#RIGHT NEXT TO MARINETTE’S HOUSE

[wackus-bonkus-maximus]

Even now, with his father lost to the universe, and not even a body to bury, Gabriel was still here. He was in his room, in all the belongings his money had bought, in all the clothes that bore his brand. He was in the Miraculous on Adrien’s hand, the twin rings hanging from a chain he could never remove, in all the words Ladybug refused to tell Chat Noir. And he was in the statue in the Place des Vosges, immortalized in gold, looking out at the city with serene contemplation, but never down at Adrien. Never again. “He was Monarque,” Adrien spoke into the darkness. Maybe Plagg could hear, maybe not. His Kwami was always good about knowing just what Adrien wanted him to know. “My father was Monarque.” His words hung hollow in the silence, their weight somehow growing heavier on Adrien’s chest as he spoke. The voice didn’t answer, keeping silent long enough for Adrien to wonder, once more, if he really had imagined it. Then it was there again, as close and clear as though its speaker was in the room with him. You’re Chat Noir, it told him firmly. Cataclysm his statue.

moonie i'm obsessed.

[rianemorgan]

Title: Stealing HER Fate

Summary: In an alternate take on the Miraculous Ladybug universe, an outsider wakes up in Marinette's world and steals her fate as Ladybug, determined to claim the life and destiny that wasn’t hers. With manipulative cunning, the reader becomes Paris’ celebrated heroine, earning Adrien’s love and the world’s admiration while ensuring Marinette never steps into the role of Ladybug across all timelines.

⚠️ Warnings ⚠️

Gaslighting and manipulation, Villainous protagonist, Bittersweet outcomes,and Character alteration and reimagination.

Word Count: 3,718

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You never expected to wake up in Paris—not the Paris you knew, but a version straight out of a TV screen. The last thing you remembered was falling asleep after yet another late-night binge of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir, grumbling about how Marinette didn’t deserve the Miraculous of the Ladybug. She was clumsy, obsessive, and a borderline stalker when it came to Adrien.

“She doesn’t deserve it,” you’d mutter to yourself, turning off the screen. “I could do so much better.”

When you woke up, everything felt… different.

You weren’t in your bed, in your small, cozy apartment back in your real life. Instead, you were in a room you didn’t recognize, adorned with pictures of a family you’d never seen before. The soft morning light seeped through lacy curtains, and outside, the faint sound of Parisian streets hummed. Paris.

No. It couldn’t be.

You bolted upright, scanning the room. It was utterly surreal, yet painfully familiar. The pictures of the Eiffel Tower, the smell of croissants wafting through the house—this was Paris. But it wasn’t your Paris. It was the Paris of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

You stumbled to the mirror, half-expecting to see your usual face. But no, it was still you, albeit… younger. A moment of panic set in, but the surreal reality quickly overtook it. Somehow, impossibly, you were in the Miraculous universe. And if you were here, you knew exactly what was going to happen next.

Your initial excitement quickly morphed into envy. Marinette, in all her awkwardness, was destined to become the heroine, to wield the Ladybug Miraculous and save Paris. But why? You were smarter, more decisive, and less distracted. If anyone deserved that kind of power, it was you.

And then you realized—you could take it.

The memory of the Origins episode was fresh in your mind. Master Fu would soon be in trouble, and Marinette was supposed to save him. But if you acted first, you could claim the Miraculous and rewrite destiny itself.

The plan was simple: stay close to Marinette, wait for the right moment, and steal her fate.

That morning, your new parents—kind strangers who felt oddly warm—called you down to breakfast. They smiled as though you’d always been their child, and while it was disconcerting, you played along. Over croissants and jam, your mother handed you a small box of mooncake. “For your first day at your new school,” she said with a smile.

You nodded, murmuring your thanks. But your mind was already racing. You knew the plot. You knew what today would bring. You were determined to take the chance Marinette was supposed to have. After all, why not? If fate had given you this opportunity, then wasn’t it meant to be yours?

The streets of Paris were just as lively as you imagined, the sights both foreign and familiar. You approached the school with your cookies in hand, keeping an eye out for the key moment.

At the crosswalk, you saw him: Master Fu, the elderly guardian of the Miraculouses, hobbling across the street. You watched from a distance, your heart pounding as you spotted the scene unfolding. This was the moment. This was where Marinette was supposed to step in.  

But not today.

You ran forward, reaching him just in time. “Sir, watch out!” you shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling him to safety. The car whizzed by, the driver honking angrily.

Master Fu looked up at you with a warm, grateful smile. “Thank you, young lady. That was very brave of you.”

You smiled warmly, masking your inner glee. “It was nothing, sir. Are you okay?”

He nodded, adjusting his cane. He wobbled precariously, and you helped steady  him. “Here, let me help you,” you said, guiding him to the sidewalk.

“That’s very kind of you,” he said, his voice filled with gratitude.

You noticed Marinette standing a few steps away, her box of macarons clutched tightly. She had seen the whole thing, but she hadn’t had a chance to act. You shot her a quick glance, a small smirk playing on your lips.

Would you like one of these?” you asked, pulling a mooncake from the box and handing it to Master Fu.

“Thank you,” he said, taking it with a smile. “You’re a very thoughtful young lady.”

Marinette hesitated, her eyes darting between you and Master Fu. “Um… I was going to—”

“Oh, were you?” you interrupted, feigning surprise. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

Marinette frowned but didn’t respond. She tightened her grip on her macarons and walked away, her excitement from earlier dimmed.

As you made your way to school, a flicker of guilt passed through you. You now destroy Marinette’s chance to be Ladybug. No. You stole her chance to be Ladybug. But she didn’t need to be Ladybug. You were here now, and you would be better.

The classroom buzzed with energy as you entered. Marinette Dupain-Cheng sat near the front, she stares at you but quickly looks away. It's obvious she didn’t like you when a frown curved her mouth. You didn’t care, you're not here to be friends with her anyways. You took a seat a few rows away, watching as the class dynamics played out like clockwork: Chloé Bourgeois asserting her dominance, and Alya standing up for Marinette, But your focus was elsewhere. Your mind was on what would come later.

Later that day, the akuma attack on Stoneheart interrupted class. You feigned fear like everyone else, though inside, you were buzzing with anticipation. This was how the story began.

Because of what happened, school was suspended, sending every student back to the safety of their homes. You returned home to find a small ornate box on your desk. You opened it with trembling hands, revealing the Ladybug Miraculous. Tikki appeared, her tiny figure glowing with excitement.

You fake shout in surprise, asking what she is.

“Hello! I’m Tikki, your kwami. And Y/N, you’ve been chosen to wield the Ladybug Miraculous and protect Paris!”

You feigned shock, though inwardly you were thrilled. “Me? Are you sure? I’m just… I don’t know if I can do this.”

Tikki’s eyes sparkled. “You can. I believe in you. You have the courage and heart to protect Paris! Just wear the earring and say the phrase: Spots On!”

Meanwhile, Marinette couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Her first day had started with such promise, but it had ended with a strange, gnawing emptiness.

She vented to Alya the next day. “It’s just… that girl, she swooped in and saved that man. I wanted to help, but she just… took over.”

Alya raised an eyebrow. “You mean Y/N? I don’t know her that well, but she seemed nice enough. Maybe you’re just thinking too much about it, Marinette.”

Marinette frowned. “Maybe…”

But the doubt lingered.

The battle against Stoneheart played out just as you had anticipated, though with one key difference: you were in control and you already knew what to do. With the help of Chat Noir, you used your Lucky Charm to defeat the villain and purify the akuma, restoring Ivan to normal.

The people of Paris cheered as you stood victorious. You had done it. You were Ladybug.

Days turned into weeks, and you quickly became the perfect hero Paris needed. You saved the city countless times, each victory cementing your role as its protector. Fighting alongside Chat Noir was exhilarating. The people adored you, showering you with praise and gratitude.

But Marinette hated you. She didn’t hide it, either. She avoided you at school, her glares sharp enough to cut glass whenever you crossed paths.

You returned the sentiment. Marinette’s bitterness annoys you to no end. 

“I know you’re hiding something!! You’re not what they say you are!” Marinette snapped one day after school. “I know it!! You stole something from me!!

You smirked, leaning against a wall. “I don’t know what you're talking about Marinette, you can’t just convict me without evidence~ who knows I might slip and suddenly post this to the internet~” You said whilst holding a phone with evidence of Marinette stalking adrien.

Her face turned a lot more pale than it already was, her hands balled into fists, but she said nothing, storming off.

Despite your animosity, you excelled as Ladybug. Every akuma was defeated swiftly, every crisis averted. You were meticulous, calculating, and unyielding. Where Marinette would have hesitated, you acted decisively. 

Paris flourished under your protection, and even Chat Noir—still oblivious to your identity—admired your skill and determination. 

“You’re amazing, Ladybug,” Chat said one night after a battle. “I can’t imagine anyone else doing what you do.”

You smiled, leaning casually against a rooftop ledge. “Thanks, Chat. It’s nice to hear that.”

But deep down, you knew the truth. You hadn’t just stolen Marinette’s fate—you’d rewritten it entirely. And while guilt occasionally gnawed at you, the adoration of Paris drowned it out.

This was your destiny now, and you wouldn’t let anyone take it from you.

Marinette remained an ordinary girl, but something in her seemed to shift. She began to grow more suspicious of you, plagued by dreams where she was Ladybug.

The dreams started weeks later. Marinette woke up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding. In her dreams, she was Ladybug—fighting akumas, swinging through the city, standing beside Chat Noir.

“I am Ladybug..”

But when she woke up, reality hit her like a brick wall. That wasn’t her life. It was yours.

“No!! I am supposed to be Ladybug!!”

Confused and angry, she cornered you one day after class, eyes blazing with determination. “I know,” she said, her voice trembling with anger. “I know I was supposed to be Ladybug.”

You tilted your head, a cold smile playing on your lips. “Oh? And what makes you think that?”

“It feels real,” she insisted. “Like it’s a memory, not just a dream. No. I know it's real!! I am Ladybug!! You stole it from me! You're a thief Y/N!!”

You stepped closer, your voice dropping to a low, mocking tone. “Maybe I did. and Maybe I am. But let’s face it, Marinette—you’re no hero. You’re obsessive, and distracted by your crush on Adrien. Your stalker behavior is not something a heroine should possess. Paris deserves better, and that’s me. I already have the Miraculous, and doing a REALLY GREAT job at it, what makes you think you deserve it anymore??”

Her face flushed with anger, but she had no response. You walked away, triumphant. The Miraculous was no longer hers to claim, and you will make sure it stayed that way.

Paris sparkled under the moonlight as you stood on the Eiffel Tower, gazing over the city you had come to love—and rule as its heroine. With the weight of the Ladybug Miraculous and the Guardianship on your shoulders, you felt untouchable.

That was until a glowing portal split the sky open.

Out stepped Bunnix, her expression hard and accusing. She didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “We need to talk, Ladybug.”

You crossed your arms, feigning nonchalance. “Bunnix. To what do I owe the pleasure of a time traveler’s visit?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Cut the act. You know why I’m here.”

Chat Noir appeared at your side, his baton at the ready. “What’s going on, Bunnix? You seem… tense.”

Bunnix pointed at you. “She’s not supposed to be Ladybug.”

Chat Noir blinked, stepping protectively in front of you. “What are you talking about? She’s Ladybug. She’s saved Paris more times than we can count!”

“She’s not supposed to be here,” she said, her voice sharp as her glowing portal shimmered behind her. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng was supposed to be Ladybug. This version of reality shouldn’t exist! You’ve disrupted everything!”

You crossed your arms, unfazed. “Paris is safe, isn’t it? I’ve done my job. Heck I even did a good job saving this world”

Bunnix stepped closer, her tone accusatory. “You’ve changed it, I’ve seen it. Marinette was supposed to save Master Fu. She was supposed to receive the Miraculous. But you—you interfered. You stole her destiny!!”

Chat Noir stood protectively in front of you. “Hey, back off. Ladybug’s saved this city countless times. Who cares what was ‘supposed’ to happen and who can receive the Miraculous?!”

Bunnix glared at you both. “This isn’t just about this world. The timelines are unraveling because of her!”

You smirked, letting your mask of innocence drop. You gently push Chat noir aside, stepping closer to Bunnix.

“It doesn’t matter what was supposed to happen. I’m Ladybug now. I’m the Guardian, the center of this world. And if Chat Noir protecting me despite what I did isn’t proof enough that her fate as Ladybug now officially belongs to me… *smirk* Haven’t realized it yet? This world is now synchronizing with me, just like how a world favors the protagonist… Marinette wasn’t fit for this responsibility, and I made sure Paris got the hero it deserves. And unfortunately for her, this world agrees, whether you like it or not~” You whispered lowly to her

Bunnix clenched her fists. “You’ve broken the balance. Do you realize what you’ve done? The entire multiverse is at risk!”

You shrugged. “Then I’ll fix it. As the Guardian, I have authority over all the Miraculouses, including yours.”

Bunnix’s eyes widened in realization. “You wouldn’t—”

With a wave of your hand, you summoned the Bunny Miraculous. The portal behind Bunnix flickered and closed as her powers were stripped away. She staggered, powerless, and glared at you with fury.

“You can’t do this!” she shouted as she was returned to the timeline she came from.

“Oh, I can,” you said, your voice icy. “And I will.”

 You donned the Bunny Miraculous and rewrote reality, ensuring Marinette never became Ladybug in any timeline.

You stood tall, the portal you had summoned with Fluff's guidance shimmered with an ethereal glow, its swirling energies casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the rooftop. Beside you, Chat Noir’s green eyes were filled with uncertainty, a rare crack in his usually confident demeanor.

“Ladybug,” Chat Noir said softly, his voice almost pleading, “are you sure this is the right thing to do? I trust you, but... tampering with time feels... dangerous.”

You turned to him, a small, serene smile gracing your lips, the halo of your presence making him instinctively relax. The effect was subtle but undeniable—your words carried weight, as though the universe itself bent to support you. This power, this influence, wasn’t yours initially. You had stolen it, just like Marinette’s fate. But now, it was yours, and you wielded it masterfully.

“Chat Noir,” you began, your voice steady and filled with conviction, “this isn’t about what’s easy. It’s about what’s necessary.”

“But the timeline—changing things could destroy—”

“Destroy what, exactly?” you interrupted gently, your tone laced with practiced sincerity. “I’ve already disrupted it simply by being here. If I don’t act now, the balance will collapse entirely. I’ll vanish, Chat. We’ll vanish.”

He froze, his hands clenching tightly around his staff. “Vanish? What do you mean?”

Your expression softened, your red eyes glistening with what seemed like vulnerability. “I wasn’t meant to be here, remember? If the universe realizes I don’t belong, it’ll correct itself—and I’ll disappear, taking everything we’ve built with me. Paris will lose its Ladybug. You’ll lose me, Chat.”

The thought seemed to strike him deeply. His jaw tensed, his emerald gaze flickering with desperation. “I can’t let that happen. But why go to every timeline? Why stop... Marinette?”

You reached out, placing a gloved hand on his cheek. The gesture was intimate, calculated. “Because Marinette was never meant to have this power. She wasn’t strong enough. Look at what I’ve accomplished, Chat. Paris has never been safer. The people trust us, they trust me. Can you imagine what would’ve happened if someone weaker had been given this responsibility? She would’ve crumbled under the pressure, endangering everyone.”

Chat Noir looked away, guilt and hesitation written all over his face. “But... Marinette never seemed... bad.”

You tilted his chin back to face you, your voice a quiet murmur, dripping with affection and manipulation. “That’s because you don’t know what she would’ve done with this power. Trust me, Chat. I’m not doing this for myself—I’m doing it for Paris. For us.”

His resolve wavered, the pull of your halo overwhelming his doubts. The world revolved around you now, and it was only natural that he would follow your lead.

“I don’t want to lose you, Ladybug,” he finally admitted, his voice barely audible.

“You won’t,” you assured him, your fingers brushing against his. “But I need you to trust me. Together, we’ll ensure that this world—and every other—is safe and whole. I’ll fix everything. I promise.”

With a reluctant nod, Chat Noir stepped back, his staff lowering in submission. “I trust you, Milady. Always.”

The portal grew brighter, illuminating your face with a crimson glow as you stepped forward. Inwardly, you reveled in your triumph. This wasn’t just about fixing timelines or ensuring balance—it was about solidifying your place as the center of this world. The Ladybug. The hero. The one who mattered most.

Marinette would never again have the chance to be Ladybug, not in this timeline or any other. The universes would belong to you now. With one last glance at Chat Noir, you stepped through the portal, ready to rewrite reality itself.

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ADDITIONAL SCENARIO:

The sky above Paris was a canvas of pink and gold hues, a fitting backdrop for the triumphant end of an era. Hawkmoth had been defeated, his Miraculous reclaimed, and the balance of power restored. The Miracle Box was secured, its treasures now beyond the reach of those who would misuse them. For the first time in years, Paris was at peace, its people celebrating the heroes who had brought them here.

Standing atop the Eiffel Tower, you gazed over the city with Adrien by your side. The red and black of your Ladybug suit shimmered faintly in the setting sunlight, a symbol now synonymous with victory, hope, and resilience. Adrien, still in his Chat Noir guise but no longer bearing the same burdens, looked at you with admiration.

“You did it,” he said softly, a smile spreading across his face. “Ladybug, you saved everyone.”

The words should have brought unmitigated joy, and they did—partially. The world was safe, and Paris adored you. People cheered as your identity was revealed, their faith in their heroine unshaken. Even Adrien, your partner in battle and in life, stood unwaveringly by your side, his pride in you radiating like the sun.

Yet, beneath the surface, you couldn’t quite shake an unfamiliar tension. It wasn’t guilt, not exactly. It was a feeling you couldn’t name, a quiet unease that lingered despite the cheers and celebrations.

“Do you think it’s really over?” you asked, your voice barely louder than the wind.

Adrien’s hand found yours, squeezing gently. “It’s over, my Lady. You’ve done more than anyone could have ever asked for. Paris, no—the world owes you everything.” His green eyes met yours, filled with warmth and certainty. “I owe you everything.”

His words should have been enough, and in many ways, they were. You leaned against him, allowing the comfort of his presence to settle over you.

The streets below were alive with celebration. Parisians rejoiced, the weight of fear and uncertainty finally lifted. Even beyond Paris, the world had embraced you as their Ladybug, their symbol of hope. For the first time, everything felt aligned, as though the universe itself had recognized your place at its center.

And yet, in the quiet moments between Adrien’s reassurances and the city’s applause, that tension remained.

Elsewhere in Paris, Marinette sat on the balcony of her cozy apartment, a faint smile playing on her lips as she watched Luka strum his guitar. The melody was soft and soothing, wrapping around her like a warm embrace.

“I never thought I’d see the day,” she said, her voice wistful but not bitter.

Luka glanced up, his expression calm and understanding. “The city is safe now. That’s what matters.”

She nodded, her gaze drifting to the distant Eiffel Tower. She didn’t envy you—not entirely. She had carved out a life for herself, a happy one. The bakery was thriving, her designs were starting to gain recognition, and Luka’s steady presence brought her a sense of peace she hadn’t known she needed.

But deep down, there was an ache she couldn’t quite ignore. She had once dreamed of being Ladybug, of carrying the weight of the Miraculous and protecting Paris. That dream had been taken from her, rewritten in a way she couldn’t change. And while she didn’t begrudge your success—how could she? You had saved them all—there was a part of her that mourned what might have been.

“Do you think she’s happy?” Marinette asked suddenly, surprising even herself.

Luka’s fingers paused on the strings. “I think she did what she believed was right,” he said after a moment. “And I think she’s still figuring out what happiness looks like.”

Marinette nodded, her faint smile returning. It wasn’t the life she had imagined, but it was hers. And with Luka by her side, she could find contentment in that.

Back atop the Eiffel Tower, you stood with Adrien as the last rays of sunlight disappeared, casting the city in twilight. Paris was happy. The world was happy. And you were, too—or at least, you told yourself you were.

“Do you feel it?” Adrien asked, breaking the silence.

“Feel what?”

“The peace,” he said with a soft laugh. “It’s overwhelming. I’ve never seen Paris like this.”

You smiled, his words grounding you. “It’s everything I worked for.”

“And you deserve it,” he said firmly, pulling you into an embrace. “You deserve all of it.”

The weight of his belief in you was as comforting as it was daunting. For now, you let yourself believe it, let yourself bask in the happiness you had fought so hard to create.

Paris was safe, and you were its hero. The world had accepted you, embraced you, celebrated you. Yet, as you looked out over the city, the faint tension lingered—a quiet reminder that even in victory, some battles are never truly won.

THE END

[vinnyvamppp]

Can I request for Ladybug! Reader? I saw a TikTok video where Marinette was telling some heroes she could just Miraculous ladybug everything back to normal and they want to hire her because of that.

So imagine this but with Invincible, Reader's like his next door neighbor - yes she witnessed him learning how to land and she got pissed at that cuz IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

I like the idea of her revealing her identity to Mark so she can join him in missions whenever, so anytime he destroyed half of a city she just Miraculous ladybug everything and goes "YOUR WELCOME ASSHOLEEE!!"

And maybe during the Invincible war, she lucky charms a whip while fighting a variant (either Mohawk Mark or No goggles Mark cuz they freaky like that) and she goes wtf am I supposed to do with this?

(sorry I'm rambling a lot I just like the potential of this concept)

Friendly Neighborhood Inconvenience

NOTE: THIS IDEA WAS SOOOO FUN, Its 1 am for me and I've been giggling away while typing. I've taken a different approach to my usually long writing to make this more conversationally driven. I'm not straying too much so the vision is accurate. Up and away!

Synopsis: Mark Grayson, is your biggest inconvenience and friend... whom you also live next to. Super-powered besties...? :) Warnings: None, my first non-smut-related blog yes yes! Just two idiots with powers. Mark Grayson x Ladybug!Reader Word Count: 1,000

You knew Mark Grayson was going to be a problem the moment he crashed into your backyard.

Not metaphorically. Not in a "he’s my annoying next-door neighbor" way. No, Mark Grayson, your classmate, occasional physics partner, and guy who still owed you ten bucks from a group project, literally smashed into the ground outside your window at 2 AM. 

You had been peacefully sleeping, dreaming of things far, far away from the absolute disaster that was your life, when a loud THUD shook your house. The crashes you had been imagining in your dreams began to manifest outside of your home. Were you under attack? Has the house shifted? Did your insomnia finally catch up to you? You jolted awake, heart racing, and sprinting as you immediately threw open your window to find Mark groaning in a crater. Oh…

"...Are you serious right now?"

He looked up, squinting and disoriented. "Huh—? Oh. Uh. Hey, neighbor."

"You woke me up," you deadpanned.

"Sorry," he wheezed, struggling to stand. His hands planting themselves against his knees.

"Mark. Why are you in my backyard." Your fingers gestured to the now three unevenly placed craters, one having a busted water pipe.

At that, he winced. "I was... learning how to land."

"You… know how to fly?” Correction: Barely. “...In the middle of the night?"

"Y-Yeah?"

You sighed so hard it could’ve put out a candle. "Grayson, I swear to God, if you ever—"

His attention suddenly turned towards his bedroom, the voice of his mothers concerned cries calling out for him jolted him into focus. And then he zoomed away, barely getting his balance, leaving you seething in your pajamas.

Yeah. Mark Grayson was going to be a problem. One you couldn’t avoid. Mark thought he was so slick. Just how did he manage his grades being so reckless? He’d show up to school exhausted, disappear at the most inconvenient times, and had that whole "Oops, did I break another building? Teehee!" energy about him. You knew. Oh, you knew.

Because the second you saw him with a black eye in the hallway after a “plumbing accident,” you put two and two together. You’d seen Invincible on the news. You’d seen him stumble into your backyard like an idiot. Not to mention the various times he’d confidently strut into his home WEARING HIS COSTUME. Though, you always assumed he was just into comic con and somewhat of a superhero nerd.

So when the time finally came to throw off the mask, you did it spectacularly.

Mark stood in your living room, eyes wide, staring at you in full Ladybug attire. "Wait—YOU’RE LADYBUG?!"

You smirked, spinning your yo-yo. "Surpriiiise~!"

"But—how—why—?!"

"Bro, did you really think you were the only one sneaking around at night?!"

Mark ran a hand through his hair, still struggling to process. "You fix everything after my fights?"

"Ding ding ding!" You clapped your hands. "Every time you break a city block, I put it back together. Every. Single. Time."

His jaw dropped. "Oh my God."

"Oh your God is right. Do you know how hard it is to undo your messes?! Half the time, I don’t even know what I’m fixing! You knock over a skyscraper, I gotta wing it! And every fight wrecks at least ten buildings!"

Mark laughed, but there was guilt in his eyes. "...So, uh. Guess this means you can help out more?"

You crossed your arms. "Help? Babe, I’ve been your cleanup crew this entire time. You should be helping me."

And thus, the most chaotic partnership in hero history was born. Cecil had been hounding you anyway, so this panned out in your favor. Being close and personal to his hero-ly escapades made the clean up easier to maintain… for your sanity of course. You had been through some rough days. Fought some wild villains. But nothing could have prepared you for an entire army of Invincibles tearing through the planet. Honestly, you were terrified; and left ragged, but keeping your wits about you would be the best bet you had for survival. 

You were dodging a punch from one of them, Mohawk Mark, which was an awful fashion choice, by the way, when your Lucky Charm activated. Perhaps it was something helpful like a pair of shears to correct his funky haircut. A bright light flashed, and in your hand, you felt—

A whip.

You blinked.

"...What the hell am I supposed to do with this?!"

Mohawk Mark lunged at you with a cheeky grin, enthralled more than anything. “Didn’t know you were into that, could use another one of you.” He teased.

"Shit—!"

You improvised. And like a thirsty mutt, he hounded you like a new obsession. Who knew men with harems could be so freaky? Later, when the war was over, when the dust settled and the leveled cities were, miraculously, nearly restored, you stood next to Mark, arms crossed, glaring at him.

"Go ahead," he muttered.

"You know what I’m gonna say," you grinned, nudging him slightly.

He sighed.

"Go on," you sing-songed.

"…Thanks."

"And—?"

"...Sorry for all the messes."

You smirked, patting his shoulder. "See? That wasn’t so hard. Now go buy me dinner, asshole."

Mark groaned. "You're never gonna let this go, huh?

"Not in a million years." Secretly, he would be happy too, but the poor boy was embarrassed from being proven wrong that his lips sealed shut. As Mark begrudgingly led the way to the nearest burger joint, you grinned, spinning your yo-yo around your finger. The city skyline gleamed, perfectly restored, thanks to you. The world was safe again—also thanks to you. And despite the chaos, the near-death experiences, and the fact that you were probably stuck dealing with Mark’s messes forever… you wouldn’t have it any other way. Ugh, I just love writing in-character stories. I HOPE THIS LIVED UP TO YOUR REQUESTS EXPECTATIONS LMAO.

MasterList ོ༘₊⁺☀︎₊⁺⋆.˚

[richard-hei-long]

Consequences and Blame(And why you shouldn't misplace them)

It's somewhat common knowledge in the Miraculous community that one of the "Rules" of the show is as follows: "Marinette always makes a mistake and learns a lesson... Even when she's not actually at fault."

This means that, no matter what she does or doesn't do, Marinette will always be blamed for the episode's problem, regardless of if she's actually at fault or not.

Many authors alleviate this issue by either having Marinette call out people for always blaming her for their problems or simply not having that stupid rule from the start. But I would like to propose an... Alternative take on it.

So lets turn back the clock in the Miracu-verse to when Marinette is but a smol child. She's smol, she's innocent, and... She's being blamed for literally everything wrong in the world and just cannot win no matter what she does.

Marinette hits a kid because they were being a jerk? She receives detention and told that she should've gone to a teacher.

So, next time it happens she does just that... And the teacher(Cough Bustier Cough) tells her to be a "Good Example" and the teacher doesn't do anything about the kid.

Seeing that the teacher was utterly useless, Marinette goes to her parents and... They just tell her to avoid the kid.

She tries, but then the kid seems hellbent on hunting her down and tormenting her. She tells her parents about this and... They don't do anything about the problem.

So, she changes tactics again, and again, and again... And no matter what she does either nothing changes or she gets punished for it.

Even worse, she starts getting blamed for things that simply aren't her fault or for situations she wasn't ever involved in. Kids blame her for pranks, adults blame her for "Acting out", both blame her for "Misbehaving".

No matter what she says, no matter what she does or doesn't do, it's always the same. She's the one to blame, she's the one whose wrong, she's the one to face consequences even when she doesn't deserve it, she's the one who always suffers.

After an entire year or two of this treatment, Marinette comes to a conclusion, that the universe was trying to teach her one, simple lesson.

Everyone will always blame her and say that she's in the wrong, so why bother trying to be right? If they want her to be a problem, then be the biggest problem ever.

And so, Marinette adapts her tactics once more, only this time it's towards being as much of a nuisance as possible, to cause as many problems as possible, to make everyone around her suffer as much as possible for always blaming her for everything!

And everyone very quickly comes to understand just how badly they fucked up by constantly antagonising the smartest and most creative kid in class.

Pranks, traps, and all sorts appear everywhere in the school seemingly overnight, so many that people can barely get into the building without getting splashed by water buckets or caught by net and rope traps.

Of course, everyone blames Marinette again, and her response is one they do not expect.

"Yes, it was me, unlike all of the previous times you blamed me for things I didn't do." She said, staring strait into their souls before walking away, but not before giving them one last ominous warning.

"And it's only going to get worse from here."

And it did get worse. So, so much worse.

Torn clothing, graffiti on houses, jumpscares from very well put-together costumes, Marinette put her creativity into overdrive in bullying everyone around her and getting payback, constantly finding new and more efficient ways to torment her classmates.

Naturally, her parents are informed of her behaviour and try to ground her, but Marinette, being Marinette, already planned for this outcome.

And so, she hung her head, put on a sad face, and went to her room like a good girl, pretending to be cowed by their scolding, leaving her parents satisfied with their "Success" in curbing their daughter's tendencies.

The next day, they woke up to find their daughter gone, several of her things missing, and the cash registers smashed to bits and raided of their loot, the front door left wide open.

Marinette had run away.

It shook them to their cores, to see their beloved daughter be so uncaring, but they made their stance clear. They weren't with their daughter, so Marinette would no longer be with them.

Living out on the streets was rough for Marinette, but nothing she couldn't adapt to, she was an intelligent fighter after all, so she quickly picked up good shelter spots, who and where to avoid, and generally just how to survive the Parisian streets.

She lived out on the streets for a few months before a familiar, yet unexpected face appeared before her.

"Dupain-Cheng?" Chloe Bourgeois asked(?) in surprise as she saw the blue-haired girl that used to ruthlessly torment their entire school.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want Bourgeois?" Marinette replied coldly, remembering how Chloe used to bully her before her "Vengeance" phase.

To Marinette's surprise Chloe's response wasn't one of malice and spite, but rather friendly delight as she told Marinette that she missed the now sorta-orphan girl's presence in class, complimenting and outright praising Marinette's tactics and planning capability.

It was... Unexpected, but nice. Nice to have someone compliment her, to be on her side, to not blame her for every wrongdoing in existence for no reason whatsoever.

And then, Chloe made an offer she wasn't expecting.

"Hey, why don't you come back? I can have daddy set you up a room in the hotel and we can hang out whenever we want!" She asked enthusiastically, surprising the bluenette.

Deciding to give it a shot, Marinette agreed. Worse case scenario she ended back up on the streets anyway, so she was willing to try it out.

Just this once.

And, much to her surprise, she's welcomed with open arms by Chloe's father who was happy that his daughter had another friend.

He might have been a corrupt official, but he still tries his best to be a good father dammit!

And thus, Marinette now had a cushy penthouse room in the best hotel in Paris. And better yet, she wasn't surrounded by people who blamed her for every problem they encounter!

Chloe, her father, Sabrina, they never told her she was wrong, they never told her that she was responsible for events outside of her control, they never told her to apologise for mistakes that don't exist!

To Marinette, it was paradise, and she will forever be grateful to Chloe for granting her this privilege.

She even eventually meets Adrien Agreste and finds him to be utterly delightful! He listens to her problems and tells her that the other people were the problem and that he's sorry she had to go through all that. It was wonderful.

She started crushing on Adrien after that, but refrained as he was Chloe's crush and Marinette was loyal to her friend and saviour. However she was completely unaware that she was Chloe's crush and the "Adrien Crush" was just a cover story for it because Chloe panicked and wasn't ready to confess just yet.

Eventually, Marinette returns to school, and her classroom. She sees some familiar faces, and some new ones, while others were missing. But that didn't matter to her.

What did matter was the recognition and utter fear she saw appear in their eyes as she entered the classroom with Chloe and Sabrina.

"Surprise bitches, bet you thought you saw the last of me!" She said with a downright feral grin, knowing that the next few years were going to be fun.

And so, Marinette goes back to screwing with her classmates, getting away with it completely thanks to Chloe's connections.

Though, she's a bit more lenient this time around. Not out of altruism, but just because she finds bullying her classmates to be a rather boring affair nowadays and just does it to keep them in line.

She still pranks them to remind them of how bad she used to be, but her Rage and utter Hatred has cooled off since then. She still holds a grudge, but now she only really unleashes her full fury on those who accuse her of a wrongdoing she didn't actually do.

And thus, this was how Marinette became Chloe's most useful enforcer, making sure all of their classmates don't get any funny ideas about trying to usurp Chloe's position as Class Rep and ensuring their compliance with all of Chloe's commands.

This went on for a few years, until the Miraculous come into play...

(This is Part 1 of the idea, I'll make Part 2 once this post gets 100 Likes because I'm tired and need a break. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed)

[starwarsmum]

A Fresh Start chapter 1! Originally uploaded to AO3 last year in December but I never posted it here

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61344961/chapters/156796432

“Louis doesn't need me, Mari,” Adrien said softly, eyes pleading as he stood at the door to their apartment with his bags. “And you don't either. But I have the chance to be something more again and I have to take it.”

“Adrien…” Marinette was lost for words, her eyes full of tears as she cradled their five-month-old son against her chest. He took her lack of argument as permission and smiled at her before leaving his key on the counter and walking out.

_ _ _

Marinette looked around her too small apartment one last time as she picked up her carry-on suitcase. Louis was waiting at her parents’ bakery, his own carry-on ready to go. She had given up hoping that Adrien would return and the apartment had only been intended as a temporary home until they found a house.

Still, her heart ached as she closed the door for the final time, taking the key down to the landlord and accepting her deposit back. It had been a year and a half since Adrien had left for London, Louis was nearly two and only knew his father through photos and the occasional letter. 

She took several minutes outside the bakery to pull herself back together, checking to make sure she had no tears on her face. She didn't feel completely right but it was as good as it was going to get, so she pushed into the bakery with a forced smile.

“Maman!” A flash of blond hair and a sparkle of blue eyes and her smile became less forced as she caught her son up in a hug. All of her worries about moving to America were silenced in that moment; she was doing this to give them both a fresh start, and Jagged had promised that he had friends who wanted/needed a new designer. 

“Louis, were you good for Mami and Papi?” She asked, voice full of adoration as he beamed up at her and nodded. She kissed the top of his head and looked at her parents. Her Papa looked conflicted, both happy that she was moving on at last and sad that she had to move countries to get a clean slate to work from. “We should probably get going, our taxi is waiting for us.”

“You will be visiting soon though, right?” Her Maman had shining eyes as she pulled her into a tight hug. Her Papa came over as well, enveloping all three of them in his arms as he made her promise to call as often as she could. 

Sitting in the back of the taxi with Louis in her lap she felt relief wash over her. For better or worse the decision was made and she was going to make it work somehow.

_ _ _

After two weeks in their new home, Marinette missed her old flat. The new one was nicer but it didn't feel right yet. Louis was struggling to settle in and kept eating the same three meals, over and over. Marinette sighed as she prepared his lunch - a tuna sandwich with carrot and cucumber sticks - wondering how she was going to cope. 

Checking her phone, she cursed silently as she realized she had lost track of time again. She had a meeting in the north of Gotham to deliver a new suit for Jagged and if she didn't leave in the next ten minutes she would be late. She had yet to visit his Gotham address and she was nervous about showing up late.

“Louis, I'm just going to put your sandwich in your lunch box and you can eat it in the car, okay?” She called, not waiting for a response as she grabbed boxes and water bottles. The movements were well practiced but she felt jittery which made her clumsy. 

She was in the car with Louis strapped in the back only five minutes late and she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel nervously as she glanced at her maps. She had messaged Jagged and told him that she was running behind and would be there shortly, but no response had come through.

She was halfway to Jagged's address when her car gave a clunk and the engine died. Looking in the rearview mirror, she saw that Louis was still awake and just barely held back from cursing. Her luck has been awful since defeating Hawkmoth and returning the Ladybug earrings, excepting Louis.

Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to centre herself before grabbing her phone and messaging Jagged the problem. She then stepped out of the car and looked around the quiet street, wondering if there was anywhere she could go to get some help or if she would have to rely on waiting for a tow truck.

When nobody materialised she got to work. She popped the hood of the car, peering at the mass of engine parts and grumbled as she admitted to herself that she wouldn't be able to guess her way through it. She decided to open Louis’ door to get some fresh air whilst she looked for a reputable company to call for help.

She was looking at a promising one when a black and white blur shot past her and landed in the backseat with Louis. She jumped, dropping her phone as she tried to see what was happening only to pull up short when she was met with a distinguished looking cat. A cat that was purring in her son's lap as it ate his tuna sandwich.

She stared nonplussed, trying to think of a way to extricate the cat without potentially hurting Louis. She grabbed her phone only to be met with a shattered screen and her already overwhelmed brain gave up. It wasn't fair, she had been a goddamned superheroine in her youth, why didn't anything ever go right for her?

“Alfred!” A man was walking up the street now, clearly looking for the cat. He was glancing under cars and in doorways when he spotted her. She had sat down to have her mini breakdown and scrambled to stand up. “Excuse me, have you seen a cat, black and white and about this big?”

Wordlessly she gestured into her backseat so that he could see the cat still purring as Louis patted its head. The man gave a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I'm so sorry, he's usually a much better behaved cat but one of my idiot brothers watched my pets for me recently and denied him nothing. He has been most displeased that I have not been feeding him a diet of treats and tuna upon my return. I can remove him from your car and pay for whatever he has eaten.”

“Actually, if you could help me call for a tow truck we can call it even,” she said, holding up her broken phone. “My car decided to die on my way to my uncle's home and I have no clue how to fix it. I was just searching for a company when your cat appeared.”

“Of course, let me take a look at it before we call for help.” He immediately stripped off the jacket he was wearing, revealing muscular arms that Marinette tried her best not to stare at. He was unfairly attractive, tan skin and dark hair that was gelled back. It didn't take long for him to determine the issue. “Your oil appears to have run low, it does not seem to have done irreparable damage yet. I have a canister at home and can top it up for you.”

“Oh thank god, I don't know how I'd cope if it was something unfixable,” she said in relief, smiling at him. “Thank you so much! Do you want to take your cat with you? I think he's finished eating the tuna out of Louis' sandwich.”

They both peered into the backseat and were met with the sight of both the toddler and cat asleep. Louis’ hand was flat on the cat's - who was curled in a tight ball - back, and it was adorable. Marinette felt her smile stretch, the view making her former irritation wash away.

“If you can ensure he does not run away, my home is only a minute or two from here,” the man offered, smiling softly as well. 

True to his word he returned within five minutes, oil in hand. He also had a pen and some paper, for what purpose Marinette wasn't sure. He refilled her oil and came around to the open car door again.

“My name is Damian, by the way,” he said, tearing the sheet of paper in half and holding both out to her. “Here, my number. As your phone is damaged, probably when Alfred startled you, I feel I should replace it. But you are clearly on your way somewhere, so if you could write down a way to contact you we can keep in touch.”

“Oh, you don't have to replace my phone!” Marinette yelped, blushing fiercely. “I really should have a chain, or a charm, or something so I don't drop it. I'm madly clumsy anyway, I was bound to break it sooner or later.”

“I see,” he said, hand lowering with the paper and pen still clutched within it. “I didn't mean to presume anything, I'm sure your partner wouldn't like you coming home with a stranger's number.”

“Oh, haha, no, I don't, um, there's nobody,” she said with a slightly sad smile on her face. Damian tilted his head slightly and she shrugged as she looked at Louis’ peaceful face. “Louis' father decided to pursue something ‘more’ quite a while ago. I actually only moved to Gotham a couple of weeks ago, hoping for a fresh start.”

“He must be an idiot if he thought he could find something more,” Damian muttered, flushing when her eyes flitted to him in surprise. “Apologies, that was inappropriate. I only meant that you are a beautiful woman, and you have a son together…what more could possibly be out there?”

“I'm Marinette, and I think maybe we should get coffee sometime,” she blurted after several seconds of silence. His face brightened as he held the paper back out, and she accepted it easily this time. She scrawled her number and email address before handing it over to him. “But you're right, I really do have to get going right now. I'll text you as soon as I replace my phone and we'll see about that coffee, okay?”

“I can hardly wait.” 

Marinette climbed back into her car after Damian had removed Alfred expertly from Louis' clutches. It started without a problem and she waved goodbye as she continued on her way to Jagged's. Maybe her luck wasn't so bad after all.

[miraculousfananalysis]

It just occurred to me that the kwamis, they know everything. When Alya asked Trixx "why would I hate Marinette?" Trixx knows exactly why, of course they were all probably instructed not to speak about what happened in the final fight in under circumstance and we know they can keep a secret I mean just look at Tikki she knew how this would all end and didn't utter a word throughout the series granted they probably didn't even write the ending at the time so there was nothing to hint to but still now the line "I knew you would come around" in the origins episode has a whole new meaning to it.

But anyways just imagine being Plagg and knowing that the person who held all your friends captive and exploited them, terrorized the entire city of Paris, put the life of his son aka your holder unknowingly and knowing in danger was living in the same house as you and had been operating from right under your nose. Also I don't know if Plagg knows that Adrien is a senti being he might. Oh and after knowing what a God awful person Gabriel was now Plagg has to watch Adrien grieve and he can't even tell him the truth, I don't know how he is able to contain himself but maybe that's just something you have to do when you are a kwami.

Another thing is that although it makes me so angry that Marinette lied to everyone and painted Gabriel as a "hero". I think I would have hated it more if she told everyone the honest truth because that would have made Adrien's life utter living hell. He would be bullied and accused of partnering with monarch, social media is playing a prominent role in season 6 and we already saw all the conspiracies of Vincent and I am guessing there are others too like we saw in the episode Reunion saying ladybug is incompetent and what not, who is to say people won't immediately take to calling Adrien monarch's accomplice after all Gabriel was doing all this to get Emily back, why wouldn't people think that Adrien would want to have his mother back.

So on top of grief for not being able to save his father and mother, he would also feel anger towards him for doing this in the first place and a lot more complicated feeling and on top of that he would have to deal with everyone antagonizing him. What if he got frustrated and revealed that he is Cat Noir and was fighting against Monarch in order to prove his innocence won't people immediately jump to the conclusions that he was actually slowing down ladybug and the only reason ladybug 'defeated' Monarch was because Cat Noir was in London.

I don't think the creators wanted to go down that path hence they made her lie and except for maybe the heroes other people will never find out the truth. So no I am not fond of the fact Marinette is lying to Adrien but I also wouldn't rather she told the truth to everyone. But at the same time Adrien does deserve to know and I think the writers should make ladybug tell Adrien the truth privately and then give him some time and get his opinion on what next. Also she should have Felix explain the who senti being thing to him because Adrien needs to keep those rings safe.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Honestly it‘s so weird that the first explanation LB comes up with for her exposed identity in Chat blanc is „Adrien prob snitched lol“ like she literally said before Alya amd Nino would never but Adrien would??

To be fair, Bunnyx does push her down that path for some reason:

Bunnyx: Do you know how Cat Noir found out about your secret identity? Ladybug: I think so. When I went into Adrien's house as Ladybug, he probably saw me. He figured out that Ladybug is Marinette because of the note written on the gift. But I'm not sure what happened next. Bunnyx: He probably told his friend Nino, who told Alya, who wrote about it on the Ladyblog. Ladybug: Mm.. They would never do that. But Adrien probably told someone, who told someone else, and so on, until it was all over the news! The best-kept secrets are the ones you never share.

But you're right about this being a weird thing for Marinette to believe. She trusted Adrien with a miraculous in Desperada and will go on to trust "Adrien" with the dog in the season four final. Those aren't the kind of moves you make if you don't think the person in question can keep a secret! I swear that these writers seem to think that "every episode stands alone" means "every episode takes place in a random AU where you don't know what is considered canon today."

If I were writing this episode, then I would have just never addressed this issue because there's not really a great explanation for what happened outside of the truth. It's one of the many disappointing things about this episode. In a better show, Chat Blanc would have lead Marinette to try to figure out what happened so she could keep it from happening again. In the process of that investigation, she would learn Gabriel's identity, leading to his big defeat! Let the asshole pay for his crimes! Let his plans blow up in his face! Let Chat Blanc backfire on the villain in every possible way! Instead, canon has Chat Blanc backfire on Adrien because that's so much more satisfying, right? (That was sarcasm)

[goggles-mcgee]

Haunted Blessings

This is a ml x dc x dp idea!

Marinette had been fighting an akuma when it happened. It was this little girl named Charlotte who got akumatized because her parents had been ignoring her requests. A friend and party-goer who was at her birthday party explained that 'Lottie' was sad because her parents were too busy to hang out with her and when her special day came, they ignored her wishes. She had wanted a princess themed party with a hired Fairy Godmother that she had seen posters of. Charlotte had apparently taken several of the flyers to put around her house so her parents wouldn't forget what she wanted. They had said they would hire the Fairy Godmother, but the day of the party came, and instead of a Fairy Godmother, Charlotte got a clown...and not a good one either. The clown who was currently stuck in a cage looked like someone bought a cheap clown costume and thought that was that. He didn't even have makeup on.

Charlotte got so upset, and when she had asked her parents why the Fairy Godmother wasn't there, her parents had sheepishly apologized and said the Fairy Godmother was too busy to come to the party. Arnie, Lottie's best friend, said that was a lie because he heard her mom talking to his about how they forgot to hire the Fairy Godmother, and the clown was all they could get last minute. Thus, Charlotte became her own Fairy Godmother. That was her akuma name and theme.

She granted 'wishes', but it was really what she thought people needed. If she hit you with her pixie dust, she could see your wants and needs, apparently. Her parents wanted, no needed, to be by her side and dote on her. That's why they became a king and queen who followed her everywhere. Marinette had been doing her best not to get hit, but Chat hadn't listened to her small plan to distract the akuma while she went back to her house to get some Miraculi that could help and instead he had nearly got them both hit.

Marinette was tired. She had just wanted to hang out with Luka for the day and just have a nice lazy day where she did nothing but lay on the closest surface and lazily existed while Luka played his guitar. But nooooooooo. So there she was trying to escape so she could go grab Vipe-ard (Luka with a new look and name), Honeycomb (Bee! Aurore), and Mossflower ( Mouse! Mireille). They needed help, bad, and her intuition had been screaming that they needed the help of the Snake, Bee, and Mouse. She thought Chat had been covering her, but he got wacked. Who knows how far and all Marinette could do was stare in disbelief and horror as she got hit but the pixie dust.

The akuma cheered but then got quiet and just looked at her for a very long time. Hawkmoth seemed to be trying to talk to Fairy Godmother, but she ignored him. The akuma flew down to her, her eyes filled with tears and said, "You've done so much for us. You're hurting yourself to protect us, and I...I made it worse. I know what you need so I'll help! I'm a good helper!"

Marinette tried to argue or anything, but she was stuck frozen by the power of the pixie dust. She could hear Chat yelling her name before she felt magic gathering at her feet. Before she fell through the now open portal she heard Fairy Godmother one more time.

"You need a break. And help! I'm sending you on a vacation!"

The next thing she knew, she was landing on a roof hard.

♡___♡___♡___♡

Danny would like to state for the record that as much as people liked to think, he knew what he was doing. The fact of the matter was he didn't. I mean, sure, sometimes he did actually know, but when it came to his ghostly powers, everyone and he included were in the dark. There were so many that developed and grew and evolved. Jazz ended up making him a detailed coded list. Now, for the most part, he knew how to use his powers and control them, but some were just so new ans he was just so busy that his newer powers took him by surprise when they acted up.

Case in point being right now. As he was fighting with Walker in the zone because of some shenanigans, he had zoned out when Walker had monologued. Danny had just been trying to free the wrongly imprisoned Infinite Beings from Walker's prison, and apparently, that was a crime, so here he was fighting when he should have been studying again. At some point, Ellie had arrived, and as much as he loved her, because he loved her so much, his Fraid instincts tended to take over if she was near a fight. He needed to protect his little sister-daughter-cousin.

It was a common thing, according to Frostbite. Danny, being the older of the Fraidmates, meant his protective instincts went a little wild when anyone he considered Fraid was in danger or something he perceived to be danger. But since he was a baby ghost still (lame), his instincts weren't easy to work around and talk sense into so he would become one-track minded.

So, really, it wasn't his fault! It was his dumb baby instincts that caused his portal powers to kick in and open a random portal to who knows where and fly like a bat out of hell to get Ellie and himself away from the danger. His portal spit them out thankfully somewhere loaded with ambient ecto, but they hit a roof hard. Not enough to break through, but enough to hurt a little. Both Halfa's groaned in unison, but it was a third groan that made them freeze.

Whilst he still had a hold on Ellie, as she was not fond of his Baby Instincts kicking in, really disliked how clingy he got. She was fine with his usual hugs. She even ought them out sometimes. But his instincts triggered her own set of Baby Instincts, and she hated it. But there was a little window of time where she would just accept it because of her Instincts and wouldn't just kick herself away, so with that in mind, Danny pulled them into a sitting position to look at presumably the only other person on the roof with them.

It was a girl! Probably around his age! She kind of gave off Liminal vibes, but like really really Baby vibes. Like newborn Liminal vibes.

Aaaaaaand his core and instincts have decided she was his responsibility because the next thing he knew, she joined in the cuddle pile courtesy of his levitation.

Great. Just great!

....Why was she dressed like a giant Ladybug?

♡___♡___♡___♡

Maybe the world was laughing at him, but Bruce had been having a relatively quiet night patrol wise. It was just him and Dick tonight, and that always left him in a somewhat nostalgic daze. He was still aware, he was always aware, but it was like his mind had been giving him a break. Most of his kids weren't going to be in the Manor for a while, missions, school trips, or just little forced vacations had them away for a time. So, while the night had been nostalgic, it had also been a touch lonely. Dick had a way of filling up any space he was in but his eldest son could only fill so much.

Bruce loved the chaos that had become his home and life because of his children. Not having them there left him feeling wrong-footed. He missed them.

Maybe it was how he wished to himself that they were home, if only to help make it still feel like home.

Maybe it was the way the carefully patrolled Crime Alley since Jason was on a forced vacation/road trip with Roy, Arsenal and Bizarro.

Maybe it was the way doing so had him reliving his meeting with his brilliant yet jaded second son.

Whatever it was, Bruce and Dick had seen two separate portals open on top of an abandoned apartment complex that was going to be condemned and rebuilt per Red Hood's plans and orders.

There was no hesitation between him and Dick as they both grappled onto the roof. Whatever danger they had been expecting, it wasn't three teens huddled together near the locked door of the roof. All three looked at the two local vigilantes in surprise and open fear. They looked to be in rough shape, and two were 98% metas. The 2% went out to whatever other possibility they could be.

The boy hissed at them and somehow wrapped his arms tighter around the two girls.

Bruce could hear Dick trying not to giggle which made him sigh.

Really...only in Gotham huh?

[marinettesaltprompts]

After Marinette's apology for not focusing on them the girls forgave her and let it go but it still left a sour taste in their mouths. The fact that she was going to turn their movie night that they have every month into a date for her and Adrien was beyond disappointing especially when he made it clear to her he wasn't coming. Though she apologized so they figured she wouldn't do it again, plus, after Sabrina apologized she was now joining their group. They were reluctant at first since she had no problem helping Chloe bully them but after hanging out with her they could see she changed.

The next movie night they had at Rose's place. They were all having fun until they saw Marinette looking sad and crying. When they asked her what was wrong they could barely understand her, but they understood enough to know that Marinette had planned something for her and Adrien but it didn't go as planned. The girls awkwardly looked at each other before comforting her. For the rest of the night instead of having fun and watching movies they were instead comforting Marinette.

The movie night at Alya's house was the straw that broke the camels back. Marinette was once again upset over something to do with Adrien. At this point the girls were over it, even Sabrina was tired of it though she didn't feel it was her place to say with her being so new to the group. The thing is it wasn't just movie night, it was their regular hangouts too that would suddenly be hijacked and turned into planning something for her and Adrien. Marinette would create problems for herself and then throw a pity party, the girls were over it. They just wanted to hang out with out it turning into them comforting her over a self made problem. A lot of these things didn't even make sense to them like the 100th kiss, did it really mean that much to her that she planned to turn their hangout into date and then cried when it didn't happen. Was her 100th kiss that big a deal, who even counts their kisses?

While Marinette had her face buried in her hands the girls looked at each other and nodded. Alya took a deep breath before heading over towards her. She comforted Marinette a little before telling her that maybe it would be best if she went home. Marinette looked up at her in shock. Alya continued that she clearly wasn't her best right now so she should go home and they'll see her tomorrow. Marinette looked around at the rest of the girls all agreeing. Zoe stated that tomorrow when she's better they can talk about what she tried to do with Adrien. With all the girls in agreement they guided her towards the door while reassuring that they'll talk about it tomorrow. With Marinette out the girls felt kind of bad but they just wanted a movie night where they could have fun. Pushing away the little guilt they felt the girls continued their movie night, they'll worry about Marinette and her problem tomorrow but for now they were determined to have fun.

[cardiac-agreste]

After working with other, extremely dedicated mods on this event, I'm so STOKED to share a preview of my work for @mlbigbang2024! This year, I'm taking "courtroom drama" out for a spin, in a manner of speaking. A Twelve Angry Holders, if you will. I will begin publishing it Jan 15!

Synopsis

In The Demon Takes Two Chairs, thanks to a shift in allegiance by Nathalie Sancoeur, Ladybug's team of holders has just defeated Hawkmoth. Now they must decide what to do with Mayura, who is being held prisoner by Bunnyx in her time burrow.

But a tense standoff between Gabriel and Argos revealed that Adrien is a sentimonster.

Ladybug feels overwhelmed by all her allies’ differing opinions. She sets out to convince them that Adrien Agreste’s only remaining quasi-family should be shown leniency.

As the team (very) vigorously debates Mme Sancoeur’s fate, old wounds and grievances are re-opened.

Perhaps most painful of all is that she hasn’t seen Chat Noir in days.

The other members of my team are artists @zambiv and @supergirl9130, and @uptoolateart, who is my beta reader.

Preview

Bedsprings shifted, and Rena finally scanned the rest of the room. Ladybug sat at the edge of Adrien’s bed, destruction spiraling out around her on the ground. Had she thrown a tantrum? There were books from Adrien’s second-floor library everywhere, ripped to shreds; his desk was upturned, monitors shattered; there were cracks in the walls from what must have been Tikki-powered punches.

Her friend and hero was hunched over like a solitary cypress tree, roots clinging desperately to the cliffside, bowed over the years into submission by ceaseless oceanic gusts. Its bark weathered and pale, its leaves disheveled and grasping for any stray light peeking through the storm clouds.

Ladybug held something small in her hands, passing it from one to the other.

Rena inhaled swiftly at the sight, and muscles in her chest fluttered in anticipation of whatever support her best friend would need. As she walked to the bed, she recognized it as Adrien: The Lego, one of Gabriel’s less-inspired marketing ploys. Her friend was being so gentle with it even though it had previously been the subject of two wide-ranging tirades. Marinette was taking the news worse than Alya had expected.

“Girl, let’s sneak in and put that on the floor in Lila’s house. Then she’ll step on it and hurt her foot.”

Threatening Lila with pain usually teased a smile out of Marinette no matter how down in the dumps she was, but not this time. This wasn’t good. Rena went and sat down beside Ladybug, shoulder to shoulder, willing her body heat to envelope her friend. “Hey…”

“Why would he do this to Adrien?” she whispered.

If Rena hadn’t been right next to her, she wouldn’t have heard it. She put her arm on her friend’s back and began rubbing softly. “What do you mean?”

“Adrien told his father he didn’t want to be a model anymore, and Gabriel retaliated by creating an AR version that anyone could manipulate. Do you think there were restrictions placed on the AI? What if some horny pervert had used it to make deep fakes? Do you think Gabriel even cared?

“And then there’s this. It’s cheap, mass-produced, plastic, and can be manipulated by a child. How could he think this was a good idea? How did Adrien feel about it? It’s like all Gabriel did was focused on controlling him…”

Ladybug shot to her feet and growled, hurling the toy across the room. “There’s a mini-fridge full of fucking camembert over there! I think I’d know if he liked camembert!”

Her voice reverberated in the room, and then near-silent but for some rustling around the corner near the skate ramps. The force of the throw had probably blown a few loose book pages around.

“No!” She sprinted across the room and retrieved the toy, stroking it and clutching it to her chest like a poultice intended to heal a broken heart, leaning over so her forehead pressed against the wall.

“Adrien…” She turned to Rena and asked, “Do you think he already knew? That he’s a…” Her eyes were brimming with a hope that was already being stabbed in the back. It seemed like Ladybug couldn’t even say it out loud. 

Without pausing, she answered her own question. “Of course he didn’t. This is Gabriel we’re talking about. If Adrien didn’t know his father was Hawkmoth, he wouldn’t have known this.

“And what am I going to do about Nathalie? This is…it’s too much for me.” Ladybug stumbled beforefalling to her knees, breath becoming ragged as her chin dipped to her chest.Her hands pressed to her temples, as if to wring the anxiety from her mind. “I can’t… how do I do that alone?”

Rena’s eyes burned as her friend fell apart before her. The revelation that Adrien was a sentimonster had hit her hard, too. But Rena was furious at someone else.

Why hadn’t Felix ever told Adrien the truth? Why hadn’t he told anyone that Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth? That bastard had toyed with Ladybug’s emotions, stole all the Miraculous, and set Paris on a collision course with Armageddon.

She clenched her fists. Everything in this room looked like a pressure release valve. Why not throw that chair through the window? Why not torch this place? It was likely Adrien would never want to be here once they found him and told him the truth. Because she, Nino, and Marinette weren’t Felix. Adrien was their brother.

Rena Rouge walked over to Ladybug and knelt beside her. “You’re right. This is too big for Ladybug alone. But Ladybug isn’t alone. She has me. And she has Pigella. And she has Purple Tigress. And Polymouse. Carapace is ride or die. She’s got her whole secret garden of flowers here.” She lowered her voice and looked around conspiratorially. “Though I’m not sure Nino would like being compared to a flower.”

This elicited a giggle from her friend.

[bloop24]

After Marinette's apology for not focusing on them the girls forgave her and let it go but it still left a sour taste in their mouths. The fact that she was going to turn their movie night that they have every month into a date for her and Adrien was beyond disappointing especially when he made it clear to her he wasn't coming. Though she apologized so they figured she wouldn't do it again, plus, after Sabrina apologized she was now joining their group. They were reluctant at first since she had no problem helping Chloe bully them but after hanging out with her they could see she changed.

The next movie night they had at Rose's place. They were all having fun until they saw Marinette looking sad and crying. When they asked her what was wrong they could barely understand her, but they understood enough to know that Marinette had planned something for her and Adrien but it didn't go as planned. The girls awkwardly looked at each other before comforting her. For the rest of the night instead of having fun and watching movies they were instead comforting Marinette.

The movie night at Alya's house was the straw that broke the camels back. Marinette was once again upset over something to do with Adrien. At this point the girls were over it, even Sabrina was tired of it though she didn't feel it was her place to say with her being so new to the group. The thing is it wasn't just movie night, it was their regular hangouts too that would suddenly be hijacked and turned into planning something for her and Adrien. Marinette would create problems for herself and then throw a pity party, the girls were over it. They just wanted to hang out with out it turning into them comforting her over a self made problem. A lot of these things didn't even make sense to them like the 100th kiss, did it really mean that much to her that she planned to turn their hangout into date and then cried when it didn't happen. Was her 100th kiss that big a deal, who even counts their kisses?

While Marinette had her face buried in her hands the girls looked at each other and nodded. Alya took a deep breath before heading over towards her. She comforted Marinette a little before telling her that maybe it would be best if she went home. Marinette looked up at her in shock. Alya continued that she clearly wasn't her best right now so she should go home and they'll see her tomorrow. Marinette looked around at the rest of the girls all agreeing. Zoe stated that tomorrow when she's better they can talk about what she tried to do with Adrien. With all the girls in agreement they guided her towards the door while reassuring that they'll talk about it tomorrow. With Marinette out the girls felt kind of bad but they just wanted a movie night where they could have fun. Pushing away the little guilt they felt the girls continued their movie night, they'll worry about Marinette and her problem tomorrow but for now they were determined to have fun.

[anjuschiffer]

Love is Blind (I'm sorry I took you for granted)

... guess you got to finishing the other prompt @the-coffee-fandom from last year's hanahaki week? This girl :D

Prompt - May 9th: "Don't you think it's time to stop?"

Tags: @toodaloo-kangaroo @vixen-uchiha

-

AO3

Tim glanced at his watch once again, fighting a huff as he finally decided to look at it for the thirtieth time in that hour. 

14:00.

“She’s late.” Tim mumbled, feeling like a complete idiot as he could feel various eyes watching him, eyeing him as he sat by himself at the waiting area right outside the cinema they had agreed to meet at. 

It wouldn't have bothered him, but considering that he had been sitting there for the past four hours…it was starting to get to him. He fumbled with the handles of the gift bag that rested between his fingers.

He decided to take out his phone, the phone buzzing as he did so, his frustration growing when he saw it was just a text from Steph who had asked how the date was going so far. 

He switched back to his previous chat, noticing that Marinette hadn’t texted him back anything in the past two hours. No update, no reply…no apology…nothing.

And yes, it would’ve been one thing if she had been caught in an akuma attack…but she wasn’t and he knew she wasn’t.

After all, the akuma app he had created to notify him of any akuma appearance in Paris hadn’t gone off in two days.

And if it was just her being late due to traffic…well, she usually would tell him when she was five minutes away…

But he knew where she was. She had mentioned it several times before when they had called each other throughout the month and he had hoped she wouldn’t go to it. Or if she did, to at least let him know even though he would be bothered by her decision. 

But it’s been hours and nothing. Not a single thing from-

“Tim!” A voice called out to him, Tim having to mentally calm himself down before he dared to look up, not even bothering to fix the disappointment on his face. “There you are!” She managed to say in one breath, plopping herself right next to him. 

Tim watched as she took a while to semi-catch her breath. Beads of sweat dripped down her face, only then Tim realizing the sloppy outfit she had put on for today. Sure, it wasn’t her usual white top and pink pants but he knew Mari. 

And Mari would’ve never let herself walk out the way she did for a date. 

She would’ve never let herself walk out her house with a messy low bun, an unironed and untucked collared shirt and wrinkled skirt. She wouldn’t have allowed herself to wear mismatching earrings nor take a clutch purse with her. 

A clutch purse was her worst nightmare as she always forgot where she would place it down, even when it came to her own room. 

And to top everything off, Marinette knew better than to let herself walk around with smudged lip gloss.“I’m so sorry! I didn’t think Adrien’s competition would take so long! Nor did I think I would have to remake his banner for the competition this morning! 

I should’ve let you know I was going to be late this morning or during half-time.

But oh how I wished you were there! You should’ve seen the way Adrien-”

“Do you hear yourself?” Tim cut her off, prompting Marinette to shut up. 

She never heard him speak to her that way. He never spoke to her so coldly before. So…annoyed…

She turned to look at Tim, wondering why he was looking at her so angrily.  

She fought herself from frowning.

“I- what did you say?”

“Just, stop.” Tim got up, hating the churning of his stomach, hating the scream that lodged his throat. A scream he wanted to let out so badly at that very moment. “You really aren’t hearing yourself, are you?”

“I-I don’t understand what you-”

“Marinette. You’re late.”

“And I’m trying to explain why-”

“By three whole hours Marinette. Three. And you didn’t at least try to let me know-”

“Tim, I didn’t expect for it to last two whole extra hours. And like I said, I even had to help them make a new banner for the competition this morning. And it’s not like this is the first time I mentioned this.” Marinette defended herself. “I talked to you about this before, remember? I mentioned I was going to support Adrien with the rest of the class at his-”

“We agreed to see each other today Marinette!” Tim finally screamed out, not noticing that this caused heads to turn towards the two. “We had a date that we agreed on a month prior because you badly wanted us to come here together.” Tim reminded her. “You told me you’ve always wanted to go to Claude Monet’s garden and I thought that was a wonderful idea since I’ve never been there either.

We agreed to clear our schedules- hell, you even promised me you weren’t going to make any other plans for today to make sure-”

“But I had to go and support him! The rest of the class-”

“Who cares about the class? Who cares if you didn’t go? 

You could’ve gone to see him once you got home. You could’ve seen him when you got back to school on Monday after break.” Tim took a breath to calm himself down. He was sounding like a broken record and he hated it. “You could’ve called him…explain that you already had plans with someone…

With me.” Tim continued when Mari didn’t speak. “I cleared up my entire week to come and see you and spend time with you. I flew here to see you Mari. Just you.” He looked at the gift in his hand, the handle unraveling with the amount of twisting he had done to it while he waited. “I thought you would be just as excited as I was since we haven’t seen each other in some time…

But…

Was I expecting too much of you?” Tim tried his best to stop his voice from cracking, but decided to just let it go. 

He was tired of all of this. ”Maybe I am, I don’t know.” He stopped himself from draggin a hand down his face or running it through his hair. “Am I asking for too mu-”

“Tim, are you okay?” Marinette dared to ask, causing something in Tim to boil.

“I-” Tim sighed, “I know I live far- I mean.” He let out another long sigh. “I live across an entire ocean and I get it, okay?

Long distance relationships are hard and it’s my first serious relationship in years. Like, literal years…

I’m trying my best to be a good boyfriend to you.” Tim admitted, finally giving in to running his hand through his hair, attempting to calm himself down before he did anything he would later regret.

“And you are! You-” Marinette tried to calm him down but found herself at a loss of thoughts. 

She couldn’t think of a single thing, memories and daydreams of Adrien flooding her head as she tried to think of any memory of Tim by her side. 

“I text you everyday-” Tim cut her off.  “I do video calls, set up future dates whenever you want to do something together, send you things I bought while I thought of you and yet- am I doing something wrong? If I am, just tell-”

“Tim, you’re not doing anything wrong!” Marinette shouted. “You’ve been- it’s just- I need to be there for my friends too.” She ended up saying, biting her tongue when she realized what she had just finished saying. “They need my help and I just can’t say no. I have to-” She stopped when she saw Tim stand up and stand in front of her.

“Marinette, just…just stop.”

“What?”

“Stop making excuses Marinette and just tell it to me straight. Because I’m done hearing all of this.” Tim sternly said, hating the twisting in his chest, hating that he was doing this to her. He hated that he was going to be the reason behind Mari’s soon-to-be heartbreak. “Don’t you think it’s time to stop? To stop all these excuses?”

“You think I’m doing this because I want to?” Marinette couldn’t believe this. 

Did he really think she’s doing this on purpose? Did he really think she wasn’t being serious when it came to keeping a promise to her friends? In being there for them whenever they needed her?

Did he want her to look like a bad friend? “They needed my help, they needed my support and I gave it to them. More so, I had promised Adrien I would-”

“Marinette. We can’t keep doing this.” Tim pointed out, hoping he was doing the right thing. “We can’t keep going if all you’re thinking is about pleasing your friends and wooing Adrien-”

“I’m not wooing him!” Marinette screeched, getting up. “I’m with you, Tim! You’re the one I li-”

“Do you?” Tim questioned her. “Do you actually like me? Or were you just lying to yourself until it became true? Because let me tell you one thing Marinette, I like you. And I always have since the day I first met you at the gala your parents catered for.” He could feel his heart shatter when he saw her surprised at his words.

Was I nothing to you? 

“Tim, I-”

““I like you.” Tim said again, hearing the doubt this time. “Even when you had told me of all your plans you had to try and get Adrien’s attention. 

Even when you started to doubt your feelings towards him.

Even when you kept going to his competitions like today’s. 

When you decided to move on from him. 

When you developed a crush on Luka.

When you dated Luka.” Tim could feel his chest ache with each sentence he finished. “You were in love with someone else and I still loved you and now that I have the chance to be with you…I wonder if waiting all this time was worth it.”

“Tim.” Marinette softly said, feeling tears prick the corners of her eyes.

No. I didn’t mean for things to go this way. I didn’t mean to hurt him! 

Marinette pushed down the lump growing in her throat. “Don’t say things you don’t-” 

“Our schedules barely line up and then when it does, there’s always something else preventing us from getting together.” He cut her off. “An akuma, a family matter, a friend matter…something always comes up and usually…it’s you apologizing to me for not making it or being late…

And that… that makes me feel that loving you was a waste of my time.” Tim confessed, watching Marinette grow silent, tears sliding down her face.

Tim hated that she wasn’t saying anything. He hated that she just stood there. 

Why was she crying when he was the one who was hurting? “Or was I wrong? 

If I was wrong, then tell me.” He begged her. “Tell me I was wrong Mari.”

“I’m sorry.” Was all Marinette mustered to say, wiping away her tears. “I didn’t know you felt-“

“That’s not answering my question, Marinette.” Tim quietly said, looking down at the bag in his hand. “But I’ll take that as an answer to my question.” He placed it next to her. “I guess this will be my final gift to you.” Tim softly spoke, feeling an old pain grow in his lungs. 

Of course it had to come back like this. “I’ll be heading back to Gotham tonight.”

“Tim. Tim, wait!” Marinette called out, getting up and grabbing hold of his wrist only to be flung back, Marinette finding herself sitting back down. “Tim, I-“

“Don’t.” Tim told her, feeling pressure starting to form in his chest. “Don’t say anything…because we both know they’ll just be empty statements…

And I suggest you drop it here.” Tim glanced at the circle that had formed around them, noticing a few having their phones out and recording them. 

How did he not notice them earlier?

Then again, they had raised their voices at each other at some point. “We’ve already made a scene, let’s not continue to make it any bigger than what it should be, okay?” 

Marinette watched as he walked away, the crowd parting for him, his back disappearing from her line of sight. 

When the crowd realized that this was the end of the feud, they started to disperse, a few lingering to see what Marinette would do next. 

Hating the staring and gazes directed her way, she picked up the gift bag he left behind and ran. 

She held in her second round of tears as she ran all the way back home, ready to burst when her father asked her how her date went the moment she stepped into the bakery. 

She somehow managed to avoid the conversation when a customer asked her father a question, using the distraction to get away. 

She scurried to her room, shutting and locking her bedroom hatch. She slumped on top of it, taking in the silence of the room as she sat there. 

Taking in the silence and the stillness around her, feeling the tears run down her face.

Why didn’t she stop him from leaving?

Why did she hesitate?

What was wrong with her?

Why couldn’t she say that she liked him? 

Because you don’t…you never did…

After what seemed like an hour of questioning herself and getting no answers, Marinette finally acknowledged the crinkled pink bag beside her. 

What did he bring her for today’s date? 

A new sketchbook? Some rare fabric? A new hair accessory? Jewelry?

She opened the gift up, tearing up at the sight of the small bouquet in the dome glass. A small bouquet of forget-me-nots stood in the middle, the tiny flowers starting to wither as she stared at them. 

She had only told him once that they were her favorite flowers and that was when they had first met. 

He still remembered…he remembered everything about her…

And yet I casted him aside…like the idiot I am…

She had to apologize. She had to tell him!

She reached for her phone and tried to call, but was sent quickly to voicemail. 

She tried again but kept getting sent to voicemail.

She tried once again when she noticed that the flowers had gotten worse, the tips of the petals slowly rotting away, one of them having already fallen to the base. 

Suddenly, the petals started to fall one by one until one last one remained. A sole white petal stayed on the lone wilted stem of the bouquet. 

The rest were now at the base of the dome, curled up into themselves and dried up. 

She tried calling him again for the entire week, only to be told the number was no longer in service. She tried emailing him but never got a response back. 

She kept trying, even if she knew he was never going to answer.

It wasn’t until a month later that Marinette found out why he wasn’t answering her back. 

“Marinette. Isn’t that…isn’t that Tim?” Sabine asked her one morning as they ate breakfast, Marinette tuning around to look at the television. The spoon in her hand dropped onto the counter. 

“-announced his ward, Timothy Drake, making a full recovery from his unexpected emergency surgery he had just a week and a half ago.”

A short video of Tim waving to the press while sitting on a wheel was shown on the screen. He waved to the press as he was taken from the hospital entrance to his car.

His skin was as pale as a sheet and his eyes were deathly sunken in.

What happened to him?

“The young CEO was rumored to have been on the brink of death after he collapsed in the middle of his speech during last month’s charity gala.” 

A video of Tim suddenly collapsing to the floor and coughing something up was displayed followed by other Wayne members rushing to his side and taking him away. 

Why? How? Why didn’t he tell her that he was sick? Yes, he didn’t always tell her everything about his life, but this! How did he hide something serious like this from her?

“Mr.Wayne announced that while the teen hadn’t always been in the best of health, his health did turn for the worst a month ago, stating the symptoms came out of nowhere. 

According to Mr.Wayne, not much was known about the illness, Mr.Drake’s case was the second case to ever be recorded and hence the long recovery period of the young CEO. 

The very first case was recorded a few years back, where a man by the name of Artym Sidorkin was the very first person to be affected by said illness.

Due to new surfacing of the illness, there was a lot of testing and clinical trials involved -the surgery the young teen underwent- being one of them. Luckily, the surgery saved the teen’s life, letting-”

Marinette drowned out the rest of the news anchor’s story, quickly getting up to retrieve her phone from her room to see if she could reach Tim when a knock was heard at the door.

“Now I wonder who that might be.” Sabine asked, going to open only to be met with Bruce himself standing at the door. “Oh my! You must be-”

“Hello, Mlle Cheng.” Bruce greeted, Marinette noticing him putting on a strained smile. 

She couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under his eyes and the poorly applied makeup attempting to hide his eye bags. “My name is Bruce Wayne, and I apologize for taking so long to meet you and for meeting this way. I wish we had met early when our children were still dating.” Bruce missed the way Marinette flinched at those last words.

“When they were still dating? Are you- Marinette…why didn’t you tell me you weren’t with-”

“M.Wayne!” She diverted. “How is Tim? I haven’t been-”

“About Tim.” Bruce started, closing the door behind him. He looked at Sabine and then at Marinette. “How should I say this?” He sighed. “It would be best if you stopped trying to contact him.”

“M.Wayne.” Sabine spoke up. “While I understand that the kids might not be together anymore, that does not you should stop my daughter from-”

“A side effect from the surgery he went under caused him to have amnesia.” Bruce interjected, not failing to notice Sabine’s gasp and marinette’s pale face. “At the moment, he does not recall what happened these past three years, maybe five.”

“Are you sure?” Marinette asked, flinching when Bruce frowned. “I-I’m- I didn’t mean- how do you know he does not recall the past two years? What-”

“After waking up from his surgery, he asked for his girlfriend.”

“He asked for Mari-”

“He asked for Steph.” Marinette froze.

Steph? As in, Stephanie? “That’s correct.” Oh, she said that out loud. “He dated Steph on and off roughly three years ago and if that’s the last person he remembers dating, then-”

“He doesn’t remember me whatsoever.” Marinette concluded, feeling herself go numb. 

I didn’t get to apologize…I didn’t get to say thank-

“But that’s not the reason why I don’t want you to contact him, Marinette.” Bruce placed a hand over her shoulder. “Marinette, I have no doubt in my mind that Tim enjoyed the time he spent with you while the two of you dated.” Bruce started, but Marinette knew that look in his eyes. 

A look filled with wistfulness, of nostalgia…tinted with apologies…

An apology for what he was about to say that may hurt her… 

So, Marinette braced herself. But she knew better than to think she would be able to handle it. “But seeing him ask for Steph, seeing him talk to her like that on the phone for hours…

I haven’t seen him smile like that in years.

Laughter that felt like it came from the bottom of his stomach…

Marinette…” Bruce felt the girl shake under his hand. “He looked happier than he ever did compared to the past year he spent his time with you.”

Marinette let out a sob when she finally understood what Bruce wanted from her. Was this really how it was going to end?

Was this her fate for trampling over Tim’s feelings?

But I didn’t mean it! I didn’t mean to!

But she knew what was done was done and there was no turning back.

She let out another sob followed by a wail and then tears. 

She didn’t know when Bruce left, nor when her mother held her tightly in her arms but she did know one thing.

She was never going to find a love like that again…ever…

And it was her own fault for not cherishing it in the first place…

[sariahsue]

Wherefore Art Thou My(stery) Lady

When a failed attempt to let Chat Noir down easy ends with Ladybug learning his name, she does what any lovesick teenager would do: teases him mercilessly. Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6

Chapter Seven (Final)

Adrien – Good morning. I love you.

After sending that message first thing every morning for a week, Adrien knew better than to expect an answer for another hour, probably two because it was a Saturday. No school to look forward to, but he did have a group brunch date. Nino and Alya had organized it and invited Adrien and Marinette along, and Adrien was left to wonder if that had been part of a plan to set the two of them up. 

He took his time showering and getting ready. He knew it was silly, but he wanted to make sure he looked his best.

By the time he got back, Ladybug had sent him a text. 

My Lady – Love you too. ❤️ Figure me out yet? Adrien – Actually, maybe.  My Lady – Really?! Adrien – It's still just a theory, but I know how I'm going to test it later.  My Lady – I look forward to it!

If he was right, she would. It involved a lot of sappy staring at Marinette. 

Brunch wasn’t for another half hour, but he told Nathalie and the Gorilla to drop him off earlier than he needed to be there. It was something he often did, a way to get as much time out of the house as possible. They hadn't caught on yet. (Or if they had, they'd never said anything about it.)

The place they had chosen was small, but Alya swore they had the best pancakes this side of the Alps. Adrien planned on having everything with way too much syrup. 

He found a good seat near the center of the room and texted Ladybug while he waited. Was she getting ready to come to the same spot? If she was, she gave no indication that she'd be seeing him later, just asked what his plans were for the day, as if she honestly had no idea. He leaned back in his chair as he waited for the others. 

Waiters passed with steaming plates of eggs and croissants and coffee. People bustled in and out around him, saying good morning to friends, enjoying the weekend. Adrien hardly noticed any of them until one of them yanked the back of his chair, almost pulling him down. 

“You gotta be careful, dude. You could fall if you lean too far.”

Chairs scraped on the hardwood floors as Nino and Alya took the seats opposite him. It made sense that they would sit together, but was part of the reason to force Marinette to take the seat next to him?

“Lean over a little bit in that chair, Nino.” Adrien reached across the table to grab his hat, but Nino jerked out of the way. “Just so I know how far back I can go. That's all. I promise I won't knock you over.”

“You know, for some reason, I don't really trust you.”

“Marinette says she's coming.” Alya looked up from her phone.

“Did she sleep in or something?” Adrien asked. Knowing when she woke up would help him decide if he was right, though at this point he couldn't imagine how he could be wrong.

“No, she told me she's been awake for a while.”

One hour, he guessed, based on when she had started texting him back. He drummed his fingers, waiting for her to arrive. He needed to see Marinette. Once he saw her, he was sure he would be able to tell for certain. 

Their server came a few minutes later, taking orders. Alya placed for Marinette after getting an assurance over text that she’d be there soon.

“She’s really excited about this,” Alya continued. “Like, texting me nonstop about it since she got up.”

“My condolences,” Nino said.

“Did she say what got her so excited?” Adrien asked. 

“No,” Alya said, eyeing him. “Why? You think you know?”

Adrien just shrugged, pretending to look down to check his phone, though it was really to hide his face. Ladybug hadn’t sent him anything in ages, and the agonizing wait until he knew who she was was even more unbearable now that he had hope it was almost over. 

Marinette came in, pulling out the seat next to his and scooting in until, probably on purpose, her knee brushed his.

“Good morning!” she said, face shining with excitement. She didn't look directly at him, letting him study her profile. The style of her hair was just right. Her freckles were the same. The curve of her lips. (He’d know those lips anywhere.) And he could see the corner of one blue eye. Exactly the right shade.

Marinette glanced over and caught him looking. The corner of her eye crinkled in amusement, then looked down as she slipped her phone into her coat pocket, her hand lingering out of view.

Adrien’s phone pinged with an incoming message. He looked at it reflexively as Marinette pulled her phone out again and laid it face up on the table in front of her.

“What's that, Adrien?” she asked. “Another text from your mysterious girlfriend?”

It was another picture of him, sent by Ladybug, taken just seconds ago. He whipped around while Nino and Alya laughed at him. People were coming in and out of the doorway, but no one that looked like her. He kept looking anyway because it kept him from looking at Marinette. It had been a picture of him and his friends at the table. Marinette had been sitting next to him when the picture had been sent. Ladybug couldn't have been her. 

He'd been so certain... He'd been hoping it was her. He'd had such a streak of luck lately that he'd actually believed that he’d been fortunate enough to be partnered with Marinette. For a moment, he’d been able to believe that the two best girls he knew were one, and she loved him. Disappointment tasted terrible.

Ladybug probably wasn't going to be in the shot, but he held up his phone and took a picture anyway. He glumly turned back to the table and sent it. 

Marinette's phone buzzed enthusiastically, and she swept it out of sight before Adrien could get a good look at it. All he caught was a glimpse of a room, filled with people and tables and an empty doorway. 

“What?” Marinette asked when he turned to look at her. Alya and Nino both waited quietly for once, eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them.

Pulling the picture Ladybug had just sent, Adrien looked over it carefully. He was sitting with his friends, but only two of them. Marinette's seat was still empty. The picture had been taken before she'd sat down. And really, there were hundreds of places to eat brunch in Paris. What were the chances Ladybug just happened to be going to the same one as him this morning?

Found you.

Adrien stared Marinette down. She stared back with the same practiced innocence Ladybug had given him a week ago when they'd first talked about the texting. There was no way they weren't the same person. Her mouth quirked the same way. Her eyes twinkled, whether in civilian clothes or in a red-spotted suit. 

She was right. It was so obvious now that he knew what - who - he was looking at. 

Marinette stayed silent through his whole examination, not raising a question until he pulled away and opened his texting app.

“What are you doing?” she asked. Her phone was face down on her lap.

Adrien – Hi 

The buzz that Marinette's phone gave was much quieter, but he was still able to pick it out over the din of the crowd. 

She clenched her hand around it but didn't look away from him. 

Adrien – I Adrien – Love Adrien – You Adrien – My Adrien – Lady

With each message he sent, Marinette's phone buzzed again. The neutral look on her face started to crack. 

“Aren't you going to answer those?”

“No.”

“Why not?” he asked, grinning. “They could be important. Could be from your boyfriend or something.”

“Seeing as I don't have a boyfriend, Adrien,” she put extra emphasis on his name, making sure he knew it was his fault that she didn't, “that would be kind of impossible.” She pressed the phone into her leg to muffle the vibrations.

“Maybe we can fix that?”

He held up his phone right to her face and snapped a picture. 

Another photo message flashed across her screen, and Adrien could see how it lit up the cloth around it. 

“Admit it,” he said. “I figured you out, My Lady.”

“You did, Kitten. Good job.” Marinette held out her phone to him. The screen was full of a picture of her face. Sender: Future Husband. 

Nino was offering his congratulations. Alya was sighing dramatically and saying “finally!” over and over, but Adrien had all but tuned them out. Marinette was Ladybug. He knew who she was. 

And he still couldn’t kiss her. Not the way he wanted to with their friends watching. 

Instead, he grabbed her hand and slowly turned it palm down, placing a long, slow kiss on the back, a promise of things to come.

When he looked up, Marinette’s cheeks were tinged with pink, but she quirked her eyes with a questioning look. That’s it? she silently asked.

He winked at her, and her blush deepened. “Later,” he mouthed. 

---

“I have one question about all of this,” Adrien asked as they walked down the street. “What was the obvious hint that I missed? I know I talked to you a few times that day, and I can't figure out what it was. The offer of help?”

Nino and Alya had completely ditched them the moment brunch was over. Alya said normally they’d make up some excuse to manipulate them into being alone together. She’d paused dramatically to look at their intertwined hands before claiming she didn’t think she’d be needing schemes anymore, then told them to take advantage of the alone time. Adrien had promised her he would, all while Marinette sputtered in embarrassment.

“I made a cat pun,” she said. “A terrible, awful, bad cat pun. And I am ashamed.”

“What was it?”

“No way! I am not saying it again!” Her emphatic arm movements were hampered by his grip on her hand, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Marinette.” He slowed, and pulled on her arm until she stood facing him. They’d started their relationship hidden from everyone, with secrets and texts and masks coming between them. Now they were in public, where anyone could see them. “Can I kiss you?”

“I think I’ve waited long enough,” she said, tilting her head and closing her eyes.

“You?”

Her eyes snapped back open, though her head remained at the perfect kissing angle. “Yes, me. I didn’t think it was going to take you that long. I was dying!”

He took a step back, grinning. “I’m not sure if I want to kiss you now after all. Middle of the sidewalk’s probably not the best place for–”

Marinette pulled him down and planted her mouth on his, and his teasing argument died. Adrien felt like he was melting, being molded into a shape that fit her better. 

She pulled away too quickly, resting her forehead against his. People walked around them, just two regular teenagers kissing in public.

“Technically,” he said after catching his breath, “I think that was just you kissing me again.”

“You were kissing me back. It counts.”

“No.” He let go of her waist to cup her face. “This is me kissing you.” And he lowered himself to meet her.

The End

---

Tag list: @eclipsesmoonshine14 @maribugette @delectablycoolscientist @mlbigbang

If you’ve stuck around for the whole thing, thank you! If you’re interested, I’ve got over 70 other Miraculous stories of varying lengths for you to check out. And I’ve got a bunch more planned. Next up is a one-shot featuring half-reveal, pre-relationship Ladynoir, and an akuma whose power is to throw them into fanfiction tropes. Super fun! Plus a project that’s going to feature a lot of love square kisses! (Okay, well, actually two future projects fit that description, haha!) I hope you stick around! Thanks for reading and for all the comments!

I don't think I ever directly linked the artwork that goes along with this story, so here they are! Cover Ch 5 scene

[purrincess-chat]

Random Adrinette dating headcanons (post s5)

Adrien likes watching Marinette play RPGs. He lays next to her and just watches in awe of her skills

When new Pokemon games are announced, they each get different versions so they can trade version exclusives

They have a stardew valley co-op file where they're married, and Adrien insists on sleeping in the same bed. He skips the cutscenes with the other single villagers bc he would never be unfaithful to his wife.

They take afternoon naps together bc they're both so tired all the time from school and all of their many responsibilities *cough cough*

Double dates with Felix and Kagami get really awkward bc they both know her identity, and she has to beg them to not talk about it so openly around Adrien bc he doesn't know. Felix thinks she should just tell him, but Marinette made Kagami pinky swear, and you don't break pinky swears. It's in the rules of friendship.

Dinners with Marinette's family. They already have the wedding planned. Tom has written Adrien into the will.

Tiny kisses on the nose, chin, forehead, hands, fingers. Their friends thought their problems would be solved if they just kissed, but now they won't stop and somehow they're too disgustingly cute.

Marinette absent-mindedly runs her fingers through Adrien's hair when she's spaced out. It relaxes him too much though, and sometimes when she checks back in, he's fallen asleep.

They fall asleep on face time all the time. It's how Adrien knows Marinette talks in her sleep.

Adrien insists on taking lots of pictures together and hanging them up on her wall. He's also started a collection on his wall.

Marinette usually can't finish her lunch and always leaves a few bites, so Adrien gets into a habit of finishing her food for her.

Marinette teaches Adrien how to make pancakes the right way. He cries the first time he eats them bc his father's were so bad 😭

Marinette makes a little cloth doll of herself for Adrien to keep at his house, so he always has her even when they're apart. He sleeps with it on his pillow every night.

They know the combinations to each others lockers, and sometimes they trade textbooks and leave each other little messages on stickynotes when they trade back.

They write each other sappy poems, then read them to each other. Alya and Nino thought it was cute at first, but now they just put in headphones to drown them out.

The gym coach had to learn the hard way to always put them on the same team for dodgeball bc if it ever gets down to the two of them, they will both forfeit the game and no one wins.

[the-knight-of-the-stars]

One of these days I'll finish writting the fanfic of this tiny Trans Reversed-Love Square Miraculous Ladybug AU that has been eating my brain:

— Adrien Agreste is Kitty Noir. Reclusive homeschooled rich supermodel by day, Paris superheroine by night.

—Adrien thinks of Kitty as just a persona he can play with, like a videogame avatar. ('It tootally doesn't mean anything that Kitty feels right, and like home, and like freedom, what are you talkikg about guys?' )

—Kitty is Ladybug's partner in fighting agains crime. Kitty brings the 'there's always time for a joke' vibe to the superhero work that Ladybug pretends not to appreciate.

—One night, Kitty is saved from an akumatized villain attack by a civilian named Marinette, and is heartstruck by her kindness and bravery. (Ladybug was busy that night, if you can believe it.)

—Kitty visits her at her balcony the next night, and Marinette tells her about feeling lonely at school. Kitty knows loneliness, and their night meetings at the balcony become a common ocurrence.

—They become friends. One night, Kitty flirts. Marinette responds (Because tonight she is just a normal girl with a normal life, why wouldn't she?) And Kitty well, she is kind. Her jokes aren't cruel, and she listens to her.

—And Kitty likes the way light hits her hair, and how clumsy and determined she is. Is this what having a friend is like? Wishing time would stop so she could keep lisening to Marinette?

—And ups! Kitty is getting close, and moving in circles around Marinette and Marinette feels safe. Kitty is kind of funny. And Marinette realizes she wants some funny in her life.

—Kitty leans. Marinette kisses her. She is not sure why she did that. Oh! Marinette retreats, but Paris at night makes Kitty's green eyes shine like stained glass. Wait, does she like girls? Does she like this girl?

—Kitty kisses her again, and Kitty is in heaven. Alone. Alone is a far away word. For a second the whole world feels like home. But stop.

—Kitty (or Adrien?) pulls away. 'Because this isn't right' 'Because you are just my fan, you don't know me.'

'Because Kitty isn't real... right?'

—Kitty leaves. Is not ethical, it can't be. They both agree. Just friends. 'Sometimes, I'll catch a glipse of you in the moonlight.'

—Marinette, see, now she was a problem. Ladybug can't be in love with her partner, no way. Is not right, is too distracting. And they have people to save!

—So Ladybug pretends everything is ok. 'Kitty, we have to be focused at all times' she tells her, trying to ignore how pretty her smile is.

—But duty is first, Paris is counting on them. Even if Kitty calling her 'My Lady' keeps her awake at night. 'All girls fantasize about their friends like that, right?'

—Adrien sits on his bed, and thinks about what would happen if he could be Kitty all the time. If Kitty is just a character, just a game, why did it felt so good, so real, to kiss Marinette?

—Marinette liked Kitty, and Kitty wasn't even trying. 'You are so beautiful, you know that, right?' She had said one night, laughing, after Kitty had make her dance. So spontaneous, she had blushed after.

—He was allowed to like that thought, right? Kitty was beautiful. He (she?) was beautiful. 'Am I, beautiful?' How much of Kitty is acting, and how much of her is true?

—Kitty doesn't visit often now. Marinette overthinks. 'She moved on, of course she did, why wouldn't she, I said it was ok, why doesn't it feel ok?'

—One day, Ladybug "accidentally" sees Kitty sneak into the Agreste Mansion. Oh! So she really meet someone else. 'She used to sneak into my house like that' And she meet no other than golden boy Adrien Agreste. Supermodel Adrien Agreste. Rich and Misterious Adrien Agreste.

—Of course, I mean, this Adrien guy is kinda cute. And Kitty is cute. Match made in heaven right? Is non of her buisness anyways.

—But Adrien is a little too misterious, right? He doesn't even go to school! And what was that Alya told her the other day? Oh! He is friends with Chloe?? Too suspicious...

—Is ok, she is just worried about Kitty. They are partners, gals, Marinette just wants to make sure Kitty's boy is the right one. 'What does she sees in him anyways?'

—Adrien meets Marinette one day, at a gala, she designed a hat for him! She is wonderful, and Adrien wants to say hi, but she keeps avoiding him. 'Is just the nerves for the event, she toootally didn't roll her eyes at me.'

—Adrien meets Nino. He is great. He tells him about school, and Adrien dreams about how cool it would be to go to school. He asks his dad, and he actually considers it?

Nino supports him, even Chloe vouches for him. Father says yes, he can go to school!.

—Adrien arrives at his first day, and oh! There is Marinette! How great is this!

—Marinette raises her head, and oh! There is Adrien Agreste! How great is this?

[arisu-artnfics]

“A trip to Paris” 6

Notes: 

Chapter: 6/12 Previous Next (First). Versión en Español

Also on:     A03 || FF || DeviantArt || Facebook.

Chapter 6: “Introducing akumas”

Marinette shook off her embarrassment, there would be time to freak out about that later, right now, she had a job to do.

“Oh, no!” Marinette cried, checking her phone. “There is an akuma close by!” She turned to her new friends–or, rather, temporary friends… she knew they were just here on holidays. “You should stay here, it will be safe.”

“Safe from what? What’s an akuma?” asked Jazz. She didn’t remember reading anything about that, and she had done a lot of research before coming. 

“Oh, um, well an akuma is a person…” Marinette began. Danny raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t planned to have to explain this today, and she was doing a poor job of it. “Well, a possessed person—” 

“Wait, you mean like overshadowed?” Sam asked what all three Amity Parkers were thinking. She didn’t think his ghost sense had gone off, but they couldn’t be too careful. 

“Over– what?” asked Marinette, confused, this was not an English word she knew. She shook her head, “No, I don’t think so… it’s more like control by, as if someone else brainwashed them.” Then she remembered that “possessed” could mean something totally different to them than it did to her.

“That’s horrible,” Jazz commented with a sympathetic look. Knowing that it was done by one human to another made it worse in her book.

“It is, that’s why it is better to stay inside, and let Ladybug and Chat Noir do their job. They will defeat it, don’t worry!” said Marinette. Her smile was a bit too wide, stretched thin. Ladybug would save the day, but first she needed to leave and transform into Ladybug. She just had to figure out how to slip away from them. 

“Marinette is right,” said Sabine. “Our store safety policy includes customers in these cases of emergencies. Please stay inside of the store.” Her accent was stronger than Marinette’s but they could understand her English well enough. 

“Okay... ” said Danny hesitantly. He didn’t think that he could do much against an akuma. As far as he knew they were just people, mind controlled people but still people, as wrong as that sounded. And although it may be killing him inside to know more about it so he could at least try to help, with Jazz and Sam and even the Parisians so close by, he wasn’t about to go ghost.  

“Good,” said Tom, nodding approvingly. He never liked when Alya went to record the battles and he liked it even less when his daughter took the risk too. Although normally Marinette was trying to stop Alya. 

Another explosion shook the bakery. The pastries bounced in their displays and some of them piled up at the edge of the containers. Things were falling off shelves, everything was out of place. Everyone in the bakery ran for cover, and Marinette took the opportunity to escape and 'hide' in the house rather than the store. 

She didn't lose any more time, quickly transforming into Ladybug and swinging out through a window. With the help of her trusty yo–yo she made her way to the roof. Once there, she spotted Chat Noir, who was already watching the villain and trying to understand the situation.

Meanwhile, inside the bakery, Danny was trying to see what was going on from a window since the attack wasn’t that far away. Sam stood next to him, a gentle hand on his shoulder to keep him calm. Even though he didn't even know if he could do something against an “akuma,” he was sure there was still some way he could help. 

Jazz was watching her little brother from further in the store, she could tell that he was itching to get out there and help, that was just his nature. She knew her little brother, if things got bad enough, he would try his best to help, even if that meant breaking his promise. 

The fight had gotten even closer to the bakery and that wasn't helping Danny’s stress, he knew he could try to help, but didn't want to break his promise or expose himself.

Then when nobody was expecting it, the battle was over. As fast as it had started, it ended. 

As soon as Ladybug found Chat Noir, he told her what he’d seen and she knew exactly what to do. The akuma was a demolition contractor who got fired for unsafe practices. His boss said he was using too many explosions, but he had a plan, it wasn't his fault that the higher ups didn't like it. He was throwing bombs all over the city, destroying lots of buildings, when Ladybug and Chat Noir found him. Using their awesome teamwork, the pair of heroes quickly found the akuma hidden in a remote detonator and put a stop to his rampage. Then Ladybug launched her miraculous cure and everything went back to normal.

Back in the bakery, Tom and Sabine were smiling at the foreigners’ shocked faces. They had become so used to akuma attacks that it was almost normal to them. It was nice to be reminded of how magical it all really was.

Danny, Sam, and Jazz were more than a little surprised when everything suddenly went back as good as new, the fallen pastries were back on the shelves, toppled chairs were set to rights, and they could see previously damaged buildings from the window with not a scratch on them. It was like the akuma had never even happened. 

It wasn't long until Marinette was back downstairs and she was just as amused by their shock as her parents. The three Parisians explained to their guests that it was always like that for them. An akuma would destroy almost everything in their way, and then Ladybug with her Miraculous Magic would restore it all. Good as new! 

Danny silently wished that was something he could do back home, maybe then people wouldn’t blame him for all the property damage. 

It was at that moment that someone's stomach growled and the Amity Park kids suddenly realised how hungry they were.

“Wow, is it really that late?” Danny wondered aloud. He checked the time on his phone; even without a local service provider, the time was still correct.

“You're always thinking with your stomach, aren’t you?” said Sam. She laughed and gave him a teasing smile. Even though she was also hungry, she wasn’t going to admit it. The hours had really flown by. 

“Let’s go and find something to eat, it’s about time for lunch,” Jazz suggested. She looked around at the Dupain–Cheng family, “Marinette, thank you for all the tips,” she held up the notebook where she’d written everything down, “and thank you, Sabine and Tom, for letting us stay here during the akuma attack. We’ve never seen anything like that before!”

“You are very welcome!” replied Marinette with a big smile. She was happy to know that everything was coming up good for the foreigners. 

“Glad to know that our daughter has helped you kids that much! Have fun in your holidays and please come back!” said Sabine, she wrapped an arm around her husband and the two smiled proudly at the kids.

“We will!” said Jazz, grinning back. It was a nice place, and they could come back for sweets any time during their stay. 

And so, just like that, Jazz, Danny, and Sam waved goodbye to their new friends and headed out into the Parisian sunshine once again. They had passed by some stores and restaurants earlier and Marinette had told them where they could have lunch at a very good price. The restaurant that they ended up going to wasn't the cheapest that they saw, but at least it was on budget for the day. 

Just when they were finishing lunch, their Fenton Phones rang. It was Jack and Maddie calling to check on them because they had learned about the akuma attack. They knew the kids could handle themselves in dangerous situations, but they still worried. Plus, their curiosity was piqued. 

Once the adults finished peppering them with questions, the kids took turns telling them about what happened, Danny explained that no, he didn’t use his powers, and no, he had no clue what that was, and yes, they were all good. Then Jazz took over the story and explained how and why they ended up hiding in a bakery of all places. Sam completed the explanation, saying that it seems to be like magic of some kind, at least that’s what the Parisians believed.   

Jack and Maddie were glad to hear that the kids were okay and hadn’t gotten into any serious trouble. It was enough of a pain dealing with insurance back home, they really didn’t want to do it here. As far as the possibility of magic, the scientific side of them wanted to deny its existence, but they couldn’t explain what would fix all the damage that easily. 

Danny confessed his wish that they had a magic fix back home, and to that, everyone agreed. Then he suggested that maybe next time another akuma attack happens, he could just observe from a closer distance than today.

That made everyone ask if he was planning to transform, to which he responded yes, but just that. No other powers, except maybe invisibility. It would be a stealth mission, reconnaissance. He didn’t want people to give himself away or cause people to panic even more. 

They all talked it over and decided that maybe, just maybe, it would be okay, just this once. So they could see exactly what was going on here. The rest promised to stay far away. The local heroes seemed more than capable of dealing with those akumas, after all. They had just witnessed that practically firsthand, or learned on the local news – even though Jack and Maddie couldn't understand what the reporter was saying, they could guess, and then a quick check online using the hotel wifi confirmed their observations. 

With their plan in relation to akumas now made, the three teens continued exploring the city. Then, later, they met the rest of Team Phantom –except for Tucker, Valerie, and Dani, of course– back at the hotel to relax and try to call home. It was weird to think about how many hours difference there was –damn time zones– and knowing they would need to wait until late afternoon or evening before they could talk to anyone back in Amity. Thankfully, Mr. Gray answered after just a few rings and they were able to check in with him, easing some of their anxiety. 

The two girls were doing all right, Danny talked with Dani and asked her how she was doing and if she'd had any ghostly problems. Dani told him that he was worrying way too much and he should just relax– he was on holidays and that far away for a reason. 

Then when they spoke with Valerie, she told Sam and Danny that she had heard the mayor was planning a little ‘meeting’ overseas. They pressed her for more details, and she said that Tucker was obviously planning a trip to Paris himself. He had used his power as mayor, in one way or another to make it happen. The public had been hounding the local government for more information about Amity Park, and until now, Tucker had declined a press tour. Recently though, rumours had spread that he'd accepted an invitation from the mayor of Paris. What an incredibly well-planned coincidence! The two teens laughed at their best friend’s antics, but couldn’t be happier. Only Tucker would manage to plan a special meeting halfway across the world just to come hang out with them. 

Jack and Maddie weren't too happy with his idea, but couldn’t really say much knowing that the old mayor did much worse than that. Tucker was also still a kid, and he wasn’t going to be mayor forever. The next elections were coming up soon and would decide the next mayor, after all. 

Hearing news from Amity lent some normalcy to their routine and they talked for quite a while, before saying goodbye. Even though they had only been gone a day, there was already a lot to tell each other.

While the kids were talking, Maddie and Jack looked up local attractions and found that a science exposition was being held not far from their hotel and would be opening the next day. Danny and Jazz expressed their surprise when they learned it wasn’t some sort of ghost convention, to which their parents sheepishly confessed that it was related to ghost studies… in a way. After all, people all over the world were talking about ghosts and learning about them now. 

Of course, the elder Fentons weren’t about to miss the opportunity to talk about ghosts with a whole new city of people that hadn’t already heard all of their theories. They did agree that they were going to just listen to the presentations and such though, even though they weren’t sure how much of it they would understand, it likely being in French and all. 

Just as his parents promised to try to keep a low profile at the convention, Danny once again promised to keep Phantom's presence in Paris a secret, even while invisibly spying on the local heroes. He hadn't really been around other heroes and he was curious about their powers. They were all very intrigued by what they could learn from them and considering that maybe they could use the knowledge later on, it was worth the risk. The others were calling it spying because that was basically what it was, even though Danny refused to call it that. 

Once all were in agreement as to how they would conduct themselves while gathering information during their stay they decided to get back in the vacation mindset. Jack and Maddie prepared themselves for their science exposition, while the kids planned their next outing. The Eiffel Tower was one of the most popular tourist attractions in Paris after all and it was high time they went to check it out. Thanks to Marinette’s help, they, or, more specifically, Jazz, were able to quickly look through the bus schedule and find the best time to visit when it wouldn’t be as crowded. Once Jazz had fully planned out their day, from how and when to get to the Eiffel Tower and then what to do afterwards, she called it a night.

After Jazz went to bed, Danny and Sam decided to look into getting their phones on the Paris cellular network. They couldn't keep using the Fenton Phones for all of their communication. Sam took the lead in setting that up, since she had experience doing that sort of thing before, but Danny was the one to suggest that they still used the Fenton Phones to communicate with Amity Park, since it would be cheaper than international roaming. In no time at all, Sam managed to help Danny and the rest of the Fenton family to get a temporary local line. Jack and Maddie were very grateful to Sam for helping them with that, since they had been putting it off for “later.” Using the Fenton Phones had been working for them so far, so they might have never gotten around to it.

And so, with a very productive first day in Paris under their belts, they called it a night. It was getting late after all. 

Over the next few days, Jack and Maddie enjoyed their convention, if nothing else, at least they learned the French word for “ghost,” and the kids took turns choosing which tourist attraction to visit. They would only be there for two weeks, so everyone wanted to make the most of their time in the City of Lights. In addition to the most popular locations, they also found some quieter places frequented by the locals that they all could enjoy. Before they knew it, the day for Tucker to join them was just around the corner.   

“So,” Jazz commented, “Tucker finally said that the official reason he’s coming is for him to supposedly speak at a bunch of conferences about the ghosts from Amity.”  

The kids were sitting at the park that afternoon, just enjoying the beautiful day.  

“Yeah. We finally managed to get ahold of him, and it’s like Valerie said, he was supposed to do an online, long distance conference… thing. But you know Tuck, he managed to change it so that he could come to Paris personally.” Danny shrugged. “Although, I also think that he mentioned once that he had a few different cities around the world trying to book him. So, why, Paris? Who knows. Probably just because we’re here.” he shrugged again.

“Why am I not surprised? You guys have always been good at playing the system, haven’t you?” said Jazz. She, like the rest, had suspected that to be the case, but hearing Danny say it out loud just confirmed it. At least Tucker wasn’t really abusing his power… that much. They had invited him, after all.

“Well, it’s Tuck, what do you expect?” said Sam with a shrug. She wasn't going to deny the obvious.

“Valerie and Dani said he’s arriving tomorrow, right?” asked Jazz. They had managed to talk with the girls back home the day before; but it was more Danny asking about Amity and confirming the lack of ghosts than anything else. She hoped, for Danny’s sake, that things stayed okay over there. 

“And I believe that he is staying in the same hotel as us, it seems like the ‘Grand Paris’ always receives important people… ” Danny added, recalling the details of his friend's travel plans. Even though, now that he thought about it, Tucker probably shouldn’t have shared those details with anybody other than his parents, who were coming too. It could potentially be a security risk.

“Yeah, he’s staying in the presidential suite, or whatever it’s called,” continued Sam. She had been the one to confirm the information, but didn’t care enough to remember the name of the room. The rooms had numbers, after all, and that was the important part.

“So I’m guessing you two will want to see him as soon as he gets here, right? The three of you will probably want to catch up tomorrow...” said Jazz. She already knew that Danny and Sam would jump at that opportunity to spend time with their best friend. Even though she was with them and they were having a good time, she still felt a bit awkward, a bit like an outsider.

“Probably…” Danny hummed, half listening. He was watching a group of children playing in the distance and listening to the pigeons coo. He was very much enjoying the holidays so far. As he should.  

“Hey Jazz, you know even though we don’t mind your company, you could go do your own things, too,” said Sam. “You don’t need to stay with us.” She didn’t mind the other girl, but she also knew that Jazz would probably like to do some other normal teen stuff, without her little brother and his girlfriend tagging along. Like maybe check some of the local universities or something, even though she would never want to study that far from Amity. Honestly, Sam was starting to feel a bit odd being around Jazz when they weren’t battling some kind of danger.   

“Oh no, it’s all right! I have the key card for the room, so we all need to stick together… ” replied Jazz. She was the oldest and therefore the one entrusted to keep track of their copy of it. She knew that Sam didn’t mean anything by it, but none of them were dumb enough to miss the awkward feeling between them. 

“Yeah, but you know I don’t necessarily need a key...” said Danny, obviously pointing out his ghostly abilities. He was still oblivious to the mounting tension around him. 

“True, but remember: no powers, little bro. Plus mom and dad trusted me to look after you two, and even though you don’t need it, that doesn’t mean I should just leave you guys! What if you got lost? Or went to the wrong room?” Jazz pointed out. With their limited communication here, getting lost wasn't something to play around with. That thought made her feel better about being there for them, even when they didn’t necessarily need her. 

“All right, all right...” Danny raised his hands in surrender. He had finally noticed how stressful the situation was becoming. “We are going to stick together, and no powers, means no powers...” He sighed. He might actually be starting to miss the ghost attacks.

“Well, with our luck another akuma will attack soon, and you can go spy on the heroes,” Sam teased.

They had found the blog run by Marinette’s friend Alya. The 'Ladyblog' had an English translation on it and explained that akuma attacks were completely random, usually varying between two to three per week, but sometimes as frequently as two in one day, although that was very rare. So, in other words, they happened when you least expected it.  

“Hey! I thought it was just ‘observing from a closer distance…’” 

Jazz and Sam both gave him looks that said ‘not even you believe that.’  

He sighed. “Fine, spying it is… ” he paused, “Let’s hope I don’t get in trouble for that…” he murmured. Even though he knew it was spying from the start, he didn’t want to say it like that, in case it was illegal or something. And he didn’t even know if he would understand anything. 

“So, what time is Tucker supposed to get to the hotel again? I can’t remember what Valerie said, since you guys, or well, you, little brother, were hogging the Fenton Phones the whole time and I had to ask you about it later on…” said Jazz, with a twinge of annoyance, reminding him about his worrying over the phone about whether Amity was doing okay or not. 

If they were going to do something tomorrow to meet up with Tucker and his family, it was best to plan ahead. And Jazz needed all of the information in order to do that planning.

“Well, his flight should land at around 5 p.m. He did a lot of complaining about how he was going to be spending a whole entire day on a plane. He may be a tech genius, but seriously, he didn’t get that if he leaves Illinois at midnight that’s 7 a.m here, then when you add the ten hours flying… ‘voilà’ you get to Paris at 5 p.m.” explained Sam. They had something similar happen to them when they flew over, although it wasn’t as bad because they arrived around 11 p.m. and then slept through the night. 

“If I remember correctly, even you were confused about the time zones when we were travelling...” Danny teased her with a playful grin and Sam just glared at him in return. After all, that Monday night was hard for all of them. 

“Well, if it helps, none of us had experienced crossing so many time zones like that before...” Jazz paused, “That means that Tucker would get to the hotel at around 6 p.m.” she commented, getting them back on the topic of planning for the next day. 

“Yep,” said Danny, pronouncing the ‘p’ more strongly than needed, “so he should be free around six-thirty or seven tomorrow afternoon,” he finished with a nod. He was excited that he and Sam would get to hang out with their friend after such a long time. They had only been in Paris a week, but even before that, it had been hard to see him because of his mayoral duties. Actual ones, unlike this trip… Mostly it was fixing problems that Vlad left. 

“Okay, so let’s just say seven, to be on the safe side, that’s when we should be looking for him,” said Sam. She would never admit it, but she had missed her friend; she was really thankful to have him in her life. After all, the three of them were the original trio, the original team Phantom.  

“Sounds like a plan!” said Jazz and wrote it all down in her notebook that she was still carrying around.

Danny and Sam just rolled their eyes. Sometimes it seemed like Jazz was being a bit extra, but they knew she always had good intentions. And even though they would never tell her, they knew they were going to miss her when she went to Amity Park University in the fall. 

The three teens fell into a peaceful silence, each lost in their own thoughts. 

Danny was actually really enjoying his time in Paris. He never thought that travelling like this would help so much, but with Sam next to him so close their shoulders brushed, and Jazz at his other side, near enough for a teasing elbow to the ribs, he felt the tension slowly melting away.

Sam slipped her hand into Danny’s and gave it a gentle squeeze. She was so glad to see him actually relaxed for once, and she was enjoying every second she got to spend with him. A breeze blew through the park, rustling the leaves on the trees, and she took a deep breath of the sweet summer air. 

Jazz was quite pleased with how everything was going so far. She mentally ran through their itinerary again, they only had a little time here and she wanted to make the most of it. Although, she supposed, always thinking of what they were going to do next was probably not the best way to enjoy the moment, was it? She shook herself out of her thoughts and instead watched the way the dappled sunlight danced across the ground at her feet.

“Well, now that we know when Tuck is getting here,” Danny began, breaking the silence, “and we’ve changed our plans for the weekend to include him–” 

A sleek black car had pulled up at the park, causing some commotion when a bodyguard stepped out of it.

“Okay...” said Sam, noticing what distracted Danny. 

Jazz finished writing down some more ideas for what they could do tomorrow, making sure to account for how they were going to ‘just say hi’ to Tuck. Then she glanced up from her notebook and saw what Danny and Sam were looking at. “Is he supposed to be a teen celebrity or something?” she asked. It did look a bit like it was out of a movie, in a way. 

“I don’t know, it just looked like something was about to happen, with the way those people were acting. I didn’t expect it to just be some guy, I thought for a second that maybe an akuma was coming or something,” Danny explained. After all, they were expecting an akuma to happen sooner or later. 

“I thought the same thing,” said Sam, “but that blonde guy doesn’t seem like an akuma, does he?” She watched the way he was being shielded by his bodyguard. He didn’t seem like much of a threat.

“Oh!” exclaimed Danny, after seeing the guy a bit better the closer he got. “I think I know him!”  

“What?” asked Jazz and Sam, equally confused. They had never seen him before in their lives.

“Well, all right, all right. I don’t, you know, know him know him… but I’ve seen him. In ads. I think.” said Danny, trying to remember where exactly he had seen the ad, or if he knew what it was about.

“In ads, you said...” Jazz hummed thoughtfully, trying to remember what advertisements they had seen around the area.

“I mean, I guess… I don’t remember exactly where, and now that I think about it, I’m not even sure what it was for. I mean, how could I know, it was probably in French!” Danny said with a shrug. There were plenty of signs with people on them, both here and back home. Normally it was because of publicity, someone trying to sell goods or services, or worse, according to him, it was politics.  

“That makes sense,” Sam allowed. 

“He seems to be very popular… well, at least among the girls,” commented Jazz. She had been watching the crowd and noticed that most of the people that were now gathered at the park seemed to be teenage girls.

“Well, I guess, that’s our cue to go. Look, they’ve got a photographer over there now,  they probably came here to work… ” said Sam, unimpressed. What else would a famous teen do if not work in one way or another? It was either that or just be ‘annoying’ in her book.  

“Alright, let’s go,” Danny stood up from their bench. “I’m here to rest, not work!” Well… unless you counted the “definitely-not-spying” he would be doing on the local heroes. 

“Hey, isn’t that Marinette?” Jazz pointed out a familiar set of pigtails in the middle of the crowd of what they could only assume were fans.

Sam followed Jazz’s line of sight and found their new friend talking animatedly with another girl. “Yeah, I think so...” When she turned back, she noticed how Jazz seemed like she was ready to go ask Marinette for some more Parisian advice.

“Uhh, Jazz, I don’t think we need to bother her and her friend right now...” said Danny, picking up on the same thing Sam had. Knowing his sister, she would try to get as much information out of Marinette as possible, even though they didn’t need it, they were planning to spend time with Tucker tomorrow, after all. 

“Hey, just because I’m gathering my stuff and especially the notebook doesn’t mean… ” she trailed off when Danny and Sam both raised a sceptical eyebrow at her. “Okay, okay… fine. So maybe I thought we could ask her a few more questions… ” She sighed. It wouldn’t be that bad to get ideas of what else to do, right?

“Let’s just go,” Danny groaned. He stood up and stretched his back. It felt nice after sitting for a while. 

“I’m right behind you,” said Sam. She would have been happy to stay there and admire the sunset, it was getting late and would be going down before much longer, but the idea had lost its appeal when so many people showed up.

“Fine” grumbled Jazz, outnumbered and defeated. She finished packing up the last of their things in a small bag.

And so the three of them began making their way back to the hotel. They would probably go up to the roof and enjoy some time at the pool while continuing to plan what they would do with Tucker once he arrived. However, as soon as they started walking, a huge flock of pigeons zoomed past them, flying in formation. A scream went up from the crowd of fans, many of them running for cover.

“Uh, that’s weird, right?” Danny asked. “Like, I’m no bird expert, but I’m pretty sure that’s not normal.” To be continued :D :D