#mostlovedgirl writes

[lycorogue]

Latest Story: I Think I Like You (Maybe More Than I Should)

For @mostlovedgirl-writes

A companion story for her work Ha! You Think That’s Embarrassing? 

MLG, I warned you that you sparked something! What's worse is that I had this story done on May 14th, and it just kept me this long to sort out what to title the darn thing! 😅[smile with sweat emoji]

The Aged-Up AU that MLG created for her MariChat May ficlet was just too enticing for me to leave alone, so, naturally, I nearly quintupled her story as I retold the same tale but from Adrien's POV.

Why do stories keep running away from me like this!?

I want to send so many extra kudos and just general love MLG's way. I barely wrote anything the past two years. Because of MLG, I have now written my SECOND 7000+ word story in a month (the 1st story wasn't due to MLG, but still...)!

Also, I had I Think I Like You by The Band CAMINO on a constant loop while writing this story (which is how I finally landed on a title). So, if you want some mood music, I'd suggest using that.

Summary: Adrien is intrigued by one of the junior designers at his father's company. Maybe more intrigued than a few passing interactions with Marinette would warrant. At least, that's what Plagg jokes when Adrien notices Marinette on an abysmal date and decides to intervene... as Chat Noir. **An AU where Adrien and Marinette (as their civilian selves) never met as teens** Rating: General Audience (does contain the word "shit" once) Word Count: 7,974 Estimated Read Time: 40min Status: completed one-shot Continue reading below, or find this story over on AO3, on FFN, or on DA.

I Think I Like You (Maybe More Than I Should)

Adrien's brain began fogging over. He knew he was the face of the Gabriel brand, but did his father truly need him to sit in on every partnership meeting? He was little more than a fancy doll paraded out to lock in a new deal. Especially when he wasn't allowed to add any actual input.

Just smile. Say some pleasantries about wanting to work with them. Talk up the brand. Look pretty and professional.

It was a relief to see Nathalie stand up. It was Adrien's signal that his part of the meeting was finally over. He stood up as well, shook hands with the shoe execs that Gabriel was partnering with for the fall line, and practically sprinted out of the door as Nathalie passed out the contracts for the execs to sign.

He should have known better than to exit the room backwards so he could get in one last wave and thank you to their guests. In fairness, though, he didn't expect the hall to have traffic.

“Whoa!” The woman Adrien rudely collided into cried out as she flailed to try to catch her balance.

With his Chat-Noir-trained reflexes, Adrien swung his arm out to catch the woman around the waist. He gently tugged her back up onto her feet, but he didn't calculate her already throwing herself back into balance. She tilted the opposite direction, and Adrien ended up dipping her; his other hand supporting her shoulders – and her hands reflexively grabbing onto his – as her momentum finally stopped.

“Easy there!” He nervously laughed. Of course, he would collide with one of his father's employees as he tried to escape one of his father's meetings. He was sure he'd never hear the end of this.

“A-Adrien?” The woman squeaked in a panic. “I-I mean, Mr. Agreste?”

Her large eyes shined like blue zircon gemstones. Her strawberry-pink lips were partially parted in shock. Her raven hair dangled like a curtain behind her as Adrien held her in the dip. She was adorable. She also looked so familiar to him. Those eyes, in particular.

Agreste! Wake up! Realizing that his father's employee was still leaning awkwardly against his arm, Adrien cleared his throat and lifted the woman back onto her feet. He held her elbows to help steady her. Once he was confident that she wasn't going to fall, he took a step back and hoped his blush wasn't as visible as it felt as it burnt his cheeks.

“Adrien's fine. I'm not really into formalities, if I'm honest. Are you okay? Sorry about colliding into you like that.”

“N-no! That's alright. I'm fine. I should have been paying attention as well.”

Now that they weren't inches from each other, the woman started to shrink into herself. She couldn't keep eye contact with him and fidgeted. Her foot rubbed the back of the opposite leg and her arms flailed about as she talked. Seeing her so nervous definitely brought about a familiarity, and a name bobbed to the surface of Adrien's memory.

“Marinette, right? You're one of the junior designers?”

She squeaked with a start. “You-you know who I am?”

Adrien laughed. “Well, yeah. You fitted me for a few outfits for the spring line, didn't you?”

Marinette blushed. “Mm-hmm. The casual evening wear line.”

“That's the one!” Adrien snapped with acknowledgment. “Were any of those pieces yours?”

“Mine?” Marinette flailed her hands in front of her again. “No! I'm not nearly– I mean, my work isn't quite– I'm not ready for that. I-I did help with the color selection though.”

“Well, that's quite the accomplishment in and of itself. I think those were some of the most fun outfits I've worn in a while, and it was largely due to how bright the colors were. Really shook up all of those bland whites and blacks and tans menswear tends to fall into. You know?”

Marinette nodded like she was a freshly bopped bobblehead. Adrien struggled to not laugh at how adorable she was.

“Oh! I'm sorry. I'm holding you up!” Marinette's eyes again flew wide and her blush deepened. “And I need to take these– Oh no! The sketches!” Marinette stared at her hands, suddenly realizing they were empty. The sketches she was carrying before Adrien ran into her were carpeting the floor.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Adrien leaned down to help scoop up the papers, this time keeping an eye on the door to make sure they didn't end up tripping Nathalie and the execs as they left the conference room.

“No, that's alright. I have it.”

“I'm the reason they got scattered all over the floor in the first place. It's no problem. Really.”

As they scrambled to scoop up the papers – Adrien focused on the conference room door and Marinette focused on anything but Adrien – they bonked heads.

“Oof! Sorry. I seem to just keep running into you today.” Adrien sheepishly laughed.

“No-no. That was on me this time.” An awkward, lopsided smile spread across Marinette's lips as she gathered the last of the sketches.

They both stood, and Adrien held out the papers he had picked up. “We really need to find a better way to run into each other. Preferably one where we don't do so literally.”

“I love you,” she swooned. “That!” she quickly corrected. Her blush deepened. “I'd love that. The not running into you part. I mean, no! Not that part. I love running into you. Not literally though. That part. But I don't love running into you. It's not like I purposefully position myself so that I have an excuse to interact with you. That would be weird and stalker-y and I definitely don't do that. I mean why did I even put that out there? Now you think that's exactly what I do, but I swear I don't. I just–”

Adrien softened as he listened to Marinette. There was something about her rambling that was equal parts confusing and endearing. He cocked his head to the side while waiting for her to get to the point.

“You're so nice,” she continued at that same frantic pace. Her papers slid out of her arms due to the uneven pressure she was putting on them. She juggled them a bit as her mouth kept going. “You don't have to be nice. Everyone would probably expect you to not be nice. Not not-nice. I mean, indifferent? But you're not. You're super nice. I mean, you put in the effort to remember my name. Plus, you didn't need to help me with these.” She held up her uneven pile of papers. “And you're standing here listening to me going on-and-on and good grief why am I still talking? I'm holding you up and I really need to get going as well and yet I just can't seem to stop talking. I'm so embarrassing. But you're still here listening to me, because you're so sweet and I just want to spend all night talking to you. And it seems like maybe you'd be willing? So, maybe we could go and grab dinner tonight after work or something?”

Marinette stopped with a gasp as she tried to refill her empty lungs.

Adrien politely chuckled. “You good?”

Marinette's blush quickly drained as the woman went pale as a ghost. Her eyes bugged out and her mouth slacked.

“I did not just do that!”

“Hmm?” Adrien cocked his head. His mind still frantically trying to sort through the word-vomit Marinette just spat up all over him.

She started backing away from him. “Ignore everything I just said. I don't want to date you. Not that I wouldn't date you if you wanted. Actually, no! You wouldn't– I mean I wouldn't– I mean I'm so sorry. My bad. I just remembered that I already have a date with someone else tonight. A very nice date. One that I've been looking forward to. With someone not you. So clearly I'm not waiting to go on a date with you. Because I have a date with someone else. Tonight! Definitely already have a date tonight. Sorry. Gotta go!” Then she sprinted down the hall.

There was a commotion behind Adrien and the conference door opened. Adrien mindlessly stepped out of the way as the execs filed out of the room, followed by Nathalie.

“Adrien?” she asked. “What are you still doing here? Something wrong?”

Adrien didn't register Nathalie talking to him. He looked through her and down the hall where Marinette had sprinted. His mind finally sorting through what happened.

“Did she just ask me out?”

“Huh? Who? Who asked you out?” Nathalie looked over her shoulder.

“Oh! Sorry. Never mind. It's nothing.”

Nathalie frowned. “I have to escort our guests out, but we'll talk about this later. You know how your father feels about you dating.”

Adrien waved Nathalie off and walked in the direction Marinette had sprinted.

The woman was quick! Adrien couldn't have lagged that far behind, but he couldn't find her anywhere. He couldn't even determine which office she was aiming for.

He tried looking for her office. Turned out that she was still too entry-level to have her own. With some effort – it was hard trying to bluff his way around the “why do you need Marinette?” question – he managed to sort out where her work desk was. She wasn't there either.

“What's the big deal with this girl?” Plagg poked his head out from behind Adrien's blazer. “Can't you just wait until the next time you just naturally see each other?”

Adrien scanned the hall to make sure they were alone. “Plagg,” he hissed, “You know you can't come out of hiding while I'm not in my office at work! It's too easy for you to get caught.”

“Pfft. We're fine. Believe me. I take way more notice of who's around us than you seem to, Mr. Literally-runs-into-somebody-twice.”

Adrien simply shook his head at his kwami.

“But, seriously. Don't you have anything better to do than try to track her down?”

“Probably, but I don't care. I need to talk to her again.”

“Why?”

Adrien stopped.

“I... don't really know. She intrigues me, and I guess I do kind of want to take her up on that date invite. Just so I can get to learn more about her. And she seemed so nervous around me. I need to check in with her. Make sure she's okay and that the two of us are good.”

“I'm sure that's all this is.” Plagg cocked an eyebrow before zipping back into hiding.

Adrien heaved his exasperation with Plagg's interrogation before continuing down the hallway. Maybe if he grabbed a treat from the breakroom to appease his kwami Plagg wouldn't tease him further.

“Okay, I'll meet you at Bastian's tonight at eight.”

Ladybug?

Adrien nearly sprinted towards the dominant voice. When he popped his head through the breakroom door, however, he instead spotted the same loose, medium-length, raven hair that had draped down his arm nearly an hour before. After all of her stammering around him, Adrien didn't recognize Marinette's more confident tone as hers.

She had both hands firmly planted on a table, her back towards the door. A thirty-something-year-old man with wire-rimmed glasses not properly shaped for his round face, a god-awful pencil mustache, and mousy-brown hair slicked back with far too much product sat across from Marinette. The man's basic white button-down shirt wasn't even properly ironed. Adrien was clear across the room and he could still see the wrinkles lining the man's sleeves. The man's tie was also a basic black and horribly dated. Adrien wondered if he had bought it for a school dance as a teen and just never replaced it.

“My reservation is actually for 7:30.” The man shrugged. “I prefer to not eat too late into the evening. I get heartburn then.”

“Okay. Fine.” Marinette's shoulders slumped a little.

“And don't forget to dress up nice. None of–” The man gestured to Marinette's lovely pastel pink capped-sleeve blouse and flowy cement-gray knee-length skirt adorned with cherry blossoms. “–this. I want Date Night not Office Space.”

Adrien scrunched up his nose in disgust. “Well, yeah. Of course.” Marinette backed away from the table and rubbed her elbow nervously.

With a huff, Adrien stormed away from the breakroom.

Seriously? Him? What does Marinette even see in him?

“I didn't even realize Marinette had a thing for Jules.”

Adrien pivoted at the mention of Marinette. A man and woman walked out of the breakroom, gossiping with each other.

“Have they even talked to each other before today?”

“If they have, then Marinette's a miracle worker for getting a word in edge-wise against the Jabberwocky.”

“She's pretty meek. Maybe she prefers being talked at.”

“Well, here's hoping she's also a masochist, because those are the only ones who could possibly enjoy the mental agony of interacting with that guy.”

The two workers laughed as they approached Adrien.

“Oh!” The female worker jumped slightly upon noticing him. “Mr. Agreste. What a pleasure to see you. What are you doing on the third floor? Something we can assist with?”

“No. Sorry.” Adrien put on his patented Model Smile(TM) as he scratched the back of his head. “I was just getting my steps in.” He held up his wrist to show off his fancy watch. It didn't register his steps, but he hoped it looked high-tech enough that they wouldn't notice. “I should probably head back to my office, though. Carry on.”

With a wave, he made a bee-line back to his office on the twelfth floor.

“Huh. I would not have guessed that guy was Marinette's type.” Plagg floated back out from Adrien's blazer and drifted over to the mini-fridge Adrien had put into his office.

Adrien plopped into a plush club chair he kept in the corner of the room. “Me neither. What does she see in him? For someone so fashion-forward and quirky and adorable–?”

“Maybe this is a case of opposites attract?”

“He sounded so rude towards her, didn't he? And then those employees joking about his endless talking and how painful it is to just interact with him? Does Marinette see something in him that no one else does?”

“Marinette seemed to be a bit of a motor-mouth herself.”

“Yeah, but hers was different.”

“How so?”

“It just... was. Okay?”

Plagg shrugged and gobbled down a large slice of Camembert. “Ah, to be a fly on the wall during that date.” He laughed. “If that woman could handle the– what did those guys call him? Jabberwocky? I like that. If Marinette could slay the Jabberwocky I wish I could be there to see that. Oh! Or the two of them just rambling at each other; holding two different conversations? Either way, get me the popcorn.”

“I am curious. Maybe it isn't as bad as it seemed in the few seconds that I caught. Their interactions, I mean.”

“If you say so.”

“Yeah. I'm sure there's something there that we don't know. Marinette wouldn't go on a date as awful as I'm thinking.”

“How could you know that? You barely know the girl.”

“That is true.” Adrien hung his head in his hands. Why was he even so fixated on this? Plagg was right. He only really knew Marinette in passing. It was none of his business. Even if it was a bad date, so what? Everyone has had terrible dates that they've suffered through.

Ones that they wished they could pull a rip-cord on.

That maybe they didn't have an escape plan for, but wished they did.

Marinette's gemstone eyes flitted into Adrien's mind.

He whipped out his phone and looked up the number for Bastian's.

“Hello? Yes. This is Adrien Agreste. Yes, that Adrien Agreste. I was wondering if you had an opening for a solo-diner tonight? I was hoping for around 7:20? Oh, no. A VIP table isn't necessary at all. Public dining is perfect. Fantastic. See you then. Thank you.”

Adrien turned from Plagg's knowing look. “What?” he asked his kwami, “I heard that Bastian's has a delicious salmon risotto.”

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

The quality of the salmon risotto was highly exaggerated.

It wasn't bad. It was a textbook execution of the dish, worthy of high marks at any culinary school. The flavoring was just a bit bland despite the chef clearly being a bit heavy-handed with the butter.

That didn't really matter though. Adrien wasn't particularly hungry anyway.

His stomach felt heavy and the back of his brain was itchy. He had no clue what he was doing there. The whole thing was insane.

It hit him all at once the moment he caught a glimpse of Marinette's raven hair coming around the corner behind the hostess. He realized that he had no excuse to be at this mid-grade (at best) restaurant. Not the same one that she just-so-happened to have a reservation for. And not at the same time as the aforementioned reservation. Definitely not while also eating alone!

I can't let her catch me here!

Adrien quickly pivoted to a different seat at his table so his back was towards her. As discretely as possible, he slid his meal over to his new spot. He then shrugged his sweater a little higher up the back of his neck and shagged his hair slightly. Similar to how he used to wear it when he was a teen. With any luck, she wouldn't recognize him.

He felt Plagg snake his way around his back and down to Adrien's hip. Plagg then phased his head through the sweater. “Plagg!” Adrien hissed under his breath.

“Calm down,” Plagg whispered back. “No one looks at someone else's hips. I just want to see this disaster.”

“No,” Adrien intoned, trying to not move his lips too much and get caught talking to 'himself'. “We're not spying on Marinette and her date. I'm sure it will be fine.” He poked some more at his risotto and wondered how bad it would look if he just downed it as fast as possible so he could escape.

“You're no fun,” Plagg huffed, but he didn't bother to retreat into the sweater.

Despite himself, as Adrien worked his way through his dinner, he attuned his ears to Marinette's table. His hearing wasn't as keen as it would have been if he was Chat Noir, but, over the years, he had trained his senses to be a bit more sensitive than usual, even out of costume.

Training his sense of touch was probably a poor decision, though. Especially with how many hands roam his body between fittings and shoots and quick-changes....

It seemed to work in his favor that night though. The entire meal, he barely heard Marinette say five words – outside of ordering her steak with the waiter – but Adrien could not get away from her date's dreary voice. Marinette's coworkers were right, however, and the woman was always more on the meek, non-confrontational side anyway. It was possible that she was somehow enjoying the endless conversation. Except, Adrien's sort of sixth sense – due to his heightened touch sensitivity – made him acutely aware of Marinette's discomfort.

Well, it was either the sixth sense thing or Plagg's wincing at Adrien's hip.

Despite warnings about cats and curiosity, Adrien couldn't help himself. He nudged his way around the table again. Shimmying closer and closer to his original chair before smoothly shifting to it and pushing his other chair back into place. Then he slid his half-eaten bowl back in front of him. Then the glass of wine.

He refused to keep going so he was full-on facing Marinette, but he could at least keep an eye on her in his peripheral now. He didn't like what he saw.

Her back was tight and tall. Her shoulders raised towards her ears. Her upper arms were flexed as she fidgeted with something under the table. A miasma of irritation seemed to radiate from her, and Adrien wondered if she was going to literally try to slay the Jabberwocky. Did this restaurant somehow have vorpal knives?

Adrien desperately wanted to just intervene. He wasn't sure at this point if doing so would be rescuing Marinette from her date or the other way around.

“And that was how my third marriage ended,” Jules monotoned across from Marinette.

How is that guy so loud? I get the masochism comment now, Adrien thought.

As Marinette filled her side of the conversation with yet another sip of water she started to take in the restaurant around her. In a flash, Adrien was laser-focused on the last bites of his risotto.

Please, don't let her see me, he mentally chanted, subtly shifting his head so he was turned away from her. If she catches me here I'm done for!

Right. He had no plausible reason to be at the same restaurant as her at the same time as her and right after she told him she had a date tonight. He'd be outed as a stalker or something! His father would throw him into lock-down if that ever got out! And, considering how recognizable he was, there was no way the other patrons wouldn't videotape him interrupting a woman's date and probably getting called an obsessive creep by that same woman.

Marinette had walked back – well, black-hole-absorbed back – her date invite to Adrien specifically so she could still come here with Jules. She must have had a reason to prefer the Jabberwocky's company. Maybe Adrien somehow offended her when they collided earlier. Maybe she had gotten in trouble after being late with those sketches. Maybe she didn't want anything to do with Adrien Agreste anymore. Wouldn't be a good look to ride in and try to White Knight for Marinette then. He didn't want to seem possessive of her.

His risotto finally done, he gently reached out to a passing waiter and requested the check.

“This is great,” Plagg whispered from his watch party at Adrien's hip still. “She's just gazing out the window now; not even looking at the guy. And he's still talking! I think he just likes the sound of his own voice.”

“That's hard to imagine,” Adrien intoned.

He thanked the waiter for the check, and quickly handed him in his payment. After confirming that the waiter was also assisting Marinette's table, Adrien included a nearly fifty-percent tip in hopes that it would help compensate for having to deal with Marinette's date. Meal consumed and paid for, Adrien placed his napkin on the table and stood to leave.

“Aww.” Plagg snaked back around to Adrien's chest just under his cable-knit sweater. “The train wreck isn't over yet.”

“Oh, yes it is.”

“Adrien?” Plagg warned. Adrien quickly shushed him.

He walked past Marinette's table as fast as possible while still looking nonchalant. He again prayed that she wouldn't notice him there.

“So, last year I went snorkeling with...”

Adrien struggled to not roll his eyes and scream at Jules to just shut up already as he caught the man still droning on at poor Marinette.

Just look forward. Don't react. Get out of here before she notices you! he ordered himself.

Adrien got to the front of the restaurant with no incident. He heaved a relieved sigh, thanked the wait staff and the hostess, and headed out the door. Fighting against his desire to full-tilt sprint, he casually followed the sidewalk along the front of the building. As soon as he reached the small alley between the restaurant and the neighboring building, however, he dashed into its welcoming shadows.

“Adrien?” Plagg asked with a challenging tone, “What are you planning? Nothing stupid, I hope.”

“Oh. It most definitely is. Plagg-”

“Adrien! Don't! You can't use your powers for personal gain, remember?” Plagg rattled off in a panic.

“What personal gain? Chat Noir is a hero, isn't he? And I'm rescuing Marinette. It's all on the up-and-up.”

“Adrien!”

“Plagg, claws out!”

“Adrien, no!” Plagg got sucked into Adrien's ring before he could fight his holder any further. In an instant, Chat Noir stood where Adrien was a moment before.

“Now, let's go rescue a citizen.”

Chat Noir puffed out his chest and casually walked back into Bastian's. He gave the hostess a salute as he walked past her. “Not dining today,” he called over his shoulder, “Just need to do a quick pop-in. Don't mind me.”

As he passed by the tables within the dining room the patrons all started to mutter among themselves about him.

“No need to panic,” he reassured them. “Paris is safe. Go back to your meals.”

It was too late. The restaurant was already abuzz and everyone was too focused on him to even think about their food anymore.

The only one unfazed by Chat Noir's presence was none other than Marinette's lout of a date.

Marinette, on the other hand, stared up at Chat Noir with those shining blue zircon eyes that had captured him earlier that day.

“Hello, Miss,” Chat Noir greeted. He rested one hand on the back of Marinette's chair, and the other he balled up before resting it on his hip. It took imagining Ladybug's disappointed scowl to keep him from using his balled fist to punch out Marinette's date.

“Buh-blah-uh?” Marinette blabbered in shock.

Chat Noir struggled to not smirk at how cute even Marinette blue-screening was. “Pardon my rudeness, but could I borrow you for a moment? Won't take but a sec.” He then winked at her to let her know that he understood her situation; he was there as her out.

Clearly still blue-screened, Marinette slowly pivoted her head back towards her date. Jules did not look impressed that a superhero was currently standing at their table.

“Excuse me,” Jules grunted, “but you're interrupting our date.”

Marinette slowly pivoted her head back towards Chat Noir, awaiting his response.

Chat Noir turned to regard the boorish man. It was so ironic to Chat Noir that this other man was complaining about interrupting dates. Him! He was the one who was interrupting so many dates within that restaurant with his loud droning. Let alone his prevention of Adrien's date with Marinette that night. Besides, how did he not notice that Marinette was desperate for someone to interrupt the date?

Taking a long, soothing breath, Chat Noir stood straight, his hand no longer resting on Marinette's chair. Once again breaking out his Model Smile(TM), Chat Noir relaxed his body in an attempt to disarm.

“Oh, right,” he said with a thick layer of honey in his voice. “Sorry about that. Interrupting a date is so annoying. I totally get that.”

Like a skilled magician, Chat Noir distracted from his hands with his winning smile. Meanwhile, his left hand scooped up Marinette's right.

“Let me just get out of your way,” Chat Noir finished with a coo. In a flash, he tugged on Marinette's hand, spinning her out of her chair and into his arms. After catching her in his arms earlier, it was a welcome return to feel her weight against him again.

Marinette was still stun-locked. Her only acknowledgment of what just happened was the rosy coloring flooding her cheeks.

Shifting his arm so it was draped around Marinette's shoulder, he confirmed that she had her purse on her. Chat Noir then gave Marinette's former date a two-finger salute before escorting Marinette out of the restaurant. Once they were outside, he detached his stick from his back. In one, smooth, solid motion, he scooped Marinette up into a bridal carry while extending his stick to vault up onto the nearest roof.

Upon landing, he shifted her slightly so he could reattach his weapon to his back before again lifting her into a bridal carry. A moment later, they were off. He wasn't sure where he was going. He just let his feet lead him. All he knew was that he couldn't be anywhere near that restaurant or that oaf of a date.

With the same ease as a leisurely jog around a track, Chat Noir ran across the rooftops of Paris with Marinette in his arms. He leapt across the gaps between buildings as if he was hopping over puddles to avoid getting his shoes wet. He felt so free and the weight of Marinette in his arms renewed his energy.

As they neared the Seine, Chat Noir stopped within a rooftop garden. It was a gorgeous view, between the flowers, the lights reflecting off the river, and a cozy-looking garden bench tucked within the flora.

Chat Noir gently rested Marinette back on her feet, holding her hands to support her while she regained her bearings.

“You okay, Miss?”

“Uh...” She blinked at him. Her face shifted between confusion, relief, shock, and frustration as if those emotions were on shuffle play. She finally settled on stupefied. “I'm sorry. What just happened?”

She was too cute. Chat Noir couldn't help himself. He chuckled. “I think I just rescued you from the world's worst date.”

Marinette cringed and moaned in embarrassment. “Believe it or not, I've had worse.”

She circled around Chat Noir, studying him. It unnerved him slightly, but he tried to not let it show. He reminded himself that there was no way that she'd know that he was Adrien Agreste.

“But why me?” she asked. “You don't even know me.”

Chat Noir pursed his lips. He was not expecting that question. Why wasn't he expecting that question?

“Let's just say–” his mind raced for a suitable answer. He rocked back and forth on his heels. “–I know a guy who asked me for a favor.”

Ha! Perfect! Vague but plausible.

Marinette's face fell and her shoulders slacked. “Oh, my gosh,” she whispered, more to herself than to Chat Noir. “You know Adrien Agreste.” Her eyes darted up to meet Chat Noir's. “He contacted you somehow, didn't he?”

Shit!

Marinette must have spotted Adrien in the restaurant after all. He was never going to live this down! With any luck – of which he was sure he had virtually none – his mask would at least hide the blush burning his cheeks. He broke eye contact with Marinette and scratched the back of his neck nervously. “What makes you think that?”

With a groan, Marinette fell onto the bench nestled between the flower boxes. She buried her face in her hands, muttering “no, no, no, no” into her palms. She then let out another whimpering groan.

“Hey. Are... you okay?” Chat Noir sat beside her. With a moment of hesitation, nervous that he was the source of her woes, he tentatively placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.

“I can't believe Adrien saw me on that awful date.”

Oh, good. He was the source of her woes. Excellent.

Chat Noir choked down his own whimpering groan.

“I'm so embarrassed,” Marinette continued.

Chat Noir tilted his head in confusion. Why was Marinette embarrassed? She caught her boss's son basically stalking her. He'd understand her being angry or feeling violated, but embarrassed?

“I feel like I'm missing something. So, what's the story?”

“It's a long one,” Marinette grumbled. She dropped her hands to her lap and rested her head against the back of the bench, gazing up at the starless sky.

Chat Noir smirked. He'd love a long story from Marinette.

“I'm all ears.” He willed the false cat ears atop his head to twitch and wiggle.

Marinette laughed. It was the loveliest sound Chat Noir could recall hearing. He melted a little as he settled in next to her, readying himself for Story Time.

She took a deep breath to steel herself and heaved out a heavy sigh. “There's this guy at work – tall, blond, sweet, and so handsome I melt into the floor every time I see him.”

Chat Noir hoped Marinette didn't hear him gulp his heart back into his chest.

“He even smells amazing,” she whined with yearning.

Chat Noir fought the urge to sniff himself that very instant, and the follow-up urge to wiggle closer to Marinette so she could perchance catch a whiff. Which one of them was downwind? Why wasn't there any wind right now?

Clearing his throat slightly, Chat Noir teased, “Okay, so you know Adrien from work.” He gestured as if offering the right of way to Marinette. “Go on.”

Marinette glared up at him with a little pout. It was adorable, but still sent a chill down Chat Noir's spine. It felt familiar somehow. As if he'd faced That Look at least a dozen times before.

“I never said it was Adrien.”

Oh. This is going to be fun, Chat Noir thought as he fought the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

He dramatically crossed one leg over the other, then rested his chin in his hand. His other hand casually draped across his thigh. With a wisp in his voice, Chat Noir asked, “Oh? So, who is mister tall, fair, and handsome?”

Marinette flushed with embarrassment. She whipped away from Chat Noir's playful gaze, instead focusing on her thumbnails as she picked at them. “It doesn't matter!”

“Mm-hmm,” Chat Noir challenged.

Marinette shifted in her seat, rolling her shoulders before again gazing up at the sky. “Anyway, this guy from work, I've...” She cautiously glanced back over at Chat Noir as she bit down on her thumbnail.

He straightened, relaxing both hands to seem more sincere. The shift in posture appeared to have put Marinette more at ease. She stopped biting on her nail, lowering her hand back to her lap.

“I've had the biggest, most embarrassing crush on him for the longest time.” She slammed the back of her head against the back of the bench. She screwed her eyes shut and whimpered a little before continuing. “I ran into him in the hall earlier today–”

Literally, and the other way around, Chat Noir thought with an embarrassed chuckle.

“–and in a fit of complete insanity I asked him out.”

A warm wave washed over Chat Noir. The confirmation that she had meant to extend the invitation made his heart skip in a way he wasn't expecting.

“Doesn't sound so bad.” Chat Noir hoped his glee didn't spill over into his voice. He had to remain neutral and detached from the situation. Neutral and Detached. Neutral. And. Detached.

“But then I realized what I had done,” she continued, “I got all flustered and started babbling, said, 'Sorry, my bad. I just remembered that I have a date with someone else tonight,' and ran away.” She glanced back over at Chat Noir and gestured as if to say, “ta-da! I'm an idiot!”

Chat Noir bit the inside of his mouth to stop himself from laughing. It really was a ridiculous situation, now that Marinette laid it out so plainly. How could she be so cute and yet so insecure?

“And why did you do that?”

“Because,” she whined, “he's Adrien Agreste!” She threw her hands out, gesturing to the sky in desperation. “Not only is he France's top model and so far out of my league that I can't even see his league without a telescope, but also–” She violently shook her hands out in front of her, as if she were mentally shaking sense into herself. “He's my boss's son! I can't even begin to fathom how inappropriate asking him out like that was.” She screamed out her embarrassment before hiding behind her hands again. “I panicked and ran,” she finished softly.

Chat Noir wanted to pull her in for a hug so bad. The poor thing! He was right. She had meant to ask him out, and just revoked the offer because she got nervous.

How on Earth did that Jules guy get involved then?

“So,” Chat Noir drew out the word as he tried to sort out a non-judgmental way to ask, “after asking out the guy you wanted to go out with, how did you end up on a date with that other guy?”

“Ugh, it's so embarrassing.” Her chest heaved in mock sobs. “I was still panicking and wasn't thinking straight, and I heard that guy – I think he's from accounting or something – say that his date for tonight had fallen through.”

Gee, I wonder why.... Chat Noir mentally rolled his eyes.

“I didn't want Adrien to think that I had lied to him about having a date already–”

“Which you had,” Chat Noir teasingly pointed out.

“–so I asked him out. Right there in the breakroom. In front of all of my coworkers!”

Chat Noir pursed his lips as he choked down a laugh. When that wasn't enough he clapped a hand over his mouth to try to better hide his amusement. Now was not the time to laugh about how unhinged the whole situation was. That would be the last thing Marinette would need when she was already having a rough time with it.

Marinette again cradled her head in her hands. “You can go ahead and laugh. I deserve it. I'm such a loser.”

Okay. Definitely not the time to laugh.

“Nah, you're not a loser.” He gently elbowed her to try to catch her attention. “Delightfully awkward, but not a loser.”

“I'm going to have to quit my job and move to America, and start designing ready-to-wear for a department store,” she moaned into her hands.

Chat Noir knew that very sentiment painfully well. “A valid career path, but why are you moving an ocean away?”

Marinette sunk further onto the bench, bending nearly in half as she hid within her hands. “I'll never be able to show my face at Gabriel or any other fashion house in Paris again.”

“I don't think it's as bad as all that. Sure, you had one embarrassing day at work, but who hasn't?”

Marinette scoffed.

“Even Adrien has embarrassed himself in public,” Chat Noir ventured.

Marinette stilled for a heartbeat. Slowly, she sat up a little straighter and peeked out from behind her hands. “Really? But he's so perfect.”

“Pfft. Hardly!” Chat Noir dismissively waved off the very idea. He then draped an arm along the back of the bench and recrossed his legs.

Marinette studied him. Those zircon eyes flickered between pleading to be reassured and questioning if Chat Noir was simply jealous of Adrien.

The woman had been through the wringer that day, and had already suffered enough simply by going on a date with the Jabberwocky. Chat Noir wasn't sure why, but he trusted that Marinette would never weaponize someone else's embarrassment. It was time to break out the big guns.

Chat Noir nonchalantly shrugged. “His first modeling job after lycée, he had a horrible cold. Someone offered him one of those vitamin-C tablets that you're supposed to dissolve in a cup of hot water before drinking. Oblivious kid that he was, he put the tablet in his mouth and drank a cup of warm water.”

He shuddered remembering the next part. The vile taste returned to his mouth through recollection alone.

Marinette's eyes widened. Her mouth formed into an astonished 'o' and she slowly covered her silent gasp with her hand. She was getting ahead of his story.

Chat Noir nodded that she was on the right track. “The tablet started dissolving in his mouth and foaming over everything. It got all over his clothes; the furniture; the floor. It was like he had rabies! Everyone started laughing and calling him 'Atomic Blond'. He was so embarrassed that he vowed to move to New Zealand and become a sheep herder.”

“Oh, no!” Marinette laughed; breathy, secondhand-embarrassed, sympathetic laughs. Chat Noir could practically hear her thinking 'poor thing'. “How have I not heard that story before?”

Chat Noir shrugged. “His dad worked his PR magic and covered it up.”

More like Nathalie worked her magic, but to-may-to to-mah-to.

Marinette arched an eyebrow. “How do you know about it?”

“Sorry. That's a trade secret.” He pressed a finger to his lips and winked.

Marinette sighed. Getting off the bench, she gently stroked the flower petals as she passed by them. She wove her way through the lush garden and wandered over to the railing lining the roof. With a deep breath, she took in their gorgeous city. Her shoulders were relaxed. Her one foot was hooked around her other ankle, but she wasn't fidgety. She was the most calm and at peace that Chat Noir remembered ever seeing her.

“Thank you, Chat Noir.” She turned back towards him and tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. “I'm glad I won't have to move to another continent.”

Chat Noir joined her by the railing. “Decided to stay?”

Marinette puffed out her chest and stood tall. “If Adrien can still show his face at work after a day like that, then so can I.” A breath later, she puckered her lips and her bravado washed away. “I'll just make sure to stay in the basement where he'll never see me again.”

Chat Noir knew he definitely couldn't allow that to happen.

[break]

Their evening was over too soon. It wasn't the date Adrien pictured for the 2.5 seconds he had to process before Marinette had revoked her offer, but it was still a mostly-lovely evening with the intriguing woman. As Adrien got ready for bed, he already knew it was going to be a struggle to get his mind to stop thinking about Marinette long enough to fall asleep.

That was, at least, until he caught the evening news. Amateur photos and videos of Chat Noir in Bastian's confronting a patron and spiriting a citizen away flooded his TV.

“Oh, no!”

“And this is why we don't use our powers for personal gain,” Plagg said as he floated by, not prepared to give more of a lecture than that single sentence.

Adrien faceplanted into his pillows and screamed. “Ladybug is going to kill me!”

“There's always sheep herding in New Zealand.”

“Not. Helpful. Plagg.”

“Didn't realize you were expecting helpful,” Plagg teased.

Somehow, Plagg's snarkiness did help. Adrien chuckled.

“Do you think I at least helped Marinette tonight, Plagg?”

“Maybe.”

“Is it weird that I almost wish I had told her the vitamin-C story as Adrien? Have a real bonding moment between us? Maybe she'd be less nervous around me then.”

“I find it hard to believe that she could ever to be nervous around you now anyway, Mr. Atomic Blond.”

“You know, I don't think I'd mind if she called me that.” He chuckled at the thought.

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

The tick of the wall clock tormented Adrien as he sat through a seemingly endless morning meeting. He had always hated these meetings, but it was extra agonizing that morning. Marinette was in that very building at that very moment. But she wasn't in that room.

Adrien rapidly tapped his foot while he focused the rest of his energy on keeping the remainder of his body painfully still. He had no recollection of any words that were said for the past twenty minutes. He couldn't describe a single slide shown explaining the company's growth.

He needed out of this conference room. He was going feral.

Finally, the meeting broke, and Adrien was free.

He didn't bother with the elevator. He couldn't be trapped somewhere again. Besides, he could move faster on the stairs. Especially when he only took every third step and swung himself around each landing (saving him another 5 steps or so per floor).

He bee-lined it to Marinette's work desk. Just like the day before, she wasn't there. Adrien began wondering if he even had the right desk.

“I'll just make sure to stay in the basement where he'll never see me again.”

Adrien knew where to find Marinette!

He didn't care who caught him this time, he sprinted down the four flights of stairs to the basement. As he exited onto the floor he took a moment to even his quickened breaths. He wasn't sure if they were from the sprint or the anticipation of seeing Marinette again. Either way, he couldn't see Marinette while panting. Like that was the right impression to give!

His breaths once again steady, he checked that his clothes were neat and straight, and his hair was in place.

Perfect.

Now to just oh-so-casually bump (not literally) into Marinette.

The first few rooms he checked were empty. He wondered if maybe Marinette wasn't hiding. Did she take a personal day? She didn't actually move to America, right?

Then he heard muttering within the sample fabrics. His heart fluttered. He had found her.

Her back was again towards the door when he poked his head in. She had an armful of fabrics, and was holding up a sea foam swatch against a pastel teal one, trying to decide which shade to go with.

Adrien leaned casually on the door jamb, hands in his pockets and his ankles crossed.

“Hi. Marinette, right?”

“Gah!” Marinette jumped as she spun around, dropping her fabrics as she pressed herself against the rack of silks behind her.

That didn't go as smoothly as he had planned.

Adrien pulled his hands out of his pockets and held them up non-threateningly. “Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.”

“Didn't you. I mean-I didn't. I mean-you didn't!” She pinched her eyes shut and took a deep breath.

Why was she so cute?

“Oh. That's good.” Why was he dragging out each word?

Come on, Agreste! he berated himself, You know she likes you! Why is this so hard?

It was probably because Adrien had never asked anyone out before. It had always been the other way around. Girls fawning for him. His father dictating who he should date to better improve the brand. That sort of thing.

“Listen, I wanted to ask you–” He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. What if Marinette just bolted again and YOLO-asked yet another coworker out simply to avoid Adrien? He needed to take his shot though. He could do this! “Would you like to have lunch with me?”

Please say 'yes'. Please say 'yes.' Please say 'yes'.

Adrien wasn't sure he'd seen Marinette's eyes grow so large before.

“Uh– Bah– Bluh–?”

Adrien smiled. Throwback to when Chat Noir interrupted Marinette's atrocious date. The two of them seemed to have had a lovely evening after she did that stammering. Maybe this was a good-luck omen or something.

“Is that a yes?” he teased.

Marinette snapped her mouth shut and nodded.

Adrien chuckled. “Great! I know this wonderful little café by the river. What time do you get off for lunch?”

“Tw-tw-tw-tw–” Marinette pinched herself. “Twelve-thirty,” she gasped out.

Adrien checked his watch. It was half-past-eleven. He didn't have to wait too much longer. “Perfect. I'll come back for you in an hour.”

Glancing at the floor, he noticed that he again forced Marinette to drop what she was holding. He quickly scooped up the fabrics and passed them over to her. “See you later, Marinette.”

“Mm-hmm,” she intoned as she nodded. She held out her arms to accept the fabrics Adrien had gathered.

Pivoting on his heels, he gave her a quick wave over his shoulder and strode back out of the room, fighting the impulse to skip away.

He climbed every single stair leading up to his twelfth-floor office. He needed to get out the giddy energy, as well as find a way to kill the next sixty minutes. Even with Adrien pausing every couple of floors to do a mini tap-dance routine in the stairwell, he still only killed about eleven minutes.

The next forty-nine minutes were filled with endless twirls in his desk chair, memorizing the café's menu, non-stop ribbing from Plagg, and probably far more cartwheels than a twenty-something-year-old man should be doing in a business suit and within the confines of a corner office.

.

** Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know if you want me to tag you on any of my writing updates** @discoveringmiraculouswriters

[lycorogue]

No worries, hun. I know the struggles of "wait! I didn't answer this????"

Also... holy heckin! That cosplay! Amazing! No notes! Chat Noir would be extra enough to wear that outfit (complete with fighting easily in those heels! 🤣).

I get the pain of not writing as well. This summer has completely fried my brain.... and it had nothing to do with the heat. -_- (please see my writing blog for details). My overall writing production has slowed WAAAAY down since lockdowns in 2020 and I'm still clawing my way back out from behind writer's block. I get it. So painful. My sympathies.

As for the comment I was referencing in my ask, I was responding to your reblog of this WIP List post from early August. In truth, you said pretty much the same thing here as you did there re: isekai AU plot bunny. I get the itch to write and the struggle to sort out an outline (please see my not yet published WIPs "One and the Same" and "Seduce with Caution" 😅).

If you want a sounding board I am more than willing to volunteer as tribute. That said, though, I feel like your crack fic idea seems fun! I vote you lean into that. It might shake the cobwebs off and reinspire you for a true isekai AU story, but, in the meantime, it should be an enjoyable romp. Plus, I NEED more Adrien showcasing his weebness!

Best of luck to you with more one-shot brainstorming. May your Muse find you ready and eager.

Take care!

You dare tempt me with an isekai AU and expect me to NOT ask for follow-up!? (Also, *waves* Hi! Welcome back. Hope you enjoyed your writing sabbatical. May I also ask what it was you worked on instead? Anything fun there?)

Did I not respond to this? Yikes. My bad. (My brain must be more broken than I thought.)

I honestly don’t remember what my original comment was (see broken brain comment above), but I sadly haven’t written anything since NaNoWriMo last November when I wrote 50k words of flaming garbage about PV Félix and PV Bridgette riding the train to Hogwarts at the start of term for all seven years.

I have been itching to write something lately, and I have always wanted to read an isekai AU, but never found one. So, like any self-respecting creative, if it doesn’t exist, I have to write it myself just so that I can have the pleasure of reading it.

Unfortunately, I am currently hopelessly stuck trying to figure out a basic outline. I may need to scrap my idea and just write a Miraculous crack fic with an akuma that isekais Adrienette. Adrien, being the good weeb he is, knows all the tropes, and easily drags Marinette along to whatever the most cliché conclusion is to get them out. Probably defeating the akuma that is playing the part of the demon lord or something.

In the mean time, to scratch the itch and shake off some rust, I was brainstorming one-shot ideas last night, but nothing stuck.

Man, I miss writing. I’ve been keeping myself busy with sewing in the mean time.

[jennagrinsoverml]

HI i love your fic recs! This is gonna sound really specific but do you have any good fics about time? I'm thinking Bunnix-involved, time loops, alternate universes... it's been on my mind lately. thank you so much!

I had a lot of fun with this list! I feel like this one has been anxiously awaited since I posted about it a while back haha

Remember That Time When... by @mostlovedgirl

Twenty-two-year-old Marinette Agreste was looking forward to the anniversary trip she would be taking with her husband Adrien that weekend. Those plans are derailed when she wakes up in her old bedroom... and she’s seventeen again.

Multi-chapter. This fic is so fun, and I love the way it plays with both sides of the time travel trope. On the one hand you’ve got Adrien and Marinette suddenly transported to a future where they’re married, while in their time, they’re not together (though Marinette’s crazy in love with him of course). And on the other hand, you’ve got married Adrienette back in the past needing to pretend they’re not even together! It’s sweet and fun, and I loved seeing both how Adrienette got there, as well as what they’re like as an established couple at the same time.

A Hundred Thursdays by Midnight Musume (Peas)

Marinette is stuck repeating the same day over and over. Her friends (and especially Chat Noir) help her cope.

Two-shot. Groundhog day type fic where Marinette’s stuck in a time loop. (In the second chapter, Adrien’s the one who is stuck.) It’s extremely well executed, and I really enjoyed the Marichat dynamic, especially with how it was influenced by the interactions Marinette had (or did not have) with Adrien earlier in the day.

Clairvoyance by @whatarubberchicken

Being hit by an akuma is not usually this delightful. Or bright. Or completely eye-opening.

One-shot. This fic hits me right in the feels, with Chat Noir being transported to a perfect future where he’s married with children and so, so happy, and it’s just so beautiful. Before, of course, the akuma’s power is ended and it’s over.

Eight Years Overnight by @coffeebanana

All Adrien wanted was to finish grading papers and have a relaxing weekend with his family. He most definitely did NOT expect Bunnyx to show up and drag him eight years into the future. When Ladybug followed her husband into the future, she didn't expect to see him playing the part of the villain. She didn't expect fourteen-year-old Emma to follow her through, either. And Chat Noir from the future was wrong to think that saving his kidnapped wife would be a piece of cake the second time around.

OR: Ladynoir July with a time-travelling twist.

Multi-chapter. This fic is exactly the kind of fic I’m usually thinking of when I think of a time travel fic. It’s a little bit confusing in the way that such stories always are, but the confusion is really kept to a minimum. It’s so interesting because the love square get together is not a component of this fic, they’re married in both times! But it works so well, and the trust they have in each other in both times is a recurring theme and it’s beautiful. This is plotty and well constructed. 

Why Are You Like This? by @carpisuns

An older Chat Noir shows up in the middle of a class field trip with a special mission for his younger self.

Two-shot. This is sweet, hilarious, and utterly perfect. Chat Noir meddles in the love square and it cracks me up.

A Sound of Thunder by Tempomental

“Bye-bye, little… actually, that’s your line, isn’t it? Sorry.”

Ladybug stared at the man in front of her. Tall. Shaggy, but not unkempt blond hair. Oh yeah, and he was wearing a Ladybug costume.

“Who - who are you?”

“Oh, right, sorry.” He drew himself up to his full height and proudly announced, “My name is Adrien Agreste, and I’ve come from the future to rescue you!”

Multi-chapter. Adrien also comes back from the future to help out with the ladybug miraculous. It’s extremely intense and well written and every time I thought I had spotted a problem in the writing, it turned out to be a plot element but holy shit I thought I was going to die with how intense this is. If you like plot, you will absolutely LOVE this fic.

when you weren’t mine to lose by @bugsandchatons

Change is a scary thing, especially when it feels like nothing has stayed the same.

It’s been a year since Marinette became the Guardian of the Miracle Box - a year of struggling beneath a burden she never asked for, a weight that has her leaning on her partner more and more as the hours fly by, of letting him come to her, too, when he needs a soft place to land. A year of falling for the boy who takes on the world by her side with a smile made of sunlight, and fighting the growing urge to tell him what he means to her.

After all, they’ll have time enough for that when Paris is safe.

But when the unthinkable happens, Marinette learns the tragedy of loving someone quietly, and the lines she’ll cross to save him.

Multi-chapter. This is what happens when Ladybug loses Chat Noir: she uses Hawkmoth to go back in time to save him. It hurts in all the best ways and the writing is absolutely gorgeous and somehow we still get a happy ending!

[sparrowsworkshop]

I posted 40 times in 2022

That's 27 more posts than 2021!

30 posts created (75%)

10 posts reblogged (25%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@sparrowsworkshop

@onewingedsparrow

@thewritewolf

@mostlovedgirl-writes

I tagged 40 of my posts in 2022

#tloz - 25 posts

#the legend of zelda - 23 posts

#loz - 23 posts

#legend of zelda - 19 posts

#sparrow art - 19 posts

#link - 18 posts

#zelda fanart - 16 posts

#traditional art - 16 posts

#linktober - 15 posts

#linktober2022 - 14 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#so many angsty prompts for today but i wanted something wholesome :) and this was the first thing that came to mind! i hope you like it!

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

“To Bee a Leader” by OneWingedSparrow; Chapter 3: Draining

t Chapter Previous Chapter Next Chapter (TBA) >> Summary:  RiD'15, post TFP. Set sometime in the first season, before the finale.  Bumblebee knows that Optimus Prime chose him to be leader of the Autobot  team on Earth…but he’s tired and he misses his dad’s leadership. Main Tags: Bumblebee & Optimus Prime, Bumblebee & Russell Clay, Father and Son Optimus and Bumblebee, Prime in Disguise Bumblebee, Light Angst, Hurt / Comfort (Adulting is hard and this ’Bee knows it well…why is he so relatable)

Chapter 3 Summary: A weary Bumblebee journals his thoughts. Reblogs are appreciated! Read on AO3 ~

An excerpt from Bumblebee's personal log.

Surprisingly, all entries— this sample included, naturally—were documented in English, rather than Cybertronian.

Perhaps the lieutenant worried his records would fall into Decepticon possession, and sought to secure them in an admittedly unconventional manner. No one knows for certain, save the author himself.

The lieutenant was...a rather curious individual.

*        *        * February 21 Earth time: 1333 hours Dear Diary, I am tired.Maybe it's physical. Likely it's not. My Energon levels have never been so full. Despite not having a Bridge off Earth, and basically being stranded, we seem to be doing okay supplies-wise. The Alchemor cargo bays remained largely intact after the crash, providing us with easy access to a decent amount of Energon cubes. No need to ration quite yet. Even so, I am trying to manage our supply efficiently. The Decepticons set loose here have given us quite a beating, but not many have stabbed past our armor, thank Primus. So why does it feel like I'm constantly draining?

If I was actually leaking, I could do something about it. I could cauterize the wound. I could apply pressure to slow my circulation. I could slap a bandage on it and drive it off, and everything would be fine. Eventually. But this is something different. Internal bleeding? Maybe. Somehow, though, I don't think anything would come up internally if I let myself be scanned. Whatever is happening is flying under the radar...and it's annoying. I just feel so...I don't know. Tired. That's the best way I can put it. I want a kind of rest that doesn't come by simply recharging. I don't know how to get this. I don't know if I can get this. I just wish...I wish my steps didn't feel so heavy all the time. I wish I could identify the problem. I wish I could put an APB on a specific target and collar it for good. For now, all I can do is keep going. Yeah, I know, I know. Ratchet's yelled at me over that so many times. Believe me, I know. Sometimes, that's the worst thing you can do when you're injured, physically or not. But sometimes that's the only thing you can do. Sometimes, it's even the right thing to do. Sometimes, it's necessary. My team needs me. Optimus needs me. I can't break down and give up just because I hurt, or just because I'm tired for some unidentified reason. One day, I'll be better. I want that. I will make sure of that. For now, though...I'll keep going. I know it's the right thing to do. ~ t Chapter Previous Chapter Next Chapter (TBA) >>

30 notes - Posted April 9, 2022

#4

For the @zelinkcommunity​ event Opposites Attract! Week 2: Flourish / Wither. Flourish (intransitive verb): 1. To grow well; to prosper; to thrive 🌱 2. To wield dramatically! 🍃💐 My first posted art for my “Deku Tree Link AU”! I had so much fun drawing this! (✿◠‿◠) In this OoT AU, Link inherited botanical powers when he was adopted by the (actual tree) former Great Deku Tree, who made him the next Guardian of the Forest. When the Hero can summon plants by a mere thought, why wouldn’t he use this gift to show his princess how much he cherishes her? Special thanks to @zeldadiarist for the inspiration for Link’s straw cape! Sketch under the cut!

31 notes - Posted November 13, 2022

#3

Fire Emblem: Three Huberts It’s his birthday today btw :D Happy Birthday, Hubert! 💜 Reblogs okay! But PLEASE DO NOT REPOST

32 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

#2

“The Song of Stormlight” by OneWingedSparrow

Inspired by this wonderful art by @louwhose!

Fic Summary: Left outside in the rain during a Weeping, bridgeman Link introduces his fellow slave Sheik to a secret about spheres.

P.S. You don’t really need to know anything about The Stormlight Archive to enjoy this fic, but I highly recommend reading the books because they are very good ;) Main Tags:  Ocarina of Time AU, Stormlight Archive Setting, Zelink, Sheik / Link, Fluff without Plot, Bridgeman!Link, Darkeyes!Link, Darkeyes!Sheik, Music, Song of Storms

Read on AO3 Written for the @zelinkcommunity Opposites Attract event! Week 4: Hidden / Revealed. Reblogs are appreciated!

~ “The spheres are singing,” Link said softly. Leaning against the bars of the cage, Sheik tilted her head. “What do you mean?” Link’s ears twitched slightly, one at a time, gradually angling in different directions like a chull’s antennae. “Can’t you hear them?” Sheik closed her eyes too and focused, but the rushing wind drowned out everything else. “It’s too loud.” “May I?” Sheik opened her eyes to find Link staring questioningly at her. She raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he requested, but somehow trusting him regardless. “I suppose?” Slowly, Link scooted closer, his hands reaching out for either side of her head. Sheik couldn’t help but tense a little as his face neared hers. Storms. His dark brown eyes were rich and warm in shade, but somehow sharp and fierce too; both welcoming and dangerous, alluring and terrible all at once. Like a barbed spear with an elaborately gilded shaft, or a beautiful Shardblade with a bloodthirsty, serrated edge. Why...why was it that darker eyes were considered inferior, again?

His hands found her ears, and gently, hesitantly, pulled the mask away from them. Not enough to unveil her face—which was fortuitous, because Sheik could feel an embarrassingly strong blush raging on her cheeks.

Thankfully, he let go quickly, and backed away into his corner of the cage. “That oughta help,” Link said, absentmindedly looking out through the bars. “You can...you can try again now, if you want.” Sheik nodded, even though he wasn’t looking her way.

The slave driver’s bag of spheres sat on the ground a few yards away, faintly aglow from within. The splintered floor of the cage scratched against her ragged clothing as she moved closer to press her nose against the cold metal bars. Torrential rain wept down her face, but drenched as she already was, Sheik ignored it. Breathing carefully, Sheik tried once again to listen.

Splashing. Pattering. Puddles bouncing. Ripping, roaring, rushing. Her nose began to run, not unlike the steady stream thundering off the roof. A standard symphony for a Weeping. She still couldn’t hear anything new.

Until Link started singing.

Back and forth, up and down, never ending turnaround.

Bid me once to stay, else I fall away….

Colors flashed before Sheik’s eyes.

Blue. White. Purple. Green. Each glowing boldly. No distinct form, no identifiable shape. The colors took a rhythm of their own, and danced around Sheik’s vision, like some sort of musical spren. She knew not where they came from. They were gone in an instant.

But the spheres on the ground...they followed that rhythm, and pulsed to the same beat. And as Sheik stared, wide eyed and awestruck, a faint voice seemed to emerge from within them, drawn out by Link’s calling.

Seek the shore!

Dare not drown!

New beginnings can be found….

“Rid of all farewells and pain,” Sheik murmured along with their voices.

Her heart jolted. Where had the words come from? How did she know? She frantically glanced over at Link for an explanation, but instead of a sagely expression, Link possessed the biggest, brightest grin she’d ever seen on a living bridgeman.

“I thought you could hear them,” Link said with satisfaction. “What with you being musical and all that.”

Fingers shaking, Sheik pulled the mask back over her ears.

How much...did he know about her, anyway?

~

33 notes - Posted November 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

“The Right Words” by OneWingedSparrow

Fic Summary: Link has recovered some of his memories of Princess Zelda, but feels like he doesn't remember her as well as he ought to. One day, on a visit to Korok Forest, a particular Korok encourages him with some wisdom that opens Link's mind a little more. Tags: BotW, Zelink, Link & Koroks, Loyalty, Recovered Memories Read on AO3 Written for the @zelinkcommunity Discord server’s weekly prompt: “Reminisce.” Reblogs are appreciated! ~ When one of the Koroks invited Link into his home to chat, Link hadn’t hesitated to accept. After the existential crisis of trudging through the dizzying, maddening haze of the Lost Woods, it was a relief to take a breather in a safe place. Of course, the Korok Forest proper was calming, with its gentle breezes that carried distant giggles of Koroks and their ever spinning pinwheel blades—yet, there was something reassuring about stepping into a more secure area, surrounded by bark-scented wooden walls instead of a collection of healthy, flourishing trees that, for all their charms, reminded him far too much of the maze of sneering, rotting snags. As Link stepped inside the Great Deku Tree, he blinked rapidly to let his eyes adjust to the dimmer lighting. The interior was cozy, almost like an ordinary house—clearly well planned out, with carvings in the walls and floor that formed sturdy benches and tables, as well as leaf garments that were strung about in festive fashion. Link wondered if the Great Deku Tree had naturally grown such décor, or if the Koroks had somehow crafted them with their tiny nubs for hands. Either would be an impressive feat, but he thought it might be rude to inquire which was the case. Unsure of what else to do, Link settled himself on a bench facing the exit, where he had a clear view of his Korok friend. They were hard at work dividing a colorful assortment of fresh mushrooms that had been haphazardly plopped upon a small wooden table. They would thoughtfully pick up each mushroom individually; regard it for a moment in deep concentration, and then dutifully separate it by type, and then by size. It was oddly mesmerizing to watch. “So? Tell me about her,” the Korok merchant piped up. For a moment, they broke their rhythm in favor of jovially swinging two Stamella Shrooms around like Hestu’s maracas. “You must have plenty of good stories to share, koowee!” Link rubbed the back of his neck, quickly regretting it as his hand came away slick with sweat. “Stories...about who?” he asked distractedly, although he was fairly certain he already knew the answer.

“The princess, kikoo!” The Korok drummed the mushrooms rapidly on their little table before dropping them into their assigned group. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten her again. The Great Deku Tree would be displeased to hear that.” Link looked down at his boots, which were caked with mud and dead leaves from his trek. “I haven’t forgotten.” Even without turning, he knew the Korok was watching him expectantly. “But that doesn’t mean I remember,” Link continued, biting his lip. “I mean, I can remember a few things about her. But they’re only...well, snapshots. Pieces of my memory, torn apart and patched together, with so many holes in between. Not enough solid information for me to tell any stories.” “Anything can be made into a story,” the Korok said confidently. “It doesn’t matter if you think you don’t have enough words. All you need are the right ones.” Thoughtfully, Link wiped his hands on his tunic. His mind wandered backwards, drifting through the shadowy paths of a different type of Lost Woods, searching for even a small detail of Princess Zelda that he could somehow craft into a story. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for him to discover one. Like...stumbling upon a Korok in a most obvious hiding spot. “She loves animals,” Link began. A smile tugged at his lips. “Dogs...frogs...horses. I think it took her a while to warm up to the horses, but after I gave her some pointers, she really enjoyed riding. Which was nice,” he mused, “because when she went riding, I got to ride too.” He paused. A new thought awakened in his mind. Riding. The sword still on his back, its weight reminding him sternly of his duty, but his hands free from that burden, preoccupied as they were with the reins. Still bound to his responsibilities, and yet, at the same time, freed from them. A strange feeling, and contradictory, but so wonderful. He would...yes, he would direct Zelda to ride her horse either beside him or directly in front of him so he could keep an eye on their surroundings. He would cautiously regard all that was ahead, scanning for any mounted Bokoblins that might cross their path, ready to draw his bow if necessary. And just like that, like arrows loosed in a frenzy, little details came rushing back to him, rapidfire. How one time—was it the first time?—they went riding out in the wilderness, her horse spooked and burst into a gallop and she dropped the reins and clung to Celestial’s mane for dear life until Link could catch up and help. How he would quietly offer her a hand up when she mounted, even though she refused his assistance for several weeks at first. Eventually...oh, eventually she came to accept his shy offer of chivalry…. How she would grow in her confidence on horseback, until she could gallop at will again and keep her reins securely in her grip, laughing at him to match her speed…. And…. And how he would try not to be distracted by how she smiled while she rode—one of the rare occasions he could see her so happy and carefree. He had to stay alert; he had to remain vigilant. But...but he kept glancing at her all the same, to see as much of that joy as he could, to keep that in his memory…. Forever. Link swallowed a lump in his throat that he hadn’t realized was there. “Koo-ee?” He shook his head, and the room he was in came back into focus. Wooden bench. Grainy floor. The rich, earthy scent of mushrooms. Something nudged his leg, gentle but uncertain. Link realized the Korok had abandoned their workstation, and was now standing before him, repeatedly poking him in obvious concern. “Is that the end of the story, koowa-kee?” He took a deep breath, and reached out to pat the Korok on the head in a timid sort of thanks. The Korok visibly relaxed, worry fading from their shiny black eyes. “No,” Link said, and meant it with all his heart. ~

39 notes - Posted September 12, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[chanceuseladynoire]

Adrien is told some things. Marinette is told even more.

[chanceuseladynoire]

AKDJDJSKKSNSJDK AAHHHHH!!!!!!!! LUCKY!!! IT LOOKS FANTASTIC!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!

A little present for my friend @mostlovedgirl-writes on her birthday! I hope you’re having a great day!!!

This is a scene from one of my favourite work of hers, titled Dyed Red. Everyone go read it! It’s beyond amazing! <3

[restlittleplum]

I’m finally able to share with you the full pieces that I did for the @alwaysandforeverzine !! All 3 are collaboration pieces with a writer, the first with an article written by @gryffindorcls , the last 2 with an article written by @mostlovedgirl-writes. I had so much fun making all these pieces!

Commissions | Etsy | Prints | IG

[thenovelartist]

Sei's Magic Brew - The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent fanfiction

I'll just go ahead and dedicate this to my friend @mostlovedgirl-writes who got me hooked on this show in the first place. It can also serve as an early little birthday gift, too. ;) :D

It wasn’t her idea to move here. It was her stupid, faulty car’s.

It had stalled out while she was driving to another city on a business trip. She’d had to have it towed, then call her company and explain what had happened, only to get fired when she told her boss she couldn’t make it to the meeting on time and she was sorry.

After being so quickly let go by a job that clearly never cared for her, she’d ended up in a coffee shop after that while her car was getting fixed. The man behind the counter, Jude, had been kind enough to sit with her and strike up a conversation. He’d lifted her spirits when she’d felt trapped and hopeless.

That had been three months ago. It had been an impulse, but with nothing to lose, she left the city and moved into a quaint little apartment close to the café where Jude also happened to live. He’d been the one to recommend the place. On top of that, despite not knowing her well, he put in a good word with the owner.

Jude had also put in a good word with Johan, the owner of the coffee shop, and he’d hired her right away. Though, Sei learned later that Johan had eavesdropped on a conversation over coffee she’d had with Jude and that was truly what had convinced him to hire her.

She’d worked extra hard to prove herself but ultimately found she hadn’t needed to. Her coworkers had welcomed her into their ranks and had been willing to assist her as much as she’d needed.

But three months later, the tables seemed to turn because she had somehow picked up everything almost too quickly.

“You’re experimenting with drinks again.”

“We have time,” Sei said, putting the final touches on the drink. “And Johan said I could.”

Jude rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh. “I mean, yeah, but tell me: how many drinks have you made today?”

Sei froze. “Uhhh…”

In an instant, Jude was smirking at her. “Over your allowance today?”

“Well…”

“And it was slow enough today that you were able to experiment with pastries earlier, too,” he continued, his smug smirk growing. “Now, we have another set of unsellable experiments that we’re gonna have to find other ways to get rid of. Johan’s gonna yell at you again.”

With a groan, Sei slumped forward, hiding her face in her hands. “Sorry.”

“Not me you gotta be apologizing to,” Jude said, taking the drink and taking a sip.

Curious as to what he thought, Sei spread her fingers to peek between them, only to see Jude glaring at the cup. Her heart sunk. “Is it that bad?”

“As if you make anything bad!” he huffed. “It’s too good is what it is. You’ve only been here three months. I can’t just make things up like this, nevertheless making them look as perfect as you do. It’s not fair.”

With a giggle, Sei gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “Stop, you’re plenty proficient.”

He glared at her as he took another sip of the drink. “Yeah, but not like you.”

Sei simply shrugged, unsure how to respond to that.

Jude just sighed, taking yet another sip of the drink. “Anyway, I heard you and Johan had a little chat recently.”

Sei brightened. “Yeah. Apparently, he wanted to promote me to assistant manager.”

“You’re certainly good enough for it,” Jude said. “But don’t get too excited.”

Sei’s expression fell. “Huh? Why not?”

“Because ‘Assistant Manager’ is just a fancy title for ‘Person who runs the red-eye shift’.”

Sei blinked once. Twice. Three times.

Jude smirked over his coffee. “He didn’t tell you that, did he? Well, good luck, Sei!”

…

Before moving to the city, Sei had grown up in the suburbs, so the town didn’t feel like too large of a culture shock to her. Honestly, she could say that she actually preferred living in a place without skyscrapers or constant bustle, and while she’d once thought she wouldn’t be happy living in a place like this, she’d gotten to a point in her life where she could really see herself settling here.

Even if it meant she ran the midnight shift at a small little cafe.

Sei really didn’t mind. She frequently pulled all-nighters at her old job, so she fancied herself a bit of a night owl. However, she hadn’t expected things to be as busy as they were. Johan had warned her that the café was a hopping place, even when the moon was up, and he hadn’t been lying. Apparently, it had all started when Johan allowed his close friend to linger in the café after hours, which had turned into said close friend and his colleagues. Before Johan knew it, the place soon became the go-to spot for police officers, firemen, and the occasional EMT crew to get their caffeine and sugar fill to sustain them through the ungodly hours of the night.

But that wasn’t all.

“There’s an elite private boarding school, Salutania Academy, just down the street, you see,” Elizabeth, a regular night visitor who Sei had become fast friends with, explained. “This place has the best coffee and is a generally quiet place to study. So students come here frequently.”

“That makes sense, then,” Sei said, handing Elizabeth her caramel latte. “But I’m a little surprised. I would have thought there’d be a curfew or something of the like, since you’re all still underage.”

“You’d think,” she said with a smile. “And there technically is. However, ever since this place began staying open all night, some of the upperclassmen started sneaking out to come here, which turned into this whole debacle among the students trying to outsmart the staff and the staff ratcheting down on the students and the whole school suffering for it. Something had to be done, so the headmaster and Johan struck a deal. Now, the curfew is still instated, but if you have solid enough grades and no active demerits, you can put your name down on the list and campus security guards will escort us here to study and grab a coffee or just chat. They don’t monitor us too severely; they’re just here to make sure everyone is accounted for.”

“That’s incredible,” Sei said, able to talk freely since Elizabeth was the last student that had to be served that night. “You’d think the school would try to create a similar atmosphere at their own library.”

“Oh, they did,” Elizabeth said. “But turns out that one of the students who snuck out was the headmaster’s son.”

“What!” Sei whisper-hissed, her eyes wide in shock.

With a giggle, Elizabeth nodded. “I’m not at liberty to discuss everything, but there was a discussion between the two that ended with him getting banned from going out on these outings but the headmaster deciding to let other students have the option.”

“Wow. That feels kinda harsh.”

“It might be, but Kyle knew what he was doing and knew he was going to serve to consequences of his actions. Don’t judge him too harshly, please. He’s actually a good man.”

“You’re close to him?”

“He’s my boyfriend.”

Sei’s eyes widened again.

“Maybe I can figure out a way to bring him sometime so you two can meet. We’ll have to work around your work schedule and our curfew, though. Coffeeshop curfew may be midnight, but regular curfew is eight.”

Sei hummed in thought. "Maybe before I start a shift, then. I’ll have to come early.”

“That would be great! Now, as much as I want to keep talking—”

“You have to go study?”

Her sunny expression vanishing, Elizabeth sighed. “Why do finals have to be so hard?”

“Because the teachers want to kill you all, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Elizabeth mournfully agreed, sipping her drink.

Sei giggled, reaching over the counter to pat Elizabeth’s hand. “Best of luck.”

“Thanks. I’m going to need it.”

…

Before the clock could strike midnight, the campus security guards began to collect all the students, and by quarter past, the café had become a ghost town. That was the transition from hosting mostly students to when the red-eye emergency servicemen began appearing.

Of all the people she did serve, very few lingered, most only swinging by on a break. However, there were a few police officers that came in between two and three every night that liked to chat.

And their arrival was punctuated with the ringing of the bell by the door.

“Good evening, boys,” Sei greeted with a smile.

“Seeeeei!” One of them whined, playfully stumbling up to the counter and leaning against it. “I need your magic potion!”

She laughed. “Coming right up. The usual for everyone?”

“Please,” came the chorus.

With a smile, she got on brewing a strong pot for the officers. They occasionally grabbed pastries, but normally, they brought full meals to eat.

“The night going well?” Sei asked as the officers all gathered around the counter.

“As well as always,” one of the officers, Wolf, said.

Sei always took that as “It’s been generally quiet” while knowing better than to utter that cursed ‘q’ word in the dead hours of the night. “Glad to hear.”

“Nah, boss,” his partner spoke up, slapping Wolf’s chest with the back of his hand. “You gotta tell her about the bar fight.”

“Oh geez.” Grinning, Wolf shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “With the guy who thought he was a dragon?”

“Didn’t he say he was a Salamander?”

“Yeah, that.” Wolf chuckled. “So Sei, let me tell you about this nutjob.”

…

Sei couldn’t lie, she was growing fond of her night shifts. It allowed her to experiment in the back during the super dead hours, which already resulted in two new pastries being put on the menu.

And she was in the middle of creating her third when the bell rang, signaling a customer.

She quickly bounded to the front, eyeing a stoic man with glasses and such light blond hair it looked white. “Hello,” she greeted with a smile. “What can I get for you tonight?”

“A double shot of espresso,” he said, voice wrought with exhaustion. “Of whatever is your strongest blend.”

“Long night?” she asked, trying to make conversation as she punched in his order.

He sighed, letting his eyes close for a moment as he collected himself. “Very.”

She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Anything else to go with that?”

“No. He can pay for his own drink,” the man muttered, already sticking his card in the reader.

She didn’t know how to respond to that, nor did she feel like she needed to since it sounded very much like he was talking with himself. “I’ll get your drink out in a minute, Mr…”

“Hawke,” he answered. “Erhart Hawke. Forgive me for not introducing myself. It’s been a long night. I forgot that while I’ve heard about you from Johan, it was unlikely he’d talk about me.”

“It’s fine,” she assured, already starting in on his drink. “That happens to the best of us. I’m Sei Takanashi. It’s nice to meet you.”

Suddenly, the door to the shop flew open, the clanging bell drowned out by the crash of the door. “Erhaaaaart!” a voice cried, a man practically stalking over to him with a dramatic pout. “You left me! I told you I wanted to try the magic potions here, too!”

Erhart pinched the bridge of his nose, right where his thin glasses sat. Suddenly, Sei understood why he wanted the double espresso.

“Yuri, for the love of—”

“Everyone’s been saying how good her drinks are, and I wanted to try them. You told me when I got out of the hospital, you’d bring me by here. But my first day back on the job, and you wouldn’t let me out of the office to get some.”

“That’s because you had too much work you needed to finish first.”

“But if I had a coffee, I could have worked faster.”

Again, Erhart pinched the bridge of his nose. Sei sympathized with him. She was sure she’d lose it if she had to deal with a guy like him frequently.

“Anyway,” the newcomer chimed, turning a mega-watt smile her direction. “I finally get to meet the Saintess of the Night! What’s your name?”

She quirked a brow at him. “Saintess of the Night?”

“Yeah!” he cried. “Everyone talked about how your coffee is magical. Which, we expect from this place, but for some reason, people say there’s something about the way you can make a drink that makes it extra special. I wanted to try it for myself.”

“O-oh,” she said, turning her head away from him, pretending she was watching the last bit of the second espresso shot drain into Erhart’s cup instead of trying to hide her blush. “I never heard such a thing.”

He nodded vigorously. “They say you’re the only reason they’re still awake and kicking throughout their shifts. So I wanted to try it for myself!”

Something told her he had no problem keeping awake during his shift, considering his current energy level.

“So, you’re Sei, right?”

She nodded as she handed Erhart’s cup off to him. “That’s right. And you are?”

“Yuri Drewes,” he piped, beaming grin on his face. “Night-time fire chief at the station down the street. I would have come earlier if I’d been able but I was tied down in a hospital bed after getting knocked out on a job a few weeks back. I’m glad to finally get a look at you!”

A nervous giggle escaped her. “I’m nothing special.”

“Anyone who keeps this shop open throughout the night is special!” he insisted. “Especially if you can make a magical cup of coffee.”

“Ah ha… er… I don’t know about that,” she stuttered with a shrug.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to see for myself,” he said. “One mocha, double shot, please.”

“Decaf,” Erhart mumbled.

“But I need caffeine!”

“He does not,” Erhart insisted, looking Sei dead in the eye. “I can confirm this as his second-in-command who runs shifts with him three nights a week, he does not.”

Feeling herself almost cowering under that intense expression, Sei decided she was more willing to take his word as law over Yuri’s. “One decaf mocha, double shot.”

Yuri shot another pout over at Erhart. “You’re so cruel.”

“You won’t even notice.”

…

It was getting close to six in the morning, meaning it was almost time for Johan to appear to take over. This was when the early birds began coming in, snagging a coffee on their way to work.

Today, the first early bird who stumbled in right at the crack of dawn happened to be a girl who looked beyond lost and hopeless.

Sei put on her best smile. “Good morning!”

“Hi,” the girl said with a shy wave. “Um… I��� could you help me? I’m lost and my car died.”

Immediately, Sei sympathized with the poor girl. No wonder she looked super tired. “I’d be glad to help. Tell you what, why don’t you take a seat for a minute while I make a call to the repair shop. I happen to know it by heart because my car did the exact same thing recently.”

That at least got the girl to relax a bit. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Sei assured. The girl didn’t look to be older than in her teens yet seemed to be on her own. Sei could only imagine that this was overwhelming for her. “What’s your name?”

“Oh, uh, Aria.”

“Aria.” Sei extended her hand out to the girl. “I’m Sei. It’s nice to meet you.”

Although hesitant, Aria did accept Sei’s hand to shake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Before I go make the call, would you like a drink while you wait? The tow truck guys will probably be another fifteen minutes to get here.”

“Oh, uh, no, thank you,” she stuttered out. “I don’t really drink coffee.”

“Then a hot chocolate maybe?” Sei offered. “Or some tea?”

For a moment, Aria pondered her words. “I… I’ll have a hot chocolate, please.”

Sei grinned, not bothering to punch it into the machine. But when Aria reached for her purse, Sei wave her hand dismissively. “It’s on me today.”

Aria’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Yeah.” Sei gave her a sympathetic smile. “Four months ago, my car really did do the same thing, deciding to break down when I was driving through town. I ended up here, and someone was kind enough to offer me a drink and call a tow truck for me. I know it can be overwhelming, but sometimes, something really simple like someone being understanding or a hot drink can help a lot.”

Aria looked on the verge of tears as she put her wallet back in her purse. In that moment, she seemed very young and simply overwhelmed. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Mere minutes later, the tow truck was called and the hot chocolate was made. Balancing a plate of pastries and two mugs, Sei made her way over to where Aria had settled herself in a winged back chair by the window.

“Here,” Sei said, setting down the dishes in her hands. She scooted the hot chocolate mug, one completed with a whipped cream swirl and chocolate drizzle, over to Aria while the other mug with Sei’s preferred coffee drink stayed by her side of the table. “And I didn’t know what you liked,” Sei continued, pushing the plate of various pastries she’d brought over into the middle of the small table. “So I brought over a couple.”

Aria looked between the cup and the pastries, and her eyes got glassy again. “Thank you. You’re really kind.”

“You’re welcome,” Sei chimed. “So Aria, are you just passing through town?”

She shook her head. “I just transferred over to Salutania Academy, actually.”

“Oh!” If she was that young yet able to drive on her own, Sei reasoned she was likely only sixteen or seventeen. “I know several people who go there. The students frequent this place a lot.”

“Oh?”

Sei nodded. “Yeah. If you’d like, I can introduce you to some people.”

The conversation continued on for another ten minutes, and Sei watched as Aria slowly came out of her shell. She seemed to be a sweet girl, and Sei couldn’t help but think that maybe she and Liz could become friends.

The bell above the door rang, and Sei looked up, fully expecting to see the tow truck guy.

Instead, there was a man with fiery red hair that she would recognize anywhere, along with his closest friend.

“Good morning, boys,” she called out. “I’ll be right with you.” She then turned back to Aria. “Excuse me.”

“No no, you’re fine,” Aria assured with a smile, one that was now relaxed instead of super shy. “Thank you for all this.”

“You’re very welcome. The tow truck should be here shortly, so don’t worry.”

Aria nodded. “Thanks.”

Grabbing her empty coffee cup, she scurried back to the counter. “Ditching school again?”

“We had good reason,” Kyle said.

“Good reason to be up and out before six in the morning?”

“Early morning run,” Kyle’s companion explained. “For sports.”

“Ahh, that makes sense. So, what can I get you?”

“One of your unusual experiments and the usual drink,” Kyle answered.

“Got it,” she said with a grin, ringing up his order. Once he paid, Sei then turned to his friend. “Do you want the same, Damian?”

The young man nodded. “Thank you, Sei.”

“Of course.”

In a jiff, she rang up Damian’s order, then quickly began getting their coffees ready. “By the way,” Sei began. “The girl behind you that I was sitting with earlier, she’s currently waiting for a tow truck, but she’ll be starting at the academy next week.”

“Oh?” Kyle said, turning around to look at Aria.

“Would you mind helping her out around campus?” Sei asked. “I remember going to see Elizabeth a couple times and almost getting lost.”

“We’d be glad to,” Damian said with a grin.

“Of course,” Kyle agreed.

“Thank you. I’m sure she would appreciate that.”

As Sei started making the boys’ drinks, she caught sight of the two approaching Aria, introducing themselves if the handshake was any sort of indication, and then starting up a conversation.

By the time she’d put the lids on their drinks, the bell to the door rang, and she caught sight of a tall, brawny man striding through the door.

“Sei!”

“Hey, Leonhardt,” Sei greeted with a smile. “Good seeing you again.”

“Same. You don’t come ‘round a whole lot anymore.”

“Guess I don’t have much reason to between my car not being there and my night shifts.”

“True. Wish that wasn’t the case, though. Nice seeing your face every once in a while, ya know?”

“I get it. By the way, you have coffee yet?”

“I was just ‘bout to brew a pot when I got your call,” he said with a grin. “Which was on off-hours, by the way.”

“I know,” she said, already starting up a drink for him. “But I know you’re up at this hour anyway because you like the mornings too much.”

He laughed, loud and hardy. “You remember that?”

“You mentioned it frequently,” Sei playfully retorted.

“Ha, fair.” He then leaned against the counter. “Now, much as I’d love to chat, guess you didn’t call me up for that. So, where’s the car? Was it that little gray one on the side of the road I saw comin’ here?”

“Yes, that’s it,” Sei said. She then pointed towards the group gathered in the corner of the café. “The young lady over there, Aria, is the driver.”

“Got it,” he said with a thumbs up. “I’ll take care of her.”

“Thank you. I’ll have your drink done for you in a minute.”

“Thanks,” he said, tossing a couple bills on the counter.

“You want change?”

“Nah, keep the tip.”

“Thanks!”

…

After the car incident was settled and Sei waved Aria off with a smile, Johan appeared.

“Good morning, Sei.”

“Good morning!”

“Night shift go well?”

“Yeah.”

“How much experimenting did you do?”

“Actually, not too much tonight.”

Johan gave her a dubious look. “Really?”

“Really!”

“How much is ‘not too much’?”

Before Sei could answer, her boss already was heading back into the back.

“W-wait!” she cried, scampering to follow.

Once in the back, Sei simply hung her head as Johan stared at the rack stuffed to the gills with three new kinds of pastries.

“Seeeeei,” he strung out before shooting her a tense smile.

Sheepishly, she smiled back. “Uhhh, ah-ha.”

“Keep this up, and I’m banning you from the kitchen.”

There was nothing she could do other than hang her head in shame. “Yes, sir.”

…

Despite being kicked out of the kitchen, she knew Johan wasn’t angry angry. He never got truly mad at her. It was more a warning of “please don’t overdo it”.

Which… she still had to learn how to temper.

She was never punished for these incidents, sans the occasional ban from the kitchen. Today, however, she was tasked with running an errand before she could go home.

“Take some of those pastries and an iced coffee to an old friend of mine, will you? He normally comes in, but since he’s recovering from an injury, he’s stuck on desk duty.”

Sei was more than happy to serve such a light sentence, and hopefully, she’d be able to bring a smile to his friend’s face. Looking at the name on the paper he’d given her, she recognized part of it.

Hawke. Wasn’t that Erhart’s last name? Was it a relative? Or just coincidence. Johan hadn’t said.

When she got to the police station, she followed the crude map that Johan had drawn for her to where she could find this Mr. Albert Hawke.

“Are you Sei?”

Before she could even reach her destination, a uniformed man called out to her, and she froze for a moment. Blonde hair, stunning blue eyes, tall with broad shoulders…

Oh, he was so her type.

Eventually, her head caught up with her, and she realized he’d asked her a question. “Yes, I’m Sei. You wouldn’t happen to be Albert Hawke, would you?”

“That I am,” he said with a smile. He then took a few steps away from the wall to walk over to her, limping all the way. “Johan said he would send you over with a coffee and breakfast.”

“Oh, I’m glad he told you to expect me.” Sei extended the coffee and bag of her treats to him. “Here. I know he said you usually order a different pastry, but he also wanted to get rid of some of my… er… experiments.”

Albert laughed, and Sei’s heart did a funny flip in her chest. “He’s told me all about that. But I've also heard your 'mystery pastries' are popular sells. I'm glad I get to try one.”

She shrugged. “I’m just glad people are enjoying what I make. I’m very thankful to have this job. It’s fun.”

“Fun, you say?” he asked with a grin, opening up the bag to look at the pastries inside. “Even though you work the night shift?”

“I’m used to it by now,” she dismissed. “And there’s some great people I get to meet in those off-hours that I wouldn’t cross otherwise. What’s there to complain about?”

Was it just her, or did his smile get brighter? “That’s one way to look at it. I usually work night shifts, but my schedule was thrown off due to a work injury. I’m hoping to get back on the beat, soon. Then maybe I’ll be able to see you more frequently.”

Yes, please! She thought. Thankfully, she had just enough tact to hold that in. “That would be nice. I’ll be sure to prepare whatever you’d like.”

“I’d like that,” he said, his smile turning even warmer for a second. “And as much as I’d like to keep talking, I’m sure you’re tired, and I have a stack of paperwork to attend to.”

“Then I’ll let you go. Sorry for keeping you.”

“Don’t be,” he assured. “My sleep cycle’s been thrown off so badly that I don’t know how I’d keep going without ‘Sei’s Magic Potion’.”

She felt heat rush to her cheeks. “You’ve heard about that?”

“Of course, I have. It’s the talk of the town."

Sei didn't know how to answer that other than blush.

"Thank you for the delivery, Sei. Maybe next time, I’ll come see you instead of you having to make the trip.”

“Oh, it was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

He gave her a smile that had her going weak in the knees. “Still, thank you. Have a good day.”

Her heart was fluttering by now, her stomach in knots and mind a mess. “Y-you too.”

As she spun on her heel and headed home, she couldn’t help but think herself lucky to have her job. Particularly if she got to meet tall, blonde, and handsome again.

Thank you, car, for breaking down here!

[mostlovedgirl-writes]

@zenmisery GASP! Two Hundred Seventeen Days got a shoutout!!! 🙀💘

I saw a video on TikTok of someone recommending miraculous fanfic and “tell me something i don’t know” was the first one they recommended!

YEAH MY FRIEND SENT ME THAT TIKTOK AND I DIED AKSLFAK i felt like such a celebrity lmao why does it feel so different to be recommended in a tiktok vs in a tumblr post 😂

im posting the tiktok here because she also recced some of my favorite fics and authors! including @rosekasa (maketea), motherf***ing superheroes by @hamsternamedmarinette, and the last day on earth by Reiaji. i haven't read the others she mentioned but im sure they're really good too!

[lycorogue]

Latest Writing Blog Post is Live: June 2024

Surprising probably no one, my June blog update is finally live... half way into July. 😅 Oh, well. As they say, better late than never.

Vacation Time Bay-bee!

Est. Read Time: 27min

Come join me as I share what I've been doing the past month:

More burn-out (weee 🫠)

My sister's Jack & Jill and bridal shower

Trying to get my latest fanfic published

Failing at Dracula Daily again 😅

My newest reading obsession (Why do I have to be caught up!?)

[mostlovedgirl-writes]

Welcome to Assassin School! Where your classmates are your targets, and rivalries run red-hot. At least they do for top student Marinette. Of course, there are other things that run hot…

Prompt: "They think we are in love." Requested by @chocoluckchipz and @celinedgd.

[jennagrinsoverml]

Hello! I would like to request a fic list for 'sharing a bed' please. ~Stripes&blossoms

A+ request, Stripes. Bed sharing is such an amazing trope and, frankly, I want to see more of it! (Also now I want to write more bed sharing 🙈)

hotel suite/apartment superhero shenanigans by @rosekasa

a series of completely unconnected drabbles where ladynoir, for some reason or the other, rent out a hotel suite/apartment bedroom for superhero/couple purposes. they wear fake masks and their civilian clothes uwu

Series. So, this isn't just one fic (there's 18 of them!), but if you love bed sharing and you somehow haven't read Rosekasa's stuff, you're in for a treat. These are generally super soft with lots of pillow talk and sweetness, and almost all of them feature Ladybug and Chat Noir sharing a bed.

In the Snow by @mikauzoran

A weekend getaway to a cabin in the woods and a game of truth or dare are what Adrien and Marinette need to finally be honest about their feelings for one another.

One-shot. This fic pretty much encapsulates what I'm looking for when I'm looking for a bedsharing fic. Adrien and Marinette are away in a cabin and Nino and Alya bail on them and ohhhh noooo there's only one bed asdfghjkl And then there's talking in the dark and confessions and kisses and it's basically everything I wanted. Also, the argument over who gets the bed is truly *chef's kiss*

Pieces by @mostlovedgirl

Adrien’s world is shattered. He runs to the one place he can find comfort. It isn’t with the person he imagined, but she’s the only one he needs.

Multi-chapter. This fic is super sweet. If you like hurt/comfort, you'll love this. And honestly with where I think we all know this story has to be heading with Adrien's father being our villain, this fic really hits the spot.

at every table, i'll save you a seat by @ladynoirist

unbeknownst to them, adrien and plagg have the same plan for christmas morning: giving their kitten the best christmas he's ever had

One-shot. Technically the second in a series, but I read it the first time without reading the first and it didn't affect my enjoyment at all. This is less falling asleep than it is waking up together, but there's sleepy, clingy cuddles, and honestly the whole thing is so soft and domestic with that sweet, sweet mutual pining.

A Breath Of Fresh Air by @trashcatontherooftop

The miracuclass' attempts to stay cool in a heatwave lead to Adrien and Marinette both being grounded for the rest of the summer. With nothing but her thoughts for company on a hot summer night, Marinette is grateful when a leather-clad kitty shows up to take her mind off things.

Multi-chapter. Warning: this fic is a WIP! It's so gooodddd though with this really natural build up of the marichat relationship from where they're at in canon. They really feel like friends here! And they cuddle up in her bed and watch movies together and fall asleep and wake up together in the morning and asdfghjkl flawless

The following fic is amazing and absolutely worth reading, but does feature sexual content, so minors beware.

Sommeil by @ao3bronte

She'd noticed the bags beneath his eyes even with the mask over his skin and had asked occasionally how he was feeling and it was always the same response. ‘I'm fine,’ he'd say, ‘I just didn't sleep much,’ he'd say, ‘I'm just such a party animal,’ he’d say. She'd always let it slide in the past because she's his partner and friend, not his mother, but it’s kind of getting to the point where something has to be done.

He yawns too often to be sleeping properly.

He smiles too much to be happy.

A MariChat Story

Multi-chapter. This fic is absolutely amazing! The bed sharing and sleeping together is so sweet (until it's eventually...less sweet and more spicy 😏) The relationship development is among the best I've read. This fic is definitely worth a read!

[discoveringmiraculouswriters]

Remember That Time When...

By mostlovedgirl // @mostlovedgirl-writes

Relationship: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Words: 27670

Summary: Twenty-two-year-old Marinette Agreste was looking forward to the anniversary trip she would be taking with her husband Adrien that weekend. Those plans are derailed when she wakes up in her old bedroom... and she’s seventeen again.

[chanceuseladynoire]

Two Hundred Seventeen Days

The Love Square Fluff Week shenanigans have begun!​ @zenmisery and I have collaborated to bring this work based on our favorite oblivious dorks. You can find it all on AO3 here. Enjoy, you shippers!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Seven Days

“I’m telling you, Sugarcube. We gotta do something.”

Tikki watched as her fellow kwami floated back and forth across her holder’s balcony. She hadn’t seen Plagg pace like this since Adrien’s dietician had put the boy on a dairy-free diet for two weeks last spring prior to a swimsuit runway show.

He rubbed his black velvet head with his paws like he was trying to soothe a headache. Not that kwamis ever got actual headaches, of course. She forced back a smile as he reminded her of one of Marinette’s freaking out sessions.

“First it was getting out of that school of theirs—“

“They graduated, Plagg. It’s what human teenagers do in this country.”

“—so they couldn’t see each other there. Then that jerkwad of a dad of his starts working my kid fourteen hours a day over the summer.”

“Adrien knew what he was getting into,” Tikki reasoned.

“Then your bug starts even more school; and just as my kid’s modeling schedule lightens up, office hours are added to his plate. And then, the New Year rolls around and Chat Noir and Ladybug decide to scale back patrols to every other week? What is wrong with them?!”

“Sometimes it’s every week.”

Plagg turned to face the red kwami, and threw out his stubby arms in a wide gesture. “They’re supposed to be getting closer together, not drifting further apart!”

“I know, but they are just starting their adult lives and need to figure things out on their own. Make their own choices.”

“Oh, believe me, no one needs to learn how to make their own choices more than my boy, but he is making bad choices when it comes to his Lady Pigtails.”

“You know she doesn’t wear her hair like that anymore.”

“And what about you? ” Plagg pointed an accusing paw at Tikki, ignoring her comments.

“Me?!”

“What exactly are you doing to try to help the situation, huh?”

“Nothing, Plagg. I’m not going to manipulate my holder’s love life.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you should,” Plagg grumped.

“We can’t. It isn’t right.”

Plagg swooped closer and took Tikki’s paws in his own, looking into her deep blue eyes with his acid green ones. Tikki almost gasped. She hadn’t seen Plagg this serious since before the fall of the Roman Empire. “Tikki, you know those kids are meant to be together. You’re the kwami of creation. You know when two people are made for each other. The longer they're apart, the longer it will take and harder it will be for them to find each other again. You know what could happen if they don’t. I don’t want to see that again.”

Tikki did know. She’d seen their holders drift apart before. She knew the consequences. It wasn’t pretty. She didn’t want that for Marinette and Adrien. They were the best Ladybug and Chat Noir they’d ever had.

“So what are you suggesting?” she asked cautiously. “That we tell them the truth about their identities and what will happen if they remain separated? You know we can’t do that.”

Plagg shook his head. “No, no, nothing like that. I think all they need is a little nudge—put them in the right places at the right times. A push of luck, you could say.”

He winked and a sly grin stretched across his feline features. That rarely led to anything good.

“What kind of push?” She was still feeling skeptical (I mean, this was Plagg we were talking about after all—the imp of destruction, chaos and misfortune), but she was willing to listen. She knew how much he genuinely cared for his latest kitten.

“Oh, you know. A well-timed suggestion here. A deleted item from a calendar there. They just need opportunities to spend time together. Their stupid, human, teenage hormones should take care of the rest.”

Tikki rolled her eyes. Plagg could be so tactless, but he wasn’t necessarily wrong….

She hummed, taking a moment to weigh the pros and cons. Finally, she snapped her eyes back up to her counterpart, her decision made. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Plagg’s ears perked up and his tail curled happily.

“Let’s do it. They deserve some happiness.”

“Yes! See? I told you agreeing with me wouldn’t make the universe collapse.”

“The jury’s still out on that, but if we’re going to do this, I have some ground rules.”

“Of course you do.”

“One, we can't tell them each other’s identities.”

“Naturally.”

“Two, nothing too overt, so no locking them in a closet or anything.”

“Aww, you’re no fun.”

Tikki ignored that. “So how long do you figure this will take? A month?”

Plagg scoffed. “I give them seven days. After that, I bet you ten wheels of my precious camembert that my kid won’t be able to keep his paws off her.”

Tikki groaned and ran her paws down her face. “Why did I let you talk me into this?” she asked, exasperated. She looked at her partner seriously and placed her stubby paws on her hips. “So, what’s the plan?”

“How does your girl feel about rock concerts?”

[chocoluckchipz]

A while ago, I started working on @leviaana DTIYS (congrats on a lot more than 10K at this point XD) At the same time, @mostlovedgirl-writes wrote an amazing fic for me titled “Dyed Red” that gave me ideas I later combined with Mr and Mrs Smith… long story short: I’m not even sure what this is anymore but here is An Assassin AU and you’re all welcome to imagine what kind of Mr and Mrs Smith stuff those two will pull on their employers XD.

Link to “Dyed Red” - https://archiveofourown.org/works/29049873

[afamiliarcharm]

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