#it has a lot more if/then statements baked in since hes a mobile battle master fighter and that's pretty different from Vigil

[sleeepydraws]

If I may butt in with my 15 years of playing and gaming experience...

Don't! worry about memorizing all of your spells and abilities.

Do! look over your sheet before the session and ask questions if you need to. :) Coming prepared (with your stuff) shows the DM that you care, and makes me (at least) hella motivated.

Don't! worry about being an amazing player or role player at the start.

Do! try!! We love to see it, and the comfort comes with time. It's awkward until it isn't, and we've all been there.

Don't! wait around silently after your DM explains a room, NPC, etc. (it makes me hella awkward at least )

Do! feel free to:

restate what they said (for clarification)

ask questions (for spelling, distance, details, etc)

and/or ask others what they'd like to do (helps make the game more group oriented)

For combat...

Don't! space out so much that you don't know when your turn is. (Some spacing out is understandable since it takes a bit.)

Do! keep an eye on when your turn is coming up and what your friends are doing. I learned how to play the game by watching others do their turns. This is also a great opportunity to ask other players to help clarify any of your spells, skills and/or abilities that you're thinking of using.

Personal recommendation! I like to have a "default turn" where if I can't think of ANYTHING ELSE to do that's more applicable, I do the default:

Walk to baddie

Smack baddie (until dead)

(if dead) Smack another baddie (if multiple attacks)

Apply whatever weapons etc you have. Having a default like this makes me so relaxed during a session because when in doubt... I already have my turn planned.

Don't stress! Do have fun :)

Do you have any tips for someone who’s about to start playing DND? It’s me, I’m someone who’s about to start playing DND

Ehh I'm not an expert per se, but I'd say don't worry too much about memorising every detail and every spell etc - if your DM is a nice one they'll be okay with you fumbling things until you get the hang of it 😅

Also maybe don't have your character too set in stone? I personally find it easier to RP a character with some room to wiggle for the first few sessions (leave aspects of their personality or background to fill later) so that I'm not too conditioned by the fear of being OOC while I'm warming up to them

[chassecroise]

the space between us (chapter 14)

chapter title: so baby, why don’t we go    words: 2.8k story summary: What’s a ladybug to do when her kitten becomes a cat? chapter summary: In which Adrien and Marinette visit Master Fu and get some unexpected advice on how to deal with their unexpected publicity.

previous chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

a/n: Hi friends!! I know it’s been ages since I updated- thanks so much for sticking with me! I haven’t had mojo to update this story in ages, but it suddenly came back today…so I’m running with it! Let’s enjoy the ride together :)

AO3 | FF

When Master Fu invites Adrien and Marinette over for a cup of tea, they’re hesitant at first. Though both of them enjoy spending time with their mentor, neither of them are sure how their mentor will react to learning that they are dating. Despite the obvious fact that being in a relationship has made them more in sync than ever before, they still haven’t told him about the change in their relationship— nor have they visited him since the beginning of the summer.

And unfortunately now that the press believes Adrien is dating Ladybug, there are twice as many paparazzi trying to track all of his movements, which makes it twice as difficult to plan any outings with any sort of privacy.

Still, with the help of Gerard and Nathalie, the two of them manage to find a way to get to Master Fu’s neighborhood unnoticed, though they still walk as quickly as possible down the side streets; it’s too risky to walk slowly.  

“Do you think he’ll be angry?” asks Adrien, sweating and pale as they approach the door to his apartment. “We’ve been dating for a while now and haven’t said anything to him.”

Marinette shakes her head. “I’m sure he’ll understand. And if not, we can explain that we know it’s risky, but it’s worth it. I believe in us.”

“Me too.”

“You ready?”

Adrien nods. “Yeah. I think I am.”

“Okay,” says Marinette, squeezing his hand. “Let’s go.”

But Master Fu opens the door before she even has a chance to knock on it.  

“Well, it’s about time,” he says, with a satisfied smile. “I’ve been waiting for this day for far too long.”

Tea is a simple but elegant affair, with one pot of fragrant jasmine tea, one pot of Ceylon black tea, and sugar cookies from the Dupain-Cheng bakery that Marinette has brought along as a gift from her parents. Tom and Sabine aren’t sure how their daughter became friends with Master Fu, but they have noticed that after getting to know him, her grades have gone up and she seems to be having less trouble being punctual, which is more than enough for them to consider him a family friend.

This, of course, entails Tom and Sabine pressing boxes of pastries and cakes into Marinette’s arms whenever they learn that she is going to see Master Fu, to the point where Wayzz zooms up to the box she is usually carrying before she says hello.

In the rare event that Marinette doesn’t bring a box of baked goods with her, Wayzz usually looks sad and glum at the missed chance for sweets.

Luckily, today is a jackpot. Not only has Marinette brought sugar cookies, she has also brought along mini palmiers, one of her father’s specialties. Wayzz selects the biggest one and settles down on the table next to Tikki and Plagg, who titter at his excitement.

He scowls at them. “The two of you are spoiled, living with this spread all the time. Let an old man enjoy his sweets! You know the old master never brings anything like this home. The two of you are lucky, eating pastries and cheese all the time.”

“You know I don’t eat cheese,” says Tikki, wrinkling her nose. “That’s all Plagg. Cookies for me!”

Plagg snorts. “Keep your cookies. Camembert is where it’s at.”

Adrien sighs. “For you, maybe. I’m just waiting for the day when you’ll develop a taste for something else and I can stop smelling like cheese all the time.”

Marinette laughs and pats him on the arm. “For what it’s worth, I’ve gotten used to the smell. It’s not so bad, after a while.”

“Really?” asks Adrien, eyes brightening.

Marinette shakes her head. “Well, no. It’s pretty bad. But you’re so cute, it doesn’t matter.”

Master Fu laughs at their exchange as he pours three more cups of tea.

“So what finally convinced you to visit your old mentor again? If I recall correctly, I’ve invited the two of you over for tea at least three times over the past few months. I was starting to think you were both giving me the cold shoulder,” he says in a stern voice, though his eyes are merry.

Marinette waves her arms around frantically. “I’m so sorry, Master Fu, we’ve just both been so busy! And a lot of things have happened, and we-I- just forgot to reply to your invitation. Um, twice.”

“You could have texted me, you know. I’m a hip old man. I know all the new trends,” Master Fu replies with a droll grin.  

Wayzz snorts. “Master, I think you should give credit where it’s due. I’m the one who texts for you! 5000 years old, and somehow I’m the one who is better at using a mobile phone than someone who hasn’t even been on the planet for 200 years.”

“Now, now, Wayzz, don’t get fussy,” says Master Fu. “I would have eventually given you the credit. Anyway, just Iook how much both of you have grown! I forget how quickly everything can change at your age. It seems like just yesterday that I slipped the Miraculouses into your bags.”

Adrien looks down and clutches his tea cup, remorseful. “We really are sorry for not coming by sooner, Master Fu. We could have tried harder.”

Master Fu shakes his head dismissively and places a reassuring hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “Now, now, no need to worry about it. What’s done is done. You accepted this invitation, and that’s all that matters. I’m very glad you’re both here now.”

He turns to Marinette. “The two of you are all over the newspapers, you know. Well, Ladybug, that is. Those fashion editorials are making quite a splash throughout the whole world— particularly you, young lady.”

Marinette sighs with frustration. “I know. Alya’s gone on the attack against a lot of the tabloids, but even though she’s doing her best, they don’t seem to care. It’s not that I mind the attention…it’s all the consequences for Adrien. Now that the world thinks he’s dating Ladybug , there are even more paparazzi trying to follow him around all the time. It was almost impossible for the two of us to find a way to get here together today— now that the press has latched onto the idea of a superhero dating a supermodel…well, it’s been a pain. We can’t go anywhere publicly.”

“We’ve also been worried about how this is going to affect future akuma battles,” adds Adrien. “Things have been really quiet lately, but things are obviously different between us now, and people are going to notice. We’ve always been flirty during battle, but considering the current situation…I really don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression about my lady. I know that Chat Noir and I are the same person, but almost nobody else does. If they think she’s leading two different people on, it could have really bad consequences. I’ve seen it happen before in my father’s social circles. It just takes one person to start a rumor that destroys someone’s life.”  

Master Fu nods. “I had a feeling things might be difficult. Have you considered making a public statement?”

Adrien exchanges a nervous glance with Marinette before turning back to Master Fu. “Both of us? Or just me?”

“You, my boy,” says Master Fu. “This is the first time Ladybug has been in the spotlight because of something other than her heroics, but you have grown up in a world of press conferences and making statements. I’ve seen your father schedule a conference on more than one occasion when something doesn’t go well. Speaking of which…how has he been handling this situation? Has he said anything to you?”

Adrien shakes his head. “No. Père has been traveling nonstop all summer, so I’ve barely seen him. But now that you mention it, it’s so strange that he hasn’t said anything at all. The last time something like this happened was last summer, when the press thought that Chloe and I were secret lovers, and he shut that down in less than 24 hours. I’ve never seen him move that fast.”

Master Fu looks thoughtful. “Perhaps he approves of the assumed association between you and Ladybug. In that case, Marinette, the task may fall upon you. How do you feel about it?”

“Well, I’ve done my fair share of press conferences, but never one like this,” says Marinette, biting her lip. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s anyone’s business who I’m dating, or if I’m dating more than one person. My job is to save Paris from Hawk Moth, not to entertain people with the juicy details of my personal life. If I schedule something like this, won’t it just encourage everyone to keep talking about who I’m dating?”

“It is certainly a risk. But it may be one worth taking. Would you prefer to say nothing and continue being followed by the press as they continue to try and catch the two of you in an intimate moment, or would you prefer to take control of the situation and guide the conversation?”

Marinette sighs. “I don’t know. I have to think about it. It’s just frustrating.”

“I know. If I were you, I would just want to stay in my apartment and drink a nice hot cup of tea and ignore all of those annoying reporters. Unfortunately, you are not an old man with a lot of free time like me.”

“If only,” sighs Adrien. “When I’m as old as you, I’m going to eat all the pastries in the world, without worrying about ruining my figure for modeling.”

“That’s what you think,” mutters Wayzz. “The only pastries in this household are the ones that Mademoiselle Marinette brings with her.”

“Either way, we’ll talk about it,” says Marinette. “Thank you for the advice, Master Fu. I think we both needed some outside perspective from someone who understands.”

“Of course, my dear. My door is always open to both of you.”

“Thank you, Master Fu,” says Adrien. “It really means a lot to know that you’re watching out for us.”

Master Fu laughs. “Well, I specifically chose both of you for a reason! Of course I’m going to keep an eye on you. If I may remind you, I’m almost 200 years old. There’s not much in this city I haven’t seen. It’s young people like you who keep me entertained. What else am I supposed to do with all of my free time?”

“Drink tea, I guess,” replies Marinette, grinning. “I never really thought about it.”

“You know, I always hoped the two of you would eventually end up together,” says Master Fu. “I was there that first day, you know. And I had an inkling that the two of you might be soulmates.”

Adrien furrows his brows in confusion. “The first day…do you mean when we fought Stone Heart, after you gave us the Miraculouses?”

Master Fu nods. “Yes, but no. My hunch had nothing to do with the battle itself.”

“Then what was it?”

“I’m sure at least one of you remembers that it was raining that afternoon,” replies Master Fu, turning to Marinette with a knowing grin. “You still have it, don’t you?”

Adrien turns to look at Marinette as well.“Have what?”

Marinette flushes. “Your umbrella,” she murmurs. “The one that I accidentally closed on myself and made you laugh and laugh and laugh. How could I forget? It’s when I fell for you.”

“I figured it out before she did!” pipes Tikki. “It was a wonderful moment.”

“I remember too,” Plagg comments slyly, turning to Adrien. “If you will recall, I referred to Marinette as your girlfriend from the very beginning. I knew all along that you’d get together someday.”

Marinette turns to Master Fu.

“Master Fu, you’ve been doing this for a long time. We can’t be the first Ladybug and Chat Noir to fall in love, can we? Tikki and Plagg won’t tell us any details about their previous miraculous holders.”

Tikki sighs. “Marinette, I already told you that they’re not our stories to tell.”

“I’m not asking for every detail,” protests Marinette, waving her arms around in frustration as she stands up and starts to pace around. “Adrien and I are just looking for…I don’t know, some guidelines, or something! There hasn’t been an akuma since we started dating, and nobody except Alya and Nino knows our secret. The paparazzi are following Adrien around everywhere and there’s no privacy anywhere and all I want to know is if I can just kiss my boyfriend instead of giving him a fist bump after an akuma battle without the press turning it into some huge deal. I just want to know if things will get better, you know?”

Adrien stands up beside her and takes her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “Hey, we both do. I know this is hard, but we’ll make it through this.”

Marinette watches impatiently as Master Fu silently pours himself a fourth cup of tea and adds milk and sugar, stirring slowly and methodically until she starts to tap her foot with irritation.

“If you’re waiting for me to give you the answer you want, you know I can’t give it to you, Ladybug,” he finally says, his voice calm and measured. “ Better is a highly subjective term. But what I can say is that regardless of their relationship, Ladybug and Chat Noir always have a deep connection. Sometimes the connection is romantic, like yours. Sometimes, it’s familial. And sometimes, believe it or not, it is of allies across enemy lines. Each relationship and era comes with its own unique set of challenges, which cannot necessarily be applied to the next generation. That is why Tikki and Plagg hesitate to share these details with you. They don’t want to give you advice that you can’t use.”

“Well, that’s super helpful,” grouses Marinette. “What are we supposed to do then?”

Master Fu smiles. “I encourage you to look at your situation from a bigger picture. Search for allies in places you don’t expect to find them. I may not be able to help you more with this specific situation, but there are others in your social circle who may be able to help, if you ask them the right way.”

Marinette stares at Master Fu, eyes narrowed, as Adrien anxiously looks back and forth between them as the tension builds in the room.

“How do you mean?” he asks nervously. “Do you know someone we should reach out to? There aren’t a lot of people who know about our situation.”

Suddenly, Marinette gasps. “Wait— wait…”

Adrien turns to her, concerned. “What? What is it?”

“Chloe.”

Adrien blinks, uncomprehending. “What about her?”

“That’s who Master Fu is talking about. An unexpected ally.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Hear me out. She’s the only other person who knows what it’s like to have paparazzi follow her around all the time. And she cares a lot about you. And she hates me, but she loves Ladybug. She’ll be happy to help us. Delighted, even. You know how big a fangirl she is. Can you imagine how she’s going to react when I ask her for advice?”

“I never thought I’d live to see the day when you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would actively be seeking help from Chloe Bourgeois.”

“Well, you know, desperate times, right?” says Marinette, shrugging.

Adrien laughs. “I guess so.”

Master Fu smiles, but says nothing more.

Chloe Bourgeois is used to receiving her fair share of unexpected visitors at the hotel. Despite the fact that some people seem to think she has no friends (namely the nasty bellman at the front door), Sabrina is not the only person who comes to see her. She has plenty of admirers and delivery people who know her by name, and she almost always expects at least one flower bouquet to show up on the weekends from one of her many would-be beaus.

What she does not expect is for both Ladybug and Chat Noir to show up in tandem outside her window at 9pm on a Saturday night, rapping on the glass.

She rushes over to the sliding door to let them in.

“Ladybug? What are you doing here? Did you get Daddy’s request? I wanted to go on a shopping trip with you tomorrow afternoon, not tonight. Unless you want to do online shopping— I could use a second pair of eyes on this dress I’ve been wanting to buy.”

Chloe immediately stops talking as Ladybug presses a finger to her lips, barely containing the flush she can feel spreading across her cheeks.

“Shh,” says Ladybug. “That’s not why I came.”

“Oh,” says Chloe, stepping back, turning her attention to her other unexpected guest. “And why are you here? I doubt it’s to help me with my physics homework. You made it pretty clear you wouldn’t accept money for that last time you were here,” she adds, her lip curling with irritation.

Ladybug steps forward and takes her hands.

“Chloe— I never thought I’d say this, but I — we — we really need your help.”

The piercing squeal of sheer glee that proceeds to echo across all of Le Grand Paris shatters two windows and multiple wine glasses in the hotel bar.