#fei ml

[justanotherpersonsuniverse]

HELLO ALL. BEHOLD. REDESIGNED FEI.

I had a lot of fun redesigning her. Fei is by far one of my favorite ML characters, unironically. I like the lil lady that wants to murder what can I say. I wanted to give a bit more of a sickly unwell vibe going on with her civilian form considering she lives off of stealing and street conning presumably.

As for RenRen, I just, I just really, didn't wanna use, the red- yellow- and black colors man I'm sorry just, I, said no. So Instead I took inspiration from Glamrock Fre-I mean- Mei Shi. Yah.

Hope you like! This is the design I'll also be using for my PN au.

[zoe-oneesama]

Some "Special" Girls! And the late girls.

Ko-fi | Patreon

[ladymiraclewings]

The characters from the Miraculous Worlds, Fei, Jess, Aeon and the United Heroez made their official appearance in the main series during the finale.

So good to see them again, and same thing for Bunnyx

[flightfoot]

The more screen caps of Ladybug I see from the new season, the more upset I get. Not because it doesn’t look great, but because they literally made her eyes skinnier and angled them up. They tried to make her better representation, and did a stereotype instead. (For context I’m the same ethnicity as Marinette so it’s personal)

...I don't really see it? I mean yeah, her eyes were changed, but it just looks like a milder version of what Fei's and Kagami's eyes look like, which makes sense since Marinette's half-chinese.

Clearly the creators wanted Marinette's design to read as being more explicitly Asian. If you didn't like the way that they changed her character model to try and convey that, then can you show a design that would better accomplish that goal, in your opinion?

[mrplushgore]

Doodles of Feralnette from @bigfatbreak's AU interacting with her great-uncle, her grandmother and Fei Wu from the Shanghai special.

[goggles-mcgee]

Ashes of Rage: Act 1 - There's Something So Morbidly Beautiful About A Funeral

Chapter 8 of the story for @miner249er

AO3 Beginning Last Chapter

Summary: Wu Fei knew grief well, she wore it even better, but there was nothing in this world that she wouldn't give to put an end to it. It would be better even if it never happened, but life wasn't fair and that was something else she knew well.

There's Something So Morbidly Beautiful About A Funeral:

Death was inevitable. That was a stone cold, hard truth. One that Wu Fei knew well and had previously despised. Others feared Death, but Fei had hated it with an anger so vicious it scared her. It was like she skipped the first stage of grief altogether and just jumped straight into anger when her adopted father Shifu had passed. It had consumed her until she had met Marinette. That fateful meeting had been the catalyst of change she needed and the domino that started the chain of events that had occurred. At the end of it all, Fei had fully taken the responsibility that had been bestowed upon her and somehow found another family that wanted her. Wang was a wonderful pseudo great-uncle and Marinette had become something like a sister to her despite the distance between them. 

Everyday they exchanged messages or funny pictures, sometimes they even had time to video call which was always a treat Fei looked forward to. Sometimes both girls were too busy with their day to day lives that the most they could do was send each other a simple message or picture, but even being busy didn’t stop them from letting each other know they were thinking of each other. The number of care packages they sent each other was a wonderful constant in Fei’s life. Living with Wang brought a new routine to Fei’s life, one she cherished as she knew how chaotic one’s life could be without routine, and she knew she was someone who thrived on a routine. 

Therefore, she knew something was wrong when she had woken up and received no message from Marinette, not even a picture or meme. She tried to tell herself it was nothing and that the girl had probably been too busy but she just had this feeling in her gut that something was deeply wrong. Even with the time difference Marinette always messaged as she was as much a creature of habit as Fei was. Fei followed Paris news as well as numerous blogs that tracked Team Miraculous, though it had taken her some time, she had found out that Marinette was Ladybug. At first she had been hurt and confused as to why Marinette had never told her but over time she understood. It wasn’t that Marinette didn’t trust her, it was because her chosen sister loved her and was scared. 

That was something that Fei knew all about as she worried about Uncle Wang constantly because of her responsibilities but over time she saw no need to hide it from the man. Also, Mei Shi trusted the man and advised Fei to be open with him which had surprised her greatly considering that the Prodigious had always been something that was heavily guarded. Something about Uncle Wang’s aura made Mei Shi sure about his advice and of course she followed it. Plus, Mei Shi pointed out that she had already transformed in front of who she thought was a civilian without much thought so overall, she thought it was a fair decision. One that had worked out greatly for her, not that she doubted Mei Shi or anything. 

For a while, it felt like she was betraying her father whenever she felt happy with Uncle Wang and how he took care of her and it had definitely been a hurdle to overcome. For every smile and laugh her new Uncle brought out of her, it had always quickly been followed by a frown and tears. She was happy one moment and unbearably angry and heartbroken the next. It was like her emotions were on a constantly spinning wheel and her emotions flashed as fast as the wheel spun. It took Uncle Wang making them a picnic and taking her to her father’s gravesite for her to finally confess all her feelings through her sobbing. He helped her set up some flowers, incense, and the picnic. 

She cried as Uncle Wang spoke to her father and promised him he would care for and love Fei as she deserved and as her father wished. Then he gave her time to talk to her father as well as she ate her share of the picnic Uncle Wang made for them. . She spoke for what felt like forever, she laughed, she cried, she screamed and when she was finally done Uncle Wang simply helped her pick up the picnic and helped her clean her father’s grave since it was something she hadn’t done before. Then he took her to a crafting store and had her pick out a frame for a photo of her father to go in their home, whether that be her room or the main hall, he told her she could choose. Fei may have cried once more as she picked out a frame and little things she knew her father liked or found funny to decorate it with. 

In the end she decided to put her father’s picture in her room since she had a large window that she could see a beautiful sunrise and sunset through it. Her father had always been fond of sunrises and just as fond of sunsets. She even added a little incense dish that she placed in front of the picture. The whole process had brought her such relief and joy that she had given Uncle Wang the biggest hug she could manage and she could still recall his warm chuckles that followed. That moment had brought such warmth into her life and soul and it had continued for a long time until now. Now it felt like all that warmth was stolen from her by some sort of malevolent leech.

Her sister in all but blood was dead. Or that is what they told everyone, and despite the evidence Fei just could not believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. But standing there in the section of the church staring at the many photos and flowers that decorated the space, any hope she felt had shriveled. Auntie Sabine (or Auntie Xiu Mei as she also liked to be called) was weeping heavily not that anyone blamed her but Fei knew her grief was more than her daughter passing. It was also the fact there was no body to wash or dress or display in a coffin, nor was there a body to cremate if that was the chosen desire of the family. Though Fei knew from Uncle Wang that Auntie Sabine and Uncle Tom decided to cremate her signature pink flats that were found at the scene of the crime, some of her childhood toys and clothing and some recent though not many as they couldn’t bear to part with much of their daughter's things. 

Instead of a coffin there was a beautifully painted urn with plum blossoms that adorned it placed on a pedestal. No one in France probably knew just how big the Cheng and Lǐ (Auntie Sabine’s mother’s family) families were before but now they did and Fei could practically taste the surprise. The family section of the church was basically a family reunion and it would have been amusing if not for the circumstances. Despite the overwhelming sadness that hung in the air, Fei couldn’t help but appreciate how beautiful the ceremony was overall. Auntie Sabine wore a beautiful but plain white dress while Uncle Tom wore a smart black suit with a white lily pinned to his left breast pocket as well as a white armband placed on his left sleeve. The Cheng and Lǐ side of the family all wore different shades of blue which made the section Fei was in look like waves in a stormy sea. There weren’t many people on the Dupain side, just Gina and Roland if you didn’t count Uncle Tom, and the two of them matched their son with the black clothing. They also copied their son with the white lily decoration.

The way the two stood firm in the sea of blues made Fei think of those immovable rocks that temperamental waters hit and who through it all refused to break. The way Gina still wore a black leather jacket had Fei feel enormous respect for the lady. Despite the solemn time, the woman was still effortlessly herself and the thought made Fei think that it was something that Marinette had also respected and admired. Fei herself had the privilege of wearing white and she was so grateful to Uncle Tom and Auntie Sabine for letting her wear white since both of them knew how the girls saw each other. They had actually requested she wear white before she could even work up the courage to ask the question herself. It had shocked her so much that she had promptly burst into tears while thanking the couple. She cried more when they simply hugged her and told her they knew it was something that Marinette would want.

Memories are what carried her through the ceremony and before she knew it, it was time to move venues to the reception. The reception was happening at Le Grand Paris since the hotel offered to host it in their biggest ballroom even though it was only open to family and friends. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise since no one really knew how big the Cheng and Lǐ families were until the funeral and because no one really knew the extent of Marinette’s friend circles. It was of course a solemn affair, but with the smell of what could only be described as a feast of Chinese and French cuisine and the mild chatter filled with stories of Marinette and the overall feeling of community had Fei think that though a funeral was a cause of grief and sadness, there was something simply beautiful about it all.

Mei Shi provided Fei with a quiet comfort as she could feel his slight weight in her small purse, one given to her by Marinette, as she had gotten ready for the day, the purse had seemed like the right thing to wear. It also aided in keeping her small friend and mentor close, as she felt like a pocket wasn’t enough space for the little guardian. She could also feel the Renlings around her in spirit and that gave her a feeling of strength she hadn’t felt in a long time since the news hit her. It carried her through dreadful small talk, memories shared as freely as tears, and more dreadful; heart-felt talks. She powered through it all even if she didn’t know everyone. Some she knew well as Uncle Wang was very open and proud of his ward/pseudo niece. So she was well acquainted or even friends with some of the Chengs. And others, like the Lǐ family who she knew purely through stories from Uncle Wang, Auntie Sabine and Marinette. Then lastly she had the French side who, well, she only knew Uncle Tom and his parents and then there were Marinette’s friends who she felt like she knew as well as she could if she had lived with Marinette.

It was a weird, new feeling, to know someone without ever actually meeting them. Yet, she could not make herself approach any of those said friends. She didn’t know if she could manage that. It was overwhelming every time she met one of their eyes and it took everything in her not to burst into tears because she knew, she knew, how loved they made Marinette feel and how fiercely she loved them in return. It was a childish fear that made her stay away, she felt like if she got close to them and felt the love they feel for Marinette or if she felt the lingering love Marinette felt for them it would awaken a jealousy in her. She had of course felt jealousy before and in some cases it was intense and it always brought her a feeling of shame. This time, it felt like a dangerous beast awaiting to be let out. 

It was out of her love for Marinette she was staying away, or so she was trying to convince herself. She was just so convinced that if she talked to them she would say something so hurtful out of misplaced anger, jealousy and grief that Marinette’s friends would hate her forever. That was something she absolutely did not want. Though she admitted she was jealous of them, at least to herself, though she was sure Mei Shi suspected, that didn’t mean she wanted them to hate her. These people were important to Marinette and she knew that her sister had wanted them all to meet because she was convinced they would all be the best of friends. Fei had agreed at the time to meet them at some point since she and Marinette had been plotting a way to get Fei to visit come summer but now, now it felt…weird to even consider.

Introducing herself to Marinette’s friends and maybe even becoming friends with them felt so wrong on a monumental scale. Nothing about it would ever feel right because it would happen without Marinette. It felt sinful. Just thinking about it made her feel dirty in a way she could never put into words. On the other hand, by holding herself back she knew Marinette would be unhappy, but by following the wishes of ghosts had already misled her once. Fei didn’t want to make the same mistake. The Renlings and Mei Shi had already told her she was being silly as they were very in tune with her emotions and thoughts, the Renlings especially as they were always with her in a sort of spiritual way. No one could see them unless they wanted them too, though Fei could always see them, and apparently other beings like them could always see them and sense them. Apparently some  people who were sensitive to their kind of energy could sense them but not see them.

“Fei, sweetheart,” Fei was cut from her thoughts by the soft voice of Auntie Sabine. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fi-”

“Sweetie.” Auntie Sabine gently reprimanded her almost answer and it made Fei wince with a sheepish smile. 

“I’m doing better but still…not…not too great.” She answered truthfully. 

Her auntie simply gave her a sad smile but took her hand in hers and gave it a soft pat. “I understand. I just wanted to thank you for being here.”

“Auntie��” Fei muttered in awe. She knows today could not be easy on Sabine and yet here the woman stood tall with a smile for Fei. The strength the woman had always left Fei in awe. “Of course I’d be here…I-I couldn’t miss it.”

“You’re a good girl.” 

“You’re too kind Auntie.” 

“It’s not kindness if it’s true.”

Fei couldn’t help the small chuckle that left her. “Well maybe it can be bot-”

“I WANT HER BACK!” Their conversation was cut short by a very loud and childish voice that seemed to have caught the attention of everyone. It was a little girl who was stomping away from who Fei assumed was her mother. It took only a moment for Fei to recognize them both.

“Manon…please!” The woman, who Fei realized was Nadja Chamack, a local reporter and Auntie Sabine’s good friend, begged the little girl. A little girl who Fei knew to be Manon Chamack. Marinette had shared a lot of photos of the little girl or selfies of them both since Manon seemed to love filters. She was one of the kids that Marinette babysat a lot.

“NO! I DON’T WANT MARIE! OR HUGO! OR JEAN! OR WHOEVER ELSE YOU THINK SHOULD BABYSIT ME!” Manon yelled out, her face turning an impressive shade of red. “I WANT MARINETTE BACK!”

There was a collective gasp and following silence that had Fei feeling like she was at the edge of a cliff. 

“I just want Marinette…” Manon’s voice had gotten softer but her sobs had greatly increased in volume and it seemed to have affected everyone. There was not one dry eye at the little girl's confession because everyone felt the same. “I just want her back…”

“Oh baby…” Nadja choked out as she watched her daughter fall to her knees. Fei watched as Nada lowered herself to the ground next to her daughter and hugged her to her. It was at this point that Fei looked away so she could give the mother and daughter some privacy and was happy to see others do the same. Though not all attendants gave the two some privacy and Fei couldn’t help but scoff at the behavior. Pain was not supposed to be a spectacle. Though she knew this particular funeral was a spectacle despite Auntie Sabine and Uncle Tom’s best efforts, therefore everyone’s pain was part of said spectacle. 

Being so close to the source of some people’s attention had Fei feeling more than a little uncomfortable so she quietly excused herself from her Aunt so she could go grab something to drink as she found herself suddenly parched. It was as she was on her way towards the dining tables that she felt a pull from Mei Shi and the Renlings. Though Mei Shi’s was more physical whilst the Renlings’ was more spiritual. Fei huffed softly to herself but diligently followed the pull which thankfully was still in the direction of the dining tables. So perhaps she could still get a drink while she investigated whatever Mei Shi and the Renlings were pulling her towards. As she walked she casually looked around her to see if anything was out of the normal but nothing jumped out at her until she actually reached the table full of drinks that had been her original destination. 

There were two teens standing next to the water pitchers which had been her goal. She quickly identified the two as Luka Couffaine and Tsuguri Kagami as Marinette had shown her more than enough pictures and videos of her friends and these two featured most often. The two were talking in low voices to one another and Fei was confused as to what she was supposed to be seeing since they definitely were where she was being led to. It was right as she was about to reach them that she saw two small figures and instantly she felt this rush of energy. One was peeking out of the long sleeves of Kagami’s kimono and the other was peeking out of the inside of Luka’s now unbuttoned tux jacket. She didn’t know what they were but they looked and felt similar to Mei Shi and the Renlings. As soon as she made the connection she knew this is where she was being led.

With a deep breath in and a deep breath out, Fei squared her shoulders and approached the two with more confidence than she actually felt. “Hello. My name is Wu Fei. It is nice to officially meet you two.”

Next Chapter

[fabseg-creator]

I have a particular poll to post:

I can't add more character because of the limit. Example: I would preferred to add Nathalie, Amélie, Ondine, Kagami, Adult Alix, Alya, Aurore and Wayhem).

[ginsoakedgirl80]

[baenyth]

Bethany's Bizarre Miraculous Reviews: The Shanghai Special

Fun fact: I went to the real New York City in the gap between my reviews. I hated it more than the special. It was oversized and drab. Also, I decided: no more tagging stuff as salt! Salt is a symbol of deranged hatred, and I want to be a fair critic! I don't hate Marinette, I just hate how she practices stalking and gets away with it. Either way,

Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai; Hourai Hourai Hourai Hourai; FRANCO HOLLAND TIBET KYOTO LONDON RUSSIAN ORLEANS!

(Watch as I hate the special again, lmao.)

Alright, starting off with narmy dialogue, greed and tragedy, and a cool sacred cave.

Oooh, this girl! I don't remember her name, Fei Wu, right? But she's got a neat and detailed backstory!

"Everything was going well, until it wasn't."

Marinette, that's weird.

I heard she wanted to visit Shanghai not to learn about her roots, but to see more Adrien. It's even more disappointing to watch it happen, though.

Such sweet parents!

PSYCHOLOGY

I think he wanted you to help cook, Marinette.

This is actual stalking. The crushing disappointment is growing worse.

I love Adrien's Dad. He's silly, he cares for Adrien, he loves action figures, and he's a person magnitudes better than Hawkmoth!

Gabriel's moving like he's in a videogame lmao

So is Fei Wu. Amazing. I love her and I'd watch an entire show about her.

Sticky fingers! Amazing!

Big fan of the talking bird too. What's his ordeal?

I love the artist method of talking. And the artist's struggle. Kinda odd Marinette's looking for her earrings rather than her phone. I mean I know they make her Ladybug and everything but wouldn't her phone be useful to tell the people you're staying with what's going on? Ladybug isn't very discrete either.

Oh right. The greedy prick again.

As always, Capitalism is the true villain.

Oooh, new transformation music!

Damn, Big News.

Oh god all the ironies going on. Fei is in a deep tar pit. It's like Seinfeld again.

Zamn. Girlie had a whole character arc back there.

Pfft the prodigious kwamis are giving tutorial guides while Fei's trying to survive

Oh. It's just a puff of smoke? Whatever. I love shapeshifters.

Holy hell. Hawkmoth akumatized the guardian, of all people? Is he even sapient? Can Hawkmoth akumatize, like, dogs and cats?

VIBE CHECK

"I'm not worthy of this!" Neither is the guardian. Bro is disintegrating people left and right.

Oh right. He got possessed and isn't in his right mind.

Another plan where Marinette gets swallowed.

Mmmf. Good "what have I done?" thing. I like it.

So he's also a Kwami? Can Hawkmoth akumatize kwamis?

Pfft the excuses

Hey, that wasn't too bad! I really liked Fei's story here, although the whole revenge thing felt forced and crude. Someone who is understandably pissed about someone ruining their father's dojo and eventually life for greed and having to steal to survive (girl is practically homeless, let's be real. At some point she had to use that pawn shop cash for food or clothes that aren't rags.) has to learn about humility and everything while a girl that went to Shanghai to see the boy she has a crush on there gets off not really scot-free, but without having consequences directly for her actions. No matter. It was better than the cheating nonsense in the New York Special.

[coq-courage]

In honor of the New Year, have some more Headcanons for the Miraculous characters

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

---

Canon Marinette (aka a Mari with bad scores in Chinese linguistics) does NOT realize that the warm wishes for a new year in most Chinese cultures all basically mean "hope you get rich" but after saying it over the phone to her uncle and aunt so many times, she can at least say that correctly

Socqueline knows and she had a little laugh about it when it registered. At least once she told Marinette "hope you get rich" in French and Marinette was like "oh god, you too, these art and sewing supplies are getting so expensive."

Xia Bing (Sabine), Soqueline and Marinette spend every spring festival making cakes and other popular desserts that the bakery sells. Soqueline's Chinese parent tends to be busy or maybe they're divorced? Idk tbh.

Marinette goes to Kagami one spring festival and says "happy new year" in French

(Marinette rambling to Tikki: "because she's not Chinese she's Japanese so I can't say Gong Xi Fa Cai but she's Asian so she celebrates the spring festival lunaisolar new year too, right? At the very least it's the year of the dragon and kagami is the holder of the dragon miraculous and Longg is a chinese dragon and oh my God I need to speak with Longg and make sure he has plenty of snacks and oh my god wait all the kwamis are Chinese aren't they??")

Kagami thanks her and replies in Mandarin and when Marinette stares, she switches to Cantonese, and Marinette stares more

"Adrien, which chinese does Marinette know?"

"Well she was learning mandarin..."

"I will learn Mandarin."

"Kagami, wait--"

And then Fei, she knows Marinette can't speak any Chinese at all except for some very stilted Mandarin and *she* is the one that eventually translates what Gong Xi Fa Cai means and then Marinette has an "ohhhhhhh" moment and Fei joins in on the cake making whenever she's in town

[littlesparrow07]

If this episode is a filler I would have liked the idea of Fei, Jess & Aeon keeping in contact with Marinette. In my head canon I did believe Fei & Marinette we’re keeping touch over the phone.

Wish they would show this in the show if this is non canon. However we can tell it does take place between S5

[justanotherpersonsuniverse]

Marinette is lost after getting mysteriously thieved of all of her belongings when she meets a friend! Or is she... a Foe? ----

Hi! Sorry for the somewhat delay! I'm back and I'm rearing up to go with another chapter here of Panthera! I hope you enjoyed! Fei is a lot of fun to write after all. Though, I'm sorry if this chapter is a lot shorter than you anticipated.

This chapter was originally going to be much bigger! But I decided to split it in half for time and pacing. So next chapter will be the end of Fei's arc that I hope you found enjoyment in. I'll probably do one more chapter taking place in Shanghai after that, a sorta, shenanigan one, and then we'll get back to your regularly scheduled Paris program lol.

Once again I hope you enjoyed! Make sure to drink water!

[ultrakart]

My takeaway from the Miraculous Ladybug season 5 finale...

She called him “Uncle”! Confirmed!

As someone who has put a lot of thought into the relationship between Fei and Wang, this bit made me happy lol

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

Perfect Paradise Ch.7 Wō Men Zài Zhè Li, Zài Zhè Li Deng Ni

Summary: We are here waiting for you.

--------------------

"Wài sheng nü!" Aunt Fei held out her arms and gave Emma a hug strong enough to rival Grandpa's. "Wài sheng!" She repeated the embrace with Hugo while giving Louis a fist bump. "You've gotten so tall!"

"A yí Fei," Hugo gave a broad grin.

"Thank you for having us on such short notice, Fei." Juleka accepted her own hug.

"You kidding? Buó Buo Wang loves meeting Mèi Xù's family." Fei chuckled good-naturedly. "I swear sometimes he's more grateful about restoring Shīfu's school than I am."

Hugo shifted uncomfortably.

Louis leaned in and asked Emma, "Mèi Xù?"

"She means Papa."

"Oh."

"Awwww," Rose's eyes sparkled as she grasped Fei's hands. "That's so sweet!"

Fei felt her grin widen at Rose's sincerety. "Never change, Rose. Now c'mon, we don't want to leave Buó Buo waiting!"

Emma and Louis' faces were plastered to the window as the Tsurugi car drove itself through Shanghai's streets. Never getting enough of the city their Grandma grew up in.

The cityscape blurred past Hugo's eyes. He forgot Papa gave Aunt Fei the money she needed to rebuild her dad's school as a "birthday present".

It took some convincing. Aunt Fei was as stubborn as Maman when she wanted to be. But if Hugo was remembering this right, she agreed to train Papa once the school was open.

That's probably why Monarch's involvement with Wu Shīfu's death didn't drive a wedge between her and Hugo's parents... His fists clenched at the thought of how close they were to losing yet more family to this... this... this bullshit.

"I hear Ladydragon has been getting into trouble with the cops," Louis stage whispered to Emma as he spotted street art of the shapeshifting superhero.

"Lòng Nǚshì is a servant of the people," Aunt Fei supplied. "If a law is not just then she sees no reason to uphold it."

Aunt Juleka nodded solemnly. "ACAB."

Aunt Fei grinned.

They pulled up to the Thousand Delights. Their Grunkle's restaurant closed for the day.

"Buó Buo!" Aunt Fei called. "We're here!"

"Kids!" Grunkle Wang rolled up to them in his wheelchair and stretched out his arms. The chair was decorated so that it looked like it was wearing a chef's uniform too. Rolled up sleeves on the sides and an apron string tied at the back.

Each of them bowed to him in greeting.

"So good to see you," Grunkle Wang smiled. "Shame Marinette could not come."

"Yeah, a real tragedy," Emma muttered under her breath.

"I'm sure she has a thousand things on her plate and is trying to do them all at once, like usual Buó Buo," Aunt Fei answered.

Emma couldn't quite smother her laughter.

"I mean, she's not wrong," Louis observed.

"Maman is really busy!" Hugo defended her with more than a hint of indignation.

"Buó Buo, this is Juleka and Rose. Family of Mèi Xù and Meì Mei's,"

Juleka blushed. "Oh, we're- that is-"

Grunkle Wang reached out and clasped her hand. "An honor to meet family from France. You are very welcome in our home."

Rose eyes shone. "It's great to finally meet you. Marinette always said you were her favorite part about visiting Shanghai. Well, you and Fei."

Juleka laid a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. "Thanks, Wang Shīfu. But we already-"

"Nonesense! You are our guests. I insist you stay here."

"Buó Buo, this place isn't as big as it used to be," Fei reasoned.

Juleka started to nod.

"Which is why they'll be staying at my school."

"Exact-" Juleka did a double take.

Wang Shifu grinned. "Yes. That way they are still under the family's roof, no?"

"Well..." Juleka trailed off.

"We'd love to stay with you!" Rose beamed.

-------------------

Hugo glanced through the photos of his family on the walls of his room. It was... smaller than he was used to. And his family looked so big. He wasn't sure how they managed to fit everyone into such a space.

Still, they looked happy. Hugo wished he could've met his great grandparents. His hand hovered over a photo of what he thought was Grandma Sabine standing next to them. Hard to tell with her looking younger than he was.

Odd. The soft pressure at his chest for a time he never knew.

Hugo shook his head of the feeling as he made his way downstairs.

"-this is wise, Renren."

"I promised Mèi Xù."

Hugo blinked. "Aunt Fei?"

"Placing yourself between an unbalanced Yin-Yang could have grave consequences."

"Then it's a good thing this is something they both agree on."

"... Your sense of duty is commendable, Renren."

Hugo walked closer. His Mandarin was rusty and the voices were muffled but that sounded like...

"I know you're just looking out for me like you always do, Mei Shi. But they're family. I can't just tell them 'no'."

Aunt Fei jumped as she saw him standing outside her door. "Hugo!"

"Sorry! Didn't mean to startle you, A yí Fei. Do we have guests?"

"What? Oh, no. I was just talking on the phone with a friend. Let's head downstairs and see if Buó Buo needs help in the kitchen. If I know him he's gone all out again."

Aunt Fei placed an arm over Hugo's shoulders as they passed Grunkle Wang's elevator. The prospect of helping in his Grunkle's famous cooking almost enough to distract Hugo from what he'd overheard.

Almost.

--------------------

Louis breathed in the smells of a five star chef's cooking and tried to keep his mouth from watering.

Rose wasn't trying at all as she stared at the first course. "Ooh! Marinette soup!"

Emma narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the creamy purple bowl.

Hugo rolled his eyes from across the table and picked up his spoon.

Grunkle Wang grinned as Aunt Juleka and Aunt Rose started scarfing down the Marinette soup as politely as possible.

"Mmmm!" Aunt Rose mumbled, mouth too full for words.

"This is amazing," Aunt Juleka praised before following her girlfriend's example.

Emma's eyes went wide as she had her first mouthful. Her second quickly following.

Hugo smirked as he blew on his spoon to cool it down.

Louis savored the warmth of it's flavor. He usually didn't like creamy soups but the texture of this one was just right.

"There's a reason it's stayed on the menu all these years," Aunt Fei grinned as she swallowed. "It's very popular with the clientele." Her smile lessened. "Or at least it was..."

Grunkle Wang waved this away as he rolled up to his plate. "It will blow over once the newest scandal comes along. Then they will not find my soup suddenly 'disagreeable'."

The salty flavor was suddenly bitter in Louis' mouth. From the way Hugo's spoon stopped halfway he felt it too.

Emma looked down at her empty bowl. "Is it because...?"

"No," Grunkle Wang shook his head. "Enough of that. It's time for the second course!"

Aunt Fei stood up. "Buó Buo, let me."

"I can do it," he tried to wave her off.

"Buó Buo you did most of the cooking. Let me."

Grunkle Wang chuckled as he adjusted his position. "So I did."

Louis wasn't easily distracted from the thought of his parents' divorce hurting his Grunkle's restaurant. But the food did it's best. There weren't even any carrots in the stir fry.

He couldn't eat cooked carrots. And no white rice either. Which he recalled was something Aunt Rose was supposed to avoid.

There was brown rice though. Which Louis noticed Hugo trying to drown in sauce.

Hugo's eyes briefly met his gaze before flitting away. So he hadn't forgotten either.

The adults talked about how their jobs were going or asked his siblings how school was. All while Louis separated his food and separated his thoughts.

-----------------------

Emma left her contacts in their case and took out her glasses.

Ugh, she was definitely leaning towards glasses. Emma hadn't slept well. A fact she blamed on the jetlag.

Absolutely nothing to do with her parents being so ridiculously famous that their relationship status put family business in jeopardy. Nope. Not at all.

...

Of course if it came down to it Papa would just-

Emma slapped her cheeks to wake herself up and derail that particular train of thought. She really needed to stop trying to solve everything with money.

The comb ran down her hair to smooth it out before she tied it into her ponytail.

Money did solve a lot of things though. Like getting the elevator installed or finding a wheelchair model that Grunkle Wang could maintain without relying on Aunt Fei. Reconfiguring the kitchen-

Emma stood abruptly and, making sure she was presentable, marched towards the door.

Money doesn't solve friendship problems though.

Her brothers and Aunts were waiting for her downstairs.

And it definitely didn't solve family problems no matter how much she wished it did.

"Alright!" Aunt Fei grinned. "First stop: breakfast."

--------------------

Emma greedily finished her jianbing as they walked up to the Shanghai Museum... "Wait. Who-"

Hugo's big eyes and stupid grin was her answer.

She hid the fond smile that threatened to peak out behind what was left of her breakfast. Trying not to roll her eyes. No, really.

"Keep close. This place is fu- freaking huge," Aunt Fei stated.

Emma did roll her eyes at that. Only for her to stare up at the massive crisscrossing stairs connecting the museum's levels. Families and other tourists milling inside.

Aunt Fei led them to the Gallery of Ancient Chinese Paintings.

Hugo's eyes still trying to bug out of his head.

Louis was trying to avoid touching anyone. Thankfully it wasn't that crowded.

"This is a recent addition. I thought all of you might appreciate it. Being from Paris and all," Aunt Fei said that last part like she was about to let them in on a joke.

Hugo muttered appreciatively to himself as he gazed at the paintings. No doubt able to tell what dynasty they were from. Nerd.

"...and this one is..." Hugo jerked.

Oh, his eyes can get bigger!

"Hēi Māo!"

Emma blinked before actually looking at the painting that had Hugo enthralled.

It was a man wielding a long staff. His black robes tied around his waist with the sash trailing behind him like a tail. His short hair denoting his criminalized status. A cat-like mask atop his head.

Hēi Māo. The Black Cat.

"Piáo Chóng!" Hugo exclaimed again.

The woman was similarly dressed to her partner except with less armor and more spots. Her hair denoting that she was at least well off.

The Ladybug's yo-yo twirling around Piáo Chóng.

"I thought the Miraculous wielder's were more well hidden?" Aunt Rose asked.

"These paintings are ancient. Far older than anything found in Europe that relates to the Miraculous," Aunt Fei explained. "Even so they were donated to the museum by an old family. I doubt the painter, or painters, ever meant for their work to be observed by the common people."

Emma stared at these ancient predecessors to the heroes of her city. Feeling strangely connected to the legacy of the Miraculous. Even though it was Hugo who was rattling off their names and what villains they had fought.

Aunt Rose nudged Aunt Juleka and pointed to a painting of Purple Tigress' predecessor. Aunt Juleka blushing for some reason.

"You certainly know more about the Miraculous lore than I do, wài sheng," Aunt Fei praised.

Hugo beamed. "Yeah, Papa taught me everything... I know." His face fell a little as he stared at the image of Húdié, the Butterfly. "Papa didn't know much so he taught himself so he could teach me."

Emma remembed that. It was one of the few fights her parents had before the big one. She couldn't say why.

Aunt Fei froze as she moved to put a hand on Hugo's shoulder. Head tilting up as though she was listening to someone.

"In broad daylight?" she muttered.

Louis looked up at her in confusion. "A yí?"

"Sorry!" Aunt Fei snapped to attention. "I have to take care of something real quick! Be right back!" She gestured to Aunt Rose and Juleka to watch them as she practically sprinted down the stairs.

Emma blinked. Aunt Fei's sudden departure reminding her uncannily of the times her parents would vanish due to 'something important'. "Must be a grown up thing," she muttered. Yes, absolutely nothing suspicious about that.

Louis was talking quietly to Hugo so Emma decided not to interrupt that. Aunt Rose and Juleka were keeping one eye on her brothers and another on the paintings.

Emma turned and- Blond hair in a green suit turned a corner on the other side of the museum. "Papa?"

He definitely looked like her Papa. And it was only the gallery right across from them. She had her phone with her... "Going to the restroom. Be right back!"

Her Aunts nodded to show they heard.

It could not be Papa, Emma thought as she went down and up the stairs to arrive at the same level. But y'know, opposite. In which case it would be slightly less embarrassing without an audience.

Emma turned a corner and to her surprise there he was. "Papa!"

Papa grinned and held out his arms for a hug. Which Emma accepted. Weird, he was wearing cologne.

"Hey there, Em!"

"What're you doing here? I thought you needed to stay in Paris for paperwork reasons?"

"True, but I couldn't just leave my darling daughter like that now could I?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Papa!"

Papa grinned as he moved away from her play shove.

He felt lighter too. Not a lot. But enough that it seemed like the suit was hiding some weight loss. Was Papa eating enough?

"Oh!" He snapped his fingers. "Before I forget, I wanted to ask you. Have you seen my brooch?"

Emma's brow furrowed. O...kay? "A brooch?" Papa wore plenty of rings and sometimes earrings but she didn't remember him ever having a brooch.

He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah I seem to have forgotten where I put it. It's silver. Shaped like a fan or a fancy flower." He stepped closer with a friendly smile. "You haven't seen it?"

Emma suddenly felt the chill of the museum air against her back. "Felix?"

Felix's charming smile melted into something sharper as he glanced at the other patrons. "I just want what your father stole from me."

Emma backed away from him and closer to the open space of the foyer. "I don't know-"

Felix's hand snaked out and clasped itself around her wrist. "Think! Adrien isn't that good at hiding things!"

"You're hurting me!" Emma cried out. The bones of her arm felt like they were sliding together with the force of his grip. Which didn't budge no matter how much she pulled at it.

"Just tell me-"

A flash of pink and Felix was sent hurtling across the gallery floor. Thankfully missing the exhibits. Patrons screaming in shock and fear.

Emma stumbled back as Pigella stood between her and the impersonator.

"Alright, fuck-face!" Pigella cracked her knuckles. Despite her short stature she radiated Fnd Out energy. "You got two choices. I beat your ass senseless and call Pagasus to dump you into a nice cozy French prison cell. Or you get the hell out of Shanghai."

Felix sneered condescendingly at her. No easy thing to pull off with him holding a black eye.

In answer he pulled something out of his coat and smashed it on the floor. Smoke billowing out of it. Eliciting another round of panicked screams.

"Remain calm!" Pigella held her arm over Emma as though worried Felix might try for her again.

But when the smoke cleared Felix was gone.

"Stupid supervillains and their fucking smoke bombs," Pigella muttered.

"Emma!" Aunt Juleka was on her in a flash. Looking over her for injuries.

She could see Hugo and Louis hovering worriedly behind her.

"Are you ok?"

"I- I- I-"

Breathe Emma.

Breathe.

Emma took a shakey breath.

"I'm... o-okay."

Aunt Juleka hugged her close. Emma burying her tears in purple and black.

[plumsaffron]

What refusing to take the L does to a Marinette or Ladybug.

Proceeding evolving into betraying:

Everyone who stood by her

Who's been loyal to her and put their trust in her

The many inspired or encouraged by her

What she represents

And especially Adrien/Cat Noir

[goggles-mcgee]

Too Late: Epilogue

The last chapter of this story for @miner249er

First Story in Series

Beginning Chapter         

Last Chapter

Summary: Wu Fei came back from training only to hear news that changed her whole world, meanwhile Nooroo's mind wanders while he watched over Marinette. 

Wu Fei was someone who liked to believe that she grew from her mistakes. She had faith she had in fact done so, but she knew she had not accomplished it alone. She owed thanks to her French-Chinese friend, Marinette. Oh, she knew a lot of it was herself but the other teen helped her realize the difference between Revenge and Justice when she had still been lost and hurt. Losing her adoptive father, Wu Shifu, had been a hurt that she believed nothing could soothe, but she lived as though it hadn’t hurt as badly as it had. But losing someone who loved you, cared for you, raised you, CHOSE you, was something she never wished upon anyone. Not even an enemy. Her bàba was her family, whether they shared blood or not, he could have taken her somewhere else like the CWI or a hatch house but he didn’t. He took her in and adopted her and he told her it was the best thing he had ever done as he believed she was a blessing. Thinking of him still hurt but it was more bittersweet than the blinding pain it used to be. Memories of them together were held near and dear to her heart and now she strived to be the woman he taught her to be.

That was the reason she left to train. Fei had strayed from the path she had been taught and wanted to remedy that immediately after she had acquired the Prodigious. The powers she had gained were exhilarating but she did not doubt the weight of their responsibility thus another reason to train. It wasn’t easy. Nothing worth it ever is, but she was proud to say all the training paid off. Her only regret was not being in contact with Marinette for so long but Mei Shi was a strict mentor when it came to her training for the Prodigious and for becoming another Guardian of the Sacred Cave and forbid outside distractions. Though the being was rather fond of Marinette whenever Fei and her called or messaged one another, Mei Shi usually asked Fei to send his well wishes to the French-Chinese girl. Now that training was done, Fei couldn’t wait to get back to their talks whether they were deep or meaningless, she missed her friend, her only friend. 

That was why, as soon as training was done, she immediately sent a message to let her friend know she was finished and they should find a day that worked for both of them so they could video chat. She didn’t get a response the first day. That was okay, Marinette was a busy individual and when she was busy she tended to neglect her phone much the same way that Fei herself did when she herself was in a creative zone and deep into her training with Mei Shu. But the days kept passing and messages went with no responses, let alone read and Fei grew more worried. She even called Marinette’s parents bakery but either the line was busy or no longer in use. Her worry increased to the point she was in an anxious frenzy and had no idea what to do short of finding a way to Paris to make sure her friend was okay. Then she remembered Cheng Wang and his open invitation to visit him and his restaurant whenever she wanted. Whether she needed a meal or simply needed someone to talk to. It was an offer that Fei really appreciated but rarely took up. 

It was time to take up that offer to make sure her friend was okay because Fei had a bad feeling and usually her bad feeling’s were always something worth fretting over. She was scared. This feeling wasn’t something like the time she had a bad feeling and realized she was missing an ingredient from a potion that Mei Shu had been instructing her to make, an important ingredient. The result had been…less than ideal but nothing life threatening. No, this feeling made her heart pound, her lungs squeeze, her body tense and her stomach sick. It only came when she thought of Marinette and she was about ready to use her dragon form to take her to Paris but she couldn’t be impulsive. Impulsivity caused mistakes, mistakes caused consequences you might not be ready nor willing to face. Fei had to be smart, she had to be calm, she had to be rational and going to Cheng Wang was what her rational thoughts were screaming and she was not going to deny them as they were the only good ideas she was having. 

One short yet long-feeling trip had Fei standing in front of The Thousand Delights restaurant and to her surprise it had a closed sign taped to the door and windows. Fei’s heart dropped when she read it was for an undetermined amount of time but that it was not forever. The restaurant was closing for a family emergency and a little voice inside Fei whispered, Marinette. Desperately wanting to be wrong, Fei ran up the stairs to Master Cheng’s apartment that was located above the restaurant, much like his niece and her husband. The door was ajar and though she knew it was incredibly rude not to knock or saw something to announce her presence, Fei’s heart was racing, something was wrong and she needed to help so she just entered the home in a rush. There was no thought of her shoes on the floors, only to see if Master Cheng was okay, to see the problem, to fix the problem. Except there was no problem, well, not one she could see besides Master Cheng packing a suitcase. He was leaving? Why was he leaving? 

Master Cheng blinked at her in confusion, he didn’t even reprimand her about her shoes, he was usually a stickler for rules. “Fei?”

“Master Cheng…what…what’s going on?” Maybe it was too broad a question but Fei didn’t know a lot of things at the moment and Master Cheng was the only one who could give her answers. 

The heart-broken, desperate look he gave her did not make things better. “Oh Little One,” He had taken to calling her that and Marinette Littler One, “You do not know.”

“No. Know what? I…I’ve been training.”

“Come. Sit. I will…I will make us some tea.” Master Cheng said after a moment as he moved away from his suitcase to lead Fei more into his apartment and close the door. 

“What? But-”

“Believe me. You will need the tea.”

Fei didn’t argue but she did toe off her shoes and set them by the door before she made her way to sit on one of the couches to wait. She didn’t want to wait but she knew she had to be patient. But how could she be patient when she knew the news she was about to receive was bad enough to warrant tea? The urge to bite her nails was strong but Mei Shu had been working really hard with her to break that particular habit. Though the more seconds that passed the more they felt like hours and the more impatience began to consume Fei. Restlessness crawled up her legs and seized her heart and she was almost about to just get up and go help despite how rude it might come across. Master Cheng was a kind person but she had no doubt he would be upset if she busted into the kitchen and interrupted him so she bounced a leg to try and occupy her and burn some of her restless energy. 

“Sorry for the wait, I forgot I had packed my favorite tea to go with me on my trip.” Master Cheng announced softly as he walked into the room with his teapot and two cups on a tray. Fei even spotted some cookies. 

“No worries.” Fei replied even if the words tasted bitter like a lie. She watched as Master Cheng placed the tray gently on the little coffee table and arranged everything on the table for them to reach them comfortably. She watched as he poured them both a cup of his favorite Longjing Green Tea, it brought a small secretive smile to her face as she recalled its other name, Dragon Well. It was something so simple and yet it made her feel a little less frantic and stressed, that seemed to be the normal when it came to her visits with Master Cheng. He was such a calming presence to be around. “You, You mentioned a trip?” 

Master Cheng took a seat across from her and picked up his own cup of tea and blew at the steam and sighed. “Yes. I am taking a trip to Paris…You…You haven’t heard… anything?” 

The way he said it, much like before, like it was something that weighed on his mind, on his shoulders, on his very spirit. “I’m afraid not. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been away training with a new mentor. He is…old fashioned and strict but kind, but while training he forbade outside distractions.”

“Ah, I had a great aunt like that. She had a thing about technology, I assume your mentor is much the same.”

“He is.”

Master Cheng nodded and stared off into his cup of tea for a moment before he brought it up to his lips and took a sip. “Much has happened back in Paris I’m afraid…”

Fei’s heart skipped a beat but she forced herself to shakily take a sip of her tea before she did anything rash. She swallowed the tea and then swallowed her lips before she asked, “Marinette? Is it…Does it have to do with Marinette?” 

The silence that followed was answer enough.

“What happened?” Fei asked after she had a sip of her tea and after the silence started to feel more than a little suffocating. 

Master Cheng took in a deep breath before he placed his cup on the saucer and back on the table between them. He stared down at his hands for a few seconds before he looked up at her. Eye contact had never felt so foreboding. “Marinette is…she is missing.”

Missing?

She couldn’t be.

Marinette couldn’t be missing, she just couldn’t. Please not Fei’s first friend. Not her best friend.

“It started with an akuma. I assume you are…familiar with them in the sense you have heard of them.”

All Fei could do was nod, her throat was too choked up. 

“The akuma was…She was…Marinette was the akuma.” Master Cheng admitted and when he did so it seemed like it tore a bit of himself away. He looked so pained by the admission that Fei knew without a doubt he had actually felt that odd flash of pain one felt squeeze their heart in times of true sadness and panic. 

And yet. She still wanted to doubt what he said despite her gut telling her he was being truthful. “No…Marinette would never…”

Master Cheng looked so bitterly resigned before he spoke again, “There is this American writer I am fond of. She has written many words, said probably many more but there is this one quote I can never forget. ‘The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first sight.’ It is a thought provoking quote and an inspirational one, but like many things…bamboo can break with enough determination and the right tools.”

“Marinette…she’s the bamboo.”

“We all are, but in this case? Yes. I guess things were not going well in her class, quite the opposite in fact. It wasn’t one big thing that hit her, rather it was many things, some small, some not. It’s only human to break after that much pressure. The only thing is that Paris had a madman set out to use any strong negative emotion against everyone.” 

“Had. You…You said, ‘had’.” Fei pointed out.

It made Master Cheng chuckle, albeit weakly. “You are very smart, very intuitive. Marinette…as an akuma…this is rather hard to explain…”

It certainly seemed hard to explain. Fei couldn’t see how Marinette as an akuma connected to the past tense talk of Paris’ supervillain. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s no fault of yours.”

“Nor yours.”

“...True. It’s just…the circumstances make one feel like they could have done more. I could have done more,” Master Cheng insisted, his voice thick with tears and it was such a shock to Fei. She had never seen him cry. Never. “Marinette was not happy, I noticed this in our last call but she brushed aside my concern and thought it best to give her space. If I had done more, if I had pressed…maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe The Followers would have never happened.”

“Th-The Followers?”

“Even as an akuma, Marinette wanted to protect people, she called herself The Protector. Not much is known about what she did before but…the akuma because I know Marinette could never, the akuma supposedly beat Gabriel Agreste and his assistant to the point of immediate hospitalization. It’s not confirmed but it is heavily speculated that he and his assistant were in fact-”

“Hawkmoth and Mayura.” Fei gasped. It made sense. Too much sense and yet not enough at the same time. “She…she saved Paris…but how…how did she end up missing then?”

“No one knows. She saved everyone and then just disappeared. No heroes were seen that day. Marinette was never defeated as an akuma. Never-”

“Never purified!” Fei couldn’t help but finish, her mind was going a mile a minute. 

“Indeed. She disappeared as an akuma and…she left behind overzealous fans. Fans of her akuma form and those who believe she was Ladybug which it seems was the truth. These people became a group who basically became more of a cult, they, in her name, decided they too would ‘protect’ Paris. In doing so they have murdered a woman, maybe a man, they have put two young ladies in the hospital, one more injured than the other and they have taken it upon themselves to ‘protect’ the memory of their messiah.” Master Cheng explained with an obvious heavy heart.

“The Protector…”

Master Cheng nodded. “That’s why I am going to Paris. This cult has stolen many items that Marinette has made by hand for others. They have even gone as far as breaking into Sabine and Tom’s bakery and apartment. They have already taken objects but I’m going over to help pack the rest of Marinette’s things and bring them back here. We don’t want them getting their hands on anything else and I honestly don’t think Sabine would be able to handle anymore thefts.”

Fei felt an all too familiar feeling of loss hit her full force but she refused to buckle under its pressure like she had done before. Not when she knew there was still hope. Hope to find and see her friend again. “I’m coming with.”

_________________________

Nooroo did his best not to panic at the fact that Marinette was still unconscious but it was an old habit that was not so easy to break. Even if he could feel she was perfectly fine through their connection. A connection that comforted him yet confused him, it was like no connection he had ever made before. There was always some kind of connection between a Kwami and the Holder of their Miraculous, especially if they were a Harmony, a perfect match. Then there was the opposite of that which was a Dissonance, a very imperfect match one that could be destructive if a Holder still forced a transformation. If a Kwami was in a Dissonance for too long it would result in damage done to the Miraculous which is what happened to Duusuu unfortunately. The two souls would continue to clash within the transformation without the wearer being aware until they started being affected by it. The Holder would succumb to either the injuries or the illness they were cursed with and the Miraculous would break and infuse itself with that curse.

Emilie Agreste had unfortunately learned of this curse first hand despite Duusuu’s continued warnings. At some point Nooroo stopped caring what would happen to the woman, Duusuu had warned her and pleaded for her so many times, it had to be pure stupidity or desperation to ignore them and though Nooroo shared a fascination of humanity with Tikki, he felt irritated in the face of their stupidity. Duusuu though, poor Duusuu was a bleeding heart and had a soft spot for the blonde woman and did her best to save her. Even if Duusuu hadn’t tried, their fate had been sealed the moment Emilie fell into a coma and Gabriel Agreste showed some of the worst humanity had to offer. Duusuu was spared for a good amount of time while Nooroo had been chained to power-hungry Holder once more. It had happened before but not like this. 

The sad part was that Gabriel could have been a good enough Holder for him, not a Harmony but close but his actions and the change he went through caused the connection between them to go askew, closer to a Dissonance but never reaching that level. The only reason it never did was because Gabriel at least had the brain to feed him, even if it wasn’t as often as it should have been and he let him rest though he never went out of his way to make sure Nooroo was okay or comfy. A good bond with a Kwami was essential to the growth of a connection thus the growth of power a Miraculous had. Being free of Gabriel was like plunging into cool waters after being in intense heat for an extended period of time, all the shackles of the commands he was given were broken and it was like he could finally feel.

Marinette had freed him, though not entirely herself. She possessed the power of a Champion, those who fought for the Butterfly Miraculous though Gabriel had twisted the magic so much that they couldn’t even be called Champions when he made them, much like past Holders who used the Butterfly Miraculous in such a way, the man gave the creatures he created new names. He dubbed them Akumas. From what Nooroo could recall of his time in Japan so many years ago, he recalled the different meanings: demon, devil, fire spirit, group of undefined beings that brought pain and suffering. It fit in a poetic way. Marinette was no Akuma, but to call her a Champion didn’t feel right either. She became something entirely different when she accepted the butterfly in the height of her hurt and anger, when she accepted all of them, when she felt for them, when she sympathized with them. 

Nooroo was as much Marinette’s as she was his and he knew he would be safe as long as he was with her. He would protect her too, as much as he could. “Don’t worry Little Caterpillar, we’ll get through this and out of it, you will blossom and transform.” He muttered softly as he ran a little hub through her hair. 

“Oh. Hello there! It’s not very often I see my kind here. Actually not often at all.” A voice startled Nooroo enough to nearly make him fall into Marinette’s hair. He flew up and turned every direction he could until his eyes focused on what was definitely a Kwami. One he did not recognize. 

“You…You are a Kwami, but not one I know…” 

The Kwami laughed, though not unkindly. “That’s not surprising. I was one of the younger ones and not many knew of me before my Miraculous went missing from the Box I was part of.”

That somewhat answered Nooroo’s question and yet didn’t and left him with more. “I am Nooroo. Kwami of Transmission and Hope.”

“Oooo formal greeting! Okay.” The Kwami cleared its throat before it introduced itself. “I am Frenze. Kwami of Strength and Friendship! It’s nice to meet you Nooroo, why did you come to this island? Was it with that human? Why is that human asleep? Where’s your boat? Did you even come on boat? Oh my goodness! Are you guys shipwrecked? Did you fall overboard?”

Yep. Definitely a Kwami of friendship.

CWI - Children's Welfare Institute is an orphanage located in Shanghai, China

hatch house or also known as a baby hatch - A baby hatch is a small home where parents drop off children, where they hopefully will be taken to an orphanage. The Ministry of Civil Affairs began the baby hatch program as a response to the increasing number of abandoned infants. Currently, there are 32 baby hatches across China, and each hatch only accepts children from within the same city.