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historyhermann · 2 years ago

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Otaku Elf Review

Otaku Elf, also known as Edomae Erufu, is a fantasy comedy anime. It is based on a seven-volume manga illustrated and written by Akihiko Higuchi. Directed by Takebumi Anzai, it is produced by C2C, a studio founded in April 2006. This post will have spoilers.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-fourth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on June 5, 2023.

This series focuses on a sixteen-year-old named Koito Koganei (voiced by Yuka Ozaki). She becomes a shrine maiden, known as miko, at a shrine in Takamini after the death of her grandfather. As a result, she becomes the caretaker of Eldarie "Elda" Irma Fanomene (voiced by Ami Koshimizu). Elda is an immortal and beautiful elf summoned from another world. Koito encounters challenges as Elda is an otaku and hikikomori/shut-in who fears going outside the shrine following an unpleasant interaction many years prior. Even so, she attempts to get Elda to enjoy life outside the shrine.

Originally, I had not been planning to write a review of this series because I'm already reviewing nine other series this season, either about magical girls (Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure and Tokyo Mew Mew New), legendary warriors (Unicorn Warriors: Eternal), VTubers (Kizuna no Allele), a yuri-themed cafe (Yuri Is My Job!), golf girls (Birdie Wing), idols (Oshi No Ko), or other subjects (Alice Gear Aegis Expansion and Skip and Loafer). One motivation for writing this review was because of Sailor Moon, which I'm currently watching, for the first time. It features Rei Hino as a shrine maiden, when she isn't Sailor Mars.

The animation style, comedy of an immortal elf being an otaku meeting a normal person, and the centrality of food, drew me in. The latter is primarily grounded in the cooking by Koyuzu (voiced by Hitomi Sekine), the younger sister of Koito. The same can be said for Koito and Elda's stories often becoming intertwined. Also, there are characters which are portrayed as "cute", like Koito's friend Koma Sakuraba (voiced by Haruka Aikawa).

I liked that every episode of Otaku Elf has some story about past Japanese culture, especially from the Edo period. Of course, Elda does all she can to impress Koito no matter what. This is despite the fact that although she has a laptop, she doesn't know how to use a cell phone. When she does use it, she texts so much that she angers the spirits! Elda does not know everything, however, and doesn't pretend she is all-knowing. She is wise, but not omniscient.

Yordeilla "Yord" Lila Fenomenea (voiced by Rie Kugimiya) and Himawari Kohinata (voiced by Teru Ikuta) are a good addition to the series. Yord is a dark-skinned elf, who is bad at directions, and has an absurd rivalry with Elda over an equivalent of tic-tac-toe. Dr. Akane Sasaki (voiced by Yumi Uchiyama) was similarly a positive character. In fact, she is shown in the seventh episode with Kadoi, getting drunk at a bar, with both of them as an interesting pair of characters together.

There is undeniable yuri subtext in this series, specifically between Koito and Elda, especially shown in the fifth episode. Otaku Elf has a degree of intimacy it can turn to and expand in each episode. As such, the series centers on the importance of spending time with others above everything else. In that way, Otaku Elf is special.

In marked contrast to Birdie Wing, the value of studying, and education as an extension, is emphasized through Koito's intense studying in the sixth episode. The importance of taking breaks and not over-extending oneself is an interrelated theme.

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I like the slice-of-life nature of Otaku Elf. This makes it different from magic-themed series such as Healer Girl and Management of a Novice Alchemist. Similarly, it is nothing like recent slice-of-life anime. The latter includes Let's Make a Mug Too, The Aquatope on White Sand, Teasing Master Takagi-san, and Laid-Back Camp.

The series differs from YuruYuri, Gabriel DropOut, Is the Order a Rabbit?, Kin-iro Mosaic, Non Non Biyori, K-On!, and Azumanga Daioh, in the same genre. Elda is a living history resource, who is good at origami, but can have awful nightmares. There's occasional casual alcoholism. But, it isn't as present as it is in Bocchi the Rock!. The latter features a sick bassist named Kikuri Hiroi, who spends most of her money on booze.

The seventh Otaku Elf episode was one of the best in the entire series. It primarily focused on Koyuzu and her desire to spend more time with her sister, Koito. Some of the funniest sequences in the episode was when she charmed people in a wholesale market so she could get fish for free.

The latter episode was only rivaled by the eighth episode. It focuses on Elda meeting another elf, named Haira (voiced by Mamiko Noto). Some of the best parts were having the historical remembrance shown in anime style resembling wood block art. The episode features another miko, named Komari, the same age as Koito. Haira is an elf with beauty only matched by Elda. She is older than Elda and Yolde, treating them as her younger sisters. The episode implied Elda is a lesbian, as she said she liked all the teahouse girls during the Edo period.

By the end of the episode, it is clear that the series is uncritical of the fact that Komari was a social influencer and that Haira was a gambler. Even though Komari was critical of Haira for gambling, she tells Koioto that if Haira is doing what she likes, it is ok. On the one hand, this makes sense as Komari had been with Haira since she was young, allowing her to take candid photographs.

On the other, Otaku Elf, by saying that Haira's desire to be a gambler is ok, implies it is a non-issue and downplays it as a problem. Most gambling is prohibited in Japan. There are exceptions for some motor sports and horse racing. The latter is something that Haira said she wanted to do during the episode.

There is an ample culture of gambling in the island nation. The island has a difficult relationship with it. There is inconsistency between reality and law. Some have pushed to completely legalize gambling across the island. Even so, some people, and groups, have objected to expanded gambling in Osaka. They have argued that crime and addiction (to gambling) will rise as a result. Those caught gambling illegally in Japan can face fines or jail time. This hasn't stopped gambling from becoming pervasive, nor the millions afflicted with gambling addiction. The series could have done a better job with this topic.

Despite the problematic approach to gambling, the series often highlights the importance of remembering the past and preserving it. In the ninth episode, Elda reads a manga that has been published for over 30 years. She reorganizes her room due to a ceiling leak (with the help of Koito) and finds an old videotape. Often series only focus on new technology. They act like anything deemed "analog" isn't worth bringing up. In some cases, there is a blend of the "old" and "new". In the case in Steven Universe, a videotape of the protagonist's mother (Rose Quartz) plays an important role in the series.

Similarly in Otaku Elf, Koito sees a videotape for the first time, and goes to her grandmother, who has an old Betamax player, excited to watch a tape of something recorded from before she was born. She learns that her mother, shown on the tape, was also a miko of Elda as well! In a typical scene, Elda embarrasses Koito. She thinks she will be picked up in a "bridal style" pose and runs away as a result. The latter is part of the ongoing yuri undertones of this series, even though Elda and Koito have more of a master-student relationship than anything that is romantic.

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Otaku Elf is much more than a series with endearing character dynamics. It has a protagonist (Elda) who deeply cares about the town she lives in, a neighborhood of Tokyo, I believe. Unlike some other anime this season, such as Alice Gear Aegis Expansion, there's no fan service. Nor are there any characters which are "one-off jokes". In fact, the series, in some ways, counts as an isekai. It has a "genuineness and pleasantness" which evades many anime these days.

The show's animation studio is known for producing over 16 series, including two I'm familiar with: Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu (based on a manga by Katsuwo who also wrote Mitsubishi Colors) and Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina. None of the story elements in either of those series are present in this series.

The voice cast of Otaku Elf is just as strong as the show's opening song. Ami Koshimizu, who voices Elda, also voices the caddy of Aoi in Birdie Wing (Amane Shinjо̄), Mizuki Nakahara in Lycoris Recoil, Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon Crystal, Shiori in Princess Connect! Re:Dive, Yang Xiao Long in RWBY: Ice Queendom, and Konomi Yurikawa in Yurikuma Arashi. Yuka Ozaki, the voice of Koito, has lent her voice as Asuka Toyama in BanG Dream!, while Hitomi Sekine, voice of Koyuzu, voiced characters in Teasing Master Takagi-san, Konosuba, and Ms. vampire who lives in my neighborhood.

Haruka Aikawa, the voice of Koma, previously voiced a character in Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie. Mamiko Noto, voice of Haira, voiced a supporting character named Kazuki Kosuda in B Gata H Kei - Yamada’s First Time, Hakko in Canaan, Elsa in Gunslinger Girl, Kanon's mother in Love Live! Superstar!!, Shimako Toudou in Maria Watches Over Us, Gin Todo in A Place Further Than the Universe, and Saki Arima in Your Lie in April, and many other roles.

All in all, Otaku Elf is highly relatable to the hundreds of thousands of shut-ins in Japan, which the government believes is a "new social issue", and those elsewhere in the world. It might even draw in an audience from anyone who is living at "home" with their parents, or others living a "hermit-like" existence, being social recluses from society.

In any case, I recommend this series highly. I hope that it receives a second season, even though that is unlikely considering the last nine series by the same studio have not been renewed. Often, companies try and limit corporate risk by planning out each season for only 11-13 episodes. If the show is a success, "additional seasons can be ordered" as noted by Justin Sevakis.

Otaku Elf is currently streaming on HIDIVE.

#otaku elf #pop culture #reviews #birdie wing #videotape #yuri #betamax #steven universe #bocchi the rock #gambling #vhs #hidive #alice gear aegis #voice actors #renewal #anime #Youtube

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blushingbunny1987 · 1 year ago

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(This is a roleplaying account for the character, Toy Bonnie and her soul, Lila Baxter, for my FNaF and Poppy Playtime crossover AU cuz I seen so many FNaF RP accounts!)

Name: Lila Rose Baxter

Soul Possession: Toy Bonnie

Age: 22

Birth Date: April 13, 1965

Death Date: June 03, 1987

Cause Of Death: Stabbed by William Afton

Relationships:

Gabriel Frederickson (boyfriend, the one who possesses Freddy Fazbear)

Jeremy Boyd (friend, the one who possesses Bonnie)

Susie Cooper (best friend, the one who possesses Chica)

Fritz Foster (sort of a friend, the one who possesses Foxy)

Marianna Emily (savior and friend, the one who possesses The Puppet)

Andrew [REDACTED] (sort of friend, the one who possesses Golden Freddy)

Toby Farr (friend, the one who possesses Toy Freddy)

Stacy Cooper (friend, the one who possesses Toy Chica)

Maddie Fisher (best friend, the one who possesses The Mangle)

Appearance: Misty Rose skin, green eyes and red hair. Last seen wearing a white shirt, a sky-blue mini skirt, a pair black tights, silver flats, a dark blue cardigan sweater and a red bow in her hair.

Personality: A kind, motherly but sad and tortured soul

Rules:

It must stay within my AU! If you want a normal FNaF roleplay where you want Lila to be a possessed dead kid possessing Toy Bonnie, I will accept your request.

Only ship Freddy with Toy Bonnie who I headcanoned as a girl (they’re also adults, making Poppy their daughter inside my AU)!

Have fun!

(Follow my main blog here: @playhousemassacrez)

(Follow my Freddy Fazbear RP blog here: @mrgabrielfazbear)

#Toy Bonnie #Lila Baxter #roleplay

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jellybeanium124 · 3 years ago

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happy WIP Wednesday! Here’s the first bit from my TUA summer camp AU!

All the counselors and staff were supposed to be ready to begin prep/training week by 9am on June 17th at Camp Umbrella in upstate New York. Herb was looking around the big circle in the center area of camp, where the campfire was, and he knew exactly what face was missing. The same face that always came 5-10 minutes late every year.

All the young adults were chit chatting with their friends, except for one young lady who was new. Outsiders were a rarity at camp. Most people started when they were 9 or 10 and either left immediately or stayed until they had to get a “real job.” Luther, who was standing next to his best friend Diego, and his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Lila, smiled at the girl kindly. She smiled back and walked over to him to stand next to him.

“Hi,” Luther said. “I’m Luther.”

“Sloane.”

“Is this your first summer here?”

Sloane nodded. “It feels like I moved to a new school or something,” she said, blushing slightly. “Everyone else seems to know each other so well.”

“Yeah, we do. Heck, I’d call Diego my brother.”

Diego, upon hearing his name, turned away from Lila and looked at them. “Ooo, new girl!” he said.

“Hey! Don’t get any ideas!” Lila cried.

“I was just sayin’! All I was thinking about is pulling some hazing pranks on her!”

“Don’t pay attention to them,” Luther whispered. “They’ve been like this since we were 14.”

Sloane laughed. “Aww. So, what year do you have?”

“I’m with 9M.”

“What?! I’m with 9F! That means we’ll probably have activities together, right?”

“Yeah! How awesome is that!”

Suddenly, the pair were interrupted by “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas being blasted somewhere near the entrance of the camp.

Luther broke into a smile.

“What?” Sloane asked.

“Klaus is back! I wasn’t sure if he’d be here this year or not.”

Everyone’s side conversations stopped, and looked towards the entrance of the camp. Sloane felt more than ever like she wasn’t privy to some special ritual. Who the hell was Klaus??

Even Herb and Dot, the director and assistant director who interviewed her a few months ago for this job, were looking the same way as the rest of the staff. Sloane looked that way as well.

The screech of tires pulling into a parking spot. The music suddenly stopped. Car door opened, car door closed and locked, footsteps coming up the path. He opened the gates to the camp, and then walked around the bend into the main area.

Klaus just looked like some guy to Sloane. Long wavy/curly brown hair, plus a goatee and mustache. He was slightly older than most of the other counselors (hence why his facial hair actually looked good). When he saw everyone looking at him he stopped walking and got a massive smile on his face.

“What? Is everyone waiting for me?” he asked facetiously.

“Of course everyone is waiting for you asshole! That’s why you arrived late!” Diego called back.

“Klaus! Come join the circle so we can start our morning meeting!” Herb called out. Klaus ran up squeezed in between a tall Asian man and the shortest guy on staff, who was wearing a gray hoodie in 80 degree weather.

After that, Herb took control of the meeting, welcoming everyone and setting about their schedule for the week. There would be get-to-know-each-other games for counselors from each age group, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-17 (Sloane saw some people scoff at that), cleaning, training for common situations, and generally preparing for the campers to arrive. Herb also introduced the rest of the leadership team. Dot: the Assistant Director, Agnes, the 9-11 supervisor, Hazel, thr 12-14 supervisor, Cha Cha, the 15-17 supervisor, and Pogo, the Activities supervisor. There was also Grace, the nurse.

Near the end of the meeting, the counselor next to Sloane tapped her arm, and then whispered in her ear “Klaus is throwing a party on Dead Man’s Hill on the 21st at 9. Pass it on.”

Sloane tapped Luther’s arm and passed it on.

“Oh yeah,” Luther whispered back. “Klaus always throws a party the Friday before campers arrive. It’s pretty crazy, I usually don’t stay long.”

“Oh. And where’s Dead Man’s Hill?”

“It’s up in the forest behind the camp.”

“Ah, ok.”

Luther turned and whispered the message to Diego, and Sloane went back to paying attention to Herb.

Tagging: @in-a-slanted-outhouse @conchshell and anyone else who wants!

#wip wednesday #tua summer camp au #tua #tua fanfic #tua fanfiction #sloane hargreeves #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #klaus hargreeves

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mikauzoran · 3 years ago

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13, 14, 22, 23

Thank you for the Ask, Steel! ^o^

13. Most underappreciated

There are a couple I really love that aren't as popular as I think they should be.

- Your Hands Hold Home (Lukadrien) - I had a really good time with this one. I'm so glad that I decided to do Lukadrien June this year after all, and I think it was really important for me to write this one.

- Finders Keepers (Adrienette) - This is one of my favourites from this year. I think it's really cute and sweet. Adrien and Marinette are just so in love with one another, and it's kind of adorable.

- Tights and Tea Lattes (Lukadrien) - Okay, okay. I know I wrote this one purely for myself and it's a miracle that anyone else read it in the first place. XD But...Lukadrien ballet AU! Where they sit around and talk in a coffee shop and do a pas de deux together! It's everything I ever wanted! XD I worked hard this year, and I seriously deserved this. (But I think I actually did do a good job writing the dance sequence, so there's that.)

- Clarity in the Harmony (Lukanette) - For the record, I would like to repeat that I am insanely happy with the first three lines, and I will be plagiarizing myself at a later date because not enough people are going to read this story and see the magnificence of those three lines because this is a Lukanette story.

14. Most overappreciated

Here are a few I thought, "Huh. I didn't expect this to be that popular."

- Betting Against the House (Adrienette Lila) - I think it's because Lila is in the story. People tend to flock to that for some reason, but I'm really happy with this story, and I think it's really good, so...

- Her Good Opinion (Marichat) - I don't know what drew so many people to this work, but I'm glad they enjoyed it.

- The Marinette Yeets Adrien Reveal (Adrienette) - Okay. I know why this is popular. It's hilarious. ^w^

- To Choose You Twice (Marichat/Lady Noir) - This is another one where I can't figure out what people like so much. I wish someone would write me a nice list of "this is what I enjoy about your writing" so that I can go do it again. XD

Kasienda asked 22 and 23 too, so you can find my responses in this post or below the cut for convenience. ^.^

22. Most anxious to post

I think there were three I was super anxious about because I was doing something new or different, and that’s always anxiety-inducing.

- Betting Against the House (Adrienette Lila) - I was afraid everyone would hate the ending. I based a lot of this on my own experiences being bullied and how I would have liked for the situation to resolve, and I was afraid people were going to tell me my feelings were invalid or something. ^.^;

- Wishing for You (Ladrien) - I think I’m slowly getting a handle on the Ladrien dynamic, but it’s definitely my weakest and least favourite side of the Love Square. This was my first Ladrien one-shot, and I was afraid I wouldn’t do a good job and people wouldn’t like it. I also wrote it as a gift for people who had taken the time to share what they loved about Ladrien with me, so I was nervous that they wouldn’t like it in particular.

- Clarity in the Harmony (Lukanette) - Lukanette is kind of outside my comfort zone. I know I regularly take requests and write random pairings that aren’t in my comfort zone, but this one was kind of challenging. I was afraid no one would read it or like it. ^.^; I struggle with insecurity.

23. Most excited to post

I’m so bad at choosing between my children! XD Here are probably my top five. I was so psyched for these.

- Finders Keepers (Adrienette) - I know this isn’t super popular, but I was really enthused about the idea for this one, and I really like how it turned out. I was excited to share it with people.

- Behind the Masks (Marichat) - I cranked this one out so fast. XD I was really excited about this one too.

- I’m Learning to Love (Walking Away from Things) (Lady Noir/Adrienette) - I wrote most of this in one day. I really liked pretty much everything about it, and it was well-received too. I was happy that people enjoyed it.

- The Most Pointless Argument (Lady Noir) - This one is so silly. XD I personally thought it was hilarious. I mean, how can you not love Ladybug dissing Marinette and Chat Noir disparaging Adrien in an attempt to keep their identities secret when their partner wants to add their civilian self to the team?

- Le Carnaval: A Short Story Collection - It was a ton of fun to do so many different pairings (many of which it was my first time writing). I really liked how most of these turned out, and I was excited to share this with people. ^.^

Thank you again for the Ask! <3

Ask Game.

#Marichat #Adrinette #Adrienette #Lukadrien #LadyNoir #Lady Noir #Miraculous Ladybug #Adrien Agreste #Marinette Dupain Cheng #Luka Couffaine #Ask Game #Ask #Ask Mikau

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purplerose244 · 4 years ago

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It was always you

Hello everyone!! 😊

I’m a bit late but I really wanted to contribute to the @lukadrien-june event, I hope this is okay! Based on the third prompt, while throwing in some character study for sunshine boy! 💛

Enjoy!! 😙😙

Summary: Love was supposed to be easy, at least in his head. A pure perfect fairy tale... except it was not. Adrien takes probably more time to realize it than other people but he is getting there. Especially not alone.

Read it on the AO3 here

If there was one thing that Adrien wished he had known, before giving up homeschooling once and for all and finally starting to build a life, was that loving wasn’t nearly as simple and dreamlike as his extremely well-developed imagination had led him to believe. He truly wished that he could borrow Bunnix’ Miraculous sometimes, just to head back to that room where he used to spend his entire time on his own dreaming of himself and his soulmate and getting married at sight, and tell him that if living was hard outside, heart matters were even harder.

Love wasn’t that ideal, it wasn’t reductive.

It wasn’t nearly that basic either. It took him a while, but he had figured it out.

It had all started with Ladybug of course, most of his new experiences in the real world had started with her. He had fallen in love with her pretty much two days after meeting her… granted, being stuck into his own house for years thinking of himself as a poor prince in waiting of a savior rather than a knight out to get the princess, might had developed in him a bit of an eagerness for romance. She was smart, beautiful, courageous, resourceful and a hero, what was there not to love? Besides they were Chat Noir and Ladybug, they were meant to be… because… that was Ladybug. The moment he had realized how much he loved that image – if he used to fantasize before looked at him now –, and how he had started to slowly care less and less about knowing what was hiding behind it, that was the dealbreaker. He didn’t want to be in love with a figure, an icon for Paris, because it was what all people had always reduced him to. It would have not been a good way to start, and it would have not been fair for her either.

Getting over all those dreams about the marriage, the children and the hamster – oh the hamster, heart stay still – that he had wished for so intensely had been… easy? Not exactly, but smooth. A strong emptiness and pain that had slowly faded away with time. After all, Ladybug was never going to be far from him, and she cared about him a lot, he knew that much. He could love her, no matter what, no matter in what way.

After that singular and very one-sided experience, a spectacular sequence of disasters had made him slowly and steadily feel aware of how much messier the concept of relationships really was. One thing was dodging Chloe’s overly affectionate tendencies or his fans’ intense assaults over him; the other realizing that Kagami was ready to commit into something he wasn’t sure of, that Lila was still somehow convinced that he wanted something to do with her after all of her lies – for a fox this sly she sure was in denial… why did that sound hypocrite? –, and that Marinette had apparently harbored feelings for him almost as soon as they had met – oh yeah that was why. Life, a real, multifaced, worth living life was chaotic and confusing, it hurt, and it saddened, and he was behind everyone, struggling like mad to catch up.

Rejecting so many people he cared about had been awful. Some of his closest friends, all important parts of his life in different ways, and all because he wasn’t smart enough to understand feelings and his own clearly weren’t right. When Marinette had smiled at him with tears in her eyes, saying that it was okay and that she understood, Adrien had decided that it was enough. He wasn’t going to attempt anything else, if it always ended up with hurting someone he cared about.

He could deal with his feelings on his own, he always did, without paining anyone. There was no problem anyway, after Ladybug no one had ever shaken his heart.

No one, no one at all… and during that time, between slowly realizing that perhaps looking for wedding rings after two days sounded a little unreasonable and somehow managing to hate his face plastered all over Paris even more than before, the Music Festival had occurred, along with the awakening of Captain Hardrock. The famous tripping over the bridge had happened, a goofiness that had somehow gotten him into a band.

Him had happened. The charming, kind, intriguing guitarist of the Liberty, that had welcomed him the moment he had been there.

Luka Coffaine.

… Adrien was starting to hate his heart a little bit.

Luckily or unluckily, around that time he had found himself too caught up in his and other people’s messes to even realize how he had always unconsciously smiled at the boy whenever he was there, and how it had become normal for him to stay with him after band practice, without caring on how father could had reacted to his delay – just how dense was he about his feelings… never mind. It took Lila to finally focus on something other than plotting, Chloe to start paying attention to her own life instead of worsening others, and Marinette and Kagami to begin exchange sweet looks for him to finally find some normality to think – and develop an extremely intense fanboy soul.

Enough to realize that ever since Desperada, with the brilliant introduction of Viperion to the team, Adrien had found himself as Luka’s confidant, the only one besides Ladybug aware of his secret identity. Exciting stories, confessions, insecurities, all while the guitarist was making such an effort to communicate with words, because he trusted him enough not to judge his mind.

And Adrien was enjoying the confidence, the vicinity. A lot. Truly a lot.

… way too much for it to be normal.

It had woken him at night. He had teared up in his bed, curled on one side while Plagg had been purring next to his ear all night. It was the first time that being in love had felt this terrifying. He didn’t want to mess everything up, not again, not with Luka. The freedom he felt with being on the Liberty, the time spent with his friends in the band, the warming welcome he had always received from captain Anarka and Juleka – and by extension Rose, those two always came in pair –, and every single moment spent without having to care about who he was and what did he represent because Luka didn’t care about covers, he cared about the real music coming from people. Everything could disappear in a moment.

With that set of mind, he had spent some of the most tense moments of his life, constantly pondering about what to do next. What exactly was a person supposed to do if he liked another without making a mess? What was the alternative to confess his undying love and hope to plan a wedding at the end of his studies? Was there an alternative??

His anxious attitude had inevitably gotten the attention of his group of friends, that for some miracle hadn’t gotten tired of his denseness, especially Marinette. She hadn’t seemed to care much, especially not while distractively holding the amulet Kagami had made for her – somehow love life had made the fencer even deadlier during practice, like she was fighting was someone, impressive. It had taken them to bribe him with a new recipe of croissants from the Dupain-Cheng bakery to be forced to talk, a necessity that had exploded out of his lips the moment his friends had been gathered on Marinette’s bed to listen. The sweets had been amazing. Just a bit salty… but that was probably because he hadn’t been able to talk without tearing up all over the food.

At the end of the discussion, Marinette had squeaked so loudly his ears had started to ring.

“You have to confess and get together, you two would be a great couple!” To which he had responded that he didn’t want to risk it, especially since he didn’t know how it was going to end.

Alya had slammed her hands over her own knees – ouch –, standing up.

“You have to man up! Don’t think about what could happen, go for it and make him yours!” To which he had said that he didn’t want to be insensitive again in case it didn’t go well – also that that kind of wording was a little confusing, enough to turn him bright red.

Then Nino had looked up from his phone, looking a little baffled. He had changed too, considering that love matters used to make him all nervous.

“Why don’t you ask him out first and see how it goes from there? You don’t have to become boyfriends if it feels too soon.” The table had gone silent, all eyes were on the DJ, who simply arched an eyebrow. “… you do know you can go on a date with someone, realize that it’s not working without actually get together, right?” More silence had followed. Adrien was sure that he had felt a weird mixture of disappointment and relief, while Marinette had looked so very shocked.

In conclusion, Nino was amazing. Like that was new.

Starting from there the blonde had been practicing in front of the mirror every day, terrified of rejection but less tense over how things could go. Despite fans and admirers his past relationships, if those could be called, weren’t giving him much of a booster or a good feeling about how this chance was going to play. Somehow it hardly mattered. Luka was a very reasonable person, he was going to reject him very nicely. It had been almost uplifting the idea of the guitarist treating him with absolute kindness, even while shattering all of his dreams.

One day Luka had called him over for an improv session. It happened often, this artist was extremely instinctive when it came to music, and he had told him that having a more rational and accurate player like Adrien around grounded him to his usual style. It was flattering every time he was called for that same reason, it was an occasion that made the blonde ignore all about his current schedule – of course he was at fencing right now, Kagami could cover- uhm, confirm for him –, to finally focus on something that he really wanted to do. Luka was always waiting over the bed of his room, playing a few notes, stopping for minutes then going again. It was calming and endearing, like Adrien was allowed to hear the inside of his mind.

He had been standing there, legs crossed at the end of the bed while Luka was lying down with the instrument. There had been only sounds for all of this time, without additions or suggestions or anything. It was nice. Really nice. Adrien had wondered what else could he discover out of him just by stay close like this, and how much he wanted to. The need to let those words out had been steadily growing without him realizing it.

“Luka?” Until they were out. “Do you wanna go on a date with me?” Mirror practice had helped, it had come out almost mechanically. There was a spark into his stomach, the adrenaline pouring out. The melody in the air had stopped for a pretty terrifying second.

Then it had come back as a full, real song. It was timid, sweet, and sincere.

“I’d love to.” In his own giddiness, Adrien could admit of being wrong. Yet he was almost sure he had seen the calm and controlled guitarist blush the tiniest little bit.

A single date at the restaurant where Alya’s mother worked at without people in the way – he loved his friends so much – had followed another one walking hand in hand through Rue Montorgueil in disguise – at last he had achieved his long-lasting dream of looking like someone else without the mask –, that had followed another one at a secret party Chloe had organized at Le Grand Paris for her classmates – she had given him such a smirk at seeing his plus one, gossip was coming. It had nothing to do with the dates of his daydreams, the ones he had lived through his head for years: every single time his stomach was so tense it felt like it was burning, painfully, making him question if he really wanted this. Then, the moment they were there talking, engaging themselves into an interesting topic while letting time pleasantly leave them behind, the stress was gone and there were only the two of them.

They had gone like this for months. Some absolutely lovely months. At some point Alya, stopping him at school, had calmly stated that him and Luka combined with Marinette and Kagami were making her feel single, and she had a boyfriend, so it was probably time to make it official. He had agreed with her, of course he had. He liked Luka… yeah right, he loved him. Everything with him felt so real, so close and intense, like he was finally living.

His feelings weren’t the problem… Luka’s were.

Not that he doubted him. Not after all the little orange blossoms left over his keyboard before band practice – they meant eternal love, oh heart stay still once again –, the songs sung for him whenever he felt upset or angry at his father, or the hand kisses at the end of every single date, like he was being cherished every single time. One of the guitarist’s biggest qualities was his sincerity, Adrien was absolutely sure he could trust him and his heart. Just how he had never blamed anyone before, not Chloe, not Kagami, not Marinette, not even Lila, for their feelings towards him.

They had been real, like his own feelings for Ladybug used to be… but they were for Adrien only, the supermodel, Paris’ iconic pretty face and perfect boy. That perfection in him, one he had been forced to practice in order to please his father, that was attracted others, but it wasn’t in any way all that was in him.

What was all the rest? It was also there. But it came out only whenever he wore the mask.

With time, the image he had been forced to wear for the profit of his father had grown into an uncomfortable, old sweater that he hadn’t known it had felt unbelievably itchy until he got the possibility to take it off, to try something else. And that black-leather armor was his absolute favorite. Nothing felt like freedom as that, nothing felt like him as those moments, whenever he jumped into the sky holding hard onto his staff. Thanks to his Miraculous he had discovered himself. Thanks to that he had found out that he liked making jokes, he loved puns, he liked making a fool of himself for the sake to have fun. He liked risking, he liked dancing, he wasn’t too keen on closed places, and he absolutely loved how the moon reflected into the Seine at night after patrol. Everything was him, so vividly him it made him choke a little at the mere thought of it.

Adrien Agreste was another mask, one he was growing considerably tired to wear. He had been through some love experiences now, even though they did not end quite well: there was no point into pretending to be someone he wasn’t, there was no meaning into hiding himself when he truly wanted to establish a bond with someone. He had known this, he knew this.

But if everyone liked Adrien better… if Luka liked Adrien better, how was he supposed to do that?

The tension coming from those thoughts was there only when he wasn’t around his favorite guitarist, making him at least forget about the dilemma coming with. Even so, around those times he had found himself at least wondering exactly what kind of opinion his date had about Chat Noir. He wasn’t sure, they had never talked much in their superhero personas, because of the urge of the moment and because with his lady’s strategic mind and a power like Second Chance it was unfairly easy sometimes to solve the situation – Ladybug needed to start bringing Viperion more often and yes, maybe just a little bit to see more of Luka in sexy snake cosplay. He was fairly sure he didn’t mind him, he seemed to even smile at him sometimes – total heart eyes –, but he wanted to be sure.

It had been night at the Liberty, they had ordered pizza. Sugary drinks made Rose giggle like mad, so Juleka had brought her to her room to take a nap and probably cuddle, leaving the two of them alone. That wasn’t weird. Wondering if the guy Adrien was dating liked his cat counterpart, that was weird. At the end, looking at how relaxed the boy over the sofa was while distractively bending the last pizza crust, he hadn’t been able to do pose a potentially confusing question, asking instead what he thought about Ladybug – he had made a mental post-it to whine loudly into his pillow later.

Luka had brought up stuff he already knew, how she was a great leader, an inspiration, extremely smart and courageous. Despite the failure of questioning him Adrien had smiled, he was weirdly happy they thought the same about his partner.

“She has a huge responsibility and deals with it incredibly, that’s commendable… with that being said, my favorite is Chat Noir.” A boom inside. “He’s hot.” A second, bigger explosion had occurred into Adrien’s head – in a feeble spark of lucidity he had begged his brain not to produce smoke out of his ears. Luka had laughed, playing some more, without looking directly at him. “And he’s such a selfless, reliable person, you can tell from how he doesn’t hesitate to help others or support me or Ladybug. He’s incredibly loyal, and… really funny.”

It had taken perhaps a second too long, in which a thousand of tiny little Adrien running all over his brain had been screaming out loud hysterically about how this handsome guitarist was a Chat Noir fan, and it had been the best day ever. Then he had managed to talk, ask, his voice was a little raspy.

“You… you like his puns?” Luka had scooted closer to him, smirking a little.

“It’s our little secret.” With that he had put a hand around his shoulders, bringing him closer to him. The blonde had abandoned himself into the embrace, trying to hide the giddy smile in his chest.

It got easier to let himself go from that moment forward, knowing that at least some parts of Chat Noir Luka didn’t mind at all. Having Nino groaning like mad after they had all taken their matchmaker ice creams from Andre, with Adrien coming out with a “I scream for an ice cream”, had been worth it just to see the guitarist rolling his eyes with an endeared smile. It had felt good. He couldn’t fully let go, being a model and famous and all that baloney, but he could stop pretending for a moment and embrace a little bit more about himself.

It had hit him much later that perhaps, maybe, possibly, the matter of telling Luka about his superhero identity was meant to come up at some point. It hadn’t seemed an important matter before, he was not supposed to do reveal it anyway according to Ladybug. Then again, this wasn’t a relationship behind masks like that one, it was as open as it could be. Also Plagg wasn’t exactly the biggest fan or rules anyway, he had doubted he would have minded. Hearing Luka talking about his latest adventure with Viperion, basically summarizing everything Adrien already knew from his point of view, made him feel a bit guilty about not coming clean. Still, it was hard to recall that unpleasantness with Luka always ending the discussion making a comment about Chat Noir, probably catching up over the fact that Adrien was also a ‘fan’. Knowing that such a charming boy like Luka considered his pun machine alter ego attractive, stating that the only blondie with green eyes as handsome he knew was Adrien, was definitely a good way to end the day.

Then, that had happened. Apparently, Hawk Moth had thought that the idea of unleashing once again Gorizilla over the powerless city of Paris was a hilarious idea. It had taken them forever to calm him down, the bodyguard had been all agitated since there had been no sign of his protegee – at least for what he knew. Cataclysm, Lucky Charm, Miraculous Ladybug, the script was old and overused and after the most tired pound it ever Adrien had called it a day, sinking into his own bed as soon as he had been home.

The unconscious was a calming place, a pleasant one, just like Luka.

Just like Luka… Luka… the date.

Out of pure will and terror he had managed to get on his feet, realizing with horror that not only he hadn’t just fallen asleep, but he was also late. Two. Hours. Late. Dread didn’t describe properly the feeling that had taken over. Begging a very annoyed looking Plagg he had launched himself into the night sky, running on all four out of pure despair. When he had arrived at the restaurant, miserably closed, Luka was leaning over the wall of the entrance that was off, humming a very mellow, very melancholic melody. And he had dressed up, for once in his life wearing something classy, a white dress shirt and a black jacket without sleeves. His hair had grown a bit in those months, enough for him to pull a little ponytail.

What a waste, Adrien had thought. What a waste on someone like him, this beautiful person lightening up as soon as he was there, running to hug him, saying that he knew there had been an akuma today and he was happy to see he was okay. Except he wasn’t, this wasn’t, it was not okay. He was taking advantage of his position, the fact that there was stuff he was keeping for himself. It wasn’t fair for himself, most importantly it wasn’t fair for him.

“And you’re okay with this?” He didn’t know what he had been implying with those words, he had felt the need to get them out. To be heard. Because Luka always listened.

The guitarist had given him a weird, aware look, holding up his hands.

“I am if you are.” Unfair. Unfair. Unfair. Nothing but that feeling of guilt had filled his heart, and Adrien had rushed in, hugging him as closely as he could. Luka had embraced back, caressing his back slowly and gently as it was his way of being, telling him that they could postpone on a day with a less dangerous akuma terrorizing the city. Adrien had kept his eyes shut, choking silent sobs against his jacket. Thinking that maybe it was okay, maybe they could still keep going like this. H was scared, besides there was no need to change anything, or even better there was no need to say something that wasn’t needed. This was enough, this could be enough.

Adrien had then opened his eyes, only to feel them pinching. From the window of the restaurant, he could see the lonely white table with two dishes and two glasses, and all around… were candles and roses. Luke remembered. He had remembered the mention of the romantic gesture the blonde had done for a girl that hadn’t gone as planned. He had remembered how Adrien had always wished for something like that for himself. He knew how much of a hopeless romantic he was. Luka knew him.

At the same time, he didn’t. He didn’t know him. It was not okay.

It was not okay, and it was not enough.

Mirror sessions were back after that, more frantic than ever but less frequent than he would have liked – he was dense he could admit, not enough to proclaim to his father or Nathalie that he was Chat Noir while in the shower. He had wished it was like preparing for a shooting, or even imagining to be an actor like mom was. The tension was nothing like. The number of warnings coming from all directions was massive, starting from how once again his friends were getting worried about him – he wasn’t going to resist the bribe of chocolate chip cookies for long –, how Ladybug had expressively told him no one was supposed to know about their real identities, how there was no telling how Luka was going to react over the fact that his date was the cat boy with whom sometimes he fought crime with – man that was a weird line to say out loud. He had found it hard to sleep, too tense to get lost into his dreams, questioning his decision all night long.

One night, after a particularly harsh internal battle between him himself and he, he had rolled over a little too much forgetting about his poor little cheese-eating friend. He had been on his way to apologize to the squished kwami, but with a single firm gesture coming from his tiny arm Plagg had gotten him to shut up, eyes widened and extremely pissed.

“You’re telling him.” His eyelid had twitched a little. Right, he had kept him awake as well. “I don’t care what Ladybug says, I don’t care what Tikki says, you’re telling him.”

“Huh, okay?”

“It’s not a question Adrien, it’s an order. Do it or else you won’t find Atlantis that much of a natural disaster.” Wasn’t for experience he would have doubted that this tiny guy was able of much. Good thing he did have precedents, so Adrien had opted to nod and lay down once again. Following orders was still pretty normal for him anyway. “… besides…” Plagg had scooted closer to him, nudging against his shoulder while closing his eyes. “No secret is worth taking away your happiness, kid.” Adrien had found no problem sleeping from then on.

At last, after a bit more of self-convincing, it had all come down on the matter of when. Adrien wasn’t exactly sure if the news was particularly good or bad, consequentially he had no idea if the reveal had to be organized during a joyful or tense situation. Was a date a good idea? Or was it better to simply invite him over, or go to his house and talk? Luka was a great listener, but he didn’t always like to talk much, maybe he was going to feel pressured in the second case. He communicated better with songs… but writing a jingle about how he was a superhero in a leather suit with a ring that could pulverize the Tour Eiffel didn’t sound like a hit – maybe… or maybe it was, he had to ask Luka later if the matter was going to be solved. After so much time pondering, he had been left with nothing concrete, no ideas. He couldn’t ask his friends, nor Ladybug. Maybe this was a bad decision after all – never mind Plagg that was still glaring.

He had been trying to focus on his Chinese homework all afternoon, his mind running miles with him unable to make it stop. Then his phone had lightened up, a welcomed distraction that had blossomed into absolute delight at reading the sender’s name. Despite the migraine coming along with the situation, it was all worth it just for a chance to be with him.

Melody: Hey Sunshine

Melody: If I remember right you’re free tomorrow

Melody: Do you want to come over?

Me: Of course I do :)

Me: My schedule ends early afternoon

Me: Is the evening okay?

Melody: Perfect

Melody: Dress nice, it’s a date

Melody: A special one, for a special day

Me: Why? What’s tomorrow?

Melody: Wanna guess?

Me: …

Me: Thursday?

Melody: Ahah, well also

Melody: But also exactly one year since the Music Festival

Melody: It’s the day you and I met

Somehow while melting into an absolute puddle of tears and adoring whines, Adrien had realized that this guy was too wonderful. In his heart the last thing he wanted to do was ruining something good, especially a night Luka had prepared for him. But this wasn’t about himself anymore, this was about giving him what he deserved. Hopefully they were going to have a date still after this.

Hopefully. Adrien had tried to forget about that eventuality, at least enough to finish his homework. It had taken him a while to fall asleep that night – Plagg had simply whispered “thin ice” in a very grumpy tone.

The next day he had used all his experience as a model to look his best, raised two thumbs up at his mirror, and headed out. He had begged his bodyguard to leave him alone on this one and the big guy had actually agreed, somehow seeing his seriousness and commitment more than his father – granted that the bar was pretty low on that one. The path leading to the Liberty was not exactly short from his house, yet he had felt the absolute need to rethink everything. Perhaps to find it in himself the strength to blame himself for wanting to come clean only now. It had been a year, a year since he had met Luka. He had changed so much, his thoughts, his world, himself. He was there to make just another change and take control, it was terrifying and exciting…

…

… and there he was.

When he saw the Liberty, his stomach did that fluttering again. Pure tension and longing mixed together, because this was about him and it was making him grow terrified; but this was about him, and he loved everything that involved him. The sight of the ship covered in aromatic candles and roses with the table prepared on the bridge, the most romantic place once again, should had not surprised him after all. He still had to close his eyes for a moment to recollect himself.

Luka was waiting on the dock, smiling at him. It was such a lovely view, and when he extended his hand towards him it turned into the perfect view.

“You look amazing. You’re ready?”

He was. He finally was. Adrien sighed, shaking his head.

“I have to tell you something first.” Huh, something was wrong. The guitarist had changed expression, he looked so confused and hurt all of the su- wait. “Ah! No! Not that kind of ‘I have to tell you something’, an actual ‘I have to tell you something’!” He had practiced this moment for so long, how was it possible he had never noticed how off it sounded? Luka let out a nervous laugh. Ah, his hands were sweating already, where was Chat Noir’s confidence when he needed it? “I really need to get this out of my chest.”

“Oh, okay. I’m listening.”

“And if afterwards you have doubts about…” He didn’t like it, but he needed to state it as it was. “… all of this, I’ll understand.” He was in. He was doing it. No turning back. That most likely didn’t sit right with Luka, he wasn’t looking any less distressed.

He reached for him, grabbing one of his hand for comfort. Even though he didn’t understand, he was still doing his best to be there. Gosh, Adrien loved him, so much.

“Don’t jump to conclusions, tell me what it is and then we can talk about it.” He looked for communication in his relationships, he had told him from the start and even before, during the times they used to talk about anything and everything, waiting for the sun to set behind the bridge over the Seine. The blonde hoped they were going to talk too.

He closed his eyes again, took the deepest breath in his life, and nodded.

“It might sound crazy, but please listen to me and believe me.” Luka nodded immediately. “I…” He had composed a whole speech about how much these last months had been amazing, how he was sorry that he had kept quiet over something important for so long, and how he hoped that they could still try and be together for real. A convincing discussion slowly leading to the reveal. “… I’m Chat Noir, and I love you.” Out of all of that he had taken seven words max and blurted them out without a single thought in his head.

The cat was out of the bag, classic cat superhero style. If only that knowledge wasn’t making him feel worse. He was tense, sweating, completely still, waiting for his judgement. Every second was turning into a minute then an hour then it was getting lost into his own misty head.

It was warm outside, even at that hour.

Those long fingers clenched around his hand.

Adrien looked up. Luka was smiling tearfully at him, his blue eyes were mesmerizing. He laughed happily, then he reached for his cheek. Heartbeats echoed into the blonde’s head as he got closer, eyes narrowed but still open as to catch any kind of rejection. It hit him very very slowly that this was actually true, this out of world fantasy was not a fruit of his messed up imagination, and the moment the realization took over Adrien closed the distance between them. Wow. Luka kissed nothing like he would have expected. His hand on his cheek was careful and gentle like him, but his lips were caressing his with want and passion, like they had lost all the patience behind the moment they had met in electric need. Closeness was something Adrien had missed for such a long time and could never get enough of. Luka’s closeness was whole, real, his. He reached for his jacket, just to hold onto something and have another proof that this was happening.

They parted, and then got closer, kissing again and again, happily trapped into a bubble in which time and space couldn’t reach them. When they back away with trembling breaths, Adrien felt his lips getting immediately cold and couldn’t help himself as he reached for one last peck. Luka laughed into it, pressing back then leaning his forehead over his. There was an amount of sweetness into those eyes that it made the blonde want to look away, his sight getting all blurry.

“I love you too.” His hand was still over his face. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

The answer was the clearest of his life. It was screaming from the bottom of his stomach, it was highlighted in neon in the middle of his brain. He was almost tempted to tackle him to the ground and let his actions speak for himself – alright he needed to chill for a moment –, then confusion hit him. He… he said it, he had said it, right? He told him the truth about his identity. Then what was this lack of reaction? Where was the amazement, the fright, the confusion, even the anger? Adrien Agreste had just confessed he made a habit of running over the roofs of Paris in full cat cosplay and this was the reaction?

“I… you… what’s going on?” Luka giggled, probably still caught up with the latest nice mood. Maybe he didn’t believe the blonde, maybe he didn’t hear him at all. For a musician this talented it sounded farfetched to miss a sound, but you never knew. “I’m… I’m Chat Noir, Luka.”

The guitarist blinked, smile slowly decreasing but without disappearing.

“Yeah, I heard that.”

“As the superhero, Chat Noir.”

“Yeah, I know that.”

“Then why aren’t you saying anything about that?” A little shrug. The last thing he would have expected was this nonchalance. It was maddening. “I’m a superhero, I’m Chat Noir! Why aren’t you mad? You deserved to know! You should’ve known for a…” Suddenly the guitarist’s eyes were not as easy to find as before. Like they were hiding something. “… a… while…” Again, Adrien was extremely dense emotionally, and some things were harder to understand for him. But he wasn’t stupid, most important, he couldn’t ignore that little guilty grin of his taking over. “… you knew.” The pressure that had assaulted him for the last period disappeared completely, now there was only absolute shock. “You knew I was Chat Noir?!? What in the world, since when?!?”

The guitarist passed a hand over his neck, looking a little reluctant. It was a little weird of an emotion on him, on someone so on track with himself and proud of his persona. He took his hands, gently guiding him onto the bridge. That was one relief at least.

“To be honest, I was never completely sure. If you hadn’t told me I wouldn’t have known one hundred percent… but at some point I started to have my suspicions.” He led him near the rail, the moon was mirroring into the water of the Seine. His heart soared at the view. “It was the kind of thought you pay attention to only when something comes up, so I never actively tried to prove it was real.” He sounded relaxed. Perhaps he had made peace with it for a while.

Adrien nodded absently, feeling a weird limbo between relief that he wasn’t completely recognizable and that there were at least doubts in people’s minds.

“Okay, but there has to be a time when you started to think about it.”

“… there was a moment.” Once more Luka looked guilty, while smiling still. He looked at him, raising his hands. “Again, it was a doubt, not a certainty. I never actively knew for sure you were Chat Noir, okay?” The blonde frowned but nodded. “Well… remember the Desperada incident?”

He gaped, so strongly he almost chocked.

“You have a suspicion for months?!” Luka laughed a little, that managed to calm him down a little.

“An idea, a speculation, call it what you want. It got me and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” He leaned against the rail, looking pensive. “We were hiding in the lockers, and while I was in there I heard you opening and closing a locker… then opening and closing a door.” Holy Miraculous he was an idiot. “When I found you with Ladybug in the sewer you left, and I got the snake Miraculous. Right after that Chat Noir was back.” He grinned, eyes lightening up. “From that moment the possibility has never really left my mind, and nothing has happened that made me think it couldn’t be real.” Of course not, Adrien was never around Chat Noir and Chat Noir was never around Adrien. It almost made sense – sure, ‘almost’.

Adrien took a few deep breaths, still recovering from that sudden reveal – a confession that did not go the way he would have expected. He looked at this guy who so calmly was taking everything in, a view that was calming like very few other things and, slowly, he smiled, joining him at admiring the Seine. He let his head fall onto his shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment.

“I was so worried about this.”

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t know what to do. On one hand I didn’t want it to be true, because it made me feel anxious whenever I looked at the news and saw another dangerous akuma.” He wrapped his arm around him protectively. It felt so nice. “On the other, it was kind of an endearing thought, that the two gorgeous blondes I knew just happened to be the same person.” Gosh he was going to die, this person did not hold back with compliments with either of them.

Speaking of…

“Wait, if you were thinking about it since back then… were you teasing me on purpose whenever you talked about Chat Noir in front of me?” Whoa, he had to take in the fact that this very zen guitarist was able to make such a suggestive smile. I made his entire face burn. “Oh my gosh.”

“You were always blushing whenever I did it, I couldn’t help myself.”

“For real??”

“It was too adorable. At that point either you were really him or you found him attractive as well… which I would’ve understood.”

“Stooop!!” Adrien covered his eyes, his heart bursting out of his chest, laughing out what was left of his fear. “… you really don’t care? I’m the one who asked you out, not Chat Noir.” A bit a sadness made him step away just a little. “And people like me better when I’m not him…”

“If people aren’t into you when you’re a blonde superhero with a sexy catsuit, maybes there’s something wrong with them. I suggest blindness.” It got him to laugh. Luka brought him closer, arms around him. “Besides, there aren’t two people here. You are Adrien, and you are Chat Noir. Being a superhero is a part of you. And I love it, because it makes you… you.” Truly sincerity was his biggest quality. Adrien didn’t doubt a word that had come out of his mouth. He leaned his head into the crook of his shoulder.

“Are you sure?” Luka nodded, his hair tickling his cheek.

Then he pulled away. He put a finger under his chin, raising it up. Their eyes met. There was such a calm, comfortable world behind those blue globes. It made him want to never leave.

“You’re a rare symphony, Adrien Agreste, one that had been kept hidden for far too long. I wanna hear that song, your soul, finally free to be heard. I want to know its beauty, because the echo alone is astonishing.” He knew him. He knew all of him. “The kind and selfless to a fault, the professional and determinate model, the mischievous and enchanting superhero, these are all notes that play in your life, that make your life. And I wanna be part of that song, if you will let me.” He pressed another, shorter kiss on his lips, as to seal this moment forever into his body, forever into his heart.

There was no way Adrien would have been able to stop tears. Luka gulped. The blonde smiled, a horribly wide, unsophisticated curve that would have made all of his photographers shudder at the same time. Perhaps that was why it felt so immensely good.

“You… y-you’re not allowed to say you’re not good with words after this.”

The guitarist laughed, relieved, holding him closer.

“It’s a yes then, Sunshine?” Adrien smiled, reaching forward again, thinking that there was no imaginary world of his able to replicate this.

“It’s a yes, Melody.”

This was pure, unparalleled, wholesome reality.

#lukadrien #luka coffaine #adrien agreste #chat noir #viperion #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #ml #ml fic #ml fanfic #lukadrien june 2021 #fanfiction #fic

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sasuhinasno1fan · 4 years ago

Text

Finding your soulmate an in unexpected place- Lukadrien June Day 11

I finished it, I didn’t think I would but I suddenly thought of a Host AU from Stephaine Meyer and deiced to try and fit it in here. I move tomorrow so between working, I was trying to finish this. I hope you like it. Heads up, there is a warning as there’s mention of violence in trying to kill, an unnamed person dying and I guess the general violent stuff The Host had. Soulmate

Adrien held tight to the control he had on his body. He didn’t need Felix pulling another Kim incident, not with Lila glaring at him and muttering comments he could hear.

“Either shut up and serve us or get lost.” Luka snapped, clearly getting annoyed. “Not that you ever lift a finger unless ordered or ever do a good job anyway.”

She let out a huff and dropped the serving spoon, storming off. The other people in the line just let out a groan, a few mentioning how Fu was gonna throw her to other sections for her to work.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Adrien said, taking a plate from Luka, since he insisted on holding them both.

Using his free hand to serve themselves, Luka pointed out, “Did you want Felix to say something? I could tell you were holding hard to keep him from taking over.”

“Would have still been hilarious if how he went off on Kim was any indication.” Someone behind him said.

While it did prove to the rest of the group that Felix was still in his body, the constant grapple the two had when Felix decided to insult Kim back, when he blocked Adrien and started yelling at him being a parasite had been embarrassing overall. With Felix throwing scathing comments and Adrien apologizing a second later or begging Felix to stop, it wasn’t something he wanted to relive.

Hey, the asshole deserved it! Felix yelled in his head, his sudden volume causing Adrien to flinch. And she deserves a few scathing remarks, see how she likes it.

“Please stop.” Adrien muttered.

“Being loud again?” Luka asked, leading them to a free seat by Marc and Nathanial.

“And rude.”

It’s not rude if it’s true. But fine, I’ll behave.

Adrien doubted it would last long but kept his mouth shut. Marc and Nath had their noses in their respective books, being writer and artist respectively. Their jobs might have disappeared once the Souls landed on their planet but with Adrien helping with supply runs because of him being a Soul, they were able to restock on their items and get back into it. Rarely were the couple seen without a note book and pencil.

“Oh, Adrien, I had a question.” Marc asked, realising the two were there halfway through their meal.

“I can’t tell you the rest of the story again.” Adrien said, assuming what Marc would ask. Along with helping with supply runs, he was also teaching those interested about the different plants since the Souls had gone to – Invaded – at least 15 other planets and Adrien had been to most of them. Marc had gotten curious and bugged Adrien to finish one of his stories, which later upset some of the others. Felix said it was like when you watch ahead of a show, you’re watching with someone. Adrien didn’t get it, but he also didn’t want to upset anyone again.

“No, not that. Tempting, but not that. I was wondering if Souls believe in the idea of soulmates?”

“Soulmates? Are they a species?”

“More important,” Luka interrupted, “why were you thinking of that?”

“Well, I was trying to think of things I did before you know, things happened, with the writing community. Challenges I guess to get me back into it. One of them was listing all the troupes you like by ranking and I remembered that soulmates was one of my tops. I’m sure you can understand why I don’t fully love the idea, but it made me think. Do you guys have soulmates?”

Adrien looked at Luka, still not fully getting it.

“Basically, soulmates are people who are your perfect match. When people say they’re in love, they say they’ve found their perfect match, the one person they can’t live without.”

“So a lifemate? The Bears had that, and the Flowers.”

“Yes, basically that. Do Souls have mates?” Marc asked.

Adrien shrugged. “Not really. We only really ever encountered it with the Bears and Flowers. The practise was kept. Though, there have been times where two Souls find each other and have this instant connection, but it’s so rare. At most it’s like here, they find someone and stay with them. it’s not a decision we take lightly.”

“So no breakups. There’ve been times where it’s been pointed out that just because 2 people are soulmates, doesn’t mean they’re right for each other.”

“No, no break ups.”

“Huh, maybe soulmates aren’t bad after all.” Marc said.

“Don’t let Lila and her band of followers hear you say that. Come on, we have to help with laundry.” Nath reminded, getting up. “We’ll see you two later.”

With the two gone, Adrien focused on his food, knowing he’d need the energy for supply check he and Luka had to do after this.

“I have a question.” Luka asked, after draining his cup. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but say a Bear has a mate and then it has a Soul placed into it. What happens to its mate? The Bear’s mate?”

“It has the Soul’s mate placed into it. The idea of lifemates is something we Souls love, something we appreciate. If they have a mate, we use their memories to make sure they stay together.”

“So love is important then?”

Adrien nodded, “It is.”

Luka smiled. “Good. It’s nice to know no matter what, they keep mates together.”

Of course he likes it. Felix said. When he felt Adrien’s confusion, he continued. Well, he’d love nothing more than to be your soulmate. I mean it’s so obvious he likes you.

Adrien choaked on whatever he had in his mouth, some vegetable from the soup. Luka, like Adrien? No way.

“Are you ok? Was it Felix?”

Why am I always the first to be blamed?

Adrien would have replied with this actually being his fault but he was too busy trying to breath. Once he fully swallowed what was in his mouth, he could finally think. Luka did not like Adrien like a soulmate did. He just didn’t. besides, Adrien didn’t like him like that.

“Here. Are you ok? What happened?” Luka asked, handing him a cup of water.

“I’m fine. Um, I forgot Max wanted to see me. I’ll see you in the supply room, ok?”

Souls didn’t lie, or at the very least Adrien didn’t, but he guessed his sudden change of topic made it easy for Luka to not notice. He darted out of the dinning room. The colony was massive, filled with tunnels, some of which the group still didn’t know about. Without needing a babysitter every minute, Adrien had taken it upon himself to go exploring some of them. there was one just off the tunnel that led to the waterfall that Adrien liked. The water wafting from that nearby fall made the area cool and maybe it was the Soul part of him that liked chilled areas. He flopped onto the floor, trying to wrap his head around what Felix had said. Luka liked him?

Yeah. I mean, he was on everyone else’s side of not liking you, and then he changed his mind.

“So did a lot of other people!”

Yes, but remember, he was there to try and kill you with the others.

Not a memory Adrien enjoyed. It had been his first night, ‘locked’ in the supply room with Bridgette taking guard. He remembered that Bridgette, despite hitting him within seconds of seeing each other, refused to let anyone else guard him. Luka and one other person tried overpowering her, while Kim slipped past to try and strangle him. Felix always called Bridgette strong and she showed it by actually kicking all 3 attackers butts and leaving Adrien more scared of humans. Fu eventually released Adrien from his jail to get used to life and Luka had been one of the few people who actually looked when Adrien was in the room. He didn’t complain if they ever had to work together and when Xavier-Yves tries attacking him when Bridgette wasn’t around, Luka had been the one to stop him. He apologized and before Adrien knew it, he was usually around helping him. He’d gone from this person he’d been scared of to a person he could depend on. Luka had started seeing past just the Soul and saw Adrien.

But there was no way he liked Adrien.

Yes, Felix said, sounding tired, he does. You see how much he looks out for you and how he never treats you different since he apologized. Plus, let’s be honest, he always knows what you’re thinking and is always looking out for you and he’s not living in your head.

“Bridgette and Marinette look out for me. They like me too. Bridgette is who I like.”

Adrien, I don’t think you do. Marinette might have always liked you, but Bridgette didn’t. look, I love her to death, but she was willing to hurt you before she knew I was in here too. I don’t think I’ll ever find someone again, so I like her a lot, so much so I would do anything to keep her safe. No Soul has ever had to deal with what we’re dealing with right? So they wouldn’t know the affects. I think the reason they pair mates with mated Souls is because of residual feelings. They associate those feelings with the person in front of them, so adding those residual feelings with your actual ones, you’re even more in love. When you first saw memories of her, what did you think?

What did he think? He…thought he was in love. But it wasn’t immediate.

It grew when we found them again and my feelings came back tenfold. Adrien, you think you like Bridgette but I don’t think you do. You just associate her with the feelings and latched onto mine when we saw her again. I mean, come on, you feel awkward around her now that she’s so nice to you. do I think she likes you, yes, I do, but not like that and not like Luka feels. I think she thinks she does but I wouldn’t be surprised if you did ask her and she couldn’t give you an answer.

Was Felix, right? Were his feelings for Bridgette residual, not even real? Bridgette hadn’t been the nicest and Adrien still swore by liking her but Luka had changed and he felt more comfortable with him.

Adrien mulled over it for what felt like forever. He waved off Luka’s question if he was ok, knowing he wasn’t fooling him. Marinette, Bridgette’s younger cousin, asked as well but took his word when he said he was ok. He should have known Luka would have gotten tired of Adrien being weird eventually. Luka had shoved him a familiar bandana and waited until his vision was blocked before dragging him somewhere. Once he felt the breeze across his face, he knew he was outside.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked, trying not to stumble over the rocky plane.

“You’ll see. There’s a rock you need to climb here.”

If he kills us, he’d be the greatest actor ever.

Adrien decided to not respond.

“Ok. Now back up with me, there’s a rock you can sit on.” Once Adrien was seated, he felt Luka sit next to him as well. “Now take your blindfold off.”

Adrien knew he was outside, but it seemed like he was at the top of the mountain their home was in. the setting sun was casting pinks and purples on the land below.

“Wow.” He said, taking the view in.”

“I thought you might like it.” Luka said, smiling down at him when Adrien looked over. “You’ve been acting so weird I thought you were starting to get stir crazy.”

“Sorry.”

“I thought we agreed you’d stop apologizing so much. Besides, I can’t blame you.” Luka said, closing his eyes and letting his head drop back, taking in the wanning sun. “I miss going out too.” A content smile grew on his face.

‘I like his smile.’

Oh. Oh.

Oh indeed. Now do you see what I mean?

Adrien did. He was starting to understand that if something as simple as Luka’s smile made him happy, then he had feelings for him that were deeper than the ones he had for Bridgette. When it had started Adrien couldn’t pinpoint, but this was more. Adrien wouldn’t sure if he’d consider Luka his soulmate though.

He is, trust me.

“Are you ok?” Luka asked, noticing Adrien was staring at him.

This time Adrien was telling the truth. “I’m fine.”

__________________

Adrien looked over at Bridgette who was stretched out on one of the beds, flipping through the channels. Luka was in the shower, leaving the two alone. Since realising how he felt about Luka, Adrien wanted to test something. Bridgette was obviously jealous when it came to Luka and Adrien, which made him think Bridgette felt the same, but since learning about the residual feelings, Adrien was starting to think Bridgette just thought Luka was interested in Felix. Now he had the chance to find out.

“Bridgette?”

“Yeah?” she asked, not looking away from the TV. Luka would have given him his full attention. He was starting to see the flaws.

“I need to ask you something.”

She finally looked over. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you love me?” he saw that he threw her. “And when I say me, I don’t mean my looks, because I know you love Felix. I meant me. Adrien. If I had a different body and you knew me, would you say you love me?”

“Um, well…” she sat up and looked at him. “I do care about you.”

“I know you do, but do you love me?”

He watched her open her mouth, struggling to say something. He also felt Felix utterly relieved.

“It’s ok. Trust me, I’m not mad. And you can stop being jealous of Luka, Felix is pretty sure he doesn’t like him. Can you tell Luka to meet me outside?” Adrien said, leaving Bridgette to get what he was trying to say.

He found a bench close to their room but as far away from the front desk as possible and not near any light that would reflect off his eyes but not Luka’s.

Are you gonna do it? Tell him?”

“Maybe. I also don’t know why you were worried. You know she loves you.”

Yeah, but I’m essentially dead. I could have been wrong on her end. Even been wrong when it comes to her before. But not like you weren’t relieved too. It makes how you feel pretty clear huh?

It did. Knowing the feelings weren’t returned made it clear to Adrien who he really had feelings for.

“Hey, what’s up?” Luka had his sweatshirt’s hood up, even with the new fake mark they made to make other Souls think he wasn’t a normal human. His sunglasses were hanging from the front.

Adrien pointed at the sky. He’d chosen their stopping point for a reason. It was the farthest from the city lights. “I thought I could repay you for the sunset.”

“Well, can’t argue with that.” Luka dropped down on the seat next to him, looking up at the stars. “I told you about how Jules and I used to live on a boat right? Mom would show us the constellations. The big and little dipper where the ones I could always spot. That’s what sailors use to find their way around the seas.”

“I’ve seen so many constellations. But I like the Earth ones more. The stories behind them say more.”

“Yeah, we can thank the Greeks and Romans for that.”

Adrien glanced over at Luka before saying, “I asked Bridgette if she loved me. She doesn’t, just Felix.”

“Are, you ok?” he asked slowly.”

“I am. I realised a while ago I don’t actually love her. I care for her, like I do Marinette, but not love. Those were Felix’s feelings that I held on to. It makes sense, I didn’t know her yet I thought I was in love with her. I just wanted to make sure she didn’t feel the same.”

“Oh. Well, good. I mean,” Luka seemed to be at a loss for words.

“It’s ok, really.” Adrien said, silencing Luka. he could tell him now. But what if Felix was wrong? What if he only liked Felix’s face but not the Soul inside?

Easy Adrien, you don’t have to say it now. Just, wait until it feels right.

Felix was right, he could wait.

Except he couldn’t. when they got back to the tunnels, they found out someone was dead. Because Adrien’s Seeker. It’d been a whirlwind after that, having to talk to the abrasive woman who started the bond he and Felix had, the funeral, teaching Max how to remove Souls without killing anyone, sending the Seeker away and finally the realization of what he had to do.

No, NO. you can’t do this! This is your life too. You can’t just leave. What about Luka?

Luka. Luka would understand.

Oh yeah, tell him then. Tell him what you plan on doing and tell him how you feel. He won’t pat you on the back and wish you well, and neither would Bridgette, no matter how she feels.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

Adrien looked up and saw Luka at the entrance of the cooler tunnel he like. They’d gotten back from sneaking the Seeker’s Soul to a transportation facility and he’d darted off the minute they got back to go over what he’d realised.

“Huh?”

“You like cooler places, so I thought you’d be near the waterfall. How are you feeling?”

Adrien wanted to say fine, but instead he got up and walked up to Luka. he looked down at him with his blue eyes, confused but not saying anything. Luka knew him, inside and out.

Tell him or I swear, I’ll take over and do it myself.

“I like you. the way Bridgette likes Felix. I have for a while and I wanted to tell you, but I got scared. I’ve never told this to anyone, I thought I never would.”

“Adrien.” Luka said softly. He didn’t look nervous or uncomfortable. That content smile was growing on his lips.

“Felix teased me and said you wanted to be my soulmate but I didn’t believe him.”

Then Luka’s brow furrowed and then he started to look nervous. And angry.

“Adrien. Tell me the truth. You showed Max how to remove a Soul. Did you do it so he’d do it to you?”

Adrien opened his mouth to lie, but Luka always saw through his lies. “How?”

“You know about the heart song thing. that’s how I gauge people’s emotions. Telling me you feel this way should be happy, but you sound miserable.”

“How do you know it’s not because I think you like Felix?” why was he trying to push this away? He knew Luka had figured him out.

“I’m not interested in Felix; I couldn’t be if I tried!”

Hey!

“So you have his face, big deal. I didn’t fall for you because of how you look. I fell for you because of the kind of person you are. Your kind and caring, even to those who don’t deserve it. You have so much love to give and every time you think you don’t matter; it kills me inside. So I know why you’re doing this and I’m begging you, please don’t.”

“But Felix…”

“What about him? You matter just as much! If you do this, you’d be hurting so many more people. You can’t do this. Adrien please.”

There were tears, a lot of them and Luka had dragged Fu into it, begging for a tribunal to make the decision, which he’d agreed to. Before he knew it, he was in Luka and Juleka’s room, empty for Juleka no doubt being with Rose.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Was Luka’s excuse.

Luka was still pacing, steaming while Adrien sat on his mattress. He’d stayed with Luka for a while before Bridgette got Marinette to ask him to stay with them, so he was familiar with the space.

“Please sit down.” Adrien asked.

Luka sighed before dropping down next to Adrien. “You can’t ask me to accept this. I thought you were in love with Bridgette and to hear you weren’t, I finally thought, this is it. I can tell him. But instead you tell me you’re giving Felix his body back?”

“I told you I love you too.”

“That’s not funny. When you said that thing about soulmates and didn’t say a word about how thought it was true, that hurt. Adrien, you might not believe it, but I do.”

Adrien felt like crying again. Though he was getting close with his eyes filling up. “This hurts.”

“Then don’t do it.” Luka said, pulling Adrien’s head closer to rest their foreheads together. “Please don’t.”

Adrien leaned in closer and kissed him. He’d only ever kissed Bridgette, who did it to see if Felix was actually still there and help pull him out after Adrien blocked him. He liked this better, it was soft and slow and it meant something.

It kept it on his mind when Luka eventually fell asleep and didn’t wake when Adrien pulled from his arms. He pressed a kiss onto Luka’s cheek. “I believe Felix now. You are my soulmate.”

Adrien, please don’t do this. I mean, I don’t love Luka kissing my body but he loves you and that’s all that matters.

“You’d get Bridgette and Marinette back. Luka will move on.”

He’d reached Max’s office and saw everything set up.

“Thank you for everything.”

You’re my brother and I don’t want you to do this.

“Ready?” Max asked, putting his supplies next to the cot.

“I’m ready.”

_________________

“Adrien, wake up. Come on, I have to yell at you for disappearing.”

“Wow, yelling at your soulmate. Nice.”

“You want to yell at him too.”

“Of course I do. Clearly yelling in his head doesn’t work.”

“Shh, I think he’s moving.”

He knew those voices. Luka, Marinette, Felix?

Adrien forced his eyes – eyes? – open and stared up at the rocky celling. He also saw Luka, Marinette, Bridgette, Max and Felix looking down at him.

“Didn’t think you could get rid of us that easily, did you?” Felix asked. It was strange to see the face he’d been wearing staring back at him without the use of a mirror.

“Here.” Marinette held a mirror up to him. A new face stared back at him.

“I look like Felix.” His voice was slightly higher than he was used to. His eyes were green and his hair more golden than Felix’s lighter blonde. The face shape was different too but he still looked like Felix.

“That’s what I thought when we saw you.” Marinette said, sounding proud of herself.

Adrien pushed himself up. He didn’t feel weak but his body felt different. He felt slimmer but he could still feel muscle. “How?”

“Turns out Luka isn’t the only one who can tell what you’re thinking.” Felix said, looking at Bridgette.

“I got here just after Max finished you. he was going to tell us anyway. Felix found me and Luka and we went to go look for a body. Well, me, Felix and Marinette. Luka stayed with you.”

“I didn’t want to leave you. I didn’t care what you looked like so I stayed, helped Max put you back after we were sure this Host didn’t have a human still inside. You look pretty in your Soul form.”

The same content smile, the one Adrien realised was one that only he saw, was flashed at him.

“You wanted me to stay?”

“How many times do I have to say it? Adrien, I love you and that’s not going to change.”

Adrien wasn’t impulsive. He thought things through and was sort of a diplomate in matters. But this was different. He took Luka’s face in his hands and kissed him, sighing happily at the same feeling being there the last time he kissed him.

“Don’t run off again.” Luka said before kissing him again before Felix yelled at them to stop.

He wouldn’t, not after he found his soulmate.

#lukadrien june 2021 #the host au #soul!adrien #host!felix #lukadrien

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stars-and-the-min · 1 year ago

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☆ the wrong way to hard launch (3) | OP81

summary : oscar's girlfriend is a walking pr problem for literally everyone (including herself) social media au

pairing : oscar piastri x zhou!fem!singer!oc

a/n some band dynamics and a mini reunion in toyko

masterlist | last part | part 3 | next part

INSTAGRAM

emptybottlesbar

liked by cameliazzz and 99,284 others

emptybottlesbar Hey! Our awesome lead guitarist turned 23 today AND it's on the first night in Jakarta 🫨 Be sure to give our boy some love! P.S. we couldn't find old birthday photos without Lina (1: Kas' 23rd birthday, 2: Kas' 17th birthday, 3: Kas' 14th birthday) tagged: emptybottles_official, lukaszhang and selinabui

selinabui i'm sorry i was like his only friend growing up?

28kaslina24 kaslina 🩷❤️🩷❤️

emptybottles_official Beach City International Stadium

liked by lukaszhang and 299,726 others

emptybottles_official Snaps from Jakarta, you guys were an amazing crowd, we hope you had as much fun as we did 📸 📸 next stop: Tokyo, Japan

cameliazzz kas and aid both need haircuts why did i not notice this ↳ selinabui @ cameliazzz maybe bc ur behind them all the time

TWITTER

lila💚 @kasdanrights · 2h in honour of the next stop of the 'twelve more days' tour being tokyo, here's the best thing to come out of the 'overtime' tour (before it got cancelled):

↳ lila💚 @kasdanrights · 2h look at kas serving in that polka-dotted scarf

↳ lila💚 @kasdanrights · 2h the greatest discovery was that kas and aid shared rooms the whole tour

↳ 🕯️manifesting EB3 🕯️@ linabelles · 2h did we ever find out about the sushi train thing? ↳ lina bui x2 grammy winner @urdaisea · 2h lina and cami went to an all-you-can-eat sushi train and almost missed night 2 because they were throwing up backstage ↳ li(n)a @meliabelrose · 1h why is this giving "pam and i feed off each others energy..." "she said that?" energy 😭😭 ↳ abby <3 @devilvows · 1h can't believe this was 4 years ago???

INSTAGRAM

oscarpiastri

liked by landonorris and 109,182 others

oscarpiastri Still not over this weekend

selinabui see you soon stranger 💖 ↳ pastry81 HUH LINA WDYM SEE YOU SOON???

zhouguanyu24 the last picture 👀

landonorris great to be home, eh?

emptybottlos papaya stuff, papaya stuff, papaya- lina??? ↳ piastri_lina @emptybottlos gagged us all WHERE'S THAT COMMENT THAT SAID OSC DIDN'T CARE FOR HER

logansargeant "I did great at my home race" "the fans were amazing" "also I got to watch my girlfriend's sold-out tour's opening show" ↳ oliviafufu @ logansargeant OPENING SHOW??? HE WENT ON THURSDAY AS WELL?

selinabui Tokyo, Japan

liked by eb_jonno and 118,972 others

selinabui in the daytime (and early evening)

oscarpiastri Well, that's a completely flattering angle of me, thanks :D ↳ selinabui @ oscarpiastri omg i think so too 🥰

jemma.wren lina as linabell oh she's so cute <3333

2cami4lina serious question here, does he wear anything other than orange? ↳ cameliazzz @2cami4lina from when i've seen him? no

aidan_ebass Who won billiards? ↳ selinabui @aidan_ebass ur kidding right? don't you know how amazing i am? (kas did) ↳ 28kaslina24 @ selinabui kas was there? oooh osc*lina never beating the pr relationship allegations 🤭

oscarpiastri just posted to their story

TWITTER

pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 17h OSCAR PIASTRI WHAT THE HELL??? ↳ pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 17h i need to know what he said pls what did he say for her to react like that ↳ june @linafesting · 17h "mr piastri why are you wilding rn" HAD HER USING PROPER 'YOU'S??? ↳ pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 17h "Wdym 😇" he's sick for that now we all want to know what he meant

kayla @luna_apocolypse · 2d if my math is right... we could get lina supporting oscar in suzuka ↳ kayla @luna_apocolypse · 2d last tokyo show: friday, april 5th suzuka gp: friday, april 5th to sunday, april 7th first sk show: friday, april 12th BONUS: osc's birthday is april 6th 🥸

conNUH @chickenbirch · 39m idk what world im living in anymore ↳ conNUH @chickenbirch · 38m lina pls... he's just another pasty white guy i--

↳ lina !!! @EB_selina · 18m oh shit im realising my 'im totes interested' face is lacking ↳ president linami @ linaminami · 16m AHHH??? ↳ lila💚 @kasdanrights · 1h HELP i didn't realise she was totally blanking out as kas was yapping ↳ june @linafesting · 1h she truly looks like she'd rather be anywhere else ↳ camilina gfs fr @ drummergf · 2h kaslina stans realising the new kaslina content is this 🤡 ↳ lila💚 @kasdanrights · 1h first pic is the exact same way i look at my brother (sheer 'stfu' energy)

BONUS : the unedited insta dm

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

taglist @ririyulife @ashy-kit @fionaschicken @namgification

#f1 #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x oc #oscar piastri x reader #oscar piastri fanfic #oscar piastri imagine #oscar piastri smau #formula 1 fanfic #formula 1 smau #f1 fic #f1 smau #f1 imagine #f1 social media au

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latenightsleuth · 4 years ago

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(Image from: https://disappearedblog.com/disappeared-episode-list/)

The Loxahatchee Horror – Could It Happen to Your Aviary?

If everyone in your household should suddenly disappear, would anyone notice? If they did notice, would they have the initiative or the authority to break into your house to rescue your birds from starvation? In the case of Moses Lall, the well-known bird importer, the answer was no–at least not in time to save the lives of most of the approximately 1,000 birds whose cages lined the open field behind his rented house. On June 15, l994, after the continued urging of several concerned parties, local authorities entered the property. The gruesome sight that they beheld was something that should appear only in ones’ worst nightmare.

What Happened

Moses Lall and his aunt, Lila Buerattan, both natives of Guyana, South America, had lived on a rented 5-acre ranch in Loxahatchee, Florida, since December of 1992. They had moved to the rural community with the idea of starting a large bird-breeding farm. They spoke with no one in the local avicultural community, nor did they interact with anyone at any of the surrounding ranches. They lived extremely private lives, and no one, except their veterinarian, was ever permitted to see their birds. In fact, they even refused to purchase a license that would have allowed them to legally breed and sell birds within the state of Florida. When approached by Florida Fish and Game officers the previous year and urged to purchase a permit and undergo the minimal inspection procedures, they declined. They claimed that the birds were not for sale or breeding, and were being maintained for their personal pleasure. Most of us locals who knew of them never saw them, and were aware of their existence only because we all used the same feed company. In fact, it was the feed company that began sounding the alarm that something was wrong.

On June 9th, the driver for Bird Haven Feed Company arrived to deliver the weekly supply of primate biscuits, sunflower seeds and dried corn to Lall’s farm. No one was there to let him in. Finding no one at the gate to receive the feed was highly unusual. Realizing that they never purchased reserve supplies, and not wanting the birds to go hungry, he piled the feed up in front of the gates. They tried to reach Lall by phone to make sure all was well, but no one answered. Feeling uncomfortable about the situation, they returned the next day. The feed was still piled up outside the gate and had been ruined by the rain. At this point, they called several local aviculturists, as well as Lall’s veterinarian. The questions put to all of them were the same: Do you know where Moses and Lila are? Do you now them well enough to jump the fence, walk through the pack of dogs and go around to the rear of the property to see if someone has been feeding the birds? They all gave the same negative answer.

Between the 11th and the 15th of June, several concerned parties, including the seed company and the veterinarian, began calling the authorities and demanding that action be taken. As birds were starving to death, the concerned parties were sent in a circular motion from one agency to the next. The Palm Beach County Sheriffs’ Department, upon hearing the story, said that animal abuse was the jurisdiction of the Palm Beach County Animal Control. When Animal Control heard the words macaws and parrots, they explained that jurisdiction over exotic birds had been taken way from them and given to Florida Fish and Game. Florida Fish and Game explained that since the facility was not permitted by them, they had no right to enter. They added that if, in fact, birds were starving, a misdemeanor had been committed and that was the jurisdiction of the Sheriffs’ Department.

On June 15th, the feed company contacted Bob and Liz Johnson, who rescue abused, mistreated and crippled birds through a branch of their nonprofit organization, Life Awareness Inc. At that point, Liz contacted me and Dr. Susan Clubb to get a full update on what avenues had been pursued. Upon discovering that pleas for action had been thwarted by “red tape,” she called the Sheriffs’ Office and made demands. After “much insistence,” they reluctantly agreed to send out someone to investigate. The deputy immediately called the Johnsons and reported that our worst fears had been realized. The Johnsons, Dr. Clubb, I and my daughter Stacie raced to the scene to offer assistance in the feeding and care of the birds. By that time, all three of the previously contacted agencies were present.

We were totally unprepared for the sight that we encountered. It was a horror beyond belief: row after row of cages with either dead or dying green-winged and blue-and-gold macaws. Literally every pair of macaws had at least one dead member. Several had succumbed to starvation and dehydration, with their heads in their empty food bowls–a final desperate move with the hope that food would arrive before their last breath was drawn. Although the collection was made up predominately of large macaws, there were also hundreds of smaller parrots and toucans. These included Amazons, hawk heads, African greys, Jardine’s, Pionus and mini macaws. Most of these had succumbed. There were several cages with 25 to 30 birds in them that had either one or no survivors. It was a miracle that any of the birds were alive.

The feed company had told us what the farm’s approximate weekly consumption was. By taking inventory of the feed that was left in the garage, we were able to determine that the birds had not been fed in at least 10 days.

Inside the house awaited another horror. Incubators, still operating, contained dead babies that had hatched but were never fed. Aquarium brooders that were lined up against the wall all had one or two dead baby blue-and-gold macaws. All had starved to death, sitting on clean bedding, while waiting for their next meal. An open bucket of handfeeding formula was on the kitchen counter with a bowl and spoon next to it. It appeared as if someone had changed the bedding in the brooders and was ready to mix up some formula when he or she was interrupted. With our assistance, Dr. Clubb was able to tube-feed those that were too weak to eat or drink. One died in Bob Johnson’s hands while it was waiting to be tube fed. Another 60 birds that were too far gone died the following day. In all, there were only 335 birds left alive from the flock of almost 1,000. The following morning, the birds were taken to the Palm Beach Animal Control facility. Food donations, as well as volunteer labor from all the local bird clubs and organizations, began pouring in. When Lall’s family from Guyana tried to claim the birds as family property, they were presented with a bill for $130,000. The majority of this bill was Animal Control’s standard charge of $10 per animal per day for the care of confiscated animals. Ten dollars per day multiplied by 335 birds adds up very quickly. As the Lalls fought to regain the birds at a more reasonable price, the bill rose to approximately $180,000. On August 22, a judge ordered that the birds be auctioned off individually to the general public in order to raise the most money. Exactly what happened to Moses and Lila is still officially a mystery. Those who knew them said that they truly loved their birds and would never have deserted them. Moses and Lila are now considered dead. The murder investigation cannot proceed any further until their bodies are found. There were also two other people staying at the farm that were originally considered missing. They were Daljeet “Harry” Gobin, a fellow Guyanese, and Felix Eyuom, a reptile dealer from Africa. Harry Gobin is being sought for questioning.

The purpose of this article is not to try to solve an unsolved crime. It is to make everyone aware that such things can and do happen. Although this situation may be unique due to its magnitude, it is not unheard of on a smaller scale. It is not uncommon to read about animals dying from lack of care due to the undiscovered death or incapacitation of those responsible for their care.

What You Can Do

To prevent such a calamity from happening again, each and every one of you should have a plan. This plan should ensure that, should anything happen to you, it will be discovered without delay and your animals will be cared for. This can be as simple as a regularly expected phone call to a friend, a relative or someone’s answering machine. A simple statement like “I’m okay” is all that is necessary. The receiver of the regular call must be ready to notify someone who has been given written authority by you to break into your house and aviaries to care for your birds if you cannot be located. It must also be specifically stated, in a notarized document, who will hold and care for your birds until your whereabouts are discovered, or until your estate is settled. Your birds must never be allowed to be considered legally abandoned.

Lall’s birds were considered abandoned. They suffered the ultimate fate of being sold to the highest bidder without regard to the bidder’s expertise. Two thousand people converged at the auction on September 10th. Most were there to buy a cheap bird for their kids. Most bought bronco wild breeder macaws with the intention of turning them into pets.

Luckily, due to some generous monetary donations, the Johnsons were able to purchase the birds that were blind or crippled. These were purchased to be retired to the parrot sanctuary that they maintain.

All the birds were sold in small temporary holding cages with no doors and with two tiny metal cups. The idea behind no doors was to keep the public from opening the cages at the auction site after the purchase. It was explained to the buyers that the birds should be transferred to suitable housing after they were removed. Unfortunately, two weeks later buyers were still showing up at local vets with their purchases still in the temporary cages with no doors and nothing but the two tiny cups for food and water. As time went on, a large percentage of the birds were diagnosed with papilloma infections.

All proceeds from the publication of this article will go to support the parrot sanctuary run by the Johnsons. Private donations are also appreciated. Their address is Life Awareness Bird Sanctuary, P.O. Box 641032, Miami, FL 33164.

#moseslall #moseslallandlilabuerattan #lilabuerattan #missing #missingadults #missingrelatives #missing person #disappeared #thecharleyproject #charleyproject #lifeawarenessbirdsanctuary #voren #latenightsleuth

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kitty0boy · 4 years ago

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Hee hee I’m back, at 12 pm this time! Is this another Marichat fic? Of course! In this one Marinette is wearing the pink dress that the miraculous team showed us, the one with the butterfly on her hip. If you search up “Marinette’s dress” you’ll see that I’m talking about. I made them kiss too which is a little different then what I usually write so yeah, enjoy.

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It was their final year at François DuPont highschool. Everyone was excited and ready to go off and live their new lives. Go to college or university, become entrepreneurs, work in retail, the possibilities were endless. Adrien of course knew what he would be doing after graduation, he wish he could become an actor or work at a cafe, but being the son of one of the most famous designer in the fashion industry, he didn’t get to choose. He doubted his father would let him at this point. So he would remain a puppet.

The other thing people were looking forward to was the prom at the end of the year, and with May coming to a close, June came into view and so did preparations. The first thing that was in order was a theme, and everyone had been debating about it.

“What about a fairytale theme!” Shouted Rose

“Or a Pirate theme!” Shouted Kim

“How about a flower garden, those are always gorgeous.” Inquired Mylène.

“Ok hang on, I have an idea,” Alya got their attention. “What if we have a hero theme, we all love Paris’ superheroes don’t we.” Lila slumped in her seat, but no one took notice over the sounds of agreement that came from everyone. “Oooh we could have dresses and suits inspired by our akumatized selves!” Alix suggested, and everyone agreed. “Hold on dudette, that’s not completely fair.” Nino cut in “Adrien and Marinette haven’t been akumatized.” Everyone hummed in agreement. Marinette waved her hands infront of her. “Oh that’s ok! We can figure something out, I already have an idea in fact.” “Ooh what if you were Ladybug and Chat Noir!” Ivan yelled. “Actually, I was thinking we could be the akumas. One of us could be the purple akuma and the other could be the purified one.” Everyone was happy with that, Adrien really liked the idea, “Can be the corrupt one, if you don’t mind that is.” He requested and she seemed happy with that. “I was hoping you would chose that one actually, I already have a dark purple suit you could wear, I’ll just have to get your measurements. Maybe I can even spice it up a little, as a few details.” She said writing in a little notebook.

The class discussed the decorations, the music with Nino and he wrote down some song suggestions, the food which Marinette’s parents agreed to cater for, and the start and end times of the dance. Once they had a solid plan and made sure their requests were reasonable, Marinette and Alya went to the office to discuss with Mr. Damocles.

Weeks passed before the dance finally arrived. Chat had visited Marinette a few times while she was making her dress but he didn’t get to see the final product. Adrien came by to get measured by Marinette and then later to come pick up the finished suit. It fit him like a glove, and it was gorgeous to boot. Inside the jacket was a detailed pair of purple wings so he could grab the jacket and open it up like an akuma stretching it’s wings. “Wow fancy.” Plagg came up with cheese in his tiny paws. “Oh no you don’t, you’re not getting any cheese on this suit.” “Relax Adrien, I won’t bring any. Pigtails’ parents will bring enough pastries so satisfying my hunger.” Adrien could practically smell the pastries, his mouth watered. A creek at the door made Plagg fly into his pocket. “Adrien, it’s time to leave.” Nathalie informed him, and he was off with Plagg safely hidden.

The school looked amazing. There were black and white balloons with little confetti butterflies in them, red and black streamers lined the walls, little Ladybugs and paw print confetti were sprinkled along the floor and the food table had a tablecloth with all the signatures of the superheroes that were revealed on the day Master Fu had handed the miracle box to Ladybug. Adrien came with Kagami, the pair had broken up a long time ago but were still close friends so he invited her as his plus one. Spotting the table, Adrien suggested she sign her name while he grabbed a cookie or two. He turned to face the dance floor, all he saw was the happy faces of the students, dancing, laughing, and celebrating their graduation. He smiled at the sight, all his friends were happy which made him happy. All of them accept Marinette, where was she? “Hey, looking good buttercup.” Alya strutted up to him, her Ladywifi dress swishing along. He chuckled, “Don’t let Nino hear you, he might bubble with jealousy.” He grinned at his own pun. “Oh don’t worry, DJ bubbles has gotten is fair share of compliments already.” He looked over to his friend, he wasn’t DJing this time, instead he was talking with Luka, he looked a little frazzled, his hair was a bit out of place and his tie was askew. “I can see that.” He laughed. “Anyways, you wouldn’t happen to know where Ms. Butterfly is would you.” He asked. “I’m not sure Mr. Butterfly, she was supposed to come with Luka. You can try asking him.” Kagami straightened. “Go ahead Adrien, I want to look at the decorations more.” She walked around him towards Rose and Juleka, Rose squealing when she saw Kagami’s Onii-Chan themed dress. It was amazing how the girls dresses were made with such beautiful designs, even when their akumatized outfits were, less than appealing. To add to it all of the designs screamed Marinette, did she make all of these dresses? Or did she sketch them for her friends to take to a dress maker.

He made his way over to Luka who had just waved to Nino. “Hey Adrien, you look great tonight.” He flushed at the compliment, Luka had a way of making you feel special with the simplest of compliments. “So do you, Marinette’s handy work?” “Yeah it is, she designed half the dresses and suits here actually.” So he was right. “I figured, speaking of, where is she?” A hint of confusion showed on Luka’s face. “I’m not sure actually, I thought she was coming with Alya.” That was strange, “Alya said she was coming with you.” Luka’s brows furrowed, “Oh, well she didn’t say anything to me. Maybe she’s coming herself?” “I hope so.” Adrien said, maybe he should go pick her up. But he came with Kagami, he couldn’t ditch her. Not that she would mind, but it wouldn’t be very polite. Luka put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon Adrien, she’s got all night after all.” Adrien smiled “Yeah you’re right, do you mind if I use the restroom?” “You don’t need my permission Adrien, you’re a big boy now.” He joked elbowing him in the side. He laughed and made his way upstairs.

“So I’m going to guess we’re not here to pee?” Plagg asked. “Am I that obvious? We’re going to pick up Marinette.” “And since Adrien is supposed to stay here, Chat Noir is going to run over yeah yeah,” Plagg finished for him “just say the word kid and we’re out of here.” In three words and a flash of green, Chat Noir stood where Adrien had seconds ago. He left through the door that lead to the locker room, checking to see he wasn’t spotted, and climbed out the window onto the street. Extending his baton he made his way to the roof behind Marinette’s balcony and ran over to see her leaning against the railing.

“I thought the purrincess would be at the ball by now.” She gasped and spun around to face him. Her beautiful dress swishing with her. “Oh, hey Chat. Yeah I’ll go over soon.” She looked over at the school. She seemed to be nervous. “You seem a little anxious to go over. Everything ok?” She looked at him “Yeah I just, I want to go but I’m not ready.” She explained, rubbing her arm. “I just, I don’t think I want to leave yet.” He quirked his head to the side, confused, “You mean leave your house?” He walked towards her and leaned his back against the railing. “No I mean, I’m not ready to finish school yet, all of my friends are there. I know it sounds dumb but I don’t want to have to leave them.” She sighed crossing her arms, her eyes watered. He knew what she meant, he was going to miss everyone when he left, and he would rather not work for his father the rest of his life. School was the reason he even left the mansion at all. “I know Marinette, trust me I do.” She put her head on his shoulder. He reached up and rubbed her back between her shoulder blades. She sighed before wrapping her arms around his waist. She didn’t cry but she needed to de-stress a bit. “You can still hang out with your friends when you graduate, Paris is a small city after all. You might make new friends in college too, and all of you can get together.” “I know, but what if we don’t have time to hangout anymore? What if they move away? I know for sure Luka is going on tour later in the year and Kitty Section is going with them. What if everyone else leaves.” He rested his head on top of hers. “Well if it helps, I’m not going anywhere. I’m tied to this city as a superhero and as a civilian, so you’re stuck with me.” “Yeah, that helps, and now that I think about it me, Alya, and Nino are going to the same college, and Adrien was hired to be a model for the fashion courses.” He smiled, glad that she wanted him around. “See there’s nothing to worry about. Now come on.” He stood and grabbed both her hands. “We’re gonna shake it off.” And he swung his and Marinette’s arms around, she laughed and wiped her eyes. “Is my makeup running?” She asked, “Nope, you’re beautiful.” She blushed at the compliment before shaking her head, ‘cute’ the thought. “I still don’t think I’m ready to go down.” She said. He grabbed his baton and scrolled through a playlist online.

“How about you get warmed up then.” He said. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her give him a quizzical look. He side glanced at her before selecting ‘I Hear a Symphony’ by Cody Fry. He pushed her table to the side before holding his out out to her. “Might I have this dance your grace?” Earning a giggle from her. “You may.” She said before slipping her hand into his. He stood and pulled her in by the waist, leading her in a simple waltz. As the song continued the dance got more elaborate and goofy. They bumped into absolutely everything on that balcony, they even fell over the lounge chair and collapsed in a fit of giggles before standing and continuing their dance. Slowly the piano became more up beat and right as the song transitioned into the climax he put both hands on her waist and lifted her into the air spinning around. She laughed and as if on cue the wind picked up and blew her hair from her face and her dress flew back in a pretty way. He felt his heart skip a beat and he lowered her to the ground. She tucked her head into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck, he wrapped his arms around her waist and the swayed together. He felt her steady heartbeat against his chest, and without meaning to, he purred. She didn’t seem to mind though. She even smiled against him.

As the song had ended long ago by the time she pulled back to smile at him and he smiled back, still holding her. A stray hair strand was stuck to her face so he reached up and used his fingertip the brush it back behind her ear. She looked at him, a bit surprised and blushed again. He stared at her, mouth open slightly, her eyes were beautiful. He cradled her cheek and she reached up to do the same. He glanced down at her lips, a light gloss was spread on them, he wondered what it tasted like. He didn’t have to wait long to find out either. Marinette raised herself up onto her tiptoes and kissed him. Now he knew what people meant with the whole sparks flying thing. It was like he was struck by lightning, her hand tangling is his hair and the other grabbing his shoulder for support. His hands flew to her back before one reached up to play with her hair. She pulled back and pulled his hair lightly so he looked up. Then she kissed his jawline, he groaned a little at the contact. He felt her smile before coming back to capture his lips again.

He would have loved to stay there like that all night, with her. But the whoops and cheers from her classmates interrupted them and she jumped a little. Alya cupped her hands around her mouth and cheered, “Go Marinette Go!” and Kim whistled at the pair. He felt proud in that moment, and while she gawked at her classmates he bent down and wrapped his arms around her thighs. She squeaked as he lifted her and spun her around, taking the hint she leaned down and kissed him again. Before laughing again and pulling back. He put her down and swiped his thumb under her lip, trying to clean up the smeared lipgloss. “Ready to go now?” He asked. “Yeah, I’ll just go fix this.” She said, gesturing to her lips.

Within a minute she was back up holding a makeup wipe in her hand. She moved his chin and started wiping the gloss from his jaw. She tried to wipe it from his mouth too but he didn’t want her to. “It tastes good.” Was his argument so she settled for wiping around his lips. Then scooping her up bridal style, he carried her down to the street below. Her face immediately flushed when she saw Alya smirk at her. “Well well well, so that’s why you’re late.” He placed her on the ground. “Wow Marinette you look amazing!” Rose said before running up to hug her. “Well,” he said pulling out his baton “I’d better be off, sorry I can’t stick around.” Alya chimed in “You don’t make a habit of kissing random ladies on rooftops to you?” Her reporter tone cutting in. “Only if their name is Marinette Dupain Cheng.” He said simply with a wink before extending his baton to lift him high above the group.

“Ok now you definitely owe me some pastries.” Plagg said. Adrien inspected his face in the mirror. His lips were a little swollen but not enough to notice unless you really looked at them. “Where did that even come from, I though you and your ‘princess’ were just friends.” He sighed “Yeah I thought so too. Oh well, I was in love with her anyways.” He said opening his jacket to Plagg before he flew in. “That’s a strange way of realizing don’t you think.” Plagg said “Oh well, I loved her anyways.” He mimicked. “I’ve known for a while Plagg, it’s just easier to admit now.” He said simply. With that he walked out of the bathroom, the taste of her cherry lipgloss on his mouth.

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That’s all thanks for reading!

#marichat #miraculous ladybug tales of ladybug and chat noir #miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #miraculous marinette #adrien agreste #miraculous adrien #chat noir

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