My way of writing

A writer | A reader | A fan

[arolla-pine]

Hey there!

Today I’ve got an email from Tumblr that my blog has its 5th birthday. I cannot believe that! Five years ago, I started publishing here my Miraculous Ladybug fanfics – in English, which is not my mother tongue, yet I’ve tried to share my writing with a wider audience. Some of you liked my stories so much, and that gave me wings to fly as a writer. Thank you for being here, supporting me... That means a lot...

However, life happened. As to all of you… Some days are good, some days are not so good. I didn’t realise that my summer break in 2021 turned out to be a year and a half hiatus. All because of health, or rather lack of it. I wish I could promise you my return soon. But not yet… I have to choose my priorities carefully. I hope you’ll stay and wait for me a bit longer. See you soon!

Arolla

[arolla-pine]

Summer break

Hi, guys…

I have an announcement.

Unfortunately I won’t be able to translate the next chapters of “The Night” for a while. The text which is ready in Polish will be updated as much as I have it done. However, the English chapters will have to wait until I get some time to catch up with the translation.

If you can stand the automatic translation (which is terrible sometimes… 😉) you can always check my blog (https://niesmialek.blogspot.com) which – despite the fact it’s in Polish – has the option of automatic translation by Google. 

The next chapters will appear there on Saturdays, so you can try to read “kind-of-English” chapters there. If I find some time during the summer weeks, I’ll upload the chapters here as soon as possible. But for the current moment there will be only chapters in Polish. Stay tuned!

And stay safe and healthy!

Lena

[arolla-pine]

The Night - p.4

(4) – The beginning of the journey

When Wayzz disappeared Marinette and Adrien exchanged panicked glances. Either someone took over the bracelet or Master Fu renounced his Miraculous to protect it from the villain. The question was – who was that?

“Vol-who?”, Marinette asked quietly.

“Voldemort?”, Adrien couldn’t help it but joked, but his girlfriend only laughed.

“Silly Kitty! You read too many books! Do you really think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has come to take over the Miraculous Box?”

“I’m sure that this Box would solve most of his problems…”

“Please, Cat…”, Marinette rolled her eyes. “Focus! We’re in troubles. Someone real hunts for Master Fu. And it looks like there are only us who can save Master! But how can we do it if we don’t have our Miraculouses? We know nothing about the threat nor about the Box hidden place!”

“Focused on the task. As always…”, Adrien sighed.

“I think we have to postpone our plans…”, Marinette stood up and began buttoning up her dress. “Don’t show that shirt to your Mum…”, she asked Adrien. “I’ll sew the button on when we’ve found the Miraculous Box.”

“Just don’t put on that terrible dress next time, ok?”, he suggested, getting dressed too.

“You don’t like it?”, she pretended to be shocked and turned around. “I think it’s beautiful!”

“It’s gorgeous!”, he assured her and embraced her. He leaned but instead of kissing her he whispered just into her lips: “I just hate unbuttoning it. If you put it on again for our special date, I swear I’ll tear it off even if all the buttons end up on the floor.”

“What a tempting scenario…”, Marinette winked at him. “I’ll think about it…”

“Damn… Now I wish it happen…”, he muttered, and she laughed.

“Behave, so maybe you’ll get what you want…”

“I love you, Bugaboo…”, Adrien whispered and kissed her shortly. “Have I told you that already?”

“Without a knife at your throat?”, she smiled in reply. That was their joke since that terrible night they had said that for the first time. “A zillion times already. But I’m still not fed up with it.”

“That’s good. We promised each other that we would never be fed up with it.”

“If I remember correctly that was you who promised me that…”, she said, leaving his embraces and rushing to the trapdoor.

“Doesn’t that go both ways?”, he asked surprised.

Marinette stopped at the door and looked at him tenderly. She smiled and replied:

“It does, it does…”

And when he grinned meaningfully, she added in a serious tone:

“Get to work now!”

“Do you have any idea where we should start?”, he asked following her downstairs.

“The only place I can think of is the salon of Chinese Medicine services where I visited Master Fu a few times. Let’s hope that we’ll find there an old gramophone!”

“Is it the address mentioned by Master Fu three years ago? When he said you wouldn’t find him there anymore?”, Adrien remembered suddenly.

“Yes, that’s the address…”, Marinette nodded. “But this is the only place I know. So if Master Fu left us hints in places obvious for us, that should be the first one. If it’s empty, we’ll start worry about the other options.”

“We still don’t know who’s the threat…”, Adrien got back to the other riddle left by Wayzz.

“Finding Miraculouses is the priority now. Then we’ll worry about who is our opponent…”

“You’re sure it’s not Voldemort?”, he joked just to relieve the tension that appeared in Marinette’s moves. He remembered that it had always helped Ladybug to relax and to find a better solution.

“Wayzz said ‘she’, so I don’t think it’s him. But if it is Voldemort I promise you can try to cast a spell, whatever you like!”

“I prefer my old good Cataclysm, you know?”

“First, we have to find Tikki and Plagg. I have a feeling that they won’t be in the Miraculous Box but somewhere else. Damn it!”, she exclaimed suddenly, standing at the middle of a pavement. “I had other plans for tonight! I’m too old for saving Paris!”

“Firstly, you’re not too old, M’Lady…”, Adrien whispered, coming closer and embracing her. “Secondly, I had the same plans… So you can be sure we’ll catch it up very soon!”, He kissed her shortly. “And I swear: no more planning! And thirdly, you’re not saving Paris, Bugaboo. Tonight we’re saving our friend…”

Marinette looked at Adrien with love and climbed on her tiptoes and kissed him to show him how grateful she was for the support he gave her. Then she took his hand and headed to the place she remembered there was a salon of Chinese Medicine. She hoped to find Wayzz there. With the Turtle Miraculous it would be easier to find the next hints left by Master Fu.

—

The Night - p.3  <-  Previous part |  Next part  -> The Night - p.5 (Soon! Stay tuned!)

Start reading from the beginning

[arolla-pine]

The Night - p.3

(3) – Troubles

“What are you doing here, Wayzz?”, Marinette asked, perfectly aware how unambiguous the situation was that Master Fu’s kwami interrupted.

“My Master and all Miraculouses are in danger!”, kwami said ignoring ex-superheroes’ embarrassment. “Master sent me to bring help. He gave me clear instructions that I should find both of you. Thankfully you’ve been here together because there’s a chance I’ll tell you everything.”

“So tell us since we don’t have time to lose…”, Marinette encouraged him trying to keep her dress on her shoulders.

“Couldn’t Master Fu come here?”, Adrien asked at the same moment.

“He had no time for transformation,” Wayzz explained. “He’d been expecting this attack for a while, so he hid the Miraculous Box in a safe place. Even I don’t know where it is. Just in case the villain took over the Turtle Miraculous and I would be forced to obey my new master’s orders. Master Fu left you some hints that should lead you to that hiding place. He planned to send you a message but he lost that chance since we almost fell into a trap. Master will abandon his Miraculous soon. He’ll hide it in a place you should know, Marinette. Do you remember the code?”

“What code?”

“Do you remember the hiding place of the Miraculous Box?”

“The Box is still there?”, Marinette asked with hope.

“No. You should find there the bracelet. I mean – me. And I hope it will be you, not the villain. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to do the evil a service like Nooroo once did.”

Adrien felt remorse as always when he remembered what his father, Gabriel Agreste, had done to Paris just to bring his beloved wife back. Even if the only son was the price for that wish… After three years that betrayal ached Adrien like a splinter in his heart.

“Master Fu chose the hints wisely that would be useless for the villain…”, Wayzz continued. “You should manage to deal with them, Marinette. Do you remember the code?”, he repeated insistently.

“It’s been ages since then…”, the girl whined. “I have no idea if I remember that!”

“You have to trust your intuition and memory. You’re a good observer. You’ve seen Master Fu opening the gramophone. You should figure out the combination. You must be hurry to find it before the villain will do it. Then you’ll follow the rest of hints to find, eventually, the Miraculous Box. Probably you’ll need other superheores’ help. Master said that you should choose holders for the first circle of Miraculouses which are the most powerful. Only then you’ll succeed with setting Master Fu free.”

“He’s imprisoned?!”, both ex-superheroes exclaimed.

“Not yet, if we’re still talking… That means he hasn’t abandoned his bracelet yet. But I can feel a disturbance of the energy balance, so probably I’ll disappear soon. Master Fu will have to take off the bracelet and hide it at the gramophone early enough to mislead the villain and get caught far away from the hidden place. But if he had no other choice, he’ll renounce the function of the Great Guardian. It’s risky, but Master Fu will sacrifice himself if that’s the last option. Just to let you win and save the Miraculouses.”

“Will he die then?”, Adrien asked.

“No. But he’ll forget about the Miraculouses and everything that’s related to them. That’s the rule of the Guardians. When Master thinks it’s hopeless or he’s getting tired of resistance he’ll renounce this function and you’ll be a new Guardian, Marinette.”

“But…”, she hesitated. “I know nothing about the Miraculouses! Just a few things that Master Fu managed to teach me three years ago…”

“That should be enough for the start. Follow the hints and you’ll find the grimoire. You’ll find there all information you need.”

“But it’s coded! Oh, another code…”, Marinette protested.

“Master spent some time during last three years on decoding the grimoire. I think that one of the hints left by Master will lead you to this book. Just remember to be careful with choosing your allies. You can trust only closest friends! Don’t spread the secret over too many people…”

“Who are we fighting against?”, Adrien asked.

“Master Fu said that this villain is much more dangerous than Hawkmoth. Dangerous even without a Miraculous…”

“How did Master discover that?”

“The Great Guardian has no time for a break or relax. Master Fu has always known what to do to protect the Miraculous Box. He also can feel the threat. He found out the danger just in time, almost too late… What a pity he didn’t have the opportunity to personally assign this mission to you. You have to trust your intuition and remember the old times.”

“We even don’t have our Miraculouses!”, Adrien reminded.

“Master couldn’t send them by me. It was too dangerous! If the villain took over the Miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir, that would be the end of the world we know…”

“How will we find them?”

“By following hints, guidance, signs… They will be obvious for you but not necessarily for the villain. However… You cannot take it for sure. Eventually, she knows you, even though she didn’t know that you were Ladybug and Cat Noir…”

“You know who’s the villain?!”, Marinette exclaimed in shock.

“It’s Vol…”

And at that moment, Wayzz disappeared.

---

The Night - p.2  <-  Previous part |  Next part  -> The Night - p.4 

Start reading from the beginning

[arolla-pine]

The Night - p.2

(2) – A million buttons

A/N: Warning! This chapter contains parts that are restricted for readers 16+. If you are younger, please skip this part and move to the end of the chapter.

* * * 

The tension between Marinette and Adrien increased with each passionate kiss. Finally, the girl pushed her boyfriend towards the couch. He – shocked a little – sat down, and pulled her at her hand. She settled down on his lap, straddled.

“So we’re not going to eat dinner at all?”, he asked grinning, knowing that smile affected his girlfriend every single time.

“Oh, shut up!”, she muttered. “Too much planning…”

“That’s been you who always makes plans. I prefer their realisation…”

“Then please, show me what you can…”, She smiled teasingly and moved back a little.

He looked at her dress sceptically. It had a lot of buttons, like a hundred or even more… He guessed that Marinette had chosen it by purpose to tease him.

“Seriously, Purrincess?”, he asked with a wry smile. “That’ll take months!”

“Oh, come on!”, she winked at him. “Such a superhero will deal with that right away!”

To tease him more she moved her hand alongside the row of buttons.

“It’s like a million…”, he sighed and pulled her closer.

“Better hurry up, Kitty… My parents won’t stay at the restaurant for eternity…”

“Temptress…”, he commented, and she laughed in response.

He began unbuttoning her dress, but Marinette had a plan to make it more difficult. She leaned to kiss him, and when he looked at her surprised, she murmured just next to his mouth:

“Let’s check if you can focus…”

Then she started kissing him. He had no chance to have a peek to find the next buttons, and he was hopeless with unbuttoning by touch.

“I think it’ll be better to tear that dress off…”, he muttered, breaking the kiss.

“Maybe next time…”, she giggled. “Be nice. I promise you won’t regret it.”

“I’m sure I won’t!”, he grinned meaningfully, and when she rolled her eyes, he managed to undo some more buttons.

“Silly Kitty! It was really expensive!”

“Which was totally pointless! I have no idea why girls think that they have to pay so much for lingerie if that’s… uhm…”, he stopped suddenly when he noticed a lace strap that appeared from under the dress.

“You were saying?”, she murmured with a half-smile but he stayed frozen – just staring at the strap.

He looked so adorable that Marinette wanted kiss him to death. Instead, she took his hand and put it on her shoulder. All the time she kept watching him, but he only stared at his hand traveling to the strap.

“I’m not made of porcelain…”, she whispered and touched his cheek.

She recognised the moment when he woke up from the shock because his thumb moved alongside her strap. She sighed with satisfaction. That was a very good investment…

“Damn buttons…”, Adrien muttered when his hand stopped at the hem of the fabric.

“You’ve managed to undo only a few with a million ahead…”, Marinette giggled.

“Can’t I just tear it off? Please?”, he asked.

“And who do you think will have to collect all those buttons from the floor and repair the dress later?”

“I’ve heard you can sew…”

“I think I should motivate you somehow to work…” She winked at him. “What would you say for a little competition? Just like the old times…”, she suggested.

“You’re running away on Parisian rooftops and I’ll try to catch you?”

“Nope…” She moved her hand over his chest. “Your shirt versus my dress?”

“It’s not fair! I have just a few button!”, he protested, while Marinette touched his cheek then moved to his neck and alongside his collar. Then she began unbuttoning his shirt.

Not only the number of buttons were against Adrien. His competitor was the expert in sewing so she had deft hands while his own were pianists palms – so clumsy with all those buttons. It wasn’t a surprise when Marinette managed to unbutton his shirt in seconds.

“And you’ve just lost!”, she exclaimed with satisfaction and slipped the shirt off his shoulders.

“Not yet…”, he grinned.

“Cuffs buttons don’t count!”, she objected.

“Not that button I meant…”, he replied suggestively that made her blush.

“Dirty mind!”, she commented and tore the shirt out of the trousers.

The last button caught on the belt and came off the fabric. It flew throughout the whole bedroom and landed under Marinette’s desk. The couple on the couch watched that flight then burst out laughing.

“So it looks like some buttons ended up on the floor anyway…”, Adrien noted. “May I now?”, he asked catching the hem of the dress.

“No way! I need that dress to wear it from time to time. Especially for my parents when they come back! Besides, you have to admit that I won!”

“What’s the reward?”

“I’m in charge tonight!”

“You’re always in charge…”, he sighed.

“Fine. If the competition didn’t work, maybe I’ll motivate you by saying that the top and the bottom match?”, she winked at him.

“M-Marinette!”, he moaned but his hand reached the buttons. The other hand, however, moved alongside her thigh which made her run out of breath.

“You-you’re cheat-ing…”, she sighed trying to catch her breath.

“Am I?”, he smiled, pretending to be surprised. “It looks like it works both ways…”, he discovered and began kissing her.

After a moment Adrien felt that he had undone enough buttons. He slipped his hands under the fabric and moved them down, taking off the dress. That was his turn to be run out of breath.

“I think it’s the wrong time…” They heard next to them.

Marinette squealed and pulled the dress on her shoulders, and Adrien hugged her protectively, before they both realised who had appeared in the bedroom.

It was Wayzz – Master Fu’s kwami.

---

The Night - p.1  <-  Previous part |  Next part  -> The Night - p.3 

[arolla-pine]

The Night - p.1

(1) – Too much planning

A/N: Before you read this story, please be sure that you have read “That Day” (https://arolla-pine.tumblr.com/post/173635032556/adrien-appreciation-week-day-1-friends) because this book is the sequel of “TD” and you’ll find here some reference to the first book. Besides, the Chapter 1 is full of information about “TD”, so if you don’t want spoilers, read “TD” first!

* * *

The room looked perfect. Marinette took a glance just to check if everything was in its place. She even had tidied up the desk where she usually sewed. She sighed softly as her eyes fell on the old dollhouse. The house where Tikki – the creature closest to her soul, Ladybug's kwami, who gave Marinette the power to create – had been living for two years.

Those days were over. For past three years the dollhouse had been empty, staying in the corner and reminding the girl of those wonderful times. Although the superheroine’s duties had filled her time and she often had to skip lessons or forget about the rest at night, saving Paris from the supervillain, Hawk Moth, she felt great joy each time, that it worked again. But most of all she always had such a positive and kind creature by her side…

Sabine tried to persuade Marinette to throw away that old dollhouse and didn’t understand her daughter's reluctance to get rid of the junk. Mum couldn’t have known how much this toy meant to the former superheroine. She had no idea it reminded her daughter of Tikki and the time spent together with her kwami. Marinette was still very emotional at the thought that she couldn't have even said goodbye to her – Master Fu had taken her Miraculous away so suddenly. So did he with the Cat Noir’s Miraculous.

Marinette's thoughts drifted to her partner. For so many months she had fought alongside Cat Noir and kept rejecting his advances, unaware that it was Adrien Agreste behind the mask – the boy she was insanely in love. One day changed everything. That day, when she saved him from the crowd of fans. After that Adrien transferred his feelings from Ladybug to Marinette, not knowing that he fell in love with the same girl. Again.

She sighed. It had been strange three years! First, she lost her kwami – the creature that was so close to her heart and soul. But she found a perfect boy who wanted to sacrifice himself just to keep her safe. Sometimes Marinette had nightmares about that evening when Gabriel Agreste had made his wish. Luckily, he used wrong words… Adrien survived and got back his Mum. Instead, he lost his father. But what kind of father was Gabriel if he wanted to kill his own child?

It took some time until they were ready to move on after that evening. Emilie Agreste needed a few months for the recovery. When she was getting better, doctors suggested further therapy in a health resort, so Emilie left Paris to Switzerland, taking her son with her.

For Adrien these few weeks of summer holiday in a foreign country meant a separation from his girlfriend. They’d just started dating and he wanted to spend all his spare time with her! On the other hand, his mother needed him and traveling together to Switzerland was a perfect occasion to rebuild their family.

Meanwhile Marinette stayed in Paris and worked so hard at the bakery just to keep going. She missed her boyfriend and Tikki so much that it ached physically. Of course, she could talk with Alya about her longing for Adrien. But there was no one, except Adrien himself, she could talk about Tikki…

After summer holiday their life returned to normal, or rather became as it always should have been like. Adrien’s schedule wasn’t so overloaded anymore, so he could spend more time after school with his friends and girlfriend. And he was finally surrounded by the care of loving mother.

However, it happened sometimes when both Adrien and Marinette felt overwhelmed with the longing for  their kwamis. They spent such evenings in silence, just cuddled comforting each other.

Time passed (and they grew up a bit) and these cuddles became more and more intimate. And one day a new tension between Marinette and Adrien appeared and opened a Topic. The Topic. The one that concerns a new level of the relationship.

As usual, when you are insanely in love, they began from… planning. According to those plans, today was their “special date”, and the night was to become “the night”. Or rather, The Night…

Standing in the middle of her room, Marinette wondered if it was the best idea to invite Adrien here. Wouldn’t it be better to organise their “special date” at his place? Because here it would be a disaster!

It started from her parents who seemed to know what was going on. Even though Marinette hadn’t shared any of ideas for the evening Sabine chose to have a conversation with her daughter, going over the contraceptive methods and myths about the safety of “the first time”.

“Your dad and I decided to go out tonight,” Sabine said at the end of that embarrassing chat. “Just remember about protection…”

“Mum…”, Marinette groaned blushing terribly.

“Yes, now you’re saying ‘Mum’, but you have no idea how many girls don’t know where babies come from until it’s too late. And then? Tragedy! You’re too young and too irresponsible for being a mother. Parenting is not like playing house.”

“Where did you get the idea that we… uhm…”

“Oh, darling! I wasn’t born yesterday…”, Sabine laughed. “Besides, we think that you both were quite patient…”

Saying that she winked at her daughter who wanted to vanish into thin air. That wasn’t the first time when Marinette realised that she had unusual parents. Maybe if the “special date” was at Adrien’s she would avoid this embarrassing conversation. But she immediately answered to herself that it would be even worse there.

Emilie was so friendly that it sometimes turned into overstaying. She tended to spend evenings with them both, still missing company from the time she had been under the curse. It was more than possible that this evening she would also stay with them for all night long, ruining their plans.

Marinette took a glance at her reflection in the mirror. When she heard a doorbell, she felt a knot in her stomach like a stage fright. For a moment she regretted that they hadn’t taken a chance to get that first-time over with… Planning your first night together was a terrible idea!

Soon, she heard knocking on the door trap.

“Come in!”, she said, trying to overcome trembling tone of her voice.

Seconds later she saw her boyfriend’s blond head, then his shy smile. When he came in, she noticed a red rose in his hand. Seeing him, dressed up for the special occasion, Marinette blushed. But before she reached him to welcome him, they both heard Sabine’s amused voice:

“We’re going out, darling! Just remember about…”, she stopped for a second, and Marinette would swear that her parents chuckled, then Sabine finished: “that we were talking about…”

“Are your parents…?”, Adrien asked embarrassed.

“They’re leaving for a dinner in a restaurant.”

“Yeah… Your Mum mentioned that when she welcomed me. But… She winked at me so significantly, that…”, he didn’t know what to describe it.

“That you wanted to die?”, Marinette guessed.

“Sort of…”

“She reminded me about contraceptives…”, she whispered blushed like hell.

“Are we so predictable?”

“I have no idea how we managed to keep the superheroes’ identity secret, if we’re an open book for them all…”

“What a puzzler, isn’t it?”, Adrien smiled and came closer to Marinette. “This is for you, sweetheart…”, he whispered and handed her the rose.

“Specify what ‘this’ you mean…”, she joked and winked flirtatiously.

“Mhmmm…”, he smiled meaningfully in response.

“I’ll lock the door!”, She escaped his embraces. “Just in case my parents decided to come back for keys or documents…”

Adrien laughed. When he had been preparing for that special date, he felt anxious a little, and just like Marinette he wished they hadn’t planned so much. If they did it spontaneously, like two days ago it almost happened, it would be much better! But now he felt comfortable as if their jokes relieved tension.

He sat down on the couch and watched his girlfriend who put the rose to a vase and then lit up some candles. Instantly, that created a cosy atmosphere.

Finally, Marinette turned to him and looked expectantly. Adrien stood up and embraced her. And kissed her the way he’d wanted since he stepped into her room. She immediately melted in his arms and kissed him back.

---

Next part  -> The Night - p.2

[arolla-pine]

The Scarf for Two – p.14

Warning! Some minor spoilers from “Troublemaker”.

She denied everything. Marinette denied everything. When he talked to her in the locker room the next day after the fight against Troublemaker, she turned everything into a joke, mixing the words by the way. Adrien didn’t know what to think. He couldn’t understand why she had acted so weirdly to him again. After all, when he’d visited her as Cat Noir, she behaved completely differently.

He still didn’t know what his pictures in her bedroom could mean, but – little by little – he didn’t care. He focused on getting to know Marinette, who turned out to be a slightly different girl than he thought. He even had the impression that he was dealing with two people – a charmingly clumsy schoolmate and an ironic funny computer game maniac. And it was still one and the same person.

Worse, he noticed that he was becoming a little addicted to her company. He liked her sense of humour, he liked what she was telling him about the game she played, about school, about dress design and sewing. But the most, he liked when she teased him. Really, he didn’t know her from this side. And he liked this side more and more.

Czytaj dalej

[arolla-pine]

I’ve just realised that today is the 23rd day of Marichat May: Video Games. And even though I haven’t managed to write a new story, it’s a good opportunity to reblog an old one. The Marichat story written as a therapy after the Season 2.

@marichatmay 

If you like this part, please feel welcome to read the whole story here, on Tumblr. Or on AO3.

[arolla-pine]

Oh thank you for linking, this is the first story of yours that I've read, looking forward to reading more I love your writing 🥰

Aww... Thank you! 🥰

I hope you’ll like the other stories as well!

A. 

[arolla-pine]

hi!! do you have a masterlist? :)

I used to have a masterlist, but after the 10th fanfic it was way too long so I changed the table of content into short description of each story. You can find them here: https://arolla-pine.tumblr.com/my_fanfics

All my stories (except short stories) are available on AO3, FF.net and Wattpad. You can find all the links here: https://arolla-pine.tumblr.com/find-me

I hope you like the rest of my stories 😉

Arolla

[arolla-pine]

Will you continue the Fake Dating AU? 🥺 I was binge reading it and was thrown out of the loop when it stopped at part 20 😅

Oh, thank you for writing! It seems that I forgot to link the next part.

The story is completed!

Here you are: https://arolla-pine.tumblr.com/post/612946071859167232/fake-dating-p21

I hope you’ll like the rest of the story!

Arolla 

[arolla-pine]

New York, New York

A/N: Spoilers alert (NY Special)!

The flight back from New York seemed to last forever. Adrien couldn’t wait to land in Paris. Sure, he didn’t miss so much his father or being closed at home. He didn’t miss fighting classes with Kagami either. He just wanted to see the city and assess the damage during his absence.

Somewhere at the bottom of his heart he felt the need of rehabilitation. He wanted to prove Ladybug that she could rely on him.

No, wait… He didn’t have to prove her anything. She’d forgiven him. So… Why did he feel like someone took his heart and threw it away somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean?

“Someone’s in love…” Plagg laughed between bites of his favourite camembert.

“Nothing new…”, Adrien shrugged.

Kwami looked in surprise at his holder, but soon after he laughed and rolled his eyes.

“Ah, that irony… I looove it!”

“What are you talking about?”, Adrien asked.

“Nothing…”, Plagg played innocent. “Do you have more cheese?”

“It’s my father’s plane. I’d bet you’ll find everything in that fridge…”

Plagg didn’t wait for the rest of the sentence and immediately flew for more camembert. He needed to focus on eating just in case he blurt something out. You never know when Adrien starts analysing his love problems. Judging from the boy’s sighs another crisis was coming… Soon…

“I’m not sure if all that cheese is enough for the whole Atlantic Ocean…”, kwami muttered under his breath, and just in case he decided to chew slowly.

Meanwhile Adrien put his chin on his hand and stared through the window at the sunrise. That view reminded him the journey to New York and the moment he was watching the sunrise with Marinette. Now, it seemed to happen ages ago. Like in another lifetime. So much had happened since then.

He sighed again.

“You’re not thinking about Ladybug!”, Plagg discovered suddenly.

“What?”, escaped from Adrien who blushed terrible.

“Hahaha!”

“Nothing of the kind!”, the boy denied.

“Riight… Because watching sunrise and dancing in the moonlight is saved for no one special…”

“Not ‘no one special’ but for your best friends!”

“So, when did you dance with Nino last time?”, Plagg muttered in an amused tone. “Or with Kagami…”

“Kagami… It’s something different…”

“I’d bet she wouldn’t mind… But I can feel with my seventh sense that if you had to choose someone for the moonlight dancing you would stay with your beloved pigtails…”

“Not ‘beloved’!”

“Not at all…”, Plagg agreed ironically. “I’m sure if you repeat it a million times, probably you would convince someone… But first… Let me ask you a question. Which exact moment of your New York trip do you remember the most?”

Adrien stared at his kwami. He knew the answer at once. The most emotional and memorable moment of that trip was when he had had to get in the car leaving the class. And leaving Marinette. Who didn’t do anything to keep him there. Even though he hoped she would say something that made him stay.

And suddenly he realised why he felt as if his heart was left somewhere behind. It stayed. With Marinette…

[arolla-pine]

You always have me

Spoiler alert! If you haven’t seen “Gang of Secrets” don’t read it! There are some references to “Truth” and “Lies” too… 😉

* * *

Something was wrong.

Adrien saw Marinette in all possible moods – from excitement, nervousness, determination to sadness… But she had never been so broken as recently. Like someone turned off the lights or the sun was gone forever. He noticed these eyes filled with tears and red marks underneath – the visible proof that she’d been crying. A lot…

He was worried because all that suggested that she had some problems. He wanted to help her but had no clue how to do it. He was hopeless when it came to help girls. Like yesterday… He’d thought it was a brilliant idea to invite Ladybug for a movie to the cinema. Just to comfort her… The result? She gave him a lecture why rom-coms are such nonsense! And when he tried to talk about feelings and being heartbroken, she told him she was perfectly fine and went to swim… So, if he was so terrible in helping Ladybug, how could he manage to help Marinette?

But this morning he noticed that Marinette looked like she felt much better. Alya left the company of Nino and Adrien and focused only on her best friend. When Nino asked his girlfriend why they couldn’t spend time altogether, she answered that Marinette needed girl’s support after breaking-up with Luka. And she left them for the rest of the day. The girls kept sitting in a corner chatting all the time in whisper. That was the moment when Adrien realised he would never understand girls.

Yet… In the evening, all his doubts came back to him. Maybe because of a message he got from Luka, who cancelled another rehearsal… He suffered as much as Marinette… So why had they split up? Why so many relationships didn’t work? Why couldn’t he, Adrien, date Kagami? Why couldn’t he date Ladybug? Why, why, why! Go to hell with all that!

“I miss adult holders, really…”, Plagg muttered when he got enough of Adrien’s dilemmas. “You, teenagers, can make saint’s blood boil. You can say anything about me but not that I’m a saint…”

“I cannot disagree to that…”

“Well, well, well… Some Cat is showing, I see…”

“Cat?”, Adrien repeated. “What would you say for an evening walk?” He smirked.

“What?! No!”, kwami objected. “No way! Night air is deadly for me!”

“Right… Sure… Plagg, claws out!”

A few minutes later he landed on the rooftop of Marinette’s house. He had no rational explanation why he could visit her. Thankfully, Plagg had had no chance to ask him about his plans, because Adrien couldn’t find a reason why he came here. He had no idea what to tell Marinette either if she asked him what he was doing there. He just wanted to see if everything was OK with her. Most likely…

So, why was he hiding behind a chimney, instead of showing his presence? What a fool!

And then he heard a whisper:

“I don’t know what to do anymore, Tikki…”

Cat Noir froze.

Did Marinette say “Tikki”? That Tikki?!

His heart stopped, and he forgot about breathing for a moment. That was impossible! And yet… So obvious at the same time… His brain suddenly matched all the dots and all puzzles found their place. Just like that.

“Marinette?”, he whispered, landing right next to her.

Maybe it was an optical illusion or just wishful thinking but he could swear he noticed a red flash as if a red kwami ran away in a rush.

“C-Cat N-Noir?”, Marinette stuttered.

He saw panic in her eyes. He guessed she was trying to remember last seconds on the balcony and probably realised already what he could have heard. That was kind of amusing watching her figuring out an excuse. He had been there so many times before!

“Is it bad that I know?”, he interrupted her efforts.

“Nobody taught you that you shouldn’t eavesdrop?!”

“How could I predict you’d be chatting with your kwami on the balcony? You should be more careful!”

“So, maybe I’ll just announce my secret to the world!”, she was mad at herself. “If I don’t stop revealing, soon a half of Paris will know who I am! Hawkmoth will be happy…”

“You have told someone already?”

“Alya…”, she mumbled.

“You’ve told Alya?!”

At first, he felt disappointment that she had chosen her friend, not him. He was her partner! They trusted each other! But then he remembered what Alya had done today at school, how she took care of Marinette… He couldn’t do the same being Adrien… That was painful to realise that couldn’t offer the support that this girl needed.

“I couldn’t stand it anymore, Cat…”, she whisper like she wanted to justify herself. “I was so tired… You can’t even imagine how hard it was to keep everything secret… I had no one…”

“You always have me, M’Lady…”

“I don’t even know who you are, Kitty… I know you so well as my partner and I can trust you with my life… But… I don’t know who you are as the civilian…”

“We know each other, Marinette… We’re…”, he began, but she stopped him putting her hand on his mouth.

“No! No more secrets revealed. I don’t want to know… I can’t… Not today… It’s too much… I don’t want to start thinking who you are… No!”, she began blabbing, and that reminded him yesterday Ladybug’s lecture in the cinema. “It’s enough that you learnt about me…That’s a catastrophe!”

“CAT-astrophe?”, he smirked, and she rolled her eyes.

“You couldn’t resist, could you?”

“That’s stronger than my will, Bugaboo…”

She blinked twice in surprise. Well, he just call her by Ladybug’s nickname. Now, she’d probably kill him for that pun… Instead, she looked at him, as if the situation was too serious for fighting against puns.

“What now, Cat?”, she whispered.

“Everything will be OK…”, he assured her and hugged her to his chest.

“How do you know that?”, she asked somewhere around his heart, and he felt the warmth spreading through his body.

“Don’t worry, Marinette. I’ll take care of you…”, he whispered in her hair.

<3

[arolla-pine]

Happily ever after - p.1

It was a lazy Sunday morning. The sun somehow broke through the window blinds and shone in Marinette’s eyes. She closed her eyes and rolled over. It was better now. She opened her eyelids and met Adrien’s happy gaze.

“Good morning, M’Lady.” He said with his cat-smile.

“Could you stop reflecting the sun?” She asked, smiling at him in response.

“I try. But you forbade me to dye.” he reminded her.

“Someone would finally realise that you’re patrolling the city as Cat Noir.” She replied.

“But just think about it. I would look seductive as a black-haired Cat Noir.”

“Watch out, because you’ll fall into narcissism.” she warned him. “You’ll spend hours in front of the mirror, in love with yourself.”

“Never!” he assured her. “I’ve been in love only with you. And I always will.”

“Really? You’re not bored yet?”

“Marinette…” he began in stern voice and pulled her closer.

He was about to kiss her when they heard a soft voice from the door:

“Mommy?”

Marinette giggled when she saw Adrien’s expression.

“How do they do it?” He asked in a whisper.

Czytaj dalej

[arolla-pine]

I saw today #adrinetteapril2021 prompt “Sunrise” and that reminded me about my story written three years ago. “Happily Ever After” starts from Sunday Morning in the Agreste family. The Adrien and Marinette Agreste family... So, if you haven’t read it yet, feel welcome to catch up.

@adrinetteapril 

[arolla-pine]

I hope you missed me 😉

Recently, I’ve realised that I haven’t published any new content since last autumn and the story “I, Marinette”. 

After finishing “No room to swing a Cat?” which turned out to be a story as long as my debut novel that I published three years ago, I promised myself that first I’d finish my original story and then I’d go back to fanfiction.

But...

One of my friends remembered me about the Miraculous anniversary in September and asked if I could publish something extra because of that. And that’s why you got “I, Marinette” despite my plan of writing the original novel...

But after that I kept my promise and I focused on “The Dreams”. Last week, I finally finished writing the sequel of “The Hunches” - titled “The Dreams”. The text went to beta-readers and I'm so stressed while waiting for their feedback, that I came back to one of fanfics I had started months ago. I do hope to be ready with the first chapter in April, because it is so Adrinette story that it would be great to catch up with @adrinetteapril.

So, keep your fingers crossed, because a new story is closer than you think 😎

Stay tuned!

Arolla 

[arolla-pine]

The Orchestra is playing

Dear all,

I’d like to share some information about the phenomenon that started 27 years ago in Poland – The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. Every year in the 2nd Sunday of a New Year people join altogether to collect funds for the littlest patients – new-borns, babies, children (some of finals have been dedicated to also the eldest patients – not only children but seniors as well). Thanks to this initiative and its founder, Jurek Owsiak, many specialist children’s hospitals in Poland have been equipped in the most innovative apparatus available, the paediatric care and neonatal care were revolutionised.

The declaration of the Orchestra is to play till the end of the world and one day longer. Let’s hope it will…

If you want to learn more, please check it here: https://en.wosp.org.pl/final/27-final

And visit the Orchestra’s fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/wosp/

Share your heart!

Arolla

[arolla-pine]

They’re still playing. Despite the pandemic!

Share your heart!

https://en.wosp.org.pl/final/29-final-wosp 

[arolla-pine]

I, Marinette - p.9

(9) – The winner takes it all

While I was running alongside the Seine, I could compare traveling by Cat Noir’s staff and by Ladybug’s yo-yo. The latter was much more suitable for me, yet the Cat’s costume was better in absorbing jolts. I landed quietly nearby the Eiffel Tower. I hoped that Ladybug would find me before Juggler appeared.

“So, how did it go, Bugaboo?” I heard a whisper next to me.

“How are you feeling, Cat?” I asked instead, trying to read some emotions in Ladybug’s eyes.

“I still can’t believe in what I learned! Wow, it’s really…”

“Just in case…” I began in a serious tone. “Adrien… In case you still remember Ladybug’s identity after the ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ spell, never reveal your identity in public. Even if you want to protect Marinette.”

That was all I could do to prevent ‘Cat Blanc’ storyline.

“You’ve started talking about yourself in the third person…” Ladybug smiled.

“Don’t you have a feeling that you’re talking to yourself when you’re talking to me?” I asked instead to avoid answering.

“I’m sure I won’t confess any of my feelings to you right now. That would haunt me till the end of my life…”Adrien-Ladybug joked.

“If only Plagg could see that… I think that would kill him…”

“By the way! Was he nice for you?”

“Of course! He was so cute!”

“Er… Plagg?”

“Sure. You know, he’s a very sensitive little cat… If you can see through all those layers of sarcasm… And I think he’s very attached to you…” I admitted. “OK, Cat! Let’s go back to work. I’m going to sleep in my bed tonight, so let’s get Juggler! Here you are!” I handed two miraculouses to Ladybug.

“What’s that?”

“We need Alya and Nino.”

“But… Hawkmoth knows their identities… Maybe we’ll try to combine our miraculouses with…”

“No. I need them here. If my plan works, we’ll defeat Juggler. Besides, Hawkmoth won’t expect that we’ll ask our friends for help. Please, take those miraculouses to them and hurry back here.”

“But… Why me?”

‘Because I don’t know the address…’ came across my mind.

“It was always Ladybug who was giving them miraculouses. Let it be as it used to be. Oh, just tell them to focus on their costumes to be different than before. To mislead Hawkmoth.”

“Do you think it’ll work?”

I was sure it would work. I had checked that on myself when I had to recreate Ladybug’s costume as it was originally designed by Marinette. That should work when someone wanted to create a new one too.

“The costume is what you really want to, isn’t it? If Alya and Nino take care of new outfits, we’ll have a new Rena Rouge and a new Carapace… Meanwhile, I’ll work on details of the plan…”

“I’ll be right back, M’Lady!” Ladybug saluted and disappeared in the darkness.

I found a safe shelter and waited. After a quarter or so Ladybug came back accompanied by two new superheroes. Alya had loose hair that partly covered her face. Her outfit was different – it looked rather like a short flamenco dress than like an overcoat. Nino looked like a real Ninja killer – hooded and masked.

“Great!” I said satisfied. “Now, listen to the plan…”

“Wait a sec… What?” Alya interrupted. “Since when Cat Noir is the strategy guy? You’ve finally grown up to let him do this?” she asked Ladybug.

“Let’s call it a compromise…” Adrien laughed.

“You haven’t told them, Cat?” I was surprised.

“What should she…” Alya began. “No, wait… Why is Cat Noir calling you ‘Cat’?” she asked Ladybug.

“I didn’t know I should tell them…”

“It’s crucial to succeed… OK, listen up… Juggler can move souls between bodies. He exchanged me with Cat Noir.”

Alya gasped, and Nino half-grunted half-chuckled. I winked at Ladybug.

“We need you here not only for the mission, but also to mislead Hawkmoth about your identities. He must start thinking that I’ve found new holders for the Miraculous of Fox and of Turtle. Have you worked out your new names?”

“I’ll be Jade Defender.” Nino suggested. “I wanted to pay tribute to Jade Turtle.”

I was moved hearing that. It was kind of symbolic gesture but so meaningful.

“I wanted to be Flame Dancer, but someone made fun of this name…” Alya said, narrowing her eyes ominously when she glanced at her boyfriend. “So, it seems that I’ll be Flame Enchantress. But… I really miss Rena Rouge…”

“Let’s keep it temporary…” I smiled trying to give her some comfort. “Now, focus! Flame Enchantress has to hide. You’ll create an illusion where Ladybug and Cat Noir regained their bodies. Ladybug must convince Juggler that she broke his spell. Jade Defender will create a shield to protect the illusion from a new spell, because that will reveal the trick. I hope Juggler will take the bait and will focus on the fight with the illusion. Then Cat and I may try to take over his wand, baton or whatever it is… Ladybug, you have to call your ‘Lucky charm’. Without it the ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ spell won’t work and we won’t be able to go back to our bodies. I’ll try to destroy the akuma object.”

“You think it’s the wand?” Ladybug asked.

I remembered ‘Cat Blanc’ episode again where Ladybug couldn’t find the object where the akuma was hiding. This time we didn’t have a second chance. Not with Juggler… He was too clever.

“Honestly? I have no idea what else it could be…” I admitted. “So, let’s get to work! Good luck, you all!” I said and then I added under my breath. “And… See you in the other life, Cat…”

We took our positions. I felt like a spectator. It wasn’t anything weird for me, Lena, but for Adrien it had to be tough observing Ladybug and Cat Noir playing their roles. For the last half an hour he’d been calling Cat Noir by a name ‘Bugaboo’. Now, he saw both of us doubled.

We didn’t wait too long for Juggler. He appeared surrounded by dust, laughing at superheroes.

“Oh, my poor super-kids! You’ve recharged?” he scoffed at superheroes.

“Better! We’ve regained our bodies!” Ladybug shouted with satisfaction.

“What? No! It’s impossible!” supervillain yelled. “I exchanged your bodies! You have no power to revert my spell!”

He swung with his wand  but this time smoky spheres vanished when they reached a green dome created by Jade Defender. Juggler swore and tried to turned around to transfer himself under the dome. But he failed. His right hand was captured by Ladybug’s yo-yo, and a second later his wand was caught by a red black-dotted lasso. I was watching, speechless, Ladybug keeping supervillain tied with her yo-yo while her left hand swayed the lasso to snatch the wand out of Juggler’s palm and to passed it in my direction. Where that boy had learned that?!

Defeating Juggler was a mere formality. I summoned the Cataclysm and the wand turned into dust revealing the akuma. Ladybug captured the black butterfly and cleansed it. Seconds later we could see Thomas Astruc sitting on the ground, totally confused.

“You’ve saved me again…” he muttered. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome…” Ladybug grinned.

“I see you have new superhero-mates.” Thomas noticed. “I don’t remember those…”

“These are new holders of miraculouses…” I explained.

I didn’t want to ask him if he liked the way I messed up his universe. He’d probably get upset and was akumatised again. But I could congratulate myself – my theory of a supervillain was correct. But Tikki would say that it was magic. All in all, I wasn’t sure of anything anymore…

“Could you tell us, what happened?” Ladybug asked.

No, better not!

“The last thing I remember was a story… My assistant gave me that to read…” Thomas said, and I felt faint. So, now I knew why it was me… Thomas had to read one of my fanfics. Great… “That was the story about your fight against Oblivio… Re-written…”

Let me guess… ‘Not so oblivious anymore’?

“But none of us remembers what happened that day…” Ladybug blurted out. Damn you, Cat! Neither of us! Not ‘none of us’! We should keep Alya and Nino’s identities secret!

“Er…” I cleared my throat and kneeled down next to Thomas. “Did you like that rewritten story?” I couldn’t miss the opportunity to ask.

“Yeah. And that made me angry…”

So, I could die happy now. What a shame I couldn’t put those words in a frame…

“Next time, please hire the author instead of sending her for a trip…” I whispered and winked at him. “OK, Cat!” I stood up and looked at Ladybug. “It’s time for going home…”

My partner nodded and gripped the red lasso. She threw it in the air with the spell ‘Miraculous Ladybug’. At the last moment, I saluted like Cat Noir had done so many times before and whispered:

“It’s been an honour…”

* * *

I knew it worked, even before I opened my eyes. I just felt my own body. My face was hidden in my palms and I felt my husband’s hand on my arms.

“Lena?” he asked me, and I could hear a tension in his voice.

I was so moved that I couldn’t say a word. Instead, I fell into his arms.

“You got me. I have no clue what’s going on here…” he murmured.

“I’m back…” I whispered happy. “I assume you had a little end of the world today?”

“You spent half a day in the bathroom, and then you were talking about Marinette, Tikki and Master Fu. All day long. I think you need a break from your fanfics…”

“Yeah… I think that too. But at first, I have to write the last one. You won’t believe what happened to me…”

 THE END 😉

---

I, Marinette - p.8  <-  Previous part 

Read the story from the beginning

[arolla-pine]

I, Marinette - p.8

(8) – The Miracle Box

That was unbelievable! I’d just started feeling comfortable as Marinette! And now I had to start all over again?!

“Bugaboo?” Ladybug asked me tenderly, kneeling by my side.

“Woah… That was totally unexpected…” I sighed staring at my palm covered by some little blackholes – a proof that Cat Noir had already used his “Cataclysm” spell.

“What now?”

“We have to use this Cataclysm, otherwise I’ll hurt you or myself, or I’ll destroy the Louvre Palace…” I muttered.

Ladybug found a bird feather and popped it out in the air. I caught it and it turned into dust instantly.

“Thanks…” I murmured. “It looked like an Amok, you know?”

“It seems like both of us used the superpowers…” Ladybug sighed looking at a dotted red globe in her hands. “We’ll transform back soon.”

“So, we’d better go down from the roof.” I suggested and stood up.

“Still remember how to use the staff?” Ladybug winked at me in a very Cat Noir’s style.

“You bet!” I laughed.

But I wasn’t amused. I waited for Ladybug leaving towards the Seine and assessed the Cat Noir’s weapon. I repeated to myself to trust to my instinct and to body memory, yet I was terrified at the idea of another air means of transport… I would have to go to therapy after all that!

I found Ladybug at the bank of Seine next to the Pont du Carrousel. We hid under the bridge.

“We don’t have time, Cat…” I whispered. “We have to find a shelter. If Juggler finds us when we are in the civilian selves, we can say goodbye to our Miraculouses.”

“We’ll learn about our identities!” Ladybug replied in horror. Adrien started paninicking… Not good… That didn’t help me at all.

“Actually, I know yours…” I admitted and Ladybug gasped. “But I’m aware it might be a shock for you… Before we’ll transform back, could you show me what’s the ‘Lucky charm’?”

“I have no idea what’s that…”

I glanced at the oval object in Ladybug’s hands. If anyone asked me, I’d say it looked like a new Miracle Box. That meant we needed an ally. My brain tried to work as fast as possible.

“OK, Cat…” I made a decision. “We have to split. I’m going for the Miracle Box, although I have no idea who could we ask for help. Chloe revealed all identities of the miraculous’ holders. I hope I’ll figure out something in the meanwhile. Let’s meet somewhere around the Eiffel Tower. If I make it…”

“I’m sure you will, M’Lady…” Ladybug assured me, and my brain tried to process the collision of words and image of a person speaking. “You have been Lady Noir already, so I’m sure you’ll do your job perfectly…”

“But I have never been a boy…” I muttered, and my partner burst out laughing.

“After Reflekta nothing surprises me anymore…” he replied after a moment.

“Good luck, Cat! Oh, and don’t panic!”

“Why should I?” Ladybug asked me surprised.

“Tikki will take care of you…” I told rather myself than him, suspecting how much he would be shocked when he found out the Ladybug’s identity. “See you later!”

I jumped on the Cat’s staff, trying to overcome sickness at my stomach. I preferred walking on the ground, but there was no time for this. I had to be home before I transformed into Adrien.

I landed on Marinette’s balcony just before my time was up. When my feet stood on the floor I felt transformation. I saw green flashes around me and a cool air ran down through my body. Plagg emerged immediately in front of my face and looked at me concerned. Was it possible that this little sarcastic cat was worrying about a teenager’s emotions?

“Don’t panic, Pigtails…”

Oh, right! Plagg’s nickname for Marinette…

“I’m fine… I knew it was Adrien…” I muttered, jumping into Marinette’s bedroom.

“Really?” Plagg was surprised, but to hide all hints of sensitivity he added in his normal tone: “I’m starving!”

“Of course…” I reached my pocket to get some cheese for the kwami. “Even if I gave you piles of camembert you’d still be starving…”

“Piles of camembert… You know my deepest dreams, Pigtails…”

“No comment… Now, let’s find the Miracle Box…”

“Find? What do you mean by saying ‘find’?” Plagg choked with cheese but looked at me meaningful, so I gave him another piece of camembert. “You’ve already lost it?” he asked ironically.

“I haven’t lost it. I hid it…”

“And you forgot where?”

“It’s a long story…” I muttered.

At that moment my phone began ringing. There was Marinette’s picture on the screen. So Adrien had just found out. I clicked a green button.

“Marinette?!” a shocked face of… well… Marinette was staring at me, but said nothing more.

“Don’t panic. Just breathe!” I replied.

“But… Marinette?”

Not good… Apparently, Adrien’s brain stopped working.

“Calm down, please… Is there Tikki?”

The red kwami didn’t show up, but I heard her voice somewhere there. Oh, right! I forgot that kwami were invisible for technologies!

“Can you take care of him?” I asked with concern. A panicked partner wouldn’t help me in coming back home. “I can see he didn’t take it too well…”

“It’s not like that, Marinette!” Adrien replied. “It’s just…”

“I know, Adrien… I know…” I cut it, although I had no idea what he wanted to say. Probably, he would start talking about our friendship and how happy he was, but surprised too. I had no time for that. I had to find the Miracle Box. “I have a problem, Tik. Can you tell me, where I should look for you-know-what?”

“I can’t tell you…” Tikki sounded like she was really sad that she couldn’t help me. “Try to figure it out. Plagg will help. Remember he can pass through solid objects…”

“If the Box was smeared with camembert he would find it within a couple of seconds…” I muttered under my breath.

“Camembert? Someone has said ‘camembert’? Plagg pricked up his ears. “And I object! I would find the Box within less than a second! If it was smeared with camembert, of course… What a shame it isn’t…”

“Can you give a hint maybe?” I turned back to the phone. “Just a hint, Tikki…”

“All I can tell you is that yesterday we had no time to find a perfect hiding place.” Kwami replied. “We found a tolerable one…”

Woah, much better!

“Why are you so calm?” Marinette, or rather Adrien, cut in.

“What”? I was surprised.

“You don’t look like shocked that… you know… That I am…”

“It’s a long story…” I said, realising that I repeated this too often. “Don’t worry. After ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ we both will forget about our identities.”

“But… I don’t want to forget…” Adrien confessed.

‘Your bad, because you will…’ crossed my mind. That how the spell worked. And I could be more that sure that the original Marinette would have no idea about Cat Noir’s identity.

“Focus, Adrien!” I called him to order. “You must recharge Tikki. You should find some macaroons in my purse. But wait with transformation because I may need Tikki if I have some more problems with seeking. Just… Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck!”

I hung up.

“I should have made you take back all those ‘just a friend’s!” I muttered to myself. “I swear if you said that, I’d cut myself into pieces. Or you…”

I heard laugh. Plagg seemed to have fun.

“It’s hilarious!”

“I’m so glad to see you find it funny. But maybe let’s find the Box instead, shall we?”

“What a shame you didn’t think about smearing it with camembert…”

“By the way, let’s try to be quiet…” I toned down my voice. “It would be better not to draw parents’ attention. Who knows how they would react seeing a boy searching their daughter’s room…”

“Especially, if it’s a love interest of their daughter…” Plagg added still amused with the situation.

“He’s so blind, that I truly doubt that even if he saw all of those stuff, he would realise about her feelings.”

“Her?” kwami stopped and looked at me alarmed. “You’re not Marinette!” He discovered.

“Bingo! Before Juggler changed me with Cat Noir, he managed to change me with Marinette.” I explained quickly. I had no time for this. Not now. “I’m not Marinette. I’m Lena. And I really need to find this Box if I want to go back home!”

“Tikki knows?”

“Sure she does. She already checked me. And now… Could you please help me in returning to my life? I have no idea where that girl could hide this egg!”

“Don’t ask me!” Plagg turned away from me, yet added under his breath: “But as a big fan of chaos and destruction I’d start from the biggest mess…”

I looked at a pile of fabrics in the corner next to the sewing machine. Theoretically, it could be considered as a ‘tolerable’ hiding place. If I was Gabriel Agreste I wouldn’t even touch a top of this pile, not to mention about diving in it… I began searching the fabrics and other sewing stuff, one by one. After a few minutes I finally found what I had been searching for. When I picked up a big red sphere, I felt like it was vibrating. That was illogical because I wasn’t Marinette – neither internally nor in body. However, the Miracle Box seemed to feel that I was the right person. Weird.

I drew a sign of ‘M’ on the top of the sphere. I didn’t know why such a stupid idea came to my mind, but surprisingly it worked. It wasn’t the first time here, in the Miraculous universe, when my intuition led me correctly to the solution.

The Box started opening, showing me the magic jewels. I didn’t know the abilities of most of them, but I remembered what I had learned about the Miraculous of Fox and the Miraculous of Turtle. I took them from the Box and then I put my hand on the top of the sphere. The Miracle Box closed, and I couldn’t believe that it worked! This time it was illogical to think that it was because of body memory – Adrien had never touched the Miracle Box nor tried to open it. So, why I managed to do it?

“Seriously? Fox and Turtle?” Plagg asked in a doubtful tone.

“I don’t know the others. Besides, when I saw them all, I discovered how we could defeat Juggler. And to do so, I need those two.”

“Wow, I’m impressed, Pigtails…”

I smiled at him. I knew I’d miss him.

“Plagg, claws out!”

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