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olivejarsimmer · 6 years ago

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My Tweaked NSB Challenge Masterlist

So as I’ve been waiting to get my laptop fixed to play The Sims again, I’ve been wanting to play the Not So Berry challenge really badly. I’ve played it through a few times before, but every time I had a hard time getting into it because I couldn’t get into the story behind my sims’ family. So I decided to make a whole compiled and updated list with both the original challenge, the extended challenge, and a few more generations so it’s up to date with all the current expansions and game packs that are out right now. I will also continue to update the masterlist as more content comes out!

If you decide to use the generations I created, (Anything that is in bold is my own personal writing to tailor each generation to my own personal gameplay) tag it with #olivejarsimmer and I’ll do my best to like every single one!

Sidenote: I also ran out of colors to use, so I started doing “color palettes” that you can use only a select few colors besides just one color.

Sidenote #2: I DID NOT CREATE THIS CHALLENGE. THIS POST IS ONLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES AND ALL CREDIT BESIDES MY OWN ADDED GENERATIONS GOES TO THE ORIGINAL CREATORS...

That all being said, happy simming ;)

Generation One: Silver and Gold

You woke up one day in Strangerville with no recollection of what has happened to you -- where you come from, who you are, what you’re doing there. All you know is that the names on your license and other personal files doesn’t match up with the one memory you have left of your true identity; your real name. You assume this is for some important reason that you need to find out. You decide to join the military to try and poke around and find out more information, only to get sucked into the mystery of Strangerville. You also gain a distrust for most federal-ran things, so you try your best to live off the land anyway that you can and would rather not have too many flashy things.

Traits: Paranoid, Kleptomaniac, Good

Aspiration: Strangerville Mystery

Career: Military

Rules:

Master military career & complete Strangerville Mystery aspiration

Buy beehive & maintain small garden & only have a small one-floor house -- the smaller the better!

Master logic, athletic, & gardening skill

Have one-night stand while trying to get Strangerville info that results in your only child.

Generation Two: Mint

You’re a mischievous scientist that really loves the color mint. You’re career driven but still make time for silly pranks and outings with your closest friends. You love luxury and want the best for yourself and your family.

(My take: You’ve grown up surrounded by the mystery of both your parent’s real identity and the truth behind the town you grew up in as a child, something about it consumed you. You decided that -- even with your natural mischievous behavior -- you wanted to become a scientist to make sure what happened in Strangerville never happens again...not to mention your fascination with otherworldly things that can be explained through science. You also try to live a big, luxurious life due to not having much as a child.)

Traits: Vegetarian, Jealous, Materialistic Aspiration: Chief of Mischief Career: Scientist

Rules:

Master scientist career and complete Chief of Mischief aspiration

Master mischief and logic skills

Complete elements collection

Generation Three: Rose

You had everything you desired as a child but you were always longing for more. As an adult you have a hard time committing to relationships as you’re so focused on your career. If we had a workaholic trait in The Sims 4 you would have it. You have absolutely no maternal instincts whatsoever but you still love your child with all your heart.

Traits: Hot Headed, Snob, Romantic Aspiration: Serial Romantic Career: Politician

Rules:

Have only one child

Master the politician career and complete Serial Romantic aspiration

Master charisma skill

Leave someone at the alter (an interaction available during a wedding)

Get married for the first time as an elder

Generation Four: Yellow

Growing up you never had a close relationship with your mother and spent the majority of your time alone in your room obsessing over space. You just really love space. You’ll do whatever it takes to get to Sixam no matter the cost.

Traits: Clumsy, Ambitious, Loner Aspiration: Nerd Brain Career: Astronaut

Rules

Master rocket science and handiness skill

Master astronaut career and complete Nerd Brain aspiration

Must build a rocket ship and visit Sixam

Enter the secret lot in Oasis Springs (requiring max handiness)

Never have any close friends or relationships other than grandparent from Generation 1 until the grandparent dies

Generation Five: Grey

You always felt that you were different. While the rest of your family was busy messing around in the lab, you just wanted to be outside playing basketball. You’re very good at sports and you dream of becoming a professional athlete. To make up for your nonexistent relationship with your parents you want to be there for your own children as much as possible. Oh, and you love to sing.

Traits: Active, Slob, Music Lover Aspiration: Bodybuilder Career: Athlete

Rules

Master singing, parenting, and athletic skills

Master athlete career and complete Bodybuilder aspiration

Have three failed relationships before finding spouse, marry a neat Sim

Be good friends with all of your children

Have family movie night with your spouse and children every Sunday

Generation Six: Plum

You’ve always been good at anything you tried. It’s hard to choose a career, so why not try a few? You work as a doctor for much of your life, but as an adult realize that your true dream is to become a professional dancer. You quit your job and join the entertainer career. Basically: you’re an indecisive oddball.

Traits: Genius, Noncommittal, Dance Machine Aspiration: Renaissance Sim Career: Fast Food, Doctor, Entertainer

Rules

Master dance and two other skills of your choosing, achieve at least level eight in six skills

Complete Renaissance Sim aspiration

Get divorced and then later remarried to the same Sim

Must live in at least three different worlds over the course of your life

Generation Seven: Orange

You’re the black sheep of your family (but with orange hair) and you were raised in a hectic household. You’ve always wanted to cause mayhem, but you’re just really bad at being evil. You enjoy breaking into your neighbors’ houses and eating their food. You really love baking and spend the majority of your spare time eating sweets.

Traits: Evil, Self-Assured, Glutton Aspiration: Public Enemy Career: Criminal

Rules

Master baking and charisma skills

Master criminal career and complete Public Enemy aspiration

Must live in a ‘needs TLC’ apartment for entire young adult life

Have twins, but only those two children (you may cheat for this)

Insist on being evil (claim to be criminal mastermind) but nobody believes you, not even your own children

Generation Eight: Pink

You grew up poor and are living paycheck to paycheck working in the business career just as your parents did. You long to write romance novels but are too afraid to quit your steady job to follow your dreams. You’re very practical and you know the chances of making it as a writer are slim, so you stay working at your nine to five. As an adult you finally decide to pursue your dreams. You’re a hopeless romantic, but your unflirty nature makes it nearly impossible to find love.

Traits: Neat, Unflirty, Creative Aspiration: Best Selling Author Career: Business

Rules

Complete postcard collection

Master writing and wellness skills

Complete Best Selling Author aspiration

Have a well-maintained garden

Quit day job as an adult to pursue dreams (mid-life crisis much?)

Generation Nine: Peach

Your mother always taught her to follow her dreams. You’ve always wanted to be a detective. You’ve always wanted to be a comedian. Well dang it, you can do both! Detective by day, comedian by night, you can do anything you set your mind to.

Traits: Foodie, Lazy, Goofball Aspiration: Joke Star Career: Detective

Rules

Marry a co-worker

Must play an instrument

Master gourmet cooking and comedy skills

Master detective career

Must live in a different world than the one he/she was raised

Generation Ten: Green

You were caught hacking by a major tech company that then offered you a position in their firm. You know Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds? That’s you. You’re dedicated to your work, but that doesn’t stop you from going out and having a good time. You’re the kind of person that will be at a party at 3am and then at work at 6am.

Traits: Squeamish, Geek, Cheerful Aspiration: Computer Whiz Career: Tech Guru

Rules

Master mixology, video gaming, and programming skills

Master tech guru career and complete Computer Whiz aspiration

Must accept every invitation to parties/outings with your friends

Have at least five good friends and five enemies

Generation Eleven: Blue

You have the perfect life. White picket fence, loving spouse, beautiful children. But why do you still want more? You have a one time secret affair and will regret it for the rest of your life. Afterward you pour your soul into raising your children and fixing your marriage. You never admit the affair to anyone and dedicate your life to being the perfect mother.

Traits: Gloomy, Perfectionist, Family Oriented Aspiration: Super Parent Career: Critic

Rules

Adopt at least one child

Master the photography, cooking, and parenting skills

Master critic career and complete Super Parent aspiration

Must marry high school sweetheart and stay with them until you die

Have a one time secret affair

Generation Twelve: Crimson

The overprotectiveness of your parents made you want to wander a lot and never settle. You’re still living with them while enjoying their money to go on your own escapades through the jungle.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Snob, Materialistic Aspiration: Jungle Explorer (teen to YA) / Archaeologist (Adult to Elder) Career: Museum/Antique shop owner

Rules:

Master the selvadoradian culture and archeology skills

Must complete Jungle explorer aspiration ‘till adult lifestage and then change it to Archeaologist aspiration (finish from adult to elder)

Move out of your parents house only when adult

Must not follow a career. Can only gain money with the antique store/museum selling your explorer findings

Must own at least one relic

Generation Thirteen: Snow

Growing up in a museum/antique shop environment filled with old mystic relics and other things like that made you very interested in the supernatural. During your teenage years you met someone who claims they’re a vampire and will turn you once you’re old enough (twilight much?!). When you’re finally a young adult, you move in with that vampire, start a romance and become a vampire as well.

Traits: Gloomy, Insane, Outgoing Aspiration: Master Vampire (before pregnancy) / Good Vampire (after) Career: Secret Agent

Rules:

Master the secret agent career

Master the pipe organ and vampire lore skills

Must complete both aspirations

The hability to walk during the day is not allowed

Have only one child

Once the child is a young adult, must cure vampirism or burn in the sun (both parents)

Generation Fourteen: Teal

Your parents spent the days locked inside their catacombs and only came out during the night, so pets were your closest friends. You learned to love and nurture them very soon in your life and want to dedicate yourself to their medical care.

Traits: Cat lover, Dog lover, Childish Aspiration: Friend of the Animals Career: Veterinarian

Rules:

Complete the friend of the animals aspiration

Must move out once becomes into a YA

Master the veterinarian skill

Own a 5 star vet clinic

Must own a vet clinic as only job

Own at least 3 pets

Generation Fifteen: Honey

Much like your parents, you learned to love the animals around you and decide to dedicate your career to that, only not as much as one of your parents did ‘cause there should always be some time left for bowling.

Traits: Insider, Outgoing, Hates Children Aspiration: Leader of the Pack Career: Store owner (can only earn money with a store that only sells stuff for pets)

Rules:

Create a Bowling group for your friends and one for your enemies

Must have at least one pet that’s the son/daughter from the pets of the past generation

Master the pet training and bowling skill

Collect all feathers

Must live in the same town as the parents

Generation Sixteen: Coral

The feeling that you never got love from one of your parents always made you go to food as a coping mechanism, and since the “make money with your own business” thing is practically part of the family blood, passion for food makes you want to open your own restaurant

Traits: Glutton, Hot-Headed, Noncommittal Aspiration: Master Chef Career: Own a restaurant

Rules:

Eat all foods from festival stands at least once

Must get a 5 star restaurant

Must live in San Myshuno

Master the master chef aspiration

Master the cooking, gourmet cooking and baking skills

Can’t have a life long partnet and must be single when an elder

Generation Seventeen: Charcoal

You’re a dreamer trying to make it in the big city and you love it. You know what you’re capable of and believe that success runs in your veins, so you really dedicate yourself to learn everything you can while in school. You hope to make a living by selling your own art and eventually turning into a big fish.

Traits: Ambitious, Perfectionist, Art Lover Aspiration: City Native Career: Painter + Own an art gallery

Rules:

Must live in a shabby apartment ‘till you make enough money to move to a penthouse

Master the mixology, photography, and painting skills

Be an excellent student

Work as a barista when a teen

Complete the city native aspiration

Master the painter career

Generation Eighteen: Lime

You’re breaking a pattern and reconecting to nature. You found a house outside of the big city and is moving there with nothing but the clothes on your body.

Traits: Loves the Outdoors, Kleptomaniac, Loner Aspiration: Freelance Botanist / Angling Ace / The Curator and Outdoor Enthusiast Career: None

Rules:

You can only make money by selling collectibles, the things from your garden or things you stole

Cannot own a tv, computer, tablet or anything like that

Master the gardening, wellness, herbalisim and handiness skills

Master all the aspirations (because this is such a long list, you may purchase the extender of life with reward points)

Can only have a child ten (or less) days before turning into an elder

Turn into a plantsim at some point

Generation Nineteen: Emerald

When you find out that your mom/dad made a choice by living a simple life you become obsessed with power. Your goal in life is to be rich and own everything you didn’t have access to as a child, no matter what it takes.

Traits: Kleptomaniac, Materialistic, Snob Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy / Mansion Baron Career: Like I said before, you’d do anything to have the fabulous wealthy life you dream of, so everything goes (aka the black widow gen)

Rules:

Must complete both the fabulously wealthy and mansion baron aspirations

Marry a rich sim and have at least one child, then divorce or get rid of the husband/wife

Master the charisma, wellness and logic skill

The mansion must have a room dedicated to wellness and spa equipment

Generation Twenty: Primary Colors (red, blue, yellow)

You grew up with only one biological parent all your life, but that never set you back in the world. In fact, with your wealthy upbringing, you’ve naturally been two steps ahead of the rest of the world. You’ve always been in the spotlight because of your family’s wealth -- and your parent ate that up by forcing you into that role and heavily encouraging you to take up acting, social media, and film making. So naturally you have this built up pressure to be at the top of the game with fame -- but in all reality you have just a deep love for acting and direction and filmmaking.

Traits: Ambitious, Creative, Snob

Aspiration: Fame (??? I don’t have get famous yet lol)

Career: Acting Career

Rules:

Master acting career & aspiration

Master photography, film making, & writing skills

You must master fame aspiration before parent dies

Live in same house all of life

Marry 4 times throughout life and have at least one child from each marriage

#olivejarsimmer #sims #sims 4 #nsb #nsb challenge #challenge #ts4 #ts4 nsb #not so berry

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project-ml · 7 years ago

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Project: Calendar 2018 — May Flowers and Garden Bugs (MAY)

may flowers and garden bugs

Written By: @breeeliss | Ao3

Beta’d By: @the-bored-bookworm | Ao3 & @krzed | Ao3

Word Count: 3685

Summary: “Did you know it’s always good luck for someone to have ladybugs and bees in their garden? They make a really great team without even realizing it. That’s why I knew from the moment you joined us that you and I were going to make a great team. I still think that.”

Two teammates have a heart-to-heart tucked away under the cover of Marinette’s rooftop garden.

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Tags: Chloé Bourgeois&Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Friendship, Beginnings of Romance, Bee Tendencies, Ladybug Tendences, Bug Tendencies, Springtime, Flowers, Rooftop Gardens, Aftermath of Reveal, Heart-to-Heart, Fluff, ML Spoilers

It started when Chloe began adding honey to her tea.

Normally, Chloe took her tea and her coffee black. It made no sense ruining expensive imported tea leaves and coffee beans by adding sweeteners that would dull the taste. But one day she was standing in the kitchen while her tea was steeping and eyed the jar of honey sitting in the cabinet. She didn’t know what came over her, but she added three whole tablespoons of the stuff into her mug and actually enjoyed the oversaturated taste after she’d done it.

She chalked it up to a momentary sweet tooth after checking her period tracker and assuming she was just getting weird midnight cravings. But there was one afternoon when she decided to go for a swim in the pool on the roof’s hotel and realized that being in the water felt wrong to her. Like it wasn’t really what she wanted to be doing all the way up here on the top floor of the hotel, which was strange because Chloe used to absolutely adore staying in the water until her skin pruned. Then, as she was toweling off, Chloe eyed the stone railings on the edge of the roof and suddenly felt this strange compulsion to stare out over the edge.

Chloe wound up climbing on top of the railings, letting her legs dangle over the edge, shutting her eyes, and holding her arms out to greet the breeze that was blowing in her direction. She could feel the great distance from the sidewalks below to the tips of her toes, and when she tipped her head back far enough, it almost felt like she was flying. Suddenly, she felt perfectly content, like something had finally been righted and satisfied.

By the time she started sneaking flower pots from the living room and hoarding them in her bedroom, Chloe decided that there was something severely wrong with her.

“Oh, it happens occasionally to some miraculous holders,” Pollen explained while Chloe stuck another spoonful of honey in her mouth. “Your powers are so intimately linked with the essence of the animal your miraculous stone represents that sometimes things can...bleed over, so to speak.”

Chloe raised a brow. “So what, am I going to start building beehives in my room and recruiting a colony of drones and workers?”

Pollen laughed. “Nothing like that, I promise. Most of the side effects are rather harmless and easy to ignore or get used to. Your honey cravings are about as inconvenient as they’ll get.”

“Inconvenient is an understatement. I’m pretty sure my butler thinks I’m a freak after asking him to add ten extra jars of honey to his shopping list. I’m going to have to start taking spinning classes or something. Burn off the extra calories.”

“You’ll be just fine,” Pollen giggled. “Past miraculous holders have told me the side effects get easier to manage with time, you just have to be patient. I’m sure your teammates have to deal with this as well. Ladybug might actually be particularly sympathetic to what you’re going through.”

Chloe blinked thoughtfully at the mention of Marinette and spoke around her spoon. “Why would you say that?”

“There are a lot of things that ladybugs and bees have in common,” Pollen winked. “Besides, it might be a good way to start a conversation with her.”

Chloe frowned and turned her chair away from Pollen. “Not happening.”

“Chloe,” Pollen sighed. “You can’t keep avoiding her forever. It’s been a month. The two of you ought to talk about this. You’re friends, after all.”

“Ladybug and Queen Bee are friends,” Chloe calmly corrected. “Chloe and Marinette aren’t. It isn’t as easy as you make it seem.”

It was almost laughable that after being so meticulously careful about keeping their identities a secret, Queen Bee and Ladybug would reveal them to each other over something as silly as flying into the same alleyway to detransform on accident. It was so anticlimactic that it took Chloe a few seconds to even register who was staring back at her, and by that time it was definitely too late to play it off like she hadn’t seen anything. Nothing had been communicated between them — only the silent understanding between two superheroes that this was something that needed to remain a secret for their own safety — and they walked off in opposite directions to create as much distance between them as possible.

Patrols were awkward, akuma attacks were awful, and their fighting and bickering during school hours had come to an abrupt halt once the two of them realized that their relationship had become ten times more complicated and that they didn’t know how to begin talking about it. So they settled with civil silence that somehow seemed to make things worse the longer it lasted.

But Chloe admired Ladybug with her entire soul. How was she supposed to talk to her now that she knew she was the same person she’d been butting heads with since they were eleven?

Pollen kept saying they needed to discuss what happened, that revealing identities to each other wasn’t anything to trivialize, but Chloe wasn’t trying to do anything of the sort. Every time she stared at Marinette from across the classroom or saw her walking by her desk, she’d think this was the moment she could say something. But whenever they made eye contact, Chloe would shrivel back inside herself and decide to say nothing. Seeing any animosity from Marinette at this point would feel like it was coming straight from Ladybug. Chloe didn’t think she could handle Ladybug looking at her like she was disappointed to know who had her back all these months when they were out risking their lives. Better to just not say anything and hope it would blow over on its own.

The next morning, Chloe shocked her driver into silence when she said that she preferred to walk to school rather than take the car. There was something criminal about not enjoying the warm weather, the flowers sprouting from the cracks in the sidewalk, and people poking their heads out of their apartment windows to water their windowsill gardens flourishing in the sunlight. Better than all of that was the cloudless sky hanging above Chloe’s head — vibrant, beautiful, and blue. It made her wish she could transform and go for a fly around the city.

But by the time she was halfway through second period, her entire mood flipped around. She felt agitated and tetchy, so much so that her leg was bouncing uncontrollably and it was too hard to bother focusing on the lesson. She wanted to be outside. Being in here was maddening and it was making her feel like she was shut in a cramped box with no way out. Chloe wondered if this was another side effect because she wasn’t normally this fidgety during class. At one point, she had to lay her head down on her desk and try to imagine the walk to school to get her brain to stop fixating on the next moment when she’d get to be outside again.

It wasn’t until Chloe felt a tap on her shoulder that she snapped her head up and realized class was finally over, everyone filtering out of the classroom and chatting about their lunch plans. She rubbed her eyes, looked to her left, and saw Marinette standing by her desk, staring at her worriedly. Chloe instinctively leaned away from her and contemplated quickly slipping out of her seat and putting as much distance between the two of them as possible. But Marinette held up a finger as she dug into her backpack and pulled out a stem of purple, bell shaped flowers.

“Here,” Marinette offered. “You looked like you were losing your mind during class.”

Chloe eyed the flowers suspiciously. “Are you hitting on me or something?”

“No,” Marinette glared. “Just….trust me. Take it. It’ll help. A few whiffs oughta do it.”

It was the first time they’d spoken in weeks, but if Marinette was willing to give Chloe an out by starting a conversation herself, she supposed it was worth it to at least play along. She took the stem of flowers and held them up to her nose, feeling a pleasant shiver run through her body as she inhaled deeply. It was like all of the muscles in her body relaxed and her anxiety from earlier had dissipated as the beautiful fragrance took over her senses.

“Oh my God,” Chloe sighed out. “What is this stuff?”

“Foxgloves,” Marinette laughed. “I checked online, they’re supposed to be really good for attracting bees.”

“Excuse me?”

“Spring is tough,” Marinette sympathized. “It’s hard to be indoors because you just wanna sprint outside and throw yourself in a bed of flowers. Carrying flowers or wearing some floral perfume helps a little bit, but it doesn’t beat the real thing.”

Chloe frowned as she took a few of the flowers and tucked them behind her ear. “Wait, how did you know?”

“I was watching you,” she admitted. “I recognized the signs, I used to get like that right after I got my miraculous too. I figured I’d give you an olive branch and help you out. Or….a foxglove sprig. Same difference.”

Chloe swallowed and finished packing up her books, carefully going along with their tentative camaraderie. “Thanks,” she mumbled. “I’m still trying to figure out how to deal with all this crap. I keep swallowing honey like it’ll kill me if I don’t.”

Marinette snorted. “Yeah, well, I stop just short of hibernating in the winter time. We just have to roll with it.”

“Yeah, lucky us. I’ll just have to walk around with a garden growing out of my bag so that I don’t throw myself out the window for the rest of the school year. No big deal.”

Marinette bit on her lip and balanced on the tips of her toes. “You, uh….have any lunch plans?”

“No. Why?”

“Mind if I show you something? It’s at my house so it’s not far, but it might make you feel better.”

“You’re….inviting me to your house,” Chloe stated as if she were trying to determine if she’d heard her correctly. “You sure about that?”

Marinette winced and looked down at her feet. “I figured….or I hoped that we could also talk for a bit. I mean, you obviously don’t have to, but it’s hard to keep avoiding each other when we literally have to work together almost every day.”

Chloe stayed in her seat and kept her bag hugged close to her chest. “We don’t talk. We never did.”

“That’s not true,” Marinette replied. “We’ve been talking since you got that hair comb. We’re talking right now. Nothing’s exploding.”

“It should be. I’m not just your partner or your friend anymore.”

Marinette opened her mouth and looked like she was about to refute the point, but she swallowed it back when she finally realized that not even her optimism could erase the truth of that statement. Their dynamic was a lot more complicated now and they needed to be up front about that. She remained silent, so Chloe took that as her cue to start making her way towards the door. But Marinette caught her hand before she could leave.

“If you’re not ready to talk we don’t have to,” Marinette promised. “We don’t have to say a word. But….please come over? I have something that’ll work better than one little flower stem. It’ll give you enough relief to last you through the rest of the school day, I promise. I just want to help you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Chloe insisted.

“Please? I’m asking as Ladybug.”

Chloe dipped her head and chuckled. “God, that’s such a low blow.”

Marinette shrugged. “Worth a shot.”

There were a lot of ways Chloe could imagine this going wrong, but she was starting to feel the irritability of being stuck indoors coming back despite the flowers in her hair, so perhaps it was best to defer to an expert on this one. She adjusted the strap of her bag and gestured to the doorway of the classroom. “Alright, bug. I’ll bite.”

As promised, Marinette didn’t try and initiate any sort of conversation as they made their way across the street towards her apartment above the bakery. It wasn’t until they were climbing to the top floor of the four story walk up that Chloe noticed how many flowers Marinette was keeping on her today. They were poking out of her purse and out of her backpack, woven into the bracelets she was wearing, and sewn into the hair clip that was holding all of her hair in a bun on top of her head.

Chloe sort of remembered Marinette having a thing for flowers last Spring, but attributed it to just a strange fashion statement. It wasn’t until now that she recognized it for the coping mechanism that it was. It made Marinette seem like this calming, walking garden that gave Chloe a small shred of peace if she stayed close to it. She sneakily plucked a pink flower from the side pocket of Marinette’s bag and wrapped it around her index finger, bringing it up to her nose and smiling at the immediate satisfaction it brought her.

Marinette brought Chloe up to her bedroom and told her to leave her shoes by the trapdoor while she climbed on top of her bed and pushed open the hatch to her skylight. Chloe gave her an odd stare, but Marinette didn’t seem to notice it as she ushered Chloe out to her balcony. She grumbled complaints under her breath as she squeezed through the hatch and hoisted herself up onto the small balcony, but all of her annoyance flew right out of her mind as she looked around her.

Lining the railings of Marinette’s balcony were dozens of pots, vases, hanging baskets, and glass jam jars filled with with potted flowers that made the space look like a miniature rooftop garden with a marvellous view of the sky stretching over Paris to boot. There were so many flowers and leaves practically spilling out of their containers, wrapping around the handrails, and crawling along the brick of the building that Chloe was overwhelmed by the smell of them all. But it was such a lovely smell, and Chloe felt a smile break out on her face as she closed her eyes, gulped in a huge breath of air, and let the beauty of Marinette’s small garden fill her all the way up to her toes.

She opened her eyes to find Marinette sitting cross legged on an old quilt that she’d laid out in the middle of the floor, presumably so that she could lay out and stare up at all the flowers growing around her. “You like it?” she asked with a grin.

Chloe reached out and brushed her thumb along the petals of a bundle of yellow flowers that were hanging from the railing and tickling her cheek. “How long did this take you?”

“A few weeks,” Marinette said. “I started saving up my babysitting money to get a few flowers. Also made a little deal with the florist next door for some flowers in exchange for free baguettes from the bakery. He helped me do a little research on which were the best ones to get.”

“Best ones?”

“So all the ones on the right over there are cosmos, yarrows, marigolds, and angelicas. Apparently ladybugs really like them. I think there are a few sitting on the petals.”

Chloe crawled closer and indeed saw several ladybugs milling about on the leaves of some of the flowers. “What about the ones on the other side?”

“Uh, more foxgloves, calendulas, crocuses, heliotropes, and some lavender. Those are great for bees actually,” Marinette smiled, watching Chloe reach out and pull a pot of flowers closer to her so that she could see the honeybee hiding in the petals. “I’ve got bees buzzing around here all the time.”

“Why do you have flowers here for attracting bees?”

Marinette shrugged. “I, uh….sort of always meant to invite you to sit here with me. Well, you as in Queen Bee. But I guess it’s easier to show you this now that we know about each other.”

Chloe bit her lip and saw the way Marinette hugged her knees to her chest to make herself look smaller, realizing she’d brought up the taboo topic they promised not to discuss. Chloe was tempted to leave it at that, but something about being outside with all of these flowers made her feel less scared. Or perhaps it was Marinette’s kindness in sharing something like this with her. She wouldn’t have done something like this if she hated Chloe, right? Surely this was something that could be seen as a show of good faith? Proof that there was no disappointment, no anger, no malice.

Chloe jutted her chin towards the blanket. “Can I sit with you?”

“Sure,” Marinette agreed, scooching over to make room for her. “Take this side.”

They both wound up laying on their backs side by side as they stared up at the plants dangling over their heads and twisting around every surface of the balcony. It was like a tiny slice of heaven tucked away in a small corner of the city, and the charm of it all made Chloe brave as she opened her mouth first. “I should’ve been more careful. About the detransformation thing. That was my fault.”

“It’s just as much my fault,” Marinette said, shaking her head. “Accidents happen. Now we just have to be careful to keep it a secret. It’s probably best if Chat Noir and Rena Rouge don’t know.”

“Makes sense,” Chloe said. She folded her hands on her stomach and sighed. “I thought you hated me.”

“Why would I hate you?”

Chloe snorted. “Are you seriously asking me that?”

Marinette relented the point with a short laugh. “Okay. Fair. But I never hated you. I was….confused by you. I wasn’t sure what I did to you to make you hate me so much.”

“I never hated you either. You were grating.”

“How is that different?”

“Because things came easily to you,” Chloe said. “I remember when you first became Ladybug. You caught onto things pretty quick. That’s because you’re a natural at literally everything. And it’s annoying. Because most people have to work at that stuff and you’re just good at it. Good at making friends, good at balancing your life, good at being a superhero. It pissed me off. Still does.”

“And what?” Marinette asked. “You’re not a good superhero?”

Chloe gave her a deadpanned stare. “You’re Ladybug. No one’s as good a superhero as you.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Don’t give me that. You’re a marvelous superhero. You take your job seriously, you care about civilians, and you want to do the right thing. Getting used to your powers isn’t as important as having the heart for the job and you have so much heart. And knowing that it’s you with all of that passion and heart is….really sweet to see. It made me realize that there was more to you than I was letting myself see. Like, maybe you’re not as awful as I thought you were if you’re the same Queen Bee I trust with my life.”

“I mean, how was I not going to put my all into this?” Chloe commented. “I adored you. You were everything I wanted to be and couldn’t figure out how to be. The minute I got a chance to prove myself to you, I practically sprinted for it. I’m still sprinting for it, probably harder than I was before. It messes me up to think of you being angry with me.”

“Me Marinette, or me Ladybug?”

Chloe shrugged. “There isn’t a difference between the two of you anymore.”

Marinette stayed silent for a few moments and then crawled her hand across the blanket until it was covering Chloe’s own. Chloe flinched away from the contact, but was prevented from pulling her hand back when Marinette gripped her fingers in her hand. “Did you know it’s always good luck for someone to have ladybugs and bees in their garden? It’s because they work together to pollinate flowers and keep garden pests away. They make a really great team without even realizing it.” Marinette turned her head to face Chloe and waited until their eyes met. “I knew from the moment you joined us that you and I were going to make a great team. I still think that. Even after knowing what I know. I know things have always been rough between us, but I at least wanted you to know that.”

Chloe’s face softened as she marvelled at the sincerity in Marinette’s eyes. “That means a lot. Seriously.”

“I mean every word,” Marinette promised.

Chloe sighed. “I’m….trying to be better. For you and for everyone else. Getting these powers makes me want to put the work in, and it matters to me a lot. It’s not gonna make up for how much garbage I’ve dished out to you over the years but at least it’s a start. Or that’s what I’m telling myself now.”

Marinette squeezed her hand again and this time Chloe squeezed back, a warmth growing in her cheeks that was due partly to happiness and partly to another feeling whirling in her chest that she didn’t have the words to name. “I appreciate that.”

Chloe grinned and drummed her fingers against her stomach. “You hungry yet?”

Marinette shut her eyes and turned her face to the sun. “Nah, we can stay here for a bit. I want to enjoy the flowers for a bit longer. That okay with you, bee?”

“Whatever you say, bug,” Chloe teased, keeping Marinette’s hand in hers and feeling the air between them clear out for the first time in years.

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