? Wouldn’t it be more logical to take her out for a smoothie and help her work out her love problem?”

Yes!

But also no!

The bracelet thing was- well, Marinette liked tokens like that. But she had a feeling Marinette wouldn’t like one that had to do with secrets. And she was sure it was Ladybug stuff that was stressing Marinette out. Not romantic stuff. Well, maybe that was in there too. But Ladybug stuff was definitely a big part of it. And… well, that wasn’t exactly the kind of thing they could talk about over smoothies.

"Maybe we should-"

“Ok,” Alix said with an eyeroll.

What?

She had given in that easily?

"But-"

“But if we want to help Marinette, how is mentally sharing whatever’s bugging her with a bead going to help?”

“Alix has a point, Mylène…” Alya said slowly.

Oh no.

“Oh.” Mylène’s face fell. “I guess you’re right-“

“But we can still make it work! We’ll all just share our secrets out loud.”

Oh no no no.

***

One of her shoes nearly flew off as she raced towards the bakery, and she could feel a blister starting to form on her other foot. But she didn’t care. She needed to hurry. She needed to get there before they did.

At least, for the time being, they were still spilling their secrets to ceramic beads.

The good thing about shunning the sun was that she was pale. And the good thing about being pale was that whenever she said she was starting to feel sick, people would point out how pale she was —forgetting that she was normally that colour—and they would believe her.

Of course, there was still the issue that the girls would, sooner or later, be on their way to the bakery.

She needed to warn Marinette. Tell her about the bracelet- offer her an out. A cover-

She burst into the bakery in an out-of-breath mess.

“Oh my, Juleka! Whatever has you in such a rush, dear?” Mme. Cheng was already making her way out from behind the counter.

“I- I need to talk to Marinette…”

Concern flashed across Mme. Cheng’s face. And then relief. “You know, Juleka, dear. We’ve been a bit worried about her the past couple of weeks… she’s been spending far too much time alone in her room…” her voice trailed off as she glanced up at the ceiling. Mme. Cheng’s attention snapped back to her. She gave her a conspiratorial smile before heading back to the cash register.

She watched silently as Mme. Cheng rummaged through her wallet before pulling out two crisp, twenty euro notes. “Why don’t you take her out for dinner and maybe some ice cream. I’m sure that will cheer her up. And…” a hopeful look crossed her face, “maybe she’ll tell you what’s been bothering you. Heavens know Tom, and I have tried…”

She wasn’t sure she was supposed to hear the last part.

“Oh, you don’t need to- I was going to invite her out anyways.”

“Take it, I insist. She needs some fun right now, I think.”

Tentatively, she took the money. “Thank you,”she said with a small smile.

“Now go on up. She’s in her room.”

“Thank you.” She was a few steps towards the stairs the led up to the apartment above when she turned back. “Would you… if the rest of the girls come by, would you mind not mentioning I was here?”

Mme. Cheng’s brows furrowed. “Is there something going on with you girls?”

“No! No! I just- There’s a surprise! And the others can’t know I was here talking to Marinette.” It technically wasn’t a lie. The bracelet was a surprise. And the girls couldn’t know she was here, sparing Marinette from said surprise.

Mme. Cheng’s concern melted into understanding. Even if it was misplaced. “Of course. If they come by, they won’t know you were here,” she said with a wink.

With a sigh of relief, she turned and climbed the stairs.

She paused at the top of the stairs that led to Marinette’s room. The trap door was tightly shut, but she could hear Marinette talking to someone. Well, talking wasn’t the right word.

It was more than a little heartbreaking to hear her usually bubbly friend sounding like that.

And she could hear other voices too.

Ones that, given Marinette’s recent behaviour, were probably meant to be a secret.

Maybe it was that red… creature? The one she had seen with Marinette in that alley.

She went back down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she climbed back up as loudly as she could, channeling her inner Kim into her feet that weren’t used to trampling.

She was barely up two steps when the voices stopped.

When she reached the top, she knocked loudly.

“Uh- just a second!” Marinette’s voice sounded from inside. Tense. Teeming with nervous and exhausted energy. A second later, footsteps sounded above her, and the trapdoor flew open. “Juleka?” Marinette made no discernible effort to hide the surprise in her tearstained face. “What are you-“

“I’m sorry to barge in like this. I know on the phone we said anytime and anyplace you wanted. But I’m not here to talk- not unless you want to-“

“Then what are you-“

“The girls are making a secret bracelet.”

“A what? What’s a secret bracelet?”

“One that you tell your secrets too. They want to help- they want to know why you’ve been so stressed lately, and they think that will help. But… I know I don’t like sharing my secrets. Not unless I choose to. And not like that. I figured you would appreciate a heads up and-“

Marinette’s face was growing paler by the second. “Secrets? Me?” Marinette began to laugh. But it was forced and fake. “I don’t have any secrets!”

“Everyone has secrets. It doesn’t mean they’re big,” she added when Marinette’s forced smile faltered. Of course, Marinette’s were big. And not just big, they were big. Life altering big. “But they’re still private unless you choose to share them.” Her phone dinged. She glanced down at her messages.

Rose 🌹💗: heading 2 Maris place now

Rose 🌹💗: I’ll let u know how it goes

Rose 🌹💗: feel better!!!!!!!!!!!! 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

“They’re on their way.”

The fake smile dropped from Marinette’s face to reveal sheer panic. Her eyes darting over to the doll house—which hadn’t been there that last time she had been in Marinette’s room— that was displayed in the corner of her room. “But I can’t No- this isn’t- I have to-“

“Breathe, Marinette. Like Bustier showed us.” She sucked in a deep breath with Marinette. They could both do with some calming breaths. “Your mom wanted me to take you out for dinner anyways- she doesn’t want you inside all day,” she explained quickly. “And she said she won’t mention I was here- the girls don’t know I’m here right now. They think I went home with a stomach ache.”

The panic subsided enough to let confusion into Marinete’s face as her brows furrowed. “But why?”

She shrugged. “You’re always doing stuff for me. For everyone. And, you’re my friend Marinette; I’ve got your back.“

***

Dinner had been not awkward… ok, maybe a little awkward.

She and Marinette had gone out the side door and made a beeline in the opposite direction to Alya's place. They had eventually ended up in a cafe neither of them had tried before, given it was out of the way of their usual hangouts. But that had been good because that meant they were less likely to be seen by anyone they would know. And the food had been good too.

What had been awkward was the conversation.

Or lack thereof.

The bad thing about being quiet was that she sucked at small talk.

Marinette had been quiet, the way she had been since those stupid wasps that stupid Hawkmoth—well, his akuma—had sent. She had seen tears glinting at the corners of Marinette’s eyes a few times, but she hadn’t commented on them. Mainette had made an effort to conceal them; the least she could do was respect that.

Instead, she had tried to fill the silent air between them with conversation in a vain attempt to ward off the weariness in Marinette’s eyes.

She had tried to stick to light and cheery topics. And while Marinette had joined in and even smiled and laughed a few times, the sadness had remained lurking in her eyes throughout the entire meal. And the conversation had been far from stimulating.

"That was good," she murmured as she pushed the cafe door open.

"Yeah, it was." Marinette shot her a small, appreciative smile. But then she froze, just outside the door of the cafe. She began worring her lip as her shoulders deflated. “I guess I should be heading home…” she mumbled reluctantly.

“Your mom said I was supposed to take you for dinner and ice cream.” Marinette’s face immediately soured at the mention of the frozen treat. She bumped her with her shoulder, smiling. “Though, to be honest, I think I would rather go for just about anything but ice cream right now. Maybe boba?”

Marinette smiled at her. A real smile. Still tinged with that haunted sadness. But it was real. “Boba sounds good to me.”

“Cool. There’s a good place by the Liberty. We could hang out there for a while. If you want.”

“Yeah. That sounds nice.”

***

For once, the Liberty was quiet.

Her mom was at work. Luka would just be getting off his shift now, but she knew he had plans with some of his friends. Usually, she would be annoyed that Luka and Marinette were missing a chance to spend time with each other. But if she had wanted to have any hope at finding out just what exactly—more or less—was going on with Marinette…

Something told her it would be easier to get to the bottom of it without Luka hanging around.

She grunted as she pulled the gangplank back over onto the boat. Luka and her mom would both be able to get back onboard without it easily enough. And if they couldn’t, they could always text her, so she didn’t need to worry about them. Not that it was them she was worried about.

It would not do to have the girls come barging in to check up on her or devise more plans.

She had texted Rose, telling her she was going to try to sleep off her sudden illness. But she couldn’t rely on just that; Rose had a habit—an incredibly sweet one— of coming to nurse her whenever she was sick. And if Alya deemed the secret bracelet plan a failure… it would not be the first time she—or any of the other girls for that matter—schemed from bed.

Satisfied that no one would be able to climb aboard, she made her way down to her room, where she had told Marinette to make herself at home, stopping only to grab her bubble tea from the crate she had left it on. When she opened the door, she froze. Marinette was on Luka’s side of the bed, staring forlornly at his picture wall.

There were lots of pictures of Kitty Section, as well as pictures of him with his friends. Both his lycée friends and her friends. There were a few family photos scattered in amongst them. But the pictures that featured Marinette in some way were the most numerous.

And Marinette was staring at the one he had put in the very centre.

It was the same one she had at the centre of her photo wall.

The picture of the two of them Aimee had taken during the photoshoot.

“It’s a great picture,” she said from the doorway. Marinette jumped, looking back at her. “Sorry, didn’t mean scare you,” she added as she entered the room and sank onto her bed.

“It’s fine! I just didn’t hear you coming.” Marinette’s gaze flickered back to the picture of her and Luka.

“You two look happy in it,” she said carefully. When Marinette didn’t reply, she continued softly, “It’s one of his favourites.”

Marinette smiled sadly at the picture, letting out a breath that sounded like it wanted to be a laugh. Like she was remembering whatever stupid joke it was that Luka had been telling her when Aimee took the picture.

But then her smile fell.

“Sometimes,” Marinette said, looking at the picture with agonized longing, “I wish I wasn’t in love with him.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. Which had been stupid. Because she had been sipping at the dregs of her bubble tea. An errant tapioca pearl shot up her straw and struck her in the back of the throat. Marinette turned worried eyes on her as she coughed.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” she wheezed. “What- what do you mean you wish you didn’t love him? I know he’s an idiot but-“

“He isn’t an idiot.” Marinette turned to face Luka’s picture wall again, to hide her tears, she suspected base on the way Marinette rubbed at her face. “It… it would make things easier,” she mumbled.

“What do you mean?’

“I can’t date him,” she sighed defeatedly, “no matter how badly I want to.”

Liquid lead churned in her stomach. She was sure she already knew, but she needed to confirm it. “Why not?”

“It’s… complicated…”

“Try me.” Marinette gave her a dubious look. “C’mon.”

“Well…” Tentatively, Marinette sat down on the bed beside her. “I have a lot of responsibilities- you know, as class rep, and the bakery, and for my business…”

And as Ladybug. “Yeah.”

“So it doesn’t leave a lot of time for dating. And my schedule… it can change at any second.” She watched as Marinette traced a circle on the floor with her foot.

That made sense; there was no anticipating when an akuma would show up. If one showed up when Mari was in the middle of a date… she would have to end up bailing on Luka. But that hadn’t seemed to be a problem before… There had to be more to it than that. It was only recently that Marinette had had no time. Her frown deepened. “Is there someone you could ask for help?” Like Viperion. Then at least he would be ditching their dates too.

It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be something.

“Not- not really…”

What? But she did call on other people to help. Yeah, some of them had been retired, but Viperion was still active-

The words tumbled out of Marinette’s mouth in a torrent.“I used to have other team- coworkers. They were on a temporary basis. But they could still come in to help out. But most of them had to retire. It was my fault that that happened.” What? “And… I’m supposed to handle it. It’s my responsibility.”

“But that’s not fair to you.” It wasn’t fair that Marinette was responsible for protecting Paris in the first place. “You shouldn’t have to shoulder things all on your own.”

“I mean- I do have a partner- coworker. A permanent one. So I’m not really doing it on my own…” Sure, Adrien was Chat Noir. But he didn’t really do anything. Not anything productive anyways… “…and I can still call in one of my other coworkers…”

That had been something she had been wondering about. Why had Viperion—Luka—been the only temporary hero to not be benched? And why had Marinette said it was her fault? Just what had happened that day with those wasps?

“…but it’s risky- I can’t always call on him. And his job- it’s tough.” No one actually knew for sure what Viperion’s power was. There was a lot of speculation that his power was time-related, but no one knew for sure, and Ladybug refused to comment on it. Just what was Viperion’s power that could be so tough that she was reluctant to call on him? She shook her head. That wasn’t important right now. “Besides, I’m still the one responsible for everything.”

“But why is ‘everything’ your responsibility? Don’t you have a boss? Or supervisor you could talk to about this guy?” Superheroes always had mentors in the movies Alya always made them watch when it was her turn to pick during sleepovers.

Marinette shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “We have- had a- a boss of sorts. But he doesn’t- he- he had to retire. He left me in charge.”

Oh.

That… that had to be the missing piece…

The liquid lead that had begun churning in her stomach solidified into a vice around her chest.

“Can’t you hire new people if you’re in charge?” she asked tentatively.

“My boss didn’t like bringing in new people. It made things dan- complicated. And,” Marinette began to wring her hands, “my coworker. He’s well…”

“He’s… difficult?” she offered.

Marinette nodded. “He and I were the first… hires. He’s always been very protective of that. He’s never been very enthusiastic about bringing on more people. He gets jealous easily; he’s really possessive of the time we spend together, even when I tell him that I don’t love-“ Marinette flushed before lowering her voice back down from the shout it had been creeping towards. “And if I make him mad, he’s… difficult. And it ends up just making more work for me. So it’s easier to just…”

“Not give him anything to get jealous over?” Yup. That was definitely Chat Noir. She laid a hand over Marinette’s.“That doesn’t sound healthy.”

“I don’t think it is. But there’s nothing I can do about it. I had brought it up once. A few months ago. When my boss was still around. He never saw a problem with it. He said it was important for me and my coworker to trust each other and communicate…”

She hummed, encouraging Marinette to go on.

“And then… My boss- he had texted me. The day he had to- the day he retired. He had said it was urgent we talk about my coworker, and, well… I had upset my coworker recently. I had told him- it doesn’t matter. He was upset, and my mentor wanted to talk to me. But then I got roped into the Bourgeois party and- and then he- he had to quit.”

“So you never found out what your boss was going to say?”

Marinette shook her head. “We didn’t get the chance to talk. Wayz- anyways, it doesn’t matter what he was going to say. The only person he was close with didn’t know the details of what he wanted to talk to me about, so it doesn’t really matter. Besides, I have more important things to worry about now. I have all these new responsibilities he left me with, and he never had the chance to train me! I don’t know what I’m doing ,and I keep messing up, and the kw-“ Marinette clamped down on her rambling, her face growing pale. As if she had said too much.

Maybe she had.

But it was also obvious she hadn’t said enough.

She pulled Marinette into a tight hug. Luka gave better hugs than her, but he wasn’t here right now, and she was. And her friend needed her.

Her friend needed a lot of things. A lot of things she couldn’t provide. But she could do this.

Marinette clung to her, shuddering and shaking. She held Marinette, stroking her hair and humming quietly, the way her mom and Luka did when they comforted her. All the while keeping an eye out for black butterflies.

Eventually, Marinette pulled away, swiping at her face as she let out a shaky breath. “Sorry,” Marinette murmured.

“Don’t be.” She hesitated. She didn’t want to push Marinette, but at the same time, it didn’t feel right to leave things hanging there. Not when there was a chance she could… she didn’t know how much she could actually help Marinette. But maybe at least talking would help her feel better? Comfort her? Maybe help her process? If she had been handling this all on her own all this time… “Can’t you ask someone to share the responsibilities with you? Like a- what are they called? Co-manager?”

Marinette looked at her like she had just suggested she dye her hair lime green. “But- but my boss left me the job. I’m the one who has to do it-“

“Alone?”

Marinette nodded slowly. “Well, he did it alone… and there are- he had rules. Regulations.”

“You know how my family feels about rules.” Marinette smiled. It was small. Half-hearted. But it was a smile. “And maybe your boss did it alone, but it’s your job now,” she said gently, “you can change the rules if you want. You don’t have to do things the same way your boss did. You can delegate. You can ask for help.”

Marinette sighed.”My part- coworker… he isn’t very reliable. I don’t trust him to take things seriously. He’s more interested in having fun and impressing me than doing the job.” Marinette looked at her with dull eyes. “I’ve tried talking to him. But he never really listens. He might back off or step up for a day or two, but then we’re always back to square one. And I can’t keep doing that! I have too much to worry about! Too much to do!”

“Then ask someone else.”

“My boss- he chose this guy… it would be wrong to go back on his decision.” She couldn’t tell if Marinette was trying to convince her or herself.

“Would it?” Marinette bit her lip. “Just because your boss hired him doesn’t mean you have to keep working with him. If he isn’t helping, wouldn’t it be a good idea to bring in help more often?” Like Viperion. “Or replace him with someone more reliable?” Like Luka.

“But- what if I…” She could see the weight of the world in Marinette’s eyes. She could see the way she was running through every possible way in which things could go wrong. And no doubt blaming herself for them in the process.

“If your boss left you in charge, doesn’t that mean he trusted your judgement?” Doubt and exhaustion dulled the clear blue of her eyes. She hated this. Marinette should never look that way. “I know I trust your judgement; for what it’s worth.” The fact that that seemed to surprise Marinette was worrying too. “And I think you deserve someone who helps you on the job.”

Someone like Luka.

Marinette’s gaze dropped to her wringing hands. She could see the gears turning in her mind. They sat in heavy silence; more than a few times, she started to say something, then thought better of it. Marinette was thinking. It was best to let her do so in relative peace.

Finally, Marinette looked up from her lap. Tears were welling up in Marinette’s eyes again. But she was smiling. It was a wavering, watery smile. But it was a smile.

And for the first time in what felt like a long time, the spark in Marinette’s eyes was back.

“Thank you, Juleka.”

24 notes · View notes

buggachat · 4 years

Text

thinking about how miraculous ladybug is a show where absolutely no one recognizes ladybug/chat noir’s voices (even when adrien VOICE ACTS as chat noir for the movie), ladybug and marinette wear the same exact hair style and nobody questions it, marinette and adrien transform in public multiple times and are never seen, people just believe marinettes random and panicked bad excuses to leave suddenly whenever akumas appear and don’t question it, multiple people mistook chloe bourgeois as ladybug———

but that’s all fine. we all know it’s a silly kids show! so we don’t questio—

wait. did the new student just tell the teacher she has a hearing problem and requested to sit in the front of the classroom!?!?!?!? and the teacher.... BELIEVED her!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!? without asking for DOCUMENTATION????????? thats going TOO FAR

#marinette: jagged stone is a close friend of mine :)#everyone: oh wow that's awesome marinette! :)#lila: i saved jagged stone's cat once :)#everyone: that's cool too lila :)#y'all: OH MY GOD HOW CAN THEY BELIEVE SUCH AN OBVIOUS LIE??????#sorry I actually am done talking about this but I had this thought and needed to share it #I promise I'll stop now #ml fandom salt #fandom salt #and yes I've had multiple people tell me that mme bustier NOT ASKING FOR A DOCTOR'S NOTE #over a SEATING ARRANGEMENT #is BAD

998 notes · View notes

bumblebeug · 4 years

Text

Felix, The Punk : Pt 2.

Pt 2 : Not completely Wrong

“Alright class. Attention, please,” Mme. Bustier clapped. The general chatter of the class settled down and focused on their teacher’s bright smile. “I have a very special announcement! I know it’s unusual for this to happen at the end of the day but we have a new student joining us!”

The student next to her, half-heartedly raised one hand in greeting.

“Man,” Alya quietly muttered, “Another year, another kid.”

Yeah, you new kids are taking over, Nino texted to their group chat.

“Pft,” Alya snorted. You’re just jealous that we’re cooler than you.

As if. Came Nino’s reply.

Flirt on your own time, I’m trying to pay attention.

Sure thing, mom.

Marinette rolled her eyes and lightly kicked Nino’s chair.

“Hey!” Nino retorted.

“Something you wish to add, Nino?” Mme. Bustier asked.

Nino straightened, “No, ma’am.”

“Right, so, as I was saying – our new student is joining us from just across the channel. So please, welcome to the class Felix Lenoir.” Mme. Bustier clapped to signal the rest of the class should follow suit. The new student rolled his eyes at the smattering of applause that resulted.

Felix? Marinette turned slightly to smile at Ivan, as if to say, ‘What are the odds of that?’ only to find him already grinning broadly.

“Ok Felix, there is a place next to Ivan.” Mme. Bustier said apparently satisfied at the reception he received, “He’s in the third –”

“It’s ok,” Felix interrupted. “I already know him,” he added politely and confidently walked over to Ivan.

It was when the two of them quietly bumped forearms that it clicked.

Felix.

From England.

The most punk person Ivan has ever met.

WHAT?!

Marinette’s jaw dropped. She turned further to see that Juleka’s expression was a mirror to her own. Rose, on the other hand, was frowning confusedly at Juleka.

‘What’s wrong?’ Marinette could see Rose’s mouth form the words.

In response, Juleka shook herself and cupped a hand over Rose’s ear to hide her whisper.

“WHAT?!” Rose exclaimed.

As one, the class turned to stare at her outburst. Oblivious, or immune, to the staring while she pointed her finger in Felix’s direction. “You’re Felix?” she asked incredulously, eyes darting between Ivan and Felix.

“The one and only,” Felix answered gamely and even though Marinette couldn’t see his face, she was sure he was grinning.

Mme. Bustier cleared her throat loudly. “Now,” She said louder than necessary. The class went quiet. She continued at a normal volume, “Today we are going to focus on…”

“What on Earth was that about?” Alya asked out of the corner of her mouth to Marinette as she took notes. “You, Juleka, and Rose acted like you’d seen some sort of crazy anomaly.”

“Nothing escapes your keen reporter-senses.” Marinette said.

Alya tapped her pen on Marinette’s notebook, “Darn right. So you gonna spill or what? Why’s the new kid warrant such shock and awe?”

Marinette shrugged a shoulder, “Like, he doesn’t. Not really. It’s just – the other day, Ivan told us about the most punk person he’d ever met. I guess seeing who he meant was sorta a shock.”

Alya quickly disguised her laughter as a sudden coughing fit. “No way. That guy? Mr. Sweater-Vest over there is the most punk person Ivan’s ever met? He looks more like a pre-colour television Mr. Rogers.”

“Hence the shock,” Marinette replied with an upturn of her lips.

Apparently satisfied that she’d gotten to the bottom of it Alya turned back to her notes and left Marinette to her thoughts. Felix was nothing like Marinette pictured. She’d gotten everything wrong – from his height to his outfit. No patches, no rips, and certainly no tears. He was more neatly pressed than even Adrien was during a photoshoot. Where she’d been picturing a colorful explosion of hair, instead it was combed down. The heavy boots she pictured were a fantasy replaced by glossy dress shoes. And she didn’t dare speculate on whether or not his dress shirt hid any muscles underneath it.

This was the guy that impressed Ivan so thoroughly?

She tamped down on the instinct to dismiss him. After all, Ivan rarely, if ever, exaggerated to impress others. Plus who was she to judge a book by its cover? She was the hero of Paris and didn’t look it. Of course, she thought wryly, the magic of the miraculous made sure that she couldn’t easily be recognized, so maybe that was a bad example.

Marinette tapped her cheek as she searched her mind for a good example.

Oh! She mentally perked. Rose was a great example!

Before Kitty Section, everyone thought that hard rock was a genre that Rose would utterly hate. It wasn’t until she founded the band that people realized their assumption was wrong. Actions, not appearances.

And – the bell rang, startling Marinette from her reverie. She stared down at her blank page. Had she really tuned out the whole lesson?

“Alya I,” she began as they filed out of the classroom, flush creeping up her cheek.

“Don’t worry girl,” Alya held her hand up, “I gotchu. Saw that you went to lala-land like, 3 minutes into the lecture and started recording when I realized that you weren’t leaving it anytime soon.”

Marinette’s phone pinged.

“There,” Alya pocketed her phone, “Do you also want me to send you pictures of my notes?”

“Alya.” Marinette placed her hands on the other girl’s shoulders. “You are my best friend. I owe you one.”

Alya laughed and brushed off Marinette’s hands and compliment. “Yeah, yeah. You do this for everyone else – least I could do. Plus, between you and me, I figured that Adrien would want some quality notes to read after his photoshoot.” She raised her voice teasingly as Nino passed by, “I saw the state of someone’s notetaking abilities and knew I had to intervene.”

Nino scoffed playfully. “Please, my notes are impeccable. Boy gets As all the time.”

She flicked the rim of his hat. “Only because he has to translate your chicken scratch to something worthwhile. Aaanyways,” She continued, “I promised my mom I’d help with some catering deliveries, so I gotta jet.”

When Alya closed her locker, she unknowingly gave Marinette a clear view of Felix a few spaces away, draping something over his arm.

A leather jacket.

________

I can’t say how nice it is to be able to kick back and have some time for writing. Hope you guys enjoyed Part 2. Also, just gonna say now - these chapters will have no consistent length, I’m just gonna write til I’m satisfied. Love reading comments, so write ‘em if you want to.

Part 1

Tag List!

@kris-pines04, @heldtogetherbysafetypins, @hi-what-is-anything, @swirlmist, @princessofharte

175 notes · View notes

goggles-mcgee · 4 years

Text

Revolt Of The Akuma [Commission for @miner249er]

As the title says, this is a commission for @miner249er

Summary: There’s only so much a person can take and Marinette is almost certain she has reached that point. What with Lila and her seemingly never-ending lies, Adrien and his nonexistent spine, Chat and his stubbornness, Hawkmoth and his akumas, Paris and their expectations, it’s all too much. She’s going to snap sooner or later. At least she has Luka and Kagami on her side, right? Right?

[Contains: Class Salt, Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir Salt, Lila Rossi Salt, Angst, Misunderstandings, Slight Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng Salt, Slight Tikki Salt, Akumanette]

It was rare for her to be surrounded by quiet, even more so to need that blanket of security that quietness can give, and yet here she was. The pink of her room had never seemed more faded or dull even with the lights on. Realistically she knew it was not quiet, her home was never quiet, there was always the bustle of business from the bakery downstairs, the sound of traffic outside, usually the sound of music coming from her phone or computer, and as always the chatter from her Kwami. Though Tikki’s words at the moment sounded like they were being spoken from above water whereas Marinette was under said water, deep under. Her eyes glanced at the mess she had made around her, the pictures of past friends as she’s come to understand all too well these past couple of months, to the torn and destroyed gifts she had given them returned to her solely for the sake of making her heart wrench painfully beneath her skin, from there to the piles of used tissues thrown about during her silent cries, and finally to the thing that had hurt the most and had been sitting in her lap, limp, shredded, basically lifeless, her sketchbook. The sight caused Marinette’s heart to clench in pain once more and she could feel tears pool her eyes yet again, but she forced them to stay, she was tired of crying.

Noise flooded back to her almost making her flinch. There was the soft ding of the bell from the bakery’s door downstairs signaling a customer’s arrival or departure, there were the car engines and the horns beeping, peoples soft voices floating in, and of course Tikki’s worried voice. Everything in her yearned for the quietness but she knew she had to deal with everything eventually and eventually meant now, so she didn’t worry her parents if they came to check on her at any point. If they even noticed her mood change from lunch, she thought bitterly and felt immediate guilt at the thought.

“Marinette…”

“Tikki.”

“Were you listening to me?” Tikki asked, and even though she knew Tikki wasn’t saying it in an admonishing tone, the girl couldn’t help the tiny wince she gave in return as she finally stood up and picked up the tissue piles. Truthfully she hadn’t but she could guess what the kwami had been saying. It was the same thing every time something happened between her and her class. That, they would come around, they were just acting out of misplaced trust and love, they would realize their mistakes and come back to Marinette and everything would go back to normal, but she had to get a handle on her feelings in the meantime so she wouldn’t be akumatized. No that wasn’t right. So that Ladybug wouldn’t be akumatized, but how could she after the day she had?

Lila made good on her promise. Marinette didn’t have a friend left in her class, maybe not all of them thought her the awful bully that Lila painted her out to be, but they didn’t stand up for her, they didn’t talk to her in or out of class, and they wouldn’t meet her eye when she desperately looked around for at least one supportive pair of eyes. It had never been this bad with Chloe. At least with Chloe she knew what she was getting into, she knew the brand of teasing and insults that Chloe Bourgeois used, and she knew that people were scared to stand up to her, but even then they would still flash each other a look of comfort, a look of strength. Those looks let all of them know they weren’t alone, that others saw them struggling, saw them hurting, and were offering comfort. Things truly were simpler then. Lila was something more than Chloe, more than any other bully she had ever seen or encountered. She had a silver-tongue that just seemed to gain more power the more she used it. Her lies were outlandish at this point and yet, no one saw it, no one but Marinette and maybe others outside her class but she wasn’t. The awful truth of it all was that Marinette had no one.

Sure Adrien had said he would be there for her, but that had been the biggest lie Marinette had ever been told, even with Lila spouting nonsense like knowing Jagged Stone because she saved his ‘kitten.’ She was always prepared for Lila to lie, could count on it, and she had become accustomed to her friends falling for the lies, but she had thought she had at least one person by her side. That had quickly been disproven again and again, and it felt like parts of her heart chipped away every time it happened. Adrien, once considered the love of her life, did nothing to ease her aching heart. There were no comforting hugs or even a hand on her shoulder to let her know that she wasn’t alone in the class of sheep. There were no glances shared between the two to let her know that he was just as fed up with Lila’s lies as she. Most importantly, and the one that hurt the most, there were no texts or calls or even letters that offered her any amount of support. That’s not to say he never texted her, but when he did it was never about anything important, it was always mundane and dare she say superficial, and sometimes, sometimes he texted her about her situation but it was never anything helpful, if anything they made her feel worse. They were always about how she was “provoking” Lila and, “what happened to taking the high road Marinette?” At first they had made her cry, she wasn’t provoking Lila, Lila was provoking her, how had Adrien not seen that? Sadness grew into anger, blinding anger, anger that caused her to rip every poster down, change her computer background with such force she nearly broke the mouse, and gave away every planned gift for every occasion, and afterwards all she felt was numb. In the beginning the numbness scared her, but it grew on her like a second skin, it protected her sometimes so she welcomed it.

“Marinette!” Again she was wrenched from her thoughts by the yell of her kwami’s voice.

It took her a couple of seconds to focus, “Yes, Tikki?”

“I lost you again. Where were you?” Tikki asked softly as she flew closer to Marinette’s face.

“Sorry. Nowhere,” Everywhere, ”just thinking.” An apology and a half answer, when was the last time she actually told someone how she was feeling without holding back? Too long, her mind supplied.

“...About today?”

“In a way.”

“Oh Marinette, things will start to get better, don’t let today get to you.” Don’t let it get to Ladybug.

“I know Tikki.” Hollow words, but they were expected, she even threw in a small smile, it was the most she could manage. It was the response of habit she gave, even to her parents, though she had the feeling they wouldn’t notice even if she did show some of her real feelings, some of her hurt. They were just so busy with the bakery sometimes that Marinette couldn’t help but feel that their attention to her was more obligation than anything else, and wow, wasn’t that just the cherry on top of everything? They had even forgotten to ask how her day was today, and though she wasn’t going to tell them, it still would have brought her some comfort to know they cared or pretended to care. At this point she would take what she could get. Today had been another rough one, but it had started out like her new normal, she would go to school and be ignored by her classmates or get glares and sneers that she in turn would ignore. Then she would go to her locker and put the bare minimum of her belongings in, that she prayed would not be destroyed (“improved”) or stolen, she did her best to boobytrap anything of importance like she did her diary since having a lock on her locker was supposedly unheard of at this school. After that was class itself where she expected her seat to be sticky or wet with something but she took to bringing wet cloths and paper towels with her since this was so common. ‘Just harmless pranks.’ Mme Bustier claimed when she first went to talk with her about the behavior. Honestly she didn’t know what she had been expecting when she went to her teacher for help, but she was not going to make that useless of a mistake again. What followed though was weird, she still found rude little notes but none of her classmates went out of their way to glare at her, or make snide comments about her, she wasn’t even tripped if they walked too close to her. To some people it would mean a break, but it only put her more on edge, like something bigger was coming, because Lila was acting strange.

She hadn’t spouted one lie about Marinette, she still lied, just nothing about Marinette, which was odd. Though Marinette pushed it from her mind in order to get some help from Mme Mendeleiev for her homework packet that was due tomorrow. Some problems were proving difficult and she knew the teacher was more than willing to help students out if they went to her, so that’s exactly what Marinette did for lunch time. She even brought a packed lunch so she could eat and work with the teacher so they had more time, it was actually rather nice. Mme Mendeleiev, though stern and strict, was a real teacher. She wanted her students to learn and Marinette yearned for that, she yearned to be one of her pupils. There was a part of her that thought that maybe the teacher wanted that as well. It was an impossible thought, she tried to transfer once, it hadn’t ended well for her. Lila spun it around when she had heard, claimed Marinette was doing it to abandon them and leave them without a class president. Oh how she spun her web of deceit and claimed Marinette was doing it for attention, to get back at the class for not believing her ‘lies.’ Of course the class and Mme Bustier believed her, because why wouldn’t they? Then Mme Bustier went behind her back and spoke to Principal Damocles and whatever they spoke about resulted in her staying in the class no matter what she tried or whatever papers she managed to get her parents to sign that would allow her a class transfer. She was stuck in the class. In her prison.

After lunch is when everything had blown up, and some twisted part of Marinette was thankful it happened sooner rather than later. Lila had made a show of holding something, some papers that looked destroyed, to her chest and “crying.” If you could call over the top whimpering crying. Marinette didn’t have to prepare herself since she had been prepared all day for something to happen when Lila and her herd of sheep came to her and yelled at her for ruining Lila’s homework and something about writing something on her locker too? She just didn’t care anymore, she still claimed her innocence and that there was no way she could have done it, but no one was listening and Adrien was just standing there frowning at her in disappointment and all she could think was, right back at you boy. Mme Bustier joined in and Marinette just stood there as the teacher of course fell for whatever scheme Lila cooked up and then held back a sigh when said teacher started to lecture her there in the hallway for everyone to see. Of course they had to make a spectacle of it, of course they did. Damocles decided to join in and Marinette thought it was for sure going to be another expulsion, some part of her hoped for it. She knew that was bad but she was just so freaking tired of dealing with it all, but to her surprise Mme Mendeleiev was her knight in shining lab coat so to say.

“Marinette didn’t do it. She was with me the entire lunch period so unless she managed to defy all laws of physics and was in two or three places at once I would say she’s being framed.” Mme Mendeleiev’s voice had commanded attention and even Lila couldn’t spin it around to keep Marinette in trouble. Even her classmates had stopped their incessant murmuring.

“But Lila said she saw her running away from her locker!” Kim had yelled in return. It spoke of Mme Bustier’s character and control of her class that she hadn’t even attempted to reprimand Kim for raising his voice to another teacher.

Marinette saw Mme Mendeleiev give Mme Bustier a look that had the younger teacher trying to reign in her rowdy class after they had all been yelling their own affirmations that yes, that was what Lila had said. “Then either Mlle Rossi needs to get her eyes checked or she saw someone else, or she’s lying.”

“Demeter! I’m sure Lila didn’t mean for this...little misunderstanding to happen. I'm sure she saw someone who looked like Marinette.” Mme Bustier had tried to reason.

“If I’m not mistaken Caline, this is not the first time this has happened to Marinette. Her being accused of something in this school and getting punished unjustly with no proof. Forgive me, or not, but I’m not going to overlook this like you. Those are serious accusations to throw at someone. It would be wrong not to investigate. Right, Damocles?” No one spoke throughout Mme Medeleiev’s little speech but Marinette saw the glare Lila was giving the teacher and Marinette was tempted to tell Mendeleiev to just drop it.

“Er, yes, of course.” Principal Damocles had stuttered out. How he had managed to be a principal Marinette would never know. Once upon a time she had thought him an awkward but good guy all around, but that was not the case anymore.

“I suspect we call Mlle Rossi’s mother to speak about this. I’m sure she would love to know that her daughter is being...if not bullied then the start of being bullied. Then we will gather students who match Marinette’s description. It’s not much but it’s the best we got. I’ll go take pictures of the locker in question.”

“Oh-Oh we really don’t have to do that. I’m sure it really is all a misunderstanding! I wouldn’t want to bother my mother!” Lila had desperately claimed.

“How is this a misunderstanding Mlle Rossi? Please explain. Because from where we teachers stand this is clearly bullying and we will not tolerate that at this school.” Mme Mendeleiev said with such authority, one would think she was the principal.

Somehow, Marinette didn’t know how, but Lila had talked her way out of having to have her mother called to the school even though Mme Mendeleiev had strongly insisted to Principal Damocles that they call her and have a sit down with her over her daughter’s wellbeing and school life. Though she honestly shouldn’t have been surprised that nothing had been done. It was Damocles after all. Lila probably said it would be best not to disturb her very busy, very important, diplomat mother and Damocles with his nonexistent spine folded. Though with all the wrong type of attention the incident had brought for the lying vixen Marinette had a relatively “relaxed” rest of her day. No one outright apologized for just blaming her for destroying another person’s work and defacing public property with no proof but at least they didn’t glare at her or make snide remarks for the rest of the day. Adrien even managed not to give her one of his lectures at the end of the day which was a big welcome on Marinette’s end. She could only deal with him being on his high-horse and looking down on her for so long and more often than not she wouldn’t even argue back she would just end the conversation with,*“Il n’y a pas plus sourd que celui qui ne veut pas entendre.”

The day had started to look up for her and she was going to strike the iron while it was hot so to say. Her steps felt lighter. It’s like Mme Mendeleiv’s belief in her gave her invincibility for the day and she found herself actually looking forward to seeing Luka and Kagami at the end of the school day since she would finally have something good to share rather than her usual bouquet of gloom. The sun seemed brighter when she remembered that fencing practice was cancelled that day due to M D’Argencourt having some appointment to go to and a substitute couldn’t be found so the fencing club students had the day off. Marinette had excitedly texted Kagami that they should meet up after school and hang out earlier than the trio had planned since the girl had more free time. Kagami had agreed but said she would meet Marinette at her house as she had some things to take care of there at the school that she wanted to finish up before they met up. Of course Marinette had agreed without question, Kagami liked things to be in order before she had her free time and Marinette understood that. Now, Marinette didn’t remember what she had forgotten, but she knew she had forgotten something in her locker and had rushed from her home to grab it, not wanting her luck to run out for the day. She didn’t know why but since she was back at the school she felt the need to go talk with Mme Medeleiev and thank her once more for what she had done that day for Marinette. Whether the teacher knew it or not, she had given Marinette some hope back.

So she was going to do just that when she had heard familiar voices. Luka and Kagami? Kagami she could understand but why had Luka been there? He was supposed to meet them at Marinette’s house so she was immensely confused to hear his soft voice echo the halls. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her then and she had followed its call. She had not expected to find the scene she had stumbled upon, and the way her heart lurched with such pain. You would think I’d be used to it by now. Her eyes watered as she watched Kagami and Luka, her closest and only friends sitting with Lila and looking at her with such concern and half hugging her to give her comfort. She couldn’t hear what was being said but she would wager it was about her, she saw the disapproving frowns both Luka and Kagami gave in response to whatever Lila had said and all Marinette could think was, I’ve lost them too. She took them from me too. Before she knew it she had ran back home, to her room and had, well, she wasn’t too sure to be completely honest. It all went by in a blur, but she did remember texting Kagami and Luka and saying she wasn’t feeling well and maybe they could hang out together tomorrow, despite knowing Luka would have band practice and Kagami would have fencing practice. Then threw her phone onto her chaise and looked at her pictures of her friends she still had on her walls, she thought of the gifts she had given and all she had felt was this white hot rage and sadness that consumed her.

She heard, more than felt the ripping and smashing of the things that reminded her of a past she could never get back. Marinette was done listening to Tikki in that moment, and she was done believing she had anyone on her side like she thought she did. Kagami and Luka, they both held little pieces of what was left of her heart and she could feel those pieces breaking with every thing she destroyed. Now here she sat in the aftermath of her destruction and she didn’t even feel satisfied. A small part of her still felt hurt, she was sure she had to have made noise, quite a bit of it, and yet neither of her parents had checked on her. It was just another drop added to her already too-full cup.

“I’m sure it wasn’t what it looked like, Marinette.” Tikki chirped as she flew to Marinette’s sink and back with a wet cloth in her hand to help Marinette clean her face.

“What?”

“Luka and Kagami.” Tikki said their names so simply, “I’m sure it wasn’t what you’re thinking. You’ll see! We have to see them for patrol tonight. I’m sure you can ask them subtly about it as a concerned hero of Paris.”

The only concerned hero. Her mind bitterly spat out without warning. The thought almost made her wince in shock at the venom that came from it. Though she found herself not apologetic in the least, Chat had been proving himself to be unreliable. At first she had brushed off his behavior as his usual antics and she had been beating herself over the head about it everyday it seemed like. He became more aggressive in his flirting and really that’s what it was, it wasn’t passionate, it wasn’t some misguided persistence, it wasn’t just him being a “boy”, he became aggressive in his affection for her. He started asking her on more and more dates, bringing her more and more gifts and each time she rejected him, reminding him they had work to do, or she had plans, or that his timing was not the best, or of course that she had feelings for someone else, he started “punishing” her and Paris as a result. He would refuse to help, sometimes he wouldn’t show up to a battle at all, he would only call to ask her if she had come to her senses and realized she loved him and when she wouldn’t give him the answer he wanted he would hang up and the battle would be a lonely one. She had tried to get Master Fu to do something about it but he had brushed it off much like she had in the beginning. Seemed like he still had faith in the cat, Marinette wished she could say the same but it would be a lie, besides she had kind of announced she no longer trusted Chat to help her since she gave Luka and Kagami their individual Miraculous back but to permanently use to help her defend the city. So instead of Ladybug and Chat Noir defending Paris, it was Ladybug, Viperion and Ryuuko.

“I think I want to go out a little early Tikki. Maybe the fresh air and time out will do me some good.” Marinette said with forced cheer as she stood and stretched her arms high above her head.

“I think that’s a good idea Marinette!” Tikki chirped as she zipped through the air to hover at Marinette’s shoulder and she couldn’t help but chuckle. With a quick saying of the magic words and one transformation later, Marinette was out slinging from rooftop to rooftop. There was no destination in mind just yet, she just wanted to simply be for a while. Everything finally felt okay and she was ready to actually head to the top of the Eiffel Tower to wait for Luka and Kagami as their hero forms so they could start actual patrol when she heard their voices. It sounded like they were trying to keep quiet about something. She didn’t want to pry but it was late and if they were out this late as their civilian selves she had a duty to them to make sure they were okay. With a quick swing she was at the Château Edmond de Rothschild where the voices seemed to come from, it was supposed to be not accessible to the public, so why were they there?

A quick peek was all it took to understand why and Marinette had to stop herself from making any noise, whether it be a sob or a scream or a gasp. She couldn’t risk it if what she was seeing was real, but there it was right in front of her. Luka and Kagami were sitting in their hero forms holding a charm of some kind between them and they both had the sickening violet glow of Hawkmoth around their eyes. They didn’t seem angry or sad, or even like they were being akumatized so she wasn’t really sure what was going on but she was going to put an end to it. Now.

“Yes Hawkmoth. Ladybug trusts us completely, we are doing our part.” Kagami said.

“But...Chat Noir has yet to show up. That has helped us get closer to Ladybug yes, but it means we don’t know where the Black Cat Miraculous is for you.” Luka had added on and it was another stab to Marinette’s heart. They, her most trusted allies, her friends, her maybe something more’s, were working with...oh god she was going to be sick. She had to get out of there. She didn’t know how long she had swung but at some point she hadn’t been thinking about where her yoyo should attach itself and she fell down into a garden. No, she couldn’t identify the garden because she couldn’t see past the tears. Marinette didn’t know how long she laid there crying but she quickly took off her earrings and just as soon as she did Tikki zipped out.

“Marinette…”

“You said things would get better Tikki. How? How is this supposed to get better? Luka and Kagami...they are...they’re working for HIM!” She screamed and she didn’t care who heard, she was tired of suffering in silence.

“I’m sure it wasn't-”

“What? What, it looked like?....I’m done. I’m done sacrificing everything for this city. Sacrificing my feelings. I need to feel Tikki!” Without waiting for a response, Marinette threw the earrings and ran further into the park. She sobbed as loud and she had wanted to, needed to, and she couldn’t stop. She collapsed yet again, this time in a patch of butterfly bushes, though she hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t the only thing she hadn’t noticed, there was an akuma flying her way, but by the time she heard the tell-tale sign of the flap of its wings it was too late. The thing had already morphed with something on her person and all she could do was gasp.

______________________________________________________

Gabriel Agreste couldn’t help the tiny shout of joy he let out because finally, finally he had managed to snag his masterpiece. She had evaded him for so long, her will over her emotions had always seemed so iron strong but finally, Marinette Dupain Cheng was akumatized, and she was going to be the one to get him the Miraculi he craved. He could feel it. He turned to brag to his swarm of butterflies seeing how Nathalie wasn’t in the lair but when he did so he paused. All his butterflies were gone. Honestly he had to just stand and stare because where could they have gone? And why hadn’t he noticed or heard them leave?

No matter. The important thing was that he had Marinette Dupain Cheng under his control and it was going to be glorious. She would make quite the spectacle for Ladybug and, well, the heroes and Chat Noir when she appeared tomorrow. Victory was close, he could practically taste it.

__________________________________________________________

Wang Fu had made many mistakes in his life and he regretted every single one, but this one, this one was causing him the most pain. Marinette, the girl he had chosen to be Paris’s pillar of hope, the girl he had seen as a granddaughter, the girl he had failed to protect when she needed him, was in danger. He had been sleeping when Tikki had come flying into his shop wailing about Marinette. At first he and Wayzz couldn’t understand her, when she managed to calm down some she gave him some of the most devastating news he had ever received. Marinette Dupain Cheng had given up the mantle of Ladybug and had been akumatized. He had been desperate to know why and know why Tikki looked so guilty because surely it could not be her fault. Then the kwami had spilled everything, she told of the situation at school, the situation with Chat Noir, with Adrien that he himself had thought was nothing more than him being a stubborn boy, and she had told him how even she believed her user was somehow something more than human and would be able to handle it all. She had been angry at Marinette for throwing her away but had realized that it wasn’t her fault and had tried to find the girl to talk to her but by the time she had found her...it had been too late. So here he sat after calling Chat Noir to his shop and hoping the young hero...no, the young boy, would show.

“Master Fu?” Adrien asked softly as he entered the shop, it was almost easy to believe that the young boy wasn’t wayward and that Fu hadn’t made yet another mistake.

“In here Adrien.”

“Uh, what’s the matter Master Fu? You never call me Adrien. You said this was about Ladybug. Did she...Did she say something to you?” Near the end it was easy to see now the hidden anger the boy held, why hadn’t he seen it?

“No. This is something...far worse I’m afraid. Ladybug has been…”

“Ladybug has been defeated.” Tikki finished for him.

He watched as Adrien’s eyes widened and he gaped at Tikki, he looked as though he didn’t want to believe it. Fu wanted to yell at the boy. He had no right to stand there and act like he cared about Marinette. “That is not all. A young girl has been akumatized and I fear she may be the strongest akuma Hawkmoth has ever made.”

“What do you mean Ladybug has been defeated!? Defeated by who!?”

“By the akuma,” Fu lied, though was it really a lie?

“What akuma?”

“Not what. Who. The akuma is Marinette Dupain Cheng and from what Tikki and Ladybug have told me...Hawkmoth has been wanting to akumatize her for a long time. Whatever sent her to his side...I’ve met the girl. She is a kind soul and to know that he has her under his control...Adrien. You have to stop her. After that...after that is when you and I will sit down and have another talk, but in the meantime find Mlle Dupain Cheng and help her.” Fu pleaded, and he couldn’t help the tear that escaped.

The emotion seemed to hit Adrien, though it didn’t seem to be the only thing. “Marinette is the akuma? How?”

“I think you know the answer to that Agreste.” Tikki answered with a glare from where she was being held by Plagg who honestly looked like he wanted to scratch his owner's eyes out.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“We don’t have time for this. Adrien, just please, go and find her. Help her.” Fu watched as Adrien had left, it was almost morning now and he had work to do as well. He had to retrieve the Snake and Dragon Miraculi before their current users handed them off to Hawkmoth, as he doubted they would help in the fight to save Marinette, and he didn’t trust them enough to let them try.

“We’ll get her back Tikki. We will.”

______________________________________________________________

Adrien was not having a good morning, he had spent the early hours of it searching for his friend and coming up empty, and the more he came out with nothing the easier it was to be frustrated. Though it seemed like frustration was something to be shared in the Agreste home since his father also seemed to be irritable that morning. More than that, he and Nathalie seemed off and they were the most put together people he knew. Them being off, threw him off, thankfully he was still at school on time, which is too say he wasn’t his usual early self, but he was there a couple minutes before the bell would ring which gave him a very small window of time to search for Marinette before class began. Though he’s not entirely sure she would even show up at school if she was an akuma but where else would she go? She had a problem with Lila and Lila was at school so the answer had to be there right? God he hoped so.

The bell was about to ring though so he ran back to class after searching the locker rooms and barely made it to his seat when the bell did ring. Marinette wasn’t there. But she was going to show up, he just knew it. She had to. Lila was the source of her anger probably, even if it was childish, she would come to settle the score and that’s when he would swoop in and save the day. Then maybe just maybe, Ladybug would finally see that they were meant to be and realize how amazing he was. The thought had made him smile, almost losing himself in the daydream, that is until he saw a familiar pair of pink pants enter the room. He was at immediate attention and was alert because Marinette...didn��t look like an akuma. She looked like normal herself, but she was an akuma right? So why didn’t she look like one?

“Marinette. Late again?” Mme Bustier asked even though it was obvious.

“I won’t be long Caline.” Marinette replied and her voice...it was just off. Yes it was Marinette but at the same time it wasn’t.

“Marinette! You will speak to me respectfully or I will have no choice but to-”

“To what? Tell me to be a better example? I’m tired Caline, I’m tired of being your doll that you dress up and play pretend with. I’m not a doll, and I’m not a teacher’s assistant, though it seems like that’s what you believe me to be seeing as you push me to do your job. Constantly, so don’t even try to deny it. It’s the teacher’s job to placate their students and make sure that their classroom environment is a healthy one. You allow bullies to reign free from punishment and in turn punish the victims. Do you ever get tired of being the indirect cause of akumas? Because really how many of your students have been akumatized and you have the gall to say you’re a great teacher, everyone’s favorite teacher no less.” Everyone in the room was dead silent. This wasn’t Marinette at all, but before anyone could say anything the akuma continued, though they didn’t know she was an akuma and Adrien so badly wanted to shout it out to warn everybody.

“Then there is all of you sheep. I had the absolute displeasure of once being your friend, but I realized you were never my friends to begin with. If you were you wouldn’t have believed lies over me.”

“Is this really what this is about Girl?” Alya shouted.

“Alya, it seems like you want me to start with you. You claim to be a journalist, a seeker of the truth, but that is the biggest lie you have ever sold yourself beside Ladybug’s best friend over there. You are a hypocrite. You say you are a defender against bullies and villains. Well you Alya Cesaire are one of the biggest bullies by association I know. You turned your back on me. On the truth. You refused to open your eyes and see what was truly there. You became a bully and enjoyed it. You took pleasure in everything you did to make me miserable alongside Lila. Well congratulations Rena Rouge you have been outfoxed and it isn’t because of some sapotis or illusions. I was wrong to ever trust you.”

Everyone watched as Alya grew pale and just sat there with her mouth agape. “Nino, Kim, Alix, Ivan. You became destroyers rather than the protectors of the weak you boasted about to make yourselves feel better. Well guess what Nino? There’s no shell to protect you from the truth! You are a bully, bigger than Chloe! Because instead of not doing anything like you had last time I was bullied for years on end, this time you partook in the “merriment.” Kim. How I ever trusted you with anything is beyond me. You know in China to call a child a monkey is a great compliment, to call you anything similar would be a great disrespect. How you held the title of the monkey king...I’ll never understand it. Alix, you always liked to believe you were as fast as a rabbit both in mind and body, well the rabbit is dead. Your time will never come again I’ll see to it. Your most prized possession, your watch, I helped you restore it after it had been broken and I even gave it back to you but that was a mistake on my part as you never deserved it in the first place. Ivan, who helped you during Stoneheart? Who? Oh that’s right it was me? I helped you see you weren’t that monster but I was wrong. I was very wrong.” The words were cruel and Adrien didn’t know where all this anger was coming from. Lila was the target right? Shouldn’t she only be going after her, not their friends? He had to sneak out and transform, he didn’t know where her item was but he would find it and put an end to all this unnecessary hurt.

“Oh Adrien, where do you think you’re going? You’re at the top of my list.”

“Your list?” He asked as though he hadn’t been caught trying to get out of his seat.

“Yes. The list of people who have wronged me. The list of people who have turned me into the current me. The list of people I hate. Sorry, but not sorry If you can’t handle hearing how imperfect you are but you will listen to what I have to say.”

Adrien didn’t understand why everyone gasped but he was hurt to hear that Marinette hated him. No it had to be the akuma’s influence, it just had to be. “I’m sorry you feel that way Marinette.”

Marinette walked up to him and took both his hands in hers, it would have been a sweet gesture if it weren’t for the added pressure. “Save it. I don’t want your superficial pity. You Adrien Agreste are the biggest liar I know next to Lila. You knew she was lying. You knew she was lying from the start seeing how Ladybug told you herself that Lila and her were not friends. Oh yeah I know about that, in the park, or how about when Lila was akumatized to be the Chameleon, which by the way Lila very unoriginal and I’m fairly certain you were akumatized on purpose but hey what proof do I have right? And she pretended to be you because she didn’t like what you had to say about her lying. Yet you still didn’t tell your so called friends about her, because you don’t care about anyone but yourself! I learned that the hard way. I believed you when you said we were in this together and that if we both knew then that was enough and that we should take the moral highroad. What a joke! I am truly disgusted with myself for ever thinking I was in love with you.”

What!?

_____________________________________________________________

Luka couldn’t believe what he was hearing, he and Kagami had rushed to Marinette’s class after they had each gotten a call from her mother asking if either one of them had seen Marinette. Apparently they went up to her room and realized she was missing but thought maybe she had told them she was spending the night at Alya’s and they maybe just hadn’t heard but when they had called her and texted her with no response they had gotten worried. More so when she hadn’t shown up that morning. Luka had immediately felt his heart drop. Marinette was, well, she was his melody and to think that something could have happened to her, it made him get on his bike and search as many places as he could think of. It seemed like Kagami had the same idea because he ran into her and her car before they decided it would be better to search together. He felt awful about her cancelling their plans yesterday but figured she just genuinely wasn’t feeling well. Luka was beating himself over the head because obviously that wasn’t the case.

Maybe if him and Kagami hadn’t been so focused on helping get evidence that Lila was a liar and who Hawkmoth could be they wouldn’t be in this mess, but they had done all that for Marinette. They had seen what Lila had done to her and Kagami had been the one to say she didn’t trust Lila and proposed they help Marinette expose her for the lying weasel she was. Luka had been all for it, even if they had to pretend to be nice. When they found out that Lila actually didn’t like Ladybug well, that had been a shock but they had played into it. Both he and Kagami had acted like they too despised the superheroine and finally they saw Lila, the real Lila, or at least a small glimpse of her. She believed they really didn’t like Marinette and Ladybug, she believed they were her spies on Marinette, and then she admitted something that genuinely made Luka sick to his stomach.

Lila was working with Hawkmoth. And she wanted them to help them and join their “team.”

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. It was more evidence against Lila Ross and it was a way to help Ladybug who had seemed like she was being spread thin thanks to that no good Chat. So him and Kagami agreed to help. Then Ladybug asked them to be permanent heroes. They told Hawkmoth in order to gain trust from him and he had seemed pleased. Fake working with him was disgusting but him and Kagami felt like they were getting close to figuring out who he could be or what his ultimate goal was, but one thing was for certain and that was, for some odd unexplainable reason, Hawkmoth wanted to akumatize Marinette. He wanted Luka and Kagami to help, they had been hoping to unmask him before it came to that, but hearing Marinette now and seeing her...that was not Marinette. Hawkmoth succeeded somehow. Because that in there was an akuma and it was breaking Luka’s heart, more so when he realized it had way more information about people and the Miraculi than anyone would other than Ladybug herself.

“Luka...that’s.” Kagami had never sounded so lost.

“I know. Marinette was, is, Ladybug.”

“What do we do?”

“We save her. And...and we tell her the truth.”

They were ready, they were opening their mouths to say their separate transformation phrases when a window in the classroom broke. They turned to look inside to see if it was Marinette running out and finally showing an akuma form, but all they saw was a green blur and Marinette leisurely following after the blur out of the school to the park outside. Of course they followed, but when they went to transform they both realized, their respective Miraculous was gone. What did they do now?

_____________________________________________________

Fu had done it. He had retrieved the Dragon and Snake Miraculous, with help from Tikki as she took them from their holders as he caused a distraction as Jade Turtle. It was never easy to hold his transformation but he had done it for the short while he had to. That was one, kind of two, problems out of the way, now all he had to do was wait for Adrien to save Marinette. “He will do it”

“He will, Master.” Tikki muttered from his shoulder as Wayzz nodded his agreement from Fu’s other shoulder.

“I doubt it.” Fu nearly fell with how he stumbled back at what had landed in front of him. It was Marinette but also not. He didn’t want to call her an akuma because even that felt like a wrong description. She felt like something else entirely, looked it too. She wore some armor like that of a knight over what appeared to be a black body suit, but one made of light. Her freckles seemed more like stars and if he looked closer each star was unique, and almost seemed to resemble every past akuma

“Marinette...what...what are you?”

“A protector, the Protector.” Marinette answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

______________________________________________

As soon as Marinette felt the akuma merge with her, because truly it felt like it merged with her and not an object, she felt so much. She could feel the butterfly feel her pain, her anger, could feel it soak up her negativity. She in turn could feel its pain and anger, its sadness too. Her heart filled with so much empathy. Then it was like the voice of the butterfly doubled, then tripled, then there were too many voices to be heard but Marinette understood. She felt their pain because it was the same as hers. All of them had been used, all of them together had put their trust in people they shouldn’t have. Though she had no way to see it, Marinette just knew she was covered in butterflies because she refused to call them akumas, they were victims just as she was, just as Paris was too, to Hawkmoth.

They told her they wouldn’t let him harm her. That they would protect her. That was the moment that Marinette felt that she and them were one and she vowed to protect them just as they vowed to protect her. She accepted them, she let them and her truly become one, because at that moment they were her only friends, her only family, and she was going to protect them from their abuser. They sung her praises, they gave her strength, they whispered a name and place. Their former owner. She listened and she heard and Marinette followed where they led. The closer they got to the Agreste Mansion, the louder the cries of Nooroo she could hear, could feel. She vowed she would protect him as well. He was her family, her friend too, just like the butterflies. A part of her felt like she should have been surprised that Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth and that so, Nathaniel Sancoeur was most likely Mayura, but really she just felt anger. Gabriel and Nathalie were to face justice. Her justice.

They would pay for their crimes against Paris, and their abuse of the Miraculi, kwami, and butterflies. She was the Protector and nothing would stand in her way.

_________________________________________________

“I don’t wish to fight you, but I see you believe me to be an akuma. I’m not. I don’t expect you to believe me but it’s the truth. I am merely the Protector now. As a sign of good faith,” Marinette, or Protector held out a hand to Fu, one he was reluctant to reach out for. “Here.”

It seemed like she caught on to his hesitation because Marinette threw whatever had been in her hand to him. Tikki and Wayzz had quickly helped catch them and when he saw what Marinette had tossed him he felt faint. Whether it was from relief or fear he didn’t know. Marinette had given him the Peacock and Cat Miraculi. “And what of the Butterfly Miraculous?”

“I’m keeping it. You couldn't protect it, so I will in your place. Nooroo and I decided it is what is best.” At the mention of the kwami, said kwami fly out into the open to sit in Marinette’s open palm.

“Marinette I can’t let you do that.”

“We’re not asking permission.” Nooroo stated as he nuzzled Marinette’s thumb that was caressing his head. “Marinette and I have suffered at the hands of Paris long enough.”

“This was merely me wanting to say goodbye face to face. Don’t come looking for me Fu.”

Fu could only watch at Marinette, Nooroo, and a swarm of white akumas jumped away from him and his kwami. He didn’t know what else he could do. He was too old to run after her, and he didn’t have anyone he could trust with a Miraculous with to send after her. So he just watched as Marinette continued to get smaller and smaller in his vision, until she was gone. Though she asked not to be looked for, he would do it, because Marinette deserved to be found and talked some sense into. When he found her, an apology didn’t feel good enough, but he would give her the biggest most heartfelt apology. She was a kind soul, and truly deserved none of this.

______________________________________________________

It was chaos. Tom and Sabine had closed the bakery but it was still filled with people, only it was Marinette’s class and Luka and Kagami. They didn’t dare call this class their daughter’s friends after they finally learned what had really been happening at the school. Luka and Kagami had told them everything and Sabine, Sabine sobbed and had called out for her baby girl till her voice was hoarse. What had they done to her baby girl? But they apologized to them, they said they were tricked. It felt more like they were trying to trick them, but nonetheless they needed help figuring out where Marinette could be and they were offering to help. Tom said it was out of guilt and had wanted to kick them out but Sabine convinced him it would be more manpower to help with the search. Truth was, they were just as guilty, they hadn’t realized something was wrong with their daughter until she was missing.

Adrien had come in with his arm in a cast, when they asked what happened, the class claimed it was Marinette when she was an akuma. Adrien hadn’t denied it, in fact he looked angry, every time Marinette was mentioned he would frown, and Tom had been so so close to just tossing the boy out, but they heard the kids gossiping and saying that someone had broken into the Agreste Mansion and had beaten Gabriel and his assistant pretty badly. When asked about it Adrien would get really quiet but would confirm that his father and Nathalie were in the hospital due to injuries. He looked a mess.

Luka and Kagami though,...those two looked worse. They looked as though someone had ripped out their hearts. They were there physically, helping wherever they could and however they could, but one glance and you could tell they weren’t there in spirit. It was awful. Paris was celebrating the supposed defeat and disappearance of Hawkmoth and Mayura, but how could Tom and Sabine join in the merriment when they couldn’t share that joy with their pride and joy? The guilt of being so busy had never hit them so hard, but they vowed that once they found Marinette, they would do everything in their power to make it up to her.

____________________________________________________________

It was quiet, actually it was more like her ears were ringing so loud that it was impossible to hear anything. Her body collapsed from exhaustion, she couldn’t travel any further but she felt the distance. It felt safe. She felt safe and maybe that’s why her body just kind of shut itself down, maybe that’s why when the butterflies and Nooroo prodded at her mind if she was willing to give up the akuma and drop the transformation and which she did, that didn’t mean that Marinette wasn’t going to fight to stay conscious even if it was a losing battle. But she was so tired and she could feel Nooroo reassuring her that they were safe and that? That was enough for her. She quickly slipped into unconsciousness and for once didn’t fear the possibility of nightmares, because she knew when she woke up she wouldn’t be back in Paris anymore. Though with falling unconscious she did fail to introduce herself to those who found her, right away.

“I’m telling you guys I saw something wash up on the beach from my house!” A boy said as he and his friends made their way down the beach.

“Yeah? Last time you said that and dragged us here it was just a piece of driftwood.” Another boy piped in with a point of his finger.

“And you claimed it was a real mermaid this time.” His twin sister added.

“Guys be nice I’m sure it’s an actual real mermaid this time.” A girl laughed as she walked ahead to walk side by side with the first boy.

“Actually there are many documents of mermaids you know.” The third boy of the group said matter-of-factly.

“Any of them driftwood mermaids?” the fourth boy of the group asked with a laugh.

“Ha ha ha, very funny. But I’m telling you I really saw...someone. Oh my gods.” The first boy had started before he actually did see the slumped form of Marinette just lying there.

*Il n’y a pas plus sourd que celui qui ne veut pas entendre Translation: No one is as deaf as the one who does not want to listen.

509 notes · View notes

starlit-dreaming · 4 years

Text

[prologue] élémentaire

Fandom: MLB Ship: Eventual Felinette, MarcNath & Chlogami, Past Lukanette TL;DR: HBIC Marinette + Rich Marinette + ML Salt Fic + Canon Divergence

[0] | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Note: recently i’ve been really craving some hbic marinette, so much that i ended up writing this entire thing tbh even though im not even actively in the fandom anymore post-s2. this was inspired by [Braided Lies] in particular (i’ll be linking it in the notes for those interested; i highly recommend it). i also just really wanted to write a fic where marinette’s family is actually rich it’s just that her family’s very humble and doesn’t like to flaunt their wealth like chloe’s fam tbh. a lot of this fic more or less comes from my own personal headcanons

also, i wasn’t sure if i wanted to go canon felix or fanon felix. so i kinda did both? as in mashed em together; this felix is still adrien’s cousin, a graham de vanily, but his mannerisms are more closely towards fanon felix

this will be crossposted on ao3 under the same name

there is salt in this fic. idk how much yet, but please take care of your blood pressure--

————————————————————

0. primaire couleurs

————————————————————

‘Oh,’ Marinette Dupain-Cheng notes, her eyes surveying her classmates, noting that she was in the center of attention.

It was early morning, with only ten minutes until Mme Bustier arrived for class to begin. For the most part, it seemed that everyone else was in attendance — including Chloé, and everyone knew that Chloé has no reason to show up to class early. She couldn’t help but blink at that, a bit of wide-eyed confusion as she made eye contact with the group that seemed to be confronting her.

A typical confrontation, optimized for humiliation by showcasing her ‘faults’ in a wide setting.

“I can’t believe you would do something like this, Marinette!”

Alya was at the forefront, a look of near betrayal and hurt showing on her face as she held a notebook that was torn asunder. There was torn bits of paper that seemed to work in tandem with the mess around the trash bin. It was Alya’s new journalism notebook with a black and red cover — she could see the ripped sticker of a ladybug on the bent and torn notebook. The notebook was barely used from what Marinette could tell, and only now does she realize the reason why Lila made sure to smugly look at her the previous day when she openly gave it to Alya at the start of class with a declaration of being besties.

Lying Rossi wanted to frame her again, and this time, swiftly delivering the final nail of Alya’s judgement regarding Marinette. She was expecting this to happen eventually, and Marinette was foolish enough to think that there was still the tiniest chance of maintaining an amicable friendship with Alya.

Unfortunately, someone spoke up amidst the group who all seemed to display horrified disbelief or heartbroken watery eyes.

“I can’t believe you would rip my gift for Alya because of jealousy,” Lila cried, covering her eyes as she turned to Mylène who immediately closed her eyes and hugged Lila, rubbing her back as she tried to comfort what appeared to be a distraught friend to her. Ivan was next to his girlfriend, seeming somewhat uncomfortable with the confrontation, but standing near to support Mylène and Lila nevertheless. Rose as also next to Lila, and wherever Rose went, so did Juleka.

A glance to everyone else in the classroom showed that they were all filled with varying levels of discomfort or disbelief. Adrien stared at the scene with pinched brows and a frown on his face, as if wanting to doubt the liar’s words, but at the same time being uncertain of it all. His opinion wasn’t important, of course, considering that Lila planted the seed of doubt regarding Marinette, her claims that she was Adrien’s stalker was enough to get Gabriel Agreste to issue a warning against the girl to maintain her distance from Adrien.

And in the end, it didn’t really matter. It was likely that Lila believed that everyone in the class stood at her side. In a way, it was almost true — it was Marinette against a mob mentality. A group of self-righteous people rallying together for the confrontation, believing that they’re protecting a victim against a self-proclaimed bully. As long as there was even a minor bit of evidence, they would readily work together.

Because in their eyes, Marinette is just a Baker’s Daughter. She’s an ordinary girl in their eyes, not famous like Adrien nor as flauntingly rich as Chloé is.

(And that’s what Lila failed to recognize.)

“We can’t stay as friends anymore,” Alya sharply declared as Marinette politely stares back. “You’ve changed, you became a bully just like Chloé!”

It wasn’t the first time Lila had set her up — it was just like Chloé’s work from before. Sloppy, without any regard for consequences, overconfident. Unlike Chloé who had no need for being seen in a positive light, everything about Lila was cliché and relied solely on poorly done acting to sell it. And fortunately for Lila, their class was primarily comprised of socially gullible teenagers.

Only — it’s different this time. Unlike the previous, minor class-based humiliation type of confrontations, it was different.

Because Lila pulls out a pink-covered sketchbook that Marinette had lost about a week ago. It was her practice sketches, where she simply drew still life and the clothes that her peers wear. Everything in that sketchbook was an accumulation of her surroundings, the beauty of the world and the ugliness in society.

And Marinette is silent, staring at Lila and knowing what the girl’s about to do, with a smug smirk on her face with fake tears on her face. And she feels… numb, knowing that nobody will save her sketchbook.

“Exactly!” Lila had sniffed, opening the pink notebook. “How would you feel if I did the exact same to you, Marinette?”

And all she hears is the sound of pages ripping. Again. And again.

It falls to the ground in broken, ripped pieces.

The class is silent.

Whether it’s because they found it cruel for Lila to tear her sketches to pieces, or that they regret allowing this confrontation to progress the way it did, Marinette will never know. It was a strange feeling, watching her sketchbook be ripped apart because of a liar’s whims, and even then, Marinette can’t find it in herself to care about it asides for the fact that the liar had torn up her sketchbook. Even though it wasn’t her commissions, or her personal works, it was still hers.

Marinette takes in a deep, quiet breath, and she narrows her eyes at Lila who seemed more preoccupied with guilt-tripping their peers into agreeing that her actions were justified.

Her gaze doesn’t linger for long, instead making direct eye contact with Chloé Bourgeois.

——————————

Chloé Bourgeois had been waiting for the day when Marinette would finally admit defeat.

While she herself will readily admit this fact, she is well aware that outsiders will misunderstand the relationship between the two. It doesn’t matter what they think about her and Marinette’s relationship, and it honestly isn’t any of their business either. She indulges herself in adoration and attention, and that’s the simple difference between her and Marinette. It’s the cause of their divide when they moved on to Dupont, and Chloé will always remember that slight. She was given a taste of what she — at the time — deemed to be a betrayal of their promise to always stick together. Félix wasn’t a part of it, and how could he? It wasn’t his fault that his parents wanted to move to Britain.

So yes, she and Marinette were rivals and have been since the day they first met. Were they enemies? That depends on who you ask, and it’s likely that everyone will assume that they were. It’s a complicated matter, really, because to the students of Françoise Dupont, Chloé is a simple school yard bully. But to the students that have been with them since primary school, it was a different story.

For the people who followed them, it was a complicated situation where they laid in wait as years passed.

The premise of it all was simple: Chloé Bourgeois doesn’t want the goody two-shoes Dupain-Cheng who smiles and never says no and wants to be the better person. She doesn’t want to see Dupain-Cheng be the boy-obsessed fangirl when she was simply a critical fashion lover who knew how to speak with a silver tongue disguising her insults — it was the one matter where Félix would agree with her. They hated seeing Marinette Dupain-Cheng act like someone she’s not.

And Marinette was fully aware of how she and Félix felt about the person she is now, but she didn’t want to stay as the kind Heather McNamara of their primary school past. She didn’t want anything to do with fame and would much rather stop and smell the roses — she wants to enjoy life and experience the feeling of being fully seen as a commoner. And it’s fortunate in everyone’s eyes that she’s the Baker’s Daughter and was thus dismissed as a regular girl.

Otherwise, maybe then Chloé would’ve succeeded a long time ago.

In the past three years, almost four, of sharing the same classes at Dupont — something done intentionally by Bustier’s own design, Chloé had tried to push all of Dupain-Cheng’s buttons. She tried to get under her skin, tried to show her the worst of all their peers who would do nothing to come to her rescue, and if it hadn’t been for the new girl at the time, Alya, she probably would’ve won earlier. They all knew that those who were part of their court wouldn’t do anything, partly out of fear of Chloé’s wrath, partly out of respect for Marinette’s wishes, and mainly because they, deep down, had missed the good old days.

Last year Chloé was prepared to go all out until Alya showed up. Plan after plan — ruined because of Alya’s interference, enough to give Dupain-Cheng reason to fight back against Chloé and telling her to back off. As the days had gone by, she was beginning to think of finally moving on, of actually conceding defeat to Dupain-Cheng. And yet, Lying Lila Rossi came around. And Chloé began to see how the girl could cause Marinette to finally snap and return to her senses.

Chloé leaned back into her seat with a triumphant grin, knowing Dupain-Cheng will finally concede defeat as the fashion designer turned to look her in the eye.

After all, Dupain-Cheng is a naïve girl, while Marinette knows her own worth.

——————————

Alix Kubdel leaned back into her seat, biding her time and ignoring Mme Bustier’s lesson as Lila Rossi interrupted class yet again to spin yet another tall tale of her life.

It was sickening to see everyone so easily manipulated. It was sickening to her that she was one of those people that was actually interested in her fake stories. Then again, Lying Rossi could’ve been an author if she hadn’t been more focused on telling lies.

She was hyper aware of the silence coming from Marinette who sat in the back of the classroom. Alone, without sparing anyone a glance as she stared down at her notebook and occasionally typing on her phone. And Chloé, sitting in the row in front of her, Alix can see her typing away on her own phone with a delighted smirk on her face. She can see Sabrina diligently taking notes for herself and Chloé with one hand, the other hand typing away on a tablet.

Then, she heard familiar tapping from behind her. Slowly, Alix glanced back, and Max shoots her a confused look, wondering why she was looking back at him, when really, Alix wanted to confirm that she wasn’t hearing things. The tapping repeats, drawing her eyes to Kim who grinned smugly at her.

Scowling, she elects to ignore him by adamantly glaring at the board, but couldn’t resist the temptation to retaliate as she mutters, “Nobody likes a smug asshole.”

“Yeah? Well Ondine likes me,” Kim smugly stated in return, like a smug asshole.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” Alix huffed.

“Duh,” Kim stated, and it was that infuriating tone from back in their elementary school days where he would roll his eyes as if she said something dumb. “I’m interested in hearing what you guys plan on doing, though,” he stated, and at this, Alix finally deems him worthy enough for her to actually look back at him. “Ondine’s a part of your faction, if I remember correctly.”

“That doesn’t mean she was a part of the court, though,” Alix scoffed, her eyes darting to the back, where Marinette sat. “I don’t even know if she intends to keep her court the same, especially because we’ve been acting as bystanders.”

“True,” Kim easily acknowledges, and it was in that moment that Marinette looks up and makes eye contact with Alix. “But you’re forgetting one important thing.”

“And what’s that?” Alix finds herself asking, though she already knows the answer.

“You still dye your hair pink.”

——————————

There once was a school called École primaire d'élite de Notre Dame.

Notre Dame’s Elite Elementary School.

It was a fancy rich kid school ruled by three people, and the students had taken it upon themselves to be divided by three factions.

Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta.

Fondamentaux, Charmante, and Méticuleuse.

In the English translation: Fundamental, Charming, and Meticulous.

The colours were chosen because of their faction leader’s favourite colour, the faction names to match the letter of their ruler’s first name, and the meanings carefully picked for what their leaders stood for. Despite how official it all seemed, the leaders that people had chosen to follow did nothing to encourage or dissuade them — well, except for the Charmante Faction; their leader adored all the flaunting and had a rather elaborate princess phase.

Félix Graham de Vanily was known as the Fair Emperor of the Fondamentaux Faction, sometimes being called the Frigid King for his cold demeanor. Out of the trio, he toyed with the rules, twisting them to his advantage and vastly enjoyed making bullies into a show for his own amusement and for their humiliation if they, in particular, wronged him or a close companion. It was a give and take, a businessman sort of approach, the faction out of the three that cared more for facts and logic. He wore dark blue, and so the students who admired his use of logic and manipulation took it upon themselves to wear dark blue accessories — ties and bows, watches and hair ties. He didn’t care for justice, and oft preferred to only make deals that were either fair, or were profitable for him.

Chloé Bourgeois was the Charismatic Queen of the Charmante Faction, otherwise known as the Cruel Empress. It was obvious just by knowing the girl in question that she ruled with an iron fist, commanding everyone she deemed to be beneath her. She was like her own mother at times, using sharp words to bring someone to tears and mocking them all. Unlike Félix, she was self-interested, a fact that never seemed to change with time. She always wore a golden yellow, and her followers would follow behind wearing gold jewelry and accessories — showy, fashionable, and noticeable. Out of the three factions, she was the only one to make her vocal approval and encouraged it by acting as if she were an actual princess, and it didn’t help the fact that she was spoiled beyond comparison.

And then there was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the Mirthful Majesty of the Méticuleuse Faction, often being seen as the Miraculous Princess for her creative problem-solving and uplifting smiles. Everyone seemed to be in the same mindset that Marinette was a Disney Princess, the sweet McNamara of the three Heathers, despite being the faction that donned on all the shades of red. While Félix was known to be the businessman, while Chloé acted as the queen bee, Marinette was the sweet princess — a bit of a joke, considering that she was the daughter of two incredibly successful bakers, but it was a genuine compliment. People didn’t seek her out like they would for Félix for his connections, nor did they wax poetry and adored Chloé, but her admirers outnumbered both factions because of Marinette’s vast popularity among the student body. Her fans all took to wearing reds and pinks, some would even dye their hair to show her their devotion — anything was fine, so long as they ensured that they would not be an eyesore to the budding fashion designer.

Unlike the others, she was often behind schemes that would get rid of corrupt teachers. Meanwhile, Félix was the sort to use and gather as much information as he possibly could. Chloé was the one who would throw tantrums on occasion while conspiring to get others in trouble. It was expected for the trio to get along like oil and water, meaning not at all. Instead, their friendship closely resembled the three primary colours. They worked together to purge the school of anything they found distasteful, strangely becoming friends throughout it all.

They were called Les Trois Primaires — The Three Primaries.

#wynter writes #felinette #fic: elementaire #fic: élémentaire #ml salt fic #hbic marinette #rich marinette #//long post

474 notes · View notes

aliensunflower-fics · 4 years

Text

Marinette’s Big Fall: An angsty Prompt

[ I have had not one. Not two. But THREE anonymous asks for some Miraculous ladybug angst with a pinch of salt SO here you go. Also because people keep asking me if they can make fics from my prompts I will just put here that YES you can I will love you if you do, please just tag me so I can squeal. I always love fan-art and I always love fics based off my ideas just go nuts guys. ]

If you asked the students of Bustier’s classroom what happened that sunny tuesday at 1:36pm they would all tell you it was an accident. None of them had meant for anything to happen and none of them had so much as laid a finger on the dark haired girl. It was just an accident that was all, but still their faces would lose blood and they would shake as they remembered the sight of Marinette Dupain-Cheng laying still as a stone at the bottom of the stairs. If you asked them to start at the beginning they would take a shaky breath and start their tale at the first warning bell of the school day, before Marinette had arrived and when Lila Rossi did.

The italian had for months been telling them of Marinette’s misdeeds and though many were proven to be false it seemed like not a day went by where Lila didn’t have some new to say about the bakers daughter. That days newest tale was about how Marinette had ruined Lila’s photoshoot at the park with Adrien. It was suppose to be a romantic shoot for valentines day and Marinette had arrived at the park where it was taking place with little Manon. Lila claimed that Marinette bribed the child into pushing Lila into the fountain during the shoot thus ruining the whole thing and making her look bad in front of the employer. Now hearing this story the students of Bustier’s class felt mixed Marinette was prone to fits of jealousy but would she really bring a child into it? Some were angry at Marinette for her repeated felonies some were unsure and one other a certain Adrien Agreste still had no idea what everyone meant about Marinette being jealous and while he knew that Lila had ended up in the water and that it was Manon who did it... He also knew for a fact that Marinette was in no way involved.

The debate over Marinette’s innocence would last until the young designer arrived then the class would fall into steely silence all fuming and grumbling trying to justify the Marinette they knew and loved with the jealous green eyed monster Lila suffered under. As they day wore on Alya always the seeker of truth began badgering Marinette trying to get to the bottom of the whole affair, and while Marinette admitted to being at the park and admitted to babysitting Manon and yes she even confirmed that Lila wound up in the fountain she claimed no responsibility arguing that little Manon had just wanted a hug from Adrien and had accidentally shoved the italian. This information spurred only new arguments though they happened without Marinette’s knowledge in back and forth messages when the teachers back was turned. Lila meanwhile continued to weave her web sending her own messages to the class with new accusations and ‘evidence’ something had to give as the tensions rose and at exactly 1:00 when Mme. Bustier stepped out something did give indeed.

No one really remembers the argument only who was leading it. Alya was a good person a bit too trusting and maybe a bit too gullible and brash but she always protected the weak and thats why Marinette loved her. The problem was right now Alya thought the one who needed that protection was one Lila Rossi. Marinette did her best to diffuse the situation she argued that it was a child’s mistake that Lila should let it go. Alya argued that Marinette always had issues with jealousy and that she needed to fess up and apologize. Marinette would no apologize for something she didn’t do and so the argument continued, classmates joined in things got more and more heated in the spur of the moment with everyone yelling and Lila sobbing Alya snapped and said two things she never should have. One she told Marinette they were no longer friends unless Marinette stopped being jealous. And two, she revealed just why Marinette was ‘jealous’ her crush on Adrien Agreste. The moment the words left her mouth Alya was hit with regret, the moment she saw embarrassment in her friends face and tears hot and fresh welling in her eyes she was hit with shame. No one spoke as the bakers daughter let out a choked sob but suprising them all it wasn’t an accusation of anger at Alya for outing her secret that left the dark haired girls lips it was a quiet shaky and broken:

“W-Were not friends a-anymore?” Followed by yet another choked and heartbroken sob.

Before Alya or anyone could answer the girl bolted for the door shaking with sobs. Everyone stood shocked still for a moment before Adrien bolted up and rushed after the girl the rest of the class followed. But they never reached Marinette in time. In her distressed state the pigtailed girl had tried to make a break for home but she was clumsy and clumsier still when upset so when she rushed down the stair she tripped and everyone could only watch in silent horror as the bakers daughter only managed to let out a gasp before her body slammed into the hard concrete. When the students of Bustier’s recalled everything later they would note with some shock that it was Chloe who moved first yelling out Marinette’s name, not her last name no, just her name as she rushed down the stairs and to the dark haired girls side. She noted the young girl wasn’t responding and quickly snapped for Sabrina to phone an ambulance while she continued to monitor Marinette. No one else would move, Alya would cry silently and in horror as Chloe called out to Marinette and checked her pulse, Nino would clutch his hat and stare mouth agape as Marinette lay like a lifeless corpse, Adrien Agreste would fall to his knees at the top of that stairs his eyes like saucers as he tried to comprehend what had happened. And Lila Rossi? She would feel every bit of blood in her body turn into ice as guilt gripped onto her and told her that this, all of this was because of HER.

Everything that happened next was a blur, the ambulance arrived Marinette was driven away with Chloe of all people. The police arrived, Bustier and Damocles felt there sweat turn cold as they were questioned, the other students of the school would stand around murmuring and pointing at the Akuma Class Rose would hear the kinder people ask what happened in hushed tone, Juleka would hear the crueler people say that the Akuma class had tried to kill the one person they couldn’t akumatize. Soon enough parents arrived and dragged away their children Kim and Alix would notice the small patch of blood on the concrete where Marinette landed, they would later puke thinking about it, but they told no one of what they had seen.

Meanwhile on the way to the hospital Tikki was in a panic, her dearest chosen her most precious and rare creation soul was BROKEN so many bones and bits of her body were mangled beyond repair... Well beyond NORMAL repair but Tikki was a god, a sentimental god at that and she would not let heaven or hell get in the way of her helping Marinette survive no matter the cause. And so sitting silently, hidden in the girls hair out of sight of the paramedic and Chloe who was telling them all she knew of Marinette’s medical background Tikki used her magic to mend all she could, she would make sure that her sweet precious Marinette would be alright but while she mended the broken body Tikki knew that there would be a price to pay. Magic always came with a price. In the past when she’d used her magic to heal holders this way some had lost their eyesight, others their voices, some would lose a limb, Tikki had no idea that cost Marinette would pay but she knew whatever it was her precious little bug would be alright.

And she was. The doctors were shocked to find that while Marinette had a broken leg and two broken ribs, some deep cuts that would never fully heal, and some awful bruising that would leave the girl sore for who knows how long she was in fact just fine. There was no internal bleeding, and no serious brain trauma, and somehow she’d be just fine to walk when her leg healed up. Sabine and Tom cried tears of joy at the news and stayed by the young girls side. Tikki was also pleased with the news from her hidden spot where she lay utterly exhausted. She knew still that their would be a price to pay but at least Marinette was alive and well. The bakers daughter did not wake up until early the next day and when she did she was mobbed by her parents. She smiled at their concern and when the doctor came in to greet her he decided to check her memory.

“Standard procedure.” He said. “It’s not unusual for there to be some minor memory loss surrounding the incident itself were just going to check.”

And so the questions began. They started with things like her birthday, and her parents names and ages, then they moved on to recent events, so far no problems. Finally they asked about the day itself and the ‘incident’ in questions Marinette opened her mouth to answer then paused thoughtfully. She couldn’t remember. Not unusual assured the doctor, and then he returned to asking other questions probing gently to ensure everything was alright, and it seemed to be up until the doctor asked a simple question.

“What’s your best friends name? And can you describe them.”

Marinette froze and stayed silent. Tikki suddenly felt a strange twist in her tummy. Sabine and Tom looked at their daughter uncertainly. Finally after a long pause. Marinette spoke with a strained laugh.

“I uhh dont remember having one sir.” Sabine felt her stomach suddenly drop, hidden away behind a plant Tikki felt the same thing.

Concerned by the answer the doctor probed more with Tom and Sabine joining in. The answers were startling. Marinette Dupain-Cheng had forgotten every single person that was present when she fell down the stairs. She could recall other students at the school and her teacher, but all the students of her own class? She could not recall their names or their faces. When her parents asked about a specific memory the first time Nino and Marinette met and became friends. Marinette’s eyes lit up. She remembered the event, she remembered someone being bullied and helping them and then they became friends. Her parents were hopeful and the doctor calmly asked Marinette to tell them who the bully was and who the person being bullied was. At that all Marinette did was frown and hold her head. She could remember the incident but... The faces of the bully and the one being bullied were blacked out she had no idea who they were. They tried asking her if she knew the bullied boys favorite things, she had no idea, his name? Nothing. Favorite color? Nope. It was odd extremely so and the only theory the doctor could offer was trauma based memory lose triggered by stress and the possible incident surrounding her accident.

Later when her parents left and it was safe. Tikki emerged and was overjoyed to learn that Marinette remembered her and being ladybug. Tikki was a bit worried about the holes in her dear chosens memories but she knew that this was the price Marinette had payed. She got to keep her life and all her limbs and eyes but she had lost something precious, her friends, they were now black holes burned into faded memories. And it extended into her superhero life. Marinette knew Rena Rouge she could remember her powers and her skill, but when Tikki asked who she was Marinette could only frown and hold her head as it throbbed. Alya, Nino, everyone even Adrien were gone, Marinette had the memories but no faces, no names, no attachment she had lost her friends. Tikki felt guilty of course and told Marinette as much but the young girl just kissed her Kwami’s head and confidently said that they would figure it out.

It had been a week sense Marinette’s big fall. And the students of Bustier’s class sat restless in their seats. None of them had been able to check up on Marinette as her parents had forbidden visitors and the bakers themselves were illusive now a days as they kept close to the hospital keeping their daughter company. All anyone knew was that Marinette was alive, and while that was great news it wasn’t enough. And to make matters perhaps more odd then Marinette’s disappearance was the complete inactivity by Hawkmoth. It was as if he was busy dealing with something else. Like maybe his teenage son who had been expressing all of his teenage rebellion and angst in a concentrated dose ever sense a certain bakers daughter had fallen down the stairs. Adrien was indeed the most miserable about the whole situation, he’d given up on bathing, moped all day, snapped at Lila for even opening her mouth, and was refusing to care for himself or attend any and all photoshoots and extra curricular activities. Adrien’s rebellion was causing big problems for Gabriel’s business and he was stuck rushing about trying to re-organize events and juggle his son who had become terrifyingly good at escaping the house to go to school no matter what kind of locks were installed.

As the day wore on for Bustier’s students ignored the looks given to them by the other students in the school. More then a few of them blamed them squarely for what had happened to Marinette while others shot them looks of sympathy or concern. The class as a whole looked like they were from a bad zombie movie, but the one who looked perhaps the worse of them all was Lila Rossi, while some would try and argue its because of how bad she felt for poor Marinette others would recognize that she seemed paranoid and on edge with her eyes darting about and how quick she was to defend herself against even the smallest assumed accusation against her. Finally lunch rolled around and like the mob of zombies they were the students of Bustier’s class walked mindlessly to the cafeteria that is until one of them spotted a familiar looking girl though her hair was no longer in pigtails and her clothing had changed it was undoubtedly her! The class rushed forward with a surge catching the attention of the whole school who watched the exchange curiously. Apologies were hurled out questions were yelled and poor Marinette looked overwhelmed silence only came when Sabine stepped forward with a warning look though there was an odd glint of pity and sadness in her eyes. Finally it was Alya who broke the silence.

“Marinette! We are SO sorry, please can you find it in your heart to forgive us?” The Ladybloger was holding back tears and no one had heard her voice that shaky before. After a long pause Marinette spoke.

“U-Umm... Hey listen I dont... Really know what your apologizing for... And uh I dont really know who you are but... Umm sure of course I forgive you! You seem very nice?”

The crowd was stunned. Marinette had no idea who ALYA was? Her best friend? The girl she’d fought with last? Sensing the tension in the room Tom gently guided Marinette away shooting Sabine an odd look. Both parents had hoped that seeing her old school would jolt Marinette’s memory but it seemed that even her best friends face wasn’t enough to bring back what had been lost. As Tom helped Marinette climb the stairs with her cast. Sabine took a deep breath and proceeded to explain what she could. That Marinette had lost... Some memories, specifically relating to people who had been around during her accident... She didn’t remember any of them and no one not even the doctors or Tikki herself could change that. As Sabine apologized for what must surely be a shock she excused herself to follow her daughter and husband to the principles office so they could discuss the situation.

For the students of the akuma class life felt like it had been turned sideways. Lila who had been consumed by guilt had begun to hyperventilate. Alya felt slapped and raw her best friend had no idea who she was and the last thing she had done before Marinette forgot all about her was denounce their friendship. For Kim and Nino their were tears and disbelief the girl that they had known sense childhood had no idea who they were and regarded them like any stranger on the side of the road. For Chloe there was the oddest feeling of heartbreak, now she would never know if Marinette could truly forgive her, because the Marinette to whom she’d been so cruel was all but gone. But it was perhaps Adrien who was hit the hardest, Adrien who had learned that Marinette liked him the day of the accident, Adrien who had watched her fall, who had not rushed to check on her, Adrien who had felt torn by guilt confused about his feelings, Adrien who felt like the world had lost the sun with Marinette gone, Adrien who had wanted Marinette to come back so he could see she was okay and ask her on the date she deserved, and now Adrien who meant nothing to her because she had no idea who he was.

As for the rest of the students of Dupont? Well many of them were overjoyed to know Marinette remembered them at least but they felt pity for the akuma class but many others wondered what the future held. Would Marinette’s old friends try and rekindle their friendships? Would they bring photos and music and videos to try and bring back the girls memories? Or would new friends take the place of the old and forgotten? Would Adrien continue down his path of rebellion fighting for a place in Marinette’s heart once more, or would he return to being a docile lamb under his fathers thumb his heart and mind numb due to the shock of it all. Would Lila Rossi return to her old ways? Would she crack under the feelings of guilt and shame? Or would she go mad and attack Marinette. How many people would forever flinch and rush to offer Marinette help whenever she so much as when near a flight of stairs? Would it be possible to anyone to reclaim Marinette’s lost memories or would new ones need to be made? No one knew. But they did know for certain that things would be different from now on.

[ Wanna Support Me? Donate HERE! ]

[ Wanna Read More? Masterlist HERE! ]

#my fic #lila salt #ml salt #ml salt prompt #lila salt prompt #ml prompt #alya salt #class salt #protective Adrien #adrinette #chloe sugar #Marinette deserves better

2K notes · View notes

ravennm84 · 4 years

Text

Marinette Family Court Reveal

After the overwhelming resonse I received from Marinette Family Court Circus, how could I not write a sequel? This story focuses more on what was going on with the class and what they’re seeing on the news. There will be some salt coming, so have a glass of water on hand. Anyways, Warm-Fuzzies and please enjoy!!

The class was in a state of shock. In the span of 24 hours, there was so much joy and tragedy. Gathered at Alya’s apartment, they watched TVi news as Hawkmoth and Mayura were unmasked as Gabriel Agreste and his assistant, Nathalie. The class was in an uproar for a while, wondering if Adrien had been involved.

Lila shed tears, real ones, at the loss of her modeling job and the chance to keep Adrien as a trophy boyfriend. Now, he was useless to her. Anything to do with him would be toxic to her reputation, her only chance was to use her tears and claim that she’d had no idea that he was involved in such things. That he must have been trying to use her to get close to her mother to have international backing. Luckily, her classmates were such sheep that no one questioned what she said. They just comforted her, even ignoring the announcement of Adrien being exonerated of any charges, beyond a reasonable doubt, a few hours later.

The following day in class, Mme. Bustier came in and announced that not only had Adrien been pulled out of school for his own safety, but Marinette would not be attending for a while. “I’m afraid that she was in a terrible accident and has been put in the hospital.”

“How bad?” Alya asked, standing from her chair.

“She’s alive, but I’m afraid that her parents and grandmother were killed in a fatal car accident.”

From there, gossip flew all around the room. How bad had it been? How hurt was Marinette? Do you think the accident was Marinette’s fault?

What?

They weren’t sure who asked that question, but it brought up other things. How she’d been acting strange the past few months. The way she’d distanced herself from everyone in class. How she’d been bullying Lila when she thought no one was looking. Always calling Lila a liar even though she had no proof. It was clear to everyone that she was a troubled girl, but the idea that she’d caused the accident and killed her parents and grandmother? That didn’t seem like the girl they knew.

Still, they weren’t sure. So, no one really reached out to her in the hospital. No one called or went to visit to see if she was alright. Except Lila, she put the fear of her bully aside and went to check on her, only to call Alya crying an hour later.

“I don’t understand why she hates me so much.” Lila sobbed on Alya’s couch and the spectacled girl rubbed her friend’s back. “All I did was tell her that I was worried about her, but she yelled at me and told me to get out of the room. But I can’t blame her. I think she’s just scared.”

“Of course she’s scared, she just lost her family-”

“No, she killed her family!” Lila stressed, looking freaked out. “She admitted it to me, like she didn’t think anyone would believe me! She said she distracted her father while he was driving and caused the crash since they were starting to get wise to how she really is, and that her grandmother was just ‘collateral damage’. I didn’t think anyone could be so cruel!”

Alya was in shock. She hadn’t thought that Marinette, someone she used to think of as a friend, would ever do something like that. Especially to her own family. But… Lila had never lied to her, why would she start now? “Do the police know about this?”

Lila shook her head. “I’m not sure. But I do know that she’s talking to a lawyer, she’s probably going to get her inheritance and disappear before anyone figures out what she’s done.”

“Don’t worry, girl. I won’t let her get away with this.”

“What are you going to do?” Lila asked, her voice trembling.

“Whatever I need to do to get justice for Tom and Sabine.”

~oOo~

To say that the reaction Alya got from the Paris Police Department when told them that she had a source that Marinette had killed her family in order to collect her inheritance and disappear… it hadn’t been well received. Officer Roger came to the interrogation room personally, seeing as how she was in his daughter’s class, as Alya sat with her extremely angry parents.

“Do you want to explain why you just tried to file a false police report?” Officer Roger asked her.

“It’s not false! I have a source.”

“And who might that be?”

She hesitated at that, Lila had begged her to keep her name out of it. “I’m not really comfortable saying.”

“Then how exactly did this source of yours, gain this information?”

Thinking it over for a moment, she decided that was okay. “It was someone that visited Marinette, she admitted to my source that she purposefully distracted her father while he was driving and caused the crash.” When Officer Roger looked even angrier, she knew that must have been right and he didn’t want to admit that he’d been wrong.

At least…

“Mlle. Cesaire, as this has been made public knowledge, allow me to tell you exactly how wrong your source is. Firstly, Tom Dupain was not driving the car, Gina Dupain was driving. As for Marinette causing the accident, that’s also untrue. Street cameras confirm that four university students ran a red light and struck their car. The driver of the other car even confessed to having been drinking and causing the accident.”

Alya was in shock. Tom hadn’t been driving and Marinette hadn’t caused the accident… that would mean…

“Hate to break it to you Mlle. Cesaire, but whoever your source is has lied to you and caused you to be charged with filing a false police report.”

All the way home, Alya’s parents were scolding her for even thinking that Marinette could do such a thing. “She has always been such a good friend to you, and don’t think we don’t know about all the times you had Marinette watch Ella and Etta while you went off on dates with Nino. I bet you never even offered to pay her for babysitting the girls, did you?” Her father snapped as he parked the car outside their apartment building.

“And what about all the dresses and handmade gifts she gave you, some for no reason at all. Did you ever even thank her for those? And still, you accuse her of killing her entire family and almost getting herself killed for money? Why would you ever believe that?”

Seeing no reason to keep it to herself anymore, she told them. She told them how Marinette seemed to change when her new friend, Lila, came to school. How she had been calling her a liar just because she was jealous about the glamorous life she lived, the celebrities she knew, and her crush on Adrien. How she kept on accusing Lila of lying and faking injuries, even to the point of hurting her when Marinette threw a napkin at her and strained her sprained wrist. And then, when Marinette had been expelled, how she had accused Lila of being behind the whole thing.

When she was finished explaining, she thought for sure that she’d convinced her parents. Then she saw the looks on their faces.

“Alya, at any point, did you ever look up any of Lila’s claims?” Her mother asked in a slow, even voice.

“Now you sound like Marinette!”

“You do not talk to your mother like that!” Her father snapped before taking a deep breath to steady himself. Even without Hawkmoth around, it was difficult for people to express themselves as they used to. “Alya, I want you to take out your phone and look up any articles that have to do with Jagged Stone and Lila Rossi.”

Realizing how upset her parents were, she did what her father told her, knowing that she would find the proof in a couple minutes and they would see that Marinette…

Her phone read 1 result found: the Ladyblog.

Confused, she looked up any connection between Lila and Bruce Wayne. She said that she was practically a member of the family and that she and Damien Wayne were…

1 result found: the Ladyblog

Her hands were beginning to shake as she did her search for Lila and Tony Stark, that had to be true! She had talked about meeting him over video chat in class and how they’d talked about…

1 result found: the Ladyblog

Search after search, it was all the same. Lila and Clara Nightingale, Lila and Prince Ali, Lila and XY, Lila and the Avengers, Lila and Ladybug: 1 result found: the Ladyblog.

“I-I don’t understand?”

“Did you, at any time, check your sources before posting them?” Her mother asked, but Alya didn’t answer. She’d thought that Lila’s word had been enough, but… “This Lila girl has been lying to you, and apparently she’s been bullying someone who you used to think was a real friend. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

And she really was. She’d turned on Marinette, accusing her of being a jealous bully that had killed her own family, all on the word of a liar. So when her parents grounded her and told her that she was to shut down the Ladyblog, she didn’t argue. The blog was so full of lies that she would never be able to use it as a credible source for work experience in the future, if she even had a future in journalism anymore.

~oOo~

The next day at school, Alya could barely lift her eyes to meet anyone around her. Her mother said that she should be ashamed, and she was. She was ashamed, mortified, depressed, and all together hating herself after spending the entire night thinking of all the cruel and terrible things she had said to and about her former friend. She wasn’t going to delude herself thinking that she and Marinette could ever be friends again, she didn’t deserve her after throwing her aside for a bunch of fake stories and glittery lies.

But there was still one thing she could do. It wouldn’t make things right but it would probably be something Marinette would have done if she could have. So Alya got to class early and connected her laptop to the overhead projector. When everyone, barring Adrien and Marinette got to class. She got down to business.

“Everyone, I’ve got something very important to tell you, it has to do with Marinette.” She could already hear the murmurs around the classroom, Lila must have messaged them the lies while she’d been at the police station. “I want to start by saying that we have been misinformed. After speaking with the police and doing a ton of research, I can say with close to 100% certainty that Marinette never bullied Lila and that Lila has been lying to us since she got here.”

Before Lila could say anything, Alya brought up her first powerpoint slide. “I did a search last night on all the connections that Lila’s told us about with Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark, Prince Ali, and many others; and they all came up the same thing” The slide showed a screen shots of her searches, showing the only result being the Ladyblog.

“Lila also told me the other day, how she went to visit Marinette and she confessed that she distracted her father while he was driving to cause the accident and kill her family so she could collect her inheritance.” Alya switched slides to the news article on the accident. “Yet the police report, traffic cameras, and witnesses all claim that to be false. Marinette’s grandmother was driving. The other driver admitted to running the light and causing the accident. And seeing as Marinette has never hid her dislike of Lila, it’s highly doubtful that she would even let Lila into her hospital room, let alone tell her something like that.”

The class had been staring at the slides in a state of shock until Alya finished speaking. Then all of them were whipping out their phones to do their own searches. Lila looked to be in a state of panic, unsure if she could bring anyone back to her side after showing all this evidence and everyone suddenly looking things up themselves.

“Oh, and Lila,” Alya said in a slightly sweet voice that made the italian glare. “So you know, my parents grounded me when the police charged me for filing a false police report after what you told me. They also decided to call the embassy to talk to your mother directly. I hope you at least get into as much trouble as you tried to do to Marinette.”

The girl didn’t want to stick around to find out, she was about to run out of the class but Mme. Bustier entered a second later and told everyone to take their seats. Lila tried to get herself excused multiple times, but the teacher just said “I understand that you must be upset by everything that has happened, but please know that you don’t have to leave the room to cry. This is a safe place again, and we are here for you.”

Before Lila’s 4th attempt to be excused, M. Damocles’ assistant knocked on the door and said that Lila was required in the office. The girl shot Alya an if-I-could-kill-you-now-I-would look before gathering her things and stomping out of the classroom. Alya hoped that she would never see the girl again.

Then just before lunch, Markov came on and alerted everyone that the news was talking about Marinette. Mme. Bustier turned the projector back on and plugged Markov in. Sure enough, there was Marinette, looking much worse for wear. She was in a wheelchair with her right leg and arm in casts. They could see cuts healing on her exposed skin and she was much more pale than the last time they saw her. But what really caught the class’ attention, was what the bar read at the bottom of the screen. “Custody battle between Stark, Wayne, and Stone”.

The camera switched from Marinette to Jagged Stone. “Tom and Sabine were like family to me, some of the most rock’n’roll folks I’ve ever met. When I got the call saying that they were gone and Marinette had no one else, all I could think about was being there for the rockin’ little lady. She is the kindest, smartest, and most talented girl I’ve ever met. Whatever it takes, I’m going to do what I can to help her.”

Then the camera went to Tony Stark. “Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng were the kind of people others should strive to be; they stood up for what was right and let you know if you were wrong. I was on the receiving end of their lectures more than once, and they’re probably one of the reasons why I put on the suit over and over again. They helped make me a better man… and now they’re gone. I can never repay them for how they helped me, the least I can do is try to give their daughter a safe environment to heal.”

Finally, the camera came to Bruce Wayne and his sons. “I know the pain of losing one's parents when you’re young, it’s not something I would wish on anyone. But I had a support system when I was young, one of those people was Gina Dupain, a wonderful woman that forced me to see that there was still good in the world. She passed that goodness and strength to Tom Dupain and was lucky enough to find a good woman like Sabine. The fact that they are gone from the world… all I could think when I heard of their passing was how dark the world would become without the three of them. But there is also so much goodness in their daughter, Marinette. If I can have the opportunity; I just hope that I can do for Marinette, what Gina did for me.”

When the camera switched again, it came to Nadja Chamack, who looked a little teary eyed. “This story has been admittedly difficult for me to remain objective, as I know… knew the family personally. I do agree with Jagged Stone, Tony Stark, and Bruce Wayne in saying that Tom, Sabine, and Gina were wonderful people and it is a great loss that they are no longer with us. TVi news will continue to follow this story as it develops. Back to you, Alec.”

Mme. Bustier’s class watched the news in total shock. They’d had no idea that Marinette knew Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne, but how could they have forgotten that she knew Jagged Stone and Nadja Chamack. Hell, Alya had even watched Manon with her more than once.

All the things Lila had promised them, Marinette probably could have done and more. She could have introduced Kitty Section and Nino to Jagged Stone and given them an in to the music industry. Computer programming and robotics for Max, there was no one better known in the industry than Tony Stark. Business and charities, an introduction to Bruce Wayne could have done wonders for Chloe, Sabrina, and Mylene. If Alya had even asked while they were still friends, Marinette may have asked Nadja if they were offering any internships at TVi for her. And even if her former friend didn’t have any obvious contacts in sports for Kim, or art for Alix and Nathaniel; with the way her name was getting out there with her fashion designs, she’d have probably made connections within the next few years.

A look around the room told Alya that the class was thinking the same thing. If they had just listened to their friend, instead of calling her jealous. If they had looked into a single thing Lila said instead of blindly following her. If they had even just gone to visit Marinette in the hospital rather than leave her alone during the hardest time of her life… No, they had no right to ask anything of her and all of them knew it.

Later that day, just before school let out for the day, Markov alerted everyone that Marinette was leaving the courthouse and the little robot was reconnected to the projector. What they saw was Marinette giving a small smile, her lawyer looking relieved, and the three men smiling fondly at the teenage girl. When the reporters started firing questions at them they were silenced when Marinette raised her good arm and motioned for everyone to calm down before pointing to Nadja.

“Has the judge come to a decision on the subject of custody?” Nadja asked, pointing her microphone at Marinette. Only to be answered by her lawyer, the bar listed his name as M. Contere.

“Mlle. Dupain-Cheng and I have presented a proposal to the judge, it has yet to be finalized but I will say that it holds potential.”

Marinette pointed to another reporter, who had been politely raising his hand. “Mssrs. Stone, Stark, and Wayne seem to be in high spirits, does this indicate that the final decision will allow for all parties to have interactions with Mlle. Dupain-Cheng?”

M. Contere kept a straight, professional face, but everyone could see the happy crinkle at the corner of his eyes. “Although I cannot, at this time, comment on the specifics of the proposal, I will say that it is in the best interests of my client.”

Marinette chose a young girl who looked a bit overwhelmed but smiled gratefully. “This question is directed to Mssrs. Stone, Stark, and Wayne. What kind of accommodations are you planning on making if receiving custody?”

The three men shared a look before smiling at the young reporter.

“Anything Marinette will need to heal and make a future for herself,” Bruce Wayne began.

“And probably a bunch of things she’ll say she doesn’t need, but will end up giving her anyway, since she deserves everything.” Tony Stark smiled down at her, earning a you-better-not look from Marinette, and caused a few reporters to chuckle.

“All of us here see this rockin’ little lady as family, these custody hearings will make it official. I can say with great certainty that, no matter what the judge decides, myself and these two men will do everything in our power to help her in any way we can.” Jagged said, as he placed a gentle hand on top of Marinette’s head.

M. Contere pointed at a different reporter this time, and was visibly surprised by the question. “There has been a rumor going around that Marinette purposefully caused the accident to collect her inheritance, any comment?”

The three powerful men that were standing behind Marinette became visibly upset and Marinette began to cry. Before Jagged Stone, Tony Stark, or Bruce Wayne could advance on the reporter to demand where he had heard such a claim, their lead lawyers stepped forward. The intimidating force that the three of them exuded was enough that all of the reporters took a few steps back.

“That question is a blatant falsehood that was founded by rumor, not facts,” stated the Stone lawyer in a cold voice as he stared down the reporter who asked the question.

The Wayne lawyer continued, speaking clearly so no one would mishear or misquote what was said. “As stated in the police report and other sources, the accident was caused when a group of university students failed to yield at a red light and struck the Dupain-Chengs’ vehicle. The driver has already pleaded guilty to charges of DUI, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, and vehicular assault.”

The camera panned over to Tony Stark’s lawyer, as he finished speaking quietly to the three men before turning back to the camera. “These comments have also come to the attention of the Paris Police Department, as someone attempted to file a false police report on the matter. After a brief discussion with Mssrs. Stone, Wayne, and Stark, they have agreed to work together, along with the PPD, to find the source of these rumors and see the individual brought up on charges of slander, harassment, and defamation of character; among other charges.”

“No more questions,” M. Contere said as he and the other lawyers escorted their clients away from the courthouse. The reporters tried to ask more questions, but were met with icy looks and ‘no comment”.

Alya couldn’t help but smile at that. After school, when Officer Roger came to pick up Sabrina, she would tell him exactly who her source was. She would tell who her “source” had been and all the things she’d said about Marinette since she’d started attending school. She would show him all the recordings on her blog before it was shut down and send him video copies of Lila’s interviews as evidence. If she was lucky, Lila would also be charged for slandering Jagged Stone, Tony Stark, and Bruce Wayne; as well as Marinette.

Again, Alya knew that this wouldn’t fix her friendship with Marinette, but it was also the right thing to do. And for the first time in a long time, she was going to be on the side of good.

Taglist:

@whydoexamsexist @geekydragonyt @thornalchemist23

@maribat-is-lifeblood @ironspiderstark @miyla-lokidottir

@futursworld @luveverything12 @dreamkitty25

@smolplantmum @imablinkmarvelarmy @moonlitiiminie

@chez-pezeater

#ml fic #marinette deserves better #maribat #ml au #bruce wayne #tony stark #jagged stone #marinette dupain cheng #alya salt #alya redemption #lila salt #lila gets exposed #class salt #mlbjustice

2K notes · View notes

justcourttee · 4 years

Note

An Akuma shows up at school for a specific target in Mind: Bustier. Revealing the Akuma was an former student and wants retribution for her ‘teachings’ of being a ‘good example’ made a negative impact on their mental and emotional health. Mainly Bustier facing the consequences of her actions, and revealed a lot more have suffered. No class bashing, or salt. Except doing to Lila and Bustier

I like this prompt so much and I couldn’t wait to finish it! Hope it was close to what you imagined!

Karma

Marinette paced the hallway outside the door of her classroom waiting for Mme. Bustier to meet her there for what she could guess would be yet another lecture on being the bigger person. It was so frustrating.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention as her teacher finally arrived, a small frown gracing her face.

“Now Marinette, I don’t understand what is going on between you and Lila, but you need to be the bigger person here like you always are. You know she has a disease and your outburst in class was unacceptable.”

“But Mme. Bustier! She was spreading lies about my friend! Adrien isn’t here to rebuttal for himself but I know he wouldn’t appreciate her lying about their relationship.”

Marinette crossed her arms in deviance only earning a dissatisfied headshake from her favorite teacher. Her heart sank a little at the idea that Bustier really meant for her to apologize to Lila yet again.

She didn’t even bother waiting for her response as she slunk back towards the door, already giving in before the argument could even begin. Her hand reached toward the handle only pausing when she heard a soft gasp from behind.

Marinette turned just in time to see a woman enveloped in the purple smoke that could only point to one thing. An akumanization.

“Mme. Bustier, let’s go.”

Marinette used all of her strength to pull her teacher out of her daze as they made a beeline down the stairs, away from the emerging victim. Without thinking, Marinette brought her phone to her ear, the number already dialing before her foot hit the ground level.

“Hey girl, what happened with Bustier? Are-”

“No time Alya, akuma outside the classroom, ring the alarm and lock the door, Bustier and I are going to be fine but help everyone else.”

She didn’t wait for a response as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. They were mere steps away from the lockers when a figure dropped in front of Marinette causing her to skid to a stop.

“Caline Bustier, I see you are still the same. Coddling the bully’s feelings and dropping all responsibility for their actions on innocent students.”

Bustier tried to shake her head, deny the accusation but she couldn't find her voice. The woman cocked her head at Marinette as if trying to decide if she was worth the trouble to get to the teacher. Deciding she wasn’t, she lowered what looked like a ribbon extending from her sleeve.

“Little girl, please go, be free. I will take care of Bustier, make sure she never hurts you again.”

Marinette shook her in disbelief as she stared at the woman with curiosity.

“She’s never laid a hand on me, I think you have the wrong person.”

Hearing Marinette’s voice snapped Bustier out of her trance as she attempted to push Marinette behind her and out of danger. The akuma’s face softened as she reached out to gingerly cup Marinette’s cheek.

“I too used to think she was an angel too. Someone sent down to protect me from everything bad in this world, but she’s not. She manipulates you into thinking it’s your fault that the Lila’s of this world exists.”

“That’s not true, Stephanie, please. Leave Marinette out of this. You had so much potential, I didn’t want to see you waste it by stooping down to their level-”

“Hush witch, it’s Professor Karma now.” Her voice was cold sending a shiver down Marinette’s back as she turned her attention back to the girl. “It makes you disappointed in not only her but yourself too. You begin to think you’re to blame for everyone incapable of change. Being the bigger person takes a mental toll, let me help ease that for you.”

Marinette hadn’t noticed the relief that had seeped through her body originating from the woman’s touch. It was so soothing, she just wanted to give in and let her take all the weight from her shoulders.

“Stay away from her!”

Marinette’s eyes flew back open as Chat Noir landed a blow onto the akuma in front of her.

“You ruined the process! You dumb hero! I could’ve taken all her pain away for her, but you just had to step in didn’t you.”

Chat Noir took a defensive stance between the akuma and Marinette.

“That’s not what it looked like to me. You were lulling her to sleep, her body was turning blue!”

Marinette looked down at her hands as the blue faded back to her normal pale color. Gods, what had she almost done? The fight needs Ladybug and she was about to give in to the akuma for what? A little bit of relief?

She sidestepped as the akuma slung its ribbons trying to bring Chat Noir down. Marinette wasn’t sure how much longer he could last by himself, but she couldn't leave Bustier by herself. She reached forward gripping Bustier's hand, startling the woman.

“C’mon Mme Bustier, we need to get you out of here.”

The teacher still seemed in a daze, a longing look in her eyes directed toward the akuma.

“Go Marinette, hide, please. I need to be here for Stephanie.”

Marinette wanted to protest, but this was her chance. She had a better chance of helping her as Ladybug than as Marinette. Without looking backward, she made a run for the exit, trying to ignore Chat’s taunting as he continued playing his dangerous game of cat and mouse.

“Tikki, was the akuma right? Am I really taking a toll from just Mme. Bustier’s words?”

“Marinette, you’ve always done so much for your class and for that woman. Eventually, it was going to catch up with you, especially when everyone expects nothing less than perfect. Nobody’s perfect, not even us Gods.”

Marinette called on her transformation, Tikki’s words ringing in her head. She knew Mme. Bustier only meant well, she wanted to push Marinette to be her very best on all levels including her personal life, but Tikki was right, she expected perfect Marinette everyday and she was never allowed to slip up even for a moment.

It was exhausting.

Marinette charged into the scene just in time to catch a limp Chat Noir, his skin completely blue. Her eyes widened as she nudged his cheek, trying to elicit any sort of reaction from him.

“What did you do to him?!”

The akuma’s smile was almost ghastly, nothing like the sweet and caring woman that had held Marinette only minutes earlier.

“I took all his pain from him. Now he will be in a peaceful sleep. You should be grateful, after all, he’ll never be hurt again.”

Marinette felt a heat rushing to her face as she tried to level her emotions. Gently laying him to the ground, Marinette placed a small kiss on her forehead, almost recoiling from how icy he felt.

“Now, it is your turn Caline.”

Before Marinette could move, the akuma's hand had already reached Bustier’s face

“Sleep is too peaceful for you. No, you Caline Bustier will turn on your own methods and finally punish those who deserve it.”

Marinette swung her yo-yo and the woman, trying to pull her teacher away, but it was useless. She watched as Bustier turned a warm shade of orange, her pupils enlarging until all that was left of her eye was a small patch of white in the corner.

“Gods, no.” Marinette raised her hand to her mouth in horror at her former teacher.

With a renewed fury, Marinette swung forward dodging the ribbons that seemed to move on their own.

“C’mon hero, shouldn’t you be for this idea! This woman breaks down the strong and raises the bullies on thrones, she deserves every minute of her punishment.”

Marinette cried out as her yo-yo finally made contact with a small locket sitting on the akuma’s chest. A small purple butterfly quickly flitted out but her yo-yo was quicker snatching it mid-air. As she released the butterfly, she ran back to where her partner laid, the color fading from his skin as he returned to a healthier shade.

Once she was sure he was going to be fine, Marinette walked over to the victim.

“Stephanie? Are you okay?”

She crouched to where the woman was sitting, her locket opened in her hand. Risking a peek, Marinette’s heart melted at the small phrase that it held inside.

“If we wish to change the world, we must all learn to love each other. It’s what she first told me when I entered her class all those years ago.”

Marinette risked a look over to where Bustier stood. The woman’s eyes were wide with concern as she fiddled with her sleeve. Offering a hand to Stephanie, Marinette helped her stand.

“You really hurt me Caline. Do you understand how much of a perfectionist I became? It was unhealthy. I lost jobs for taking too long on projects because I knew I couldn't turn in something that wasn’t example worthy. Do you know how many raises I missed out on because I took the high road and let my coworkers walk all over me, claiming my victories as their own?”

Bustier opened her mouth and closed it as if she was a gaping fish. Marinette slowly became conscious of the gathering crowd, all watching the exchange between the two women.

“Maybe-”

The woman held a hand to Marinette’s face as she marched forward, her own eyes watering in frustration.

“Did you know that I finally got a job on the school board? I was coming to observe your class, confident that you had realized your error by now, but then do you know what I overhear? You scolding another poor young girl like you did to me all those years ago. Do you know how many people you have hurt?”

Marinette took a step backward as she helped Chat Noir to his feet, both unsure how to handle the situation in front of them.

“What do we do my lady?”

“I’m not sure there’s much we can do.”

They watched as the color drained from Bustier’s face as Stephanie took a step forward. Her eyes narrowed in on the woman as she cleared her throat.

“Let’s make one thing clear here. I’ll return at a random date to do this observation and if I feel in the slightest way that the young woman I saw or anyone for that matter is falling victim to your abuse then I will see to it that you never teach again. Understood?”

Bustier simply nodded as the woman turned on her heel, exiting the building as chaos exploded. Marinette shared a look with Chat Noir as they both swung out of the school, trying to keep neutral faces.

It wasn’t the way they would’ve handled it, but maybe a little karma is what they needed to push for a change and neither could deny how ready they were for that.

Permanent Tag List:

@damianette-is-life @ash-amg @rebecarojas07 @heaven428 @long-lost-peace @thequeenofpotatoeunicornss

#mlb fic #miraculous ladybug #bustier salt #akumatized villains

583 notes · View notes

saltymiraculer · 4 years

Text

Ceremonial Kisses (Part 1 of 3)

Part 2

So I decided to try my hand at the “Marinette, the princess of China” trope and see how I did! Tell me what you think?

Also, the first chapter is going to be fluffy, the second chapter’ll have a sprinkling of salt, and the third chapter will be a mix of piles and piles of salt and some fluff. Be warned!

“I’ve got a big, big, big announcement for you today, class!“ Bustier chirped, clapping her hands to get their attention. “China’s princess will be coronated in a week and a half, the day she turns 18, as many of you know, and one class from the school will be selected to travel to China and watch the ceremony. Guess which class it was?“

“Uhhh…Mme. Mendeleiev’s!“

“Ooh, M. D’Argencourt’s? They’ve wanted that trip for weeks!“

“No, class, it’s ours! In three days, we’ll board the plane to Asia and have a few days to sightsee and explore, then attend the coronation on the second-to-last day!“

“Wow! Why our class?“ Kim asked.

Marinette knew exactly why. Marc had told her that the entire school was sick of Lila’s lies and wanted to enjoy the coronation without her butting in in the middle of the assembly to tell a ‘story’ about herself.

But she couldn’t just say that.

“You know, I actually know the princess,“ Lila said, immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the room. “But her identity is being kept a secret for now. That’s how we landed the trip!“

“Wow, Lila!“

“That’s amazing!“

“So cool of you.“

“They know that’s stupid, right?“ Alya stage-whispered, earning a glare from Lila’s new puppy–more commonly known as Kim. She shrugged. “I’m just tellin’ the truth!“

Alya, who was now her only other supporter next to Nino (and technically Adrien, but she’d discuss that later–it was very complicated), had decided to Google Lila’s name during a sleepover and found…some rather incriminating Facebook posts.

After that, she was 100% team Marinette and an amazing friend, along with Nino, who had decided that he needed a theme song. No one knew why.

But they loved him anyways!

So while Bustier was rattling off facts about Chinese emperors and kings and queens, Nino was showing them his latest idea to expose Lila.

“Okay,“ he started. “First, we go to China. Then we do our sightseeing and shit, and then. I did some research, and we can ask the princess questions if we’re with a national news channel. Alya’s blog counts. For real, we can talk to the princess of China. And we ask her if she knows Lila.“

“Brilliant plan, Nino. I wonder how the princess will react to a few teenagers in the middle of a crowd of famous people.“

Nino frowned. “The princess is only, like, 17. She’ll probably notice us, Als.”

“Oh, that reminds me, your birthday’s on the same day as the coronation, Marinette! Weird, isn’t it? That you and the princess have the same birthday?“ Alya asked, pulling out her phone and swiping through something.

“Huh, yeah. You’re right. Maybe we can invite her to my birthday party?“

“Ooh, the wiki page says she likes custard buns, and I’m not sure how they know that,“ Nino chuckled. “but make sure to stock up on those.“

“Noted,“ Marinette said drily as Bustier turned to them with a condemning look on her face. “Alya! I hope what you’re doing on that phone relates to the lesson!“

“China’s princess’s identity is being kept a secret because the last two were sent death threats, dangerous items, highly innapropriate items, and several other things that prompted them to not reveal the princess until it was necessary.“

“C-correct, Alya. Good job.“

“Nice!“ Marinette mouthed, high-fiving Alya, who flipped her phone around to reveal a website about the princess.

-🌸-

The final bell rang as several of the students cheered. One school day until the trip over, three more to go. Alya swung her bag over her shoulder and bumped Marinette’s elbow. “We goin’ to your place to hang out?”

“Yeah, my dad’s out anyways and mom closed the bakery for the afternoon. let’s go!“ Alya took Nino’s hand and walked the short distance to Marinette’s house. They entered and immediately felt something off.

Ah, there it was.

Sabine was leaning over the counter with a cup of very strong-smelling peppermint tea beside her. She was rubbing her temples and muttering to herself in rapid Mandarin.

“Maman? Are you alright?“ Marinette asked worriedly. Alya and Nino stood by the door–they had only seen her like this once before, when her cousin had been run over and killed.

“Yes, dear, everything’s okay, it’s just–there’s something I need to tell you.“

“Oh, no, did something happen to someone?“

“No, no, everyone’s just fine. I can’t not tell you without there being serious problems.“

“So what is it? What’s so important you had to close the bakery?“

“You’re the princess. China’s princess. The one nobody knows about.“

“I’m what?!“ Marinette screeched, grabbing at her hair. “I’m the heir to the throne of the most populated country in the world, and you waited until a week before the coronation to tell me?!“

“Holy shit.“ Alya and Nino said simultaneously. Sabine stared at them, likely just realizing they were there.

“Oh. They know now, too. Perfect, that’s just what we need, a reporter knowing who–“

“Maman! Alya wouldn’t tell a soul, I know she wouldn’t.“

Sabine turned to Alya. “I’m sorry, dear, I’m just stressed. With that trip to China in a few days and all that, we’ll have to close down the bakery for about a week.”

“And we never close down the bakery.“ Marinette finished, putting a steady hand on her mom’s shoulder. “But I know just the person to run it while we’re gone.“

As she was about to say who exactly would run the bakery, Nino backed into the door, wide-eyed.

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. My best friend…holy shit.“

“Nino, I know this is a lot, but we’ll have to stay calm,“ Alya said, grabbing his hand. “So we don’t spill her secret. That’s top priority, all right? Don’t–tell–anyone.“

Nino sighed. “Sorry, babe. This…“ he turned to Marinette. “Do you have any cookies?“

Marinette grinned and led them into the kitchen. “Of course! Chocolate chunk or raspberry frosted?“

“Raspberry, all the way!“

“There’s the Nino I know!“

After a quick cookie interval, Marinette pushed her plate away and sighed. “Anyone up for an impromptu sleepover? You all left a bunch of your clothes here the last few times.”

“Marinette. If you know us, you will know our answers.“ Alya said solemnly.

“Hell yeah. Wanna go choose which terrible rom-com to watch this time?“

They ended up settling on The Kissing Booth, one of Marinette’s personal favorites (”To lighten the tension, you know?” Alya had said. “Although the tension in here probably weighs the same as an obese hippopotamus at this point.”) and made a bowl of caramel popcorn, with a tiny bag of sea-salt Skinny Pop for Nino.

“Sugar on popcorn is a crime, man. I ain’t touching that.“

“You’ve tried it once, Nino.“

“Yes, and I hated it. Is there anything else to be said?“

So they spent the next two hours in a blanket fort that was made almost entirely of throw pillows laughing over Elle and Noah and Lee being idiots, with a few highlights such as the iconic “Ninth grade skirt, eleventh grade body” scene, where Alya snorted and said “You know, Lila’s skipped so much school, might as well be ninth grade brain, eleventh grade work.”

“Too true,“ Nino agreed. “The other day, she called Chloe’s mom Aurora Bourgeois. That was a pretty major mess-up.”

“Shhh! Let’s just watch the movie!“ Marinette said, effectively quieting them down.

They watched the rest in silence with the usual laughs., ending up falling asleep halfway through the second movie, snuggled up on their respective couches. Marinette mother shook them awake the next morning, telling them to take showers and eat breakfast and get dressed and for god’s sake, Marinette, finish your homework.

“Crap, crap, crapcrapcrap! Nino, we’re going to be late if we don’t get ready fast!“ Alya shouted as Marinette ran up the stairs to change. “Can I use your shower, M?“

“Sure!“ was the muffled reply.

After about 10 minutes of running around and shoving waffles in their mouths, they grabbed their bags and ran off to school.

They burst through the door in the nick of time, the bell ringing just as they plunked down their things.

Bustier wasn’t there five minutes into the class, so they started talking.

“Marinette, you have to listen to Nino’s latest track, it’s–“ Just as she was about to describe Nino’s latest track, a bouncy-ball the size of a walrus snashed through the wall, nearly taking off Kim’s head.

There was a cackle from outside. “I am Gradack! You will all feel the same sorrow that I did!“

-🌸-

The fight was over relatively fast, and everything was calmed down and restored before their next class. Turns out Chat Noir didn’t show, so Marinette had to ask Alya for assistance.

In hindsight, she probably should have picked a better place to transform.

“Tikki, spots on!“ After she transformed, she was about to go to Fu to get one of the Miraculous, when she heard a strangled gasp.

“…shit.“

“My best friend is the princess of goddamn China and Ladybug? What the fuck?! Who are you? How did I not know? When did–“

“Alya, I know the feeling, but you can’t tell anyone. Got it?“

“Nino?“

“Well,“ Marinette paused to think. “Yeah, I guess. I trust him enough. Now, take this and transform!“ she tossed Alya the hexagonal box, and after a quick transformation, they ran off to defeat the saddened graduate of an akuma.

As she said, it was an easy fight.

They comforted the victim with four minutes (each) to spare, then ran back to the locker rooms to transform back.

Time Skip!

It was the morning of the flight to China, and she was ecstatic. Of course, she had to get up at 3:45 in the morning, but it was worth it–the flight took off at six in the morning, of course.

She could see the logic of wanting to arrive at 12:00, but she would’ve much preferred a red-eye.

Then she wouldn’t have had to stay up all night reading, because no way in hell would she just wake up at 3:45 in the morning.

The alarm would’ve had to go off for hours.

But back to the morning, she poured herself a sasquatch-sized mug of coffee, with about a gallon of cream and enough sugar to put an entire city of diabetics into shock, she started getting dressed.

Trudging around and haphazardly pulling out shirts, she finally decided on a simple red-and-orange flannel, a white t-shirt, and a pair of cropped jeans.

The she downed the rest of her coffee with an apathetic “Bottoms up!” and slapped her cheeks.

She grapped her suitcase and walked outside to where her mother was typing away on a laptop in the pitch-black night.

“Mom, why are you up?“

“Because I have to drive you to the airport, that’s why. And no alarm would be able to wake me up at 3 in the morning.“

“Preach. I’m ready to go, so can we get in the car now?“

After driving to the airport and saying goodbye to her mom, she walked into the airport and immediately saw the group of sleepy teens (and a certain disheveled teacher) leaning on their suitcases, trying not to fall asleep.

Nino and Marinette were already there, their eyelids drooping. The only person who looked properly awake was Sabrina, who was–inevitably–holding a saucer out to Chloé, who was sipping from a teacup.

Alya rolled her eyes and walked over to Marinette and Nino. “Who’re we missing?”

“Kim and Rose. They’re carpooling, so they should be here any minute.“

Just as Marinette had said, a few seconds later, Rose and Kim walked into the airport. Kim was still wearing pajama pants.

Another Time Skip!

“Marinette.“ Alya groaned, shaking Marinette’s shoulders. “Marinette, wake up, we’re here.“

Marinette’s eyes fluttered open. “No. Five more minutes.”

“Everyone else is already off the plane!“

“Shit. Let’s go!“ Marinette said, jumping up, grabbing her purse (which she had recently learned concealed a kwami) and scrambling out the door.

Alya picked up the mini-backpack she now carried (which held Trixx, cookies, and some grape jelly) and followed her out the door.

Almost as soon as they stepped off the plane, they heard a loud wail.

“Great. She’s back on her bullshit.“

“I just can’t believe she would steal that, Lila! It’s so unlike her!“

“M-maybe, but there’s p-proof! Look!“

“Oh, great, what did we do this time?“ Alya asked exasperatedly. They watched as Lila held out the remains of–from what they could see from a meter away–a sketch of an orange mermaid gown with a black lace collar, ripped into quarters and laid out on the ground.

Marinette gasped beside her.

“That’s your dress, isn’t it?“

A small tear made its way down Marinette’s face. “It was going to be for you,” she said softly.

Alya threw her arms around Marinette and rubbed her shoulders. “It’s okay, sweetie. Once you’re princess, we’ll sue her for all she’s worth.”

Marinette detached herself from Alya and wiped her eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, thanks, Alya.”

-🌸-

Nino stormed up to where Alya and Marinette were standing with a furious expression on his face.

“That fox,“ he seethed. “that bitchy little fox of a liar stole your drawing.“

Marinette chuckled wetly. “Yeah, we know.“

“Are you okay? I know how important they are to you.“

“I’m fine, Nino, and o–who the hell are you?“ A man in an oddly formal suit was standing next to her, holding out a small red envelope.

Marinette plucked the envelope from his fingers, opened it, and read the contents. She looked up and nodded at the suit-wearing guy.

“Good. In that case, Miss Dupain-Cheng, I’m going to need you to come with me.“ Alya and Nino immediately stepped in front of her in a protective shield.

“She’s not in trouble, is she?“

The strange man looked surprisingly amused. “Not at all–but you might want to come with us, too. You as well, headphone-boy.”

Nino put a hand on his chest and gasped in offense.

“Nino. He’s going to drive us to the palace. You’re coming, too, ya doof!“ Nino made a noise of realization and followed them out to where a black limousine was waiting.

They climbed in and drove off.

About five minutes into the drive, he moved his foot to the side, accidentally kicking a black box.

Just as he was preparing his final goodbyes, it sprung open, and inside was a junk food lover’s heaven.

“Dude.“

#ml #ml salt #ml salt fic #marinette dupain cheng #marinette deserves better #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe #alya sugar #nino sugar #lila rossi #lila salt #lila bashing #adrien agreste #adrien salt #adrien bashing #marinette the princess of china #WHY ARE YOU READING THE TAGS

1K notes · View notes

don-quixotine · 3 years

Note

Fam, no bc like there's just so much to the episode, let me unpack my sh!t

Ok so, YES, THE PARALLELS BETWEEN LUKA-ADRIEN AND THEIR HIDDEN TRUTHS ABOUT THEIR MOM/DAD GOT ME😭😭

Princess Justice 🤝 Truth (i also think Kagami's next akuma 'lie' will resemble chat blanc👀)

So all the girls knew about Lukanette?? Did Juleka know??

I think that the lil convo Luka and Marinette had was about Jagged, like, his albums/songs and just them fangirling in general, like??? Excuse me that is the cutest sh-

How Kagami and Adrien conviniently left before Luka got all the girls to confess Mari's feelings for Adrien💀💀

Marinette having to see Luka struggle to fight against akumatization.

Luka protecting her AGAIN, like, my boy's being protecting her since captain hardrock😭✋ (ej. Hiding her under his bed, protecting her from the wasps, "run Marinette")

Also, there's something about Marinette hesitating to fight Akumatized Luka... (in silencer AND truth) that hits right where it hurts😔✋

Is Jagged Juleka's dad too????

The kwamis comforting her is everything🥺

YES. LET’S UNPACK.

The parallels between Adrien and Luka’s missing parent? *chef’s kiss*

Parallels between Princess Justice and Truth, and Chat Blanc and ‘Lie’? GOURMET SHIT FAM. GOURMET.

Also, ‘Lie’ will totally mirror Chat Blanc, I’m sure. Even before the fandom had deduced that the white ball of doom was Kagami’s akuma, everyone kept saying ‘these are some good Chat Blanc vibes here mmm’ So, toooootally with you on that one.

And about the convo between Lukanette, not sure if you’re referring to the convo at the movie theater or the bridge? At the movie theater, you’re probably right because it sounded like Luka told her he was going to dedicate Mari one of Jagged Stone’s songs on his next gig. The bridge one tho? that was unadultered angst

As for Luka’s suffering and the Lukanette angst..... I just. I’m destroyed. Blueberry bebe does not deserve this much pain and it REALLY EFFIN HURTS 😃 that poor Marinette feels like she can’t have a relationship because of her secrets. But as I was telling you in the replies of that one other post, I do believe we have not seen the last of Luka (and Kagami) yet. The Heart Is There For A Reason™️ and I do remember reading once that Kagami and Luka would be prominent throughout S4 and 5 (but take it with a grain of salt because I’m recalling from memory and the source was probably twitter from ages ago or something). All things considered though, we the fandom do tend to jump the trigger a little bit (I mean it IS only episode 1 haha), so I’m just happy to go with the flow, see what happens, and enjoy the show as it comes, delicious angst and all.

About Juleka, it’s anyone’s guess. There seems to be some incongruences to their story like in how some trivia they say the Couffaine twins, but then in some other sources they say Luka is older. So. The baby daddy drama continues in the Couffaine household haha.

Finally, the Kwamis. I can just imagine Marinette carrying her whole Kwami daycare and Mme. Bustier or someone goes like ‘ummm what do you have there Marinette?’

‘what, this? Oh, it’s nothing. Just my emotional support flock of sentient plushies.’

#coccinelle answers #drunkoncartoons #i love getting long asks yall #but sorry for the rant haha #ml spoilers #miraculous ladybug

55 notes · View notes

spartanxhunterx · 3 years

Note

Fanfic idea: all the salt, with cartoonishly villainous Lila, traitorous classmates that worship Lila, Adrien as a doormat, Mme Bustier as completely useless, and Chloé as Saltinette's only true friend... Then it's revealed that Mme Bustier assigned the class to write an absurdist piece, and everything before that was Lila's homework.

Better idea, Mme Bustier assigns them to do a social experiment with Lila and Marinette as the focus.

Lila is to act like a “bully” while Marinette is the “victim”, Chloe is assigned the “best friend” role and everyone else is to act “harshly” towards Marinette.

Mr. Damocles and the parents are fully aware, the experiment is to see how the rest of the school reacts to the sudden shift in the class dynamic.

#miraculous ladybug #lila rossi #Fanfic Idea

18 notes · View notes

rosethornewrites · 5 years

Text

Fic: Breaking Point

Relationships: Caline Bustier & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug

Characters: Caline Bustier, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Alya Césaire, Max Kanté, Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Juleka Couffaine, Lila Rossi, Tikki

Tags: caline bustier salt, Reveal, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste Knows, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Caline Bustier Knows, ml salt, Harassment, Lila Rossi Lies, Bad Classroom Environments, Gaslighting, enablers, Bullying ,Salt, Identity Reveal, Spitefic, Swearing, Adrien Sugar

Summary: '“For instance, being a superhero is not a viable career path,” was what made her tune in, her attention fully pulled to Mme. Bustier, who seemed to be looking right at her.'

Note: This was written based on a prompt by @norakwami.

AO3 link

------

Marinette wasn’t really paying attention to Mme. Bustier’s lecture. To be fair, it was about career options and how to achieve them, something she had researched so completely she already had a list of universities she intended to apply to, along with possible companies to intern, all carefully tabbed in a binder at home that was also slowly filling with application and portfolio ideas.

Given that she was only fourteen and still had four more years before she reached the point of applying, she was ahead of the game. Perhaps she could be considering going to another lycée instead of the feeder for Collège Françoise Dupont, perhaps somewhere private that had a focus on fashion. But she didn’t want to put pressure on her parents, who would have to pay the tuition for such an institution, when she was already winning awards and making a name for herself through designing for Jagged Stone and the up-and-coming Kitty Section, among others.

“For instance, being a superhero is not a viable career path,” was what made her tune in, her attention fully pulled to Mme. Bustier, who seemed to be looking right at her.

What.

The.

Fuck.

Marinette felt frozen by that stare, pinned like a ladybug by an entomologist. How could she know? Did other people notice her stare?

“Ladybug is almost certainly harming her civilian future through these superhero antics, which prevent her from fulfilling all her obligations.”

Alya snorted. “That’s not Ladybug’s fault—it’s Hawkmoth’s. Ladybug protects the city. And maybe Paris should pay her for her services!”

“Ladybug is a teenager who should be concentrating on school,” Mme. Bustier declared, still staring holes into Marinette.

“Ladybug has never released her age,” Adrien murmured, his voice sounding strained. “So that’s conjecture, Mme. Bustier. How does this have to do with our future careers?”

To her horror, he turned and followed her gaze to Marinette.

She felt as though she might hyperventilate, panic rising in her gut. If she was compromised, that put her family and friends at risk, put the Miracle Box at risk, played right into Hawkmoth’s hands. She’d never been good at a poker face, and she wasn’t sure whether she was managing now.

Adrien’s eyes widened, and she knew she’d failed, at least with him. Kwami, she hoped she could trust him.

“I’m glad you asked, Adrien. For instance, Marinette, would you please share your current preparation for your future career.”

All eyes were on her, and she could feel the thoughts swirling around them as she was called out. She swallowed, trying to push it all down.

“I-I… I have a binder. At home. F-fifteen different universities with fashion p-programs. In order of where I want to go most. Also c-companies that offer internships.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves—it helped a bit. “I’ve started my portfolio, including the b-bowler hat that won M. Agreste’s contest, and my work for Jagged Stone and Kitty Section, and p-pictures of clothing I’ve designed and made.”

She could hear murmurs around her, and Alya gave a low whistle beside her.

“Girl, no wonder you don’t sleep. You’re on top of this!”

Mme. Bustier’s mouth became a thin line, her lips pressed together as though she was irritated.

Marinette wished keenly that Master Fu was still around, could handle this situation. She’d come to realize Mme. Bustier was a terrible teacher, enabling bullying and shaming victims as though they were at fault for their treatment. But this was a whole new level of awful.

“Still, the way you run off during Akuma attacks interrupts your daily life and prevents you from—”

“We all run away during Akuma attacks! They disrupt all our daily lives.”

Adrien stood, his back rigid from tension.

“Marinette has been personally targeted multiple times during Akuma attacks. So have I! A lot of this has been documented on the LadyBlog. It’s traumatizing—and we keep our memories of that because we’re not the Akuma. I run and hide, personally. Why would you shame Marinette for that?”

The class fell silent, and glancing around Marinette could see the tension in their faces, their own memories of being chased by Akuma.

Adrien had moved this away from the idea of Marinette being Ladybug to her being shamed for her reaction to Akumas. He was protecting her. And she loved him all the more for it.

“There was Evillustrator,” Marinette murmured, jumping on the red herring.

She glanced at Nathanaël apologetically. He offered a sad smile.

“I had to help Chat Noir with that. It was scary. André Glacier became Glaciator and came looking for me, and Chat Noir saved me from getting frozen. And Gamer was looking for me. Chat Noir saved me again.”

She could see Max wince across the aisle.

“Reflekta turned me into her clone because she was mad at me. And it was my fault.”

Marinette turned and mouthed ‘sorry’ to Juleka.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Juleka whispered, then cringed as she realized her voice had carried far enough for everyone to hear.

She smiled, then turned back to the front.

“My own grandmother tried to turn me into coal when she was Akumatized because she was upset I wasn’t like eight years old anymore—Chat Noir saved me again there, too. And then my dad was Akumatized and Chat Noir and Ladybug had to save me again.”

Marinette hadn’t been able to transform, needing to be saved as a civilian before she could get back as Ladybug. Too many of them had been so public she’d had to trust Chat Noir would be able to hold his own until she got there—and she did, but she was afraid sometime that would be fatal.

“And I saw footage when Adrien was dropped from a building and then when Volpina pretended to drop him from the Eiffel Tower. That’s terrifying!”

She didn’t turn around to look at Lila. Instead she looked at Adrien, who was still standing, alternating between glaring at Mme. Bustier and glancing back at her with concern in his eyes.

“And then there’s mind control Akumas, like with Miracle Queen. I’m scared of Akumas, Mme. Bustier. Even when they’re across the city, they won’t always stay there, and I want to hide. And I refuse to be ashamed of that!”

It wasn’t a lie, either. Civilian her absolutely wanted to hide—and did, just behind a mask.

She turned her attention to the teacher, keeping her back straight, remembering she had Adrien on her side, even if she wished he didn’t know—damn Bustier for that. Marinette steeled herself.

“I don’t understand why you’ve singled me out to try to imply I alone am somehow failing to perform because of Akumas, but you always seem to do this. I’m at fault for being bullied. I need to be an example and not react when my belongings are destroyed and my locker is broken into. Or when someone gets me expelled by somehow putting test answers in my bag and a new Gabriel-brand necklace—supposedly an heirloom—in my locker that’s been broken into before. I’ve spent the last year feeling I’m not allowed to have emotions. But this is the last straw.”

Marinette stood, picking up her bag. When she glanced down Tikki was giving her the Kwami version of a thumbs up.

“Frankly, Mme. Bustier, you have been toxic for my mental health for quite some time. Time I’ve spent researching to discover what you’re doing isn’t appropriate for the classroom; it’s abusive and reportable. If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to the M. Damocles, as well as my parents. And perhaps the Board of Governors, as I am no longer willing to tolerate this treatment and its continued harm to my education.”

With that, she marched down the stairs, past an open-mouthed Bustier, and out of the classroom, holding her head high.

Once in the open hallway, clear of the windows, she deflated.

“Well, fuck,” she whispered. “I guess I get to do research on a new collège, too.”

She supposed, at least, she’d been successful at diverting Bustier from the Ladybug accusations; the last thing she needed was for Ladybug-hater Lila to know and come after her.

“You and me both.”

Adrien’s voice behind her nearly made her jump out of her skin. She was relieved to see no one else had followed him. She could hear the hullaballoo of the classroom behind her, all control having been lost.

He quirked a grin. “We’re in it together, Bugaboo. As always.”

She stared, feeling like there was a hamster lolling on the wheel of her thoughts instead of running to turn it.

Adrien took her arm. “Come on. I’ll support you. Let’s go talk to M. Damocles.”

“Ch-Chat?” Marinette managed in a hiss as her brain finally caught up.

He gently guided her forward. “My Lady.”

She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to laugh, cry, scream, or some combination of the three. But as they approached M. Damocles’ office, Marinette pushed the issue aside.

After all, she had work to do, and Ladybug didn’t leave work unfinished.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous fanfiction #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #bustier salt #alya cesaire #max kante #juleka couffaine #nathaniel kurtzberg #caline bustier #lila rossi #lila 'the liar' rossi #ml salt #adrien sugar #identity reveal #my fanfiction #miraculous salt

1K notes · View notes