[On the rare day Marinette actually stays at school to eat her lunch, she finds a shady spot on the grass and makes herself comfortable. Food is the last thing on her mind, though, when the teacher's announced yet another design competition. Sketchbook out, Marinette loses herself in the skritch scratch of pencil on paper, her cheese tarts forgotten off to the side.
A sudden, soft thumping sound beside her finally startles her out of her work trance. Marinette tenses up and looks over just in time to see one of the tarts disappear into the mouth of a small, feline shape.]
Hey! [Before Plagg can escape, Marinette's already scooping him up in her hands.]
sorry for the delay! i still have no idea what i'm doing ajksdlf
[ god bless our lord and savior camembert, tbh. but no sooner had plagg swallowed down the tart when he finds himself getting scooped up by foreign hands. he flails a little, green eyes going wide. ]
Whoa, whoa!
[ he flails his little arms, turning around in marinette's hands to see just who is trying to catnap (haha get it) him. ]
[It just talked to me. Marinette stares down at Plagg with wide eyes, hands frozen where they are. Though she'd just grabbed him without thinking, she's quickly realizing there's something not quite right with this picture.]
You're-- [Marinette bites her lip, stopping herself from blurting it out. The feline being, obviously magical in some way, those eyes a familiar shade of green...it all points to him being a kwami like Tikki. And she can guess exactly who this one's partnered with.] ...not a regular cat.
[She finishes lamely. Even if she's right, she's not about to admit that she's Ladybug and risk the information passing onto Chat Noir.]
[ cats land on their feet. even as chat noir, adrien doesn't quite do that as much as he probably should, even when he's probably perceived as more perfect when he's not clad in leather and jumping from roof to roof. funny, that.
tonight's one of those rare moments where he's actually blundering as not chat noir. he's managed to slip into an outing with alya, nino and marinette without getting immediately shut down by his father, which he's taking as his rare bit of good luck for the month. that... left absolutely none for their activity of choice: ice skating at trocadero.
yeah, he's not good at that. nino and alya were suspiciously quick to skate off with practised skill, leaving usually-quiet-marinette to take care of the near slipping mess that is currently adrien agreste, hand on the guard rail. he's shifting between sheepish and here-we-go-i'm-going-to-fall as he looks at her, but it's pretty clear he's feeling apologetic about the whole thing. ]
Sorry about this, Marinette. It— [ a small slip, almost; he's having flashbacks to Climatika and her fondness towards ice-ing up the whole street. ] —woah. It's looks a lot easier than it actually is, huh?
[Unlike Adrien, Marinette knows exactly why Alya had ditched her so quickly, dragging a smirking Nino with her. Like always, Marinette's grateful for her friend's helpful nudges toward her crush, but at the same time, she's panicking a little at the thought of being alone--sorta--with him on the rink.]
I-it's okay, Adrien! [She stutters out, her trembling voice at odds with the graceful, practiced way she's handling herself on the ice. She and Alya have gone ice skating together often, after all, though she's realizing the same can't be said of Adrien. Probably too busy with his modeling and other things, she figures.]
You, you just--your skates! U-um...there? [Marinette blushes as she helplessly fumbles her way through the words. Finally, she just points toward the edge of the rink, where others are holding onto the low wall as they get used to the ice.
[ there's probably something endearing about the stuttering... except it just leaves adrien wondering what he's done to get marinette so painfully wound up all the time. especially considering how she acted around chat noir, and how she acts around the rest of the class.
oh, well. curiosity is all he basically feels towards her quirk—he's patient enough to try and get her point regardless; sure, he's not proficient in the skating department, but he's gotten enough experience in waiting for marinette to piece together what she wants to say to him. that, or he can interpret it. ]
There...? [ he repeats, as he glances over to where she's pointing and... him getting what she means settles quickly onto his expression. ] Oh!
[ and then a smile, for her patience and help because this is going totally well so far. (no, it isn't, because she can't speak and he can't... stand. well. right now.) ]
Good idea. Just— give me a second... [ to struggle over there. also give him another second to consider something else. a hint of hesitation, then: ] ... And a hand? Is that okay?
[Taking down an akuma without Chat Noir at her side was a possibility Ladybug had already thought of, but the reality of it is much harder than she would have expected. She has to keep going, though, and keep the promise she'd made her partner to stay safe while he was handling things in his civilian life.
As Ladybug races across the rooftops, she spies some people on the streets and leaps down.]
You have to get out of here! The akuma's heading this way!
[It's not until the words are out of her mouth that she actually notices what one of them is wearing: an outfit with colors as bright and eyecatching as hers, and a mask to top it all off. She doesn't have time to wonder about it, though. There's a telltale hiss of the akuma's sand on concrete, and Ladybug whirls around to face the threat, putting herself between the akuma and the civilians trying to escape.]
Iͥ̀ ͗̓ͥ͞a̸ͫ͑̈̐̽m ̸̓ͯͫͣD́̈̂͗͐̆͘r̨̒̓ͯe̒͋̇̈̚ảͣ͂͊̂̀͏mͪ͒́̔c̈ͣ͆̽̾ͯa͊͒̇ͬ̎ͫͮ҉t̐͛̐cͭ̌̈h͗ë͌͂̑̇̀r̵̃̃̏̋̋.̐̃ͧͧͧ͝ [Comes the whispering voice of the girl Hawkmoth's targeted this time.] I̾ͯ̇ͦ͝ ͂t͆̉͌̏̎ḣ̀͌̂̂̔̃͢i͝n̔̊̀͢kͥ͆ ̶i̿̓ͦ͞t'͐̈̔ͫs͐ͮ̾̄͂ͣ ̓ͬ̔̌͜t̵ͯ̈́ͦ̅ͮ̏i̐͑̉̓͒͂͏m̄ͥ̍̓̔̚͜ě̊ͬ͗ͨ ̍͂ͣ̒t̃̚oͧ̀̎ ̉s̛͆̄a̾͋͗ͮͫ̂͢y̏̒ ̊gͧ̍ͯ҉o̶͊̑̈́̄̐ò͌̎͞d̿̌͐̉͠nͪ͐͗̌̀i͐͑̏g̓̏h̛̾t͒ͥͩͣ.͐̉̑̎ͧ̇
[The ribbons and feathers decorating the akuma's outfit flutter ominously as the dream-sand circles around her almost lazily. Ladybug keeps a wary eye on her, knowing that getting trapped by the sand will instantly put her to sleep.]
[He's almost finished clearing the civilians when he sees her come down to warn them. Ladybug. As if it were possible to miss her in an outfit as garish as hers. (Then again, he's seen pictures of Grayson's first Nightwing uniform and honestly, Ladybug could do a lot worse.) At her warning, he tackles a couple out of the way of a streak of sand that had neared them and he's on his feet again only moments later, quickly accessing the situation.
Sand that puts people to sleep, not original but still highly effective. Tt. He has several explosive batarangs on him but even if the fire in them is hot enough to turn the sand to glass, there would be too much collateral damage. Once the civilians are out of the way, he makes his way to the roof in seconds, using the vantage point to try and figure out a plan.
His eyes fall on a fire hydrant and he smiles. Not a permanent solution, but it could work long enough for her to do her....whatever it was that she did. Magic thing. Whatever.]
Ladybug! [He knows she'll have questions and those can come after. For now he nods his head in the direction of the ground.] I have an idea. [He doesn't wait to see if she'll follow, jumping down and using a variety of tools from his belt and a short makeshift hose to get the hydrant spraying water at Dreamcatcher.]
[Him recognizing her isn't a surprise; most of Paris does at this point. Him jumping right into the fray with a plan to help her? That's definitely different, and not exactly unwelcome when her usual partner isn't here to watch her back.
Still, a civilian? Ladybug feels a flash of worry before she remembers the costume and the confident way he's handling himself right now. Maybe another Miraculous user? There's no time to be distracted by her thoughts, though, not when he's giving her the time she needs to use--]
Lucky Charm!! [With a flash of light, a giant can of spray adhesive drops into her hands. Just a moment to think about it, and then Ladybug's grinning as the idea hits her. She swings over to Robin, landing beside him nimbly.] I'm going to take care of the sand. See that hourglass necklace she's wearing? Grab that if you can.
[She waits for that to sink in before she's swinging off again, this time toward Dreamcatcher.]
[Her partner's hurt. Ladybug tries not to look toward the street, where a black form lies motionless, as she launches herself at the akuma desperately, one hand clutching the perfume bottle Lucky Charm had given her in a death grip. One spray right to the akuma's face and the scent quickly overwhelms the akuma's heightened sense of smell. As he sneezes furiously, Ladybug grabs the bandana tied to his arm and rips it in half. She barely spares a glance at the cleansed butterfly and the akuma victim before dashing right to her partner's side.
There's a nasty gash on the back of his head, and blood seeping into his blond hair. Ladybug bites her lip, knowing this is one image she won't be able to get out of her head for a while yet. To make things worse, she hears a familiar, warning beep from Chat Noir's ring. With him still out cold, she has no choice but to pick him up in her arms and dash away before his transformation can wear off in the middle of a street. There's little time left for her, too, she realizes with a cold feeling in her gut.
In her panic, she latches onto the first safe place that comes to mind: her home. She barely manages to place Chat Noir on the balcony chair before leaping through the trapdoor and into her room. Her transformation wears off just as her feet touch the floor. Marinette covers her face with her hands, heart still beating fast as everything finally catches up to her.]
Oh my god. [Marinette looks up toward the ceiling, hearing faint voices which can only mean that he's awake. In his civilian clothes.] What are you going to do, Marinette? [She feels Tikki touching her cheek in concern. She squares her shoulders, breathing deeply.]
I don't know yet, Tikki, but I can't leave him up there without saying anything. [With a quick "You stay down here" to her kwami, Marinette climbs back up to her balcony. Though she'd already had a strong sense of foreboding, nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Adrien Agreste standing there. The implications hit her and she gasps before she can stop herself.]
[ adrien wakes up from the haze in a both unfamiliar but familiar area; plagg's knocked out, fatigued, on his chest, though that soon changes when his charge bolts up. costume-less. he had been chat noir... there was ladybug, the danger and he— like always he just acted, and then there was a blackness like his name. he's adrien as he peers very carefully onto the streets, sinking back as he recognizes the area as marinette's family bakery.
his head isn't the only thing that protests at such quick action. plagg recovers just as adrien lifts a hand up to the pain that hits him at the back of the head so suddenly, though the boy's hardly giving any thought to that. he's fully aware of every detail of the injury, and even as he sways somewhat grasping the armrest of the chair he had woken up in for stability, he's not thinking about the gash or the blood at all. ]
What a rude wake up! All this hard work, but I can't even get a proper nap—
Plagg... [ is adrien's distracted response. did he mess up? if he was here, that meant it had to be ladybug that brought him. that brought all the thoughts rushing forward, a million explanations and maybes and implications buzzing through his mind.
ladybug brought him to marinette's house. did that mean ladybug was marinette? no, no, his lady was always so careful about her identity, so maybe instead she brought him to a place she knew was safe, which was marinette's place, which meant marinette at least knew ladybug, that would make sense from that time with le dessinateur wouldn't it and god, his head. ]
And now you're overthinking it all again. Do you even know what you did?
I know, I know— [ did that mean marinette knew who ladybug was? ladybug knew who he was, maybe, unless she just left him here and then bolted but he doubts she would've, not without knowing he was at least okay and had someone who could handle him, so did marinette know who he was or... ugh. ]
Tell me when you've got some cheese and you're done giving yourself a heada—
[ sounds from below. ]
— Plagg. [ he says again, as a warning, though adrien finds it almost silly that he's motioning for his kwami to disappear into his clothes when he'd been sitting there unconscious and exposed for who knows how long, but it's a habit and a reflex.
he's not sure who's coming up. there's a part of him that expects ladybug, and there's a part of him that expects marinette, and then there's a part of him that's saying is there a difference while another tells him that of course there is, there's no way what he's been waiting for would be this simple or this clumsy or as easy as getting clobbered on the head—
it's marinette. she gasps, and maybe she knows, but he doesn't know if "it's marinette" is the answer to the question beyond just "who came out of the trapdoor". the buzzing doesn't stop. the only thing he can muster together in the muddled everything that is this entire situation is a very lame, weak: ]
... Uh. Hey.
[ I'M CHAT NOIR! is not what he proclaims from the rooftops. everything about adrien at the moment betrays his absolutely reeling inside.
[Whatever (small) part of her that had been considering the truth immediately shuts down. Through her shock, one thought remains clear, driven by fear: he can't know. If she had feared Chat Noir would be disappointed by her civilian self, it's doubly true for the boy standing in front of her now. Adrien. Who she's been crushing on since he joined their class.
Inwardly, she shrinks away from the rejection--inevitably given if she reveals herself--and slams the walls back in place. Her eyes find a spot on the ground even as her fingers twist together nervously.]
H-hey. Ladybug--she said. She said you were injured in the akuma attack. [Her words tumble out of her mouth, quiet and disjointed. At least that hasn't changed, though a part of her is still reeling from trying to match Adrien to Chat and Chat to Adrien. They're like pieces of a puzzle that aren't fitting together right, and Marinette knows she has a lot of thinking to do tonight. She has to make sense of this somehow. She has to if she's ever going to face Adrien and Chat again.
Marinette breathes in, forcing herself to pretend she's Ladybug talking to Chat (it's technically true, isn't it?) and the words flow a little more easily. It does nothing to erase the bitter taste of the lies on her tongue, though.]
She couldn't stay, but she didn't want to leave you while you were hurt. [Another deep breath.] I...I can help you clean up if you want?
[If there's something that really works in Marinette's favor, it's that people still tend to judge by appearances, despite typical stereotypes being proven wrong again and again. Nobody expects slight, mousy Marinette to be working as a spy or to be as efficient as she is in combat, yet she is all of these things and more. Their mistake.
Sneaking around, hiding things, isn't normally Marinette's style, but with the way things are in Republic city, it's kind of hard not to get involved in some way. The Equalists are almost blinded to common sense by their resentment--it only takes one look at Marinette's story before she's accepted into their ranks eagerly. Hiroshi himself takes special interest in her, relating to the way she'd lost her family in a fire caused by a bender, and it doesn't take much for Marinette to get a job working in the mansion's kitchen. It's not revenge she's interested in, though, not like the Equalists immediately believe. She has friends who are benders--had friends before her life got turned upside down. Infiltrating the Equalist ranks is just one way to keep herself occupied as the smoke and ash clears.
In a way, she's almost glad when Asami finally finds out about her father's schemes. It must hurt, Marinette thinks, but at least she isn't in the dark anymore. And she'd liked the Sato heiress while she was working in the mansion. Marinette isn't sure what makes her cross the bay to Air Temple Island to go looking for Asami a few days after the fallout--compassion, maybe. Or the need to be useful. Whatever it is, she's here, and it would feel wrong to turn back now.
Marinette catches the attention of an air acolyte, asking to meet with Asami, if possible. As she watches the acolyte walk off, she stays in the main courtyard, fidgeting with her jacket. All that's left is to wait and see what Asami would do.]
[Asami wants to believe that Marinette is here to help. She took a liking to the other girl while she was working at the estate, and she could definitely use an extra friend right now.
But it's hard not to be suspicious about Marinette's reasons for being here, considering she'd been close to Hiroshi. But Asami'd been close to her father too, and she'd had no idea what was happening.
At the least, she's willing to hear Marinette out. Even if she wants to try something, Air Temple Island is well-defended enough that it probably won't be here and now.] Hey.
[She offers a weak half-smile and studies Marinette, wondering what's going on.] You wanted to see me?
[As she usually does when she needs a burst of inspiration for her designs, Marinette makes her way over to Trocadero Square to soak in the view. There are a bunch of tourists, as usual, but Marinette's eyes are drawn to one particular group. They're all fairly young, around her age, she thinks, and what little she can catch of their conversations sound English. She's just about to sit down at the foot of a pillar, well out of the way of the students trying to take pictures of the Eiffel Tower, when a loud, discordant note breaks the pleasant atmosphere, followed by screams.
From her location, Marinette can see a gaudily dressed figure wreaking havoc on the gardens below. Every time he plucks at the electric guitar strings, the sound waves send people and things flying, even cracking some of the statues. ]
[Dick is actually quite enjoying Paris, they've been there for a few days now and he's been having fun keeping his French polished (it's pretty good, most of his languages are pretty good thanks to Batman) and... not much else, it's been quiet. Much as he enjoys his extra-curricular duties, he can't deny it's nice to have a little break, even if Batman did tell him to keep an eye out for one of the colourful characters who've been causing trouble in the city lately. It's hard to imagine somebody starting chaos now, when it was such a nice day.
Of course, he spoke (or thought) too soon, because almost the second he finishes thinking just such a thing, several of his classmates jump at the loud noise and the chaos descends.
With everybody running around it's easy to duck away and find a quite corner to switch into his uniform (which he brought, of course, never leaves home without it), Robin might raise a few eyebrows showing up in Paris of all places, but he wasn't about to leave people to be menaced by some lunatic in a costume]
[Before Dick's done changing, Ladybug makes her own entrance, swinging into the square from the roof of a building.]
Everyone, please find cover! Head indoors!
[The Parisians seem to recognize her, the name "Ladybug" passed around as they all scramble to follow her directions, knowing she'll handle the problem. With people heading to safety, Ladybug focuses her attention on Sound Machine, who snarls at her.]
Laͨ̋dy͋͊̍̈́ͯ̔ͦb͌̄̈́ͯ͐̍͐u͊ͨ̂g͛̍̿̔!̐ͤ̐ͥ͛̈́ ͧ̓ͮ͗Ḣo͛́̅̓w͑ ͪͫ̏͒̄̑̓d̿ͦͬͩar͌eͭ̌͊̔ͦͧ ͩͪy̒͆̄ͬ̚ó͊̂ͭ̍ͣũ̂ͫ̈́̊͋̽ ͒͐̈́̅ͤȉ͑̚nͮͦ̓ͯͯtͧ͑̓̑ͭȅ͒̿̋̐̊rͤȑ̔̎͌ù̊͒ptͦ͆̓̚ ͑̔̐mẏ̚ ͛ͦ̚p̄ͤͩ̑́̉e̔̅͌̂ͩ͋r̔̾f͂̏̅̇̃or͆ͫͯm̽ȃnͬ̉ce͒̓̃̄̚!̐̌̈́ͧ̄ [Yoyo swinging almost lazily at her side, Ladybug retorts sharply even while she searches him for the akuma item.] I think these people would want a refund if they paid for it, Sound Machine.
[By the time Chat Noir arrives at the scene of the newest akuma attack, Ladybug's already been there for a little while, trying to get people to safety.
The akuma victim, now a supervillain named China Doll, wears a black qipao covered in embroidered pink flowers as she leaps delicately from roof to roof. Every time she duplicates the pink silk flower in her hair and tags someone with it, they turn into porcelain versions of themselves. An alarming number of the life-sized porcelain dolls already litter the streets closest to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.]
[Ladybug barely acknowledges Chat's presence beside her when he arrives, an unusual, frantic look in her eyes as she watches the akuma terrorize the citizens of Paris.]
[ it's the usual. chat had been doing his own bit of evacuation on his way to meet with ladybug, the cocktail of emotions that were the usual settling in his stomach as he approaches. an urgency in regards to the akuma, a small bloom of excitement at the chance to see her.
the bloom of excitement shifts to concern when he finally lands at her side, his ears perking up curiously when their routine doesn't continue as it should. this is where she comments on his tardy entrance, or enlightens him on the situation; this is where he's supposed to make some kind of joke, but it dies in his throat to make way for concern when he sees her face.
he's observant. and he knows ladybug too well (while simultaneously not really knowing her at all) to not sense that something is wrong. ]
My Lady?
[ tentatively, a hand outstretches to touch her shoulder. ]
[So lost in her panic--that's her mom out there--Ladybug jolts when she feels Chat's hand on her shoulder. She gives him a wide-eyed look that's more characteristic of Marinette than Ladybug, but right now she doesn't care.]
Chat... We--we need to come up with a plan. [Ladybug stumbles over her words slightly. What is she doing? Falling apart like this isn't going to help her mom in any way, and she needs to pull herself together.. Her jaw clenches stubbornly.]
[Being flung across two rooftops shouldn't be a regular day in Paris, but it is.]
What a hairy situation.
[Literally. Chat Noir's had many things thrown his way, but a furry mustache? This takes the cake. That doesn't stop the blond handlebar stache from growing.
He takes the brief break from battle to turn on his comm.]
Please don't have one. [First thing he says while looking over to where Super-Mustache's position is. Turns out Chloe's butler got tired of her fun and games once she got back to normal.]
Edited (repeating words are words i repeat when repeating those words) 2016-02-01 16:59 (UTC)
[There's a stifled laugh from the communicator, where Ladybug has clapped a hand over her (thankfully) mustache-less mouth as she giggles. Sure, it's still an akuma, but this one's pretty harmless as far as they go.]
He hasn't caught me yet. Can't say the same for you, though, kitty.
Good, because this thing itches. [Finally his claws become useful thanks to how thick it's starting become.]
Be careful of his stache, it can absorb objects and he's after my miraculous. He can actually punch you with it. [He rubs his cheek.] Hard. We're downtown near the residential district. I'll see you there, buginette.
[Even with his follicle frustrations he manages a wink for her before closing his comm and pouncing back into action.]
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idk
:3
A sudden, soft thumping sound beside her finally startles her out of her work trance. Marinette tenses up and looks over just in time to see one of the tarts disappear into the mouth of a small, feline shape.]
Hey! [Before Plagg can escape, Marinette's already scooping him up in her hands.]
sorry for the delay! i still have no idea what i'm doing ajksdlf
Whoa, whoa!
[ he flails his little arms, turning around in marinette's hands to see just who is trying to catnap (haha get it) him. ]
me, too...
You're-- [Marinette bites her lip, stopping herself from blurting it out. The feline being, obviously magical in some way, those eyes a familiar shade of green...it all points to him being a kwami like Tikki. And she can guess exactly who this one's partnered with.] ...not a regular cat.
[She finishes lamely. Even if she's right, she's not about to admit that she's Ladybug and risk the information passing onto Chat Noir.]
you'll regret asking for a bajillion things
tonight's one of those rare moments where he's actually blundering as not chat noir. he's managed to slip into an outing with alya, nino and marinette without getting immediately shut down by his father, which he's taking as his rare bit of good luck for the month. that... left absolutely none for their activity of choice: ice skating at trocadero.
yeah, he's not good at that. nino and alya were suspiciously quick to skate off with practised skill, leaving usually-quiet-marinette to take care of the near slipping mess that is currently adrien agreste, hand on the guard rail. he's shifting between sheepish and here-we-go-i'm-going-to-fall as he looks at her, but it's pretty clear he's feeling apologetic about the whole thing. ]
Sorry about this, Marinette. It— [ a small slip, almost; he's having flashbacks to Climatika and her fondness towards ice-ing up the whole street. ] —woah. It's looks a lot easier than it actually is, huh?
[ save him from himself. ]
never
I-it's okay, Adrien! [She stutters out, her trembling voice at odds with the graceful, practiced way she's handling herself on the ice. She and Alya have gone ice skating together often, after all, though she's realizing the same can't be said of Adrien. Probably too busy with his modeling and other things, she figures.]
You, you just--your skates! U-um...there? [Marinette blushes as she helplessly fumbles her way through the words. Finally, she just points toward the edge of the rink, where others are holding onto the low wall as they get used to the ice.
Why can't her words just speak themselves.]
no subject
oh, well. curiosity is all he basically feels towards her quirk—he's patient enough to try and get her point regardless; sure, he's not proficient in the skating department, but he's gotten enough experience in waiting for marinette to piece together what she wants to say to him. that, or he can interpret it. ]
There...? [ he repeats, as he glances over to where she's pointing and... him getting what she means settles quickly onto his expression. ] Oh!
[ and then a smile, for her patience and help because this is going totally well so far. (no, it isn't, because she can't speak and he can't... stand. well. right now.) ]
Good idea. Just— give me a second... [ to struggle over there. also give him another second to consider something else. a hint of hesitation, then: ] ... And a hand? Is that okay?
(no subject)
for damian
As Ladybug races across the rooftops, she spies some people on the streets and leaps down.]
You have to get out of here! The akuma's heading this way!
[It's not until the words are out of her mouth that she actually notices what one of them is wearing: an outfit with colors as bright and eyecatching as hers, and a mask to top it all off. She doesn't have time to wonder about it, though. There's a telltale hiss of the akuma's sand on concrete, and Ladybug whirls around to face the threat, putting herself between the akuma and the civilians trying to escape.]
Iͥ̀ ͗̓ͥ͞a̸ͫ͑̈̐̽m ̸̓ͯͫͣD́̈̂͗͐̆͘r̨̒̓ͯe̒͋̇̈̚ảͣ͂͊̂̀͏mͪ͒́̔c̈ͣ͆̽̾ͯa͊͒̇ͬ̎ͫͮ҉t̐͛̐cͭ̌̈h͗ë͌͂̑̇̀r̵̃̃̏̋̋.̐̃ͧͧͧ͝ [Comes the whispering voice of the girl Hawkmoth's targeted this time.] I̾ͯ̇ͦ͝ ͂t͆̉͌̏̎ḣ̀͌̂̂̔̃͢i͝n̔̊̀͢kͥ͆ ̶i̿̓ͦ͞t'͐̈̔ͫs͐ͮ̾̄͂ͣ ̓ͬ̔̌͜t̵ͯ̈́ͦ̅ͮ̏i̐͑̉̓͒͂͏m̄ͥ̍̓̔̚͜ě̊ͬ͗ͨ ̍͂ͣ̒t̃̚oͧ̀̎ ̉s̛͆̄a̾͋͗ͮͫ̂͢y̏̒ ̊gͧ̍ͯ҉o̶͊̑̈́̄̐ò͌̎͞d̿̌͐̉͠nͪ͐͗̌̀i͐͑̏g̓̏h̛̾t͒ͥͩͣ.͐̉̑̎ͧ̇
[The ribbons and feathers decorating the akuma's outfit flutter ominously as the dream-sand circles around her almost lazily. Ladybug keeps a wary eye on her, knowing that getting trapped by the sand will instantly put her to sleep.]
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Sand that puts people to sleep, not original but still highly effective. Tt. He has several explosive batarangs on him but even if the fire in them is hot enough to turn the sand to glass, there would be too much collateral damage. Once the civilians are out of the way, he makes his way to the roof in seconds, using the vantage point to try and figure out a plan.
His eyes fall on a fire hydrant and he smiles. Not a permanent solution, but it could work long enough for her to do her....whatever it was that she did. Magic thing. Whatever.]
Ladybug! [He knows she'll have questions and those can come after. For now he nods his head in the direction of the ground.] I have an idea. [He doesn't wait to see if she'll follow, jumping down and using a variety of tools from his belt and a short makeshift hose to get the hydrant spraying water at Dreamcatcher.]
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Still, a civilian? Ladybug feels a flash of worry before she remembers the costume and the confident way he's handling himself right now. Maybe another Miraculous user? There's no time to be distracted by her thoughts, though, not when he's giving her the time she needs to use--]
Lucky Charm!! [With a flash of light, a giant can of spray adhesive drops into her hands. Just a moment to think about it, and then Ladybug's grinning as the idea hits her. She swings over to Robin, landing beside him nimbly.] I'm going to take care of the sand. See that hourglass necklace she's wearing? Grab that if you can.
[She waits for that to sink in before she's swinging off again, this time toward Dreamcatcher.]
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for adrien
There's a nasty gash on the back of his head, and blood seeping into his blond hair. Ladybug bites her lip, knowing this is one image she won't be able to get out of her head for a while yet. To make things worse, she hears a familiar, warning beep from Chat Noir's ring. With him still out cold, she has no choice but to pick him up in her arms and dash away before his transformation can wear off in the middle of a street. There's little time left for her, too, she realizes with a cold feeling in her gut.
In her panic, she latches onto the first safe place that comes to mind: her home. She barely manages to place Chat Noir on the balcony chair before leaping through the trapdoor and into her room. Her transformation wears off just as her feet touch the floor. Marinette covers her face with her hands, heart still beating fast as everything finally catches up to her.]
Oh my god. [Marinette looks up toward the ceiling, hearing faint voices which can only mean that he's awake. In his civilian clothes.] What are you going to do, Marinette? [She feels Tikki touching her cheek in concern. She squares her shoulders, breathing deeply.]
I don't know yet, Tikki, but I can't leave him up there without saying anything. [With a quick "You stay down here" to her kwami, Marinette climbs back up to her balcony. Though she'd already had a strong sense of foreboding, nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Adrien Agreste standing there. The implications hit her and she gasps before she can stop herself.]
u3u ugh i tl;dred im sorry
his head isn't the only thing that protests at such quick action. plagg recovers just as adrien lifts a hand up to the pain that hits him at the back of the head so suddenly, though the boy's hardly giving any thought to that. he's fully aware of every detail of the injury, and even as he sways somewhat grasping the armrest of the chair he had woken up in for stability, he's not thinking about the gash or the blood at all. ]
What a rude wake up! All this hard work, but I can't even get a proper nap—
Plagg... [ is adrien's distracted response. did he mess up? if he was here, that meant it had to be ladybug that brought him. that brought all the thoughts rushing forward, a million explanations and maybes and implications buzzing through his mind.
ladybug brought him to marinette's house. did that mean ladybug was marinette? no, no, his lady was always so careful about her identity, so maybe instead she brought him to a place she knew was safe, which was marinette's place, which meant marinette at least knew ladybug, that would make sense from that time with le dessinateur wouldn't it and god, his head. ]
And now you're overthinking it all again. Do you even know what you did?
I know, I know— [ did that mean marinette knew who ladybug was? ladybug knew who he was, maybe, unless she just left him here and then bolted but he doubts she would've, not without knowing he was at least okay and had someone who could handle him, so did marinette know who he was or... ugh. ]
Tell me when you've got some cheese and you're done giving yourself a heada—
[ sounds from below. ]
— Plagg. [ he says again, as a warning, though adrien finds it almost silly that he's motioning for his kwami to disappear into his clothes when he'd been sitting there unconscious and exposed for who knows how long, but it's a habit and a reflex.
he's not sure who's coming up. there's a part of him that expects ladybug, and there's a part of him that expects marinette, and then there's a part of him that's saying is there a difference while another tells him that of course there is, there's no way what he's been waiting for would be this simple or this clumsy or as easy as getting clobbered on the head—
it's marinette. she gasps, and maybe she knows, but he doesn't know if "it's marinette" is the answer to the question beyond just "who came out of the trapdoor". the buzzing doesn't stop. the only thing he can muster together in the muddled everything that is this entire situation is a very lame, weak: ]
... Uh. Hey.
[ I'M CHAT NOIR! is not what he proclaims from the rooftops. everything about adrien at the moment betrays his absolutely reeling inside.
C'EST LA VIE. ]
don't be it's great ;o;
Inwardly, she shrinks away from the rejection--inevitably given if she reveals herself--and slams the walls back in place. Her eyes find a spot on the ground even as her fingers twist together nervously.]
H-hey. Ladybug--she said. She said you were injured in the akuma attack. [Her words tumble out of her mouth, quiet and disjointed. At least that hasn't changed, though a part of her is still reeling from trying to match Adrien to Chat and Chat to Adrien. They're like pieces of a puzzle that aren't fitting together right, and Marinette knows she has a lot of thinking to do tonight. She has to make sense of this somehow. She has to if she's ever going to face Adrien and Chat again.
Marinette breathes in, forcing herself to pretend she's Ladybug talking to Chat (it's technically true, isn't it?) and the words flow a little more easily. It does nothing to erase the bitter taste of the lies on her tongue, though.]
She couldn't stay, but she didn't want to leave you while you were hurt. [Another deep breath.] I...I can help you clean up if you want?
you're greater aaaa
no you
no YOU
I'm sorry lol
I wasn't even sure what to leave so here's some kind of thing
I JUST MADE STUFF UP let me know if this works...
Sneaking around, hiding things, isn't normally Marinette's style, but with the way things are in Republic city, it's kind of hard not to get involved in some way. The Equalists are almost blinded to common sense by their resentment--it only takes one look at Marinette's story before she's accepted into their ranks eagerly. Hiroshi himself takes special interest in her, relating to the way she'd lost her family in a fire caused by a bender, and it doesn't take much for Marinette to get a job working in the mansion's kitchen. It's not revenge she's interested in, though, not like the Equalists immediately believe. She has friends who are benders--had friends before her life got turned upside down. Infiltrating the Equalist ranks is just one way to keep herself occupied as the smoke and ash clears.
In a way, she's almost glad when Asami finally finds out about her father's schemes. It must hurt, Marinette thinks, but at least she isn't in the dark anymore. And she'd liked the Sato heiress while she was working in the mansion. Marinette isn't sure what makes her cross the bay to Air Temple Island to go looking for Asami a few days after the fallout--compassion, maybe. Or the need to be useful. Whatever it is, she's here, and it would feel wrong to turn back now.
Marinette catches the attention of an air acolyte, asking to meet with Asami, if possible. As she watches the acolyte walk off, she stays in the main courtyard, fidgeting with her jacket. All that's left is to wait and see what Asami would do.]
its good lets go for it
But it's hard not to be suspicious about Marinette's reasons for being here, considering she'd been close to Hiroshi. But Asami'd been close to her father too, and she'd had no idea what was happening.
At the least, she's willing to hear Marinette out. Even if she wants to try something, Air Temple Island is well-defended enough that it probably won't be here and now.] Hey.
[She offers a weak half-smile and studies Marinette, wondering what's going on.] You wanted to see me?
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For shini
From her location, Marinette can see a gaudily dressed figure wreaking havoc on the gardens below. Every time he plucks at the electric guitar strings, the sound waves send people and things flying, even cracking some of the statues. ]
Ȉ̏̃ͨ̔ ͩ̿̒̃̀ͩ̍͏ä́̾ͪm͛̔ͥ̒ͤ̄͒ ͞S̈́o̎̓̌҉ú̧͆ͩ̀n̈̐dͧͧ̎ͭͭ͌ͦ ̴̌̀̒͗ͪM̾͜ácͯ̋h̋̄͂ĭ̴͒̿̇̎ͤͣnͯͦͮ̌̎͗̐́eͮ̑́̓͑̇ͨ!̔̇̚ ͤ̌ ̓͌̂͟Yͣͭͤ͞o͊͒ͨu͑͒ͥ̉͆'͑rͬͮ́ͭ̕e̢͂ ҉j̿ͫ͌͜u̸̒̆́ͭs̔͋ͪͬ̑̋̅͝t̸͆̓̓ͤͤͭ i̢͂ͦ̈n̄ͪ ͆͋̌̿ͬ̒̅ti͐m̑̐̅̎ẻ ̓̎҉fͫ̓͐͒ͣ͛̌҉ór͛ͩ̅̑͏ ͭ̊͋̽͐͐͗͜mͥͫͦ́y̴̓̓ͪ̆͗̚ ͤ̉҉ę̑ͧn̷̈c̢ͤo̎͐ͦ́͑̒̓r̈͑͑͂eͯ͛̿̃ͦ̀̾!ͣ̀ͧ͛̎̐
It's an Akuma! Marinette realizes, and quickly darts off to find some place to transform.]
Re: For shini
Of course, he spoke (or thought) too soon, because almost the second he finishes thinking just such a thing, several of his classmates jump at the loud noise and the chaos descends.
With everybody running around it's easy to duck away and find a quite corner to switch into his uniform (which he brought, of course, never leaves home without it), Robin might raise a few eyebrows showing up in Paris of all places, but he wasn't about to leave people to be menaced by some lunatic in a costume]
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Everyone, please find cover! Head indoors!
[The Parisians seem to recognize her, the name "Ladybug" passed around as they all scramble to follow her directions, knowing she'll handle the problem. With people heading to safety, Ladybug focuses her attention on Sound Machine, who snarls at her.]
Laͨ̋dy͋͊̍̈́ͯ̔ͦb͌̄̈́ͯ͐̍͐u͊ͨ̂g͛̍̿̔!̐ͤ̐ͥ͛̈́ ͧ̓ͮ͗Ḣo͛́̅̓w͑ ͪͫ̏͒̄̑̓d̿ͦͬͩar͌eͭ̌͊̔ͦͧ ͩͪy̒͆̄ͬ̚ó͊̂ͭ̍ͣũ̂ͫ̈́̊͋̽ ͒͐̈́̅ͤȉ͑̚nͮͦ̓ͯͯtͧ͑̓̑ͭȅ͒̿̋̐̊rͤȑ̔̎͌ù̊͒ptͦ͆̓̚ ͑̔̐mẏ̚ ͛ͦ̚p̄ͤͩ̑́̉e̔̅͌̂ͩ͋r̔̾f͂̏̅̇̃or͆ͫͯm̽ȃnͬ̉ce͒̓̃̄̚!̐̌̈́ͧ̄ [Yoyo swinging almost lazily at her side, Ladybug retorts sharply even while she searches him for the akuma item.] I think these people would want a refund if they paid for it, Sound Machine.
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for adrien ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The akuma victim, now a supervillain named China Doll, wears a black qipao covered in embroidered pink flowers as she leaps delicately from roof to roof. Every time she duplicates the pink silk flower in her hair and tags someone with it, they turn into porcelain versions of themselves. An alarming number of the life-sized porcelain dolls already litter the streets closest to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.]
I'lͥͤ̓ͥͨ̋l̈̎̓̋͆̉̾ ͋̔ͣͣ̉̚s͋̃͆h̏͂ͬͧoͭ̾ẁͣ̔͑̃̆ ̇͗̑ͯ̿yͪ͋ͯ̽oͨ̊̃͒͆ū̽̓͆̀̓ ̾ͣ̈́̀ͩ̓ͤd͒̈͑ͭ̉̋̔ȅ͑̇ͥͬli̿̃̋͊̈c̐̄̅̓ͤ̈́̅at̃ͩ̓̅̾e͌͒̉̈̄ͮ̋!ͯ
[Ladybug barely acknowledges Chat's presence beside her when he arrives, an unusual, frantic look in her eyes as she watches the akuma terrorize the citizens of Paris.]
ლ(●ↀωↀ●)ლ my lady
the bloom of excitement shifts to concern when he finally lands at her side, his ears perking up curiously when their routine doesn't continue as it should. this is where she comments on his tardy entrance, or enlightens him on the situation; this is where he's supposed to make some kind of joke, but it dies in his throat to make way for concern when he sees her face.
he's observant. and he knows ladybug too well (while simultaneously not really knowing her at all) to not sense that something is wrong. ]
My Lady?
[ tentatively, a hand outstretches to touch her shoulder. ]
omg...
Chat... We--we need to come up with a plan. [Ladybug stumbles over her words slightly. What is she doing? Falling apart like this isn't going to help her mom in any way, and she needs to pull herself together.. Her jaw clenches stubbornly.]
The akuma's in the flower, the one in her hair.
(๑ↀᆺↀ๑)✧ bugaboo
chaton....
~(=^‥^)_旦~ m'ladybug
Kitty pls
idk what i'm doing
What a hairy situation.
[Literally. Chat Noir's had many things thrown his way, but a furry mustache? This takes the cake. That doesn't stop the blond handlebar stache from growing.
He takes the brief break from battle to turn on his comm.]
Please don't have one. [First thing he says while looking over to where Super-Mustache's position is. Turns out Chloe's butler got tired of her fun and games once she got back to normal.]
it's ok
He hasn't caught me yet. Can't say the same for you, though, kitty.
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Be careful of his stache, it can absorb objects and he's after my miraculous. He can actually punch you with it. [He rubs his cheek.] Hard. We're downtown near the residential district. I'll see you there, buginette.
[Even with his follicle frustrations he manages a wink for her before closing his comm and pouncing back into action.]
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