#yay this finally worked after not posting for a while! such a functional website we have here

[detective-and-dreamer]

4 for Lenora and Emory?

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

It would be easy to fall back on a couple of old standbys here, so let's look at something different...

Lenora, in her earliest days after moving to the Neath (and getting past the initial grief and horror), worked alongside the Constables when they asked for help because...well, it never occurred to her to further her career in any other way. I think she knew, somewhere deep down, what people with that kind of power were capable of doing to others, but it was never really driven home for her until she saw it for herself. Corruption, brutality...so few could be trusted to be decent people, and the best of them is long gone now. It was one of multiple things that changed her worldview and made her realize that she can do the most good for people by helping them directly instead of being a part of the overarching system. I still wouldn't call her politically minded, per se; she's not out there rallying people to any particular cause, and I'm sure at times she can still be as thoughtless as you might expect from someone who's lived a fairly privileged life. But when push comes to shove in-game, I will almost always have her take revolutionary aligned options over anything that benefits the current authorities. I think the only exception would be if it came down to something that endangered her own loved ones, and even then it would depend on the specific situation.

Anyway, she cut any official ties with them years ago and never looked back. She kept the dog, though, thank you very much, and stop asking to borrow him. I'm not sure how many people she's ever really discussed this with aside from her household and crew; probably not many, mostly because it just doesn't come up in conversation all that often.

Emory's is...himself? The night they became a monster-hunter, they looked at themselves in the mirror. Part of them was worried about what their loved ones would think of the changes - would they be frightened? Repulsed? But as he studied himself with new eyes, the most overwhelming feeling was that he had found something he never knew he had been missing.

He still thinks of himself as human, mostly, and doesn't want to turn entirely into any other sort of creature. It's just that these particular changes (which in my mind go a bit beyond just the peligin eyes and heightened senses - I'll go into that in another post) felt right to them. They like the way that they look and the things that they can do, even if it comes with inconveniences like really weird forms of sensory overload. Beyond the physical differences, it also expanded upon part of their existing worldview - the way that they hunt is tied into their spiritual beliefs, and this was the case even before they learned teratomancy. It's not entirely about the thrill, and it's definitely not about driving monsters to extinction or anything like that - just the opposite! It's about maintaining a sort of balance, the same way as hunting regular animals. And yes, those closest to him do know about his feelings on all of this. They're very happy for him, even if some of them do miss his old appearance at times; they would rather have him feel good about himself than please them. There was never really anything to worry about.

[thenovelartist]

It Started as a Joke

Throwback Thursday! Yay!

It started out as a joke.

Alya had been following Ladybug and Chat Noir reverently since they day they came to save the city. Six years later, she still was their number one reporter despite the twenty-year-old having an internship at a news company. She would always drop whatever she was doing to catch the latest news on the superheroes of Paris.

She was also the number one biggest LadyNoir fan ever in existence. Which was fair considering she created the ship and captained it.

So for her birthday, Adrien thought it would be hilarious to surprise Alya with probably the biggest superhero “scoop” ever.

Hopefully, Marinette would play along with it. He wanted her reaction to be genuine, so the best way to pull it off would be to surprise her as well.

The most recent akuma��because Hawkmoth still ran rampant over the city, sneaky butterfly—was easily captured, no Lucky Charm or Cataclysm needed. So Ladybug and Chat Noir stayed for a few questions for reporters before slipping off into the dusk. And just as Chat was hoping, Alya was following.

Once they were out of view from the main commotion, Chat grabbed his lady’s hand to stop her before she could jump into the alleyway.

“Chat?”

He looked over his shoulder to see Alya filming them. Over his other shoulder was a great view of the Eiffel Tower twinkling with lights. Perfect.

He grabbed her other hand and with the most serious expression he could muster, said, “Please play along? For Alya? She’s watching over your right shoulder.”

Ladybug didn’t look at her best friend, just quirked an eyebrow at Chat. “What do you mean?”

“It’s her birthday, bugaboo. I thought a little ‘LadyNoir’ would make her happy.”

Ladybug tried to keep a straight face, but failed. “So…what are you planning?”

Chat leaned in, a slight grin on his face. “For you to say yes.”

“Well, if I knew the plan…” she began, a teasing smile on her face.

He dropped to his knee and pulled out a little black box. Ladybug looked sufficiently shocked. If Chat had to be honest, he didn’t think she was acting at that point. “Chat?”

He lifted the box to her, opening it to reveal a ring.

Yes, he did buy a ring for the fake occasion. He had to make it look realistic, after all.

Ladybug definitely wasn’t acting when her hands flung over her mouth at the sight of the ruby ring. “Chat?!”

“Ladybug,” he started, “Will you please give me your left hand?”

Dumbly, she nodded and extended that hand.

As he put the ring on his lady’s hand, kissing it for good measure, Adrien was fairly certain that he heard Alya squeal all the way up from the street. Considering the way Ladybug glanced over at her friend, she must have heard it too.

He stood and took Ladybug in his arms, making a show of embracing her tightly (which he very much was) while he chanced a look at the woman full-out dancing in the street.

“It’s a very pretty ring, Chat,” Ladybug commented.

“I’m glad you like it. You can add it to your collection.”

She chuckled. “Because it’s not big enough,” she joked.

“No. It’s not,” Chat said seriously. “So don’t expect me to stop.”

She sighed, slightly irritated. “I’ve given up on the hope of you ever stopping spoiling me.”

Now he was the chuckling one. He pulled away just enough to see her face. “Only the finest for a princess.” Then he leaned forward the inch distance and kissed her soundly. Even though the haze that always came when kissing his lady and princess, he could hear Alya screaming.

After that, they ran home, Alya no longer following them. Adrien had no doubt they would be all over the news tomorrow.

They jumped through the window of their room in the Agreste mansion. He had wanted to leave as soon as he turned eighteen, but when Marinette became his father’s apprentice, it was just more convenient to be here. And everyone who knew him knew anything that involved Marinette became number one priority. Besides, with Marinette around, a little more life came into the house, making it feel more like a home.

In a flash of complimentary colors, the superheroes disappeared, leaving a very happy, famous-in-their-own-right couple in the place of the superhero duo.

Marinette held the ruby ring in her hand. “It’s an appropriate color. I’ll give you that, Chaton. But I like mine better.” She gazed at the diamond and dual sapphire stones twinkling in her white gold wedding band.

“Good,” he said, taking his wife’s hand and laying a long, lingering kiss on it. “I’m glad.”

She pulled him close, wrapping her arms up around his neck while his arms snaked around her waist. “Alya’s face must have been priceless for all the screaming she was doing.”

He chuckled. “Hopefully she filmed herself so we can catch a glimpse of it on the Ladyblog tomorrow.”

...

The next morn—er, day since they had they actually had the ability to sleep in until lunchtime, Adrien pulled his phone out while Marinette groaned about how she didn’t want to get out of bed.

“But don’t you want to see the Ladyblog?”

Marinette paused for a moment. “Yes.”

While she scrambled up to take a place beside him, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her hands around his arm, he pulled up Alya’s website on his phone.

The site had been transformed overnight to look more like a wedding invitation than the blog it was. Sadly, Alya didn’t film herself during the process, but hearing the very moment she gasped as well as seeing her excited face after the superheroes had disappeared was plenty rewarding.

“You know, I’m shocked Alya hasn’t called me yet.”

Adrien chuckled. “Or that Nino hasn’t texted me saying how his wife is driving him up a wall.”

“Which would have been your fault in the first place.”

“…Worth it.”

“Won’t be worth it if he demands divorce after barely a month of marriage,” Marinette teased.

Adrien just glared at her. Good-naturedly, of course.

As they continued scanning the Ladyblog, a new, just-posted article caught their attention.

Mayor speaks out about superhero proposal.

“Play the video,” Marinette said.

Adrien needed no prompting. As they watched, their eyes grew wider until the very end of the five-minute clip when he was certain his jaw had become unhinged and was now resting on the bed.

Apparently, entirety of Paris was going to throw them a wedding.

“We…we can’t let them…”

Marinette and Adrien exchanged a shocked look that said the same thing.

“Tikki, spots on!”

“Plagg, claws out!”

The duo ran out into the city, ready to beg for a meeting with the mayor of Paris. Instead, they interrupted the first—and hopefully only—Superhero Wedding Committee Meeting. They thanked the mayor for the effort but stated it wasn’t necessary. The whole room erupted at that. How dare the superheroes not get an all-expenses-paid wedding when they’ve done so much for the city. Who would even think of such a thing?

And then Ladybug tried to counter with, “But we’re already married.”

The committee froze. Chat thought for sure they were going to lay it to rest, but just as he was about to add a comment of his own, the room erupted into complete and utter pandemonium.

Apparently, the people of Paris were not happy that they were not invited to their superheroes wedding.

(They very much were, but that wasn’t something Ladybug nor Chat Noir were going to disclose.)

So after much debate, Ladybug and Chat Noir relented and let Paris throw them a second wedding. They had a few demands, though. Their suit and wedding dress would be Agreste originals, and the main wedding cake was to be made by none other than Tom and Sabine Dupain.

The committee readily agreed.

So four months later, the Notre Dame was closed off to the public as only the most esteemed guests got past the police barricade to enter (esteemed guests which may or may not have included Ladybug and Chat’s entire class [who may or may not have their suspicions] as well as a good handful of formerly akumatized victims). Some crazed fans camped out on blankets and lawn chairs in hopes they might catch a glimpse of the superhero couple. The rest of the general public just watched the televised version.

Because it was currently the only thing on TV in Paris right now.

Chat had to hand it to the committee, the wedding was about as extravagant as could be. The traditional white drapery was accented with plenty of red roses and black ribbons just to clearly state who the wedding was for.

Chat stood at the altar, dressed up in the black, twin tail—oh, he had a good laugh about that one—suit that Marinette had designed. His father, when offered the job, immediately thrust the project upon Marinette as though he wanted nothing to do with it. The designs had to be approved by him, but he was going to do none of the work. So Marinette had all the power to create whatever dress she wanted to wear. A good thing considering that one of the problems they discovered was taking their suits off was not an option. And they were not going to go out in public untransformed. It didn’t matter if they wore masks to cover their faces. They were going to be transformed. As their superhero selves. That was final. Therefore, anything Marinette designed had to work around their superhero outfits.  

Marinette had finished a week ago—which he was glad for because she was starting to really lose sleep over it—but she had insisted he not see her designs until the wedding. So when the organ started to play the wedding march (they got Jagged Stone to play for them. Actually, from what Chat understood, the man called the mayor and volunteered.)  Chat was just as anxious as the rest of the crowd to get a look at Ladybug.

Chat would have thought that watching the woman that would become his wife march down the aisle a second time, ready to meet him and exchange vows, would be easier to handle.

Nope.

His breath was completely and utterly stolen from his lungs and his heart completely ceased to function as he watched Ladybug walk down the aisle. Traditional was not a word to describe the dress she wore. On the contrary, the dress was made of black satin, looking like it had been twisted around her torso before draping delicately around her shoulders. Two small trains of spotted red fabric draped over her shoulders, reaching only her waist. Underneath that were two far longer trains of sheer white, draping to the floor and fluttering with every step she took. In that moment, Chat realized she looked like a flying ladybug.

Then she got close enough for Chat to see her eyes. The way her bluebell orbs sparkled with warmth and happiness and love…

Chat was certain that he was going to die. A very happy death but die nevertheless.

He finally snapped himself out of it just in time to reach out a hand for her. Giving him a smile that nearly took every last ounce of strength from his knees, she placed her hand in his and stood opposite of him in front of the altar.

Most of what the priest said flew right over his head, but he was able to hear the man say it was time to exchange vows. Just like the first time, he had spent the past few weeks planning them out. What he had to say to Ladybug was no less important than what he had to say to Marinette, so he knew he better make these count all the same.

“My Lady,” he began. “The first time I wrote vows to you, they seemed inadequate. I’ve spent a longer this time, yet they still seem to fall short. What do you say to your perfect other half? To your better other half? The one that makes you stronger. The one that make you better than what you really are. The one that believes in you even if no one else does. The one that accepts you and loves you even though you’re definitely not good enough for them. What can I possibly say to you that would be remotely good enough?”

Ladybug’s eyes were already growing misty. Chat swallowed as he tried to get out the words he’d been composing for weeks now. “I love you. I mean it in the deepest sense imaginable. Know you have all my heart and all of me, always and forever. You are my partner, my best friend, my only love, and my perfect other half. Me without you would hardly be anything. And I mean that in both senses. As Chat. And as me.

“As for the vows, my first vow is that I will always be at your side, whether that’s in the heat of battle or on a lazy day. Because we’re partners. Together, we’re stronger than we really are. You make me stronger. Furthermore, you give me a reason to be strong.

“My second vow is to cherish you, because you are absolutely priceless. There will never be another woman like you. Not even the next Ladybug will be like you, nor have any of the past Ladybugs ever been. You are absolutely one of a kind, and I will tell you that often. As both Ladybug, and as you.

“My third vow is to always protect you. Always. I know you hate this vow, because I know you value my life and well-being. While it touches my heart to the deepest degree, know that if I have the ability to protect you, to take a hit in your stead, I’ll take it without hesitation. Every single time. I’ll never regret it. Seeing you hurt hurts me worse than any hit I could take.

“My fourth vow is to always try to be the partner you deserve. I’ve strived to meet so many expectations of others, but then you come into my life and you just expect me to be me. And I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that you want me, even though I know I get on your nerves and irritate you at times. Even though I’m not perfect and probably make more mistakes than I want to admit. You just take me as I am and that means the world to me. You took me as I was even when we weren’t dating, even when we were just friends, had just met. And it’s that reason that I want to strive to be my best for you. Because while I know you love me now, I want to give you even more of a reason to be proud. To love me. I want to try to be the man you deserve. Because you deserve the best and absolutely nothing less.

“And my final vow is to repeat these whenever you need to hear them. They are burned into my head and my heart so I will never forget them. But what I really hope is that you will never forget them either.

“I love you, Ladybug, and I can barely believe you agreed to marry me. I don’t know what this unlucky black cat did to deserve you, but I count myself the luckiest man alive to know that you chose me.”

Ladybug was crying at this point. No, hearing vows a second time wasn’t any less powerful than the first time. And knowing that Chat meant every word and did not take any of his words lightly at all further wrecked her.

The crowd wasn’t exactly dry-eyed either. The “aww”s were audible throughout the building, reverberating down the halls and outside. Cameras were flashing, capturing the earnest expression on Chat’s face and the loving one on Ladybug.

Finally, all that died down enough for Ladybug to speak. “Chat, I’ve never been half as elegant with words as you. I could spend months writing these words and they would not sound half as pretty as yours. But please know that I mean everything I say with everything I have.

“I love you. I love you. I love you. I’ll say it every day because you deserve to hear it, and I’ll mean it every day, as long as we both shall live. I love everything about you. Even when I’m irritated with you or angry at you, know I never stop loving you. You’re my other half. You’re my better half. My husband. My partner.

“I vow to always be by your side. Because you are my perfect partner, Kitty. You match me in battle. You balance me out on a normal day. I could not be Ladybug without you. I shouldn’t even be this lucky, not even with my ladybug luck, to have you willing to stand at my side. Yet you are, and I can’t begin to describe just how thankful I am for that. So I want to give you back everything you’ve given me, and be your match on a day in and day out basis.

“I vow to learn how to value you better. It’s not that I don’t value you now because I value you with everything I have, but I know that there are times I’m selfish. There are times I don’t give you the credit you deserve. And as I’ve said so many times, we are equals, so that is very hypocritical of me. You don’t deserve that. Not with all you do for me. I want to value you to the fullest. You deserve to be. So I will learn how to value you better. To value you more.

“I vow to become a better partner. You are my other half just as I am yours. We are Chat Noir and Ladybug. I can’t be me without you, and you can’t be you without me. So I want to strive to be my best for you. Because you chose me. You give me your all selflessly and sometimes in disregard to yourself. You deserve that from me, too. You deserve it more often than I give it. You deserve a whole lot more than what I am. Yet you somehow chose me. Something I cherish always and should never take for granted.

“Which brings me to my last vow. I will not take you for granted. I’ve nearly lost you far too many times, and every time that happens, I get a glimpse of what my life might be like without you, and it scares me. Because I love just being by your side. Being with you. Tackling the world together. And while it becomes so easy for me to slip and think that it’s normal, that it will always be this way, there’s always a scary possibility that it won’t. So I will cherish every day I get to spend with you, hoping for a lifetime of memories we make together. But even if it’s only a short time, then I will cherish every minute of it. Because I love you, Chat Noir. I love you so much. And I am so, so thankful that you chose me.”

Another round of “aww”s, more camera flashes, and more tears. Including on Chat, which he quickly wiped away so that he only wore a very happy smile on his face.

Ladybug and Chat Noir barely heard the rest of what the priest said after that. The rings were exchanged, last vows were said, and then they were called husband and wife.

The priest didn’t even finish those famous last words before Chat scooped Ladybug up into his embrace and kissed her soundly.

Whoops and hollers and camera flashes were ignored by the happy duo in favor of a second and third kiss. When they parted, they were shooed down the aisle, where an ungodly amount of rice and flower petals rained down on them. If anything, it prompted them to get outside to the awaiting limousine faster.

The chauffeur had the door to the black limo open for the two superheroes as they ducked against the onslaught of confetti, laughing all the while. Chat guided Ladybug into the car first, blocking most of the chaos from making it in before she dragged him inside as well.

The chauffeur shut the door, and Chat wasted no time launching himself at his wife, kissing her fiercely. Gathering her wits against the surprise, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him ever closer. One kiss turned to two. Three. Four. Chat broke the kiss for the sole reason of finding the button to flip up the privacy screen against the driver, diving back to her as soon as he did.

“You’re a liar,” he said in between kisses. “You have a very eloquent way with words.”

“I’m glad at least one of us thinks so,” she panted. “You, on the other hand, are unrivaled. I thought you had me the first time you said vows, but the second round made me fall in love with you twice over.”

Chat shoved her backwards, pressing her back against the leather seats just as he felt the car start to move forward. “And what do you think yours did to me?” he asked, his voice husky and low.

“Considering that you can’t wait until we run off from the reception to have our second wedding night? I think I have an idea.”

Chat closed the very small distance in between them, pinning his wife to the seats as he kissed her repeatedly with a fire that couldn’t be quenched while she returned every last bit of vigor with her own.

All too soon, the driver knocked against the divider, calling the bride and groom’s attention.

Ladybug pouted as she clung to him, causing Chat’s heart to double in speed. Quite a feat since it was already beating fast. “I still can’t believe they are throwing a huge reception for us.”

Because Paris was. All of Paris, actually. After the wedding, people were encouraged to gather at parks and common public spaces where there would be music and dancing and a variety of food. All in celebration of the superheroes, who were going to the actual reception underneath the Eiffel Tower.

“Well, we’d better go out there and pretend we’re having fun, don’t you think?”

She smiled at him. “You always do love putting on a show, Kitty.”

After fixing themselves—one of Ladybug’s hair ribbons had been yanked out and Chat’s collar looked a little too ruffled—Chat swung open the door, only to be greeted by cheers. He ignored them as he turned to assist his very lovely bride out of the limousine and to the heart of the commotion.

There was good food, sweet cake they got to make a show of cutting, (No matter how badly Chat wanted to shove some on Ladybug’s face, he resisted. That is, until Ladybug dolloped a bit of frosting on his nose. Then he had to return the favor.) and rock music. Jagged Stone arranged the perfect line up of songs to pass the evening away until the afternoon sky faded to dusk.

The guests were slowly leaving while the hired crew began cleaning up. Before they could leave—and hurry back home—Ladybug and Chat Noir were approached by the Mayor.

“I hope this wedding did you justice. Paris cannot thank you enough for all you’ve done for us.”

“We really do appreciate it,” Ladybug replied, “even though it was highly unnecessary.”

“Nonsense,” the mayor insisted. “We were happy to oblige. Now, I suppose there is one little matter left. Such as the honeymoon suite.”

Ladybug and Chat wore matching confused looks. “Honeymoon suite?” Chat repeated. That hadn’t been part of the plan. Ladybug and Chat Noir had been insistent upon going home after the ceremony, despite Mr. Bourgeois’ protests of giving them the best suite in the Grand Parisian Hotel.

“Of course.” Mr. Bourgeois smiled. “Where else does a young couple go after their wedding? I was determined that I could not let Paris’ finest superheroes be devoid of such a luxury, so I organized the absolute finest suite in all of Paris.”

“Mr. Bourgeois, please. We would be more than happy to just go home. No need to take up your finest room.”

“It’s not in my hotel.” With a large grin, he pointed upwards. Towards the top of the Eiffel Tower.

It took Chat a moment to realize just what Mr. Bourgeois had planned. Judging by his lady’s confused face, she was left in the dark. “Sir, how did you—?”

“I’m the mayor of Paris,” he assured. “Do you think I wouldn’t be able to secure the room at the top of the Eiffel Tower for at least one night?”

Now Ladybug was surprised. “What?” She stuttered for words, looking back at the top of the tower and the Mayor himself. “Mr. Bourgeois, we couldn’t—”

“But you can,” he interrupted, pulling out a set of keys from his jacket pocket. “And you will.”

Chat reached out to take the keys considering Ladybug just stared at them in utter shock. “Thank you.”

“Only the finest for Paris’ finest,” Mr. Bourgeois assured. “You’ll have it only for the night, unfortunately. That was all I managed to acquire.”

“Which is more than we even expected,” Ladybug assured. “Thank you, so much. For everything.”

“Of course.” With that, he bowed before the two superheroes before taking his own leave.

Chat looked down at the keys in his hand as if it were the key to the world. The Eiffel Tower Suite. Good gracious, how many strings did Mr. Bourgeois have to pull for that one?

“He wasn’t kidding, was he?” Ladybug asked, looking down at the key in Chat’s hand.

“Nope. I really don’t think he was,” Chat assured his wife with a smile. Suddenly, the smirk on his face grew as he picked his wife up bridle style. She squealed in surprise, an endearing trait she didn’t lose as Ladybug, which called the attention of the camera crew again. “So, my lady,” Chat purred, “shall I whisk you off into the sunset?”

She grinned seductively and shifted in his arms. Chat swore his heartrate doubled in an instant, pounding hard in his chest as Ladybug wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes, kitty. Yes, you should.”

He whisked her away once again, ignoring the whoops and hollers that came from below. However, he stopped when he noticed the news crew zooming in on them.

He had nearly forgotten.

“Hey Hawkmoth,” he shouted towards the camera. “Thanks for not interrupting our wedding. Just thought you’d like to know we’ll be out of France for the next two weeks and taking our miraculous with us.” With a wink, he shot off again, holding Ladybug close to his chest.

“I’m sorry, what?”

He looked down at his lady, who looked somewhere along the lines of shocked and horrified.

“You didn’t think we weren’t going to have a honeymoon, did you, bugaboo?”

She sputtered but didn’t come up with any reply until they got up to the suite. “Don’t you think that’s a bit dangerous?”

Chat shook his head. “Hawkmoth wants our miraculous. He doesn’t want the city. He doesn’t want revenge. That’s what the akumas want. If we’re gone, there’s no reason for him to akumatize anyone. He’ll be angry, but he won’t be a danger to the city.”

Ladybug stood, stunned. Slowly, her shocked expression morphed to a smile. “I have to say, kitty, I am very impressed with you.”

He smiled down at her. “Thank you. Hopefully two weeks in sunny Spain is okay with you.”

Ladybug dropped her transformation, revealing her beautiful face from the cover of the mask. Chat took it as his cue to drop his own transformation, leaving Marinette and Adrien standing in a pseudo-wedding attire in the nicest suite in all of Paris.

“Anywhere you go is okay with me.”

Taking a small step forward, Adrien took his wife in his arms and kissed her again. Once. Twice. Just little pecks. “I love you, you know that?”

“As much as you know I love you.” Marinette’s hands then crawled up his arms and into his hair while her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Now, I believe we were rudely interrupted in the limo earlier.”

Adrien’s grin was nothing short of cattish. “I believe we were.”

…

Gabriel Agreste sat sulking in his office with the window curtains shut to block out the night while only the little lamp at his desk was lit. Two weeks, they claimed. Two weeks, they would be taking a vacation out of the country to who-knows-where and for honestly-who-knew-how-long. Two weeks. Two. Weeks.

Irritatingly crafty little b—

“Mr. Agreste.” A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

He forced himself up to grab the files from Natalie. Hopefully they would provide enough of a distraction.

…

Somewhere inside the desk, a little butterfly that sat inside of a brooch sighed in relief. Two weeks of no evil? He’d take what he could get.

…

When morning came, the sunrise glowed through the unintentionally-left-open window of the highest suite in Paris. Shades of red and orange illuminated the couple hopelessly tangled in silk sheets. The dress and suit and the duvet cover were forgotten in heaps on the floor, highlighted in bits of yellow.

It wouldn’t be until the sun rose further up in the sky and the colors flattened out that the young man would awake. Drowsily, he opened his eyes, only for them to flutter shut again with pleasure. He was buried in his wife’s hair, and his wife was buried against his chest, their limbs wrapped around one another. It was the sweet calm of morning after a romantic night. Adrien loved mornings like these.

The young wife wouldn’t awake until after Adrien shifted, pulling the sheet up over them a bit better. She ran her hand lazily up his bare chest, relishing how every muscle tensed at her touch. She always found it amazing and strange and wonderful how she, little once-awkward-and-shy Marinette, could reduce her husband to shreds with very little effort.

But he could do the same to her, so they were on an equal playing field.

She sighed contentedly, and he could feel her breath roll across his shoulder in a way that left him buzzing. “Good morning,” he mumbled.

She whined and tightened her hold on her husband. “No. Too early.”

“That’s what mornings are.”

She pouted. “Morning shouldn’t come before noon.”

Adrien chuckled. His wife had never been a morning person.

Well, unless you counted her staying up till the ungodly hours of the morning working on her designs. Then she was definitely a morning person. “That’s just because you stay up too late.”

“And whose fault was that?”

…All right, he’d take that one.

It wouldn’t be for another hour, until after Adrien coaxed her further awake with kisses and… a little more (in his defense, she started it) that the “newly wedded” couple would leave. They left the keys to the suite in clear view on the table before they found a piece of paper to scribble out a thank-you note that they would leave in the mayor’s windowsill on the way back home.

They slipped in through the window of their room with hardly any issue. Only when they detransformed did they realize one little problem.

Mainly that their wedding attire was pretty incriminating evidence of being Ladybug and Chat Noir.

“Well,” Marinette suggested after a bit of debate that took place between packing their bags for Spain, “there’s the children’s hospital auction set to take place soon.”

“The one we visited as Ladybug and Chat Noir for Christmas?”

“That one. What if we donated them?”

Adrien smiled. “I love it. But we’ll have to do it after we return.”

They had let time get away from them, and while they firmly believed they didn’t waste a moment of it, they were now going to cut it a little close.

Soon enough, the bags were packed and they were ready to leave. They reached the hallway when they ran into Mr. Agreste. He looked… less than pleased.

“Father,” Adrien cordially greeted. “Is something wrong?”

He grunted. “Some… unforeseen problems arose.”

“Is it with one of the clothing lines?” Marinette asked nervously.

Mr. Agretse’s severe look softened slightly, as it always did when regarding Marinette. It was a great relief for Adrien to know how kindly Father treated his wife.

“No, no,” he assured. “It’s not a problem you need to concern yourself with. Go enjoy your vacation. It should be remedied by the time you return.”

Marinette and Adrien watched skeptically as Mr. Agreste walked off to his office.

“How come I feel like he’ll spend most of his time cooped up in there?” Marinette asked, giving her husband’s hand a squeeze.

“Because knowing him, he probably will,” Adrien sighed.

“Not to interrupt the pity party,” a snarky little voice came from Adrien’s pocket. “But Mister Cranky can keep himself occupied while you two get going on your ridiculous second honeymoon.”

“It’s sweet,” a sugary voice chastised from Marinette’s purse. “You can’t appreciate the little things.”

“And you—”

“Plagg,” Marinette interrupted, gently as ever. “You do realize this is a two-week vacation for you too, right?”

Silence.

Suddenly, the black cat was all smiles. “Well, are we going or what?”

~ Support me on Ko-Fi ~

[digitalchloe]

Week 1 (June 13 to 22, 2018)

June 13, 2018 (Monday)

First day at work! It was such a gloomy day today but I managed to get to the area an hour before and I was able to eat breakfast before heading to the office. We were first given the orientation for the whole internship then we were given our first assignment -- to fix the social media calendar of Mindfuse. We are currently assigned to do their online marketing posts for Facebook and Instagram. I was a bit uneasy with Sir Jay watching me edit and illustrate, and talking to me while at it since I’m not used to that kind of set up, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it! Overall, it was a fun first day at work and I can’t wait for the succeeding days at Mindfuse.

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June 14, 2018 (Thursday)

We had to work at home today. Alice and I met in Gateway since we had to buy materials for the shoot which was really scheduled for today. I was honestly devastated when I learned that we had to work from home today. I was really excited to do my first shoot for the company inside the office! After Alice and I bought the materials we needed and got food, we then proceeded to my house and conducted the shoot--it was honestly something I was already used to; nothing new to me. It’s something I am very comfortable doing inside my own house. I wanted a challenge; a new location to shoot in. But there’s always next time! After shooting, we updated the feed guide for Instagram again since we were not able to shoot for the next few posts for the weekend. Overall, today was tiring since we had a hard time deciding on what posts would substitute the posts for the upcoming weekend. I hope we’re going to work on Monday, though.

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June 18, 2018 (Monday)

I thought I was going to be late today since I still had to rush my dog to the vet before work started, but I still managed to arrive on time! Yay! Today, Sir Jay gave us a lecture on Branding & Identity, as well as the process to create a brand. We were assigned to revamp the website of Mindfuse and I can say that I am extremely stoked! Together with the task are things like editing, shooting, and other things that I am very passionate about. We also started shooting for other marketing materials for Mindfuse’s social media accounts. We had a long weekend prior to today and I was so scared that my brain wouldn’t be able to function correctly due to creative block. It wasn’t until after I was able to eat lunch that I was able to get my brain to work properly though. Lola also visited me and gave me merienda because she went to Cubao today. Overall, today was a great day at work! Looking forward to tomorrow and the rest of the week because the fun for internship is finally starting!

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June 19, 2018 (Tuesday)

What a day at work! We were taught new stuff about website design and development. How exciting! We were also given a new task: to work on Mindfuse’s website content. We learned how to do content mapping and to be honest, it is still so confusing to do. Being able to encounter new terms about the design world was very exciting too. Learning new things is one of my favorite things in this world. Another favorite thing of mine is eating at Jollibee! I was so excited for lunch because Sir Jay already announced that he wanted to eat there for lunch, and we did. So after lunch, we all went back to work. Alice and I spent the rest of the afternoon researching on things such as positioning, branding and identity, brand strategy, brand bibles, and so much more. It was actually a very draining day because we had to make our brains really work for us to be able to map and plot the content properly. Otherwise, it just wouldn’t make sense! I was just really excited to go home and sleep because my brain won’t work properly anymore. I hope tomorrow will be a more productive day.

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June 20, 2018 (Wednesday)

We have a new intern that just came in today! She’s actually our batchmate but from the Communications Department of MC. She was assigned to be part of our team for the duration of the internship, so we had to brief her with the tasks currently on our hands. We spent the rest of the morning trying to finish the content map but we couldn’t just understand it, so Sir Jay just told us to fill in what we could and he’ll help us with it in the afternoon.. For lunch, Sir Jay ordered pizza for everyone for lunch! Yay for free food! We were given time after lunch to go out and buy more food if we wanted to, so we did go down and we bought Coco Milktea, MY FAVORITE.  We also bought cartolina for our next shoot scheduled after lunch. When we got back, we went straight to the shoot. It was a back to school shoot-turned- work essentials shoot. It was fun! Editing it was fun as well because I looooove editing colors. Afterwards, we went on with the content mapping and finally got the hang of it! We finally finished the day off at work but then it was raining so hard that we all couldn’t leave, so all the interns, including us, decided to play Rules of Survival while waiting for the rain to stop. It was a fun day, especially finally being able to bond with the other interns from Benilde. Looking forward to tomorrow since we’re going to plan next week’s production schedule! Yay!

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June 21, 2018 (Thursday)

I’m going to be honest and say that today was a lazy day at the office. We had a very chill day and we even had KFC delivered for lunch because we were all so lazy to head down and get food for lunch. Nevertheless, I made it a point to still be productive today. I helped Sir Jay with his studies for the website of Rockwell Atletica. He asked me to layer mask a few of them. That was the first time my layer masking skills were put to the test. It was scary and fun at the same time mainly because it’s a huge company I’m editing for. Things like those still feel so surreal to me.  Even after a week and a half working for Mindfuse, it still feels so surreal to me that this company, with HUGE clients such as Rockwell, Vista Cinemas, etc. accepted me as an intern. I make it a point to grab every opportunity this internship gives me.  Afterwards,  together with the other MC interns, we finished the content mapping in Google Sheets for Mindfuse’s website. It is so hard to visualize a website just in your head, so I have a feeling that we put so much unnecessary things there. We’ll find out tomorrow!

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June 22, 2018 (Friday)

Worked at home again today and did some website layouts for the Mindfuse portfolio page. It was actually a challenge since we weren’t shown the revamped version of the website so I didn’t know whether or not I was doing the right layout per page for the clients. It was also hard thinking about the positioning of text and images since I wasn’t entirely sure if they were fit for the page or not. Nevertheless, I was happy to be able to put my web design skills (from ARTV-112!) to good use and was able to come out with layouts that are, in my opinion, appealing to the eye. I hope we have less work-from-home days. It really gets me out of the mood since I’m just on my bed. Looking forward to next week’s shoot with Rockwell Atletica! Finally a chance to put my photography skills to the test.

[topicprinter]

Hi Reddit (and my fellow entrepreneurs),Two months ago I submitted a Reddit post detailing my journey from leaving a cushy corporate job and starting a business.Directly after leaving, I worked out three business goals with my wife that I had to hit, or I would have to go back and find a job. The goals are:One sale within the first two months (which I hit on the very last day)100 paying customers by August 13thGrow at 10% per month for six monthsToday I am proud to say that I accomplished the second goal a month early.What has changed since then?Quite a bit!Most of the great feedback from the prior post pointed out how broad my original business idea was. Visitors would come to the site and not have a clue where to start.The prior website slogan was "Automation and Spreadsheet Vault for Entrepreneurs." Automation for what? My morning routine? What kind of spreadsheets? What does vault mean?And they were absolutely right.Around the same time, the digital currency market and blockchain were absolutely exploding. I saw it as an opportunity to not only get much more targeted, but to enter a space that was hot (and I believe to be on an unstoppable path.)The PivotAfter doing some rigorous keyword research, I saw that a large portion of blockchain related terms were getting huge amounts of traffic, but the competition was less than stellar. I took this as an opportunity to take a great portion of my current skillset (finance, trading, analysis) and create something very valuable for people interested in digital currency and blockchain. At the same time, I became crystal clear on my message and vision, and it goes like this:"For investors and developers in digital currency and blockchain, who are dissatisfied with unreliable, messy data, Spreadstreet is a data-delivery service that provides dependable, documented data sets with multiple avenues of delivery (such as Excel, and web download). Unlike existing options, we plan to focus on expanding our delivery options, and providing an affordable foundation for developers looking to build blockchain apps, or investors looking to build analysis models."How has initial traction been?So far, the website has had the following:~17k pageviews, ~5k unique sessions612 registered users102 paid users (yay!)While not a huge amount, it feels good that it is finally gaining some traction.What has the initial feedback been?The most important thing in business is to listen to your customers. I have implemented Intercom again, as I believe the chat function is extremely well done. It has provided an avenue to talk to customers, and I have been happy with the results so far.I also created a user onboarding survey that has a 69% completion rate, with the first question garnering 100%. That feedback is very valuable as far as modifying the website to fit exactly what our users are asking for. The following has been some great feedback from users:Current datasets are lacking (had to start somewhere!)Users are extremely hesitant to install an Excel plugin, as the Cryptocurrency space seems to be ripe with scammers. My goal is to ease that concern as much as possible, and one of those avenues is through our (currently in development) API and a Google Sheets pluginCurrent datasets could use more customization (such as date ranges)After hearing all of this great feedback, answering customers, working on product development, marketing, finance, accounting, I realized something very important...What's next?A one-and-a-half man operation (one part-time developer) is not enough. I will be seeking the following help:Technical Co-Founder/CTOWeb Designer/UX ExpertAnd since I need this help, I recently finished a pitch deck to present to investors. So far I have received a few initial offers (that were honestly terrible), and am extremely excited for what the future holds.These individuals will be instrumental in getting Spreadstreet to my ultimate vision.Products I currently use (not affiliated with any of the listed products)Last time I gave a run-down of products I currently use, and here is an update:Wordpress: Site is still on Wordpress, and I expect it to be there at least in the short-term. However our API is currently being developed on a Node.js server. In the future I fully expect a custom built solution, but for now it serves it's purposeDivi Theme: Still awesome, I would recommend to ANYONE using a Wordpress site. It could not be easier to use for non-technical peopleVultr and Microsoft Azure: Vultr houses the Wordpress site, Azure has been selected as our option for the API to handle scaling needs. We will be using a Node.js/Blob Storage/PostgreSQL stack.Canva: Awesome for coming up with graphics for anything you can think of. $13 per monthNamecheap: Where I purchased the domain name. Negligible cost, not worth noting. If you go with a less used TLD (such as .club instead of .com) it comes out to $0.88 a YEARCloudflare: Great for speeding up websites, however the current website is pretty light load so this may be overkill…but it’s freeBlockspring: Awesome Excel/Google Sheets add-in that makes calling APIs extremely easy.Zapier: Automation tool. $20 per month. Currently used to fill up my…Buffer. Scheduling tool for social media profiles. $10 per monthUpwork: I have one developer on staff who I sourced from Upwork. She is amazing, and has been extremely helpful in initial development I was unable to do. Ranges from $200 to $400 per month. I do not have the link at the moment, but someone on this subreddit had a great write-up on sourcing talent from UpworkData feed: I anticipate this to be one of the most expensive pieces of the business going forward, depending upon the landscape. Certain companies will want to offer their current data for sale, so licensing and agreements will be a part of the model going forward.Intercom: Last post I noted how I stopped using it due to cost. I came back to it. The product is just too damn good, even though I still do not agree with the pricing. But alas, here I am. Talking with customers is so damn important, and they have the best product on the market.New Skills GainedI continue to accumulate new skills every day, so this acts as a great buffer in case I am forced to go back to work at some time in the future.I now have an intermediate understanding of how the funding world works. Extremely interesting and excitingBeginner PHP, although I stopped this as it seems to be quite hated within the developer community (not entirely sure why...) and because my time must be spent elsewhereBasic UX - my website was honestly a mess two months ago. It is still not great, but much much better than what it used to be (doing such things as making sure the content is above the fold on multiple devices, creating a user onboarding experience, etc.)BlockspringZapier marketing automationMy technology lingo is a bit betterDifferences between types of databases, such as document storage, key-value, relational, etc.Best practices for API development. While I am not creating it myself, I need to know what I am talking about so my developer knows what to buildDon't be shy, say hi!I will end this here as it is getting to be a bit long, but I love meeting new or current entrepreneurs. Please send me a message, I would love to get to know you. I am located in the DC/Baltimore area, and in-person meetings are even better.John

[ceakinsdesign]

How to Start a Blog with HostGator

I wrote a post about 4 years ago titled, “I Need A Website! Where do I Start?” to help provide information to clients and others with questions about starting a website and paying for web design services. This post is written for similar reasons, but goes into details about the signup process with HostGator.

I have been using HostGator to host all of my websites for about 4 or 5 years now, after making a switch from GoDaddy. Although I loved the customer service I received while with GoDaddy, I hated the fees and the fact that they nickeled and dimed me for EVERYTHING! I did not and have not had that experience with HostGator AND I have been quite pleased with the level of customer service I have received from them, when I needed it.

For my web design clients, I encourage them to procure hosting and a domain name on their own (with guidance from me), rather than paying me or someone else to do it. The reason is so that they own those assets. The last thing you want to happen is for your web designer to get sick, close up shop or something worse, whilst holding the keys to your web presence. It also ensures that you can adequately keep up with and be on top of domain name registration expirations.

I’m Confused. What is Hosting? What is a Domain Name?

If you are completely new to blogging and websites, I’ve probably already thrown around a few terms that you are unfamiliar with. So, here is a brief synopsis of what is needed and makes up a website or blog.

I use the analogy of a house to help explain things. In order to start a blog or website, you need a domain name, a hosting account and website files. Your domain name or URL is like your house street address. In order to receive your mail, the post office needs a street address to send it to. In order to view your blog or website, visitors need a URL (address) to type into their web browser.

To obtain a URL, you need to register a domain name with a domain name registrar. There is a fee associated with doing this and they are typically done in yearly terms of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years. This is something you can do through HostGator and I will go over that process in more detail later in the tutorial.

Your actual house is like hosting. Your house contains your belongings like clothes, lots of shoes and furniture. Clothes and furniture are like your web files. A hosting account or hosting environment is where your web files live. Your web files are the visual representation of your site and are what power and make the site function. They are a combination of what a visitor sees when they navigate to your URL and they are also what churns on the backend of the site to make it all work. HostGator, as the name implies, also provides hosting accounts.

So where does WordPress, Joomla and Drupal fit into all of this? They are what is churning on the backend to power the functionality of your blog or website. They are what we refer to as a CMS, or Content Management System. It’s what allows the average Joe to start a blog site on their own or maintain and update a full website built by a designer.

WordPress is what I use to build full websites for my clients and is probably the most popular CMS for blogs. It is very user friendly, but I will admit that if you are not technically inclined at all…meaning you struggle to use your smartphone, you may not find it so user friendly.

How to Start a Blog with HostGator

Step 1: Choose a Hosting Package

HostGator has plenty of affordable plans that are perfect for starting your blog.

According to them, their most popular package is the Baby plan, because it allows for unlimited domains. This used to be the package I recommended to clients, but I have now started to recommend the Business plan because it comes with a private SSL. This is important because Google recently made updates to their search to identify sites that are ‘secure,’ meaning they have a SSL certificate vs. sites that are ‘unsecure,’ and do not have an SSL. Google is also giving prominence in their search engine rankings for sites that are secured with a SSL certificate.

Once you select a plan, click the bright yellow ‘Get Started Now!’ Button to add the hosting package to your cart.

Step 2: Choose a Domain Name

You can use HostGator’s domain registration tool to check for a domain name that is available. From here you can register a new domain name, or click the second tab “I Already Own This Domain,” if you are only buying hosting.

  Make sure you keep Domain Privacy Protection checked. This will mask your domain information in ICANN and replaces it with HostGator’s, so that you can maintain a level of privacy. If you don’t do this, you can expect to receive spam and unsolicited emails from people trying to sell you on their services, Viagra, and maybe even to collect an inheritance from a Nigerian prince.

Scroll down to step 2. Here you’ll need to enter a user name and password that you’ll use to manage your hosting account with HostGator. In step 3, you will enter your billing information.

The fourth step is to sell you on a bunch of additional services that really are not necessary. I always tell clients to skip those because I install plugins that take care of most of those items. If you are starting a blog on your own, you can find a decent array of free to low-cost plugins to do those same things.

When you reach step 5, make sure to enter coupon code CEDBLOG25. If you go to HostGator by clicking my affiliate link here, you’ll receive an extra 25% off. Yay for discounts!

Finally, click that you agree to the Terms and Conditions, then the big yellow ‘Checkout Now!’ button.

Step 3: Install WordPress

The next step is installing WordPress, the world’s most popular blogging platform, so you can get to work writing, sharing and posting.

When you completed your purchase, you should have received an email from HostGator with your cPanel username and password. cPanel is the portal you’ll use to manage your web hosting. The cPanel link is unique to you, so be sure to bookmark it for future reference.

If you are a Colleen Eakins Design client and I directed you to this post to help you set up your account, this is the email you need to forward to me. You also do not need to complete any further steps.

Log into cPanel and click on the Quick Install icon.

From there, you’ll see an option to Install WordPress for free.

Click the Install WordPress button and then complete the form accordingly.

The Base Domain for your installation.

The sub directory you would like the site to load from, if desired. You can leave this blank. Example: Should you wish your WordPress URL to be mydomain.com/site instead of just mydomain.com. Your site will always display this extension if you enter one.

For Admin Email, enter an email address where you want the admin password emailed to. Make sure this is a working email address.

For Blog Title, enter the name of the website. This is what will appear in the header as the name of your site.

For Admin Username, enter your preferred user name.

Your first name.

Your last name.

Click Install WordPress when you’re ready to proceed.

A progress bar at the top of the page will let you know when installation is complete. Once complete, you will be able to start working on your WordPress site. Check your email for your WordPress username and password as well as a link to your WordPress dashboard.

That’s it! You are now ready to log into your WordPress blog and start your blogging empire. Remember to save a little dough with HostGator in the process by using the coupon code CEDBLOG25, to get 25% off.

  How to Start a Blog with HostGator is a post from the Colleen Eakins Design Blog | Freelance Graphic Designer

from How to Start a Blog with HostGator