Canon is weak and will not survive the winter. As such, I must write any and all fanfics I can fit into my adult life schedule... AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImAGiraffacorn/pseuds/ImAGiraffacorn I will be reblogging some fics from my other blogs instead of making whole new posts bc Iâm lazy. All fics are mine unless otherwise noted
iâve been doing my homework on how to break into a writing career and honestly. thereâs a Lot that i didnât know about thats critical to a writing career in this day and age, and on the one hand, its understandable because weâre experiencing a massive cultural shift, but on the other hand, writers who do not have formal training in school or donât have the connections to learn more via social osmosis end up extremely out of loop and working at a disadvantage.Â
like, i didnt know about twitter pitch parties!! i didnt know about literary agents and publishers tweeting their manuscript wishlist, in hopes that some poor soul out there has written the book they really want to read and publish!! this isnt some shit you learn about in school! you really need to know the ins and outs of the writing community to be successful!Â
for anyone interested, hereâs what iâve learned so far in my quest for more writing knowledge:
1. Writerâs Market 2019 is a great place to startâ it gives you a list of magazines and journals that you can send your work to depending on the genre as well as lists a shit ton of literary agents that specify what genres they represent, how you can get in contact with them and how they accept query letters. this is a book that updates every year and tbh i only bought it this year so i dont know how critical it is to have an updated version Â
2. do your research. mostly on literary agents because if you listed on your site that you like to represent fluffy YA novels and some asshole sends you a 80k manuscript about likeâŠgritty viking culture, you will be severely pissed off. always go in finding someone who you know will actually like your work because theyâre the ones who will try to advocate for you in getting published.
3. learn how to write a query letter. there are slightly varying formulas to how you can write an effective query letter. youâre also going to want to get feedback on your query letter because its the first thing the literary agent will read and based on how well you do it, it could be the difference between them rejecting you outright and giving your manuscript a quick read
4. unfortunately, youâre gonna want to get a twitter. Twitter is where a lot of literary agents are nowadays, and they host things like twitter pitch parties, where you pitch your manuscript in a few sentences and hashtag it with #Pitmad #Pitdark, some version of pit. a lot of literary agents and publishers will ALSO post their manuscript wishlists, which is just the kind of books theyâd like to represent/publish, and they hashtag this with #MSWL (it is NOT for writers to use, only for agents/publishers)
5. connect with other writers, literary agents, publishers at book events. you will absolutely need the connections if you want to get ahead as a writer. thats just kind of the state of the world.
All of this is great info! Iâd like to add two more:
Queryshark is great for seeing how query letters work and what doesnât. Thereâs hundreds of examples on there to compare with!
and Printrun Podcast is run by two literary agents who recently started their own agency, they cover all sorts of book news and how publishing works. They also have a (paid) query critique and first pages show, the first one of each is up for free!
Writing x Characters When You Arenât x, A Masterlist
x: a variable used to represent something unknown.
Weâve seen an influx of questions about how to write stories based around characters of color, disability, non-binary, etc. when the author does not fall into these categories. Rather than have these posts take over the site, weâve decided to compile a list of resources to help our fellow writers become more educated about writing what they do not immediately know. However, this list is not the end-all-be-all of knowledge; one should always try to learn from someone with first hand experience in any topic. The world is constantly growing and changing, and because of that, there will always be more to learn. The admins at Plotline Hotline want to help writers form respectful, informed, and realistic characters that broaden the narrow range we see in literature today.Â
*Be wary that some of the topics listed below contain sensitive material. Reader discretion is advised.*Â
As always, the links I found to be especially apt will be in bold. Topics are listed alphabetically, excepting the âotherâ section.
Culture
Appropriate Cultural Appropriation
What is Cultural Appropriation? [1,2,3]
Cultural Appropriation Is, In Fact, Indefensible
Voice Appropriation & Writing About Other Cultures
Diversity, Appropriation, and Writing the Other [List]
Disability
Writing Disibilities [1,2,3,4,5]
Guides to Writing Deaf or Hard of Hearding People
National Association of the Deaf - Resources [List]
World Federation of the Deaf
Using a Prosthetic Device
Prostehtic Limbs (Character Guide)
How NOT to Write Disabled Characters
A Guide to Disibility Rights Law (United States)
Timeline of Disibility Rights in the United States
Social Security Disability: List of Impairments, Medical Conditions, and Problems [List] (United States)
How to Write Disabled Characters: An Opinion Piece
Artificial Eye Resources [List][Various]
Adapting to the Loss of an Eye
Misconceptions and Myths About Blindness
Blind Characters: A Process of Awareness
Writing Blind Characters [List]
Types of Learning Disabilities [List]
Diversity
A Guide to Spotting and Growing Past Stereotypes
How to Prepare to Write a Diverse Book
The Diversity of Writing
Why Diversity Matters for Everyone
Writing a Driverse Book [1,2,3,4,5]
Diversity, Political Correctness and The Power of Language
Diversity Book List [List][Books]
Basic Tips To Write Subcultures & Minority Religions BetterÂ
Basic Tips to Avoid Tokenism
Gender
GLAAD Media Reference Guide - Transgender
Creating Well-Written Trans Characters
A Few Things Writers Need To Know About Sexuality & Gender Expression
Trans (Character Guide & Bio Building)
A Non-Binary Personâs Guide to Invented Pronouns
Gender Neutral Writing [List]
Keeping a Trans* Person a Person Â
Suggestions for Reducing Gendered Terms in Language [Photo]
How to Review a Trans Book as a Cis Person
Writing Characters of Different Genders [List]
Understanding Gender
Gender Spectrum Resources [List]
Gender History
IllnessÂ
Writing Chronic Illness [1,2]
The Spoon Theory - Also pertains to disibility
About HIV/AIDS
Sexually Transmitted Diseases [List]
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Sex and Gender Differences in Health [Study]
All Chronic Illness Topics [List]
Coping with Chronic Illness
All Cancer Types
A Day in the Life of a Home Health Aide/Health Coach
Fiction Books With Chronically Ill Main Characters- Not Cancer [List][Books]
Neurotype (Including Mental Health)
Writing an Autistic Character When You Donât Have Autism
Depression Resources [List]
What to Consider When Writing Mental Illness
Stanford Psychiatric Patient Care
Inpatient Psychiatric Questions and Tips
Donât Call Me Crazy [Documentary]
(Avoid) Romanticizing Mental Illness [1,2]
A Day in the Life of a Mental Hospital Patient
State-run vs. Private Mental Hospitals
Mental Disorders
Mental Hospital Non-Fiction [List][Books]
National Institute of Mental Health - Mental Health Information [List]
Writing With Color: Blogs - Recs - Resources [List]
Writing People of Color (If you happen to be a person of another color)
7 Offensive Mistakes Well-Intentioned Writers Make
Description Guide - Words for Skin Tone
Religion
Religion in Novels: Terrific or Taboo?
How to Write a Fantasy Novel that Sells: The Religion
Writing About Faith And Religion
From Aladdin to Homeland: How Hollywood Can Reinforce Racial and Religious StereotypesÂ
Sexuality
Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity [List]
Writing Gay Characters [1,2,3]
American Civil Liberties Union - LGBT+ Rights
LGBT+ Rights by Country or Territory
History of Gay Rights
Gay Rights Movement
LGBT+ Culture
Gay Myths and Stereotypes
LGBT+ Studies Web Sites [List]
LGBTQ Youth Issues
LGBTData.com
Overview of Gay and Lesbian Parenting, Adoption and Foster Care (United States)
Other
How Doctorsâ Officesâand Queer CultureâAre Failing Autistic LGBTQ People
Five Traps and Tips for Character Development
Developing Realistic Characters
I hope that this list will provide topics a writer may not initially think to research when writing. If there are any resources that you think would be fitting for this list, please let us know! We want to have as many helpful sources as possible to maximize learning opportunities.Â
There was a shriek from the other room that had Adora leaping to her feet, chair clattering behind her, sword starting to come into existence in her hand. The civilian administrators and diplomats around her all take involuntary steps back as her eyes start to glow. Energy crackles in the air around her as the magic of She-Ra starts to surface.
That noise was most definitely Bow. Sheâd spent too much time, too many dangerous missions with him to not recognize it. And no matter how much diplomacy Queen Glimmer and the rest of the Princess Alliance had put into laying the groundwork for this mission, if anything, anything, happened to her friends, Adora would not hesitate to bring the whole planet down. Sheâs halfway out the door, when thereâs a follow up shriek, though this time, there are words that she can make out.
I Get The Feeling That Iâm Right Where I Belong: Chapter 7
AO3
Beginning, Previous, Next
When Ladybug and her team arrived on the scene, the Champ de Mars was absolutely destroyed. Craters littered the open green space, trees were aflame, toppling to the ground or exploding as their sap boiled off, and the winding metal struts of the Eiffel Tower were scattered across the lawn, twisted and warped from the heat.
The akuma who had caused the destruction was not visible, but her laughter could be heard by all seven heroes.
âIs it just me, or does that sound like a child?â Rena Rouge whispered, horror evident in her voice. âLike, a small child?â
âItâs not just you, babe,â Carapace whispered back, squeezing his girlfriendâs hand.
âSounds like, like, a disturbingly young child,â Chat Noir said, louder than the others. âThat creepy purple bastard! I swear, the moment we find him, Iâm going to full on end him.â
âI agree, Kitty,â Ladybug said, âbut right now, we have to help that child.â
âAny ideas?â Chat growled.
Ladybug paused for a moment to finalize her plan. The laughter began to fade into the distance. âAlright, Chat, Carapace, youâre on search and rescue detail, short term. Make sure no one is trapped or hurt and stuck. Clear the scene. Ryuko, damage control. Get the fires out, and if you canât do that, contain them to the park. Queen Bee, Rena, Viperion, youâre on finding the akuma with me. If anyone finds anything or anyone of interest, let everyone know. Any questions?â She paused for a beat, and when no one objected, she continued. âAlright. Team Miraculous, break!â
The seven heroes split off in perfect coordination, having run similar plans many times over the years. Even without having discussed who would be going to which section of the park, there was no confusion.
Chat went pole-vaulting off to the northwest end of the Champ de Mars while Carapace sprinted off to the southeast. Ryuko shot straight up into the air, appeared to hover for a few seconds, before floating back down and taking off to the base of what was once the Eiffel Tower. Queen Bee and Rena Rouge took off southeast while Ladybug yo-yoed off to the northeast, Viperion following a few meters behind her.
The park grew quiet.
~~~
Ladybug had been wandering around for a good seven minutes when she realized Viperion was no longer behind her. That was very bad. She turned slowly, and pulled her yoyo in close. Eyes flitting across the field she had ended up in, she set it into phone mode and called her team.
âThis is Ladybug. All units, sound off,â she whispered.
âCarapace.â
âChat.â
âRena.â
âRyuko.â
Ladybug wanted to think she was surprised that Viperion didnât check in, but she couldnât bring herself to be disappointed. Whoever this akuma was, it was sneaky. And also evidently destructive. Ladybug stepped around the front half of a motorcycle as she waited for the rest of the check ins.
Ladybug groaned under her breath. âViperion, Queenie, sound off,â she whispered into the yoyo phone, not expecting a response. âViperion! Queenie!â
âThey wonât answer,â a singsong voice called from behind her.
Ladybug whirled around, just in time to dodge a fireball as big as a car. She leapt to the side, rolled, and came up, before immediately dropping back to the ground as another fire ball sailed over her head. The tree behind her exploded.
âTheyâre gone now,â the voice continued. âPoof!â
âShow yourself!â Ladybug shouted, heart racing. She slowly brought herself up to a low kneel, muscles tensed to spring at any second. Behind her back, she sent out a ping to the other miraculouses. Now, she just needed to delay until her backup arrived.
âIt was my birthday party. Mine!â The voice was off to her left.
âWell, you canât really celebrate a birthday party if Paris is on fire.â
âI donât want a birthday party anymore!â Still on her left. She glanced over, yet there was no one. There was nothing but open space.
âWhy not? Birthdays are great!â
âIf theyâre so great, why did my sister get to blow out my candles? Why did my cousin get to open my birthday gifts?â It was getting closer, but now the voice was off to her right.
âDid you talk to your parents?â
âThey didnât listen! They didnât even care!â
âDo you want me to talk to them? I can help you.â
âNo you canât! I just want them to feel what I feel!â The voice was suddenly much closer, and now it was in front of her. Ladybug almost jumped straight up, but caught herself. If she could just let it get a little closerâŠ
âAnd whatâs that?â
All of a sudden, something grabbed her foot from behind and pulled, throwing her onto her face. âIf I donât get to be seen or heard, then no one does!â
Ladybug kicked out. Her right foot scraped the invisible akuma, but itâs grip on her left didnât loosen. Instead, a fireball began to grow from the nothingness where the akuma was. âAnd now youâll go poof too.â
Clang!
Something struck the akuma with an echo. The fireball went out and the grip on Ladybugâs leg loosened. She smiled as she kicked and rolled away. Her backup was here, and now the akuma was on the defensive.
Chloe spent Saturday morning arguing with her father. She didnât really know what about, just that she didnât like how he had it planned. Once they had reached a settlement, one that was definitely more in her favor than the original plan had been, she moved on to negotiating with her mother. This discussion was about fashion, and so she was much more invested, to the point of actually caring to remember what she was arguing about. There was a charity gala and auction in two weeks, and Audrey had been working on a new line based on the local Parisian heroes that she wanted Chloe to wear to the gala. The event had something to do with raising money to help with disaster relief somewhere that had been hit by a hurricane, or maybe an earthquake, Chloe didnât remember. Audrey wanted her in the Ladybug dress. Chloe finally managed to talk her mother down to the Queen Bee tuxedo. Audrey thought it was a bit tacky, Chloe going in an outfit inspired by her own super alter ego. Chloe knew that red did not do her complexion any good, but black and gold, especially the dark gold of this specific ensemble, looked fabulous on her. There was a reason her costume looked like it did. Chloe had also managed to convince Audrey that Kagami should at least try the Ladybug dress, and that if it worked for her, she should wear it to the gala. Chloe was very excited for whenever they would schedule Kagamiâs fitting. Her dragon looked very good in red.
Adrien spent Saturday morning in his room. He did not want to be in his room, but he had haggled and bartered with Gabriel for an afternoon out. In exchange, he was stuck in his room. Two hours of piano, an hour of Mandarin, and finishing all of his homework for the next week was probably the second worst Saturday morning he could possibly imagine. The worst was a tie: either his current situation but without Plagg, or Gabriel seeing him on a date with Luka. The first would bore him out of his mind, and the second might result in police involvement. Neither was a good option.
Kagami spent Saturday morning baking. She particularly liked making cookies, and was absolutely fantastic at it, but Chloe loved her blondies, and so whenever she turned the oven on, she would make them. When she was younger, Kagami had decided that baking was stupid and any woman who wanted to bake and went out of her way to do so would only ever amount to being a housewife. That was until Marinette had befriended her, despite Kagamiâs attempts to not be taken in by the girlâs charm. Kagami had come over to the bakery one afternoon, before she knew Marinette was Ladybug, and had accidentally ended up helping Sabine make a batch of cupcakes. She stopped by the library on the way home and checked out three cookbooks, and had turned it into a weekend tradition ever since. Marinette had also tried teaching Kagami to knit, though she hadnât taken to the needles as quickly as the pots and pans.
Nino spent Saturday morning sleeping. He also spent the early afternoon sleeping.
Luka spent Saturday morning walking along the Seine. His motherâs boat could be rather restrictive, the sounds of the people and the water around him were very inspiring, and Juleka snored. A lot. After half an hour of slow meandering, he realised he had subconsciously been making his way towards Adrienâs house. As much as he wanted to see his boyfriend, he turned around. It wouldnât do either of them any good for him to be seen by the adults of the Agreste manor. Three more weeks. They could wait three more weeks to be seen in public together.
Marinette and Alya spent Saturday morning in Marinetteâs room. Marinette woke up first, and so spent some time embroidering a dress she was making for herself. Alya woke up when she rolled off the beanbag she had spent the night on. Marinette helped her back onto the cushion, joined her, and then the two girls spent quite some time pretending they were getting up and ready for the day. Eventually, Sabine poked her head into Marinetteâs room and got them actually moving.
At exactly three oâclock, two unremarkable high school students entered the front door of the Grand Hotel of Paris. One of them said goodbye to the gorilla of a man who had driven him there. The other carried a large tote bag stuffed to the brim with somethings that looked suspiciously like cookies wrapped in aluminum foil and plastic wrap. When the first tried to reach for one, his hand was slapped away. Overhead, three superheroes went shooting across the sky, jumping and swinging from rooftop to rooftop. If anyone on the streets of Paris had looked up, they would have seen two blurs, one of red and one of orange. The third teal one was nearly invisible against the clear Parisian sky.
At seven minutes past three, a very disgruntled DJ slammed through the back door of the Grand Hotel of Paris, sprinted up the employee stairwell, and burst into one of the penthouse suites up on the fifteenth floor.
âYouâre late,â Chloe said. She didnât even bother turning around.
âYeah, yeah, I overslept,â Nino grumbled, maneuvering around a large spread of papers on the floor. He made it to the sun room and collapsed into a large and fluffy armchair. âDid I miss anything?â
âWe ate all of Kagamiâs cookies without you,â Adrien announced around a mouthful of said cookies.
âWhat, really?â Nino sat bolt upright. Wayzz emerged from Ninoâs hat and flitted around his wearerâs head.
âNo, not really. I saved some for both of you.â Alya came and sat down in the chair with Nino, forcing her boyfriend to move over. She handed him a plate piled with cookies and blondies. As Nino breathed a sigh of relief, Wayzz did a little celebratory spin in the air before landing on the plate.
âThank you, Alya,â the Kwami smiled, before he began eating.
âYouâre welcome, Wayzz.â
âNow that everyoneâs here, we can actually begin,â Marinette said, cutting off the turtleâs response. âBecause, yâknow, weâre here to do more than just hangout.â She gave Alya and Nino a look. Alya winked back while Nino had the decency to look sheepish, before sprawling out across Alyaâs lap. âSo Chloe, I hand it over to you. Any updates?â
âThanks, Maribug.â The blonde stood up at the head of the table. âTo make it short, Iâve got nothing. No progress, at least, since last weekend. Weâve had the list of people who have the time, money, and schedule to be Hawkmoth for a while. Mayuraâs been a little trickier to track down, but I am working on that. As bad as it is, the more they attack together, and really the more akuma attacks in general, the easier it is to track them down. I still havenât gotten into the city camera network. I mean, itâs a long shot, but as far as I know, you can see akumas on film and tracking them all across the city would narrow that list down a ton. So, uh, yeah. Thatâs my update. Next?â Chloe sat back down. Kagami reached over and grabbed her hand to give a little squeeze.
âCool. Thank you, Chloe. Alya, howâs the online scene? Anything going on?â Marinette turned to her best friend.
Alya stood up, prompting a whimpered âNoâ from Nino as his pillow left.
âYes. Big time. Someone got a photo of Viperion and Chat Noir having a midnight picnic on the Eiffel Tower. Roses, candles, that whole aesthetic you two put together every time. They posted it on Wednesday and people want answers.â
There was a beat of silence, broken by the sound of Adrienâs head hitting the table.
âCanât you take it down?â Luka asked, rubbing his boyfriendâs back. âI feel like that would be much easier than, well, any of your other options.â Alya shrugged awkwardly.
âAs your friend and teammate, I want to. As a journalist running the largest and best superhero blog in the whole country, I canât. It would raise too many questions. For the sake of keeping our identities well hidden, I need to not just keep the photo up, but react big. As far as everyone else is concerned, Bug and Chat were a thing this whole time. The photo is a big shock, and I need to treat it as such. So, Marinette, Adrien, Luka, can we coordinate that after this? I think an interview would probably be a good idea.â
Marinette and Luka nodded as Adrien grumbled âOkâ from his facedown position
âAnd Adrien! I appreciate that you play favorites with the Ladyblog, but you donât need to turn down interviews with other people. Aurore is a very nice person, and her blog is actually pretty dang cool. She just happens to be a regular civilian and so canât organize interviews with any of you whenever she wants to. So, as a general note for everyone, you can take interviews with other journalists. Iâm not holding you to some kind of exclusive contract. Oh, and Gami? This applies to you too. Please be nice to other reporters. Please. People look up to you. Children admire you. Be a good role model and please stop threatening people who have cameras or mics.â Alya gave Kagami a mock glare. Kagami glared back, before sighing and shrugging.
âFine. I will attempt to be less rude to those who have made it their mission in life to invade my privacy and personal space.â
âIâm willfully choosing to pretend you arenât being sarcastic, so thank you. With that, itâs back to you, Marinette.â
âThank you for that, Alya. Alright, next-â Marinette stopped suddenly. âDid any of you hear that?â
Adrien was just about to ask âhear what?â when there was a scream from the streets. As one, the seven miraculous wielders were up and moving out onto Chloeâs balcony, trying to determine where the scream had come from.
It didnât take long to spot the source of the terror. Up near the Eiffel Tower, smoke filled the air as five explosions went off in quick succession. With a resounding crash that echoed off the Paris skyline, the Tower itself toppled to the ground.Â
âWell,â Marinette groaned. âDuty calls.â She quickly backed away from the edge of the balcony, out of sight of the street below. With a flip of her hair, Marinette whispered, âTikki, spots on!âÂ
The six other heroes mirrored the actions of their leader, and within seconds, they were leaping across the sky.
Damian spent Saturday morning glaring at Tim. Despite all prior evidence suggesting it was impossible, Tim had slept the entire flight over to France, as well as through most of the morning in Paris. Damian had slept on the plane, but decided not to sleep at the hotel, as much as his jet lag protested. If anything, that was why he wanted to stay awake. He was here for a month. The sooner he could get over the five hour time difference, the better. Tim was of the opposite mindset. In the five minutes of quasi-conscious conversation Damian extracted from him in the car over to the hotel, Tim explained that since this was a fake recon mission, he was going to be remaining on Gothamâs schedule. His rationale involved something to do with board meetings. Damian thought that was all a bunch of bullshit to excuse sleeping in until 5 pm on a Saturday.
As three twenty rolled around, Damian was suddenly very glad that Tim was still holed up and passed out in the hotel room. The explosions that shook the building could only mean one thing, and as skilled as Red Robin was, he had never fought an akuma before. Technically, Robin never had either, but heâd supported Team Miraculous more than a few times and had even been a part of Ladybugâs backup plan once.
Three minutes later, Robin was standing on the roof of the hotel. It wasnât difficult to see the smoke rising from where the Eiffel Tower had stood only minutes ago. Unclipping his grappling hook from his belt, he began to pray that his angel would be there soon. He was good, one of the best in the world, but even gods were occasionally too much for him.Â
Hey yâall! Iâm going to be totally and completely inactive until early April (ish). I am disappearing off into the Mexican wilderness for a leadership trip for the next 2.5 months. I wish everyone a nice spring!
There were exactly three good things Damian could identify about his father sending him to Paris for a month.
First, he would be away from his brothers and sisters for a month. He loved all of them (and would never tell any of them), but he was also very relieved to be somewhere else for a bit. Tim and Cass where the only other ones who still lived at home with him, but everyone else was always coming by the manor at the most random hours. Some time away would do him well.
Second, he would be out of school for a month. He may only be eighteen and still in high school, but his training with the League of Assassins had put him years ahead when he was younger, and he had continued many of the mental exercises his mother had taught him to remain ahead.
Third, and by far the most important, was that he would get to see his angel Marinette in person for a whole month. They hadnât been able to see each other much over winter break because of her family vacation, so he was planning on making up for it with as much time as possible now.
As he found out less than half a minute after processing his fatherâs declaration, the first two points were moot.
âThe official story is that Tim is going to Paris for Wayne Enterpriseâs business, and you are going along as a young adult excited to get a chance to see the world. I am attempting to coordinate with the local authorities for you to enter public school for the duration of your stay, but if that falls through, I will be expecting you to keep up with your Gotham Academy studies.â Bruce Wayne paced back and forth in front of his youngest son.
Damian sighed, leaning back into the couch. âAnd the actual reason?â At least he would get to see Marinette. Given that she could also make her way across the city in two minutes flat, heâd make the time no matter the mission.
âLeague business. The word on akumas got out, and quite a few people want to go rushing in.â Damian winced. Having some of the most emotionally repressed and powerful beings on Earth go sprinting headlong into a warzone overrun by a terrorist who weaponizes anger, rage, and guilt would go very badly. That was why, when Ladybug and Chat Noir had first accidentally attacked Robin two years ago, and upon realizing their mistake, had explained the situation to him, Batman and Wonder Woman had agreed to tell as few people as possible. Superman had been brought into the loop quickly, and Martian Manhunter figured it out almost immediately after. Red Robin discovered what was going on during one of his routine system upgrades in the Watchtower where he may or may not have been looking through some locked files and may or may not have immediately told all of his brothers and sisters. Dick told Kori, Diana told Hippolyta who probably told the rest of the Amazons, and Clark told Lois, who then told Jon, but as far as Batman could tell, no one else had told anyone. The more people who knew, the more likely someone with innate superpowers would go and get a rage-powered evil upgrade. It was better to keep it quiet, ish.
âWho spilled?â
âWeâre not sure. Itâs likely someone accidentally stumbled upon the reconnaissance notes, but thereâs a chance someone pulled a Tim, and itâs also possible someone found out entirely outside of the League. Family or friends, maybe. Either way, people want us to go in.â
âSo Tim and I are a cover.â It was definitely a statement, not a question. Bruce nodded anyway.
âDiana and I already prepared notes for you to âbring back,ââ Bruce air-quoted. âYou can add to them as you see fit, but itâs preferable that you donât delete anything.â
Damian thought for a moment. It would, by any measure, be relatively easy to do pretend recon for a month. And he could find a way to work with his girlfriend and her team to make it seem even more realistic, as he actually rather enjoyed spending time with them. Making time for his angel just got quite a bit easier. âThese notes, they donât mention anything about Marinette, yes?â
âNothing about Marinette.â Damian released the breath he had been unknowingly holding in. Bruce sat down on the couch next to him and patted his shoulder. âNothing about any of their identities. For all intents and purposes, no one knows who these mysterious Parisian heroes are. Theyâre a separate superhero organization that the Justice League has to jurisdiction over, technically speaking.â
âGood. Theyâre just a couple of random no-name superheroes across an ocean,â Damian said, and then he snorted. âAlthough, Iâm pretty sure if it came down to it, Team Miraculous could probably take the League in a fight. They have significantly more gods on their side.â
âMaybe. In either case, we are avoiding mentioning the Kwamis, if possible.â
âRight. Fewer details, less reason to panic.â Bruce nodded and sat down on the couch next to his son, and the two settled into a comfortable silence. In the eight years Damian had lived with his father, he had fit in with the hectic day to day life very well. He could keep up with his siblings easily, but with his father, he preferred the quiet calm.
After a minute or so, he broke the silence. âSo, when do we leave?â
âTonight. You fly out in five hours,â Bruce said. Damian glanced at his father. This was on very short notice. While Gotham definitely perceived Batman as being rather impulsive, both sides of Bruce Wayne much preferred to take things slow. Plans were planned, steps were enacted one by one in controlled situations, because the Bat always has control of the situation, and the results were carefully calculated and reliably accurate. Sending a recon mission, even a fake one, on such short notice for such a long term problem, was out of character. Unless he wanted Damian and Tim out of the house. But this was definitely more than that.
âThatâs not much time, Father,â Damian replied. âThis may be a, well, a fake mission, but thatâs very short notice.â Bruce winced, and Damian knew he had struck the right chord. âUnless, of course, this has been in the works for some time now.â
âIt has,â Bruce nodded sheepishly. âIâve been planning on sending you and Tim for a week. Clark, Diana, and I have been negotiating, per say, with the rest of the League on how we will be going about this. Trust and morale are not doing so well right now.â He paused, but didnât look at Damian. âI didnât want to tell you until I had all the details.â
âThen I should get packing.â Damian stood up to make his way up to his room. âI wonât let you down, Father.â As he got to the door of the parlor, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to his father.
âThank you, Damian,â Bruce said. âThank you.â Damian nodded, and left the room.Â
Bruce released a sigh. Tim probably wouldnât take the sudden scheduling so well.
âMarinette! Theyâre here!â Tikki flitted back into Marinetteâs room. She had been sunning herself on the roof, but had seen the rest of her holderâs team arrive.
âGot it, Tikki!â Marinette handed the small, red god a sugar cookie. âThink it looks good?â She gestured to her room, which had had many a makeover in the last few years. Recently, sheâd convinced her parents to get her a loft bed, which had opened the room greatly. Her sketching and homework desk was under the bed, both of which were pushed against the northern corner. Her sewing desk was on the northeastern wall, and her two dress forms were next to it. She had a flat-screen television on the opposite wall from her desk area and four bean bags of various sizes facing it. All in all, it was the perfect room for her work and her friends, and it happened to have a bed as well.
âIt looks great Marinette! I like the new nest,â Tikki said as she flew to the ânest.â It was a wooden frame hanging from the door to the roof, with fleece blankets and smaller pillows piled inside; the perfect size for seven or so Kwamis to hang out and watch movies in style.
âThanks. Iâll be back in a minute!â Marinette called over her shoulder. She practically leaped down the staircase, skipped the bottom five steps, and went screeching around the corner to the next set of stairs. It had been a solid three hours since she had seen her team, and as far as Marinette was concerned, that was way too long. Who knew what kind of shenanigans they could have gotten into since then?
As she landed on the bottom floor, she heard Adrian say âThank you Monsieur Dupain,â followed by protesting from her father.
âPlease, Adrian, thereâs no need for you to be so formal. You practically live here, so please, call me Tom!â
âOkay, Tom,â Adrian replied, more shyly than Marinette felt was necessary.
âThat applies to all of you. Any friend of Marinetteâs is a friend of mine, and you are all wonderful friends. Iâm so glad my little Marinette has such wonderful people in her life.â Tom bellowed, his volume matching his physique. âSo, does my little girl have a boyfriend yet?â
âPapa!â Marinette cried out as she entered the front of the bakery. âYou donât need to embarrass me in front of my friends.â
There was a small chorus of hellos and heys and how you beens from the six others in the room. Alya went in for a hug.
âOf course I do! As your father, I am contractually obligated.â Tom paused. âSo, uh, do you have a boyfriend?â
Chloe giggled a bit, but quickly covered it up with a rather pathetic fake cough when Marinette glared at her.
âNot yet, Papa. There is a boy I like, but he lives in America, so it probably wonât work out.â
âOh, yes, did I meet him?â
âYes, you did. He was here in the fall,â Marinette answered, shepherding her team into the back and up the stairs. âWeâre going to go watch a movie. I love you, Papa!â She yelled over her shoulder from the second floor.
âIâll bring you all some cookies!â Tom called up after her. âOh, Iâm so glad my little Marinette has such close friends.â
âAnd then Lila said, and I shit you not, âThis Luka sounds like a lovely woman!ââ Chloe burst out. Adrien blushed hard. Nino, Alya, and Marinette laughed with Chloe. Luka looked thoughtful.
âI have met her before, right?â He asked. âLike, Juleka has definitely introduced us.â
âOh yeah. She was at Kitty Sectionâs last show, actually,â Chloe replied.
âShe was the one who fake-fainted when you blew Adrien that kiss,â Nino added.
âThat was Lila?â Adrien asked, shocked. âI thought that was just some fangirl or another!â
âNope!â Nino said. âThat was Lila.â
âOh my god,â Adrien whispered. âShe tried to steal my boyfriend.âÂ
âDonât worry, Adrien,â Marinette leaned over to pat her friend on the back. âNo one can steal your boyfriend. Plagg would kill them.â
Luka laughed. Adrien joined for half a second, before saying, âOh my god, Plagg might try to steal my boyfriend,â with horror dawning in his eyes. Luka cut his laugh off as everyone else started.
âYou all joke down there, but Lukaâs voice is almost as good as camembert!â Plagg called down at the superheroes from the nest.
âThen I am very glad my father doesnât check his banks,â Adrien said. âCause losing one of you would be bad. Losing you to each other,â He threw his head back and dramatically reached for his heart. âOh, that would be unbearable!â
Plagg said âDonât worry Adrien, your cheese is still better,â at the same time as Luka said, âIâm still here for you, babe. Just donât run away with Sass.â Everyone laughed at the coupleâs antics.
âI have the movie!â Kagami poked her head up from the staircase. âAs the loser of todayâs Twitter contest, I hereby declare that we shall watch,â She paused for effect. âThe Princess Bride!â
Marinette, Luka, and Alya cheered. Chloe, Adrian, and Nino looked around at them, confused.
âIs it good?â Chloe finally asked.
âIs it good? Is it good?!â Marinette squealed. âOf course itâs good! Itâs The Princess Bride!â
âHave you not seen it, Chlo?â Kagami asked.
âNo, uh, I havenât,â Chloe answered, blushing a little.
âI havenât either, if itâs any consolation.â Adrian reached over and squeezed his friendâs arm.
âSame, dude. It seems kinda cheesy, to be honest. Like, what kind of title is The Princess Bride?â Nino added.
âCheesy? Cheesy?!? It is the epitome of uncheesiness! All other movies aspire to be as uncheesy as The Princess Bride!â Alya practically shouted, leaning away from her boyfriend in horror. âCheesy? Never.â
Luka snorted. âYou keep using that word, Alya. I do not think it means what you think it means.â
âAre you saying it is cheesy?â Adrian asked his boyfriend.
âNo, heâs quoting,â Kagami closed the stair door behind her. âActually, he might be saying itâs cheesy, but he is first and foremost, quoting.â She popped the disk into Marinetteâs TV.
âItâs cheesy,â Luka stage-whispered to Nino.
âSo, whatâs it about? Yâknow, besides a princess getting married,â Chloe asked. Kagami sat down next to her and grabbed her hand.
âItâs about everything! Fencing, fighting, torture,â Marinette began listing.
âRevenge, giants, monsters,â Alya picked up after her.
âChases, escapes, true love, miracles,â Luka continued.Â
âIâll try to stay awake,â Marinette finished. Adrian, Nino, and Chloe stared.
âTheyâre all quoting now,â Kagami explained.Â
âTheyâre quoting The Princess Bride?â Nino asked.
âItâs very quotable,â Kagami answered.
âSo, itâs not like, a generic princess movie, I take it,â Chloe said. âI mean, Disney movies donât normally have, like, torture and revenge as big themes.â
âOh no, itâs totally a generic princess movie,â Marinette said as she picked up the remote. âItâs got all the tropes, every stereotype, itâs great. But like, itâs also really not generic at all. Itâs, uh, Iâm gonna stop trying to explain. Weâre just going to watch it now.â
âEveryone got their candy?â Alya asked. A chorus of positive responses came back. âGood! Now, letâs go! I want to start. Itâs been like, a year and a half since Iâve seen this.â
Marinette turned her television on and started the movie. As the music started and the camera swept over the farm, she looked at her teammates and smiled. With all of them by her side, be it fighting supervillain terrorists, dealing with bullies, or watching movies, she could face anything.
Adrien and Luka kissed each other goodbye on the cheek. Luka put his helmet on and slowly started up his motorcycle. Juleka grabbed his waist and leaned into him as they took off down the street. Adrien waved after them, before turning back to school. He had fencing today. While it meant he wouldnât get home until almost five, it also meant that he had the next forty five minutes with nothing to do. Kagami had talked Chloe in to staying until practice started, so he was considering crashing their date.
He reentered the front of the building and groaned. Lila Rossi was standing in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by her adoring drones. Adrien didnât know most of them, but he recognized a few from their class. They all knew who he was, though, and so the moment he made eye contact with Lila, they had practically swarmed him.
âOh my gosh, Adrien. How are you?â
âIâm good, Lila. And you?â He was very proud of how level he had kept his voice.
âOh, Iâm just fantastic! My boyfriend just texted to let me know that I can stay with him for the summer!â There was so much cruel hope in her eyes. Adrien didnât want to ask the expected question of her, but he also knew that if he didnât follow expectations, his father would hear. He only had three more weeks until he was eighteen. He could suffer through three more weeks of this.
âThatâs great,â He said, deadpan as possible. The emotions he wanted to show would end poorly. âDo I know your boyfriend? I take it he doesnât go here.â
There was a half-second glare from Lila. They both knew Lila was lying through her teeth, though Lila didnât know how much Adrien understood that. She didnât expect him to catch her look or the underlying anger involved. Of course she wouldnât have a fake boyfriend that went to their school! She didnât expect Adrien to understand that, though. He never understood her.
âYou might, actually. His dad owns a fashion company, among other things. Damian? Damian Wayne?â
It took every ounce of self-taught emotional repression Adrien possessed to not react. Lila was claiming to be Damian Wayneâs girlfriend? Of all the people she could have picked, she chose Damian Wayne? He couldnât believe it! Because as far as almost everyone knew, as far as even his father and Nathalie knew, he didnât know Damian Wayne. He had no reason to know an American billionaireâs reclusive child, except for the fact that one of his best friends and superhero teammates was actually dating Damian Wayne and that whenever he was in Paris, as uncommon as that was, Robin would join Team Miraculous on patrols and in akuma battles. Marinette would think this was hilarious. He couldnât wait to tell her at movie night.
Adrien spent a moment to give credit to Lila for setting her story up like this. The way she had asked if he knew Damian, it left room for her to wiggle out if he did. And a reclusive American? She could disappear off to the US for the whole summer and never actually meet Damian with her âfriendsâ none the wiser, so it was a surprisingly low risk play. And yet-
âI donât think so. I may have met him once, but yeah.â Lilaâs smile relaxed. She had tricked him. âGood for you. How long have the two of you been together?â
âOh, a few months now. We met at a gala over the winter, and weâve been texting a lot since then.â There was a gala, but Damian had taken Chloe (with Kagamiâs permission) as his date because Marinette was in China visiting family at the time and Chloe hadnât exactly been out to her parents. Lila had really done her research on this one. âHe was in Paris last month, though, so we finally had our first official date.â Also true, but he had been on a few secret superhero dates with his secret superhero girlfriend, not with Lila. The great part about having a superhero as a significant other, and Adrien knew this very well from experience, was that you could go almost anywhere in the city at any time. He and Luka had picnics on the top of the Eiffel Tower not infrequently.
Lila was holding his arm very tightly. He began to walk towards where he knew Chloe and Kagami were waiting. âHeâs so romantic. He took me to a restaurant overlooking the Seine and we watched the sunsetâŠâ Adrien tuned Lila out. He could see Chloe and Kagami. He could see his saving graces, but they were deep in conversation and at the far end of the hall. Why couldnât they look up? He needed their help. Lila was hurting his arm now. He decided he should start listening again.
â...And then his dad said yes, so Iâm going to Gotham for the summer.â Lila finished expectantly.
âThat does sound romantic. Which restaurant did he take you to? If you and Damian Wayne approve, Iâd love to try it myself.â He was almost genuinely curious. For living on a travelling river boat that had been all over Europe, his boyfriend very rarely took advantage of shore leave. Luka had been in Paris now for almost four years, which was more than double as long as theyâd stayed anywhere else. He and Juleka both liked it, and had settled in.
âItâs this place at the western end of town, Astrance. The food was absolutely exquisite.â Chloe and Kagami still hadnât looked up. âIâm a vegetarian, but Damian got the steak and said it was the best steak he had ever had.â Lie. And a sloppy one too. Weirdly sloppy. âIf you are interested in the vegetarian option, the house salad was pretty good.â Maybe she was testing him? Maybe she didnât know better? It wasnât exactly public knowledge, but anyone who knew the Waynes knew Damian was a vegetarian. Adrien was planning on at least going pescetarian when he moved out because of Damian.
âSounds good.â He doubted Lila had ever been anywhere near Astrance. âI have been needing a good place to go for my date.â Chloe finally, finally looked up. She made eye contact with Adrien, and elbowed Kagami to get her attention.
âYou have a date? Oh, Iâm so happy for you!â There was too much hatred in her eyes. She wanted Adrian as her own trophy and would kill to get him. Even if he didnât know, Adrien would have noticed. On a purely sadistic note, he would have liked to see her try to fight his super-powered time-jumping boyfriend. It would be very entertaining. âWith whom?âÂ
âWith Luka,â he said. Just like every date for the past year and a half had been with Luka. Just like heâd told Lila at least three times already. Kwami, she was dense. He was actually grateful for that, because if his father suspected he wasnât straight, Adrian Agreste would be stuck in his room until he turned eighteen.
âOh, Iâm so glad you found someone. This Luka sounds like a lovely woman-â
âAdrien, I need your help,â Kagami interrupted, practically shoving her way through the other students. Lila started to pout, but stopped with a glare from Chloe. Kagami didnât even bother to acknowledge the Italian. âI seem to have lost my gloves. You must help me find them.â She grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Lila.
âOf course, Kagami. Sorry to leave Lila!â Adrien called over his shoulder as he was herded around a corner and down the hall by Chloe and Kagami. âOh my god, thank you,â he cried out in relief the moment he was out of view of Lila.
âNo problem,â Chloe said. Adrien pulled her and Kagami into a hug. Chloe began to protest, but quickly melted into him. After a few seconds, he pulled away and turned to Kagami.
âAlright, letâs find those gloves.â Chloe smirked. Kagami laughed.
âYou mean these gloves?â Kagami held up the fencing gloves. âOh, well, I happened to find them in my bag, right where I left them. Iâm so forgetful sometimes.âÂ
âKwami, you two are the best! You know that, right?â
Whatever you may or may not celebrate, I am doing a fic giveaway!
The two randomly drawn winners will get a one-shot of the fandom, characters, ships, and general setting of their choice, as long as I actually know the fandom. Approximately 3500 words, but thatâs just a guideline. No smut or nsfw (this is up to my discretion). You donât need to be following me, but it is much appreciated.
Two ways to enter:
1) Comment on this post that you are entering (one entry max)
2) Reblog this post (two entries per reblog, up to three reblogs)
Entries close on December 25th at 11:59 pm EST. I will announce winners on December 26th and contact them from there. If you have any questions about entries, whether I would write in a specific fandom, or anything else, comment here or send me an ask. Thank you all!
A short list of fandoms I have already written in or might want to write in (not at all complete, so feel free to ask)
Of course, that was as far as the rest of Paris knew. The moment they all settled back into their spots, for all the world looking like your average teenagers, they pulled out their phones and checked in. It wasnât like anything worthwhile would even have time to happen before school ended.
Bugaboo: SoâŠ
Bugaboo: Movie night tonight? My place at 6?
DarknessAndChaos: Iâll bring the popcorn
RealFox: Duh!! Soda
RealFox: Also, Iâm literally sitting right next to you
Ssssnake: I got extra blankets
Turtlurtlurtle: Wait no
Turtlurtlurtle: Blankets are my thing
Turtlurtlurtle: My whole deal is blankets
Queenie: He attack
Queenie: He protec
Queenie: But most importantly
Queenie: He lose his blankets to a snek
RealFox: Itâs okay babe
DarknessAndChaos laughed at âHe lose his blankets to a snekâ
RealFox: You can bring blankets too
Bugaboo: More blankets are always better
Turtlurtlurtle laughed at âHe lose his blankets to a snekâ
Turtlurtlurtle: Big mood Queenie
Ssssnake emphasized âMore blankets are always betterâ
Queenie: I got pillows
TheDragon: Does Bustier just not care???
Queenie: Nope
Bugaboo: Technically yes, but like???
DarknessAndChaos: At one point in the very distant past
RealFox: Are you sure she ever did?
Turtlurtlurtle laughed at âTechnically yes, but like???â
Turtlurtlurtle laughed at âAt one point in the very distant pastâ
TheDragon: Fair enough
TheDragon: I can bring candy
TheDragon: I have found my mother is willing to buy as much as I ask for when I say itâs for Adrien
DarknessAndChaos: Does that mean I get first pick this time?
Ssssnake: Unfortunately not, babe
Ssssnake: Numbers donât finalize until your class is over
Ssssnake: But itâs looking like Turtlurtlurtle is taking the cake
Turtlurtlurtle: Details please!!!
Bugaboo: Youâre at 2800 right now
Bugaboo: Iâm at 2750 thoughâŠ
RealFox: Iâm at 2500!!!
Queenie: Wtf?!?!?!
Queenie: Iâm only at 1700?!?!?!
Queenie: Twitter has failed me
DarknessAndChaos: Fear my power!
DarknessAndChaos: I have 983!!!!!!
Sssnake liked âI have 983!!!!!!â
Sssnake: You got this babe!
TheDragon: Haha!
TheDragon: You are all weak. I haveâŠ
TheDragon: Drumroll please?
Queenie: Badabadabada
Turtlurtlurtle: Tststststststs
Bugaboo: Patapatapatapata
RealFox: *slapping the table as fast as I can*
DarknessAndChaos: tappity tap tap tap
Ssssnake: đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„
TheDragon: 194! Mother! Flipping! Tweets!
Queenie: Whoo!!!
Queenie: Thatâs my girlfriend!!!
TheDragon: Moral of the story is that I would like to yeet the next lucky charm
Turtlurtlurtle: Or you can yeet Bugaboo
Turtlurtlurtle: Thatâs how I always roll
Bugaboo: Bustier is watching us
RealFox: Gtg
RealFox: ...Bugaboo got to it first
Ssssnake: See everyone at 6
The various members of Team Miraculous quietly slipped their phones back into their bags and pockets. It didnât particularly matter though, as almost immediately after, the bell rang and the class was released.
Marinette immediately took off sprinting home. If she was lucky (which she usually was, as of late), she could finish the main stitching on her latest commission and make extra muffins and cookies before anyone came over. Adrien joined Juleka and Rose as they descended slowly to the front of the building so he could see his boyfriend quickly. It was difficult finding time to be together in their superhero identities, so they made as much time as possible when out of their disguises. Alya, Nino, and Chloe meandered over to Kagamiâs locker to wait for the blondeâs girlfriend. They were chit-chatting aimlessly, supposedly.
âI mean, at this point, I feel like Carapace is getting worse,â Alya practically shouted, laughing. âHe could barely throw Ladybug twenty feet.â
âHe should definitely work out more. Yâknow, with weights,â Chloe chimed in.
âWeights would be a good idea,â Alya agreed. She reached over and squeezed her boyfriends bicep. A pause, and then she squeezed again. âWell, uh, damn, okay. Ignore me please, because I need a minute here.âÂ
âYou know what they say,â Nino said. âThe girls love muscle men.â He put on his best smoldering look and posed, and winked at Alya, who bent over giggling. Kagami joined the three of them and began opening her locker
âAs your friendly neighborhood bisexual, I gotta say itâs mostly just the muscle part. The man part is optional,â Chloe said. She leaned in to Kagami, and kissed her cheek over her shoulder. âLike this. This is good muscle.â She grabbed one of Kagamiâs arms and held it up. Kagami spun away from her locker, flexed dramatically, then kissed Chloe back. Chloe laughed her way through the whole demonstration.Â
âI mean, yes, but also,â Nino swept Alya up into his arms bridal-carry style.
Alya blushed. Kagami burst out laughing.
âNow youâre just making a scene, blanket man.â
âOh, that was low, Kagami. That was a low blow.â Nino looked mock-offended. âQuick, Alya! I need you to dramatically feign being injured by these mean words for me!â Alya dutifully obliged. After stealing Ninoâs headphones from around his neck to better impersonate him, she mimed an arrow piercing her heart and the ensuing Nino-death that followed.
âYou wound my boyfriend, Kagami. You wound him,â she whispered dramatically.
Ladybug had recently decided that she was not paid enough to deal with this shit. In fact, she did not think she was ever paid enough to do any of the shit she had to deal with in her civilian life too. She made a quick mental note to see about raising commission prices, and then quickly had to yo-yo off the chimney she had been (rather precariously) balanced on when a beam of light broke it into a million small brick shards.
She landed on a larger roof, and was joined by Viperion and Ryuko. Chat Noir, Queen Bee, and Rena Rouge continued to taunt the akuma, a bus driver who had evidently gotten very annoyed with traffic this morning and now went by the name Red Light (Chat Noir had spent the first five minutes of their fight lamenting how Hawkmoth had no creativity and was running out of quality puns way too quickly. Queen Bee, after Chat Noirâs fifth traffic pun in a single sentence, had smacked him upside the head with her yo-yo and reasoned that first, he and Ladybug had been fighting Hawkmoth for more than three years now, and second, he had run out of good puns by the end of their first akuma and so really had no leg to stand on). Carapace hadnât yet returned from making sure all the civilians had escaped their little battlefield, but Ladybug knew heâd be back soon. Nino was never one to miss the chance to pun with Adrien
âHave you figured out your lucky charm, Bug?â Ryuko asked. She nodded down to the bicycle wheel Ladybug had been holding for a few minutes now.
âNo, but Iâm really getting annoyed at this point, so I might just yeet it at him.â
Viperion snorted. Ryuko nodded solemnly, though her eyes glittered with humor.
âI like this plan,â she replied. âSimple. Stylish. Meme-worthyâ
Carapace, Chat Noir, Queen Bee, and Rena Rouge landed on the roof at once.
âSo, weâve got about a minute, because Butterfly Bastard is being overdramatic and monologuing again,â Chat Noir announced. âWe have a plan yet? The lucky charm working out?â All the superheroes glared at the red and black bicycle wheel as if it held all the answers (which, technically, it did, given that it was the literal inanimate personification of the goddess of luck and creation).
âAnyone object to a Formation G yeeting?â Ladybug looked around her group. After no objections, she continued. âGreat. To quote our dear dragon here, simple, stylish, and meme-worthy. Letâs go make the internet proud.â All seven reached their fists in, quietly cheered âTeam Miraculousâ, and then split.
After the first two years of dealing with Hawkmoth, Ladybug and Chat Noir had learned that the Lucky Charm had two options: the recommended way and the other way. The recommended way was complicated, overdramatic, and safely effective. The other way usually involved property damage, head injuries, and on the odd day when Twitter became involved, some very disappointed Kwamis. Expanding Team Miraculous to a larger permanent roster led to the other way being used significantly more often. Explaining the recommended way would take too long, and if you hit someone on the head with invisibly small to absurdly large projectiles thrown with speed, they are always disoriented enough for seven superpowered caffeine-fueled spite-driven sleep-deprived over-scheduled high school seniors to take them down in seconds.
Ladybug and Carapace ran straight at Red Light, leaping off the roof and rolling into the ground before continuing their sprint. Ryuko and Queen Bee broke left as Chat Noir and Viperion went right. Rena Rouge waited a few seconds, and then used her Mirage. She threw the illusion at the akuma, and suddenly, Ladybug and Carapace were still running exactly the same as they had been. A quick check from Red Light showed that, indeed, all seven Miraculous wielders were doing the exact same thing as before the illusion had been cast.
That was when a bicycle wheel, thrown with enough force to achieve escape velocity, appeared from nowhere and hit him in the forehead.
The akuma fell over backwards, stars pulsing in his vision. Hawkmoth was desperately trying to communicate, but Red Light was so dazed and in pain that he couldnât focus on anything except not blacking out immediately.
Ladybug landed her Carapace-assisted jump just as Chat Noir reached the garishly colored (I mean, come one, who would ever willingly wear traffic light colors? Ladybug thought to herself, pointedly choosing to ignore thinking about her boyfriend, because his brother chose those colors before he was even born so it didnât really count) collapsed figure. He grabbed the ID badge pinned to the middle of the yellow section of his clothing and whispered âCataclysm,â dissolving the little plastic rectangle into nothing.
Ladybug quickly purified the butterfly and threw the bicycle wheel into the air. Rena Rouge joined everyone on the street for the ceremonial fistbump. Six of them split off to go detransform in private and pretend they had simply hidden during the attack. Carapace stayed behind to talk to the bus driver and help get him to the police, if necessary. There had been a time when they had cycled through who had to deal with the cleanup, but the schedule was quickly dropped after everyone realized Carapace was by far the best people-person and the only one of them who would never outwardly show his annoyance with the press and the police.
Five minutes later, Chloe Bourgeois, Adrien Agreste, Nino Lahiffe, and Alya Cesaire walked back into school, having fled in fear when the akuma first started rampaging around the city. Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Kagami Tsurugi emerged from the bathrooms they had hidden in when the screams had started. Luka Couffaine got back on the motorcycle he had pulled into an alley to protect, and continued on his way to pick his sister up from school, which would be ending soon. He had made sure to take an indirect route that stopped by the Marinetteâs parentâs bakery. He had promised Juleka and Rose croissants, and no akuma would ever stop him from keeping a promise, especially to his sister. Besides, he always had time.
No one suspected anything of them. They were just six high schoolers and one college student who, like everyone else in Paris, were reasonably scared of Hawkmoth and his akumas, and like everyone else in Paris, preferred to hide or run when Hawkmoth and his akumas struck. They were seven perfectly ordinary people with absolutely nothing to hide. Nothing at all...
It was supposed to be hard for a ghost to hold conscious thought within the Fenton Thermos. This was definitely a feature, not a bug. With enough practice, a ghost could eventually be able to think the most basic of thoughts while contained within the small cylinder. With years of practice, a ghost could retain full intelligence and awareness. Danny had never thought that would apply to him, and yet here he was, stuck in the thermos, thinking about a brain teaser Tucker gave him yesterday. He hated being in the thermos, and when he got out, Jazz would be in for it.
Youâd think, he thought to himself, that after two full years, sheâd actually be able to aim the thing. But no, she still hit him every other time. And now he was able to be mad at his sister, try and solve Tuckerâs brain teaser, and still be aware of his surroundings. He was upset with Tuckerâs brain teaser, because why would anyone need to know which of the twelve coins was heavier or lighter and why would they need to know like this? It was such a stupid riddle, but given that there was literally nothing else Danny could do but think, we was stuck on it. Jazz would be able to solve it in seconds, he thought grumpily, but I wonât tell her about it until I have solved it so that I can lord it over her. Thatâs what she gets for still sucking at using the thermos. Heh, sucking, thermos, good one. I hope she lets me out soon. I have homework. Itâs got to have been at least twenty minutes, she should be home by now. Why isnât she home yet? Maybe she forgot about me. That would be bad. If she did, Tucker and Sam will figure it out and let me out in the morning. Itâll be fine. Now, if I put those coins there and those coins thereâŠ
Jazz Fenton had not, in fact, forgotten about her brother. She had just decided he needed to be in time out. Thatâs what he gets for taking the last piece of non-reanimated bacon this morning, she thought triumphantly. Maybe this will teach him to respect me as his older sister. That should have been my bacon.
Dani wasnât sure how she was going to explain this to Valerie. She was flying as fast as she could and it wasnât fast enough but she also needed to think but she needed to focus to be able to think and couldnât focus on that right now, no, because she didnât need to crash into another jet and so she had to fly first and brainstorm second but there wouldnât be time to brainstorm later so she needed to think now!
A bird squawked angrily off to her right, shocking Dani out of her thoughts and forcing her to slam to a halt. She glared at the bird as it gave her the stink eye before flying off.Â
Danny was not sure how this had happened. No, thatâs not true. He knew exactly the series of events. He could trace back, day by day, to the moment this timeline had been set in motion. He also knew that that was a load of bull, and that he could easily manage to trace this as far back as he felt, being that he was the apprentice to the Lord of Time and all. As it was though, he was tracing it back to nine days earlier. Nine days ago when heâd been talking to one of the Far Frozen yetis in a back corner of Amity Park Park. That had led to four days ago when the largest blizzard in recorded history buried Amity Park in seven feet of snow, which had led to two days ago when he had gone flying off in the Specter Speeder to visit Frostbite to talk about how he did not mean seven feet, he had just meant enough to close Casper High for a few days so he could catch up on his sleep schedule and maybe actually get a book report finished. He hadnât known about the stowaway, but heâd heard the news of a missing kid when he got back to his house. And then, three hours ago, Dora had sent a messenger to tell him that the yetis had apprehended a human trespasser. Given that he was the king of the Ghost Zone (and possibly also the god of the yetis) and that the human realm of Amity Park was his lair, he had complete jurisdiction over the human trespasser. He had been planning on just sneaking them out of the Ghost Zone and paying back Dora and Frostbite tomorrow. Of course, one hour ago, heâd found out that someone might have mentioned to someone else that there was a human in the castle who the Ghost King himself had been summoned for, and word might have spread from there to another someone else, who may have told everyone they knew that there was going to be a trial, even though that was not ever conveyed to them.
Iâm attempting doing Phango19! Hereâs my first piece: Reverse Trio & Itâs Not Gay If (S)Heâs Dead
Word Count: 1101
AO3
Sam snuggled in closer to Valerie, leaning her head on the other girlâs shoulder and pulling her legs in to her side. They were sitting on Valâs hoverboard, hundreds of feet above the center of Amity Park Park, watching the night sky. The air was slightly chilly and crystal clear. Fog layered the streets of the town below them, but hesitated to raise to their level. It was only a few minutes until the sun would begin to peak above the far horizon.
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