#not tagging cause its not like proven it just helps me

[mrclairdycat]

Jayvik Headcanons! ٩( ᐛ )( ᐖ )۶

(You can use these for your fics, art or whatever, I don't mind! Tell me or tag me if you do though 'cause I'd love to see it/read it.)

Jayce is naturally good with kids. Viktor is awkward with them, but for some reason the kids love him. They often want touch or try his cane or ask curious questions and their parents deem it as disrespectful, but he always assures them they can and gladly lets them. He also loves to say playful lies like "Actually don't tell anybody this but I've acquired the powers to teleport. I just have to act like a normal human being among the public." Or, better yet, he tells them he's actually an alien. HOWEVER... Viktor hates newborns. He hates when he's forced to cradle them in his arms. Too much slobber, shit and vomit. You can't even talk to them and know there's some kind of understanding between you and them. Jayce, on the other hand, could have a baby shart in his arms and still be like "awww!" He also loves to play with them theatrically.

Viktor is a HUGE Doctor Who fan. It's basically all he ever watches. Jayce is more of a Holiday Movies guy or series with Comedy, Romance or both, especially soap operas, but he was once forced to watched Doctor Who and now he's hooked too.

Jayce is the only one who finds Viktor's dry and dark humor, especially directed at himself, funny. He finds it so refreshing since posh people's humor is extremely boring. Plus, he understands that Viktor would prefer making light of his bad situation to cope and it's not his place to tell him what to joke and not joke about.

Although they mostly lock in and work hard all night in the lab, the sleep deprivation makes them find ANYTHING funny. Sometimes they end up in an endless loop of laughing fits because both of them are so sleep deprived they can't properly say words anymore.

Speaking of, they probably share all their deepest secrets on a whim but don't remember anything the next day, as if they were totally drunk or something.

Also, they cover each other up if they find one of them has fallen asleep. Often times, however, Viktor finds himself magically spawning in his bed. He never thought much about it, figuring he was so exhausted he probably doesn't remember going home, when in reality it was Jayce that carried him home to make sure his body wouldn't be in pain in the morning.

When Viktor is mad at Jayce he abuses that disabled card. Sometimes he publically humiliates him by pretending he's a bad person that doesn't help his disabled friend with anything. In reality, if he tried to pick something that fell for him, he would be met with the smack of his cane.

Speaking of, acts of service is Jayce's way of flirting. He's an extrovert, but he's not confident at all. He never says his feelings first, just acts especially nice towards someone with numerous gifts, praise and help. Viktor thought he was just being ableist.

Again, speaking of, Viktor is more of a words of affirmation guy. However, when they got together, they have scheduled days within the week where Viktor HAS to accept help and be spoiled. He knows its Jayce's love language by now, so, even if he finds it condescending, he's happy to let him have those days to let it all out.

Sometimes Jayce presents Viktor a complex equation because he loves seeing him explain how to solve it. He just loves listening to him yap.

Viktor has a secret passion for astronomy. Can name you every star. Jayce has a secret passion for birdwatching. Can name you every bird. He'd also love falconry. Tbh he adores animals in general.

Viktor despises Astrology. Jayce loves it. He likes to piss him off by saying "You're acting like your sign right now."

Jayce loves pop and reggaeton, meanwhile Viktor thinks classical music is superior to anything else. He especially listens to it because it is scientifically proven it helps with focus. He hates when he wakes up in the morning to him cleaning and blasting El Taxi or something.

Viktor also loves theatre musicals. His favorites are Ride the Cyclone, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He also loves plays like Hamlet or live orchestras.

Jayce is very good at cooking thanks to his mom's teachings. Plus he just really enjoys it. Viktor is the type who finds it a chore and eats only because he has to (he doesn't even do that most days). Jayce often brings extra food when he packs lunch so Viktor can have some too :) he also loves to cook for him.

Jayce is naturally good at dancing. Adores Just Dance and group dances (Viktor always wins Just Dance without even moving his legs). Viktor is naturally good at playing instruments. He likes to focus on what his hands can do so he can feel better about his bad leg.

Jayce loves head massages and scritches. He's a sucker for physical touch. Viktor likes to give him that while he's reading notes or a book.

Jayce is a dog person who has no problems with cats. Viktor is a cat person who kinda hates dogs since they drool all over the place and lick his face.

Viktor never cries, but when he does it's GUT wrenching because of all the bottled up emotions. Jayce, on the other hand, cries for absolutely anything, especially movies. He could see a child with their mom on a random stroll and shed tears saying "they're so happy :("

Ximena (Jayce's mom) adores Viktor. He always tells Jayce to invite him over whenever they can so he can spend less time alone and even encourages him to sleep over. She just can't bare the thought of someone's baby struggling on their own and not being taken care of.

Jayce mostly overthinks when he's trying to fall asleep. The silence is always broken by him spiraling saying things like "do you think I'm annoying?" simply for a stranger not responding after he complimented them or something. The thought of someone hating him drives him insane. He wants to be liked by everyone. People pleaser core.

[odball]

ok so! coping with schizophrenia/schizoaffective on low dose/no antipsychotics (I do use mood stabilizers still) info under the cut

1. process your emotions as they come!! (you've gotta figure out how you process best, journalling, visual art, talking things over with someone you trust, exercise, nature walks, yoga, writing poetry, whatever works best for you!) by as they come I mean: literally ASAP!! don't let it have time to marinate and get lost in your subconscious without properly addressing it! something that helps this is really paying attention to where and how you feel emotions (example: I feel guilt and anxiety like a ball in my chest, when I notice I feel it I know I gotta talk to someone ASAP!)

2. OK you're recognizing something you hear/see might not be there think about what stressful events have occurred recently, how does it relate? is there a common trigger (feeling, memory, situation, even a passing thought that occurred before the experience!) try to write down the contributing factors and what the experience was if you have the time! (writing in your phones notes app can quickly work!) acknowledge the experience: i saw this, it made me feel this. next try to redirect your thinking to something else! (I'll explain what I mean by this in 3)

3. OK so the experience happened, but I don't know why? acknowledge it, acknowledge what things it made you feel! now think of something unrelated that doesnt evoke a strong emotional reaction from you, redirecting thinking allows me to not ruminate and not increase emotions related to the experience which just makes me personally spiral!

4. you have better insight!!! congrats and if u dont have better insight we will talk,abour redirecting less intense experiences!!! now you can treat the mild experiences you may still have akin to intrusive thoughts! once again, acknowledge, redirect! or, if you're able to, you might be able to just redirect and not use the mental energy to acknowledge them every time when you're confident!

5. if you struggle with going outside due to paranoia, try to focus more on your feet and listen to some music or talk on the phone! I know personally the less I focus on my surroundings on bad days the less my surroundings seem looming and threatening, also if you're afraid of other people and have the confidence: offering a smile when you pass by someone helps me feel less afraid of others and from all the bs I learned in DBT "wide smile open hands" DOES work, open body language and smiles do make me feel more at ease in public!

6. STIM!! my main one in public is closing my hands tight then opening them, sadly some stims are stigmatized but if you feel comfortable it does make it easier to be out of safe spaces!

7. delusions, this gets tricky! for me, it's not about "changing the belief" because let's be honest, it's basically impossible! what helps me, in, the beginning: was "ok so there's two possibilities, 1. your belief is factual, 2. it's not factual" you want to operate your decisions and actions under meeting in the middle, and not doing anything extreme! (example: "my neighbour's are always talking about me and it distresses me": ok! maybe say hi and ask them how they're doing next time you see them, maybe it could improve their view of you! and if not, you're building a little connection with someone you live near!) (example 2: I am being targeted: "I should maybe tell someone I'm feeling anxious (for whatever reason you feel comfortable sharing) and tell someone to keep in touch with me!" it does not confirm that you actually are being targeted but sets up a safety net which can help with the pain of being persecuted without feeling believed) also recommend looking into double bookkeeping!!

[v1nsmoke]

𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑩𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑫 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑫𝑬𝑨𝑻𝑯 // 𝑽𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑴𝑶𝑲𝑬 𝑺𝑨𝑵𝑱𝑰 𝑿 𝑽𝑨𝑴𝑷!𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹

spooktober week 2 - resident evil 8 x one piece, featuring sanji and vampire reader

tw: bl00d, mentions of torture, spoilers for sanjis wci backstory, can the end be taken as slight angst?

summary: after getting teleported to an unknown village, sanji must find a place to stay - and unfortunately for him, the old castle he found is already taken

a/n: no use of y/n. re8 is my comfort game ever since i first played it. the characters are all interesting and i wish the game was longer with us getting to know more abt them. i thought why not write a story where reader is a dimitrescu. if you havent played re8, i highly recommend! even if its titled as a horror game, its not that creepy :)

tags: @cheesesoda cause i know you like both one piece and re ♡ (sorry if u didnt want to be tagged!)

wc: 2.4k

He didn't know where he was. It all happened so fast. In one moment he was up against a weird devil fruit user, and in the other, he was laying in the cold, white snow. Sanji gets up into a sitting position, supporting himself up with his hands. He looks around, observing the terrain around him. It seemed like a village, surrounded by snow-covered mountains. The wooden houses gave him the feeling that this wasn't the most modern place he's ever been to, but it was beautiful. One thing bothered him though: there was nobody.

He found it weird that noone was here, he couldn't hear any noise from the houses either. No happy kids playing in the snow, no old people chatting away on the benches, nothing. Sanji gets up, curious where everyone went. Does anybody even live here anymore? Or is this just a long forgotten inhabited village, and that's why it all seems like he was thrown back in time?

Not knowing where to go, Sanji mindlessly roams the area in hopes of finding someone or something that could help him out. He trusted his crew and that they will get him back somehow, he wasn't worried about that. He knew that there was nothing he could do about the situation, given he didn't even know where he was. But he needed food and shelter until the others find a way to reunite, and in a village he is likely to find these.

Sanji knew that there was something wrong with the village. He would ocassionally see remains of blood splatters on the walls, or broken windows and doors. Maybe he was right, this is an abandoned village. But the blood seemed like it's been there for only a day, meaning that there might be survivors of whatever is going on here.

One thing catches his eye: a giant castle on the side of the village. He could see some faint light from the windows, even if the castle was far from him, meaning that somebody is likely living there. Should he go there armed? No, he got his legs and wits, and he couldn't find a weapon anyway. He stands in front of the grand, stone gate in front of him, the castle on the other side of it. Sanji takes a deep breath, and pushes it open.

He steps trough it, findig a snow-covered trail surrounded by leafless trees, a carriage a few metres away from him parked on the side.

"I've been waiting for you, Mister Vinsmoke." A man speaks, sitting in the carriage, dressed in Victorian-era clothing.

"How do you know my name?" Sanji stops in front of him, curious how a strange man he never met knows his name.

"Blackleg Sanji, the Wing of Strawhat Luffy. I tend to know lots of things, Mister Vinsmoke. The word from the village is proven to be the truth, then. Though I must say, that castle arouses suspicion."

"Yeah, and so do you."

Sanji didn't like how this seemingly merchant knew things about him and called him by his father's name. He preferred to go by Blackleg, the name coming from his real father's, Red Leg Zeff.

"And who do you might be?" He inquires.

"I am but a humble merchant." The man chuckles.

"Here?"

"Forgive my manners. Call me the Duke." He finally introduces himself. Sanji didn't fully trust this man.

"Earlier you said that the castle arouses suspicion. What did you mean by that?"

"That place is full of nothing but blood and death. Nobody ever comes back from there. It's under the management of Lady Dimitrescu." The Duke explains.

"Lady Dimitrescu?" Sanji murmurs to himself. A castle under a woman's rule? Maybe this place isn't so bad after all... "Thank you for your help."

Sanji walks away after this, heading towards the castle. Now he was even more curious about it. Does the castle look more modern on the inside? Who is Lady Dimitrescu? Could he live here until the crew defeats the devil fruit user and he can get back to them? He was hoping that this woman will be kind enough to give him some ingredients to cook and a room where he can sleep. The castle was big anyway, she probably wouldn't mind if he stayed there for a bit.

Here he was, at the castle's entrance. Sanji gupled as he opened the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. He closes them behind himself as quietly as he opened them, and makes its way further into the castle. He was amazed by the interior. The floor was clean, the shiny wooden planks and the sole of his dress shoes creating a clicking noise as he explores the hallways. The walls were a dark shade of green, with some brownish-crimson wood elements, it all looked straight out of a tale.

He stumbles upon the main hall. His eyes widen at the sight. The room is illuminated by the light of the candles placed on the huge chandelier, a large, intricated staircase leading to the second floor while the white tiles shine on the floor. Sanji is mesmerized, findig the whole setting elegant. He was suddenly snapped out of his trance by a voice behind him.

"Who are you?! And what are you doing here?!" Sanji turns around to find a fuming girl standing there, dressed in an all black dress, the hood of it on her head, her eye makeup matching the colour of her outfit.

Sanji froze. He didn't expect this.

"A-are you Lady Dimitrescu?" He shakily asks.

"No, but if she finds out you're here, you'll end up just like all the other men. Same if my sisters find you. They have a lot less self control than I do..." the girl approaches Sanji.

~○~

You stare at the man in front of you, his slightly dissheveled blonde hair covering one of his eyes, the black suit he was wearing perfectly fitting him.

"What do you mean by that, ma cherie?" He asks.

"Mother hates men. And just intruders in general." You tell him, remembering what happened to the last person who entered the castle. Your mom did seem to like the wine made from his blood.

"I-I mean no harm, I promise! I just need cooking materials, and I was wondering if I could sleep here? Please, I'll make food for you, just let me stay for a bit. Just until I can get back to my crew!" He begs, holding your hands together.

You wanted to decline, to send him away before your mother or one of your sisters find him, or before you end up killing him yourself. But he looked at you with such kind eyes, and it seemed like he wasn't scared of you at all. Did he not know anything? About who or what you were? That you could tear his throat out any second? He was holding your hands so gently, like you could break at any moment, staring at you with his cerulean eyes.

"I can't. You came to the worst place possible, run while you can." You break free from his touch, turn around and head back to the direction where you came from. It was for the best. If he stays, he'll just get tortured and killed.

"No, please, I-" he starts, but can't find the right words to finish. So, he just stood there, not moving a muscle, waiting for you to change your mind.

"Who is this manthing?" You hear an all too familiar voice behind you. You turn around, only to see the man with wide eyes, your mother looming over him. Of course she did, she was eight foot tall. This was the end for the man, you knew it. But he did nothing wrong, and he just felt different, you can't just hand him over to your mother.

"What have I told you about men?" Her voice was menacing, and if looks could kill, you would be dead right now.

"I know mother, and I apologise. I stumbled upon him by accident." You explain.

~○~

Sanji didn't flinch. He didn't move, he froze. He didn't turn around to see who or what was behind him, he could feel the presence and see the huge shadow created by the person. His mind was going a million ways, not even being able to focus on the conversation you were having with who he assumed was your mother. One thing he did notice was how your expression changed when you saw her, how you looked so... afraid. Did this woman behind him do something wrong to you? Your complete aura changed, it was noticable. He knew that there's no way he'll fight a woman, and he also knew that the crew won't be here to save him this time. This might be the end for him. He feels as the woman behind him breathes down his neck, then suddenly bites into it.

Sanji grunts, the teeth of the woman deep in his throat. He didn't know what was going on. Is this how he's going to die? No, because the woman pulled back, and he was still alive, standing, breathing, and he could still feel as his heart was beating in his chest. He could hear the two women talking, but his mind was too out of its place to understand what the conversation was about. And that was the last thing he knew before fainting.

~○~

He woke up, chained to the wall in some unkown room. The quiet cracklig of the fireplace gave him a slight comfort, but the pain wouldn't go away. He had to figure out an escape plan, quick. He tried to wiggle himself out the handcuffs, but to no avail.

Just then, a bunch of flies flooded the room, all in the same spot until the seemed to merge together, forming a human-like figure.

"Didn't know you could do that..." he quietly says.

"There are so many things you don't know about me, Vinsmoke Sanji." The girl from earlier says.

"How do you know my name? My manners seemed to dissapear when we first met, i apologise."

"The Duke. He sometimes pays us a visit. He was here this morning while you were here, passed out."

"Well, I didn't even ask you your name, ma cherie. I'm Sanji, I'll get you out of here in no time." Sanji smiles down at her.

"Hm, to me it looks like you're the one who needs to be saved." She looks up at Sanji, who was still chained to the wall. She was right.

"I guess you're not here to save me. Going to bite?" He asks.

"I could. I warned you about my mother and sisters, you didn't listen. Look where it got you."

"What will they do with me? A bunch of pretty ladies sucking all my blood out? It's a better way to go than some I can imagine."

"Don't worry, it's gonna be quicker than that. And a lot more painful. Mother said you'd make some pretty good wine."

"I can in fact make wines, if that's what you wish for."

"Not like that."

"Oh."

The awkward silence set in before being broken by the girl's sigh as she took steps towards Sanji.

"What are you doing, cherie?"

"You want to die here? You mentioned that you got a crew somewhere. Think about them at least." She says, her hands on Sanji's handcuff holding him to the wall. He feels as the first handcuff loosens, and he pulls out his hand from it, looking at the girl in disbelief.

Both handcuffs fell off Sanji's hand, freeing him. He was speechless. This girl that he met yesterday, the one whose mother possesed major hatred towards men and the person who tied him up like this, who could end his life right in this moment just saved his life.

"I don't want to leave you here. Please, come with me. I can see you're not happy here with her." He holds his hand out for the girl to grab, but she doesn't do it. Instead, she looks down, and Sanji knows he was right. She really didn't like it here.

"I... I can't." She holds back her tears, her nails digging into her palm. "A few seconds in the cold air, and I freeze to death. And I mean I turn into a literal ice sculpture and die. I'm not a human like you. I might even end up causing you harm. You felt what my mother did to you. She's a vampire, and so am I."

Sanji is quiet for a few seconds. He doesn't know how to reply. He didn't want to leave her here to suffer under her mother, especially knowing that he could've done something about it.

"That's not a problem. I'll keep you warm if that's what is holding you back. I trust you that you won't bite me. You could've done it the moment we met, but you didn't. I don't care if you are a vampire, we have stranger people on the crew than that. Maybe our talking reindeer could even help you so that you won't freeze to death when it's cold."

She was stunned. This man she met yesterday spoke so kindly to her like nobody ever did before. Not her mother, not her sisters, nobody. She wanted to go, to join the crew, to be free, to know Sanji better, maybe the other crew members too. Talking reindeer? She was interested. She only knew the definition of "friends" from books she was forbidden to read, but now she could have the chance to experience what it's like.

"I... I'm just an experiment, I..." she tries to protest, holding back tears. She wanted to leave, really, but her mother wouldn't approve this. She never got to experience life outside the castle, or see what was outside the walls.

"Looks like we have something in common, then." Sanji warmly smiles. He knew what it felt like. "But now I have a loving crew, and most of the times I forget this part of my past. You can do it, too." He gives reassuring smile. He can't leave her here.

He was right. She lived here so long, the village reminding her every day of the reason of her existence, that she's just the product of some crazy scientist woman's experiments. But now she can leave this behind. Just like Sanji did.

She looks down at Sanji's hand, still held out for her. This time, she places hers into the blonde's, ready to leave.

vinsmoke sanji belongs to eiichiro oda and resident evil 8 belongs to capcom, i do not own any of these.

© v1nsmokes 2023. Do not modify, translate or rewrite.

[heiayen]

to think that we could stay the same lumine x gn!reader

summary: “Whatever it will fix? Will it fix the world around us?” You made a wide gesture around yourself, at the world you learned to love and enjoy that now was ruins, and then you pointed at yourself, “Will it fix us?” of foolish love and apologies, of ruined world and warmth that will never come back.

tags: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, hurt/no comfort, reader dies but the scene isn't detailed, this is... kind of abyss!lumine but to be perfectly fair, this fic is also very canon divergence.

notes: jfc shoutout to @kopidense who is the one and only reason this fic exists!! okayy sooo this! is for secret santa event for @mafuyuslover!! it was absolutely a pleasure to write and once again massive thanks to kopi!! i kinda went in different direction than yours but... the end is the same. silly. this fic just took my soul i fear. anyways. happy holidays i come with angst.

"...why are you crying?"

Gaze into the abyss for too long, and it will gaze back. That’s what you learned, after spending centuries hunting her. Searching every nook and cranny, letting your mind be corrupted with desperation and despair, grabbing the dark, clawed hand reaching you from the abyss. 

Hunting.

When did your adoration for her turn into the need to bring her down? To bring her to her knees, to yell out all your sadness and longing for something, that will never come back. For the days full of light and warmth, with Lumine holding your hand, fingers intertwined, Aether looking at you two with a smile, still alive– 

You looked at her. Once, you would whisper poetry into her lips, of your never-ending love for her, your hopes of always staying together because, oh, so much you defeated together, surely there was nothing that could ever separate you. 

Nothing could. You foolishly believed in it, and yet were proven wrong.

"There you are..." You gritted your teeth, looking at the woman you once loved. Maybe you still did. A part of you did, drowned by the grief of losing her. "I've been looking for you for so long..."

Lumine raised her chin, her steel gaze meeting yours. A little broken, tears threatening to spill out, lips twisting into something akin to a frown.

"You didn't answer my question." 

And yet nothing seemed to match her gaze. Not the gentleness of her voice, causing goosebumps on your skin. How you missed her voice, how you missed hearing it, the softness directed at you and only you. 

In Lumine’s hand, a sword materialized. The same she used to put down every enemy daring to attack you, to raise its own weapons at you. None of them had the time to react before meeting the sharp blade of a lover.

And yet this time, her fingers barely gripped her sword. 

You materialized your own, gripping it tight. 

“[Name],” she repeated, her voice losing its softness and gaining cold in its place. 

You really didn’t want to cry. Not in front of her. 

"I am not." Yet your voice broke and you felt first tears drop from your eyes into your cheeks. 

Her eyes softened.

She approached you slowly and you couldn’t help but just let her, despite everything screaming at you to move away, no, don’t let her get any closer–

She reached out her free hand to cup your cheek, but she froze mid-air. Her eyes looked all over your face, looking for anything– something telling her what to do, and you only continued looking at her.

Her thumb swiped at your cheek, meeting a lone tear falling from your eyelashes.

“I didn’t mean for it to end… like this,” Lumine said softly, her palm gently cradling your cheek, her eyelids dropping slightly, tiredness evident in her features, now that the stern mask she wore on her face broke down even further. “I’m sorry.”

Something also broke down in you.

“Sorry?” you breathed out, eyes widening in sudden anger, “You’re sorry? After leaving me completely alone, for centuries and centuries, and the most you say is… sorry? You can only apologize as if it would change anything?”

(Something else screamed in you, wanting to throw yourself into her arms, cry into her shoulder, and act as if everything was fine again. To ignore the blade in her hand, sharp as always.)

She stifled a gasp and moved her hand away as if burned, eyes wide at your words. She took a step back and let her hand fall to her side. She opened her mouth to speak, but you were faster.

“What will an apology do, Lumine?” you asked her, forcing your voice to sound stern, blinking the tears away, not wanting to show any more weakness.

She didn’t answer. 

“Whatever it will fix? Will it fix the world around us?” You made a wide gesture around yourself, at the world you learned to love and enjoy that now was ruins, and then you pointed at yourself, “Will it fix us?”

Her eyes were now wide, brows furrowed and lips twisted, the mask broken completely. 

Was she finally feeling the centuries-old sadness that you lived with for the past years? 

(Could she? Though Lumine lived for millennials, you were sure, could she feel even the tiniest drop of your sadness? Could she?)

“Answer me.”

That seemed to throw her out of whatever state of shock she was in and she took a deep breath, looking down.

She stepped back.

“...I had my reasons.”

“Reasons?!” You burst out, in complete disbelief that something like having reasons could be an acceptable excuse for all the pain that her absence caused, “Fuck your reasons, Lumine! Whatever could be possibly–”

“I had hoped that the next time we met, it would be in a better place, with no need to bring out our weapons,” she said quietly and you wanted to laugh, “Where I would tell you of my journey and why I made all these choices. And none of them was easy.”

When she looked back at you, there was– something in her eyes– newfound intensity and hurt underneath it. It hurt to look at her, sudden fear climbing its way to your mind.

She gripped her sword tighter and now it was your turn to step back, raise your weapon higher.  

“I never wanted to end it like this,” her tone was sincere, you could easily tell, yet you found it hard to believe.

“If you never wanted it to end like this, then… gods!” you yelled in frustration, “Why couldn’t you just do something else?! Was leaving me and this world to ruin the only possible choice?”

“I never told you, because I knew you wouldn’t understand my choices, not until you would see the truth of this world for yourself,” Lumine said, her voice loud and harsh to your ears.

“What truth? Of what world” you interrupted her, ”The one that your very hand led to ruin?” 

And that seemed to take her aback for a moment, lips parting and closing before she spoke again.

“...I’m sorry, [name].” She raised her sword, as if ready to lunge at you.

You blinked.

“You’re going to what, kill me?” you barked out, a smile of disbelief tugging at your lips. But silence was the only reply you got, and a terrible realization started to settle in.

“...you’re going to kill me.” 

There was only silence.

With her first move, your fate was sealed and her blade meet your own.

(It was only when your cold body was lying in the pool of your blood, completely lifeless, Lumine allowed herself to cry for you, not for the first time in the past centuries and certainly not the last.)

taglist: @ryuryuryuyurboat

[daisyful-gvf]

blueberry wine // by daisyful

*********************************************************

pairings: jake x reader

tags: fluff, europe!jake 🤭, making out, drinking

word count: 1.6k

notes: i wrote this in an hour cause i couldn’t stop thinking about it. barely edited oops. no taglist cause i’m feeling so lazy i’m sorry

*********************************************************

The sun filtering through his hair as he walks is almost a hazard as you follow him through the lush rows of vines. You’re more than buzzed, and it’s hard to walk steadily as you stare.

Your pace is lazy, holding one of his hands with a couple of your fingers as you let him lead. The field is deep green and coupled with the alcohol in you, you feel almost dazed in its peaceful wake.

“Can’t go to a vineyard and not explore the fields, doll,” you can barely hear him over the rustle of the leaves in the wind.

“Surprised we’ve made it out this far,” you giggle, “You sure you wanna make the walk back?”

He finally spins to face you, and he’s sporting a lighthearted grin.

“No,” he weaves his fingers with yours fully. He’s leaned in close, “Not sure I do. We could just stay out here, lay down forever,” he kisses your forehead, “Eat grapes til we’re sick, eventually rot with the vines.”

“Sounds lovely,” you laugh and kiss his cheek. His skin is warm from the Italian sun, and a tad salty.

“Mm,” he hums in agreement. He brings the open bottle of blueberry wine he’s been toting around to his lips and takes a long pull.

“I don’t know how you convinced them to let you drink from the bottle,” you roll your eyes affectionately.

“Cause m’charming,” he grins wide, “People let me have my way.”

“Oh, is that right?” you laugh and bury your head into the nape of his neck. He smells like him and summer.

“Mmhm,” he drops your hand so that he can settle it instead over your waist, gently bunching the fabric of your sundress in the process. He presses a soft kiss to your jaw, and you can’t help the light sigh that leaves you.

“Jake,” you say quietly, both a warning and a question. What is he up to?

“Hmm?” He kisses your temple, “Just a kiss, baby,” he soothes.

“Is it?”

His hand is holding your waist in a fashion you’re familiar with. Usually, you’re pressed up against a wall. Not in a field with strangers a hundred yards away.

“It is,” he promises, kissing your cheek again.

He pulls away, taking another long sip of his wine. When he’s done, he offers a closed mouth smirk.

“See?” he says, seemingly hoping for some praise that he hasn’t ripped your dress off.

“Sure,” you laugh. He eyes you for a moment like he wants to say more, but then settles on a deep breath.

“M’having a really nice day,” he says, with a genuine smile, “Glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” you smile back and with your free hand, you slip your hand just under the white linen of his blazer to press your fingertips to his bare side. He smirks devilishly at the touch.

“Now who’s getting handsy?” He chuckles.

You opt for the final sip of your wine instead of an answer, and the way that he watches you drink makes you wish you could get handsy.

“You like that wine?” He asks.

You nod as you swallow, “Favorite one of the day.”

“Blueberry?” he nods to his own bottle and holds it up. You answer him with a nod.

“Me too. We’ll have to ship some back to the states, hmm?”

You nod again and bend down to set your empty glass on the ground beside you. When you’re facing him again, you have a free hand to brush his hair from his face. He closes his eyes for a brief moment and lets you touch him this way, soft and close.

The sun shines fully on him, and you think in that moment you’ve seen nothing more beautiful. When he opens his eyes and the light makes them glow like polished amber, you’re proven wrong.

“You look beautiful,” he smiles.

“Funny, I was going to say that to you,” you smile back.

“Come here,” he says, low and inviting. He leans in and kisses you slow and warm.

He tastes fully like the sweet wine, and if you weren’t drunk from the alcohol, you’d be drunk from this.

“Baby…” you say as a mild warning against his lips, “People.”

“Shh,” he says so gently you want to melt, “Don’t care.”

You kiss him back, and it deepens instantly. He sucks on your bottom lip, then lets you come back in to suck on his. You’re trying not to whimper in public. Eventually, it ends, and you’re left with flushed cheeks, clinging to him in the row of grapes.

“Mm,” he smiles and kisses your cheek again, “That was nice.” His voice is low and meant just for you, and it makes your stomach tickle.

He takes another swig of his wine before offering a sip to you, which you take. When you pull the bottle down and hand it back to him, you notice a small splash of purple on his blazer’s front.

“Oh,” you point to it, “I don’t know if that’ll come out, babe,” you frown, fussing with the little splotch. He shrugs.

“I’ll just buy another.”

You look up at him and smile, “Oh yeah? Just call your linen guy and order another like it didn’t cost a few hundred dollars?”

He blushes but tries to hide it. He takes another long drink and then sets the bottle down by your glass. Finally, he holds you more firm; his hands wrap around your waist and bring you snug to him. His lips are purplish red in the middle, from the kissing and the wine.

“That’s exactly what I’ll do,” he grins. His thumbs stroke the small of your back endearingly, “Have you forgotten who has been buying you expensive wine all day, hm? Who flew you out here first class?”

His smile is betraying his attempt to be causal about it all, “Or how about this nice dress here?” He grips some of the fabric at your back, “Who got that for you?”

He doesn’t do this much, or really ever—brag about his wealth. But he is now, just to you, someone who knows how truly grateful he is. He’s doing it just to fluster you, and it’s working.

“You,” you say softly.

“That’s right,” he nods and leans in against your cheek to smile, “Now where were we?” He kisses your cheek.

“Jake, there’s people like…” you sigh, unable to form a full thought with the way his lips brush your skin, “Over there,” you finish.

“I don’t care,” he murmurs and kisses your jaw, “I wanna kiss my girl while I’m half drunk in Italy,” he punctuates it with another kiss to your jaw, “It’s not like we’re gonna get naked. So what if they see us make out.”

“You sure? What if—“

“I’m sure, doll,” he brings one hand around to cup your face in his hand. He presses a light kiss to your lips, “Very sure. We’re far enough away. Just kiss me,” his last sentence is hushed and almost needy in a way that makes your spine tingle, so you oblige quickly.

Immediately, there’s more urgency in the kiss. He groans softly against your mouth, and if you had any kind of hesitancy left, that erases it. His tongue slips against yours in a way that makes your body curve up into his, and he notices, holding you tighter by the small of your back.

He sighs in between kisses, and by the way he’s pulling you along slowly through the passionate display, he’s enjoying it as much as you are. He thumbs against your cheek as he licks at you, and he pushes into your touch against his hip.

He says ‘i love you’ in a breath against your lip, and it makes you smile. He doesn’t need to say it; you can feel it entirely in the moment. You say it back, though, just so he knows.

“Got enough?” he asks breathlessly as your movements slow. You shake your head and dive back in, thirsty for more of him. He chuckles into it.

There’s always a way that he licks at your teeth that makes you putty for him, and while you almost hope he doesn’t do it while you’re in the middle of a field, you want it too badly to care. You do it to him, hoping he’ll take the hint, and he does. His tongue slips against the back of your upper teeth, and you could melt right there. You whimper against him, and then suddenly he’s pulling away.

He’s dazed, whether from the wine or kissing it’s unclear, but the smile he wears is lazy and sweet.

“I know myself,” he bites his lip as he looks at yours, “And I gotta stop, or I’m going to get put in Italian jail for indecent exposure.”

The laugh that escapes you is genuine, and his smile back to you is lovely.

“Let’s not have that happen,” you say softly, “One more kiss, though.”

He nods and obliges, pressing his lips to you once more.

When you part, he brings his other hand around to hold both sides of your face.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he smiles, “Feels like a dream.”

“Yeah,” you sigh and lean into him, breathing in the fresh smell of his blazer, “A perfect one.”

“Mm,” he agrees and presses a kiss to your hair, “Let’s get back, pretty girl. I’ll buy you some more wine and we can go eat some pasta.”

“And then?” you smile as you grab your glass and take his hand to head back to the entryway.

“And then we’re gonna see what happens when we’re wine drunk in the hotel together,” he looks back at you with a playful grin, “I’ve got a few ideas”.

fin.

[otomes-and-tears]

JUST SAW UR SOULMATE WRITINGS AND I-- XKDNXKNSKXNDJX AAAAAAA

Can I request the 'character A sees the world grey until they meet their soulmate,character B' with Qiu and Tamarack from OL2?? In step 1,since that's when we meet them and with GN Reader?? With extra fluff if you could??

You can even add other steps or headcanons and such if you want! THIS IDEA INSPIRED ME SM THANKS FOR WRITING IT /gen 💕

♦ You can only see grey until you meet your soulmate for the first time with Qiu and Tamarack♦

► tags and warnings: Soulmate! Au

► words: 1103

► A/N: I usually only write headcanons when people ask me for multiple characters in one request, but I love soulmate Aus so much I made an exception and wrote these as one-shots. I'm so, so happy that my original one-shoot inspired you, anon! It's the best possible compliment I could ever get as a writer. I hope you like these as much as the original!

► Masterlist

Tamarack

Well, Tamarack was never one to care about things she couldn’t see.

There were far more important to worry about, like waking up early enough to be able to explore the forest and finding the prettiest rocks and leaves to gift to her omi and opa. It just didn’t make sense to worry about not being able to see colour, because all she knew was life without it, and the world was plenty beautiful already!

She still had her favourite shades of grey— the one that her omi told corresponded to the colour pink, the lively yellow and deep red. All of them were special in their own way, even if people who were able to see colour would say they all looked too alike, and she’d fervently insist that they were quite different.

People who saw colour just lacked imagination. That’s what her grandmother had told her once, with a kind smile stretched on her lips. They had grown so used to seeing the world that way that they lost the ability to see the nuances in different hues of grey. Sometimes, you have to lose something to gain another.

Well, if that’s how things were, Tamarack didn’t know if she’d ever want to see colour. 

It seemed awful to lose the ability to see beauty in how she has always seen the world. To stop appreciating how pretty the autumn leaves were when they changed shades, to stop being able to tell the difference between the cool grey of a bright summer’s day to the cool greys of a stormy afternoon.

But things were always bound to change.

Tamarack had woken up that day, feeling like that day would be special in some way.

Maybe because all days so far had been special— Moving so far away had its drawbacks, but getting to spend so much time playing in the forest had proven to be as fun as she’d hoped for.

It was still relatively early in the day when she saw a piece of cottony cream paper lying on the floor. She picked it up, hoping to help mother earth by cleaning the litter away when she saw a kid standing in the distance.

Locating her target, Tamarack quickly folded the piece of paper into a paper aeroplane and threw it at the target, her perfect aim hitting her victim.

She was able to escape in time, trying not to giggle too loudly so as to not attract too much attention to herself yet. Something told her she would see that kid again, and when she did, she hoped she could at least be able to surprise them!

It ended up not taking as long as she had expected for them to find her— and before they could, Tamarack hid underneath a pile of grey leaves, jumping out as soon as she heard the sound of her footsteps approaching her.

She closes her eyes for a moment, smiling and giggling due to a plan well-crafted, opening her eyes to a whole different world.

The leaves that fluttered around her were different from before, reds and oranges almost causing sensory overload now that they weren’t hidden behind greyscale.

She missed the way the world had looked before, but by staring at the forest with wonder, she realised that this change, maybe, wouldn’t be too bad at all.

Just like moving away had given her the opportunity to have fun in the forest every day, seeing colour allowed her to experience the world in an entirely different way. 

And, looking at the kid who looked at her in amazement, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling, she’d have someone new she could experience all of that with.

Qiu

Qiu really wanted to find his soulmate.

He liked getting to know other people. Meeting new kids, making friends and learning all he could about them. 

But there was always something special about the idea of getting to know your soulmate. The idea that you’re cosmically bound to one another, that there is someone out there meant to fit just perfectly with him. That his boring, monotonous world would fill with life and colour, and he’d gain a companion for life, someone he’d love and cherish just as much as his parents did with each other.

There is no telling when you get to meet your soulmate— some people were lucky enough to know them when they’re little, and people who don’t get to meet theirs until they’re old and wrinkly, So Qiu makes sure to get to know as many people as possible to cover all his bases.

It didn’t really work so far, but Qiu wasn’t really disappointed. 

His exploits led to him making lots of new friends. Kids now looked up to him, they liked him, and Qiu liked making them happy! And his mother made sure to reassure him that he would meet his soulmate when the time was right, and it would be just as wonderful as he’d imagined it.

For the time being, he was stuck in a greyscale world, left only to wonder how different things would be when he could see colour.

Sometimes his pursuits seemed a little hopeless, whoever. It didn’t really matter how patient he tried to be, Golden grove was a small and quiet town, and not a lot of new people ever showed up there.

Maybe that’s why the new neighbours intrigued him so much.

A kid his age. Someone he had never met in a town where everyone knew everyone.

Something stirred in his chest when Qiu heard their name. Something about it just seemed right, fitting.

He tried not to get too hopeful, but it was hard not to when all his instincts seemed to scream that yes, that was the person he was looking for.

Well… Even with all his excitement, Qiu still managed to forget about MC’s impending arrival.

It was something he pushed to the back of his mind after filling his day with his usual activities— talking to people in town and playing in his secret hideout.

It was when he heard a strange sound.

Someone was trying to climb his playhouse.

He stood up and looked down at the intruder, greys melting into colours he had never seen before as soon as they locked eyes.

For a moment, neither said anything. Too overwhelmed to manage to utter a word.

As much as Qiu had thought about that moment, it’s like, for the first time in his life, he was left speechless.

“You’re so pretty.”

Mc blurted out, and Qiu knew he had nothing to worry about.

[mysticstarlightduck]

OC Interview Tag!

Thanks for the tag, @mk-writes-stuff (here)!

I'll go with Corah (the main character of "Of Starlight and Beasts") because I don't think I've done this tag for her before!

Are you named after anyone?

"No, not really."

When was the last time you cried?

"I don't really cry all that often - at least not in front of people. At least I try not to. When I'm sad or something truly upsets me I just kinda, shut down and run off to try to find somewhere I can truly be alone. Then I cry. The last time I truly cried was when our kingdom was attacked by those horrid monsters a few months ago. It was chaos and I can't help but feel I could've done something to prevent it, even though that's a foolish notion."

Do you have kids?

"No, of course not, I'm too young for that, I'm only nineteen! I'm almost still a kid myself. And I've got a whole world to see, a lot of adventures to have, wrongs to make right and monsters to fight before I can start thinking about that. If I ever have children, I'll try to be like my Dad was for me - present and caring, as a parent should - not like my mother who left when I was little and never once looked back. Sometimes, because of her, I worry that - if I eventually have any children - I might not be a perfect mother, if I ever become one."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"Only sometimes! It depends strongly on my mood and whom I'm talking to. If I'm happy, I might use sarcasm to make some light hearted jokes, if someone is doing something annoying on purpose I'll use sarcasm as a rebuttal, and so on and so forth. I try to be very careful not to hurt other people's feelings, because it doesn't hurt to try and be as polite as possible to everyone you meet - its common courtesy and even a simple smile and kind words might make someone's day much better, because you never know what they're going through. But on a less serious note, I tend to use sarcasm a lot with my friends - mostly because I trust them and also because they're incredibly sarcastic as well so they're able to match my energy very well!"

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

"I try to understand a bit more about their intentions and morality, if they're trying to help people or if they're using power to cause harm to others. I can get a general vibe of whether someone is good or bad from a first impression - but I tend to give anyone the benefit of the doubt until I'm proven wrong. I also notice try to notice the little details that might give me some more insight into that person's personality and daily life. Sometimes the details speak the loudest, because everyone is so unique and different in their own personal way."

What’s your eye colour?

"Dark brown!"

Scary movies or happy endings?

"I personally like both! When I was a little girl I used to adore the kinds of tales that had very intriguing and scary events that the protagonist had to face throughout the story - the more epic and high stakes the obstacles the better - as long as the hero triumphed in the end. And to this day, though my taste in books has certainly matured that preference hasn't changed. I think that, when you grow up in a kingdom that is constantly beset by monsters and horrors born of dark magic, you learn that fear is a natural part of life, and you learn how to deal with it in a way that doesn't let it consume you - you learn to grow from it, and to use that fear in order to create a better future. My Dad comes from a long line of monster hunters, so I was naturally raised with a lot of tales about eldrich creatures from far off lands and the knights who defeated them."

Any special talents?

"I am a knight-in-training, and I take my training duties very seriously. Because of this I can say I'm pretty talented when it comes to fighting, especially with the use of swords, spears and daggers. I'm also good at archery and I've learned how to fight wearing plate armor (the weight of that amount of metal takes a while to get used to, but once you do it becomes pretty much second nature). Though I take pride in those talents I've nurtured, I still have a lot to learn - hubris can lead to fatal mistakes in a fight. I also like sewing and making simple jewelry out of daily items, and I think I can dance well enough to not make a fool of myself in front of everyone in a masquerade. At least I hope so!"

Where were you born?

"I was born in the capital city of Tirawen, and have lived there ever since. It's a beautiful city, with good people and an incredibly vast set of cultures, but its also a very complicated place - the nobility is trapped in a constant 'dance' of which House has the most power and influence, and as such, gossip and intrigues are a harsh reality one has to deal with when around the city's elite. The kingdom also is constantly beset by monsters, though due to the capital being in the heart of the kingdom, it is usually safer than the provinces, despite the kingdom's magic barrier shielding most of the land. Also, fun fact that some people don't know: due to our kingdom being constantly in contact with that same magic, people from Tirawen often have longer lifespans - up to 200 years old if they live really close to the heart of the kingdom where magic is the strongest! I just find that pretty neat!"

Do you have any pets?

"We have an old dog named Miss Hilde who is the sweetest little thing - despite her being the biggest dog I've really ever seen. She's incredibly playful, but don't let those big, seemingly thoughtless eyes fool you - she's a sneaky and sassy pup who likes making a mess at every chance she gets, because she knows she'll get away with it. Or at least that's what I think my dog thinks, haha."

What sort of sports do you play?

"Does jousting, horseback riding, swordfighting and other knightly duties - like archery, duelling, etc - count? I hope it does, because that's pretty much a lot of what being a knight entails - at least I'm constantly exercising, so hopefully I'll be a healthy and buff old lady when I eventually grow old, haha."

How tall are you?

"I've always been pretty tall for my age, which has definetly come with its own sets of advantages and disadvantages."

What was your favourite subject in school?

"Hmm. In my time at the academies I used to really like subjects such as 'History of the Ancient Realms', 'Handling Magic', 'the General Sciences of Alchemy' and every single class that had something to do with improving my abilities as a knight!"

What is your dream job?

"I think I've probably already talked your ear off about wanting to be a knight, by now, so I think we've got the answer right there, haha. I cannot wait to pass my Trials and be fully knighted as a soldier of the realm - then I'll be able to serve my country and protect the people from the monsters that lurk in the night, as well as bring honor back to our family name... Which is a very complicated subject for another time."

Tagging (gently, no pressure): @agirlandherquill, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @littleladymab, @little-peril-stories, @illarian-rambling, @elshells, @winterandwords, @writernopal, @moonandris, @eccaiia, @inky-duchess, @i-can-even-burn-salad, @clairelsonao3, @thepeculiarbird, @steh-lar-uh-nuhs, @ybotter, @aalinaaaaaa, @autumnalwalker, @oh-no-another-idea, @cowboybrunch and OPEN TAG

[bakedbakermom]

Stained

Chapter 2: Sedulous // start at the beginning

tagging @today-in-fic @ao3feed-msr

sedulous adjective 1. constant in effort 2. accomplished with careful perseverance --- Research and ruminations.

God, they’re barely more than children , Scully thought, not for the first time, then chided herself for being so dismissive. Mulder trusted them, had known them—at least online—for years, and had vouched for them dozens of times. It wasn’t like her to doubt his contacts and sources. Lord knows the Lone Gunmen had looked every bit as unimpressive at first, and they had come through for them more times than she could count. Deep Throat had given his life for them. Hell, even Bambi Barenbaum had proven herself useful once or twice.

Still, as she listened to them argue, she couldn’t help but wonder if this whole endeavor was doomed.

“I’m just saying, Silence Clarice was lucky Hannibal was behind glass the whole time.” Xander tossed a piece of popcorn in the air, lunged for it with his mouth wide open, and missed. “He would have snapped her like a twig.”

Buffy picked up the fallen kernel and threw it without looking up from her book; it hit him squarely in the eye and he gave a startled yelp. “Small is scrappy, Xander. Don’t make me prove it to you.”

“And it’s just such a classic,” Tara added, face half hidden behind her hair. She put a hand on Willow’s arm. “Sweetie, you know I love the gingers, but you can’t argue the first one still keeps you up at night.”

“Only ‘cause of the thing with the puppy,” Willow conceded.

“Really?” said Buffy. “The whole graphic disembowelment thing doesn’t get to you?”

“I like puppies.”

“I liked that Hannibal fellow,” Anya chirped from behind the counter, where she was sorting a shipment of what looked suspiciously like mummified spider legs, if spiders were the size of golden retrievers. “He had a real flair for vengeance.”

Definitely doomed.

Scully leaned back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose. Three hours of pouring through dusty, mildewed tomes while a gaggle of twenty-somethings bickered about pop culture was enough to make anyone’s head pound, even if they hadn’t just donated a couple pints to their newly vampiric partner.

She and Mulder had stopped at a drugstore on their way into town—he stayed in the car rather than face the fluorescent lights—so she could properly bandage her wounds with gauze and some antibiotic ointment. At his insistence, she had also bought a bottle of painkillers and taken two, but the medicine was doing nothing for the throbbing behind her eyes.

“Here,” Giles said, chuckling as he set a mug of tea in front of her. “Trust me, it helps.”

Scully smiled her gratitude and raised the cup to her lips. It was sweeter than she expected, rich with cream, and she lifted her eyebrow at Giles as she sipped. “I thought you Brits looked down on people who don’t take their tea black.”

His eyes traveled meaningfully from her neck, to her arm, and then back to her face. “Trust me. It helps.”

Oh. “Thank you.”

Giles moved so his body blocked her sight of the kids at the other end of the table, giving them some measure of privacy. “Are you all right?” he asked delicately.

Scully bit back her first response; she was well aware of her own penchant for denial when it came to her health, mental or physical. She would say she was fine until her mouth was too full of blood and broken teeth to speak. But the old man was looking at her with such kindness in his eyes, such understanding, that she felt her veneer crack. “No,” she said softly, setting down her mug. The sweetness of it was suddenly too cloying, its herbal aftertaste too much like swallowing graveyard dirt. “And neither is Mulder. I know you’ve been corresponding for years, but I see him every day. You never saw the man he was, and what he’s become now… I don’t know how much longer he can stand it. How long I can.”

“A vampire ensouled is a creature of grief and pain, a demon’s lust for death crippled by human empathy and guilt. I’ve known only one other, and even after centuries to adjust, he was tormented; but he used that torment to do a great deal of good. It’s true Mulder may never be the same, but he can still have a worthwhile life.”

“Centuries,” Scully breathed. “If we don’t find a way to help him, he’ll really..?”

“As long as he avoids sunlight and getting on Buffy’s bad side, he could live forever.”

She thought of the pain in her partner’s eyes, the shameful way he licked her blood from his lips, his cold skin with a monster burrowing beneath it. She imagined him living in darkness, forever, watching as everyone he’d ever known or loved withered and died. He had already lost so much—his father murdered, his mother who took her own life, his sister whom he had lost once and then a hundred times more. What would be left of him when nothing at all of his human life remained? She shuddered.

“And these… kids? They can actually help?”

“I know they look young, Miss Scully. God do I know,” he said, leaning his hip against the table as he sipped from his own mug of tea. “But these strange, loud, infuriating people have been through more than you or I can imagine. If anyone can find something to help your partner, I trust it would be them.”

“You really mean that, don’t you?”

Giles lowered his voice, though the others were unlikely to hear him over their own excited noise. “Xander is the smartest idiot I’ve ever known, though I’ll deny that completely if you ever tell him. Anya has witnessed a thousand years of human and demonic history. Willow is an actual genius, and beyond that she and Tara are intensely powerful witches. And Buffy…”

Sadness and pride passed over his features—a look she remembered seeing on her own father’s face during those sweet, fleeting moments when parents realize their children are growing up. It made her heart ache. “Buffy is a hero. It’s in her bones to help, to save. She wouldn’t surrender even if her life depended on it. Especially then, in fact.”

He rested a warm hand on her shoulder. “Don’t give up on our man just yet.”

He smiled as he watched the group around the table chatter away, the very picture of the indulgent patriarch. Gratitude welled in Scully’s heart as she saw them the way Mulder must have seen them—a family. Misfits, freaks, and outcasts who had somehow found their way to each other, and despite their broken pieces, built something beautiful and strong.

She knew the feeling.

The Magic Box was empty except for their group, its doors having closed to the perusing public around dusk, but the self-christened Scoobie Gang showed no sign of slowing down. This was their third straight night gathered around the large wooden table at the back of the shop, its legs creaking under the dusty weight of ancient texts piled upon it. The discard stacks in the corners grew every hour, but Giles never seemed to run out of new books to bring in from the back room or his own home.

Despite their subject matter, Scully had taken great comfort in those thick, musty volumes; they reminded her of nights spent in the library during medical school, cramming for exams with her friends, guzzling coffee and junk food and chattering about anything they could think of just to keep each other awake. Some of these books even had the same kind of disturbingly graphic yet coldly clinical anatomical diagrams as her textbooks.

Though these books held nearly nothing of the science she loved, they nonetheless represented the same human desire to document the past and carry it into the future, bound in worn leather and yellowed pages; ships in bottles cast into the world in the hopes their messages would help someone else.

Still, the line had to be drawn somewhere.

“Werewolves? Mummies? Demons? You guys actually believe in this stuff?”

“Dated one,” answered Willow and Xander at the same time.

“Used to be one!” piped Anya.

Scully’s headache grew a shade worse. Giles patted her shoulder and went to retrieve yet another box from his car.

She tried to focus on the ponderous tome open on the table in front of her, a book of remedies written in one of the few languages she could understand—presumably some form of German, though roughly one word in eight was too archaic for her to recognize. The other books were written in languages more obscure still; they had gone through most of the English volumes on the first night of their search. Translating them would be the work of a lifetime; even skimming a single volume for relevant words and phrases took hours, and a fear was growing in her belly that all of this effort would turn out to be futile. If the others shared the same concern, they didn’t show it. Three nights in a row they had shown up with snacks, coffee, and an enthusiasm that bordered on mania. They would be half-asleep in their chairs by dawn—or in Xander’s case, fully asleep and snoring—and she loved them for it.

So much of this still felt so unreal; she turned the thick page and began to pick through what turned out to be a recipe for making cough tonic from the scales of something called a polgara, alongside an illustration depicting a reptilian creature with enormous skewers sprouting from its humanoid arms; the author of the tonic helpfully reminded her to exercise caution around the pointy bits. She wanted to slam the book shut, hop on a plane, and return to the more vague and deniable lunacy of her regular life. Mutants and aliens and government conspiracies she could understand, maybe even explain. But magic? Real magic?

She glanced over at Willow and Tara, their fingers twining together as they compared notes. Those first few hours after Mulder’s… transformation… had been bewildering, terrifying, and while she might have been borderline delirious with blood loss and nursing a moderate concussion, she couldn’t deny what she had seen. It was a sight she would take to her grave.

Buffy had bound Mulder in chains, and he hung between them with a face from a nightmare, snapping and foaming pink at the mouth like a rabid animal. While the other Scoobies took up their places in a loose circle, leveling crosses and crossbows at him—and Scully slumped against the wall, refusing to leave his side even now—the two young women stood before the snarling beast that used to be her partner, uncowed as he hurled graphic threats and curses at them. Scully could only watch in stunned wonder as they summoned something so beautiful and so primal that even now she couldn’t find the proper words to describe it.

She had felt the power in that room as white light pooled into the orb suspended between their outstretched hands, the air itself chiming with its purity. She didn’t recognize the language spilling from their mouths, but she heard the music in it, the command; the chanting doubled and redoubled upon itself, echoing through the space until Scully felt she could reach out and pluck the words like birds from the air and cradle them in her hands.

When finally the spell reached its zenith, power throbbing against her skin like the heartbeat of creation itself, Willow had called out one last echoing command; the light that they conjured fled all at once, leaving Scully staggered and half-blind in the sudden dark.

At first she feared it hadn’t worked, that the dying of the light was a sign that the darkness had won, until she saw the last tendrils of that brilliant light fading in Mulder’s eyes— Mulder’s eyes, green as the first breath of spring, staring out with pain and confusion from a human face still smeared with her blood.

She had wept, then, and stumbled forward on weak legs to drape her arms around him. “Scully?” he asked in a trembling voice. “What happened? I don’t—I don’t remember…”

He would remember, and soon, but for that moment he was just Mulder again. Her partner, her friend. The man she trusted with every inch of her soul.

And Willow and Tara had restored his.

Maybe believing in magic wasn’t so preposterous after all.

Buffy slammed her book closed, sending a puff of dust into the air. The table—and everyone sitting around it—jumped. “All I’m finding here is new and inventive ways to kill vampires. I already know how to do that. In fact, it’s kind of my whole thing. Not one word about how to make one all soft and cuddly again.”

Willow set her own book down in agreement. “I’ve got plenty of stories of humans getting turned into vampires—some of which are actually quite gross, by the way—but nothing the other way.”

“I still think we should try the whole exorcism thing. I’m pretty sure this group can handle a little pea soup and swearing.”

“Xander, I already told you,” Anya said, coming out from behind the counter to sit beside him. “Even if we could get the demon out, the body is still dead. Without the demon to hold it together, all you’d be left with is a pile of dust.”

Tara raised her hand. “I vote against dusting. I mean, of Mr. Mulder. General cleanliness is fine.”

“Well hang on,” Willow said. “Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. I think there’s a resurrection spell in here that could—”

“No!” the others all cried at once, some in anger, some in fear.

The girl sat back in defeat, her eyebrows knit together in frustration, and Tara put a comforting hand on her arm. “No, sweetie. You know those never go right. You know that.”

Something dark crossed Buffy’s face, and the rest of the group carefully avoided meeting her eyes. Scully wondered why, and made a mental note to ask Mulder when they were alone again. “She’s right, Wil. It’s too dangerous.”

“But—”

“Enough.” Giles didn’t even raise his voice, but the authority in it was unmistakable. Even Scully felt herself sitting up a little straighter at his tone. “This man is our friend. He has helped us out on countless occasions, and has given us information that has saved many lives, including some of ours, at no small risk to himself. Now I’ve told this woman—” he gestured to Scully “—that there is no group in this world more qualified to help him, and I believe that. So I would like to see a little less naysaying and a little more optimism. We haven’t even touched the Sumerian archives yet, or the Heian healer chronicles—and they were practically miracle-workers. Not to mention the Anstopiary codex, the Aurora archives, I have an order in with a bookseller in Qatar that—”

“Giles,” said Buffy, lifting her brows. “Focus.”

He adjusted his glasses, a gesture Scully was beginning to realize was his equivalent of counting to ten and taking a deep breath. “The point is, I’m sure we’ll start making headway soon. I am not giving up on this. On him. None of us are.”

His chastisement hung heavy in the air for a long moment.

“Giles is right.” Willow had known Mulder the longest—they met in a supernatural chat room years ago, and it was her bizarre story about a possibly vampiric serial killer that had brought them here in the first place. Scully wasn’t surprised that the girl was the first to speak, but it warmed her heart just the same. “We’re the freaking Scoobies, guys. And Scoobies never say die.”

“I think that’s Goonies, sweetie.”

“Whatever. The point is, we don’t give up, especially when our friends are in trouble. So buck up, buckers, we gotta make with some head.” She paused, scrunching her face as she heard her own words. “Okay, that sounded kinda gross, but we’re gonna de-vamp that guy if we have to tear through every last one of these books and the whole Watcher library. Twice.”

“Thanks for the enthusiasm, Willow.”

Scully’s heart leapt; she turned and saw Mulder coming through the doorway to the shop, balancing several paper cups of coffee, fast food containers, and a bag of groceries in his arms. She smiled at the sight of him, looking almost normal in his jeans and soft gray t-shirt. He was still too pale, but he seemed to be moving more smoothly since his little… snack. His expression was no longer so pained, his limbs less stiff. He saw her staring and winked, shuffling his feet in a dorky approximation of a dance as if to say S ee, Scully? All good here , and she fought not to roll her eyes.

Spike followed close behind him, similarly burdened, though she saw a few containers bearing the familiar logo of the butcher shop mixed in among the coffee.

“Ooh, Scoobie Snacks!” Xander said, in a passable imitation of the cartoon, rising to help carry the provisions to the table. A happy murmur passed through the room and Scully smiled; nothing like an infusion of sugar and caffeine to reinvigorate an all-night study session.

Scully’s fingers brushed Mulder’s as she took her cup from his hand; they felt slightly warmer. “You seem a little better. Should we upgrade your condition to quarter-dead?”

He smiled as he settled into the chair next to hers, a butcher’s cup cradled in his elbow. “Not quite that far. Maybe a third. Spike took me to…” His voice trailed off, and he looked away with that bashful half-smile that meant he was about to say something she would find, at best, incredulous.

“What, Mulder? Spike took you where?” Her mind spun, despite herself—did they rob a blood bank? Knock over a Red Cross van? Did they go hunting ?

“A vampire cafe.” He laughed, and the fist around her heart loosened. “Next to a slaughterhouse. Not exactly the most glamorous place I’ve ever been, but they can mix up a cow’s blood blend that’s almost approaching palatable.” He nodded towards his cup. “He also showed me a few tricks to make this stuff a little less vile.”

“Cinnamon’s the key,” Spike chimed in, stepping up behind Mulder and clapping him on the back. The liquid in his cup sloshed, along with the contents of Scully’s stomach. “Makes it taste all festive.”

“Yum,” Scully said, and immediately regretted the sarcasm in her voice. “I’m glad it’s helping. You really do look better.”

“How about you guys? Any progress?”

Anyone else might have missed the fragile hope in his eyes, the way he delivered his words with a lack of emphasis that, to her familiar ear, belied the desperation beneath. Seven years together—she could read him like a book.

“You missed a couple of mostly-inspirational speeches and a spirited debate about cinema, but no. We’re still looking.”

He nodded and looked away, the flexing muscle in his jaw the only outward sign of disappointment. Her hand on his brought his eyes back to her face. She stroked her thumb over his knuckles. It said I’m not giving up.

He placed his other hand on top of hers and squeezed. Never.

A/N: Our poor, long-suffering Scully, surrounded by a gaggle of mini-Mulders! I had so much fun writing the Scoobie dialogue. It's strange and exciting combining a show like Buffy, which is renowned for its snappy wordplay, with a show like The X-Files, where so much is unspoken and instead conveyed with touch and eye contact. I hope it didn't give you too much whiplash! As always, comments will be printed, laminated, and put into my Scrapbook of Validation.

[artdecosupernova-writing]

Find the Word Game XVIII

tagged by: @oh-no-another-idea my words: help, cloth, will, shame tagging: @drippingmoon, @druidx, @korblez, @drabbleitout, and I don't know. if you see it and wanna do it go for it your words: threshold, stun, offense, permanent, lamp, afford

help (Aurora)—

"Did I miss it?" "Yes," Gouna said, barely acknowledging Warren as he jogged into the lab. His nose was buried in a tablet, the other hand tapping away at the nearest console to the gestation tank, which still had the metal casing around it keeping it protected from the light. "You've just missed their entu'borah." "Ooh," Corin piped up from his place hidden behind the tank. "We've got sarcasm today." Thrive—also hidden behind the tank—stepped into view and, with Corin's help, removed the latches locking the casing in place. "That's extremely humorous coming from you," he grunted as the latches popped apart.

cloth(es) (Eternal)—

If only you knew. [Warren] blinked the rain away from his burning eyes. Turned his head to look beside him at the source of the gripping voice. If only you knew how...starved...I have become. How our bellies have been emptied of martyrdom...and...trepidation. The shadowed, misty figure came into form beside him, sitting calmly out of reach. It permeated through Warren's clothes. Barely human, just enough to keep him slightly less unsettled. Though that was not the point. You will not remember this experience, it said, burrowing into his brain, hundreds of maggots in his ear canals. Your soul will. Yours is...impressionable. I had become enthused with...finding the festering, infected sore within you although now I believe it is the same as it has always been. We can...taste the pus. A darker void opened in place of its mouth, opening wide, unhinging its jaw to speak. It hummed a monotonous chord, rumbling the atmosphere, vibrating pebbles. ...F̵a̸m̶i̸l̴i̷a̸r̷.

will (Meridian)—

His eyes followed the faded lines starting at Guetry's neck, morphing into thicker, more recognizable shapes down his right arm. The burn scars were visible now, once hidden beneath the tattoo. If Guetry was awake Warren would've made another of many cracks about them, but now, with a single thread of life hanging on, he regretted ever saying anything about it at all. Guetry got those scars by putting himself into harm's way to save venevan children, it was the inciting incident that caused him to accidentally overdose and need an AI in his brain—Guetry himself having moved past it meant nothing. Not anymore. "A technician from NodeSource is here to untether him from Scotty," Thrive interrupted his thoughts as if he'd heard them plain as day. "Once they're untethered, it's very likely that Guetry will..." Warren could tell in his inflection that he had every intention of being blunt about it like he would've with anything else. He supposed he didn't have the courage to do so now, and in a way, Warren was glad he didn't.

shame (Eternal)—

"You think they wanted to make an obhelian empire throughout all of Ashva and conquer every planet? Jesus Christ, Thrive." "We were horrible," he said. "I've said it before. The Leaders were unscrupulous for the most part. There was no shame in sight. If we were a violent people...I think we would've had prisoners in every civilization." "You keep saying 'we,'" Warrens said. "There's no 'we' here. Just them. You've already proven yourself to be as far removed from all of that as possible, and the fact that you've ——— and still maintain your bitterness towards them shows me that you're so much better than they could ever have been or hope to be." The corner of Thrive's mouth turned up. "If you insist." "I do, thank you."

[cheswirls]

a:tla la thoughts 1.1

admittedly i'm not super excited to fly thru this anymore so i'm not going to sit and binge all 8 episodes tonight but i do want to liveblog as i go thru them as smth to look back on eventually.

(not gonna tag these w the usual tag bc i don't want them showing up in tag results or search results if i can help if and pushing more relevant content down further ((and i already know the tags gonna be filled w la stuff which will be annoying to anyone looking for content from the original show coughcough)) but eventually i'll go back when time has passed and add smth to index them on my blog. for now i think these will be sparse and short enough that a blacklist tag shouldn't be necessary but i can change that too if needed!)

anyway. more under the cut

i don't hate the decision to start it chronologically tho it does make me wonder how much will be shown chronologically. the scene i paused on is katara trying to waterbend so maybe this opener is the only thing out of order, but if so that does make me wonder how they're going to deal with the sequence of events in the storm episode that showed zuko and aang's pasts concurrently to parallel them. i wondered before i reached the scene and paused if it would show hakoda leaving, kaya dying, or anything to do with zuko's family. i guess i could be proven wrong but it seems like this scene is gonna lead to the iceberg scene and might continue into present further instead of doing (what would be at this point) a flashback.

one thing i noticed that i quickly didn't like is the changes to the (yet unnamed) comet and its importance. atla has a wide berth of extended universe content to draw on, and from what i remember, when bryke do worldbuilding they tend to not waste or discard anything. i'm not wording this right maybe. but like, when they mention something, or create something, it's because there's significance behind it or they add to it to make it significant.

this is a third of the way thru the first episode, so i hope i'm proven wrong and it gets addressed again, but there's a lot about (sozin's) comet in these opening scenes that they've added to and have done zero to explain. it's like they needed a buzzword. like, why is there a grand festival for this comet that the airbenders travel from all over the world to attend? even if it is (and i'm considering it more likely) just a way to have them all in the same place to address that they all got wiped out with little explanation, it's still conflicting to the viewer by what's been presented. this comet is a cause for celebration, but it powers up firebenders? they why is there a festival being held for it? if it's important to non-firebenders, wouldn't it be worth mentioning as another distraction to fool the earth kingdom with? it's heavily implied by sozin that the comet increases firebending prowess, like as a first-time viewer i get that you're supposed to take that. but also, if that's the case, then why not explain why the comet is important in further detail? why do the airbenders care so much? you see what i'm getting at? the fact that they added a comet festival isn't bad by itself, but they way they shoehorned it in without any meaningful explanation and even made it contradictory by placing significance on it from a culture it (thus far) doesn't seem to affect is??? like why. this is what i meant by "wasteful" earlier. if you're going to add to the worldbuilding of an already incredibly rich universe, then it needs to serve some purpose.

another thing i hope i am proven wrong on (by showing more examples in scenes that don't take place during the comet's passing) is the way firebending and airbending are shown opposing each other. there's one scene where an air nomad is in the middle of a twister, and without applying any excessive force to punch through it, sozin just adds a little fire and it burns the nomad into smithereens. there are more examples but this is the most significant. it's been shown in the cartoon multiple times that a flame can be extinguished with a strong burst of wind. with some of the power these nomads were portrayed with, it made zero sense to me that the fire, even if powered by the comet, would so effortlessly counter it without going out.

what gyatso did in his final scene was along the lines of what i expected to see all the air nomads doing. flames instantly vanquished by a strong gust of air. i really wanted to see some more creative tactics during the siege, like an airbender drawing the air away from a space so the fire dies on its own from lack of oxygen. not even like a dark twist of rendering the soldiers unable to breathe in the space, but just a quick 'pull all the air to me' technique as a way to temporarily disarm your enemy. with that, aside from the twister, there really wasn't any depiction of making an enclosed space using airbending. none of the kids made airballs, no one made a dome of air (that i remember, or with any significance) as a form of protection, nothing like that. even being taken by surprise, there wasn't enough due credit being given to the air nomads for it to be impactful that the firebenders were seemingly coasting by in the siege. i get the point in showing sozin having zero trouble was to depict him as powerful, but imo it really just showed more than anything that none of the air nomads were being used to their full extent.

which, okay, circling back to the 'gathering everyone in one place' deal. that really was a cop-out to me. it's established in extended lore that sozin ordered simultaneous attacks on all four temples, but even then, airbenders are nomadic. not all of them were at a temple. many stayed in hiding for years and years after the genocide. sozin spent his entire lifetime hunting down and eliminating airbenders. they didn't have to add that to the show, but like, do you see the difference in how the two things are handled?? netflix's approach has been very 'tie up any loose ends immediately' super straightforward, which is concerning this early on because atla is such a roundabout show sometimes - in a good way. things aren't black and white, lots of things go wrong and some go right accidentally and sometimes people with good intentions end up making a situation worse and vice versa. it's a very human show about a handful of kids who make mistakes but still try their best. so, while it's not a super important nitpick, i did notice bc i have context from seeing the original show 2479322 times that having all the air nomads at one temple was a very calculated way of reducing what needs to be explained.

last thing, and this is kinda so-so in the grand scheme but it's a change i didn't like so i'm throwing it out there. they way they went about doing the scenes w monk gyatso and aang. not just that, but that entire sequence as a whole, like all the little changes. aang can fly i guess alright. that grates on me as someone who knows the significance to flight and that in-verse (like canon!!!!!! canon) it's been established that the avatar can never achieve such a thing because earthly attachments are something an avatar can never discard. but like to make it look cool, fine i guess. i think him using his glider would have been equally as cool. that's the only scene we get of him "showing off" (and even then there's not much impact bc it's gyatso observing this instead of the other kids) to mark him as advanced, and then gyatso saying himself that aang shouldn't skip classes even tho he's advanced for his age. in the original show, aang doesn't alienate himself - it's done for him. since he has his tattoos, the other kids won't let him play games with them bc it'd be seen as unfair. it's such an immediate contrast to the live action. why would aang skip lessons and distance himself? the whole point of his character is that he wants to be a kid first, and has to grow and learn how to be an avatar properly.

gyatso not fighting the other elders in the meeting about aang was also a noticeable choice. i'm confused why they didn't just do the toy-picking scene especially because they could've name-dropped the past avatars doing it that way as well. that's another example of (thus far) tossing aside a piece of lore and worldbuilding in the name of what? run time?? being concise??? why not just show the toys.

okay but going back to the point - gyatso shows no resistance to the other elders when they put their collective foot down. he says nothing to aang about taking him away so aang has a chance to be a kid while he's young. it's such a push away from gyatso's character that it was almost startling to watch expecting him to do something and not have him act at all. it also really makes me wonder what their plan for aang's character is overall. i can already. siiiiiigh. i can already see why bryke left. it's fine if it's not the same story. it's fine if it's more to-the-point and cuts things out. but the changes already that i've seen aren't particularly good changes, and imo, aren't necessary either.

i hope there's more time devoted to showing aang's life 100 years prior when the trio are at the southern air temple. atla is such a story-driven and lore-heavy show, and in this first twenty minutes, all i really took was netflix wanting to show off how well (which is not very, right now) they can do fight scenes and action sequences instead of using that time to establish character dynamics more. the genocide wasn't shown in the original show bc it didn't need to be - the consequences and severity were shown when aang travels to the southern air temple. it's not a bad addition on netflix's part, but showing something only implied in the original bc you can in your higher-rated show is only a good thing if it doesn't detract from the story. this is twenty minutes of run time in an eight hour series. i'm nervous to see what they sacrificed or put to the side so they could show the genocide in full.

-

OH she practices in the ship. that's interesting. on one hand, i get that that's perfect cover for waterbending in secret. on the other hand, this implies that the ship isn't booby-trapped to release a flare, or if it still is, that it's not something that's as cause for alarm to keep others at bay. hm.

ian ousley is killing it

not sure if it's fault of the script but sometimes sokka and katara's back and forth sounds very much like they're reading lines. like it breaks immersion for me.

two or three older men in the same scene kana is introduced. why. holding off judgement til zuko lands to see if they help sokka fight. but like. why. what purpose are they serving. why add them.

dallas liu really sounds like dante basco omg. idk if he's pitching his voice to imitate dante or if he jus sounds uncannily similar but i am not complaining.

bison whistle right off the bat but no glider. no glider??? is it with appa?? no glider period???? the hovering-in-air-using-air is not as cool as the showrunners think to keep using it like this. hmmmmmmm

ok they did mention hakoda leaving sokka in charge but even as a form of like comfort to give his son a goal and a purpose, what does this mean when there are other men in the village???? i didnt say elders earlier bc they don't look decrepit or anything, they look abled, their hair isn't white or turning, not a ton of wrinkles. if they wanted old men in the southern water tribe then why not make them look old af?????? i am. so confused

they didnt even end up fighting or being seen again so!!!!!!! if they were in the bg then i missed any of them. again again again. what is the point in adding things unnecessarily.

the glider scenes were cool on the boat, the temple scene was rly short and i don't dislike that gyatso technically calmed aang down but having it not be katara is kinda uuuuuuuuh. hm.

the landscapes were all really pretty. when they're canoeing, and especially after aang is freed, all the lighting in the scenes katara and sokka are in is outstanding. i like the ship's set design :) wish they would've shown how clever aang is a bit more. like it's not a bad first episode, but once again, i feel like the twenty minutes for the opener could've been used better elsewhere. i don't think there was a single otter penguin even with being mentioned twice :( aang got to be carefree a bit but at the same time, it seems they're getting rid of the bucket list of things to do around the world that he had in mind thru s1.

i definitely don't hate it but i'm not jumping into the next ep either.

[tlkmh]

Is Social Media a Great Tool for Activists?

Social media, as we all know, has been around for decades. From sharing posts to communicating with our friends and family, there is no doubt that social media has made our lives ten times better. Whether it is seeing celebrities posting their thoughts and opinions on social media platforms, famous and upcoming brands advertising their product or normal folks like you and I, joining in on the conversation and giving our two cents, social media is like the best invention to ever grace our presence. But one could wonder whether it is a great tool in being an instrument for the voiceless.  

We know that social media is a powerful tool, it can be used for both good and bad things. Good, meaning — posting harmless content, sharing funny pictures/videos/experiences and among others. As for bad — propaganda, cyberbullying, doxing and among other online acts that harms people on the internet. But for activism, social media plays a huge role in it. Not only does social media aids in amplifying voices for the movement but it also helps to educate and spread awareness to the public, both local and international. In fact, this is where the term ‘social media activism’ came about. That very term works to advance the aims of social or political groups via the use of online platforms (Khiry, 2020).

Moreover, digital technology allows activists to use hashtags to further their movement online. By using the tag, it helps with the algorithm and gives more exposure to online users. Aside from Facebook and Instagram, the hashtag is most used on the X app. For instance, Black Lives Matter is an activist movement committed to fighting against police brutality and racial violence in the black community in the USA. The BLM was founded as an online movement using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, created by three of the organization's founders — Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi. The hashtag became one of the popular trending topics on a few social media platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. As more and more innocent African Americans were killed by the police and had to endure years upon years of racial harassment, those three words became a catalyst for protestors to spread the movement.

Image 1. Black Lives Matter London Protest on June 6th, 2020.

Despite how social media seems to be an ideal instrument to use for spreading awareness for activists, what emerges from this is the performative activism. This selfless act is when users, fabricating as allies, post about the movement without the sheer intent to make a change. Instead, it is for their own personal gain and to garner attention towards themselves. Generally, these types of people are those who post about the movement, but their actions say otherwise. This hypocritical performance is typically done by big-named celebrities and brands to save face and avoid backlash and criticism for being neutral or tone-deaf by the public. But there are certain groups of people who chose to stay quiet despite being online and most probably seen what is going on around lately. This goes to show that social media isn’t necessarily a great tool for activists to amplify their cause. People can just scroll past any posts that’s related to any movement and go about their lives, having zero compassion to make a difference, in this already struggling society.

So, to answer the question, is social media a great tool for activists? For me, yes, it is. I believe, in the years to come, soon more social media platforms will be invented and of course, updated to further cater for its users.  For one, social media has already been proven to be big part of our daily lives. Imagine where social media was never invented — news around the world wouldn’t even get the coverage it needs. Think about the lesser-known movements that hasn’t even got the attention it deserves, if it weren’t for social media platforms like X and Instagram, we wouldn’t even know about the suffering on a nation especially on minorities, politicians being the devil themselves and so on. Albeit there’s the mainstream media, but that alone cant be trusted wholeheartedly, as we all know, news broadcasting station are known to add in a little bit spice and lies and of course the absurd headlines that mostly work on boomers and gullible people. For that reason, social media is a great tool for activists.

References

Brown, S. (2022). How Activists Use social media for Good — You can too. Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/news/social-media/features/how-activists-use-social-media-for-good-and-you-can-too/

Eades, J. (2020). Black Lives Matter London Protest. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/people-sitting-on-chair-holding-brown-paper-during-daytime-2eWFphvQPbY

Jacquot, S. (2022). Social Media Activism: Accessible or Performative? Retrieved from https://theobserver-qiaa.org/social-media-activism-accessible-or-performative

Khiry, Z. (2020). Why is social media activism important? Retrieved from https://www.onlineoptimism.com/blog/social-media-activism/

Siapera, E. (2012) ‘Socialities and social media’, in Introduction to New Media, pp. 191-208

Su Moe, P. (2020). The Rise of Social Movements through hashtags. Retrieved from https://www.changemag-diinsider.com/blog/the-rise-of-social-movements-through-hashtags

Woods, K. (2022). Social Media Activism: This is how you start a movement. Retrieved from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-activism/

[digitalsatyr23]

Bebop Bayou Tales #2

Red on Black

Setting: Bebop Bayou Characters: Rina, Lafayette, Scarlet... Word Count: 21,853 Tag List: @gummybugg (ask to +/- yourself)

Once again, we find ourselves in the low-lying wetlands of Bebop Bayou. Ever since Rina and Lafayette saved the land from the terrifying Swamp Shark, the kids have been keeping themselves busy, goin’ out on adventures and fightin’ any no-good monsters that caused trouble. Rina brings the brawn, and Lafayette brings the brains, but these days they get a little extra help from Alyssa, the egret woman of the bayou. With her swift wings, it’s no trouble at all takin’ to the air and spottin’ incoming varmints. And so, we join them rough-and-ready kids once more as they brave the wild and fight to keep their homeland safe. Little do they know that a great change is comin’…

---

The gigapede attacked, its snapping jaws oozing with dark venom. Rina stood her ground and caught the gigapede by its huge mandibles. Her boots dug into the moist earth beneath her, and she stared the monster down.

“Ain’t no way I’m lettin’ you in here!” Rina growled. Yet the gigapede continued to press forward with its dozens of legs. Then, its antennae sparked.

“Rina, look out!” shouted Lafayette.

“Oh shoot!”

Electricity arced between the gigapede’s antennae as it readied its attack. Before the worst came to pass, Alyssa swooped down and grabbed Rina by her overall straps. A blinding blast of electricity hit the ground where Rina once stood, and the gigapede looked up with curiosity and irritation.

“Thanks a ton, Alyssa! I was almost roast gator!” said Rina.

“It’s no fuss! Besides, your ma would tan my hide if I didn’t pitch in,” said Alyssa. “Now, I don’t suppose our resident monster expert has a plan, does she?”

“I might,” Rina said, looking down at the gigapede. Its chitinous hide had proven too tough to crack for either her or the others. Its face was the least armored, but it still had those venomous jaws and special antennae. As Rina pondered the situation, she saw electricity arc between the monster’s antennae once more. “Alyssa, dodge!!”

Alyssa swerved mid-air to dodge a bolt of electricity, then a second, then a third.

“Man, this thing doesn’t let up!” said Alyssa.

“Lafayette! You still down there, bud?!” shouted Rina.

“I’m still here!” Lafayette shouted from a tree. “Can’t say I’m happy about it, though!”

“I need me some good rope! Do you still have any?”

“O’ course I got rope! What do ya need it for?”

“Just trust me!” Rina then looked up at Alyssa. “Mind movin’ me closer to him?”

“I can certainly try!” said the egret.

Alyssa swooped down, giving Rina the chance to grab Lafayette’s rope – and not a moment too soon, for the gigapede had lined up its shot and fired on where Lafayette was hiding. The grey fox boy hopped out of the tree and into the mud, which he used for cover. With Rina’s instructions, Alyssa dropped the gator girl onto the gigapede’s armored backside. Rina lassoed the rope around the monster’s huge antennae and used it to steer the beast like cattle. The giant insect bucked and wriggled, moving faster and faster to try and throw Rina off its back. While she kept it busy, Alyssa and Lafayette passed mud back and forth to put out the fire on the burning tree.

“What’s she doin’?” Alyssa asked Lafayette.

“The only thing she knows how to – followin’ her gut!”

Despite the gigapede’s best efforts, Rina gained control of which direction the monster moved, and with a twist and a yank, she caused it to ram right into a giant boulder. The momentum alone threw Rina off of the beast, and she dropped onto the boulder on her backside. Even though her view was upside down, she could tell the gigapede had stopped moving.

“Good goin’, Rina!” said Alyssa, flying down to the base of the boulder. “Are you okay?”

“This rock done popped my back in places I didn’t know I had, but I’d say I’m doin’ fine,” said Rina. “Is Lafayette all right?”

“I’m okay,” said the fox boy, catching up. “Got a bit dirty, but nothin’ a dip in the lake can’t fix.”

“I just can’t believe somethin’ so dangerous found the bayou,” said Alyssa. “And you two fight these things all the time?”

“More or less,” Rina spun around, standing up. “Not the worst we’ve had, mind you, but I’d say this is a good refer… Refen… A good perspective. And as you can see, we get along just fine.”

Alyssa was a recent recruit to the monster-fighting team that Rina and Lafayette had formed. Having helped during the invasion of the Swamp Shark, Alyssa’s flight and keen eyes proved invaluable in finding threats that encroached upon the swamp. She was a tall thin bird woman with a pale feathery body. Prominent wings grew from her back, and both her arms and legs ended in scaley dark claws – with her legs in particular being quite long and thin, much like a great egret’s legs. Her eyes were bright yellow, her neck was long, and her face was human-like, with flecks of green and gold around her eyes like natural eye shadow. Her only clothes were a black sleeveless zipped-up vest and torn jean shorts. Rina thought Alyssa was as pretty as a painting, and she liked the woman’s singing voice too.

“Now what should we do with this thing?” asked Rina, sliding down the boulder.

“It’s big, but it’s not too heavy,” said Alyssa. “If I could bundle this thing up somehow, I could probably carry it out of the bayou.”

“I got a net,” said Lafayette. “Rina, help me with this thing.”

“Sure thing!” saluted the gator girl.

Rina and Lafayette wrapped the gigapede’s long thin body around itself, trying not to hurt it in the process. Rina and Lafayette’s monster fighting squad wasn’t about killing monsters, just doing enough damage that the monsters thought twice before causing trouble in the swamp again. It was only natural for beasts to fight over food and territory, so as long as Rina and her friends proved their grit, the monsters they fought never came back.

With the gigapede bound in the net, Alyssa grabbed the top of the rope with her talons and hoisted it into the air.

“All right! I’ll go ahead and take this thing to the north, so why don’t you two head on back to the village?” said Alyssa.

“Sounds like a plan. Thanks for all the help!” said Rina.

“Oh, it’s nothin’ at all. It’s you two I should be thankin’. Take care, now!”

Then Alyssa flew off. Rina watched her go with a smile on her face. “What a nice lady.”

“Good thing she was here,” said Lafayette. “I felt like a second fiddle in this fight.”

“It’s okay, bud!” Rina wrapped her arm around Lafayette. “What’s important is you were here. You’re our fastest runner, so I’d be relyin’ on you to warn the others if things went south.”

“Then I’ll take today as another victory.”

“That’s the spirit!” Rina patted Lafayette on the back. “Now let’s head home. I’ll bet my mama’s cookin’ somethin’ real good by now. It’s almost lunch time!”

“I like the sound of that. Race ya there!”

Lafayette took off in a sprint down the dirt road. Rina gave chase, and even though she was leagues slower than her friend, every day it felt like she got just a pinch faster. She wondered if there would ever come a time when she could outrun her friend, or if there would be a day when Lafayette got stronger than her. Every day was a chance to learn, see something new, grow, and improve, and Rina relished every second of it.

After the pair got too winded to run, they stopped to catch their breath. There was a stream nearby, so they got down by its edge and splashed cool water on their faces. The wind was gentle and sweet that day, and the happy buzzing of insects made Rina feel at ease.

“Say, what plans you got for the rest of the day?” asked Lafayette.

“Can’t think of much,” said Rina. “Unless another monster shows up, I was thinkin’ maybe I’d dust off my banjo, or maybe go feed Tabasco. What about you?”

“My lucky coin’s been givin’ me that feeling all day.” The fox boy reached into a pocket and pulled out his coin. It was small and flat, with a gold color and an uneven cross on both sides. Its corner spaces were occupied by engraved symbols, like lions, bulls, or buildings, and despite its size, it had a surprising heft to it. In the past, Lafayette had claimed that the coin led him to the bayou years ago, and each time it gave him that special feeling, something good always seemed to happen.

“You wanna go treasure huntin’?” asked Rina.

“Mayhaps,” Lafayette pocketed his coin. “I’m sure I’ll figure out what’s what after lunch, but I thought I’d give the offer.”

“Then mayhaps I’ll come along, even if it’s just to provide musical accompaniment.”

Rina laughed as she stood up, but as she did, she noticed a strange shadow looming over the bayou. It wasn’t a cloud, nor a bird. When she finally looked up, she was astonished, and was quick to point it out for her friend.

“Lafayette, you said that feelin’ always proceeds somethin’ good, right?” asked Rina.

“I… I think so,” said Lafayette.

“Then should I be worried about that or not?”

Up above, a large unknown object was floating in the air, slowly levitating closer and closer to the bayou. Rina rubbed her eyes, but the object remained. It was a house – two stories tall, with an attic on top. It was the fanciest house she had ever seen, the color red, black, and white, with a nice front porch, wooden pillars supporting the overhang, and windows that shimmered in the sun. It seemed to be floating on a giant flying carpet. Rina just couldn’t believe it. Given Lafayette’s slack jaw, she suspected he couldn’t either.

“Rina… You seein’ what I’m seein’?”

“I do believe I do, Lafayette.”

Without so much as a word, the pair darted off towards the village. It was unlikely the other residents had missed a flying house in the sky, but just in case, the pair ran as fast as they could. Whether the residents of the house were hospitable or hostile, Rina wasn’t sure, but if there was one thing she knew for certain, it’s that caution was always rewarded.

---

By the time Rina and Lafayette arrived in the village, the residents of the bayou had gathered together in front of a large clearing. Up above, the house was still floating on its carpet.

“Ah shoot, I can’t see a thing,” said Lafayette.

“That tree outta give us a good view. Come on!” said Rina.

The pair circled around the huge chattering crowd, clambered up the tree. They then sat on a branch together, anxious to see what happened next. In time, the house began its descent. Slowly but surely, the house landed in the clearing. The giant carpet remained underneath the house, protecting it from sinking into the soft soil of the bayou, and a small breeze was kicked up when it finally touched down. Rina gawked at the sight. She had never seen something so outlandish before – and she had seen some strange things in her time.

“Do you think anyone’s home?” asked Lafayette.

“Beats me,” said Rina. “Now I’m wonderin’… If the house can fly, do you think it can talk?”

The pair’s conversation was cut short, however, when the front door to the house opened and three people walked out. There were two adults and one child – likely a family, since they resembled each other in their own way. The man in front of the group was a tall and distinguished individual with swept-back red hair, red eyes with black slitted pupils, pointed ears, and peach skin. He wore a fine grey suit decorated with a red and white handkerchief in his left breast pocket. His black dress shoes were covered in white spatter guards (fancy foot attire Rina had seen once before), and a gold chain in a lower pocket connected to a pocket watch, which the man pulled out to check. A red snake tail with black and white stripes swayed behind him. His mouth moved, but Rina was too far away to pick up what he said.

“Did you catch that, Lafayette?” asked Rina.

“‘Noon – the perfect time for talk.’ Or somethin’ like that,” said Lafayette as his ears perked up.

Behind the snake man was a beautiful snake woman. Like the man, she had pointed ears, peach skin, and red eyes with black slitted pupils, but she wore a light pink floral dress with plenty of frills, along with a red sash around her waist, and black silk gloves. Her hair was long, blonde, and in curls, and the way light shimmered across her eyes made her seem oddly cute. She wore a sunhat with a red bow around it, and her parasol was the frilliest thing Rina had ever seen.

Lastly, there was a snake girl. Standing no taller than four feet, the girl had red hair that came down to her waist, which was topped with a big blue bow, all while strands of her hair grew past her pointed ears. She shared the same eyes, ears, and skin of the two adults, with her nails being black and notably sharp. Her attire was red, black, and white – just like the colors of her long and slender tail. An open red vest sat on a fancy-looking long sleeved white blouse, and her red skirt came all the way down to her ankles. She wore black boots, as well as white spatter guards over them. As she yawned, Rina couldn’t help but notice the girl’s prominent fangs and forked tongue.

The distinguished man in the front of the snake folk stepped forward, asking, “Who here is the leader of this fine settlement?”

Old Man Eli, who was at the front of the crowd below, stepped forward as well. “You can speak to me if you want.”

“Good, good! Allow me to introduce myself, then.” The man took a bow as he said, “My name is Crawford Beauregard, and this is my wife Victoria and my daughter Scarlet. We of the Beauregard family have been in search of new land to settle, for our old home had grown… Unsafe, you see. Lawless ruffians and monsters left us little choice but to migrate.” Crawford looked around. “Given the remoteness of this place and its warmth, I’d say that this would be the perfect spot. What manner of compensation would you like for this plot of land?”

Eli stuck his hand out, saying, “That won’t be necessary. I just need to discuss things with the others. Can ya spare us a moment?”

“Of course, of course. Take your time.”

Eli returned to the rest of the villagers, and they started talking things out. Even Rina’s parents seemed to be in on the conversation.

“What are they sayin’?” asked Rina.

“Mostly talk about whether they want a fancypants newcomer in the area. No one seems to really mind, though. Can’t say I’m opposed to it, either,” said Lafayette. “What do you think?”

“Well I’m always happy to make new friends,” said Rina. “The little one looks a bit nervous, but I don’t blame her.”

“Nervous?” said Lafayette. “She looks downright bored.”

“What, ‘cause she’s yawnin’? Yawnin’ don’t mean yer bored!”

“Then what would it mean?”

“She’s tired! Who knows how long she’s been flyin’ around in that crazy thing!”

Rather than rebuke this, Lafayette pointed down to where the others were and said, “Hey, somethin’s happenin’.”

In the clearing, Eli returned to Crawford and said, “We’d be happy to have you and your family, Mr. Beauregard. However, I think it’d be in your family’s best interest if you took more of a look around. I’d hate to have ya settle here without knowing what’s what.”

“Of course. Would you be willing to give me and my family a tour of the grounds?”

“I’d be more than happy to. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Splendid!” Crawford flagged down his family. “Victoria! Scarlet! Let’s go see the village!” Then they and the rest of the crowd moved away.

“Should we follow ‘em?” asked Rina.

“I don’t see why not. I doubt we’ll be gettin’ that lunch soon anyway,” said Lafayette. The pair then climbed down and followed after the others.

Rina and Lafayette kept pace with the locals and newcomers, doing their best to get a good view of things when they could. Everyone seemed so curious about the new people; it was hard to get their attention for anything else. Rina was most interested in Scarlet, as she seemed to be about hers and Lafayette’s age. There were other kids in the bayou, of course, but most were either too young or too old to play with. The thought of there being a third kid in her age range absolutely delighted the gator girl. More than once did Rina try getting closer so she could introduce herself. Unfortunately, there was simply no opportunity, what with the tour going on and the huge crowd of beast folk blocking the way. When it became clear there’d be no chance for introductions, Rina returned to Lafayette’s side, and the pair stayed in the background, observing how things went.

Old Man Eli headed the tour, taking the Beauregards all over the village. He showed them the generator, where they could wire themselves in for power – should they need it. It was a large hydrogen engine that Eli had secured for the village many years ago. It required a good deal of maintenance and only Eli really understood how it worked. Most of the villagers thought it was magic, though Rina knew better. She had seen a fair number of movies, so she knew what an engine was. It was something you put in cars that made them go vroom, and all Eli had done was hook the engine up to houses so they went vroom instead. Simple enough. The hydrogen engine was also hooked up to what Eli called “solar panels” and only required water, which was filtered through the machine… Somehow. According to Eli, older models used to produce something nasty called “NOx” and the gas could easily poison the air if the engine wasn’t treated right, but the particular model Eli found ran as clean as a whistle, so it was plenty safe.

“I must say, I’m rather impressed to see a hydrogen engine here,” said Crawford. “Wherever did you get it?”

“You’d be surprised what kind of stuff you can dig up just outside of the bayou. Most abandoned cars are stripped clean, but every once and a while you get lucky and find things like this,” said Eli.

“Splendid! What else is there?”

Eli continued the tour, showing the Beauregards where everyone lived, which primarily centered around a large pond full of lily pads. He also showed them the water tank, which was a huge water filter Eli had set up so people stopped getting sick from the river water. Refilling it was a shared task in the community, and Rina had helped carry bucket after bucket from the local rivers and streams many times in the past. She relished bucket duty, as it was good exercise.

“Ooh, what’s that over there?” asked Victoria.

“That’s the gazebo,” said Eli. “Sometimes we like to gather together and hold cook-offs under its roof.”

The gazebo was one of the larger structures in the community, with a flat stone floor and a sturdy tiled roof supported by several tall wooden beams. The gazebo was made before Rina’s time and was suited to beast folk of all shapes and sizes, including Rina’s gigantic parents. It even had a multi-layered barbeque pit in the center for cooking up huge amounts of meat. While the gazebo was primarily used for cook-offs, celebrations, and similar events, it also worked as a place for village meetings, in case Eli or anyone else needed to discuss something important with the others. A bell on a metal pole and a hammer hanging off of a hook on the pole was indicative of that. In times of emergency, people would smack the bell over and over to get everyone’s attention.

“And to your right, you’ll see our community theater,” said Eli.

“A community theater?” asked Crawford.

“Yes. It was set up by Matthew – he’s a mink that lives in a wagon. Anyone is welcome to use the performance stage – so long as they tell Matthew about it first.”

“You hear that, darling? They have a theater.”

“Ooh, how wonderful!” said Victoria. “I would love to see what kind of plays and concerts the village has to offer. What do you think, Scarlet? Isn’t that exciting? You could play for the whole swamp!”

Scarlet didn’t say anything. She seemed downright despondent. Eli gave the family an odd look and continued.

As Bebop Bayou was mostly a hodge podge of different houses, with no meaningful businesses – save Kylie’s trade store – the tour did not last for a particularly long time. That being said, Eli was sure to bring up the kind of rules for residents of the bayou, of which there were only a handful.

If you’re in trouble, let someone know.

If someone helps you, remember to help them out the next time that neighbor needs it.

Don’t be a stranger. Say hi every once and a while.

Sharing is caring.

And lastly, don’t do anything to your neighbor you wouldn’t want done to you.

“That’s it?” asked Crawford.

“That’s it,” said Eli.

“Does the village not have a standing guard? What about a court?”

“Don’t need one,” said Crush Woodshed. “If there’s a problem between two neighbors, they need to work it out themselves.”

“Is there a council of any kind? Who makes the decisions around here?” asked Victoria.

“Well… We all make the decisions,” said Eli. “There aren’t that many of us, so if there’s something that concerns the whole village, we just talk about it over in the gazebo.”

“Fascinating,” said Crawford. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in such a small community before, so you’ll have to forgive our reactions. What happens if someone steps out of line and disobeys these rules?”

“We tell ‘em to stop,” said Shelly Woodshed. “And if they don’t, we give ‘em a good boop on the snoot and tell ‘em to stop firmly.” Shelly made a flicking motion with one of her hands when she said that.

“And that works?” asked Victoria.

“It has so far,” said Shelly.

“Not a whole lot of trouble happens around here,” said Eli. “Sometimes wildlife from outside the bayou might wander in and cause issue, but we have that covered too. I know it might seem strange, but we’re simple folk. We try not to make things too complicated.”

“I see…” said Crawford. “What do you think, darling?”

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Victoria. “What about you, Scarlet? What do you think of this place?”

“I liked our old land,” Scarlet crossed her arms.

“I did too, honey, but we can’t go back now.”

“Don’t worry, Scarlet,” said Crawford. “I’m certain this will be perfect for us.” He then turned to Eli and said, “We’d be happy to join your little community.”

“Then welcome to the bayou,” said Eli, extending a scaly hand. Crawford took it, and the two men shook. All the other residents let out hoots and hollers, happy to welcome the new neighbors. And just like that, the tour was over, and everyone went home.

“What do you think?” asked Lafayette, watching the crowd disperse.

“I think they seem like mighty fine folk!” said Rina.

“Yeah… I just can’t get a read on that Scarlet girl. She doesn’t seem to wanna live here at all.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Rina gave her friend a pat on the back. “She’s just homesick, is all. She’ll be fine once she gets her footin’, plays with kids like us, and goes on my patented Rina Tour!”

“The Rina Tour, eh?” said Lafayette. “You really think that’ll work?”

“Trust me! When she sees all the real interestin’ spots here, she’ll be dyin’ to stay!”

---

The very next day, Rina and Lafayette went to the Beauregard family’s house. Standing on the porch before the front door, Lafayette hesitated to knock.

“You sure this is a good idea?” asked Lafayette.

“About as sure as sugar cookies!” said Rina.

Lafayette sighed, his ears drooping. “All right… Let’s give it a shot.”

The fox boy knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Victoria opened the door. She was in a different but equally fancy-looking dress, and her eyes lit up as she saw the two children.

“Well hello there! To what do I owe the honor of you two little darlings showing up on my front porch?”

“We just wanted to know if Scarlet could come out to play,” said Lafayette.

“Oh, of course! She’s been indoors all day, and she really could use the sunshine. You know we snakes always need a little bit of sunshine if we wanna digest nice an’ proper.”

“Hey, I need that too!” said Rina, visibly excited to join the conversation. “Since ya’ll just moved here, I can show Scarlet all the best rocks to lay on!���

“That sounds wonderful! Why don’t you two come inside and sit a spell while I go get her?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose,” said Lafayette.

“Don’t you worry one bit,” said Victoria. “It’s no trouble at all! Just… Make sure to wipe your feet before you step inside.”

Lafayette looked down at his paws. They were all muddy – same as Rina’s boots. He gave the snake woman a nod and used the welcome mat to the best of his ability. Once inside, Victoria led the kids down the entrance hall, which was modest in size but not in décor. There was a finely woven rug that sat on the wooden floor of the house colored black and red, and most of the furniture was white-painted wood with elegant, hand-carved designs. Everything was clean and beautiful, and the air smelled like roses. It was clear that the family came from wealth, though that made him wonder how they’d get along in the bayou. As he looked around, Lafayette couldn’t help but whistle.

“Man, this place sure is somethin’!” said the fox boy. “How’d you get such a fancy place like this, anyway?”

“The Beauregard family has always been in the weaving industry,” said Victoria. “Even I learned a thing or two after joining their ranks. We make everything from clothes, carpets, tapestries, and even personalized towels! Our works were highly sought after – which is probably why we had such trouble with bandits in the first place.”

Lafayette nodded along, eventually noticing a series of framed family pictures on the wall, as well as small figurines. Some were carved from wood, others a pale yellowish material that he didn’t recognize, and a few seemed to be made from bronze. They looked like snakes and snake folk, each figurine unique in its design, as if they all came from different parts of the world.

“Hey, what are these things?” asked Lafayette.

“They’re souvenirs,” said Victoria. “Even before the move, we would sometimes travel here and there, and I do love me some knicks and knacks, so they’re just a few of the things I’ve collected over the years.” Victoria then picked up a frightening figurine of what looked like a man bound to a rock with a giant serpent looming over him, a render of venom dripping from its fangs onto the man’s belly. “Aren’t they precious?”

Lafayette tensed up at the sight. “Y-yeah… They’re… Real cute.”

The kids were then led into the dining room, where they sat at a table while Victoria looked around, finally snapping her finger. Then, a strange creature appeared. It was shaped like a person (or at least a close approximation), but it was made entirely out of rope. Wearing a black and white suit and black dress shoes, the rope-man took a bow.

“This is another example of the kind of things we make. You can call him Percy.” Victoria then turned to the rope-man. “Percy, why don’t you fetch the children some refreshments while I check on the lil’ one?”

With a silent nod, Percy got to work in the kitchen as Victoria excused herself and went upstairs. Lafayette and Rina were treated to freshly squeezed lemonade with ice, as well as a plate full of snickerdoodle cookies. Lafayette was unsure about taking the snacks, even though they were offered, while Rina drank the juice and ate the cookies with a big smile on her face.

“Don’t you want some?” Rina asked, her mouth covered in crumbs. “If you don’t eat ‘em, I sure as heck will.”

“Are they good?” asked Lafayette.

“Yeah! Soft, chewy, and sweet. Just the way I like ‘em!”

“Well… If you insist…” Lafayette took one of the cookies in his paws and sniffed it. There was nothing strange about them as far as his nose was concerned, so he took a bite. Then another. Pretty soon, he was helping himself to a second cookie. “Hey, yer right! These are good!”

Truth be told, Lafayette had been more than a little suspicious of the family. It’s not that he was opposed to new neighbors, but the way they arrived, their strange accents, mannerisms, and everything else about them made him worried. He had wondered if there was another reason the family was forced from their land. Those worries began to subside, however. As strange as she was, Victoria was at least cordial. Lafayette took a swig of his lemonade, and his cheeks pursed up. Once he was over the sourness, he laughed.

“You know what, Rina? Maybe havin’ new neighbors ain’t so bad!”

“Heck yeah!” said Rina, raising her own glass. “To new neighbors, new friends, and new adventures!” The pair clinked their glasses together and they finished off their lemonade. Rina then turned her head. “Speakin’ of which.”

Lafayette looked as well. Victoria and Scarlet had just reached the dining room. They stepped so lightly that he didn’t realize they were coming. Scarlet looked about as sour as the day before, arms crossed and hardly making eye contact.

“Heya, Scarlet!” said Rina.

“… Hey,” said the snake girl.

“Now Scarlet, don’t be rude. Introduce yourself properly. These two took time out of their day to come by and see if you wanted to play!” said Victoria.

“But I don’t want to play outside,” Scarlet turned her nose up. “The swamp stinks.”

“Scarlet!”

“What? It’s true!”

Lafayette narrowed his eyes at the prissy girl, but Rina just laughed.

“Ha ha! Yer not wrong about that!” said the gator girl. “It might take some getting’ used to, but trust me, this here swamp is the best around!”

“I still don’t want to go… I haven’t finished my studies yet,” said Scarlet.

“There will be plenty of time for studies! It’s not right for a youngin’ like you to keep yourself cooped up indoors all day!” said Victoria.

It was around this time that Crawford came through the front door, eventually joining the others in the dining room.

“Is something the matter?” asked Crawford.

“Momma’s making me go outside when I haven’t finished my studies!” said Scarlet.

As Crawford passed his hat and coat to Percy, he said, “I don’t see the problem. When I was your age, I couldn’t wait to set my books down and go outside. The sun is good for you.”

Scarlet grumbled. “We had plenty of sun back home…”

Crawford then got down on one knee, setting his hand on Scarlet’s shoulder. “I know you miss it. We all do. But this bayou is our home now, and I know you’ll love it. Just give it a chance. There’s sun, shade, kind neighbors, and most importantly, it’s safe. Isn’t that right, kids?”

Rina was about to say something, but Lafayette nudged her with his elbow. “Oh yeah, plenty safe.”

“See?” said Crawford. He then stood up. “Now don’t make anymore fuss and head outside. The fresh air will do you some good.”

“Yeah, fresh. Right.”

Scarlet then disappeared down the entrance hall, leaving the house. Seeing this, Lafayette and Rina got up.

“Well, that seems like as good a time as any. Thank you all for your kind hospitality,” said Lafayette.

“Yeah! And the snacks were good too!” said Rina.

“Don’t mention it!” said Victoria. “It makes me happy there are such friendly children in these parts. See you around!”

Lafayette and Rina waved goodbye, but as they walked down the entrance hall, Crawford called after them.

“By the by, I do hope you’ll take care of our daughter while she’s away. She’s… Going through a lot right now, and I’d appreciate it if you showed her a good time.”

“O’ course!” said Rina. “By the time we’re done, she’ll never wanna study again!”

Lafayette nudged Rina once more. “What my friend is sayin’ is… We’ll treat her right.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Crawford.

While Crawford came off as the poshest of the bunch, Lafayette couldn’t help but notice the man’s face soften up when talking about his daughter. The fox boy decided he was done judging others based on appearances and told himself to be better. After saying goodbye one last time, he and Rina went outside and found Scarlet sitting on a rock, looking as grumpy as could be.

“Well, you two certainly took your time,” said Scarlet.

Lafayette almost said something, but Rina interrupted him this time, saying, “Sorry about that. Your pa just had to ask us somethin’ real quick before we went out the door.”

Scarlet sighed. “Probably wants you two to babysit me or something… You don’t need to worry about that. I can take care of myself just fine.”

Lafayette glared at her. “Sure you can.”

Rina then stepped towards Scarlet. “By the way, my name’s Rina! Rina Woodshed! This here is my best bud Lafayette! Nice to finally meet ya!” Rina extended her hand to the snake girl, but Scarlet didn’t reciprocate the gesture.

“Scarlet. Scarlet Beauregard.”

Rina stared at the girl with a confused look on her face. “Uh… You gonna shake?” Scarlet said nothing. “Oh, I see! You must not know about handshakes since yer not from around here. You see, when someone extends their hand like I’m doin’…”

“I know what a handshake is, you country bumpkin!”

Rina tilted her head. “Then you ain’t very good at it. Don’t worry, though! There’ll be plenty of time to learn!”

Scarlet groaned, and Lafayette’s frustration only grew and grew.

“In any case, what do people like you get up to around here?” asked Scarlet. “It seems like it’s mostly forests and wetlands.”

“Oh, fer sure, but that’s the best part!” said Rina. “There’re all kinds of pretty places to see! In fact, why don’t I show ya? Think of this like a special tour only us kids are privy to.”

“Delightful. I’m sure it’ll be about as riveting as yesterday’s tour.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, but I’ll try my best! Come on, now! There’s no time to waste!”

Rina then took Scarlet by the hand and raced off with her. Lafayette could already hear the snake girl complaining. With a sigh, he shook his head and followed after.

---

Even though her new friend was proving to be a bit noisy, Rina was happy to finally be showing Scarlet some of her favorite places in the bayou. Their first stop was a stump overgrown with moss and mushrooms, which Rina was certain would fill Scarlet with delight. When they reached the stump, Rina let go of Scarlet’s hand and gestured to the stump.

“Now then,” said Rina. “Our first stop is… This stump! It’s my favorite stump in the whole bayou! It’s great fer sittin’, thinkin’, and playin’ the banjo!”

Scarlet was rubbing her hand and wrist when she said, “A stump? Really?”

“Yeah! Ain’t it a beaut? Just look at the soft moss, the flat seat, the mushrooms!” Rina squatted down, plucking one. “This is what’s called an oyster mushroom, on account of them kinda lookin’ like oysters.”

“Lovely.” Scarlet’s face then scrunched up when Rina ate one.

“They’re pretty good on their own, though they’re real good if you sauté ‘em with butter, salt, and pepper. They take on this golden brown color and get nice an’ crispy around the edges. An absolute dee-light!”

Lafayette said, “What’s the matter, Scarlet? You never eaten a fresh ‘shroom before?”

“I’ve eaten mushrooms before!” said Scarlet. “But only after they’ve been properly cleaned and cooked! I would never pluck one from a stump and eat it as is!”

“Why not?” Rina talked as she chewed. “It’s good eatin’.” Rina then took a seat on the stump, kicking her feet back and forth. “If not mushrooms, what do you eat?”

“Eggs.”

“Like in a scramble?”

“In any form! Baked, fried, scrambled, over easy, poached, steamed, or in an omelet. Why, I dare say there isn’t a single way to eat eggs that I haven’t tried.”

“What about raw?” Lafayette grinned.

Scarlet winced. “I would never eat an egg raw.”

“But I thought you said you’ve tried every way to eat ‘em.”

“Eating raw food is a quick path to disease and parasites, and I certainly would not deign to poison myself in such a fashion.”

Rina just sat back and chuckled. “Ha ha. What’s a parasite?” She then burped up a fishing bobber. “Oh shoot, I was wonderin’ where that went!” Rina picked up the bobber, wiped off the saliva on her overalls, then pocketed it. Scarlet recoiled and gasped.

“I… I can’t believe you!” Scarlet said. “How could anyone be so disgusting?”

“We ain’t disgustin’,” said Lafayette. “You just ain’t used to country livin’ yet.” The fox grabbed an oyster mushroom cap, presenting it to Scarlet. “Here, eat this.”

“Why?”

“It’s part of the tour.”

“It is?” said Rina.

“Yeah, sure it is!” said Lafayette. “If you want the full experience, you need to eat like the rest of us!”

Scarlet stepped back, holding her hands up in protest. “Oh no, I couldn’t… I haven’t even finished Rina’s tour yet.”

“Yeah, Lafayette! She hasn’t finished the tour yet!” said Rina. “She can eat the mushroom after.”

The fox boy sighed. “If you insist…”

“Changing the subject a tad,” said Scarlet, “you mentioned that you play the banjo on this stump?”

“I do!” said Rina. “I’ve played for family, friends, and neighbors too! Heck, I’d play ya a song right now… If I had it. What about you? You ever play any instruments?”

Scarlet rubbed one of her arms and said, “I play the violin… But only because my parents make me.”

Rina frowned. She hadn’t considered that such nice folk would do something like that. Then again, Rina’s parents had locked her up plenty of times to keep her out of trouble… Not that it worked, but the point remained.

“Do you at least enjoy it?” asked Rina.

“I do, but only now that I’m decent at it,” said Scarlet. “Even so, I’m still mad at them for that. I just can’t enjoy something I’m forced to do.”

Lafayette looked away, rubbing the back of his head. Rina asked, “Well, if you had the choice, what kind of instrument would you have preferred to learn?”

“Hm… Probably the piano. I’ve seen people play it before, and the way the sounds of the keys mesh together to create a tapestry of sound and emotion… It’s really something else.”

“Woooow. That does sound nice! Lafayette, do you know if anyone ‘round here has a piano?”

“I can’t say for sure, but if there’s anyone who might have one, it’d be Old Man Eli.”

“That’s the snapping turtle man, right?” asked Scarlet.

“Yup! He’s the smartest guy in the whole dang bayou!” Rina slapped her knees, standing up. “Even if he doesn’t have one, I’m certain he’d know where to get one. C’mon, let’s go see!”

Rina almost grabbed Scarlet’s hand, but that hesitant look in her eyes told Rina everything she needed to know. She retracted her hand and stepped back.

“Ha ha… Sorry. Force of habit. It’s this way, if ya please.”

“Thank you,” Scarlet said as she walked forward. “I’m glad someone around here knows some manners.”

Rina watched the girl head off in Eli’s direction. When there was a bit of distance between Scarlet and her, Lafayette moved closer to Rina and whispered.

“The nerve of that girl! If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was a spittin’ cobra!”

“Lay off,” whispered Rina.

“Why? She’s been nothin’ but rude.”

“You heard what she said earlier. She didn’t want to be here, but her parents made her. She didn’t want to go on this tour, but we made her.”

“I mean… When you put it that way…”

“Let’s just give her a chance,” Rina put her arm around Lafayette. “She’s stuck with us anyhow, so let’s make the most of it.”

---

Scarlet and the swamp kids traveled to Eli’s house. It took a bit of walking from Rina’s stump, but they eventually made it to the heart of the village. While Scarlet hadn’t paid much attention to the snapping turtle the day before, the promise of seeing a piano enticed her enough to play along with Rina’s little tour. As for the swamp kids, they continued to be as obnoxious as possible.

“Eli!” Rina knocked loudly on the wooden door. “Eliiiii!!”

The turtle man swung open the door. “What?! Oh, it’s you two. Good afternoon, kids. I see you’re with the new arrival.”

“We sure are! Do you have a piano?”

“A… Piano?”

Scarlet stepped forward to clear things up. “We were talking about musical instruments, and I happened to mention I was interested in playing the piano. They thought you might know where to find one.”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” said Eli. “I’ve had one stored away for a while, though it’s seen better days. I can pull it out of storage though if you still wanna see it.”

“I’d love to!”

“Then come on in.”

Scarlet followed after Eli, stepping into his humble abode. Despite being touted as someone so important in the bayou, his home was rather modest. Scarlet walked around, noting the patched-up furniture, the old bookshelves, dirty coffee table, and a refrigerator covered in funny-looking magnets and scribbled drawings that look like they were drawn by a child. Her eyes were then drawn to a device hooked up to the fridge.

“Wait, is that a hamster?” asked Scarlet.

“Yup! That’s Josie. She likes to run all day, so I hooked her wheel up to the fridge so I didn’t draw as much power from the generator.” Eli was already rifling around inside of a large closet as he spoke. “I don’t mind if you wanna pet her, though I’ll tell ya now – she’s a biter.”

Scarlet grew curious and approached the hamster, who was currently racing around in her plastic wheel. As soon as Josie saw Scarlet, the hamster grew frightened and hid inside of a make-shift house in her shelter. Scarlet’s ears drooped, and she stepped away from the animal, disappointed.

“Sorry…” Scarlet mumbled.

“Rina, can you give me a hand with this thing?” Eli called out.

“Sure thing!” said Rina.

Not long after, the two beast folk brought a grimy looking studio piano out to the living room and set it down. Eli gave it a pat with his hand and said, “I found the thing a long time ago and it used to play fine, but at one point it went out of tune, and I just couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I’ve kept it in storage ever since.”

“Can I take a look?” asked Scarlet.

“Sure! Ain’t no harm in that.”

Scarlet approached the piano. It was about forty-five inches tall and made from spruce wood – though it looked somewhat warped. She noted the thin layer of dark, moist dust coating it. Just as Eli had said, it had seen much better days. She ran a finger across the woodwork, rubbing the strange substance between her thumb and index finger. She looked inside, and nothing was wrong with the strings or other mechanisms. After thinking it over, she spoke up.

“I think I know what the problem is,” said Scarlet. “This swamp is hot, but also very moist. Most likely, the wood fell prey to the humidity, which distorted the sound of the piano. Everything inside it is fine, but if the wood itself is warped, it’ll mess with the sound.”

“My word. You really know your stuff,” said Eli. “Wish that could help us, though. Not much we can do about the humidity around these parts, unless you had some kind of magic water vacuum,” the old man chuckled.

“Actually… I might be able to help.”

“You can?”

“You can?” asked Lafayette.

“I know a trick or two. Do you trust me?” asked Scarlet.

Eli shrugged, saying, “Not like there’s anythin’ to lose. Go ahead, kid.”

Scarlet gestured to the others to get back. Then, she reached into her vest and pulled out her embroidery hoop, which had an empty white cloth bound inside of it. She suspected what she was about to do would cause quite the fright, but she hoped nothing bad would come of it. She had such a fine piano in front of her, and she’d hate to stop now. So, she readied a line of thread, and began to weave her magic.

Light shined from the snake girl’s needle as she quickly sewed a pattern in the cloth. It was a sign that meant “Desiccate”, and the piano would be her target. As she sewed, Scarlet asked, “Can someone open a window?” Eli obliged, watching with an astonished look on his face. Scarlet channeled a pinch of her own ether into the spell, and when the symbol was complete, a magical force drew out all the water trapped inside the piano’s wood, slowly but surely returning it to its normal shape. The water floated in the air in a grey, musty ball. Scarlet directed the water out the window, and let go, causing it to splash outside.

“What the heck was that?” asked Lafayette.

“I’m not done yet. Just watch,” said Scarlet.

Another symbol, another spell. This time to clean the piano. Another ball of gunk was collected and thrown outside. Finally, she wove one last spell to enchant the piano and protect it from the elements. When she finished, the piano shimmered with a faint magical light. She put away her hoop and needle, smiling.

“That should do it,” said Scarlet.

“My word… A true magician,” said Eli.

“Magician?” asked Rina.

“Yes… They’re not common in these parts, but elsewhere in the world live those who practice the arcane arts. People who can bend the etheric energies of the world to their whim and cast spells. Magic takes many forms, but I’ve never seen a method quite like that before.”

Scarlet puffed up her chest. “Spellweaving runs in the family. We Beauregards are some of the best spellweavers in all the land, and our magic robes and flying carpets are always of the highest quality. I’m still an apprentice, but one day I’ll take my father’s place as the family’s lead spellweaver.”

“Woooow,” said Rina. “That’s amazin’! My folks just fix roofs and walls.”

“I… See. That’s certainly helpful in its own way…” Scarlet then turned to Lafayette. “What about you? What do your parents do?”

The fox boy’s expression turned sour. Eli butted in and said, “Why don’t we test the piano, hmm?”

“Oh right! I got so caught up in the discussion, I almost forgot. Silly me,” Scarlet chuckled.

The snake girl approached the piano, pressing down on a few of the keys. It sounded just fine.

“Say, Eli? You wouldn’t happen to have any sheet music, would you?” asked Scarlet.

“I might. Let me go check.”

Back in the closet Eli went. A minute later, he brought back a small thin book and passed it to Scarlet, who opened it up and set it on the piano.

“What are ya thinkin’?” asked Rina.

“Well… I came all this way to try playing the piano, so now that it’s ready, I might as well give it a shot.” Scarlet studied the sheet music before her, nodding along as she made a mental note of what keys she’d need to play. “I see… I see… I think I can do this.”

“Then let’s hear it,” said Lafayette.

Scarlet tested the keys once more, listening to the sound. She had never played a piano before, but she had been studying music nearly all her life, so she knew her A’s from her C’s. After scooting a chair up to the piano, she slowly played the song “Gymnopédie No.1” by an old musician from a bygone era…

Scarlet took her time to learn the notes step by step, but soon enough, she felt comfortable playing the song, and with every note she played, a strange sense of calmness fell over the room. The sound of the piano was beautiful, humble. Every key played exactly as it should, and as long as Scarlet never pressed them too quickly or too harshly, they helped her through the melody.

Scarlet’s mind went back to a time not so long ago. A time when she still lived in the beautiful kingdom of Xatelia, far to the west. She had lived out on a prairie where the grass was green, the skies were clear, and wonderful-smelling plants and flowers grew as far as the eye could see. She remembered the smell of the flowers, felt the wind rushing through her hair. The sun was shining high up in the sky, and everything was right with the world. Everything… Was right…

Then the song was over.

When Scarlet finished playing, Rina and Eli clapped. Even Lafayette clapped along, though with less enthusiasm. Scarlet was surprised she took to the instrument so quickly, but then again, learning new things had always been easy for her.

“That was amazing!” said Rina. “How’d you learn to play like that?”

“It’s simple, really. As long as you pay attention to the song notes, all you have to do is follow along.”

“You mean them squiggly things on the page?”

“The… Squiggly things? Wait… Do you not know how to read music?”

“Nope!”

Scarlet gawked at the gator girl, unsure what to say.

“But… But how did you learn to play the banjo? Were you taught by someone?”

“Nuh uh,” Rina shook her head. “I just played the strings until I got a nice feel for ‘em. It took a while, but after listenin’ to what the banjo wanted to say, I helped it speak.”

“And that really works?”

Lafayette spoke up, saying, “It does. Not everythin’ needs a fancypants teacher or education. Sometimes practice and dedication is all you need.”

Scarlet turned her nose up at this. “How uncouth.” She then looked to Eli and said, “I like this piano. Would you be willing to part with it? I can certainly compensate you.”

“Sorry, but the piano isn’t for sale. I will say, though, you’re welcome to visit anytime and play.”

“But… You kept it locked up in a closet!”

“Yes, but now that it works, I wanna play it too. Besides, we don’t use money ‘round here.”

“Y-you don’t?”

Eli rubbed the back of his head and said, “I guess you didn’t pay attention yesterday, huh? The short of it is that we just don’t use currency. We like things simple. You do someone a favor, and they do you a favor in turn. If you need somethin’, you just ask. And if that person needs somethin’ later that you have, it’s normal to give back. Understand?”

“I… Don’t… Are you saying people just… Do stuff? And get things? For free?”

“I wouldn’t say that. We exchange gifts and favors all the time!” said Rina. “It’s not expected, but always welcomed.”

Scarlet was still struggling to wrap her head around it. She had grown up in a wealthy family, and until recently, they never wanted for anything. But if Bebop Bayou didn’t take their coin, then what did that mean for her family?

“I don’t get it. Are there no shops or businesses?” asked Scarlet.

Rina rubbed her chin and said, “Actually, there is one shop.”

“There is?”

“Yeah! It’s run out of an old truck that Kylie uses. I’ll show ya!”

Rina then got up, making her way towards the front door. “Thanks for the help with the piano, Eli! Take care now!”

“You as well!” Eli said as he waved goodbye.

Scarlet followed Rina and Lafayette out of the house, noticing the fox boy still seemed visibly uncomfortable with her. He just stayed by Rina and kept his hands in his pockets. She tried not to let it bother her and followed after the swamp kids.

---

Alyssa was flying over the bayou on one of her daily patrols. As usual, she was scouting to see if there were any signs of trouble, such as from invading monsters. She had been doing periodic patrols like this for the past several weeks as part of her agreement with Rina, Lafayette, and the rest of the villagers. It wasn’t terribly difficult, and was even a good source of exercise, so Alyssa didn’t mind at all. Besides, knowing that she contributed to the safety of the bayou filled her with purpose.

On a typical day, Alyssa didn’t see much. There was no shortage of strange creatures in the bayou, but nothing she’d describe as hostile. They were just animals living alongside the rest of the local fauna, and as long as they were given sufficient space, they left the villagers alone. No, what Alyssa was looking for were monsters like the gigapede she saw yesterday – creatures from outside the bayou that would attack and destroy if left to their own devices. Despite the recent increase in monster activity, Alyssa had only seen a handful of monsters since she started her patrols, and for that, she was grateful.

It was a typical afternoon, with the sun shining brightly over the wetlands and bald cypress. The wind was gentle, and hardly any noise could be heard, save the songs of sparrows. But something caught Alyssa’s eye, so she descended to investigate. Landing on the watery, leaf-covered ground, Alyssa noticed a handful of fallen gum trees. Their roots looked like they had been chewed up, and the bodies of the trees had several bite marks as well.

What the heck is this about? Alyssa wondered. We don’t get beavers in these parts. Even if we did, these bite marks are way too big.

Alyssa searched the area from the ground, stepping lightly and keeping an ear out for possible threats. She only heard chirping insects and birds. Perhaps that was for the best. In her experience, nature only grew quiet when a predator was on the move.

Leaving the shallow waters behind, Alyssa stepped onto a patch of soft grassy soil. Nearby, she saw what looked like mole hills, though if they were made from moles, they would be the biggest she had ever seen. So big, in fact, that Alyssa could track which direction the creatures had gone from the upturned earth. They were circling around the area towards the bayou. Seeing this, Alyssa wasted no time and took to the air. If the burrowing creatures were the ones that felled the gum trees, they’d wreak havoc on the wooden buildings of the village.

I’ve got to warn the others! Rina, Lafayette, Eli, anybody! Oh, I hope I can make it in time!

---

Scarlet followed Rina and Lafayette over to the only store in the bayou, seemingly run from of a repurposed rusty food truck. It looked like it was open, and Scarlet saw an old raccoon woman inside the truck. Rina walked up to the truck’s counter and greeted her.

“Heya, Kylie!” said Rina.

“Bonjour, Rina. What’cha bring me today?” asked Kylie.

“Oh, I’m not tradin’ this time. I just wanted to show the new kid yer store. Scarlet, this is Kylie. Kylie, Scarlet!”

“Ah, the little enfant from yesterday. Bonjour, Miss Scarlet. Welcome to my humble emporium.”

Kylie was a middle-aged woman with black, grey, and white fur around her forearms and animal ears that topped her head. Her shaggy shoulder-length hair matched her fur’s color pattern, and dark streaks colored the skin around her eyes, almost like a natural face mask. Her dainty nose was somewhat darker than the rest of her face, and freckles dotted her cheeks. The woman wore a multi-pocketed vest over a black and grey plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves, as well as black worn-in jeans that hugged her hips, which was decorated with a thick belt and a shiny buckle. The woman rested her chin on one of her soft-looking hands, which ended in small dark claws, and her long bushy tail could be seen waving gently behind her.

Scarlet somehow lost her confidence, no longer sure exactly how to proceed. After clearing her throat, she said, “Yes, um, I shall have one of your finest snack cakes.”

“Snack cakes, eh? I’ve got a few of those. Un moment,” said Kylie. The woman dug around behind the counter and pulled out a box with a dark stamp on the side. The stamp had symbols that Scarlet recognized as a modern tongue, one that combined bits of older languages, such as French and English (the word likely being a brand name). Kylie pulled out what looked like a rectangular paper-wrapped snack cake with a colorful stamp on the side matching the box’s stamp. “These things I got here were made and packaged all the way in Stormtail. Trust me, though, they got enough sugar to make sure they keep for a while. Now what have you got for me?”

Scarlet reached inside her vest for her coin purse, passing a small silvery coin to the raccoon woman. “This should suffice,” said the snake girl. She couldn’t help but notice Rina eyeing the coin as if she had never seen such a thing before. When Kylie picked up the coin, she looked it over, then slid it back towards Scarlet.

“Sorry girl, but I’ve got no use for coin. I don’t sell goods, I trade. If you want somethin’ from my shop, you gotta give me somethin’ more useful.”

Scarlet was shocked. Even here? she thought. I know she said she’s a trader, but is my money really no good?!

“Don’t worry Scarlet,” said Rina, patting her on the shoulder. “I know it’s not what yer used to, but tradin’ is easy! Why, if I ever want a snack from Kylie, I give her a fish!”

“She has given me a lot of fish,” said Kylie.

“Wait,” Scarlet spoke up, “who decides the value of things being traded?”

“Whoever is involved in the trade?” said Rina. “Can’t imagine why anyone else would have a say.”

“But what if it only takes one fish for a snack cake today, and two fish tomorrow?”

“Weeeeell, that doesn’t sound like a fair trade. I’d much rather eat two fish than a snack cake, so I wouldn’t take the deal. Seems easy enough.”

Kylie gestured to get everyone’s attention. “I understand what you’re getting’ at, miss, but I don’t plan on robbin’ you anytime soon. If I want trade to flow, I need customers. So, now that you know how we do things here, is there anythin’ you’re willin’ to offer?”

Scarlet thought about what she could do. She hadn’t brought anything with her that she was willing to part with. Gripping the hems of her blouse and looking down, she said, “I… I don’t think so.”

“Wait a sec,” said Rina. “What about yer magic? You fixed up Eli’s piano earlier. Maybe Kylie’s got somethin’ that needs fixin’ too.”

“I don’t know… Is that something you’re interested in, Kylie?” asked Scarlet.

“Hm… I got a hole in my roof that I’ve had trouble with as of late. If you can fix that somehow, I’ll happily part with a cake.”

“Then let’s give it a shot.” Scarlet moved to the side of the truck. “Could someone give me a boost?”

“I got you,” said Lafayette, moving next to the girl. The fox boy helped Scarlet onto the roof of the truck, and after she found her footing, Scarlet looked for the hole. There was a noticeable pile of rocks on top of an old tarp on the other side of the truck, so she looked underneath it. While searching for the hole, Scarlet couldn’t help but notice Rina and Lafayette talking amongst themselves. They were too quiet for her to hear what they were saying, though.

They probably think I’m a fool, thought Scarlet. I’ll just have to prove them wrong!

After moving aside the tarp and rocks, Scarlet took out her embroidery hoop and began sewing a new spell pattern. The girl felt an etheric connection once more as her energy traveled through her arm, out her fingertips, and into her sewing needle. When the spell pattern for “Repair” was complete, the metallic hole in the roof seemed to melt away. By the time she was done, Rina had climbed onto the roof as well.

“Did ya get it?” asked Rina.

“See for yourself,” said Scarlet.

Down below, Kylie said, “Well I’ll be! You fixed it! Merci, Miss Scarlet! Merci!” the woman clapped.

“You really did! Nice work, girl!” said Rina.

The two kids got down from the roof of the truck, and Scarlet approached the counter once more.

“And here’s my end of the deal,” said Kylie before handing Scarlet three snack cakes.

“I don’t understand,” said Scarlet. “I thought I’d only get one.”

“That may be what I said, but roof repair is worth more than a single snack, if you ask me. Besides, now you and your friends can have one.”

“My… Friends?” Scarlet looked back at Rina and Lafayette. It didn’t occur to her until now, but this was the most interaction she’d had with kids her age in a long time. Her former homeland was an isolated prairie, far from any settlement. Even when she did get to meet kids while traveling, she never got along with them. A spark lit inside her in that moment, a thought that lingered in her mind. What if? They were only two little words, but there was a power in them. A power that made Scarlet look at the world in a way she hadn’t before. The girl smiled gently and said, “Merci, Miss Kylie. Merci.”

Kylie smiled back at her. “De rien, Scarlet.”

The snake girl then passed out the two extra snack cakes to Rina and Lafayette.

“Thank you kindly!” said Rina with a smile.

Lafayette reached out for his snack cake as well, but Scarlet pulled it away.

“Hey, aren’t you going to thank me?” asked Scarlet.

“I gave you a boost, didn’t I? I earned this,” said Lafayette.

“Rina could have given me a boost.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t. Heck, Rina, you didn’t do anythin’!”

“I did so! I gave Scarlet the idea for usin’ her magic!”

“But anyone coulda done that! I coulda done that!”

“But you didn’t,” Rina grinned.

“That does it! Gimme that cake!”

Lafayette chased after Rina, which caused Kylie to slap her counter in laughter. Even Scarlet started laughing, even though she wasn’t really sure why.

“Man, these two are always a riot,” said Kylie.

“Yeah… Yeah they are,” Scarlet smiled.

---

Alyssa soared through the sky, making her way towards the village. Down below, she heard someone calling out for help, so she flew down to investigate. When she landed, Alyssa found another spot that looked like it was hit by the strange new creatures in the area. She also found who was calling out for help – a familiar face hiding behind a big rock.

“David? Is that you?” asked Alyssa. The shaking deer man slowly poked his head out.

“Y-yeah. Are those things gone?”

“I think so. What happened here?”

David stepped out from behind cover. He was a six-foot-something man with wavy light brown hair, tanned skin, and hazel eyes with flat, horizontal-shaped pupils. He wore a ragged black t-shirt with mismatched patches from shoddy repairs, and his jeans were equally shoddy. His most recognizable features were his deer-like ears and pale branching antlers atop his head. Though he seemed visibly shaken, he wasn’t hurt.

“I seen things! Big little critters! They popped outta the ground!”

“So that explains the upturned earth… What about the trees? Did they eat the trees?”

“Yeah!” David nodded. “I was just layin’ around here, mindin’ my own business when the ground started shakin’! Next thing I know, these nasty-smellin’ hairless things start runnin’ around and bitin’ the trees! I tried fightin’ ‘em off with a stick, but they ate the stick too! They ate my stick!!”

“Hey, it’s all right. They’re not here anymore.” Alyssa took David by his hands. “What about afterwards? Did they hurt you?”

“Not exactly… I tried getting’ away by climbin’ into this here tree, but they ate the bottom of the tree and I nearly got flattened when it fell! I hid after that, and they were chompin’ and chewin’ the place up until somethin’ got their attention and they kept goin’. I think they’re headed towards the bayou, maybe Matthew’s wagon!”

“Do you think you can make it back to the village okay?”

“I… I think so.”

“Then what I need you to do is head back to the village and warn the others. If they’re headin’ in Matthew’s direction, he’ll need my help.”

David nodded. “O-okay. I can do that.”

“Good. Then with luck, I’ll be seeing you soon.”

Once more did Alyssa take to the air. Matthew the Mink lived in a refurbished traveling wagon. Made almost entirely out of fine wood, it was unsurprising to hear the creatures might be interested in eating it. Matthew might make it out unharmed like David did, but she knew his house was not something easily replaced. She sped through the air as quickly as she could. As she flew, she wondered if Rina or Lafayette had caught wind of the creatures yet, or if they were unaware of the encroaching danger…

---

Scarlet did her best to follow after Rina and Lafayette. She was getting dragged along to another one of Rina’s “favorite places”, and the soft wet ground she had to wade through left her in an impatient mood. Her socks were soaked, and the bottom of her dress was a mess. There were also swarms of mosquitos in the part of the bayou she was in, and though Lafayette had pulled out a lantern with some kind of bug-warding candle, the smell it gave off was downright putrid. She was not fond of the swamp at all.

“Where are we going?” asked Scarlet. “Why do we need to walk through all this muck?”

“Because I need to show ya one of my favorite signs in the whole bayou!” said Rina.

“Your favorite… Sign?”

“Just go along with it,” said Lafayette. “Should only take a couple o’ minutes.”

Scarlet moved closer to Lafayette and whispered, “I take it you’re familiar with this sign?”

“You could say that,” whispered Lafayette. “Ever since I’ve known Rina, she’s talked to that old, busted thing. Never understood why, but it does no harm, so I make no fuss.”

“She talks… To a sign. Are you serious?!”

“Can’t be that strange, Miss Magician. You and your family flew a whole house into our swamp. How’d you do that, anyhow?”

“It’s called a flying carpet. My father enchanted every knot in that carpet to carry one pound each.”

Lafayette scratched his ear. “That… Doesn’t sound like a whole lot. How many knots did that thing have?”

“Our transportation carpet has a KPSI of 300, so every square inch can carry 300 pounds on its own. However, the square footage of the carpet is roughly 700, which equates to 8,400 square inches. Multiply that by 300, and you get-”

“A real big number. You know, you coulda just said magic makes it lift heavy things.”

“I could have, but as my father would say, ‘Any good answer needs context.’ If I just said ‘it works’, would that really be satisfactory?”

“I guess not…”

“Precisely!”

“Then how’d ya’ll keep yer house from slidin’ off?”

“Enchantments on the house itself, mostly. Magical force presses the house down and resists any momentum when the carpet travels forward. You can think of it like a kind of telekinetic glue.”

“Hm… Not sure what that means, but I think I get the picture,” said Lafayette. He then stopped. “Wait a tic. If you could just keep yer house afloat, why not just fly it above whatever was givin’ ya’ll trouble back west?”

“I… Don’t know. I suppose the logistics of living in the sky for too long isn’t feasible. We’d have to come down for food and supplies eventually…”

Scarlet pondered what Lafayette said. She had never considered the possibility before. Being able to raise their house above the ground was the ultimate defense. Her family had even less reason to leave Xatelia behind than she thought. The simplicity of the solution dug at the lingering sorrow in her heart, and the resentment she felt towards her parents only grew. Why didn’t her family stay and fight? They had the resources. They had magic. It just didn’t make sense. Why would they throw away everything they had achieved?

“Hey, ya’ll comin’?” asked Rina from up ahead.

“Sorry ‘bout that, Rina!” said Lafayette, moving forward. The fox boy looked at Scarlet, who was still standing in the muck. “Hey, you should come along too. I only got one of these lanterns and them mosquitos are extra bitey today.”

Scarlet sighed, her ears and shoulders drooping. “Very well… Give me a moment.” She dislodged one of her boots from the muck, then the other, doing her best to follow after the two kids. All around her was the constant chirping of birds and insects – cicadas in particular. Only the occasional caw of a crow pierced the mind-numbing noise of the swamp.

In time, the trio made their way out of the muck and into an area with fresher water, fewer trees, and cleaner-smelling air. Scarlet saw the roofs of old houses sticking up out of the water, as well as signs of broken streets below the water’s surface. Scarlet hopped after the others from roof to roof, eventually landing on a grassy hill occupied by a single sign. It was an old red octagon on a seven-foot-tall metal pole. A partially rusted white frame sat within the red of the sign, with the letters S T O P in the center of its face. The metal pole was also bent inward. It was as if a sudden impact had struck its base long ago. This caused the sign to bend forward, making it loom over those who stood in front of it.

“Is this it?” asked Scarlet.

“Yup! This here is my friend Stoppy! I call ‘em that on account of the writin’,” said Rina.

“Lovely.”

“Isn’t it?” a chilling voice called out.

“What?”

Scarlet looked around. She didn’t see anyone. When she turned her attention back to Rina, the voice called out again. It was as if it was coming from the sign itself. But that can’t be right, thought Scarlet. How could a sign talk?

“That face you’re making… You can hear me, can’t you?” asked the voice once more.

“R-r-rina? What the heck is that?” asked Scarlet.

“What’s what? It’s just Stoppy,” said Rina.

“Yeah, what’s the matter? You scared of a beat-up old sign?” asked Lafayette with a grin.

“You need not fear me, child. I am but an echo from the past.” The voice was eerily calm, with an off-putting tone that sounded like ten people speaking at once.

“Yeah, he’s not scary,” said Rina. “In fact you can ask him all sorts of stuff about the Before Times. Like for example,” Rina turned to Stoppy, “What did the Yesterday Folk use to do for fun?”

“People used to do all sorts of reckless things back in the day,” said Stoppy. “Have you ever heard of skydiving?”

Rina shook her head. “Nah. What’s that?”

“It’s when people jump out of planes for fun.”

“You mean those big metal flyin’ thingies you told me about before? Why would anyone wanna jump out of one?”

“No idea, but people loved to do it. They would say it was thrilling.”

Scarlet looked over at Lafayette, who shrugged at her.

“How’d the Yesterday Folk survive? I thought planes flew really high up,” said Rina.

“Oh, that’s an easy one. They’d use a parachute,” said Stoppy. “Although I should let you know, you don’t need a parachute to go skydiving.”

“You don’t?”

“No. You only need one if you want to go skydiving twice.”

“Wha-aaaah, I see what you did there. Good one, Stoppy!”

Scarlet moved closer to Lafayette. “Can you really not hear that?” she whispered.

“Hear what? It’s just a sign,” whispered Lafayette.

“But… It’s talking.”

“No it ain’t.”

Scarlet stepped back. “But… Then how…” She looked over to Rina, who was sitting on the ground and chatting it up with the bent-looking sign. For just a moment, Scarlet swore she could see something around the sign, like faint movement in the air, but it was gone as quickly as she saw it. Then, the pole seemed to twist, making the sign face in Scarlet’s direction.

“Fear not. There’s nothing I can do to harm you… At the moment. Besides, it is not in my nature to lash out at the living, even though you are so very lucky.” Stoppy twisted back around to its normal facing, and no one seemed to notice. “But if I could, I’d love to slip inside your body and drive you around like a car.”

“I’d… Really rather you didn’t,” said Scarlet.

“Hmm… Perhaps that’s for the best. If the state of the sign I’m bound to is any indication, I was never particularly good at driving anyway. If only I had hit the brakes and stopped…”

“Ha, I get it. ‘Cause the sign says stop,” said Rina. “Not sure what you mean by drivin’ Scarlet around, though.”

“Man, I don’t get you,” said Lafayette. “And what’s gotten into you, Scarlet? Why do you look so… Scared?”

“It’s… Fine. I’m not scared! T-that being said, I wouldn’t mind getting a move on. What’s next on the tour?”

“Aaah, bored already? That’s fine. What about…” Rina hummed for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “Oh, I know! The lake!” Rina then got up and started running along. “C’mon guys, let’s get a move on!”

“Coming!” said Lafayette, and the fox boy ran ahead.

Lastly, there was Scarlet, who was careful not to turn her back on the strange sign. It might be some kind of spirit. She had never been so close to one before, but she had no intention of showing signs of weakness, lest the spirit possess her. When she put enough distance between herself and Stoppy, she ran as fast as she could. As Stoppy’s voice faded, it left her with one final message.

“See you around now, child. Always remember… To watch where you’re going. If you don’t, you mind not like where you end up…”

---

Scarlet ran for what felt like ten minutes. Ordinarily such a short jaunt wouldn’t wear her out, but the stress of encountering such an off-putting spirit had her heart racing.

“Remind me… To… Avoid… Stoppy…” said Scarlet.

“Aah, I’m sorry, Scarlet. I didn’t know you didn’t like signs,” said Rina.

After catching her breath, Scarlet scowled at the gator girl. “That was not just a sign!”

Rina chuckled. “I’m prettysure I’d know a sign when I see one, and that was most definitely a sign. Although… Most signs don’t know how to talk. I guess that means Stoppy is a real smart sign, eh?”

Scarlet was ready to shout at Rina. She fumed with anger deep inside, but she knew the girl wasn’t at fault. So, she took a few deep breaths, doing her best to calm herself down.

“Okay… Stoppy is just a smart sign… We’ll go with that.” As Scarlet rubbed the bridge of her nose, she said, “Are there any other talking inanimate objects I should be worried about?”

“Can’t say I know of any,” said Rina as she walked. “There are lots of neat people who live ‘round here, though, if you know how to find ‘em. For example, if you ever need a haircut, I know a great barber!”

“A barber… Well that’s surprising. I just assumed your parents cut your hair for you.”

Rina chuckled nervously. “You know, maybe once I get bigger, but as of now there ain’t a pair of scissors my ma or pa could hold that I want anywhere near my head.”

“You know you never did show me where that barber lives,” said Lafayette.

“Oh shoot, I forgot! Maybe we can pay her a visit when the tour is over.”

The more Scarlet learned about Bebop Bayou, the stranger the place became. No guards, no walls, no currency, talking road signs… Scarlet was beginning to wonder if there was a single normal thing in the whole swamp. As the thought crossed her mind, however, she stopped, taking in the scene before her.

Scarlet was standing a few feet away from the shore of a massive lake. Tall strands of grass littered the nearby waters, almost like a green fence line around the shore. In addition to the grass, there was also weathered driftwood and large mossy boulders. Further still, the beautiful waters beyond glistened in the sunlight, rippling from shore to shore. It was quiet, beautiful, and serene. Scarlet’s eyes lit up. The lake was the prettiest thing she had seen in the whole bayou.

“See! I told ya she’d like this place!” said Rina.

“You did not!” said Lafayette.

“Well I said parts of my tour would be great, and she likes this, which just so happens to be part of my tour. Therefore, I’m right.” Rina then rolled up her pantlegs and kicked off her boots. “Speakin’ of which, let’s go for a swim! With the sun shinin’ so bright, the water’s bound to feel good!”

The gator girl stepped past the shoreline and got about waist-deep in the water, waving the other two over. Lafayette joined Rina in the lake, though he got in the water up to his knees before he looked back at Scarlet.

“C’mon, now. The water won’t hurt ya!” said Lafayette.

“I… I couldn’t,” said Scarlet.

“Why?”

“I… Never learned to swim.”

“Huh?” Rina stared from across the waters, eyes glazed over. “What do ya mean you never learned to swim? That’s like… The first thing I was ever taught… Ever!”

“We didn’t have a lake where I lived, okay?” said Scarlet. “Even if I could swim, I’m not… Properly dressed for the occasion.”

The truth was that Scarlet always wanted to try swimming, but she had never been permitted to. Her parents always worried about the water making her too cold, so even when they traveled, they avoided lakes and rivers when they could. Scarlet squatted down, feeling disappointed in herself. Technically nothing was stopping her. She was far from the prying eyes of her mother and father, and yet… She just couldn’t convince herself to move past the shore. It was like something deep within was holding her back. She sighed, resting her chin in her hands.

“You sure you can’t join us?” asked Rina.

“It’s okay…” said Scarlet. “You guys have fun. I’ll just sit here and watch.”

Lafayette swiped at the water passively, his ears drooping. “Well shoot. Now what, Rina? Do you still wanna swim, or should we do somethin’ else?”

“What if we gave Scarlet swimmin’ lessons?” asked Rina.

“She already said she ain’t dressed for it. I mean… look at her clothes. She’d get more tangled up in that than a bug in a spider web.”

“Hmm… I guess yer right…” Rina rubbed her chin, then said, “Oh, I know! If we can’t bring Scarlet to the lake, we can bring the lake to Scarlet!”

“Wait, what?” Rina stomped through the water, splashing Lafayette as she passed him. “What the heck does that even mean?”

“Just you wait, I got a plan!”

Scarlet and Lafayette watched as the gator girl moved off to a deeper part of the lake and stopped, dipping her hand into the water as if she were searching for something.

“Ooh, there he is!” And with a tug and a splash, Rina pulled a massive catfish out, one that had thoroughly latched onto Rina’s arm. She then moved back towards the lake shore, catfish in hand.

“Rinaaa? What are you doing?” asked Scarlet, standing up.

“I wanna show you my pet! His name’s Tabasco. Ain’t he cute?”

Scarlet looked at the grey and greenish whiskered fish. She was certain there was not a single thought behind its beady black eyes. “He’s… Certainly something. And you said he’s your pet? How’d you… Meet him?”

“It was just a normal day o’ fishin’ when I first met him. I forgot to bring my pole, so I was swimmin’ around in the lake to get fish the ol’ fashion way. Eventually, a found a deep dark hole where I thought I saw movement, so I stuck my hand in it.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“I know, right? Anyway, after I was riflin’ around in the hole, I felt somethin’ bite down, and when I pulled my hand out, there he was! I tell you what, when I first saw him, I thought he was tryin’ to eat my hand, but it turns out that’s just his way of sayin’ hi! He was awfully persistent, too! No matter how much I waved my arm around, he just wouldn’t let go! I couldn’t tell if it was fear, rage, or determination I saw in his eye, but I knew deep in my heart that I could be his friend.” Rina then plucked the catfish off her arm with little fuss, putting him on the wet sandy shoreline. The fish scooted along the sandy shore, seemingly able to move and breath just fine. By this time, Lafayette had stepped out of the lake, and was shaking the water off of his furry legs.

“That one’s a real foodie too,” said Lafayette. “He’ll eat just about anythin’ you give him. Here, watch.” The fox boy took out some leftover crumbs from his pocket and flicked them onto the ground. Tabasco lunged forward, snatching the crumbs up in his mouth. It was certainly amusing, but then a thought crossed Scarlet’s mind.

“Wait, doesn’t a catfish man live in your village? How does he feel about you keeping a catfish as a pet?”

“Oh, Big Pete? He don’t mind! … Not much, anyway,” said Rina. “The first time I introduced Tabasco to him, they both just sorta stared at each other. I think it was a kind of starin’ contest, and Pete lost. After that, he got on one knee and gave Tabasco a pat on the head, sayin’ some kind words to ‘pay respects to his ancestor’ as he put it.”

Scarlet’s face crinkled at Rina’s story, but she decided it was best not to say anything.

“By the way,” Rina picked up Tabasco. “Do you wanna pet him? I think he likes you!” Rina moved closer, carrying her pet fish like it was a dog. Scarlet couldn’t help but notice the fish eyeing her tail.

“I’d really rather not,” said Scarlet.

“Ah, c’mon. He won’t bite! Honest!”

“Rina.”

“Just one pet?”

“I said n-” Before Scarlet could finish, Tabasco leaped out of Rina’s arms and latched onto the end of Scarlet’s tail with its mouth. The girl was so shocked, she whipped her tail around and flicked the catfish off of her, sending it flying towards a rock. It hit the stone with a wet thud and landed on its side, motionless.

“Tabasco!!” Rina shouted, running over to the fish. Lafayette ran over to the fish as well. “You okay, buddy? You’re okay, right?”

Lafayette then stood up, gritting his teeth.

“That does it!” shouted Lafayette. “You’ve gone too far this time, Scarlet! I tried to be patient, I tried to be kind, but all you do is sneer at us and push us away! And now look what you’ve done!”

“It was an accident. He bit me!” said Scarlet.

“But ya didn’t have to throw him at a rock!”

“I said it was an accident!”

“Even if it was, that doesn’t excuse how rude you’ve been this whole time! You’re nothin’ but an arrogant, judgy, entitled brat! I hope you move back to wherever you came from, ‘cause you don’t belong here!”

“You… You don’t have to say it like that…” A tear streamed down Scarlet’s face. Lafayette’s expression softened, but only a little. Scarlet continued, saying, “I’m sorry, okay! I didn’t mean it!” The girl rubbed the tears from her eyes. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”

“What are you sayin’?”

“I’m the reason my family moved. I didn’t want them to. I never wanted to come here, but they made me! It was those bandits… Father thought it wasn’t safe for me anymore, so he talked my mother into it. Then we just… Left. All those years there meant nothing to them. Nothing!” Despite Scarlet’s best attempts to wipe the tears from her eyes, they just kept coming. “I just wanna go home… We should have stayed. We should have fought back! I… I would have helped if they just let me!”

“Scarlet, I-”

“No, don’t look at me!” Scarlet turned away. “You’re right. I am selfish. I’m arrogant, judgy, and just plain nasty. Every kid I’ve ever met knew that. I get it! It would have been fine, though. You didn’t have to be my friend. You could have left me alone, just like everyone else…”

Scarlet looked at Rina and the motionless fish, feeling a painful, choking feeling in her throat. She couldn’t bear the guilt of what she had done, so she did what she always had: run away and hide.

---

Scarlet ran and ran until her legs gave out, and she stumbled to the ground. Up ahead, she saw a jumbled pile of sticks and leaves. She crawled underneath it and hid from the world. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she thought back to the past.

She often played in the flowery fields near her home back in Xatelia. She liked to be outside. She liked to run, play, explore, and find new things she could show her mother and father. One fateful day, someone found Scarlet instead.

“What do we have here?” said a crudely dressed human. “A little far from home, ain’t ya, miss?”

“You outta be careful,” said another human, holding a machete. “You never know who you might bump into out here.”

“Yeah!” said another, who had his hand on a gun. “Didn’t yer ma ever tell ya not to wander too close to the border?”

“How did you people get in here?” asked Scarlet. “How did you get past the border guards?”

“We have our ways,” grinned the first human. “Nothing is perfect, after all… Besides, when I heard they were lettin’ freaks like you live on these lands when we have to make do in the Southern Wastes, I just had to see for myself.”

Scarlet stepped back. The way the men were eyeing her up, the way they looked at her tail… Something was wrong with them, but she didn’t know what.

“Stay back! If you so much as touch me, my father will-”

“He’ll do what?” The first human grabbed her by the wrist. “I’m not scared of your kind. You may walk, talk, and act like people, but you’re still just animals.”

“Let go! You’re hurting me!” cried Scarlet.

“You here that, guys? I’m hurting her! For fuck’s sake, like you monsters know anything about pain. I liked snakes better when they couldn’t talk back. I bet if I cut out that tongue of yours, that should set things straight.”

Scarlet slashed the man’s face with her claws. He let go, grasping at his wound. While he was distracted, the girl ran as fast as she could.

“That bitch!” cried the first human. “After her!”

The surrounding brush was tall, but she was still too big to run through it unnoticed. The only chance she had was to use her magic, but would that be enough? After frantically sewing an Invisibility symbol into her embroidery cloth, she disappeared. After that, she ran out of the grass and hid inside a hollow log. She could hear the poachers running about, shouting at each other. Inside the log, she hugged her knees and tried to be as small as possible while holding her breath. At one point a poacher looked inside the log. She saw his eyes looking in, but he didn’t see her.

“Wait, who are you people? What have you done with my daughter?!” shouted a familiar voice.

“There’s another one! Get him!” shouted a poacher.

What followed were the sounds of fighting, gunshots, and spellfire. Scarlet feared the worst, but when things grew quiet, the only voice she could hear was that of her father.

“Scarlet? Scarlet, where are you?!”

The girl took a chance and poked her head out. When she saw her father, she immediately let go of her Invisibility spell and moved towards him. Crawford moved towards her as well, and they hugged each other.

“Father, I-” Scarlet gasped before Crawford shielded her eyes. For just a moment, she saw what her father had done to the poachers. She hardly recognized them. To this day, she never forgot the sight of those burning husks.

“Don’t look, Scarlet. It’s… Not safe here anymore. We need to go home.”

“But father-”

“I said we need to go! Now!!”

Scarlet did what she was told and held onto her father’s hand. It was hard to run with her eyes closed, but it was over before she knew it. Once she got home, Crawford explained what happened, and after a long conversation between him and Victoria, it was decided that Xatelia was no longer a safe place to live. They would report what happened to the authorities, and when their affairs were in order, they would leave their homeland far, far behind them.

Returning her thoughts to the present, Scarlet continued to weep beneath the foliage. It had all happened so fast. First the move, then the searching, then landing in the bayou, and just like that, it was like she was in another world. She had lived in Xatelia for eleven long years. It felt wrong to leave it all behind. They had a flying house, magic, money… There were so many things they could have done, and they chose to run away. Just like she did…

Rina… Lafayette… I’m sorry, thought Scarlet. I’m so sorry.

Just then, a strange smell filled the air. She flicked her tongue. Whatever it was, it was getting closer. Against her better judgement, she decided to come out of hiding. She didn’t see anything at first, but she did feel a faint rumbling beneath her feet. Soon enough, the ground was practically shaking, and then it burst open. Three eyeless creatures with smooth hairless skin, four legs, sharp incisors, and webbed, clawed feet had dug themselves out of the ground. They began to chitter and growl, taking notice of Scarlet immediately.

The snake girl stepped back. As one of the creatures moved closer, it picked up one of the sticks on the ground and chewed on it before spitting it back out. It continued advancing towards her, and a grim thought dawned upon Scarlet.

Wait, if these things eat wood, then…

One of the creatures swiped at her hip, but Scarlet dodged just in time. She took her embroidery hoop in her hands, noticing the creatures’ heads move up slightly as they followed the hoop’s movement.

“You can’t have this!” said Scarlet. “It’s far too important to be used as food!”

The creatures clearly didn’t care. Another one swiped at Scarlet, and though she dodged that attack as well, she nearly tripped. Her legs weren’t obeying her. It felt like they were locking up.

Dang it, I can’t fight them like this! They’d be on me before I got off a single spell!

Thinking fast, Scarlet kicked a stick the other way, drawing the creatures’ attention for just a moment. Then she ran. It wasn’t long before the monsters gave chase, and as she looked back, she saw they were gaining on her. She had precious few seconds before they caught up, so she stuffed her embroidery hoop in her vest and leaped onto a tree, clambering up its trunk. As she reached the top, however, she realized something. Too little too late. The creatures quickly began eating the base of the tree. All she could think to do was hold onto a branch as the tree came crashing towards the ground.

The fallen tree slammed her into the dirt, and the impact knocked the wind out of her. She couldn’t move. In a matter of moments, the monsters would be upon her, and she’d lose the one thing she had to remember her grandmother by. But when all hope seemed lost, a voice called out to her.

“Get up, Scarlet! You can do this!”

It was a familiar voice. She wasn’t sure where it came from, as the forest was too thick with trees. Yet somehow, it gave her the strength she needed to get back on her feet. When one of the monsters leaped at her, she kicked it in the belly as hard as she could, knocking back. It wheezed and hissed, scrambling back onto its four limbs.

“Get away from me! I am Scarlet Beauregard, youngest in the Beauregard family, and you will not have me this day!!”

A sudden speed and clarity came over her as she sewed a new pattern into her cloth, and an invisible force punted another one of the creatures into a tree, causing it to grunt and yelp. The remaining monsters started to back away. Rather than flee, however, they circled about, reassessing her. Before any of them attacked, a voice called out once more.

“Get away from my friend!” shouted Rina. The gator girl swung her arm at one of the monsters, knocking it on its backside. Lafayette joined the fray too, throwing what looked like a bolas at a monster, entangling its legs.

“Rina! Lafayette!” said Scarlet.

“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” said Rina.

“Are you hurt?” asked Lafayette.

“I’m okay. What are these things?” asked Scarlet.

“Heck if I know. They’re certainly not from around here.”

“Well whoever they are, let’s give ‘em a warm welcome!” After Rina popped her knuckles, she charged the third monster, sending it flying into the air with a devastating uppercut. Soon after, the entangled monster let out a shrill cry, and three more arrived on the scene to help them. After two of them recovered from their initial injuries, they grouped up and howled at the three beast kids. Scarlet moved in front, embroidery hoop at the ready.

“Scarlet?” said Lafayette.

“We can talk later. Right now, we need to deal with them.”

“Well if you’re good to fight, then so am I!” said Rina.

Scarlet gave a nod and stared the monsters down. “I’m tired of being a coward. I won’t run anymore!”

The monsters roared and charged the three kids. With a quick pattern in her cloth, Scarlet caused a rock to burst from the ground, knocking one of the monsters into the air. The other monsters circled around the rock, and Rina punched and kicked two of them away. Lafayette ducked an incoming attack and smacked a monster in the face with his shovel. He then spun around, hucked something in his other hand into the mouth of another monster, and crackling sparks like fireworks lit up in its mouth, causing it to run off in a panic.

While Rina and Lafayette were fighting, one of the monsters closed in and swiped at Scarlet’s body. She dodged back, but suffered a cut to her side. It wasn’t deep, but she could tell it could have been much worse. Another sewn symbol later, and light glimmered in front of her body in a hexagonal pattern.

“What the heck is that?” asked Lafayette.

“It’s called a barrier. The first thing you do when you learn magic is how to protect yourself,” said Scarlet.

The monster swiped at her again, but its claws bounced off the barrier. As it was only in front of her, Scarlet made sure to always face towards the attacking monster, and while the barrier kept it at bay, Scarlet wove another spell. A fist of force manifested above the beast, slamming down on its body. The monster was knocked out cold.

“Hoowee! Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” said Rina. The gator girl then charged a recovering monster, scooped it up in her arms, then suplexed it. She then used it to bludgeon another monster. After the beasts had taken so many harsh blows, they fled the area. The battle was won.

“Yeah! You better run!” said Lafayette. “And don’t come back, you hear?!”

When the fight was over, a wave of relief washed over Scarlet. She was about ready to thank the two kids, but Rina said, “Now, about that apology.”

“Huh?”

“You heard me!” said Rina. “You owe Tabasco an apology!”

Scarlet stared at the gator girl, dumbfounded. “I… Huh?” Scarlet shook her head. “Wait, how is your fish, anyway? Is he okay?”

“He’s okay, all right. Tabasco’s a real toughie. Still, it’s not proper to hurt someone like that and not say you’re sorry.”

“But… I thought I did.”

Rina crossed her arms. “Not to his face.”

“Are you being serious right now?! We just went toe to toe with a pack of blind wood-eating mole monsters, and that’s what you’re concerned with?”

“Monsters ain’t nothin’ new around here.”

“But I thought Eli said this place was safe!”

“It is,” said Lafayette. “As long as we’re around.” Lafayette rested his arm on Rina’s shoulder and said, “We’re the premier monster fighters ‘round the bayou!” Lafayette’s ears perked up. “Speakin’ of which, Rina. There’s trouble in the village. There must be more of them.”

“Then what are we waitin’ for? We gotta go help ‘em!”

And just like that, Rina and Lafayette took off running. When it finally clicked that they were already moving on, Scarlet tried to catch up.

“H-hey, hold on a minute! Wait for me!” The snake girl managed to reach Rina, and together they ran ahead, trying to keep pace with Lafayette. “Thanks for earlier, by the way.”

“What?”

“Earlier, when you told me to get up. I… I just wanted to thank you for that. If you didn’t say anything, I might have lost my embroidery hoop…”

“I don’t recall sayin’ those words, but I’m glad I could help either way.”

“But… If you didn’t tell me to get up, then who… Did…” Scarlet glanced behind her as she ran. She was certain she recognized the voice when it called out to her, but now she had no idea if it was Rina, Lafayette, or someone else she knew. She looked at the embroidery hoop she was holding for a moment before stuffing it in her vest and shaking her head. It couldn’t be… Could it?

---

Scarlet, Rina, and Lafayette ran into the heart of the bayou. Even before they reached the village, Scarlet could smell more of those creatures nearby.

“Most of the village homes are made of wood, right?” asked Scarlet as she ran.

“Yeah. I’ll bet them monsters are tryin’ to eat everyone out of house and home!” said Lafayette.

“But why attack this deep into the bayou?” asked Rina. “There’re trees everywhere!”

“Maybe they’re picky eaters?”

Then it occurred to Scarlet: her house. It was made from the finest lumber Xatelia had to offer and was rich in ether due to the enchantments placed on it. If her embroidery hoop was like a single egg, her house would seem like a huge cheese omelet to the beasts. Scarlet cursed under her breath as she tried to keep up with the others.

By the time the trio arrived in the village proper, the other beast folk were already defending their property against the monsters. Rina wore a serious expression as she looked around.

“Lafayette, you handle the ones on the right, I’ll handle the ones on the left.”

“You got it!” said the fox boy.

“I want to help to!” said Scarlet.

“Are you sure?”

Scarlet looked Lafayette in the eye and said, “Yes.”

“In that case, I’ll take care of the ones I see further up ahead,” said Rina. “Now let’s get to it!” Then she and Lafayette ran off.

Looking to her left, Scarlet saw Big Pete and a tall frogman with a banjo trying to keep three of the monsters away from a large log home. Since they were so close to the village pond, Scarlet got an idea. She sowed a long wave-like pattern in her embroidery cloth, telekinetically manipulating some of the water into a grasping tendril. The water tendril latched onto the three monsters, and while they were bound in place, the other two beast folk went on the offensive. Big Pete clasped his hands together for an overhead smash, the frogman clonked one with a club, and Scarlet dove into the fray with a kick. Working together, they were able to knock the monsters out.

“Thanks for that!” said Big Pete.

“It’s no problem. When did these things show up?” asked Scarlet.

“Wasn’t too long ago,” said the frogman. “David came runnin’ in and started shoutin’ about some tree biters, but just as he showed up, so did the monsters.”

“Are there any more besides these ones?”

“Actually, I think I saw a few headin’ out that way,” Big Pete pointed. It was the same direction as Scarlet’s house.

“Shoot, all right. Thanks for the info!” Then Scarlet took off running. Lafayette was still in the middle of a fight, so she joined in and helped finish off the monsters.

“You’re getting’ good at this,” said Lafayette. “Just don’t get a big head over it.”

“I’ll do my best. Now is Rina still around? I think I may know what’s going on.”

“See for yerself.”

Lafayette gestured across the pond where Scarlet saw two gigantic gator folk – one wearing a polka dot dress and the other wearing a dark t-shirt and overalls. She watched as the woman flatted a monster with a frying pan and the man knocked several to the ground with a bone-cracking tail whip. In the midst of the two large gator folk was Rina, helping the others fend off the remaining monsters.

“Are those her parents?” asked Scarlet.

“They sure are! Come on!” shouted Lafayette.

The pair ran towards the gator folk but were quickly cut off by two more monsters. Scarlet and Lafayette struck them down with kicks and a shovel as they shouted, “Out of our way!” in unison. When they made it to the other side of the pond, Rina excitedly introduced her parents.

“Scarlet, glad you’re doin’ okay! This is my ma and pa, Shelly and Crush.”

“Nice to meet you two,” said Scarlet.

“We can worry about formalities later,” said Shelly. “Right now we need to figure out why there are so many dang monsters here!”

“I… May have an idea,” said Scarlet. The snake girl explained her theory about the magical wood in her family home, expecting the others to blame her for everything, but once again, the locals surprised her.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” said Crush. “You better go see yer folks and check if they’re okay.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Oh pshaw,” said Shelly. “Like you asked for yer house to be eaten! Now get goin’! We’ll handle things here.”

“You heard ‘em,” said Rina. “Let’s move!”

Scarlet watched as Rina and Lafayette ran off towards her house without hesitation. She was quick to follow, and a few minutes later, the trio found Crawford and a pair of armed rope-men fending off more monsters. The trio joined the fighting and made quick work of the beasts. When the last of the monsters fell, Crawford ran to where the trio were and hugged Scarlet.

“Thank goodness. I’m glad you’re still okay. But… Look at you. These cuts, bruises, and your clothes!” Crawford looked at Rina and Lafayette and said, “You were supposed to keep her safe!”

“We did!” said Lafayette. “Though she hasn’t exactly made it easy for us.”

“How dare you! When Eli told me this was a safe place, I put my trust in you all! Now I see I’ve made a mistake. Scarlet, get in the house. We’ll make ready to leave soon.”

“No…” Scarlet whispered.

“What was that?”

“I said no!” Scarlet shouted. “Lafayette is right. He and Rina have been watching over me this whole time! They’ve done everything they could. All I’ve done in return is act like a spoiled brat, just because I never wanted to come here. I… I never wanted to move, but I was scared. Too scared to speak up. But I’m not scared anymore.” Scarlet did her best to look Crawford in the eye as she said, “I say we stay and fight!”

“That is not your decision to make. When we decided to move, it was to protect you! Do you know how much we’ve sacrificed to find a better place to live?”

“Then you’re just going to run every time there’s even a hint of danger?” Crawford narrowed his eyes at her, but Scarlet stayed strong. “I understand why you did it now, but we can’t just keep running forever. Eventually we’ll run out of places to live… We have to stand our ground at some point, so why not here? Rina, Lafayette, and the whole community are tough, and they know how to work together. So what do you say?”

“I…” Crawford hesitated. He looked back at the house. Scarlet could see Victoria through a window, watching them with a worried look on her face. Crawford then said, “If we were to stay, what do you propose we do?”

Scarlet explained her theory about the monsters to Crawford, stating that they must be attracted to the house.

“But… If they really are drawn to the house, then our presence here only makes things worse,” said Crawford. “Knowing this, you still wish to stay and fight?”

The snake girl nodded. “If we’re the reason the monsters came, then we owe it to the others to help deal with the problem.”

Crawford crossed his arms and smiled. “I see… Perhaps I’ve misjudged you two,” he said to Rina and Lafayette. “You’ve been a better influence on my daughter than I thought possible. But the question remains: how do we deal with the matter at hand? We know that these monsters feed on wood and seem especially drawn to high-quality wood steeped in ether. What else do we know? What should we call them?”

“I say ‘tree biter!’” Rina smiled.

“Tree biter?” said Scarlet.

“You know… ‘Cause they bite trees.”

“Tree biter it is then,” said Crawford. “What else?”

“There are a heck of a lot of them,” said Lafayette. “Even so, they seem a little more organized than other beasts we’ve fought.”

“I noticed that,” said Scarlet. “They move like pack hunters, even though they’re herbivores. More than that, I noticed something in the air. I believe they’re pheromones.”

“Pheromones?”

Scarlet nodded. “Back in Xatelia, we used to maintain a type of spider farm and harvest their silk. Whenever I cared for them, I always noticed strange smells coming from the spiders. My understanding is that certain types of creatures can release special odors from their bodies in order to communicate, and our spiders were no exception. The females used pheromones to attract males, as well as lure in potential prey.”

“I see… So perhaps the tree biters have a pack leader of some kind that communicates through their pheromones,” said Crawford.

“Ooooh. I was wonderin’ what that odor was!” said Rina. “So what yer tellin’ me is there’s some big tree biter out there that might be tellin’ the little ones to do stuff, like maybe gather food?”

“It would make sense,” said Scarlet. “Ants communicate in much the same way, signaling to each other where food is located. If they had an especially important member of their group, say a queen or an alpha, then it would explain this semi-coordinated hunt for food.”

“Well shoot,” said Lafayette, “I guess a fancypants education is worth somethin’ after all.”

“Hmm… I think I have an idea,” said Crawford. “If they’re most attracted to the house, then I could have it flown up into the air and see if it draws them away from the village. These tree biters don’t appear to have eyes, so they might not recognize the house is out of their reach. Then it’s just a matter of seeing if there truly is a leader among them, and if they can be dealt with, it may be enough to drive the others out.”

“Sounds like a plan. Rina, do you think you can help me track the leader?” asked Scarlet.

“Sure can!” Rina pumped a fist into the air.

“Wait, you don’t seriously plan on taking it on, do you?” asked Crawford. “But you’re…”

“I have to do this if what I said earlier is to hold any weight. Besides…” Scarlet looked at Rina and Lafayette. “My new friends will be there to look out for me.”

“Then before you go, let me see your embroidery hoop.” Scarlet passed her hoop to Crawford, who looked at it, smiled gently, then handed it back. “I see… You’ve come a long way, then. All right. I’ll trust you and your friends. Just promise me if things get too dangerous, you’ll get out of there.”

“I promise.”

“Then I’ll get the house in the air. Be seeing you soon.”

Crawford and his rope-men returned to the house, and as Scarlet and the others stepped back, the house gradually rose up into the air, moving north and west. Just as she suspected, the remaining tree biters in the area followed after it. With that taken care of, Scarlet worked together with Rina to track down the source of the pheromones. The girl knew it would be dangerous, and a small part of her still doubted herself, but even so, Scarlet knew she had to face the coming danger no matter what. For her family and for herself.

---

Scarlet and Rina led the search for the tree biter alpha while Lafayette watched their backs. Their combined senses made the search simple enough, and whatever was giving off the pheromones certainly made no attempt to hide themselves. The question was… What should they do when they find the alpha? What if it was too big or dangerous to fight? What then? Scarlet shared her concerns, as even though she knew this was important, she was not so foolhardy to think she was invincible.

“Well, I’ve never met somethin’ that I couldn’t handle,” said Rina. “At least, not at my age…”

“What about those land shrimp that could shoot high-speed bubbles? Or that giant tortoise that nearly snapped yer head off? What about the swamp shark?” asked Lafayette.

“The what?” asked Scarlet.

“Oh pshaw, we’re still here, ain’t we?” said Rina. “If this monster is anything like what we’ve faced before, then we’ll have this in the bag no problem!”

“Your confidence is… Admirable,” said Scarlet. “But what if-”

“No more of that! I know this is scary, but if you let the fear take hold, you’ve already lost.”

“Then what’s the plan?”

“Well… I’ll think of one when I see the monster. Can’t make plans around somethin’ if I don’t know what to expect. Although…”

“Yeah?”

“If you can come up with a use for yer fancy magicky stuff, then I’ll do what I can to follow along!”

Rina wiggled her fingers in Scarlet’s direction when she said “magicky”, and had she not known better, she would have thought she was being made fun of. But this was Rina. She was probably the sincerest person Scarlet had ever met… For better or worse.

The trio continued their travels. The sun was setting, and the sky was painted in shades of red, orange, and pink. A warm wind blew through the air, carrying the smell of the swamp, along with the mysterious pheromones, which were pungent and acrid. The kids had left behind the mucky part of the swamp and were now in a sparse forest of gum trees. Most of the land was beneath a few inches of water, though there were occasional wet grassy hills, often dotted with mushrooms. As the trio walked over one of these hills, Scarlet accidentally stepped on a mushroom. Instead of outright crushing it, however, the durable and spongey fungus sunk into the soft, muddy hill.

“Wait… I have an idea,” said Scarlet.

“What is it?” asked Lafayette.

“I think I can use my magic to stop the pheromones. If I can seal the glands somehow, it should confuse the little monsters.”

“You think it’ll work?” asked Rina.

“There’s no way to be certain, but I’m willing to give it a try. I’ll need time to complete the spell pattern, though. You think you two can keep the monsters busy?”

“About as sure as sweet potatoes!”

“Then it’s a plan,” said Lafayette.

With the three kids in agreement, they continued following their noses until they found the source of the pheromones. Beyond the sparse forest, Scarlet saw a gathering of tree biters. Out on some wetlands, the monsters were grazing and prancing about, and in the midst of the pack was a giant tree biter, easily bigger than a moose – and twice as wide. Its body shape was similar to the other monsters, though its hide was even darker, with its limbs colored a faded emerald green. Scarlet also noticed some of the tree biters approaching the alpha, dumping what looked like piles of chewed-up wood at the alpha’s feet. A long grasping tongue scooped up the wood offerings and ate them.

“I see… So the little ones hunt and forage, bringing back food to their leader. They really are like ants,” said Scarlet.

“Well I hope they enjoyed their meal, ‘cause it’s time for them to pay the bill,” said Rina.

“Do you even know what a bill is?”

“Not really, but I heard that line in a movie once.”

Lafayette was smirking and looked like he was barely containing his laughter. Scarlet just shook her head. “We’re still good with the plan?”

“I’d say so. Let me go ahead and get things started for ya,” said Rina. Then the girl dove into the water. It wasn’t too deep, but there was just enough for Rina to submerge herself and swim through the wetlands. The splash Rina made put the tree biters on high alert, so they fanned out and searched the area. Not long after, Lafayette moved ahead, using the wetland brush as cover. For the moment, Scarlet held off on preparing the spell. She knew that as soon as she pulled her hoop out, the tree biters would make their way towards her. So she waited patiently for the attack to begin.

Steady… Steady… Scarlet thought. Any moment now…

Then, just when the area got quiet, Rina burst out of the water and latched onto the alpha’s leg.

“I got you, you sonnuva gun!!” Then Rina bit down on the alpha’s leg, causing it to howl in pain. The other monsters changed course and made their way towards Rina. The final battle against the tree biters had begun.

The alpha first tried to shake Rina off of its leg, but the gator girl held on tight. As Scarlet flicked her tongue, she could tell the scent in the air signaled distress. The smaller tree biters splashed through the wetlands on their way to their leader. As they did, however, some of them stumbled in the water, getting tangled up in nets. Lafayette leaped out of cover and began swatting any other monsters that came his way with his shovel.

“Better get that spell goin’!” shouted Lafayette. “We’ll hold ‘em down in the meantime!”

“Right!” Scarlet drew her embroidery hoop and began the pattern. Ordinarily, spellweaving didn’t take her very long. Spells that manipulated the environment or caused a reaction of some kind were simple enough. Spells that directly manipulated a living creature, though, were more advanced. For this pattern, Scarlet chose the center of her cloth – a space she had been saving for just such an occasion.

While Scarlet worked on her spell pattern, Rina and Lafayette fought the tree biter pack. The alpha finally threw Rina off of its leg, and she splashed across the water like a skipped rock. But she made a swift recovery and used the other monsters as steppingstones, hopping off of their backs as Rina made her way to the alpha again. With a hop, skip, and a jump, Rina closed the distance once more. She spun about mid-air, landing a pulverizing strike with her hefty tail. The force of the blow caused the alpha to stumble. Scarlet realized she had stopped sewing in that moment, so distracted by Rina’s show of strength.

Lafayette was no slouch in the fight, either. What he lacked in strength, he made up for in speed and agility. He ducked, dodged, and leapfrogged over the tree biters as they attacked. Every time they left themselves open, he slapped them in the face with his shovel. Even when he did get cut from one of the monster’s claws, it seemed to be intentional, as Lafayette led some of the monsters into his impromptu traps in the water. Everything was going well. A little too well for Scarlet’s liking.

The snake girl continued her sewing, and as the spell neared completion, her needle and thread emitted a magical glow. The monsters didn’t react to the glow. What they did react to, however, was the magical energy Scarlet’s hoop was giving off. Looking up, she realized some of the tree biters were racing towards her. Rina was busy fighting the alpha and its protectors, and even Lafayette wasn’t fast enough to stop the stragglers out of his reach. Still working on her current pattern, Scarlet was defenseless. She thought it would all be for naught, but then something swooped down, grabbing two of the tree biters in her talons.

“Alyssa! You made it!” shouted Rina.

“Sorry for the wait, gang! Crawford filled me in on what’s goin’ on, so I’ll do what I can to help!”

Scarlet couldn’t remember seeing the egret woman before. She was tall, graceful, and seemed more than capable. The snake girl said, “I just need a little more time to cast a spell! Can you keep the others off my back?”

“Can do!” said Alyssa. Then the egret woman took to the air, swooping down on another pair of monsters. She grabbed hold of them with little trouble, flying across the wetlands, and tossing them aside.

With three beast folk helping her, Scarlet finally finished the spell pattern. With the last stitch, the pattern glowed with power. An invisible force traveled across the wetlands and latched onto the alpha. Nearly invisible holes on the monster’s sides closed shut, and soon after, the pheromones faded from the air. The little tree biters became confused and less coordinated while the alpha became enraged. Chaos erupted on the battlefield, and all the monsters lashed out in a panic.

The smaller tree biters became more ferocious in their confusion, but without the coordinating scents, they could be tackled as individual enemies rather than a group. Lafayette and Alyssa made short work of them, striking them down one at a time. Meanwhile, Rina was wrestling with the alpha. She managed to yank it to the ground by its leg, but as Rina tried to strike it in the face with a kick, the monster bit down. Now it had gotten a hold of Rina’s leg.

“Dang it, let go you overgrown beaver!” Rina tried pulling the alpha’s jaws open, but it was to no avail. “Can I get a little help here?”

“A little busy!” said Lafayette, holding a monster back with the handle of his shovel.

“I’m on it!” said Scarlet. In order to pull off her next plan, she needed to get closer. As cold as the wetland waters looked, she ignored her fears and jumped in. The water reached up to her thighs, making movement difficult. Even so, the path had been cleared for her thanks to Lafayette and Alyssa. All that was left was to complete the next pattern. As she waded through the water, her mind flashed back to that fateful day in the field. The memory of the poachers, what they almost did to her, and what remained of them after her father got to them still haunted her to this very day. The fear she felt wasn’t something that made her hide under her bed and cower, no. It was something more insidious. It made her defensive, made her paranoid. It made her lash out at others that didn’t deserve it. Rather than weigh her down, it had twisted her every action since that day in subtle, invisible ways.

But no more.

The monster before her may have been disconnected from the events of her past, but the threat it represented to her family and her new home was more than real. Despite the fear in her heart, despite the freezing cold of the evening wetlands, despite all of her guilt, Scarlet fought through it all, sewing just like her grandmother taught her. First, a simple telekinesis spell. It pushed in two directions, unlatching the jaws of the alpha, letting Rina go free. This, however, was just the catalyst.

There was a secret to spellweaving that the Beauregard family had discovered ages ago, passing it on from generation to generation. Each spell she had woven that day was a link in a chain, and now that the chain had formed a full circle, the final spell of the cloth was complete. Every spell, big and small, was unleashed upon the alpha. Though some of them accomplished nothing (and one was even beneficial to it), the jutting rock, the fist of force, the grasping tendril of water… These and all the others struck the alpha one after the other, pushing it further and further back until finally the telekinesis spell went off, tossing it up into the air, then spiking it back into the ground.

When the tree biters saw their leader knocked unconscious, they scrambled towards it in a panic. Working together, they bunched up around the alpha’s body and carried it off. When they were gone, Rina ran right up to Scarlet and scooped her up in a big bear hug.

“Scarlet, that was amazing! How’d you even do that?!”

Gasping for air, Scarlet said, “I-I’ll tell you if you put me down!”

“Oh, sorry.”

Scarlet landed in the water with a big splash. Her clothes were now completely muddy and soaked through, yet somehow, she didn’t mind at all. Rina extended a hand to help the snake girl up, and this time, Scarlet accepted it.

“Shouldn’t we stop those things?” asked Scarlet.

“Nah. With a beatin’ that bad, I doubt they’ll ever step in the bayou again!” said Rina.

“I’ll say,” added Lafayette. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a monster get whipped quite like that. What about you, Alyssa?”

“Can’t say I have,” said the egret woman. “Then again, I’ve never met a magician, either.”

“Oh please, I’m only a mage in training… You can keep complimenting me if you want to, though,” said a blushing Scarlet.

“Nah, I think you’ve had enough,” said Lafayette. Scarlet flicked her tongue in the fox boy’s direction. “By the by, we still have all these other tree biters they left behind…” Lafayette looked at the unconscious and tangled up monsters. “Any chance you can take care of that, Alyssa?”

“Should be easy enough.” Alyssa looked at the sheer number of monsters around, as did the others. “It might be easier if they were all in one net, though.”

The kids worked together, gathering up the monsters in one spot, placing them in a large net Lafayette made by tying up all the little ones together. With the monsters bound up, Alyssa tried carrying them off, but the pile was just too heavy.

“Shoot, I can’t lift ‘em.”

“Here, I’ll help,” said Scarlet. She replaced the cloth in her embroidery hoop, sewing an enhancing pattern in the fresh linen. Suddenly, the slim muscles in Alyssa’s form seemed to subtly bulk up, and she took to the air with no issue.

“Oh wow, this ain’t so bad now. Thanks, Scarlet!”

“You’re very welcome!”

Then the egret woman took off. As for the trio of kids, they made their way back to the bayou. But before returning to the village, there was one last thing Scarlet needed to do…

---

“Here he is,” said Rina.

“I’m glad he’s okay,” said Scarlet. “I’m sorry about what I did earlier… I was just scared. I thought you were trying to eat my tail!”

Tabasco just mouthed at the air silently. Scarlet reached out, hesitant at first, then she finally pet the catfish on his wet, slimy head. Scarlet drew her hand back, her face scrunching up at the sight of the slime.

“Seems he’s accepted yer apology,” said Lafayette.

“Oh hey, congrats, Scarlet! I’m confused, though. Since when could you speak fish?” asked Rina.

“I can’t. It’s just a feeling I get from him.”

“I see, I see…” Rina then spun the fish around to look him in the eye. “Anything else ya wanna add, lil’ buddy?”

Tabasco stared blankly.

“Huh… I think he’s saying he’s glad you feel better, Scarlet,” said Lafayette.

“That’s an awfully specific feelin’!” said Rina. The fox boy shrugged. Rina shrugged back. “Ah well. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get you home so we can head home.”

Rina returned Tabasco to the lake, then walked ahead towards the woods. She waved for the others to follow her, and they did, though Scarlet and Lafayette walked at a much slower pace.

“So…” began Lafayette.

“So?” asked Scarlet.

“I know I may have said a thing or two earlier, but… I wanted to apologize.”

“Why? You were in the right with what you said…”

“Maybe, but I didn’t mean to say things the way I did. I’ve been friends with Rina for over three years. Three years since I found my way to this swamp. Rina is like a sister to me, and the way you were shruggin’ off her gestures of kindness, well, it just rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t fully understand it, but you know how when you get mad you end up doin’ and sayin’ things you don’t really mean to?”

Scarlet nodded. “Boy, do I know that feeling…”

“So yeah, it was like that. I knew I took it too far, so I just wanted to say sorry.”

Scarlet smiled at the fox boy. “Well, apology accepted! Does that mean I’m not an arrogant, judgy, entitled brat?”

“Hey, don’t get ahead of yourself now.” The two children laughed together, and for a moment, Scarlet forgot just how cold and dirty she was.

“So now what? I take it you’re heading back to your family’s house?” asked Scarlet.

“Still haven’t figured that one out, huh?” said Lafayette.

“What do you mean?”

“Back when I found my way to the swamp three years ago… I found it all on my own. I don’t have anybody else.”

“Wait, then you’re…” Scarlet paused. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t fret about it.” Lafayette stopped at the edge of the forest, turning in Scarlet’s direction. “I have a new family now. Rina, Eli, and everyone else that lives in the bayou. Maybe if you stick around long enough, you can be a part of it too.”

As Lafayette said those words, Scarlet felt something deep within her. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she felt it, nonetheless.

“Then again, maybe not,” Lafayette continued. “I’m not sure I could ever get along with someone as uptight as your pa.”

Deep within, Scarlet heard the sound of glass shattering. What followed was a fiery rage, and she began chasing after Lafayette as she cried, “You idiot! Don’t talk about my father like that!!”

The pair ran off into the forest, and pretty soon they caught up with Rina, who said, “Oh, we’re racin’ now? You’re on!!”

The three children ran through the forest on their way back home, and though Scarlet was still mad for reasons even she couldn’t explain, a part of her was still having the time of her life.

The kids would later return to the bayou, explain what happened alongside Alyssa, and Crawford’s rope-men would aid the other beast folk in repairing the village. Scarlet’s parents were horrified at the state of her clothes and were quick to order Scarlet to take a bath. Nevertheless, they were glad she was all right. Collectively, they decided they’d stay in Bebop Bayou a little while longer. And when Scarlet went to bed, no longer did she have nightmares of the past. Instead, she dreamed about her new neighbors, new friends, and the new adventures that awaited her.

[spyfoxplus]

Things that may be asked commonly:

[The Idea of Fox Spy]

I came up with this idea in a spur of the moment while doing homework. Doodled a Spycrab and thought: “what if I put it on a Fox’s body?” Then boom, Fox Spy was born.

I have no clue if it’s been done before, but until proven otherwise, I’m not going to claim credit for the idea of a Fox!spy. Of course I’ll claim credit for the art and characters (ocs) created, but I don’t want to accidentally step on someone’s toes for unintentionally copying their idea while saying I did it first. I don’t know for sure, this community is big.

[Art usage and Credit]

Speaking of credit, you are free to use my art as a pfp or save it for personal reasons like phone widgets or just to admire in your photo album. If you’re unsure, feel free to ask! The worst I can say is no, and even then I don’t mean it harshly.

All I ask is that you do not steal or claim my art or characters as your own. Editing and tracing my art is also on the fence, but please do ask! Again, I’m sure we can clear things up with a chat because I don’t want trouble. I’m just very sensitive with my art, having insecurities about it since I was young. So when I share it, I can only hope for a good experience. After all, I can’t hide it forever as my family says.

[Commissions]

Do not straight up ask for free art, please. This account is meant to be just a hobby on the side, and I really don’t want it to cause me too much stress. Its a draw when I can type of thing, and my motivation likes having mood swings.

Plus, I currently don’t have a way to accept money even if you are willing to pay. Something like an art trade may work, but I would suggest you ask me first and we can see things from there. I do warn you though, I am no draw over night kind of person and need my time to get things done. I also don’t want to accept too many at a time, because I crash easy. I’ll admit now that I am a massive pushover who has a habit of biting off more than I can chew. So please, be patient with me.

[Fanart and boundaries]

In this case, I’m not going to allow too much nsfw content. Sure the usual gore and jokes of the game may be here, but it’s probably going to be toned down a little. I don’t see this blog being anything Spicy, all I can see is fluffy and shenanigans from all around. So keep it PG 13 and let’s see how it goes. Again, if you’re unsure of something, please just ask.

As long as you respect the rules and remain kind, feel free to make fanart, fanfics, or such! I highly encourage it, as that was how I discovered my love of writing and art. Sure I may be timid, but please feel free to tag me as well! Knowing I helped inspire something in someone like the people around me have means a lot.

That’s it so far! I’ll probably add on to this post over time, but this is what we have to work with. Please do your best to follow them, and thank you for taking your time to read this! It means a lot to me that you guys wanted to see what and what not to do, and I hope you lot enjoy your stay!

— zDySimps

[linklethehistorian]

Since I have been searching for the past three fucking hours trying find an actual decent ASMR video that labels its shit correctly so I can FINALLY get back to fucking sleep (as at times like these I CANNOT WITHOUT THEM) and have very much lost ALL of my generosity towards this community, here is your very unfriendly reminder that you should treat ASMR like AO3 and your triggers each like a separate form of dead dove content when it comes to labeling them in your video title and descriptions.

I cannot tell you how much of my sleep and time has been lost in the moments I needed y’all most thanks to y’all’s sheer inconsiderate bullshit where you will NOT LIST YOUR TRIGGERS CORRECTLY EVEN FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE OF US WHO MISOPHONIA/SPD AND LITERALLY CANNOT LISTEN TO CERTAIN TRIGGERS.

Here is your unfriendly as hell reminder that:

If you start doing a trigger that is not listed in the title or description or at least implied with “various triggers” or something of the like, and do it for more than like 3-5 seconds, or even do it for 3-5 seconds more than once, I am clicking out of your video and probably making a mental note to never watch a single one of your videos going forward, because you have proven you can’t be trusted and don’t actually care about your audience. Extra bonus negative points against you if you label something “pure [x trigger]” but it isn’t actually pure [x trigger].

I get that if you’re used to/love doing a trigger, you can forget yourself and do it by accident, but you have this thing called editing on your side. You can literally take it the fuck out before you post the video. And if you refuse because you think it sounds nice, great!!! BUT TAG THAT SHIT. PUT IT IN THE TITLE. OR PUT IT IN THE DESCRIPTION.

I DON’T CARE HOW GOOD YOU THINK IT SOUNDS OR HOW UNIVERSALLY AGREEABLE YOU THINK THE TRIGGER IS.

IT AIN’T GOOD AND UNIVERSALLY AGREEABLE TO EVERYONE.

Also, if a trigger is going to be intermittent rather than constant, maybe TAG THAT SHIT TOO. Alternating between two triggers rather than doing both at once throughout the video can be the exact opposite of what some of us need in order to sleep, so it would be nice if you would please say “[x trigger] with some [x trigger]” rather than implying both will be all throughout the video.

I am so sick of having to sit through like up to 10 minutes of a video and even then have to click through and test parts of the rest just to determine if someone is being honest about the triggers in a video, possibly subjecting myself to something that will trigger my SPD severely and/or give me a headache just because your stupid asses can’t be bothered to think that just maybe you might be causing someone else distress by not appropriately labeling your content that you claim you create TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE RELAX AND SLEEP.

So once more for the people in the back:

Treat ASMR like AO3.

Treat every trigger in a video like it is a different form of dead dove content that you need to warn about and label it in the title or the description, no matter if you think you didn’t do it long or often enough to ‘warrant’ it.

Don’t say “pure [trigger]” if it isn’t PURE [trigger] all throughout.

If you start doing something by habit or accident in a video that was only supposed to be certain trigger or set of triggers, either edit that shit out or label it.

If you don’t want to label every trigger, saying “assorted/various triggers” is your ASMR equivalent of “author chose not to use archive warnings” and such. It tells us not to click if we don’t want to take that risk.

A TRIGGER BEING POPULAR DOES NOT MEAN IT IS UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTABLE TO ALL AND THEREFORE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE TAGGED. TAG IT ANYWAY.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE WITH MISOPHONIA AND SPD EXIST AND WILL SUFFER FROM YOUR NEGLIGENCE IF YOU DON’T TAG THINGS PROPERLY.

I am now going back to one of the few fucking creators I can trust to watch a video that is only half effective anymore because I’ve listened to it so many times just because I know it can be trusted and I can so rarely find a decent, honest video from anyone else.

Good fucking night

I know this is a rant unrelated to anything I’ve ever talked about, and it’s probably something very few people are going to want to hear or be able to easily relate to, but as someone with SPD who listens to ASMR on a relatively frequent basis, I have to say that I am very, very tired of ASMRtists not tagging their videos correctly.

I love ASMR, and I love a lot of the wonderful creators out there, even if not all of them create content I personally can enjoy, because I know there are people out there who do enjoy it and I’m glad those people can find what they need, even if I can’t relate to wanting to listen to those triggers myself.

I mean no disrespect to any ASMRtist in particular when I say this, and I’m sure even the ones guilty of this means absolutely no harm; HOWEVER, again, as someone with SPD for whom hearing certain triggers can either cause an actual headache, extreme anxiety, or other types of terrible agitation and unpleasant — if not genuinely painful — sensations, I find it nonetheless incredibly irresponsible of content creators when they fail to properly label their videos in a way that honestly reflects its true nature.

Given that most ASMRtists do experience ASMR themselves, and there is a very noticeable connection of people who experience ASMR often also having some form of SPD or misophonia, or at the very least just having some trigger they don’t find relaxing and can’t watch, you would think that they would take more care and responsibility in labeling their works as they themselves understand what it can be like to experience this unpleasantness, but apparently you would think wrong — as I’ve encountered very few ASMRtists who actually take the time to get this right, much less many of the most popular ones.  Once more, I have nothing against someone creating videos I can’t watch or enjoy; if an ASMRtist wants to always, for example, include mouth sounds in every video they make, that’s fine with me, however, I do have a problem with it when said ASMRtist only labels some or even none of those videos at all as featuring mouth sounds, when, in fact, they all have them. If your video includes mouth sounds, label it. If your video includes tapping, label it. And so on and so forth. Even if it only includes it for a portion of the video, LABEL IT. There are some of us out there who can experience actual pain or other unpleasant effects from your videos if we click on one not realizing you intend to do something other than the trigger you named the video after! I don’t want to click onto your “mic scratching” video to be given a headache with your tapping or given the worst anxiety from your mouth sounds. Just because YOU like a trigger doesn’t mean everyone in the world won’t mind if you include it in your video with 0 warning to your viewers.

The ONLY exception to this rule with needing to label things, I feel, is basic whispering, and only because we have a specific label in the community for videos that don’t feature whispering — “NO TALKING”. If your video doesn’t say no talking, and I click onto it and find talking, that’s a given, it’s expected, I won’t be upset and have no right to be upset because if I truly wanted a “no talking” video, I would have looked for one with that label. It’s a known thing in the community. But every other trigger is an entirely different story. It your responsibility to your viewers as a content creator to LABEL your videos correctly. If you’re using a variety of triggers, tell us that. That’s fine. I don’t care if your videos aren’t for me. I’ll find content elsewhere. But don’t go labeling your videos as being one trigger and then include two in it, or as some of the WORST offenders of all do, label something “pure [trigger]”, as if it is a promise to feature only that, and then include some other sound in it anyway!!!

Stop lying to your viewers, regardless of whether it’s because you don’t think it matters because you like the particular trigger and assume everyone else will, because you don’t feel like labeling everything in it, or you don’t want to lose potential viewers to that video because they might not click if they knew what was in it. It will only make me inherently distrust and be more likely to avoid your content if I find that you do this.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

ML Fic: Soulmate Survey Finale

Here it is.

6-months Later

(I am really sorry about the delay)

There were some hiccups, technical difficulties and other things that delayed this part more than I anticipated.

Shout out to @asongeverlasting for beta reading for having such incredible patience with me. And Give her props, she managed to defy time and space just to beta and fix my work. She is a National treasure.

Check her writing out on AO3 as Ramblingwren

(Master post)

(And here is the full fic on Ao3)

If you do like the story, Comments and Reblogs are greatly appreciated.

But before all that.

Thank you.

This story has been going on for over 2 years now and yet so many of you have been sticking by and reading it. Seeing all of the comments, fan art, and tags has really made making this Fic worth it. Its also the reason that I want to make sure this ending pays off and delivers the joy to all of you that your support and kindness has given me. So be aware that the next update will be the big finale.

Alright enough Camembert,

Enjoy the dish in front of you.

_____________________________________________________________________

Fu heard the sound of walls crumbling and stopped for a moment to focus on where the sound was coming from.

“That must be where the akuma is.”

“That is a relief. I was starting to get lost in this place,” Wayzz confessed. “This building is even more confusing than the studio I was in the other day.”

“Right, you were with the one Marinette had chosen for you. I will admit I don’t know that much about him. Nino was his name, yes?” Fu inquired as they walked.

“He is a good boy, He is very good at going with the flow, and he has a good heart that wants to protect his friends,” Wayzz assured. “Marinette has picked a fine chosen for the role.”

Fu smiled.

“That is good to know, especially that you approve of him. It does make it easier,” Fu said, his words beginning to sound more distant despite being so close.

Wayzz felt his concern for the elderly guardian grow.

“Master, your tone is a bit… foreboding. You speak as if you don’t have long left,” Wayzz remarked.

Fu knew that the turtle kwami was concerned for his well-being. The two of them had been friends for over a century. Wayzz was, in a way, his best friend.

“Apologies, Wayzz, I suppose I am just feeling relieved. While I am still spry, I am no spring chicken. It is good that we know that she will be a good guardian in the future. It makes me feel lighter, like my failure wasn’t the end.”

Wayzz suddenly paused, causing Fu to also stop when he noticed Wayzz wasn’t keeping up.

“Wayzz? What are you doing? We need to make haste.”

“I need to say something to you. You need to stop blaming yourself for what happened, Master.”

Fu sighed.

“I know what you are going to say. I was young and it was an honest mistake. It wasn’t my fault that it ended up the way it did…”

“Yes. You did make a mistake, and you have made up for your mistake 100 times over. You have guarded us alone for over a century. You have gone above and beyond for your duty. You did not fail — if anything, you have succeeded and proven yourself to be a guardian on par with the order, if not more so. Therefore I don’t want you to belittle yourself anymore!”

Fu looked at his kwami confidant, he was emotionally touched by his dear friend’s speech.

“Thank you Wayzz. You truly are an amazing friend.”

“Good, now let's hurry and help the heroes out.”

“Indeed. Let us go, my friend.”

The two continued to where the sound of smashing walls and roars was coming from.

______________________________________________________________________________

The heroes stared up at the Giant Gorilla as it broke down the finely constructed walls of the throne room, leaving a massive hole that let the light of the outside world into the school.

The floor it was standing on was starting to crack, so it quickly jumped out the hole as it grew to its complete size.

The upper body of the Sentimonster now reached the second floor and the situation looked more like a child playing with a doll house.

“So, what was that plan, Ladybug?” Viperion asked, as the Gorilla let out a primal scream.

“Well, the plan is…”

Ryuuko smiled with anticipation.

“Actually Ladybug, let me take this one. I have always wanted to fight a Kaiju.”

“Wait Ryuuko!” Viperion cried out, but it was too late. Ryuuko had already charged at the massive primate and started attacking it with her blade.

The shape-shifting sentimonster was still adjusting to its new size and Ryuuko was able to effortlessly dodge one of its overhand strikes. It's lumbering movements left plenty of space for the swordswoman to hop to the face of the giant.

“Hello” Ryuuko taunted.

“You little…” The sentimonster growled as it tried to hit her with its hand, only to end up smacking itself in the face when she jumped away. The gorilla needed to steady itself as a result of the unintentional blow.

Ryuuko spun at a high speed as she descended, her sword slashing at the Kaiju gorilla.

“Amazing!” Chat Noir complimented.

“Impressive work Ryuuko!” Ladybug praised.

“You are incredible!” Viperion cheered. “Keep it up!”

“That was kind of hot.”

The other three paused and turned to look at Queen Bee.

Chat Noir  smirked slightly.

“What was that, Bee?”

“I said… I could totally do better.” Queen Bee corrected herself, clearly trying to pretend she didn’t say anything.

“Sure Chloé, sure.” Chat Noir quipped, rolling his eyes.

Queen Bee glared daggers at the cat, ignoring the action around her

Viperion noted that despite Ryuuko’s impressive movement and attacks, she wasn’t making much progress against the ape.

“Ryuuko won't be able to keep this up forever. What was that plan, Ladybug?”

“Well, we did need a distraction. Thankfully that’s taken care of,” Ladybug started as she looked around. “Queen Bee, you wanted to show you could do better?”

“What do you need, Ladybug?”

“I think now would be a good time to use your power. Just wait until I give the signal then activate it,” Ladybug instructed.

Queen Bee smiled.

“About time!”

She'd been dying to use her power and now she finally got to shut up that stupid gorilla.

“Ryuuko, keep it busy!”

“No worries, I can do this all…”

Ryuuko’s boast was interrupted by the large gorilla grabbing her.

“Got you! None of you move!”

Ryuuko struggled as Simularé secured its grip on her. She tried to activate her power but the grip was too tight. She couldn't even speak to activate it!

“Nobody move. Now, you are all going to detransform or I am going to make Dragon Soup with my bare hands,” the large sentimonster threatened.

Queen Bee was about to approach anyway but Ladybug raised her hand, silently signaling her to hold off.

Ladybug looked around for some sort of way to help her escape, but to no avail.

“Let's go! Detransform now,” Simularé commanded.

Ryuuko struggled to try and activate her power but Simularé tightened its grip and bone cracking could be heard.

Viperion couldn’t just stand by and watch anymore. He threw his lyre at the giant beast’s snout and it bounced right back to him. The brief moment caused Gorizilla to loosen its grip and Ladybug took advantage of that to fling her yo-yo and pull Ryuuko out and back to Viperion's waiting arms.

“You alright?”

“I’ve been better. Nice catch, Hissy.”

Viperion smiled a bit, briefly forgetting about the gorilla in the room.

Simularé was furious.

“You dare make a monkey out of me?!”

“You did that to yourself,” Queen Bee mocked.

“Chloé, wait, it's…”

But it was too late, as she had already jumped forward. She was going for her big play.

“Get ready for a show stopper! Ve…”

Before Queen Bee could even activate her power, Simularé had reacted. With a quick movement of its fingers, Queen Bee was flicked with incredible force through the wall.

“Queen Bee!” Chat Noir called out in alarm.

“Well, that one’s down for the count.”

Ladybug looked around to see Ryuuko still recovering and Chloé thrown through a wall. This was not going to be as simple as dealing with mindless puppets. She needed to take a risk.

“Lucky Charm!”

She activated her power and the item that would help her succeed was… and umbrella?

“An umbrella? How is that going to…”

“It won't!”

Ladybug jumped to avoid the swipe of the large ape hand, but failed to notice the other hand right above her. It caught her in its grip, and she dropped the umbrella.

“No!” Chat Noir shouted.

Ladybug struggled to escape.

“Seems you have forgotten the situation, Ladybug. You were so sure that I would be as brain-dead as the servant akuma that you let yourself get sloppy.”

“You won't… GHHH,” Ladybug gasped as Simularé tightened its grip on her.

“Oh, I don’t have to. I know how the miraculous works. Since you aren’t an adult, your transformation will wear off in 5 minutes,” Simularé gloated with a malicious grin.

The true peril of the situation suddenly dawned on Ladybug, and she realized she needed to find a way out. But, unlike with Ryuuko, Simularé wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

Chat Noir took a deep breath. This sentimonster wasn’t like most of the others. This one had its own thoughts and emotions… he needed to make it lose its sense.

Chat Noir charged forward, trying to distract her.

“Oh, does the cat think he can save his master? How cute.”

Simularé was about to make a swipe at him when, as if repeating himself, Viperion threw his lyre. But the ape saw it coming, and used the hand he was holding Ladybug with to block the stringed instrument.

“Predictable!” Simularé mocked, forgetting about something as they focused on gloating.

“Cataclysm!”

Simularé’s smugness changed to horror when they realized their mistake. Taking their eyes off the cat had left them wide open! Chat Noir had used his staff to raise him upwards right to the head of the distracted sentimonster and had placed his cataclysm-infused hand right on its forehead.

Simularé dropped Ladybug and Chat Noir dove to catch her. The swift motion had Ladybug landing on the diving cat.

“OOF.”

Ladybug looked down seeing she had landed on Chat Noir’s back.

“Thanks for the save, kitty.”

Simularé’s form started shifting wildly as the cracks became larger and more apparent.

“What have you done to me?” Simularé roared in rage and confusion.

It smashed its hands on the walls of the upper level while having its tantrum, causing the ceiling parts that were still intact to be very unstable.

Ladybug managed to roll her and Chat Noir out of the way of the thrashing fists. They both quickly spring up into fighting stances.

“I will destr…”

Just then, its massive arms shifted to be much shorter, looking like they belong to Lady Wifi.

“Well that’s new,” Ryuuko commented as she got to her feet.

“Chat Noir’s cataclysm makes Sentimonsters go haywire. Normally not ideal in most situations but with that sentimonster being smarter than the usual ones it needed to be done,” explained Ladybug.

The head that was once Gorizilla shrunk down to appear more like Dark Owl.

“I am … I am ….” Simularé was trying to stabilize but it kept shifting and looking more and more like a mismatch of different akuma forms.

Ladybug could see the anguish and pain on the sentimonster’s face. They'd all  known that Chat Noir's actions would cause the sentimonster to go haywire but this seemed more chaotic than usual.

“Hold still, we can fix this.” Ladybug tried to walk forward.

“I must… I cant…”

The out of control sentimonster sprouted Dark Cupid's wings and flew high into the air and escaped.

Ryuuko looked up and tried to see where the sentimonster had flown off to but it was already out of sight.

“Should we go after it? Ryuuko asked. “It might cause trouble.”

Ladybug pondered for a moment.

“For the time being it's probably better that we let them go. We should focus on finding the akuma. If we can find her, then we can get the akuma and the amok and fix all the damage.” Ladybug rationalized.

“Solid point. So, what’s our next move M… Ladybug?” Chat Noir inquired.

“Well you and I need to recharge.” Ladybug replied before turning to the other two heroes. "Viperion, Ryuuko, have either of you used your power?”

“No, we recharged earlier,” Ryuuko replied. “You two should go find a place to refuel safely.”

Ladybug glanced at her lucky charm again, wondering why she hadn't needed it yet.

Brow furrowed, she looked around and noticed spots appear on the crumbling ground near Chat Noir, as well as the roof above, and chat Noir himself.

“Why would…”

Before she could finish asking, she heard the sound of crumbling coming from the walls

“Something sounds off,” Viperion said. “I think the walls are gonna collapse!”

Ladybug knew how good Viperion’s ears were with sounds, and now her lucky charm made sense. It was never for Simularé, it was for what was coming now.

Dashing to where the group was standing, she shoved Ryuuko and Viperion back and opened the umbrella over her and Chat Noir’s head. Just as she did, the ceiling above them caved in, dropping chunks of rubble  right on top of them just as the floor beneath them gave way. The other heroes just barely made it out of range of the collapse

“Crap!!!” Ladybug and Chat Noir shouted in unison as they fell through the floor and the hole above was covered by debris. A massive cloud of dust obscured them for a moment.

“Ladybug! Chat Noir!” Ryuuko called out. But as the dust settled, all they saw was a pile of rubble where the two heroes had been.

_______________________________________________________________________

“Stupid ape,” Queen Bee grumbled as she got up. The powerful flick that Simularé had given her had sent her halfway through the school. If she didn’t have super powers she was sure that flick would have turned her into a red smear.

She cracked her back and stretched her arms in order to loosen up.

“Alright, now to hurry…”

Thump

She stopped as she heard the sound. It seemed faint.

“Probably just another one of those mindless akuma.”

“Come on!” came a muffled call.

It was clear it was someone that required help.

“Everything will be fine for them once we beat the akuma,” the heroine tried to reason with herself.

She started to walk back the way she was launched.

“I've got to get back to Ladybug and the others to fight the stupid akuma that caused all of this. This person probably isn't in real danger. I really don’t need to check on them.”

“Momma is coming...”

She stopped as she heard that. It was someone’s mother.

“Damn it!”

Queen Bee began making her way to where the voice was coming from.

“There better still be akuma butt to kick when I get back.”

_____________________________________________________________________________

Chat Noir coughed as he tried to get his bearings. The area was covered in rubble and debris, and right now, Ladybug's umbrella was the only thing keeping that from collapsing on them.

“Ladybug?”

“Guess it was lucky after all,” Ladybug joked as she shifted a bit.

Both of them heard their miraculous beep.

“Looks like we need to get out of this debris heap before we change back and suffocate.”

“Probably would be a good idea.”

Chat Noir put his staff against one large gathering of ceiling rubble and made it extend, giving them a little opening.

“On the count of three, I pull you away from the umbrella and we jump out.”

“Sounds good.”

“1.”

“2”

“3!”

Chat Noir pulled Ladybug away and they jumped out of the hole. Ladybug closed the umbrella as she was pulled out, causing the rubble to pile on more and collapse the area they had just vacated.

“Made it!” Chat Noir said as he coughed up some dust. “I really hope this isn’t asbestos.”

“I am sure you're fine, Kitty. Let’s move in case more parts of the ceiling decide to collapse.”

The two quickly moved toward the wall so they would be by the door should any more rubble start collapsing. Chat Noir noticed that Ladybug was holding on tightly to the umbrella.

“So, is there another use for your lucky charm? It probably wouldn’t have been that close if you had let the umbrella stay.”

“Huh… oh. I didn’t realize I was still holding it, sorry Kitty,” Ladybug answered as she took a look at her lucky charm

“It's fine. I was just curious.”

“I guess I held onto it subconsciously… it does remind me of something pleasant.”

“Oh? Fan of singing in the rain?”

“Not exactly what I meant.” She brushed some of the dust from the umbrella. “I guess it’s fitting that this type of umbrella would have saved me.”

Chat Noir came closer and looked at the umbrella. He hadn’t noticed it the first time, but the umbrella did seem really familiar. The ladybug color scheme may have been enough to throw him off at first glance, but really seeing it now, it looked exactly like the umbrella he had given to Marinette.

“How would it be fitting?”

“Oh, it's personal stuff. Just reminds me of a time with my boyfriend in the rain,” Ladybug admitted.

There was a silence in which only the sound of the miraculous beeping could be heard. Ladybug felt a sharp pang of guilt when she realized what she'd said and who she'd said it to, tried to course correct.

“Friend! That is a boy. The umbrella reminds me of my dear friend of male gender, my buddy that happens to be a boy and…”

Chat Noir put his hand on her shoulder.

“It's okay LB, you don’t need to be worried. I'm happy that it worked out with that guy you were in love with.”

Ladybug looked into her partner's eyes and could see his words were genuine and that there wasn’t even a hint of sadness.

“You’re… okay with it?”

“First and foremost, I want you to be happy. Even if I was sad about this, I would still rather you be happy rather than miserable for my sake,” Chat Noir said.

“Now, if I had heard this news a few weeks back, I probably wouldn't be as cool about it as I am now, but I would still have been happy for you.”

Ladybug felt a bit of relief from that news. She'd been dreading giving this news to Chat Noir, knowing his feelings for her. He was someone very dear to her and she didn't want to hurt his feelings, so hearing him say he was happy for her was great.

“And it does help that I also have someone special,” Chat Noir added as he shyly scratched his cheek.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, sounds kind of shocking, I bet. I actually had feelings for her for a while but I wasn’t really sure what they were until I did some soul searching.”

Ladybug had to admit that she was a bit surprised to hear him say he'd found someone. Considering how he acted at her house during the incident with her dad, the girl he had feelings for must have been special.

“Congrats, Kitty! I would love to meet her someday, the luckiest girl in Paris.” She gave a playful nudge to Chat Noir.

“And I can’t wait to meet the boy that you were crushing on, the second luckiest guy in Paris.”

“Second luckiest?”

“Well I am clearly luckier,” he teased.

“You dork.”

Their miraculous beeped again.

“Okay, we should probably go detransform somewhere,” Ladybug said.

“Yea, we need to refuel. We kind of got distracted talking because of that umbrella.”

The duo look around the destroyed classroom and noticed that since the rubble had blocked the doors and windows, their options of escape to detransform in privacy were limited.

“There has to be some place we can go before we detransform? We might actually have to do it here.”

“Maybe your Lucky Charm is a double use. Maybe it has something that could help us again.” Chat Noir commented as his eyes caught on a small detail on the umbrella. In the handle. “E.A”

“E.A?” Ladybug asked as she turned to him.

Chat Noir looked at the umbrella closer. His eyes saw the carving on the umbrella handle. It was one of his mother’s umbrellas. It was unmistakable. This umbrella was an exact copy of the one he gave to Marinette back when he first started school.

“Ladybug, why did the miraculous make a copy of an umbrella I gave to my girlfriend months ago?”

The question seemed out of left field.

“The Ladybug miraculous creates an item either from my imagination or that I have seen before with some alteration to make them useful to the situation. I doubt I made a copy of an umbrella you gave to your girlfriend. If anything, it’s a copy of an umbrella I hold dear, like the one my boyfriend lent me before we were dating.”

It was at that moment that everything clicked. Both of them looked at one another in stunned realization.

As if by design, the miraculous beeped for the last time and their transformations faded.

______________________________________________________________________________

Ms. Rossi smashed her feet against the door with all the force she could muster, but it still had no effect.

After a dozen attempts she refused to lose hope. Even if it took 1000 times to kick the door down, she would do it if it meant it would save her little Stellina.

“Once more!”

Before she could kick the door again, the door opened.

“Huh, so there was someone up here.”

Ms. Rossi looked up to see a blonde teen in a yellow and black colored costume looking at her.

“You are awfully lucky I heard you, there is a lot of crap going down.”

“Wait, I know who you are… you’re…”

“Queen Bee, the one and only. And you have been saved by me. So feel free to brag about that.” Queen Bee started untying her.

“Thank you. I need to hurry and find my daughter.”

“Well you go do that, I need to get back to where the action is. There is a crazy monster that shapeshifted into a giant gorilla and needs a shot of venom to the face.”

“Wait, what?”

Before Ms.Rossi could get any answers, the bee heroine had dashed out of the room.

“I should find Lila.”

It took her a moment to gather her bearings. She realized the room she was in was the principal's and that she had been locked in his closet. She looked inside the closet to find her bag, trying to find her phone so she could call her daughter. She needed to find out what was going on.

______________________________________________________________________________

Viperion looked at the pile solemnly. “Do you think they're okay?”

“Our superhero forms make us very durable, so the impact probably wouldn’t be enough to hurt them too badly...”

“Okay, that’s a relief. But then why are you still concerned?”

“They both used their powers earlier. If they don’t get out of there before the transformation wears off…” Ryuuko trailed off.

Viperion realized why Ryuuko was so concerned. “Oh… yeah, we're gonna need to get them out of there.”

“I don’t think you will be able to do that” a smug voice called out to them.

The two heroes turn to see the masked villain that was responsible for all of this destruction.

She was flying in the air with two black angel wings as she stared down at them.

“I was expecting to find Simularé having dealt with all of you, but for some reason I can’t seem to call them. So, I assume you probably beat them.”

Viperion and Ryuuko shared a concerned look. Masquerade was clearly someone with a lot more power than they'd been anticipating. She didn’t even seem fazed by the fact that the sentimonster that could have any power it wanted was gone.

“I'll try digging them out, you try to handle Masquerade,” Viperion whispered. “The others don’t have that much time left and you’re a much better fighter.”

Ryuuko looked at Masquerade for a second before agreeing that it was the best course of action.

Ryuuko went to go but found herself blocked by two adults clad in red, black and white. Both of them wore the white face masks that all controlled akuma wore.

The first one Ryuuko had recognized from some new segments and some time on the Ladyblog as The Collector.

The other one she had no idea. All she knew was that it was a woman with blue skin. While the white mask covered the front of her head, she could see the dark helmet with a red visor. Her costume was a dark grayish cornflower blue dress suit with pointed shoulders, including a strong red front and swan neck collar that featured a red downward-arrow-shaped section in the center. The sleeves covered her entire arms, with the tips of her fingers fading into red. She also had pocket-like ridges on each side of her hips, and her pant legs came down to her feet, having red high-heels, soles, and tips. Ryuuko thought the figure seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

“Oh, did you think I came alone? Collector, Catalyst, why don’t you handle the uppity dragon girl. I need some entertainment while I wait for Ladybug and Chat Noir to show up.”

“Need MORE minions to do your dirty work?!” Ryuuko shouted with a mix of frustration and annoyance.

Viperion knew things were looking bad. He instinctively had his hand go to his bracelet but Ryuuko raised her hand out, non-verbally telling him to hold off.

She clenched her sword and charged, but the two akuma seemed to have a bit more skill and evaded her charge.

Catalyst even caught the blade of the heroine with her hands. Ryuuko tried to free the blade only to receive a front kick by the Collector, sending her flying back.

From the corner of her eye, Ryuuko noticed Catalyst's blade coming back at her like a throwing knife.Ryuuko managed to control her backward momentum and caught the blade moments after landing on her feet.

“Okay… this is going to be a challenge,” Ryuuko huffed.

Ryuuko dashed past the Collector and delivered a roundhouse kick to Catalyst, who used her arms to cushion the strike.

Viperion started digging only to feel the force of a front kick by the Collector sending him flying back.

“And what has you focused on digging through rubble rather than acting as entertainment for me?”

Viperion tried to get up, but felt a foot step on his chest.

Viperion grabbed the leg that was keeping him pinned and used his strength to roll and twist, the motion causing the akuma servant to move off balance.

Ryuuko noticed Viperion struggling and managed to trip and kick Catalyst hard enough to send her flying right into the akumatized Collector.

Viperion stood up and moved his way towards Ryuuko.

“We can’t get to Ladybug or Chat Noir while these two and Masquerade are here.”

“Then we will need to hope Ladybug and Chat Noir can get themselves out while we buy time.”

Masquerade watched the two heroes in amusement,“It’s cute that you think you stand a chance when you’re outnumbered.”

“If that’s cute, then you being a dumb bitch that thinks she is going to win makes you downright adorable,” commented a familiar voice.

Masquerade’s smug smile disappeared as she looked to see the arrival of a certain bee heroine.

“So, you’re the mask bitch that's been causing all these problems,” observed Queen Bee..

“Wow, Ladybug must really be desperate if she sent for you again.” Masquerade descended from the air and flicked her charm to remove her wings.

“It’s funny how you call me desperate when you’re the one akumatized.”

Masquerade noticed her charm bracelet glowing, and a sinister grin appeared on her face.She snapped her fingers, calling her two servants to her side.

“You know, Chloé,” Masquerade began as she stalked closer, “Out of everyone in Paris, I think you are the most pitiful.”

Queen Bee kept eye contact with Masquerade as the villain stopped  a few feet away.

“Me? Pitiful? I’m not the one who looks like a theater reject,” she retorted.

Masquerade shook her head.

“Your mother is a famous fashion critic, and your father is the mayor of Paris. You can have whatever you want whenever you want by just sending a text or making a call, but you know that having such privilege doesn’t give you any value. It doesn’t matter that your daddy bends over backwards for you, because your dear mother who you aspire to be doesn’t give a crap about you. You are just a spoiled brat, and everyone knows you’re nothing special. At best you’re a rich bully who acts out to get some form of attention. When you got a miraculous by some fluke, you hoped that it would be your ticket to being someone people liked, respected, and found exceptional.”.

Queen Bee’s head lowered with each sentence, her fists tightening.

Ryuuko and Viperion tried to land a strike against Masquerade while she was talking, but the Collector and Catalyst blocked their  attempts and managed to pin both of them to the ground.

“Are you done?” Masquerade looked at the two pinned heroes. “I’m not dumb enough to leave myself open.”

Masquerade cleared her throat, and turned back to Queen Bee.

“Where was I? Oh yes. I remember. No matter how hard you try, no matter what you say or do, you will NEVER be a hero. You will always be Chloé Bourgeois, Audrey’s embarrassment of a daughter,” Masquerade cruelly declared.

Queen Bee refused to look up. Masquerade knew this was her moment.

“Don’t worry Chloé. Now you have a chance to be a part of something exceptional for once.”

Masquerade took a mask from her dress and threw it at Queen Bee, only for the mask to be smacked away by the heroine herself.

This was a surprise to Masquerade.

“What?! How did you do that?”

Queen Bee started to laugh. She looked up at the confused Masquerade.

“That was it?! That was your big take down? That was going to make me so demoralized that I would settle for being one of your puppets? GET REAL!” Queen Bee mocked. “It’s actually funny that you thought that would work.”

“What do you mean!? I just exposed your biggest insecurities, your fears! You should be a sobbing mess!”

Queen Bee shook her head.

“You’re not wrong. What you said about me was, word for word, all of my insecurities. Problem is, I’ve heard it before. I have heard this crap from Hawkmoth, I heard it from my own mother and I hear it from me. I think this about myself every single day. Those thoughts echo in my head, and all those other people that have said it to me said it much worse than that rank amateur trick you just tried,” Queen Bee spelled out.

“Amateur!?”

“Look, I may suck at getting all the things about being a hero right. I may need to work on ‘being a good person’ or whatever, but I do know one thing and that’s how to be mean. You? You’re nasty not because that’s how you are, it’s because you think you are. I know why you always seemed off now, that lame liar that had everyone wrapped around your finger by telling them only things they want to hear. You want to talk about my need to be accepted? Let’s talk about yours. You want nothing more than love and attention. And since your lies bit you in the butt, now you think the only way to get what you want is by going full mean girl and hope that your akumatization makes it so you can at least have some sort of control again. But you suck at that too.”

Masquerade gaped in disbelief at what she was hearing.

“Are you saying I’m not mean enough?”

“Oh, I think you’re pretty cruel, but that’s out of defense. It isn’t your default. You’ve lied to yourself so much that you don’t even know who you are anymore. Me? I’m a petty, self-absorbed bitch with mommy issues, but I know who I am. But tell me ‘Masquerade’, who are you, really? Under all the lies and borderline psychopathic tendencies, what is the real Lila like?”

Ryuuko and Viperion looked at Queen Bee with a mix of shock and awe.

For the first time, Masquerade felt shaken. She backed away, glaring daggers at Queen Bee.

“Oh, wow, look at the mighty mask akuma shaking like a leaf,” Queen bee mocked before turning to Viperion and Ryuuko. “By the way, what happened to the giant gorilla? I thought we were fighting that weird sentimonster.”

Ryuuko kicked Catalyst off her and stood up. “Oh, Chat Noir Cataclysmed it, then it ran off.”

Viperion followed suit with Collector. “Right now, Ladybug and Chat Noir are below us, if they aren’t buried in rubble.”

“Thanks for the recap.” Queen bee turned her attention back to Masquerade before whirling back to the other heroes. “Wait, they’re WHAT?”

“Buried in rubble. But knowing Ladybug, they likely got themselves out and are fine,” Ryuuko assured.

“Oh, yeah probably.” Now calmer, Queen Bee turned back to Masquerade

“Now, where were we?”

Masquerade’s shaken anger shifted to a crazed smile.

“You know what, Chloé? I’ve decided I’m done playing games. Collector! Open the book.”

The akuma servant moved to the open hole they had entered through and opened the book.

It was at this moment the heroes realized that Masquerade had a lot more in store for them.

__________________________________________________________________________

The Lucky Charm vanished as their transformations dropped, leaving Marinette and Adrien standing right in front of each other with stunned expressions. Their two kwamis, Tikki and Plagg, popped out and saw the two looking at one another.

“This is not how I was expecting this to go.”

“Plagg!”

“What? It isn’t! I was expecting something more along the lines of one of them finding out through some gift delivery, and then the other one revealing themselves by saving the first from an akuma attack or some elaborate trick to find out the other’s identity and then intending to reset the time with the snake but not going through with it… actually scratch that, this way was better.”

“Plagg, seriously!”

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other as everything came together. The vanishing of their masks was really just the garnish on what they had both realized. Marinette had realized that her trusted partner was the boy she’d been crushing on and was now dating, while Adrien realized the girl he believed he had moved on from but still cared for is actually the girl he was in love with the whole time.

“I think they're still processing all of this,” Plagg commented as he flew down to Adrien’s jacket pocket.

“You might want to grab your snack while you can, Sugarcube, I think it’s gonna take them a bit to get over the shock.”

Tikki wanted to say something, but Plagg made a fair point. They were going to need food to refuel.

The kwami snagged their foods of choice and floated a short distance away just as both teens looked ready to speak.

“It’s you,” they said almost in unison. Another beat passed.

They rushed towards each other and hugged.

“I’m so glad you're okay!”

“You distracted Simularé back then without your powers so I could get away. Don’t you know how dangerous that was?”

“Yea, but I figured that I could buy you some time to get away, and Ladybug usually arrives right when I need her to.”

“Just because you got lucky and she was me doesn’t mean I'm not mad you almost got yourself hurt!”

Adrien smiled at her sweetly. Marinette looked up and met his gaze. The tension this day had them go through and finding out that the other is not only safe but has been fighting with them gave them both a renewed vigor and a sense of relief.

Marinette cupped his cheeks and kissed him.

“Aww, they are so adorable!” Tikki squeaked.

“Ugh, they're being too cheesy even for my tastes,” Plagg snarked.

Tikki shot him a look.

“I'm joking! Of course I'm happy for them. But you've gotta admit, it is pretty funny seeing how they've been running circles around each other.”

After a long moment, the teens broke away from the kiss and took one look at each other before bursting into laughter.

“I struggled for so long to tell you how I felt and you were already flirting with me that entire time,” Marinette wheezed.

“You kissed me two times that I can't even remember,” Adrien pointed out.

“You asked me about how YOU did when I had you watch over civilian me when we fought Evillustrator.”

“You put me in a sarcophagus!“

“You reset time 25,913 times just to hide the fact that you were Chat Noir!”

“I did that because you came looking for Adrien and I really didn’t want to let you down!”

“That was very sweet and very dumb!”

“I was made aware of that!”

“But I also really wanted to make sure you got a miraculous because I wanted to fight by your side.”

“I actually thought you were Ladybug at one point, but then you were Multimouse which really threw me off.”

“That was because of an elaborate plan involving a lot of miraculous.”

“Well, it was pretty impressive.”

They both smiled wryly and turned to their kwami.

“Okay be honest, how ridiculous was all of this to watch?” Adrien asked.

“You mean that moment, or your whole Lovesquare dynamic since we knew you?” Plagg asked between bites of cheese.

“Well, now that you mention it…”

Marinette was the first one to come back to Earth.

“Oh no! What’s Fu going to say!?”

Tikki nearly dropped her cookie.

“That is going to be a problem,” Adrien mused, mirroring Marinette’s concern.

“Now that we know each other’s identities, we're a danger to each other as superheroes… we might have to give up our miraculous now.”

Tikki and Plagg looked at the two teens with sad eyes. They'd had dozens of different users over the course of centuries, but Marinette and Adrien were special. It would be heartbreaking to have to leave them.

Adrien looked at Plagg. While he was overjoyed to find out his girlfriend was actually Ladybug and that the two people he was torn between were actually one, he didn’t want to say goodbye to his cat confidant.

Marinette looked at Tikki. The ladybug kwami had always been a well of positivity and support for her. Tikki was her biggest cheerleader and had been one of the happiest to see her get together with Adrien. Now, although finding out that Chat Noir and Adrien were one and the same was incredible, it was also bittersweet because she didn’t want to say goodbye to her sugar-fueled friend.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Their revelation was interrupted by the sound of concussive impacts coming from outside of the room. It seemed that something big had arrived and the other heroes were going to need help.

“Look kid, we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there.”

“Plagg is right. There's still trouble to deal with up there.”

Marinette and Adrien looked at each other then at their kwami.

“This might be our last fight together,” Adrien solemnly said.

Marinette took his hand in both of hers.

“Then let’s make it count,” Marinette said, giving him a peck on his nose.

“Tikki, Spots on!”

“Plagg, Claws out!”

______________________________________________________________________________

Masquerade smiled as outside of the school stood multiple akuma were ready to strike. She had shown that she had a back-up army in wait.

The giants Megatitan, Glaciator and Gorizilla towered over the opened room. Queen Bee peered out to see dozens of more akuma, such as her butler and parents all in their akumatized forms.

While the heroes couldn’t identify all of the akuma present, all of them white masks that accommodated their various sizes. They were all under Masquerade’s complete control.

“That is a lot of akuma,” Viperion said.

“Did you really think you stood a chance?” Masquerade taunted. Her anger from earlier twisted into a sadistic glee as she could see all of their bravado fading away. “I think I will take your miraculous as trophies. Hawkmoth is only interested in Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous. He can have those. I'm more interested in what you have.”

“You are getting way too overconfident. We've dealt with your mindless akuma puppets before, and they were never a match for us.” Ryuuko pointed her sword at Masquerade.

“So you think that you can fight them all at once, then?” Masquerade asked.

Ryuuko still looked determined.

Viperion put his hand on her shoulder. “Hold on, rushing in will not help right now. There are dozens of them out there. We need to find a way to Masquerade and deal with her so that they can be dealt with.”

“I finally found it!” A sudden voice from out of view exclaimed.

Masquerade and the heroes turn their attention to the direction of the voice, but the one who said it was obscured from view.

“Forgive the intrusion, but it was quite a task getting up here. This school is quite a labyrinth.”

“Show yourself!” Masquerade called out, getting annoyed by the interruption.

“Allow me to make an entrance.”

There was a brief moment of silence, but they heard the words.

“Wayzz, shell on!”

A figure jumped out from a hidden corner and landed in the center of the room standing between Masquerade and the heroes.

There they saw an old man clad in green armor. He had a dark green chest plate with light green pauldrons and tassets with dark green edges; dark brown, loose pants, elbow pads, and collar; and dark green armor boots with light green toe-caps and dark brown soles. His mask was dark green on the upper half and light green on the lower half.

Masquerade cracked up at the sight of him. “You have to be joking! I bring an army and your response is an old man!? That is something else.”

“I am not just any old man, I am Jade Turtle. And you must be the akuma that has been causing all of this chaos. I think it’s about time I put a stop to it.”

“Is that right? And what are you going?”

Jade Turtle turned to the heroes behind him.

“Allow me to show you kids what one can really do with the full power of a miraculous.”

“No, I don’t think so. Collector! Catalyst! Take him out!”

The two akuma charged at the turtle hero.

Jade Turtle confidently jumped in and took off his hat to use as a shield.

“Shell-ter, projectile mode.”

Jade Turtle shot off two baseball-sized green spheres at the two approaching akuma. Both shots made contact, knocking them over right as he landed.

The Akuma recovered quickly, getting up to attack again, but their movements were too predictable. Jade Turtle ran towards them, and right before they attacked, he slid forward and knocked both their legs from under them. The two akuma fell hard on their masks and the turtle hero popped up behind them.

“Whoa!” The three heroes were stunned at how easily he'd handled those two.

Before Jade Turtle could acknowledge this, Masquerade fired what appeared to be a blast of lightning from her hands. The stormy weather charm on her bracelet glowed.

“Don’t think it will be THAT easy to deal with me.”

“Shell-ter!”

He quickly created a hamster-ball-like shield around himself, allowing him to take the lightning attacks as he ran forward.

Masquerade saw him rolling towards her and jumped out of the way but then realized he was moving straight toward the army.

“STOP HIM!”

The akumas outside all tried attacking the turtle hero as he rolled out of the building and bounced right in the middle of their forces.

He watched as they tried to break his shield.

“Reinforce!”

His shield bubble became thicker than before, allowing it to resist more of the damage that the akuma were doing.

He felt his legs wobble.

Easy Fu, you can’t overexert yourself. You have less than 9 minutes before you transform back. You need to hold them off now. Let Ladybug and Chat Noir know what to do.

Jade Turtle touched his shield to reveal a phone feature. He called Ladybug. Thankfully, she picked up right away.

“Master Fu? What's going on? Are you okay?”

“I am fine, Ladybug. Are you and Chat Noir in the school?”

“Yes, we're on our way back to fight the akuma, we just had to refuel first… Master Fu, we need to talk with you about something.”

“Is it life or death?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Then I think it can wait until later. Right now I am holding off an army of akuma. I will buy you 8 minutes. You need to defeat the masked akuma by then.”

“Wait…You're fighting!? Master what about…”

“Don’t worry Ladybug. I am not as weak as you think. But do hurry.”

“Understood. We won’t let you down.”

The turtle hero hung up the phone. “Time for the big one. Shell-ter!”

His shield opened up a small hole to send out a new large, green barrier. This one overtook all of the akuma surrounding him.

“Condense!”

The larger bubble started shrinking and the larger akuma were forced to get down, pinning them to the ground, while the smaller akuma were getting tightly pushed together. Jade Turtle closed the shield surrounding himself and watched as the akuma that had been attacking were forced to stop due to their inability to move. He was thankful that they were unable to think for themselves or they might have figured some way out of this situation.

The elderly hero felt his breathing grow labored. This was taking a lot more out of him then he'd anticipated. He did his best to still his movements but using the miraculous was still draining. This wouldn’t hold forever. As soon as his transformation dropped, so would the shields. He just needed to focus.

He crossed his legs and sat in the lotus position. He closed his eyes and began to meditate. He needed to minimize his movement and strain to maximize the amount of time he can maintain this transformation.

‘The rest is up to you, Ladybug and Chat Noir.’

Masquerade looked at the condensed shield.

“No way… my army…” Masquerade was in shock. The old man she'd mocked earlier had somehow managed to seal off her army from her. Even her giant akuma were trapped in there. And with his other barrier, they couldn't even finish him off! He had crippled her forces in under a minute.

“Did we know him? Because I feel like we should know him,” Viperion asked.

“No, he's new. The turtle hero we're used to seeing is a lot younger… but this one seems to know a lot more tricks. I wonder if we can tweak our powers like that to make them more effective?” Ryuuko responded as she mulled over possibilities.

“Well so much for your army, they're getting handled by an old guy cosplaying as a Ninja Turtle,” Queen Bee jeered.

Masquerade turned to face her.

“You know what? This is fine. I don’t need an army to turn you into bug juice.”

“Ooo, I'm shaking in my costume.” Queen Bee rolled her eyes.

Masquerade touched several of her charms.

Her eyes glowed bright as she rose into the air with black wings.

“You wanted to know who I am, Chloé? Well then, let me tell you exactly who I am!”

The winds around them started getting more intense. Ryuuko almost got swept up in the winds, but Viperion quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her into the eye of the storm.

“I am not a nice new student. I am not the mean, manipulative bully. I am Masquerade, the akuma with infinite powers who is going to take over Paris! I am stronger than Hawkmoth, deadlier than any villain this city has ever faced! And by the end of today, you and all of Paris will be bowing to me!” she roared.

The area around them grew colder as Masquerade started channeling more powers.

Catalyst and Collector stood back up only to get swept up in the winds that Masquerade created.

“Well, you really kicked the hive with that one, Queen Bee” Ryuuko snarked.

“Look, it’s not my fault it’s hard to take her seriously! She looks like a theater kid reject mixed with a Hawkmoth fan. Also… was that a pun?”

“Umm, I really don’t think this is the time for that. We have a super angry, power-mad akuma that is clearly very angry at us, specifically you, Queen Bee,” Viperion interjected.

“Right,” the two teens conceded.

“So, what’s the plan?”

Masquerade looks at the three heroes.

“Plan? Do you three really think you stand a chance?! The only reason you're still standing right now is because I've been toying with you! I wanted some entertainment until Ladybug and Chat Noir finally showed up.”

Viperion slyly activated his power as Masquerade gloated.

“Alright, that’s enough of that,” she said as she summoned what appeared to be a trumpet from thin air.

She shot a small blast from it and hit Ryuuko, making her disappear.

“Ryuuko!”

A sticker appeared on Masquerade’s dress.

“That is from the akuma Desperada. I can release her whenever I want.”

“Second Chance!”

The situation reset.

“Alright, that’s enough of that.” She said as she summoned what appeared to be a trumpet from thin air.

“Get down!”

Viperion managed to push Ryuuko out of the way of the blast.

“Those blasts are instant Game Overs, don't let them hit you.”

“Instant Game Overs? What is this, a video ga…” Queen Bee tried to ask before she was hit with one of the trumpet blasts.

Viperion sighed. “Here we go again.”

“Second Chance!”

_______________________________________________________________________

“This way!” Ladybug called out as they made their way past another piece of falling rubble.

Ladybug and Chat Noir managed to get out of the room they were trapped in and, thanks to Fu, they knew about the situation above.

“Things must be pretty serious if Fu got involved,” Chat Noir commented.

“Well, this is probably the most dangerous fight we've faced since that whole thing during Heroes' Day.”

“It is pretty cool that Fu is jumping in to give a hand, though. Has he used the miraculous around you?”

“Not that I've seen, but I remember him mentioning that using it takes a lot out of him due to his age, so even though he's an adult, he's still on a time limit.”

“Right, but he probably knows a few tricks that would be fun to see.”

“He's been the guardian for over a century, so he likely knows more skills and tricks.”

The two rushed up a staircase and managed to make progress.

“So Ma…. My Lady. You still haven’t said how we're going to deal with Masquerade.”

“That’s because I don’t have a plan yet. But I figure once I see her face I'll probably know when to summon my Lucky Charm and figure a way to defeat her.”

“Reasonable. But do you think the others will be able to hold on until we get there? With how unstable that room got, we couldn’t go straight upward and risk the ceiling caving in on us, and those winds and ice are making things more difficult to traverse. Those three are facing an akuma with the powers of every akuma we ever faced.”

Ladybug thought for a moment. “If Viperion has his power active, they should be okay. He can keep them out of trouble. Even if he doesn’t have his memory, his intuition is still incredibly good.”

“True, he was a better snake than me.”

“You were a good snake, but you're a better kitty. I think you should stick with the cat powers. They suit you better.”

“You’re saying they are purrfect for me?” Chat Noir punned.

“Oh no, what did I start?”

“You set me up for it.”

“I did and I hate myself for it.”

“Don’t hate yourself, you're amazing.”

“Kitty, I'm going to need you to stop being cute or I'm going to have to kiss you, and we don’t have time for that.”

“Now you're just baiting me to do that.”

They heard a massive crash in front of them.

“We should hurry,” Chat Noir said.

______________________________________________________________________

“WHY ARE YOU SO HARD TO HIT?” Masquerade shouted in frustration.

Viperion had managed to help his fellow heroes avoid the attacks of the crazed akuma. She stopped using Desperada’s power and tried a plethora of different powers at her disposal.

She tried Lady Wifi’s pause symbols, Jackady’s command cards, Bubbler’s bubbles,  Rogercop’s handcuffs, and even Horrificator’s slime shots. Masquerade was trying everything in her arsenal, but to no avail

“Perhaps your multitasking is what is making it so difficult for you to focus,” Ryuuko suggested. “Maintaining those winds around us may limit our movement, but it means nothing if you can't hit us. Your focus is split and therefore you can’t dedicate yourself to defeating us.”

Masquerade glared at the dragon heroine skeptically.

“Nice try, but this is clearly a trick to get me to let my guard down. If I reduce the winds, you'll have a chance to escape.”

“You misunderstand. We have no intention of running away. We are heroes and we are going to stop you. Retreat isn’t an option.”

“Then why bother telling me to cut down the winds if not to try and get the advantage?”

“Well either you cut out the winds or we come up there and take you down personally.”

Masquerade pondered for a moment before speaking again.

“I decided I'm just going to end this.”

Masquerade focused her winds to close in on the three heroes, forming a tornado.

“Well that was dumb, now she's gonna rip us apart with this tornado.”

“Not exactly,” Ryuuko smirked. “Viperion, give me a boost.”

Viperion rushed over and linked his fingers together for her to place a foot on.

“Queen Bee, get Ryuuko’s other leg.”

“This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!”

Viperion and Queen Bee quickly get ready as the winds start closing in.

“3… 2…. 1…. LAUNCH!”

The two heroes sent Ryuuko as high as they could.

“Lightning Dragon!”

Ryuuko turned herself into a bolt of lightning and struck the masked akuma.

Masquerade screamed as the winds ceased and her hair stood up.

Her body started dropping and Ryuuko shifted back into her solid form, falling right next to her.

Viperion jumped and caught Ryuuko. Masquerade face planted into the floor.

“Nice work.”

Ryuuko smiled.

“You seem to have gotten very good at catching me.”

“You've been falling a lot today. I’d almost think you planned it this way,” Viperion teased.

Ryuuko punched his arm playfully.

“Guess that takes care of her-” Viperion stopped speaking. It was as if some force had frozen him in place.

“Viperion?” Ryuuko got out of his arms and saw the pause symbol on his back.

A second pause symbol shot her way before Ryuuko could react, and then she too was frozen in place.

Queen Bee stared in shock. She'd thought that this was over, but Masquerade had recovered while the two other heroes were distracted and ensured they were both paused.

Masquerade got up, her mask cracked from the landing, her hair smoking from the lighting attack from Ryuuko. Her eyes glowed red as she began walking towards Queen Bee.

“You know, I thought I would be angrier after everything. The collapse of my reputation, the shame I brought on my mother, the loss of my sentimonster, and just the consistent humiliation I faced ever since I saw you heroes. Maybe I've just become so unbelievably enraged that I've come full circle.”

Queen bee felt herself backing up as Masquerade approached.

“I think I know what I am going to do with you Queen Bee. I am going to use you as a test dummy and try out every single one of my powers on you. And when I am done, THEN I will let you cease existing.”

“If you wanted to prove you were a mean girl, you were right. You are definitely mean...” Queen Bee said as she continued backing away.

Masquerade moved her hand and a wind blew Queen Bee into a wall.

“Now, which power to use first on you? Oh I know! One of the powers that the akuma had was a replica of Chat Noir. I wonder what a cataclysm will do to a person.”

Masquerade's hand began emanating a dark energy reminiscent of Chat Noir’s famous move.

Queen Bee closed her eyes to brace herself for what was coming. She hoped it wouldn’t make her ugly.

But before it made contact, a yo-yo wrapped around Masquerade’s legs. The string was pulled and Masquerade ended up falling to the floor where the cataclysm destroying a piece of debris.

“Sorry we were late, it was difficult getting back up here,” a feminine voice spoke from out of view.

Queen Bee opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the voices.

“What took you both so long?” Queen bee exclaimed

Masquerade looked up.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir.”  She spat as if those were the foulest words in her vocabulary.

Ladybug and Chat Noir walked closer.

“We are going to give you one chance. Just hand over the akumatized object and we can all go back to normal,” Chat Noir tried to reason.

Masquerade glared at the two heroes.

“Normal? There is no normal left for me. I watched it all crash and burn. But who cares, now I am the most powerful person in all of Paris. No one can ignore me now.”

Ladybug shook her head.

“You’ve gone power mad.”

Masquerade touched her charms and summoned vines from her wrists.

“Vines? When did we fight an akuma that used plants?” Ladybug questioned.

“Weredad…” Chat Noir said with a horrified gasp. He remembered that beating all too well, and knowing that Masquerade got to Marinette’s father was not sitting well.

Ladybug’s confusion shifted to determination as she jumped to dodge the vines.

Chat Noir and Ladybug moved gracefully as they approached Masquerade. The akuma realized the two were quickly approaching and needed to push them back. She activated Stormy Weather’s power to use a mighty gust to blow them back.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were sent back to where they started, but landed on their feet.

“Okay, so it's safe to assume she has every akuma power so far."

“Well except Chloé's, Luka’s and Kagami’s,” Chat Noir added.

“Right. That’s a relief. Dealing with Queen Wasp or Riposte would not be good.”

“I was more worried about Silencer. If he made us quiet, I wouldn’t be able to hear you call my name.”

“Focus, Kitty.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“Seems it's lucky charm time.”

Ladybug activated her power.

“Lucky Charm!”

What appeared was another unexpected item with a ladybug color scheme.

“A mop bucket?”

“Heads up!”

Chat Noir jumped in front of her and spun his staff to block several pause symbols heading their way.

“I’ll cover you. Figure out how to use the charm.”

“Oh, hell no!” Masquerade shouted as she pulled her hand back, revealing her arm shifting to stone.

She smashed the ground, causing the already unstable floor to crack and send more rubble falling from the ceiling.

Ladybug grabbed the bucket and jumped away.

She looked around, Her eyes looked at Masquerade, Chat Noir’s staff, the ground, her yo-yo, the bucket, and finally Queen bee.

She had a plan.

__________________________________________________________________________

It was endless, the voices in their head screaming. Their body shifting and changing with each passing second, constantly shifting into something else belonging to someone else.

“STOP IT!!!” They screamed as they shouted in the alleyway they landed in. They were alone.

“Mind… shattered… Thoughts… endless… Focus… split!” they tried to articulate.

Their brain felt like it was on fire! Nothing seemed to make sense, it felt like they were losing all control and that they would be left in the dust.

“Focus…. Focus…. FOCUS!!!”

They continued to try and get themselves back on track. They needed something, anything to put their mind to. They needed order! They needed purpose!!!

“I need a reason! Why am I here?! To suffer!? Is this all there is!?”

They held their head with their ever-changing hands.

“They hurt me! Now I am in pain! I hate them… Hate…. HATE!!”

Their clouded mind seemed to calm. They had realized why they were here. That among all of the emotions that they had been created from, one was their defining prime emotion.

“Hatred… I was made from hatred. I am the embodiment of Her hate,” they said.

Their mind flashed with images. The faces of Ladybug and Chat Noir, Alya Cesaire, Marinette Dupain Cheng, Kagami Tsurugi, Luka Couffaine, and…

The face became like their original form, a cracked smiling white mask.

“Yes. I know what I must do. Simularé must destroy those it hates!”

The Sentimonster focused and began changing its body to now be more in control. It started molding its body. It was no longer changing against its will. Simularé was starting to regain control.

“Yes…”

______________________________________________________________________

Masquerade noticed Ladybug standing back and she used her powers to jump at her. Ladybug quickly jumped out of the way and rolled near Chat Noir. Just then, she realized she had left the bucket behind.

“The Lucky Charm!”

Masquerade looked and saw the bucket.

“Let’s not take any chances.”

She touched her charm, now imbued with the power of Copycat’s cataclysm.

Just before she could touch the power, Chat Noir uses his baton to extend out and move the bucket out of the way, causing her to touch the ground and causing the area she touched to break and make a hole that half of her fell into, only to be saved by her other arm catching the floor.

“Nicely done Chaton.”

Ladybug moved to Queen Bee, who had been motionless and watching the two heroes fight with Masquerade. She went into her yo-yo and revealed a purple Macaroon.

“Queen bee activate your power. It's time.” Ladybug relayed her message and used her yo-yo to snag the lucky charm back to her. “Pop this in your mouth when things get serious.”

“Huh?! Oh right!”

Queen Bee started moving again. She had let herself freeze, almost paused just like the other two heroes she was fighting with. But now it was time to act.

“Venom!”

Masquerade managed to get up and out of the hole. It was there that she saw Queen Bee charging at her.

“Oh that is cute. You finally stopped watching and decided to join in getting your butt kicked.”

Masquerade used Stormy Weather’s wind powers to blow Queen Bee back, but this time, Queen Bee popped the macaroon into her mouth.

Suddenly her costume started to shift. She gained a clear face covering and her suit was glowing a shinier gold color, with thicker black gloves. Her hair was now shining gold, and she had an impressive gold jetpack reminiscent of Bee Wings.

“What the heck is that!”

Queen bee realized that Ladybug had given her not just a weird tasting macaroon, but a power-granting one. She got a power up.

“You heard of Cosmobug and Astrochat. Get ready to meet Stellarbee!” she exclaimed.

Stellarbee pushed her jetpack to push through the powerful winds.

Masquerade realized that at the rate she was going, Stellarbee was going to reach her! She couldn’t let herself get tagged. She pushed more power into the wind, and just as she did, an idea popped into her head.

‘If I tag her first, then there will be no issue.’

Masquerade started easing on her wind powers and moved one hand to prepare a deadly touch from the powers of Timebreaker.

Stellarbee kept approaching.

“You know, Lila, you really are a pathetic person.”

Masquerade rolled her eyes.

“And why is that?”

“Well, for one thing, you are so focused on what other people think of you. I must say it's clear that out of everyone here you have the lowest self esteem.”

“I have self-esteem! I have tons of it. You are the one with Mommy issues!”

“Defensive much? Yea, I have issues. But I never lied about who I am. I am Chloé Bourgeois. And you are a girl with a bucket on her head.”

“I am not… Wait what.”

As if on cue, Ladybug covered Masquerade's vision with the sanitation bucket. The surprise caused Masquerade to lose focus on her powers and Stellarbee zoomed right by her, making sure to contact her with her power. Masquerade froze.

Masquerade was in utter shock, unable to move.

Ladybug walked up to Masquerade and touched the charms, causing all the powers she had active to deactivate, including the pause power she had on Viperion and Ryuuko.”

“It's finally over.”

Ladybug took the bracelet off of Masquerade. She ripped it apart with her hands, causing it to break and an akuma to pop out.

“No more evil-doing for you little akuma.” Ladybug spoke as she snagged the akuma with her yo-yo and purified it.

“Bye bye little butterfly.”

Masquerade's form dissipated, returning to that of Lila Rossi.

Jade Turtle, who had kept the tight barrier around the akuma army to keep them from making any moves noticed that they had all ceased to function. They were all still transformed but they were no longer moving.

“Wayzz, shell off.”

Fu transformed back and the barriers he casted vanished.  He was catching his breath.

“Cutting it very close, Ladybug…” Fu commented with relief. He knew there was a reason he didn’t get involved initially. He needed to retire.

The Power that Stellarbee had used on Masquerade had worn off now that she was back to normal.

Lila took off the bucket.

“No! No no no! This can't be happening.”

“The game is over, Lila.” Ladybug said definitively.

Stellarbee deactivated her space form and pulled herself out of the wall she'd collided with when flying.

Viperion shook his head.

“Whoa, everything feels clear again. What happened.”

Ryuuko hugged the snake hero.

“You’re back!”

Viperion felt his cheeks heat up from the hug.

“I am? What did I miss?”

Ryuuko realized the sudden emotional outburst and quickly let go of the hug.

“It's… I will tell you later. I am just happy you are back to normal.”

Queen Bee slid down from the wall looking at the two reptilian heroes and rolling her eyes. She was not gonna be a third wheel in that conversation, no matter how hot they both were. So she decided to make her way to Ladybug.

Chat Noir jumped to land next to Ladybug.

“That’s the end.”

“It always comes back to you doesn’t it?” Lila hissed.

Ladybug raised her eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“You are the one that ruined my life once again!”

“Ruined your… you were akumatized and tried to enslave Paris!”

“Because of your stupid fan printing that garbage about me working with Hawkmoth!”

“Well there is that footage…” Chat Noir pointed out.

“I was angry! I was frustrated and saw an opportunity… I don’t work for Hawkmoth” Lila defended herself.

“Assuming that is the truth, using the akuma just to have a temper tantrum is still pretty scummy,” Ladybug commented.

“That’s not the point! Ever since you popped up and yelled at me in the park everything went downhill.”

“Is this what it is really all about? Why are you blaming me when all you have done is lie? I shouldn’t have confronted you that way, I admit I went about that wrong, but you shouldn’t be lying about things like that. Why didn’t you just try being honest? Why did you need to spread rumors just to be popular?”

“Are you joking? Have you ever been a new kid at school? Have you ever had to constantly try and make friends only to be ignored or dismissed, and any time you do get a few people that do talk to you only to stop as soon as you are whisked away to a new location?”

Ladybug and Chat Noir watch as Lila continues to unravel, both of them trying to figure out if this was just another elaborate lie.

“No, you haven’t been ignored or dismissed. I can tell you two are just BATHED in love and acceptance. You don’t have to deal with not knowing if you are going to be moved to a new place where you don’t know anyone and the only person you know and love has to work ridiculous long hours just to take care of you! You never had to constantly try and fail to make new friends, constantly getting bullied or ignored just because you were an easy mark. You wouldn’t know what that is like at all! Is it wrong that I wanted to be liked? Is it wrong that I was sick of being pushed around so I pushed back? Is it so bad that I just wanted to be noticed?”

Ladybug put her hand on Lila’s shoulder.

“Assuming that what you’re saying is true, I think I understand you a bit better now. But that still doesn’t make what you did right.”

Chat Noir put his hand on her other shoulder.

“I do understand that loneliness, better than you think. Maybe if things shook out differently, I could have ended up with a similar mindset. But Ladybug is right. Your actions aren’t justified.”

Lila pulled back from their touch.

Lila looked at the two heroes. She could see the looks of annoyance and anger had shifted to something much worse in their eyes, pity.  Honestly it was better when they were angry with her. At least then there was some sort of begrudging mutual animosity. But right now… everything she worked for was gone, her school life was destroyed, and that whole bit about conquering Paris as an akuma now seemed unbelievably dumb in retrospective. But does that really matter? Lila felt her soul sink. She felt as ruined as the school looked.

“So… what happens now? You're gonna lock me away and throw away the key?”

Ladybug and Chat Noir look at the girl puzzled.

“Lock you up?”

“Yea, after all of the crap that Alya posted on the Ladyblog. All of this? And whatever else I didn’t mention. I bet you want to put me in a cell and let me rot.”

Ladybug sighed. Part of her had to admit that if this was before Lila’s meltdown, she would have agreed. The girl had issues. But seeing Lila now, whether her tantrum was real or not… It made the girl seem so small. And even without the temper tantrum, prison probably wouldn't be possible.

“We aren’t going to hold what you did as an akuma against you. If we did, then we would have to lock up a lot of Parisians,” Chat Noir started off.

“However, we do know that you have been causing a lot of trouble, and your actions outside of being an akuma have not been good.”

“We sure we can’t arrest her?” Queen Bee suggested.

“Train incident,” Ladybug and Chat Noir stated in unison.

“Nevermind.” Queen Bee backed off. “Yikes. You both are in unison way too much all of a sudden. You know what? You two handle this. I will … check on the old guy.”

Queen bee jumped away in the direction of the motionless akuma puppets.

Lila turned her attention back to Ladybug.

“What happens next is your call, Lila,” Ladybug spoke sternly. “There are going to be consequences for what happened regardless of your choice. It’s up to you how you deal with things going forward. And if you want my opinion, the honest you right here, I think, has a better chance of earning a second chance than the version you tried out when you first came to this school. You would be amazed how accepting people are if you stay true to yourself. I don’t promise it will be easy, but I can say it is better than the path you are going on.”

Lila still felt a fierce dislike of Ladybug, and she still remembered all of the pain and frustration she endured since her first akumatization… but she knew that Ladybug was being genuine and trying to reach out. She just wasn't sure if she could be willing to accept help from Ladybug of all people.

“Mi Stellina!”

The voice calling out had the heroes and Lila turn.

“Mama?” Lila asked in surprise.

______________________________________________________________________

Queen Bee had dashed out of the building to see, laying in the middle of multiple masked akuma who remained motionless, an old man. One who looked very familiar.

“Hey… you’re that old guy I saved earlier.” Queen bee mentioned. “What happened to the old turtle guy?”

Fu took a second to process what she had just said and decided not to explain.

“And you are the young girl that helped me out. What a coincidence,” Fu said as he tried to get up. “Did you finally prove to yourself that you were always a hero?”

Chloé looked at the old man with a perplexed expression. She didn’t know how this old man knew so much. But she wasn’t going to question it.

“I don’t know for sure. I know it’s easier to be a hero with powers,” Queen Bee answered.

Fu looked at the unsure blonde and smiled.

“I can tell that there is a hero inside of you. It wasn’t visible at first, and many would argue that it isn’t there, but you just have to believe that there is good inside of you. If you can push forward and try to keep being that hero, soon the day will come when you don’t need the powers to be a hero.”

Queen Bee thought about his words for a moment.

“You know, after all of this mask insanity and finding one’s true self crap, I think I've realized what I am. I am not Ladybug and I am not my mother. I am me. I may not be kind, I may be self-interested… but I know who I am and I know I can be a pretty good hero.”

Fu had to admit that it was an interesting way of looking at things. Being a good person was not always easy as one might think. Chloé Bourgeois was definitely a long way off from being a completely selfless person, but she was leaning in the right direction at least. That was a start.

“Hey… Ladybug already de-akumatized Lila. Why is everyone still in masks?”

The old man looked around and noticed what Chloé had pointed out. They all were just lifeless puppets but they were still there.

“That is odd. The powers of the akuma usually wear off when the akuma is freed, unless…”

“Unless?”

“Something else is tethering the masks to these individuals. Tell me, was there a sentimonster that was paired with the akuma?”

“Oh yea, but like Chat Noir handled it with a cataclysm.”

Fu’s eyes went wide.

“A standard Cataclysm doesn’t destroy sentimonsters, it only frees them from the control of its wielder. So, then the reason the masks are still… oh no.”

__________________________________________________________________________

Ms. Rossi ran to her daughter and hugged her.

“Are you okay? Back to yourself again?” she asked as she touched her daughter’s face.

“I'm not akumatized anymore.”

“Oh, thank goodness! Now we can talk with the principal and straighten out this whole mess.”

“Mama…”

“We can clear up this whole misunderstanding and get you back into class. I am sure that your boyfriend…”

“Mom!”

Ms. Rossi stopped talking.

“Those things… I did them. I was telling the truth. I'm not the person you think I am. I… I lied a lot. But I lied to you the most.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir took a small step back to give the two some space to talk.

“Lila… why did…”

“Because we're always moving! Do you know how hard it is to make friends when we hardly stay anywhere longer than a year? I've been to ten schools in five countries over the last four years! I know it’s your job and that you need to do what they say… but I just couldn’t keep being the same person over and over only to feel rejected and lonely! It would drive anyone…” Lila’s eyes were welling up with tears as she spoke. She struggled to keep her composure.

Ms. Rossi saw the sheen of tears in Lila's eyes and realized that everything she said was true. She didn't know what to say.

“And what's this?”

A voice from above caught the their attention.

Lila's ears perked up as she quickly wiped her tears.

“Simularé! You're still here? I thought you were finished.”

Lila looked up at the sentimonster. If the it was still here, then maybe this wasn’t over for her. But her hopes dwindled when she saw the Sentimonster’s new form.

“What… What happened to you?”

The shape-shifting sentimonster had changed quite a bit. The lower half of its torso was large and similar to Ikari Gozen, But each of its legs were different. The front right leg one looked fuzzy, almost like purple static, and had an ice skate like Frozer on its foot. The front left leg was a darker blue, reminiscent of Maledikator, but its foot was a rollerblade like Time Tagger. The back right leg was black and like that of a panther. The back left leg looked oddly as if it was made of bread.

The upper half looked much more humanoid, but it had 6 arms on its torso which was akin to that of Gorizilla. Each arm was different and held a different weapon. The uppermost right arm was rock-like matching Stoneheart’s body, but wielding a sword much like Darkblade. The uppermost left arm was beast-like and furry, with thorny vines on its wrists, much like Weredad. The middle right arm was shorter and metallic, with a mechanical claw that held an umbrella. The middle left arm was pink and had a mirror on its back like Reflekta's, and held a bottle similar to Princess Frangrance's perfume blaster. Its lower right arm was made of gold glitter and held a stylus, while the lower left arm wore a long red and black sleeve with a tablet on the back of its wrist.

The monster was riding on a massive paper airplane much like Reverser had, and had black feather wings spreading from its back which clearly belonged to Dark Cupid. The top of its head had pink dreads similar to that of Guitar Villain, and on its back was a canister of bubble soap. The fox ears of volpina also peered out from the hair. Despite all of this, though, the most striking feature was the cracked white mask it had for a face.

“I have taken the next step in our evolution.”

The Sentimonster leapt off the paper airplane and landed with a thud. Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped in between the monster and Lila.

“That’s enough Simularé! It's over. We are going to cleanse your amok and you will be able to ease your suffering.”

“Suffering? No no no. I am not suffering, I AM LIVING!” Simularé exclaimed.

It used its massive upper arms to knock both Ladybug and Chat Noir back. Thankfully Ryuuko and Viperion noticed the two heroes flying through the air and ran forward to catch them.

“Lila! I finally see everything clearly. I understand. I am unbelievably free now! And we can finish what we started!” Simularé spoke with glee.

The sentimonster stuck out its hand to Lila, beckoning. “Masquerade or not, you still have a role to play.”

“Don’t listen to that monster!” Chat Noir called out.

“You can’t let it sway you! End this now,” urged Ladybug.

Lila looked at the heroes, who were now staring daggers at the monster. This could be her big chance. It wasn’t over yet! Her earring still had the amok. She could still get what she wanted. She could best Ladybug! She could get that win she had been craving so desperately. But then she felt someone touch her shoulder and turned to see her mother, her very terrified mother.

“Mi Stellina… I know you are hurting. I know that thing is part of the evil that you took part in. But you can’t go back to it. I promise you I will be a better mother to you. I won't let you feel alone like you have been ever again.” Ms. Rossi spoke softly as she tried to keep her voice steady.

Her mother was shaking, tears dripping down her face. Lila may have been angry, but she could see that her mother wanted to protect her.

Lila turned to her mother.

“Mama… I…”

“Please… don’t take another step. I can't lose you too.”

That statement hung in the air for a moment.

Lila turned away from her mother.

“Simularé.”

“Yes?”

“It's over.”

The Sentimonster took a step back in surprise.

“You can’t be serious.”

Lila took a deep breath.

“I have done a lot of awful things. I have been selfish, cruel, manipulative and spiteful. Part of me would love nothing more than to just watch the heroes fall to you… but I can’t break my Mama’s heart anymore today.”

Simularé shook its head.

“I knew you were pathetic.”

“Excuse me?”

Simularé grabbed her collar.

“What are you doing!?” Lila gasped as she struggled. “I order you to stop!”

Simularé pauses for a second but then starts laughing.

“Wait… why aren’t you listening to me?!

Chat Noir was the first one to realize it. His cataclysm had done this.

“Oh no…”

Simularé used one of its hands to take the earring. Putting it on one of its fox ears.

“I will say I am disappointed, but I am not surprised. You were always held back by your weaknesses. You were always self-sabotaging, as if you were begging to get in trouble. I am everything that made you strong with none of your weaknesses. I am everything you wished you could have been but never had the guts to be. And this explains why some of the hatred inside of me is directed towards you. You hated yourself as much as everyone else. So, I suppose this was going to happen anyway. Goodbye Lila.”

Simularé tosses Lila, sending her flying out of the classroom, presumably to her death.

“No!” Ms Rossi cried out as her daughter fell out of sight.

But before she hit the ground, Queen Bee jumped up and caught her.

“You are really lucky I'm trying to be better.” Queen Bee commented.

Simularé shrugged its shoulders.

“Well then, since it seems that I am the only one left, shall I finally end this?”

Simularé flies up with its wings. It raises all of its hands in the air.

“Now, how should I do that?” Simularé questioned.

Ladybug looked around. The Lucky Charm mop bucket was right by her, but that charm couldn’t be used for Simularé. And with it present she couldn’t summon another one. Her timer was running low again and things were only getting more intense.

“The power of one’s miraculous is limited only by its user,” a voice emanated from the yo-yo.

Ladybug picked up the yo-yo.

“Master, what do you mean?”

“Right now, I am at my physical limit, but you and Chat Noir are still fresh. The miraculous’s ability is limited only by what you think you can do.”

“But I already used my Lucky Charm…”

“Have you truly done so?”

“But… how?”

“You and Chat Noir need to dig deep and push past your mental limits. It is at the most uncertain of times that one discovers what they can truly do. I must leave. I am far past my limit and I need to ensure the Miraculous are safe.”

The call ended.

Chat Noir pondered what the guardian had said.

“Fu said our power is limited by us. I think I can fire my cataclysm from a distance. I might be able to hit the earring.”

Ladybug realized that it was a long shot, but it might just work.

“Are you sure it’s possible?”

“Not at all, but I know that Simularé probably doesn’t want me hitting her with another cataclysm and if you can create an opening. I might be able to hit the earring.”

“I’ll get you your shot. Don’t use cataclysm until I give the signal,” Ladybug said. “Ryuuko, Viperion. I need you to distract Simularé.”

“On it!” The two heroes exclaimed.

“Queen Bee. Get Ms. Rossi out of here. Then come back.”

“But…”

“You want to be a hero?”

Queen Bee wanted to fight, but Ladybug was right. She was really regretting the whole ‘trying to be a better hero thing’.

“Fine.” Queen Bee begrudgingly accepted. She dashed over and scooped up Ms Rossi before moving into the building.

“If our powers are limited only by us, then maybe…”

Simularé noticed Queen Bee retreating and summoned a trumpet, prepared to blast the hero. Viperion’s thrown lyre smacked the instrument out of her hands.

“Annoying lizard!” Simularé used an arm to shoot icicles at Viperion, still keeping a tight grip on Lila.

Ryuuko jumped upward and went for a slash with her sword, only to be blocked by Simularé’s blade.

“Foolish girl. Think you can best me? I can handle all of you at once! And you're both running out of time!”

Ladybug picked up the lucky charm next to her.

“Fu said we were limited only by ourselves. The lucky charm is always something I need… Maybe…”

Ladybug closed her eyes and focused on the charm. Her body glowed with a red light for a brief moment as she focused on the situation they were in. She needed a lucky charm that would help them defeat Simularé.

“Lucky Charm! Change!” Ladybug called instinctively. She opened her eyes and saw the mop bucket glow.

__________________________________________________________________________

Queen bee had rushed the two Rossis to the front side of the school.

“There, you’re safe. Now go run off and hide while we go handle your mess,” Queen Bee said, exasperated with the situation. She started to get ready to leap back into action.

Lila looked at Queen Bee.

“Don’t act all smug just because you have a miraculous. I know you aren’t that great of a person either, Chloé.” Lila snarked.

Queen bee stopped for a moment. She was about to leave, but she had her fill of this prissy wannabe mean girl.

“You know what? I think that Sentimonster really is a good reflection of you as a person.”

“What the hell are you saying?”

“I'm saying you are a total knock off of everything. Your nice girl shtick is basically pretending to be Marinette, your bullying is an inferior version of mine, even each of your akuma forms were rip offs. Volpina, a lesser version of the Fox miraculous. Rena Rouge wore it better. Your Chameleon form is just you pretending to be anyone but yourself, and your last form Masquerade, you were just a rip off of Hawkmoth. Face it, you are just a knock off of everything because you don’t know what being original means.”

Lila tried to speak but found that her usual quick responses had failed her.

It was Ms. Rossi that spoke up.

“Listen here. My daughter has made mistakes, and that falls on me as her mother. I should be the one that is to blame for today. I didn’t see how she was suffering and didn’t notice how she was treating others. I will be the one to set this all right, and if you want to insult someone, it will be me.”

Queen Bee blinked at the response. Seeing such strong motherly love was an unfamiliar concept to her. She had to admit she was a bit envious.

“Well, be thankful that you have a mom that is still trying to help you despite all the crap you pulled. Not everyone is that lucky. So if you want my advice, try being original.”

Queen Bee turned her back to them and ran back to the fight.

“Mama…”

“It is my fault, dear. I should have seen the pain you were going through...” she said.

Lila hugged her mother closely, tears spilling from her eyes. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything.”

Ms. Rossi held her daughter. “It’s a start, Mi Stellina. It’s a start.”

__________________________________________________________________________

The mop bucket she had summoned turned into a glowing sphere of magic and then transformed into something entirely new.

Ladybug opened her eyes and saw that the lucky charm had changed.

“It’s a scarf.”

Ladybug saw the lucky charm was a scarf similar to the one she gave to Adrien. But right now wasn’t the time to get sentimental.

She scanned the area. She saw Ryuuko, she saw Viperion, and she saw a book, she saw the scarf, and she saw Chat Noir. She had a plan.

“Viperion, grab that book over there,” Ladybug instructed as she began making her move to the right of the akuma.

Viperion nodded. He quickly dodged the icicles sent his way and grabbed the book. Just as he grabbed it he noticed several more icicles heading for his face. He instinctively used the book to block the projectiles and noticed that the book didn’t get pierced. It was an akuma weapon!

“Huh. Neat.”

“Limit its options. Don’t touch it directly with the book. We need to de-amokitize it.”

“Got it!”

“Ryuuko, bring the storm.”

Simularé overheard that part.

“Enough!”

The monstrosity sent a burst of wind that was meant to make Ryuuko go flying.

“Wind Dragon!”

Ryuuko’s body transformed into air and began swirling around Simularé.

“What the heck! I thought Lightning was your power!” Simularé growled.

Ryuuko’s wind form caused the wings of the sentimonster to move and throw off its rhythm.

Viperion used the chance to touch the book to each of the sentimonster’s weapons - its sword, its tablet, its bubble canister, its umbrella, and the perfume blaster.

“Disarmed!”

“Chat Noir, get ready!” Ladybug called out.

“Cataclysm!”

Chat Noir called forth the black energy from his ring into his palm. He pointed his cataclysm hand at the Sentimonster.

“Now… how do I throw you?” he said to himself.

“Simularé was done being messed with. “I said ENOUGH!”

A massive burst of command came out and forced Ryuuko to transform back into her tangible form.

“I am done with you.” Simularé shouted as it grabbed Ryuuko by the face and went to slam her into the floor.

Right before impact, Ryuuko screamed.

“WATER DRAGON!”

SPLASH!

Her body turned into water and splashed back toward the Sentimonster, soaking its wings.

Viperion saw the earring and made a leap for it, only to get caught by the rock arm of Simularé. One of its lower arms knocked the book out of his hands and to the floor.

“Predictable.”

Simularé tried to fly upward but its wings felt way too heavy. The water in the plumage was weighing her down.

“What utter bull…”

Ladybug saw her moment and used the chance to cover the sentimonster’s mask with the scarf.

“What the?”

Ladybug wrapped the scarf tight around its head. Seeing the earring on one fox ear. Ladybug went to grab it, but the Gorizilla arm grabbed Ladybug and pulled her back just before she could reach it.

“No!”

Simularé removed its wings, forcing the water form of Ryuuko out. The girl became tangible once more

Viperion felt his timer beep one final time as his transformation dropped.

“Well, that’s one,” Simularé taunted.

“Let him go, you monster!” Ryuuko jumped to try and slash at him but her timer timed out.

“That makes two.” Simularé counted as she used her two lower arms to snag.

Kagami tried struggling but to no avail.

Ladybug tried to use her yo-yo, but the grip on her tightened.

“Don’t move Ladybug, or I might just lose control of my strength and… well the school is already a mess.”

Ladybug noticed Kagami and Luka helpless in the sentimonsters grasp and she heard her miraculous beep. She had very little time left. She glanced at Chat Noir, looking at the boy she loved. Putting her faith in him.

Simularé’s face was still covered by the scarf. The Sentimonster tried using its spare arms to untie the scarf from its face but it couldn’t reach.

Chat Noir saw the situation. Simularé was distracted, it was 30 meters away. He could hear his heart pounding into his ears.

“I got one shot….” His hands were shaking. If he missed… he could hurt his friends or his lady… and that’s assuming he could even shoot the cataclysm from a distance.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

‘Focus Adrien. This is your one chance. Getting too close may put that thing on alert. I need to fire the blast from here. I need to be accurate. I can't fail.’

He opened his eyes, and he could see Ladybug glancing at him. Her eyes full of trust, full of hope. She believed in him.

He felt his heart pound loudly but his hand was now steady.

He nodded to her, assuring her that he could see her.

His eyes focused on the earring.

He raised his cataclysm hand, he pointed his finger at the amokitized object. His body glowing with a light green aura.

“Cataclysm! FIRE!”

A small bullet shaped cataclysm shot from his finger. Chat Noir nearly fell over from the force, but steadied himself. He hoped he aimed true.

Just as Simularé managed to reach the scarf with one of its hands but stopped.

“Something doesn’t feel right…”

The Volpina ear with the earring dropped to the floor.

The Sentimonster’s monsterous form shifted, turning back into its phantom-like form, releasing its captives. Ladybug caught Luka and Kagami and Landed on the ground. The scarf that once covered its head dropped off its mask.

“What just…” The sentimonster questioned before it saw the earring on the ground. “No…”

Simularé tried to grab the earring but it turned to ash… causing the amok to fly out.

Ladybug put the two teens down and used her yo-yo to snag the feather.

“No more evildoing for you little amok.”

Simularé felt its existence start to fade.

“No! I was free! I don’t want to stop existing! I want to live! I WANT TO LIVE!!!”

The purification process finished and Simularé’s screeches faded to silence as they faded entirely.

Ladybug walked over and grabbed her lucky charm from the ground. She picked up Luka and Kagami, moving to just outside of the classroom and putting them down. Chat Noir moved and landed right next to her.

“Shall we do this together Chatton?”

“I would be honored.”

“WAIT!”

They froze to see Queen bee rush out and jump to be right next to them.

“Okay you can go now.”

“Together?”

“Together.”

“Miraculous Ladybug!” They shouted as she threw the scarf into the air.

They watched as everything got repaired, the decimated parts of the school were now restored. The masked akuma puppets were transported to where ever they were before they were captured.

The five teens stick out their fists and bump them together.

“Pound it!”

Ladybug heard her miraculous beep.

“Okay, so I need to go recharge. I am gonna need the miraculous from the 3 of you.”

“Okay.” Luka and Kagami compiled as they took off their miraculous. The Dragon and Snake Kwami reveal themselves.

“It’sss been a pleasure asss always.” Sass bowed to Luka.

“The feeling is mutual.” Luka sad as he fistbumped the kwami.

Longg looked at his owner.

“Perfect as expected.” Longg congratulated.

“I still have a ways to go.”

“Yes, but not a LONGG way to go.” The dragon kwami spoke.

Kagami and Chat Noir lit up at the pun. Ladybug wanted to facepalm but resisted the urge.

“I will be sure to get you more rice balls next time.”

Kagami and Luka handed over the miraculous to Ladybug.

Queen bee looked a bit sad as she said that.

“Chloé?”

“But I still haven’t detransformed so I …” Before she could finish her transformation dropped revealing her civilian form.

Pollen had popped out of the miraculous.

“Sorry my Queen.”

Chloé sighed, she knew there was no point in arguing now.

“Okay fine. But just remember to include me next time you need extra help. Or I will reveal who the snake boy and Dragon girl are.”

“Chloé…” Chat Noir said with a bit of disappointment.

“Fine, I won’t reveal it. Just keep me posted.”

Ladybug took the miraculous in her hand.

“Until next time.”

The two heroes jumped away, leaving the teens to their own devices outside of the school.

“Well I don’t know about you two, but I am heading back to my class. I need to tell everyone why they need to kiss my butt.” Chloé boasted.

“We have our own way to go. Good luck with that.” Luka responded.

“Whatever… but umm… thanks for the help. You two were pretty good for sidekicks.” Chloé said trying to be thankful yet keep her pride.

“That is the best compliment we will get from you isn’t it?” Kagami rhetorically asked.

“Yes.”

“As one sidekick to another, you could have been worse.” Kagami shot back.

Chloé gave her a fierce glare, but she had to admit that was a solid line.

“I wouldn’t mind fighting with you guys again.”

Chloé walked off as if to show she left with the final word.

“Shall we head off?”

“Lets.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Gabriel’s eyes shot open as he found himself standing at the steps of his front corridor.

“What? How?” Gabriel spoke as he held his head. He quickly touched his chest and felt the butterfly miraculous underneath. He sighed in relief.

He looked down to see Adrien’s driver at the bottom of the steps also looking perplexed.

Gabriel reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone. He called Nathalie.

“Nathalie! Are you there.” He asked as he made his way back to his office.

“I am… I am alright. The akuma and sentimonster have been bested.”

Gabriel sighed.

“It was probably for the best. Lila was far too volatile.”

“It was more of the sentimonster. That sentimonster was far too clever for its own good. Utilizing complex sentimonsters in the future should be handled with much more care.”

Gabriel nodded.

“If there is no danger, then return back. Don’t overexert yourself.”

“Yes sir.”

Gabriel hung up the phone.

He tightened his fist. Nathalie was no actor, he could tell that she was getting much weaker. Today’s attempt was far too dangerous. She had risked far too much and gained nothing. He was going to insist she take a break so that she could rest.

Gabriel sat in his chair and looked at his desk. Taking a moment before sighing deeply.

“Today was an absolute failure.”

He  banged his desk in frustration. He needed something, anything that could settle the score. The peacock was too unstable and it wasnt producing results. He would need something new. He would need to investigate.

__________________________________________________________________________

Ladybug and Chat Noir moved a good distance away from the school, landing on a remote Rooftop where they were sure they had privacy before dropping their transformations. Their kwami’s popped out and they handed their kwami their respective snack of choice.

“Great job as always Bugaboo.” Adrien complimented.

Marinette’s expression was a sad smile. It was bittersweet.

“No need to be so down. We did save the day, Lila got exposed for her lies, and I found out that I fell for the same girl twice.” Adrien listed.

Marinette felt her face flush a bit.

“I found out my boyfriend is a furry.”

Adrien looked mock offended, noticing the teasing smile on Marinette’s face.

“Too cruel Marinette. You wound me.” He exaggerated as she put the back of his hand against his forehead and tilted his head back, doing his best to look devastated.

“I found out that I had been turning down the boy I have been in love with for months and struggling to say it out right at the exact same time.”

“We were like a dog chasing its tail.”

“Don’t you mean cat?”

Adrien glanced at her with a mix of pride and affection. He loved her so much. But still continued to talk.

“It is kind of crazy.”

“Crazy? You two have no idea!”

The two teens turn to their kwami who had been watching their little exchange.

“We have known since that time you almost got drowned in cream. If it wasn’t for the whole thing with Fu and the kwami censorship I would have told you right away!”

“He would have.” Tikki confirmed. “I almost smacked him when he was about to say something.”

Adrien’s amusement turned to stern.

“Speaking of Fu… what are we gonna do now that we know?”

Marinette’s expression matched his own.

“We can't exactly hide it from him. He is the guardian, and it was part of the deal.”

Adrien’s thoughts about telling fu clouded his mind.

“Wait, what if we tell him and he does some sort of Guardian memory mind wipe that makes us forget everything?” Adrien feared

“Don’t be ridiculous Chat Noir, that is only for assigned guardians when they renounce ownership of the guardian title.”

“Solid Fu impersonation Mari.”

“I didn’t say that.” Marinette answered.

“I did.”

The two turned to see Fu, who had appeared without a sound.

“How do you do that?” Adrien questioned.

“Ancient secret.” Fu teased. “Also, I just hid behind a wall while you were talking.”

Marinette showed Fu the three miraculous.

“I got them back.” Marinette answered.

“Excellent work you two.” Fu took the miraculous from them.

Marinette went for her earrings.

“I guess you will want ours as well?”

Tikki felt anguish as Marinette reached for her miraculous.

Adrien looked at Marinette and then to his ring.

Plagg’s expression matched Tikki’s. The two Kwami didn’t want to lose their holders.

“If I told you both to hand them over. Would you do so?”

Marinette and Adrien look at one another, then back to Fu.

“Yes.”

The guardian took a second as he studied their resolve.

“Before you say anything. I'm sorry about this. We were trapped in a room and… It was my fault.”

“No Marinette. I was the one that kept looking at the umbrella. It was my fault that we didn’t…”

“Enough!” Fu spoke loudly to stop their apologies. “That is not what is important in this situation.”

The two teens stopped speaking and let the guardian give his verdict.

“You two have risked your lives time and time again to protect this city, protect the miraculous, and protect those you love. For as long as I have been alive, I have never seen a Ladybug and Chat Noir as incredible as you two. You were both fated to be heroes, just as you were fated to be with one another.”

The two blushed at the comment but let the old man continue.

“It is true I set the rule that no one can know your identities. I feared that the moment you learned it that it would distract you from doing your work as heroes, that it would do more harm than good. But I watched as you two have grown closer and trusted one another on each side with and without the mask. I think that if you two believe you can handle working as heroes and knowing eachother’s identities… I will allow it.”

The young couple’s eyes went wide and their mouths fell open. Marinette grabbed Fu and kissed his cheek.

“Thank you, Master Fu!” Marinette exclaimed

“That is amazing! Thank you.” Adrien hugged him and Marinette.

The kwami were equally overjoyed and joined in on the hug.

Fu accepted the embrace, letting everyone enjoy the moment.

After the hug broke he continued.

“Of course, you two knowing each other’s identities means there will be more risks, and it means I will need to prepare you both for the next level.”

“The next level?”

“You had a taste of it today. You saw how your powers were able to be altered with enough will power. That is just the tip of the iceberg.” Fu began. “I will prepare you to be stronger against akumatization, stronger in your powers, and stronger as a team.”

Marinette and Adrien gave the other a knowing look. They could tell the other was excited and ready to hit the next level.

“We’re ready.”

“That will start In due time you two. But for now. I need a break. I could use some tea and a nap. And you two should make your way back to school.”

Marinette and Adrien realized that the old guardian had a point.

“We will continue this conversation another time.” Fu spoke as he started walking away.

“We should probably get going to.”

“Wait a second.” Adrien interrupted.

“What’s wrong?”

Adrien smirked as he took her hand and kissed it.

“To many more battles.”

Marinette felt her face heat up.

“You smug little cat.”

“Your smug little cat” He emphasized. “ Plagg, Claws out.”

“Tikki, Spots on!”

The two transformed and quickly got off the roof to head back to where they needed to be.

_____________________________________________________________________

Luka and Kagami walked away from Francois Dupont.

“That was truly something.” Luka started off.

“That is an understatement.” Kagami retorted.

The two of them walked in silence as they tried to think of something to say.

“I used to play violin.” Kagami bursted out.

The fencer felt her cheeks heat up as she did that. She still was feeling a lot from everything that happened.

“You did?”

“Yea… I hadn’t played in a while and I was thinking about trying again. My mother had me learn a while back but stopped so I could focus on other activities. It is different from Guitar, but it is similar.”

“I play violin.” Luka responded.

“You do?”

“Yea, along with the guitar. I always loved stringed instruments. I even made a few myself.”

Kagami’s eyes went wide?

“That’s incredible, Ive never heard of someone our age doing such intricate work.”

“It's my dream. I love making instruments and sharing music with others.”

Kagami could see the passion in his eyes as he talked about it. It was something she admired, when someone knew what they wanted.

“I would love to try out one of the instruments you’ve made.”

“Maybe we could play the violin together, maybe you could even play in the band.”

“I assumed your band was more into Rock and Roll?”

“Who says a violin cant be rock and roll?”

Kagami didn’t know how to respond to that, but she decided to go with it.

“Sounds like it would be fun.”

Kagami pauses when she sees her mother’s car.

“That’s my ride.”

“Oh, I suppose you do need to head off then.”

“Yes, would you need a ride by any chance.”

“I’m good, I am close enough to where I need to be.”

Kagami shrugged.

“Suit yourself, music man.”

“I will Femme Foil”

Before she headed off.

“Before I go…”

Kagami moved and had her face close to his own, her eyes looking into his. Luka couldn’t help but feel his face heat up, he had no idea what the girl was up to.

Before he could ask, Kagami punches his arm hard.

“Ow! What was that for?” Luka questioned as he grabbed his hurt arm.

“That was for sacrificing yourself to save me from getting mind wiped.” She stated with a fierce glare.

“Is that going to be a regular thing?”

Her fierce expression softened right before she placed a kiss on his cheek.

“And that is… for everything else.”

Kagami quickly ran off before Luka could respond.

Luka felt his ears ringing with her melody and the beating of his heart, and what a sweet serenade it was.

“What a lovely song.”

__________________________________________________________________________

Marinette and Adrien had slipped back into the classroom with no issue. Most of the class was still a bit dazed from the akuma attack, many students having to move around to get back to the classroom they were supposed to be in. Chloé filled most of the class in on her exploits as queen bee. Which the two heroes knew was probably a touch more exaggerated than what happened, but they wouldn’t ruin her moment for once, she earned it.

“And that’s how I helped Ladybug and Chat Noir save everyone.” Chloé finished all too conveniently.

“Sure, Chloé sure.” Alix rolled her eyes.

Alya noticed Marinette sit in her seat and rushed over.

“Thank goodness you are okay.” Alya hugged the girl.

“I'm fine. Adrien protected me.” Marinette replied.

Alya shifted her gaze to Adrien with a smirk. Adrien was blushing at Marinette’s response.

“Oh did he? Well look at him being your handsome knight.”

“No need to stroke his ego more. Gotta keep the cinnamon roll humble.” Nino chimed in.

“Well Marinette also protected me. If anything, she is a real hero.”

“You two are so sweet that you are going to give everyone here cavities.”

“Could you not ruin my big day with your sap?” Chloé said with a bit of annoyance.

“Well I was going to mention what I saw Queen bee did that was pretty cool, but I don’t want to ruin your “Big day”. “Marinette responded.

“Pretty cool? Well I suppose you can be a bit sappy today.” Chloé answered. Trying her best not to glow from the tiny bit of implied praise.

Just as the conversation was to continue, Ms.Bustier walked into the classroom. The class sat in their seats

“Hello everyone. Due to the rather… hectic nature of today. The school has decided to dismiss classes for today. But before I dismiss you. I have some news to share. Lila, will you please come in?”

Everyone watched as Lila walked in. She was clutching her backpack. Everyone was silent as the brunette stood in the center of class.

“…Due to everything that has come to light. I will be leaving Dupont. I will no longer be a part of this class or this school.”

The class remained silent but were stunned by her statement.

“I apologize for the deceit and lies I have told while I was here. I also apologize for any physical and emotional damage I have caused with my actions. I will try to do better in the future.”

The statement felt wooden, Lila’s lies were usually over-the-top and fluid. Here Lila was nervous, strained, and clearly uncomfortable. It was debatable if she was being genuine.

Max was the first to speak up.

“So, are you going to be going to a different school in Paris?”

Lila looked at the teen and sighed.

“No, my mother has talked with Mr.Damocles. She felt that it might be best if our family went back to Italy. I think it’s better that way.”

Lila looked to the door, feeling she had said her apology.

“Miss Rossi, I believe you still have one more thing to say.” Ms. Bustier pointed out.

Lila took a deep breath and walked over to Marinette.

“Marinette. For all the threats, all the mean words, and damage I have done. I…had gone too far. I am sorry.”

Marinette looked deep into Lila’s eyes, trying to get a good of a read. I think part of Lila did believe that was true. But she wasn’t completely sorry, so Marinette wasn’t going to completely forgive her.

“I accept your apology. I hope you do better for your sake.” Marinette offered her hand to shake Lila’s.

Lila looked at the hand for a moment before taking it reluctantly.

“Maybe I will come back one day. Paris is a very unique place after all.” Lila said to Marinette as she finished the handshake. “Now I must be off.”

Lila went to the door and closed it behind her as she walked away.

To Marinette, that was the most honest thing she had said. She watched as Lila left the classroom.

“With that, you are all dismissed.” Ms.Bustier told the class.

Alya had leaned over to Marinette.

“So… I should probably take down the article on the ladyblog then right?”

“Probably, but keep it just in case. This could all be an act.” Adrien whispered as he turned his head to the two of them.

Marinette, Nino and Alya look at Adrien in surprise.

“What? It could be.” Adrien followed up.

“Yea, but you are the one that is always saying, give the benefit of the doubt.” Nino stated. “Its like I am seeing you lose your innocence. Like a kid learning santa isn’t real.”

“Santa isn’t real?” Adrien looked shook.

Nino felt his eyes go wide in horror.

“What? Of course santa is…”

“I'm busting you Nino.”

Nino looked proud and concerned. Adrien really was growing up and he is getting pretty good at deception.

“It's still shocking to hear mr.Brightside say such a negative thought though.” Marinette teased. “I thought you would be the one to suggest giving her a second chance.”

“I normally would be, but I have been burned too many times by that specific fire and I am not risking it again.”

“Fair, but I think I agree. I will keep the article, but take it down from the site.”

“That can wait, How about we get some ice cream?” Nino suggested.

“Sounds like a sweet idea to me.”

Marinette could swear she saw his chat Noir showing.

______________________________________________________________________

After Lila moved, it was relatively quiet in Paris for a bit. Maybe Hawkmoth had needed a vacation after that colossal failure. It was hard to say for certain. Regardless, the peaceful patrols served more as unofficial dates than actual patrols.

Ladybug and Chat Noir had come to an agreement that while in public view, they would keep their romance quiet. Chat Noir would still flirt and Ladybug would still respond cheekily, but it was never distracting. The two knew how to keep it professional. If questioned, Chat Noir would even admit that sadly there had been no developments.

It had been about two weeks since that little hectic event and things had been relatively calm for Marinette and Adrien. Gabriel had told Adrien that he would be giving Nathalie a vacation for a time, and that he will need to manage his schedule for the time being. Adrien still attended all his photoshoots, but he made sure his girlfriend could attend with him. While Adrien wasn’t fond of modeling, having Marinette there made it more fun. Though he did have a few tutoring cancellations which may or may not have been Adrien’s own doing, Gabriel always seemed too busy to notice that Adrien had used that time to hang out with his friends.

Class life without Lila didn’t go back to normal right away. Max apologized to Marinette, saying he should have noticed something was up with Lila. Alix joined in too, but Marinette told them all that it was okay, and she knew how tricky Lila could be. All she asked was for them be more critical in the future. Most of the class tried to do some nice things for Marinette to make up for all of the stuff Lila had tried to pull. Marinette felt flattered but told them she wasn’t going to hold it against them. It wasn’t really their fault they’d been tricked. This didn’t stop the class from trying to make amends and treat Marinette better. Adrien only encouraged the behavior, saying Marinette should be cherished.

Chloé was still Chloé, but it seemed the more grating aspects of her personality were starting to soften. She had even started holding back on her insults. Alya became convinced she was an imposter but that accusation was proven false when Chloé caught her trying to do an expose on her. Chloé just said that she was just trying to live up to her “hero” status. Most of the class rolled their eyes at that, but Adrien and Marinette gave the girl some credit. Queen Bee had been a big help and Chloé was really stepping up. It also seemed that she’d struck up a friendship with the school nurse – Marinette caught her getting the new nurse a gift for her birthday. Chloé tried to threaten Marinette out of telling anyone, but Marinette just assured her that no one would believe her even if she did.

As for Marinette and Adrien, there was a bit of an adjustment period for them now that they knew each other’s identities. Marinette found out about ALL the Ladybug photos and teased Adrien about it much like he did her. Their biggest struggles came from remembering to keep it professional as heroes. It did help that Fu was getting them some training for the ‘next step’ as he called it.

One night, Ladybug and Chat Noir met at their usual spot.

“Evening, My Lady.”

“Evening, Kitty.

“Fu has really been hitting us hard with that training of his.”

“He’s being strict for both of our sakes, remember? And you did say you were excited to learn new moves.”

“I know, but I’m so tired. Anyway, enough of that for now. How about we enjoy our patrol tonight, since we may not know what he has in store for us in the next session?”

“Sounds lovely,” Ladybug mused.

“Oh by the way, remember that app that gave us 100% compatibility?” Chat Noir asked suddenly.

“Soulmate Searcher? The app that got you to start viewing me as more than just a friend?”

“I was dense and I admit it. Yes, that one! Turns out the guy who created it is on the run for tax evasion.”

“Oh, that’s weird. I thought you were going to say that the app was totally bogus or something.”

“Nah, it seems to be holding up. But having too much faith in an algorithm is a bit crazy if you think about it,”

“So here’s a question, what would you have done if I wasn’t on your list at all?”

“I remember Alya was the one that got me to download the app. The only reason I really tried it out is she said you were on it. I told Alya I still would have given it a chance even if you weren’t on it… but I don’t know if I actually would have gone through with it… I was hesitating pretty hard despite her insistence. Then your name popped up.” She paused and looked at him. “What about you? What would you have done?

“I think I probably would have tried to see if that person was Ladybug,” Chat Noir joked.

Ladybug playfully punched his arm.

“Ouch! You wound me,” Chat Noir reacted dramatically. “Okay, if it was someone I didn’t know I probably would have deleted it.”

“Sure, sure. So why did you do some digging on the app?”

“I didn’t. Apparently my father had been doing some research on the app. I found the papers scattered in his office when he asked me to move some stuff off his desk last week. I think he might have wanted to set up a business deal or something. But I remembered it because I got an email from it.”

“Oh! I know what you’re talking about. That one that wanted you to take a few minutes to tell them what you thought of the app.”

“Yea, the survey.”

“It is kind of a weird idea if you think about it.”

“What is?”

“Asking people to do a Soulmate Survey?”

“I guess it does sound a bit out there. But it does sound fun when you say it like that.”

“I’d give them 5 stars.”

“I’d give them 4 stars.”

“Why only 4?”

“Because it didn’t tell me you were my kitty too.”

Chat Noir moved towards Ladybug, pulling her into a loving embrace.

“Well, how would you rate me?”

“5 stars.”

Ladybug cupped his cheeks and the two shared a tender kiss.

_____________________________________________________________________

THE END!

THATS ALL FOLKS

THATS ALL SHE WROTE

68 PAGES!

I have no idea how I managed to get this all on one post

do check out the Ao3 version

Please let me know your thoughts and if this was worth reading.

And do share it, it really does help.

[the-kipsabian]

Hey! I know its a bit out of the blue but Im reaching in hopes if you could possibly help boost/share the post i pinned for my cat? We desperately need some help rn, im so sorry if I did bother you, I hope you stay safe. Pls consider answering this ask privately or maybe send me a msg. 🙏❤️

you know what

no 🙏❤

hey kids, lets play a game of spot a scam again!! (i'd copy and paste the previous one but tumblr search is worthless and apparently that ask isnt tagged in my blog for some reason or just doesnt exist anymore buT ANYWAYS!!)

okay this is literally the same story ive seen before at least three times. its word to word the same. youre not even trying

reblogs only from original posts. they have gotten "smarter" tho as this blog followed me in attempts to try to show its "real". and yet they havent reblogged from blogs they supposedly follow, only from probably the top posts from some cat tag and only from original posters

their only original post as far as i scrolled (which admittedly wasnt very far as its obvious this is a scam lol) is the donation post. unsurprisingly

ive said it before and i'll say it again - they seem to target people in similar positions that they are supposedly in, trying to pluck that sympathy cord with "your pet is sick so you are sensitive and know how this feels". also bitch if im asking help to pay my vet bills what makes you think i can help you LOL

"pls consider answering this ask privately" lmao so what people dont know youre a scammer? NEXT

a simple search even within tumblr tells you people already know about this. the account, the story and the cat. you aint fooling anymore

if unsure kids, ask a friend and google things 👍 reverse image search, for example, is your best friend!!

also kids, in case youre asking "well what bad could a one little me reblogging a post even if its a scam do if i dont donate :/" 1. im sorry what and 2. it makes them look legitimate which they are not. the more notes the more trusted the source cause tumblr is full of idiots (sorry not sorry ive been here for over 11 years i know what people are like) plus you put your friends, mutuals and followers in a risk of participating in a scam. and have your name associated with it as well. do i need to go on?

anyways hi go report this blog and always be hesitant if someone you dont know asks you for donations like this. unless its a beloved mutual on your dash, reconsider. stay safe, thanks 💜

//update 1. seeing their blog requires a login lmao and 2. they only followed me for me to notice and idk if they unfollowed afterwards immediately or already blocked me so hey cool look guys a proven scammer <33 just fyi <3