Panda writes happily, more than anything, but I appreciate the alliteration. Author of With Time (Complete!) She/Her | Biromantic | Student | Hufflepuff | Nerd | Skykid I will take any puns and Dad jokes you have. I will also take prompts, because I'm always looking for good ones! Find me on AO3!
I'm taking part in the No shave November challenge and thought I would.set up a go fund me to go … Kyle Paddock needs your support for No shave November C.F.K
One of my regular commenters over on ao3 asked if I could help spread awareness for the Cancer Free Kids gofundme they started. It’s a wonderful cause, so if you can help out here it is!
hi! my friends and i are making a crack blog about baguettes, and i was wondering if it would be fine to use your "how a baguette would move" survey as a resource?
Oh absolutely! I’d love to see it! If you use any direct images of the survey/results, I’d prefer you link back to me somehow, but otherwise, go wild, my dear! This ask is not something I ever saw coming, but goodness if I’m not going to treasure this forever.
I’m sure you’ve all noticed that despite my plans to give A Shy ‘Sparrow’ (how I wish I could abbreviate that) a regular update schedule, I have not.
This is because I couldn’t find the inspiration to. Writing it always felt forced, not at all the way With Time was.
A few days ago, I was like ‘okay, Panda, take a step back and find the source’.
So I did that. I took a step back, and I looked at the story, and I realized that I’m not happy with it.
I started the story very quickly, I had an idea and I ran with it, and that’s great! But I also didn’t give it time to grow. All I have is a suffocated little seedling that I keep telling to become a tree.
And that’s not fair to the seedling.
I began the story, planning for it to be short, because I was in the middle of With Time. Then, by the time I had the time to write it, I had other ideas I wanted to get to. I tried to cram all my ideas for A Shy ‘Sparrow’ into it all at once, to finish quickly, and move on. But now, I realize the reason that I was more excited about those other stories was because I’d given them the time to grow. There was more there! It was exciting and fun! That is, believe it or not, how I originally felt about this story!
As the creator, I am in charge. If I am not satisfied with my work, then that means I’m not done with it. I have full control of what I do. No one is stopping me from fixing things.
I am not abandoning this work.
As of right now, A Shy ‘Sparrow’ is officially on hiatus for an undetermined amount of time. It will be going under heavy editing and revision to make it into a story that I am proud of calling my own, and then I will begin posting it again.
Currently, I think that the already existing chapters will be left as they are. I think it’s important to show that even if you’ve already started writing, there’s no shame in changing the story. It’s your story!! Make sure it feels that way! Besides, as an author, this feels like a moment of growth that I don’t want to erase. When updates continue, it will be a separate work on Ao3, likely marked as a reboot or similar term.
In addition!
Because I have already began posting it, this story belongs, in part, to all of you! If there is something you think I could add, or that you had hoped to see, or that you’d wondered about - anything - feel free to tell me! I make no guarantees on if I’ll use all your ideas, but hearing your feedback will be both interesting and helpful.
I will not be gone during this time! The story is going on hiatus I am not.
If you have any questions, let me know! All input, ideas, constructive criticism, etc, is welcome!
Author’s Note: Hey. So, I know this is pretty outside of what I usually write (or at least I feel like it is), but for context, I wrote this yesterday, shortly after finding out my dog died. The song Good Die Young by Molly Kate Kestner came on on Spotify while I was in the car (we were away and someone was watching him for us), and that’s when I wrote this.
I know I’ve mentioned wanting to bring some positivity during this mess of a year, but I also know that all of you guys are awesome people and you’ll probably just be happy I posted. You guys are wonderful, and I was pretty pleased with how this turned out, so I figured I’d post it. I’m taking it easy, no worries.
Author’s Note: I didn't think I'd be writing a continuation/companion piece for my Plagg On Death fic, but I saw some pictures of my dog and got nostalgic, and figured I'd let Tikki have her turn.
This is a companion piece for the previous work in the series, but can be read as a stand alone.
Summary: Tikki's thoughts on life.
Also on Ao3
Plagg’s Version
Tikki has been around from the very Beginning.
She is present for the creation of all living things, and always will be.
Many believe that, for those reasons, she knows Life better than any being. That to see it and feel it everywhere allows her to know it on a deeper, more meaningful level.
She could not disagree more.
She believes she will never truly be able to feel, to understand, to know LIfe in its truest form.
Life may fall into her domain as Kwami of Creation, of Good Luck, but Life is more than just its beginnings. More than Creation.
Her Bugs. Oh, her precious Bugs, they are eternal proof of that.
Beings that know of the miraculous agree with that sentiment, but for all the wrong reasons. It is believed that her Bugs, her children, will live long lives. They will live as long as their human lifespans will allow.
But that couldn’t be more wrong.
They live and breathe with everything they are, wherever they go. They are alive in every sense of the word. Until they aren’t.
The universe never seems to have space for so much life in one person.
And that is precisely why her Bugs will know Life better than she could ever hope to.
Because the beauty of life does not come from it’s length, but its contents. From the impact that you make.
It’s the knowledge that you only have so much time that pushes you to live. It is a wonderful and beautiful gift to be alive, but it is not meant to be permanent.
What better way to truly understand what it means to Live and be alive than to live and breathe at your fullest knowing full well that it could be taken from you any second. Life is precious, and its meaning comes from its promise of ending.
She’s there at every Beginning, but she’s there at every Ending.
Her bugs die in battle, more often than not. They give up their gift to preserve that same gift for many others.
Their Cats, their partners, perhaps meant to succeed where her Bugs didn’t, to have a long life, scoff at that intended fate. They know the beauty of Life because they stood by its side until it died in their arms.
And because they know it, they do not fear death. They lived and breathed with Life itself, and they know they lived just as deep.
They are Destruction, so why should they fear Death?
So blinded by their loss, they do not see they are often throwing away the very thing they always intended to protect.
And when its over, the universe is left reeling from not one, but two premature deaths. Two bright and beautiful stars put out before they were done burning.
Humans pull from that leftover fuel and immortalize the lives lost in the only way they know how.
Stories.
There’s a reason so many Cats and Bugs become the characters in legends and figureheads in history. Because humans can see that the story wasn’t over, and they draw out that life as best they can.
It’s not a replacement. Nothing can ever replace the pricelessness of a Life, no matter how small or short.
But it’s something, and it lets that Life live on a little longer and a little stronger than it would have otherwise.
It’s a cycle she’s forever confined to.
She goes from one human to another, on and on until Time ends, only for their time to end to be cut short, to be cut away from her.
The pain she shares with Plagg. A good life cut too short, too soon.
She’s never numbed herself to that pain, but she doesn’t want to. To do otherwise would be an insult to what they were and what they left behind.
Every time that box opens, every time she’s given a new wielder she throws herself into loving them. She doesn’t waste a moment in appreciating the gift that has been given to her. To them. She loves them with everything she is from the moment she meets them.
And she knows it will end in loss and indescribable grief, but it will be entirely worth it because each of her Bugs are incredible and unique.
And they are glorious.
So, Tikki, Kwami of Life, Creation, and Good Luck knows. She knows she will never truly live.
But she knows the beauty of Life, and she knows it well.
---
Author’s Note: I hope this doesn't come across as me romanticizing death/martyrdom/dying young. Life is precious and that includes everyone reading this!
The reason this fic is so centered on lives cut short is, once again, my dog. As mentioned in the precious work of this series, he died (back in June). He was only four. We adopted him in February. I spent longer writing With Time than I did with him in my life, but he still made an impact, as I'm sure any pet owner can understand. It doesn't take much time to fall in love.
I hope you're all staying safe, and give your pets some love for me!
(I will be posting about my plans for A Shy 'Sparrow' momentarily, so be sure to stay tuned if you want to be kept up to date on that series)
Hey panda Chan this is irish from Ao3 you remember that hat Marinette made for Gabriel's competition what sort of Mischief do you think Lila could do if she found that with the MDC signature I'm about Marinette is the one who made it and puts two and two together?
Wooo! I’m back, lovelies! Thank you, @aurorastream for sending me this ask, which prompted me to actually log into my account for once. This is just a short drabble of Lila figuring out who MDC is.
---
Lila studies the hat. It’s from some competition from before she joined the school, so she doesn’t know who made it.
What she does know, is that whoever made it is likely both popular and talented. Which would make them the perfect addition to her cult friend group.
The gold on the band catches her eye, and when she studies it closer, she sees a name.
Marinette.
But that’s not quite what makes a wide grin split across her face. No, under normal circumstances she’d glare at the decorative gold signature, thinking of the pigtailed girl who has given her nothing but trouble.
But in this case, she’s positively delighted.
Because the hidden signature technique here is stupidly similar to one employed by up-and-coming designer anonymous MDC.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Oh ho ho, this is good.
This is very good.
“Mlle. Rossi? Are you in here?”
Lila hurriedly puts the hat back in its place. “Yes!” She cries, forcing her eyes to tear up. “I’m s-sorry, I just- I got lost, and th-then I w-wandered in here and the d-door w-wouldn’t open again!”
“Oh, it’s alright dear,” the assistant assures her. “This is just an old storage closet. Stuff from old shows. Nothing interesting in here. Let’s get you back to the shoot, okay?”
She sniffles, nodding. “I’m so sorry.”
‘Nothing interesting’? Perhaps not. But useful? Certainly.
I’m currently working on writing a one-shot of how the With Time crew learned each other’s identities (as a very late celebration of With Time’s anniversary on the second!), but while that is in the works, I thought I’d put out an open call for prompts? Anything from With Time stuff, to normal ML, even Sanders Sides (thought most of you are probably here for my Ladybug stories).
Also? I just saw I’m almost at 300 followers?? I’m glad I didn’t miss that benchmark!! How exciting!! I’ll have to think of a way to celebrate!!
Author’s Note: Here we are! The final chapter! There was some delay, so thank you all for your patience!
First | Previous
Ladybug and Chat Noir stare at each other in frozen shock as their transformations time out. They’d both chosen the same alley, and there was no time to switch.
And suddenly it’s Marinette and Adrien in the alley, Tikki and Plagg watching silently.
“I-” Marinette chokes out. “I’m so sorry. I have to go.”
She rushes out without another word, her head down and shoulders drawn up as she brushes by Adrien. The blond lifts a hand toward her when she goes by, but pulls it back to his chest. He watches her go, then turns and walks the other way.
---
Tikki watches her Chosen sadly. The girl had rushed straight home and flopped onto her bed without another word. Not crying, but definitely shaking.
“Marinette, talk to me,” she prompts.
“What is there to talk about? He hates me now!”
“Why would he hate you?”
Marinette sits up, pushing herself off her pillow, then gestures at herself. “Because I’m me. Ladybug isn’t some hero! She’s just me.”
“You said the same to Chat Noir a while ago. What did he say then?”
She pauses, then looks away. “...he said we’re the same person.”
“And?”
“And he wants me to learn how to appreciate that.”
“So do you think he would hate you now? Just because he knows who you are?”
“Yeah, because I’m Marinette.”
“I disagree. How does Adrien feel about Marinette?”
She opens her mouth to say something about he probably couldn’t care less about her, then actually thinks.
And realizes, that at least in her mind, they’re actually friends. Adrien - socially deprived child that he is - probably would agree wholeheartedly with that statement.
She falls backwards onto her pillow, covering her face with her hands. “Oh nooooo, I’m an idiot.”
“You were overwhelmed by what happened. I don’t think that makes you an idiot, I think it makes you human.”
“An idiot human,” she groans. Then her body goes rigid, and she flies up, scrambling for her phone. “Oh no! He thinks I hate him!”
Tikki sits back. For now, her job is done.
Marinette: oh my kwami im so sorry
Marinette: i shouldnt have run off like that
Marinette: im honestly really happy that its you
Marinette: it was just so much at once and i was worried you would hate me and didnt want to see that because youre really important to me and im so so sorry
Adrien: yeah it definitely stung
Adrien: but plagg reminded me about your feelings about your identity so i kind of figured it had to do with that
Adrien: still had me worried though
Marinette: i know i know im so so sorry
Marinette: um maybe we can meet up for patrol later to talk
Marinette: give us both some time to process
Adrien: sounds like a plan princess
---
When Chat Noir lands on the roof, he’s immediately tackled in a tight hug by Ladybug. He barely manages to keep from falling over.
“I’m so sorry, mon minou.”
He returns the hug with a smile. “It’s okay, I understand.”
She finally steps back, looking at him with teary eyes. “No it’s not. I hurt you, even if you understand what happened now…”
“You aren’t, um, upset that it’s me, are you?”
“No!” Ladybug grabs his hands. “Never! There’s no one else that I would want to be my partner!”
“Okay.” He smiles. “Then I’m okay. No more apologies, m’lady.”
She looks as though she’s about to argue, then lets out a deep breath. “Fine. If that’s really enough, I’ll stop apologizing.”
He sits down against a wall, patting the spot beside him.
She sits there, smiling for a moment before it fades. “And, um, you aren’t… disappointed it’s me?”
Despite knowing how she feels about herself, he’s still surprised at how she can’t see how amazing she is. “Absolutely not. You’re wonderful, Bugaboo, your being you only makes you doubly awesome. I purr-omise.”
She gives him a small, but bright smile at that, then smacks him gently on the shoulder. “That was an awful pun.”
“Claw-ful?”
She giggles. “No!”
“Won-fur-ful?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Hiss-terical?”
“Nope.”
“Claw-ver?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Purr-fect?”
“Kitty, I am paw-sitive that that was far from your purr-fect pun.”
He gasps in delight. “You punned!!”
“I shouldn’t have. Now you’ll never stop bugging me about-”
He gasps again, and it clicks.
“Hey wait! That one wasn’t purposeful!”
“Purr-poseful,” he whispers. His eyes are shining, and there’s a wide smile on his face.
“I’m just going to stop talking.”
He hugs her tightly, and she returns it begrudgingly. After a moment, he finally says, “Hey, does this mean we should delete that app?”
She hums. “Maybe we can just use it for hero business now.”
“Sweet.”
“You just liked the dumb nicknames, didn’t you?”
“Purr-haps.”
“I’m ignoring that, but we can change each other’s names to some equally horrible nickname for normal texting.”
“Even better!!”
Ladybug leans her head against his shoulder and smiles. “I’m glad it was you,” she says softly.
He leans his head against hers and takes her hand. “I’m glad too. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
She fights the blush rising on her face. “Neither could I. Partners, with or without the masks?”
He pauses. “And.”
She furrows her eyebrows. “What?”
“Partners, with and without the masks.”
A smile breaks across the girl’s face. “I like it.”
---
Author’s Note: Well, what do you think? I'm pretty pleased with it, though maybe one day I'll rewrite this. I don't know.
Now that this is finished, I'm going to try and post a one-shot about once a week - though that's very loose (trying to go easy on myself). For now, A Shy 'Sparrow' is on hold. I want to finish writing it before I start posting it again.
It's been lovely to be back and see you guys again! 💕💕💕
:D i got tagged in something! cool. i used as many songs from my own spotify liked songs as possible, to show y’all my taste :3 (it would be nice if my followers didn’t judge me for the explicit songs, k thanx bai)
T - The Last of the Real Ones, Fall Out Boy
H - Holy, King Princess
E - Everybody Loves Me, OneRepublic
Q - Quand C’est, Stromae
U - Umbrella, Rihanna
E - Even If, Mercy Me
E - Electric Love, BØRNS
R - Rain, Hollywood Undead
B - Best Friend, King Princess
A - Angeleyes, ABBA
B - Blinding Lights, The Weeknd
Y - Young, Hollywood Undead
C - Chiquitita, ABBA
H - Hum Hallelujah, Fall Out Boy
R - Riot, Hollywood Undead
I - I’m Good, Wafia
S - She’s Kinda Hot, 5 Seconds of Summer
T - Talk Too Much, COIN
I - Irresistible, Fall Out Boy
A - Animal, The Cab
N - Nights Like This, Kehlani/Ty Dolla $ign
idk who to tag, so feel free to do it if you want ig?
Tagging: @elenabluenette @adhd-lesbin @wellthatisbloodyfantastic @kazbrekker-basiltonpitch @xxjustanotherhufflepuffxx @og-fanofmyself @smol-grey-tea @wolfjackle @wasserblume @ivegotanaceupmysleeve-ohitsme and anyone else that wants to do it!!!
Falcon in the Dive - The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical)
Just a Dream - Vixy and Tony
At the Beginning - Anastasia
Come Alive - The Greatest Showman
King of all Trades - Heather Dale
Lemon Tree - Peter, Paul, and Mary
Everything Happens - Bandstand (Musical)
I highly recommend all of these songs and it took forever to narrow them down to what I wanted. And then I had to be that much over the top and add links.
If you guys are interested, I’ll tag @bare-nok @wanderingsofal @bookwyrmie @insanely-creative-things (this might be mean for you) @greensword101
No pressure, of course. And also open to anyone else who thinks this sounds like a fun way to share some music recs on their blog.
Oh boy, I’ve got a longer URL, but also a vast itunes library. Here we go!
Wake up (Julie and the Phantoms)
All We Are (One Republic)
Notbroken (The Goo Goo Dolls)
DIVING BELL (Starset)
Elsa’s Song (The Amazing Devil)
Rewrite The Stars (The Greatest Showman)
I Want To Know What Love Is (Celtic Thunder)
New Divide (Linkin Park)
Gone, Gone, Gone (Phillip Phillips)
Say Something (A Great Big World)
On Top of the World (Imagine Dragons)
Fearless (Taylor Swift)
Anybody There (The Script)
Like Real People Do (Hozier)
A - Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked, Cage the Elephant
N - Nothing Left To Lose, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
D - Doctor Worm, They Might Be Giants
A - A Better Son/Daughter, Rilo Kiley
W - Wait For Me (Reprise), Hadestown
R - Runs In The Family, Amanda Palmer
I - It’s Alright, Mother Mother
T - To My Parents, Anna Clendening
E - Eat The Rich, Kate Stephenson
S - Such A Loser, Garfunkel and Oates
P - Poetry By Dead Men, Sara Bareilles
O - Old Man, Neil Young
O - Ophelia, The Lumineers
R - Raise Your Glass, P!nk
L - Little Talks, Of Monsters and Men
Y - You’ll Be In My Heart, Phil Collins
I tried to give a variety, both because I listen to a lot of different things, but also because I have a long enough url. There might be a few in there that stand out more, but they’re not random I promise. Don’t know who to tag, so just consider yourself tagged if you want to do it!
Hey! I’m still here! There’s going to be a slight delay on the last chapter of And, but I figured I should reassure you all that I’m still around. It should probably be up tomorrow or the day after.
School is back in session, and I’m still adjusting to that after six (was it six?) months of being ‘on break’. Strange times we’re living in.
Author’s Note: Thank you all so much for your patience again! I meant to have this up on Tuesday, but between school finally starting back up, and getting back into the habit of regular updates, it just didn't happen. I promise I wasn't disappearing again!
First | Last
Marinette sits up when she hears a notification from that app. She and Chat had found a messaging app that they could both use without revealing their identities, and had been using it to communicate without having to transform.
It was already hard enough to sneak away for attacks, they didn’t need to make it more complicated.
It’s just a quiet study hour in the library, and she’s alone, so she pulls out her phone.
Cat Boy: hey bug
Cat Boy: weird question
Cat Boy: do you
Cat Boy: do u think that i weigh 2 much
Little Lady: no!
Little Lady: not at all kitty
Little Lady: underneath all that armor and magic leather im pretty sure your waist is the same size as mine
Little Lady: if anything you dont weigh enough
Little Lady: im bringing snacks on patrol
Little Lady: this is non negotiable
Little Lady: text me ur favorites
Little Lady: but later. what brought this on
Cat Boy: just civilian stuff
Cat Boy: i know i’m not overweight
Cat Boy: but seeing the numbers andstuff all the time it can kind of stick in ur head you know
Cat Boy: and then u start thinking about it
Cat Boy: and it sticks around longer
Little Lady: and then it’s taken root
Cat Boy: yeah
Little Lady: then we have some weeding to do >:(
Cat Boy: :)
Cat Boy: thanks bug
Little Lady: not a problem
---
Little Lady: do i do enough
Little Lady: like
Little Lady: all of this
Little Lady: is it good enough
Little Lady: paris and the kwamis and the akumas and hakwmoth
Little Lady: shouln’t I have fixed all of this bu now
Little Lady: it’s what im here for
Little Lady: but theres sill so much wrong and i feel like im not enough right to cancel it all out
Little Lady: and i just
Little Lady: i feel so bad
Little Lady: but half the time i dont even kno what i fel bad about u kno
Little Lady: i jsut fell bad
Little Lady: abuto evryting
Little Lady: o goodenss it 3 am
Little Lady: sory
Little Lady: ignreo tihs
Cat Boy: bug
Cat Boy: breathe
Cat Boy: five things you see
Little Lady: pilwo phonoe tiki cieling um
Little Lady: blankt
Cat Boy: four things you feel
Little Lady: bed
Little Lady: pilow hair sheets
Cat Boy: three things you hear
Little Lady: cars wind and keyboadr clicks
Cat Boy: two things you smell
Little Lady: the candle i had burning and bread
Cat Boy: bread?
Little Lady: bakery nearby
Cat Boy: oh okay
Cat Boy: one thing you taste
Little Lady: cookies
Cat Boy: there we go
Little Lady: thank you
Cat Boy: no problem
Cat Boy: do u want to talk
Little Lady: later. maybe on patrol?
Little Lady: i’m tired. haven’t slept all weekend
Cat Boy: …
Cat Boy: bug it’s MONDAY
Cat Boy: wait no
Cat Boy: TUESDAY
Cat Boy: go to bed
Little Lady: goodnight kitty
Cat Boy: gn littlebug
Today 9:32 AM
Little Lady: hey! im not that much shorter than you!
Little Lady: >:(((
---
“Are you sure, Lila?” Adrien asks, a frown creasing his face. “That doesn’t sound like something Marinette would do.”
“Well I-”
“My dude’s right,” Nino agrees, “That doesn’t sound like Nette at all.”
Adrien watches Marinette brighten quietly as the rest of the class comes to her defense. They all believe Lila still, yes, he’s not going to let the liar turn them on their Everyday Ladybug. Not on his watch.
After class, the dark haired girl approaches him. She gives him a soft hug, whispering a quiet ‘thank you’.
---
“Adrien,” Marinette calls.
The blond stops, turning. “Hey, Marinette. Did you need something?”
She shakes her head, giving a small smile, holding out a paper bag. “You were gone all morning for that photoshoot. I thought you might be hungry.”
Adrien freezes, staring at her in shock.
After a moment, she cringes, looking away. “B-but um, if you aren’t-”
He shakes his head, realizing his mistake. “No! No! Thank you so much! I just- You surprised me.” He gives her a grateful smile, trying to keep himself from crying. “I- that- I wasn’t expecting this. You’re wonderful, Marinette, really.”
She blushes violently as he takes the bag, digging into the pastries with a smile.
“I don’t usually remember lunch after shoots, so…”
She stares at him in horror. “That’s it,” she declares, “I’m bringing you lunch now. Everyday. No matter what.”
“How much? I’ll pay-”
“No, Adrien, we’re friends. You don’t need to pay me. Maman is always saying how she thinks you need to eat more anyways, so my parents would probably just give you free food if you so much as glanced in the window. I’m just making their dreams come true.”
He laughs, and she takes a moment to appreciate such a carefree look on the busy model’s face.
He’s happy.
That’s good.
---
Cat Boy: u okay bug
Cat Boy: u seemed upset today
Little Lady: im fine
Little Lady: just
Little Lady: tired
Little Lady: i should probably go now class will start soon
Cat Boy: okay
Cat Boy: if you say so
Adrien tries not to let his worry for his partner show as he slips his phone into his pocket and makes his way to Bustier’s class.
The battle was easy - Ladybug didn’t even need her Lucky Charm - but Cataclysm had been a requirement for this particular fight, so he hadn’t had time afterwards to check in with his friend.
He’s never good at focusing when he’s worried.
Nino slings an arm around him as they meet up on their way to class.
“Hey dude, um, I hope you don’t mind sitting with Nette today. She’s pretty wiped out - Al’s said she said somethin’ about a big commission? I dunno’, but we figure the less high up she is, the better, so I’m takin’ her seat today so she can go ground level.”
“Oh that’s fine! Is she okay?”
Nino gestures at the girl as they enter. She’s slumped forward, making her already small form even smaller, and while her sketchbook is out, the page is blank, and her pencil isn’t anywhere to be seen. There’s a to-go cup of coffee in the corner of the desk, and her head rests on her hand, her eyes staring blankly forward, unresponsive.
Adrien winces. “Goodness.”
“Yeah…” Nino shakes his head, then heads towards the girl’s usual seat. “You take care of her, alright?”
Adrien nods, sliding into his usual seat. “Hey, Mari,” he greets softly.
She straightens, blinking a few times before turning to face him with a weak smile. “Hey.”
“You feeling alright?”
She doesn’t get a chance to respond before Ms. Bustier walks in and class starts.
The lesson feels slow. Between Marinette and Ladybug, Adrien has the urge to hug someone and tell them that they’re okay, and that they’re good.
Both girls, at this point. The look in Marinette’s eyes is the same as Ladybug’s when she’s overworking herself to avoid thinking about something. The nights when he sees her patrolling even though she isn’t scheduled and he has to transform to go talk her into resting. The fights where she throws herself at akumas less thoughtfully, more brash. The post-battle interviews where her answers are slightly delayed, her eyes endlessly tired.
So when class is finally over, Adrien puts a gentle hand on her shoulder to keep her from going. Once everyone has filed out, he gives a small, worried smile.
“Are you feeling okay, Marinette?”
“I’m fine.”
“Marinette.”
She hesitates, her eyes straying from his to stare at nothing in particular. “I’m fine, Adrien, really. I’m just… just tired.”
“The coffee probably isn’t helping,” he teases.
“The coffee is my lifeblood.” She smirks, then sighs. “But I’m more than just sleep-tired.”
“Oh.”
She stands, gathering her things. “But thank you. For asking. And for caring.”
“Not a problem.” He hands her her sketchbook. “You deserve it.”
She looks at the sketchbook, then at his smile, and gives a genuine one of her own. “Yeah. Yeah I do.”
---
Author’s Note: Next (and final) chapter will be up sometime next week! I'll try to post weekly one-shots until I have A Shy 'Sparrow' fully written, and then I'll put that on a regular schedule.
Thank you all so much! Have a lovely day and stay safe! 💞
Author’s Note: I'm back!!! I know I was gone for quite some time. Sorry about that. You guys have been so understanding and patient. This post says more on where I was and what I'll do now.
Anyways, have a three shot to celebrate my birthday! I am old now (not really).
Summary: Sometimes one word makes a world of difference.
Next | Last
“Ladybug will win! She always will!” Alya shouts defiantly.
Ladybug shakes herself out of her thoughts.
That’s the past.
It doesn’t matter.
“Is that so? How can you be so sure?” the akuma sneers.
She’s fine.
Everything’s fine.
Everything is perfectly fine.
“Because! She’s Ladybug! She wins! That’s what she does. One day, she’ll beat you and then you’ll see.”
She stumbles as she lands, catching the attention of her partner. He glances over at her, but she just waves him off sheepishly.
“Zoned out.”
He smiles, and they continue on with their patrol.
“But what about the other side of her? The girl behind the mask? How can you put your faith in someone you’ve never met? She’s only human, and humans are made to fail. One day, she’ll slip up, and when she does, I’ll be there.”
A mistake. She zoned out, and she tripped. What if it’d been during an attack? A mistake like that could have cost them their miraculouses, their Kwamis, their very life as they know it.
That akuma - Hawkmoth, actually, because that was most certainly the man himself speaking through his victim - was right.
Ladybug is Marinette, and Marinette is a mess.
She has no place in a job like this. One trip up, and boom! It’s all over.
She doesn’t even realize there are tears trailing down her face until Chat Noir puts a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Ladybug?” He looks at her, tilting his head to the side just a bit, concerned. She’s wiping furiously at her eyes now, cursing herself for being so stupid as to start crying in Paris.
“I-I-I c-can’t.”
“Can’t what?” he asks softly.
“C-can’t do th-thi-this!” She throws her hands out, motioning at the city around them. “I-I’m j-just s-some girl! Not a-a-a hero! I’m g-going to m-mess it all up.”
“No you aren’t,” he argues. “You’ve done great! You are a hero.”
“I’m a fraud.”
“No, Ladybug, you aren’t a fraud.” Chat frowns. “Is this about that akuma the other day?”
She sniffles. “Maybe.”
“Hawkmoth was just trying to get under your skin-”
“Well he did!” she shouts. “Because everything he said was true, and I’ve thought the same before!”
Chat pauses, unsure how to proceed. “I don’t think it’s true.”
“You haven’t met me before. The girl under the mask. She’s a mess, Chaton, she never should have been chosen for this. Who is she to have all this trust?”
“I think I see the problem,” he says gently.
“What? Me?” she mutters.
“No.” He hugs her. “You and your civilian self are the same person. Quit pretending they aren’t. Whoever you are, you have achieved everything you have as Ladybug, because you are Ladybug.”
Taking both of her hands in each of his, he holds them at their sides. They stand parallel in silence for sometime, Ladybug’s forehead pressed into his chest, the only sound being her occasional sniffle.
“I’m a disaster. Everyone thinks that Ladybug is the perfect hero, but I’m not. I’m just me.”
“And that’s what makes you such a great hero, Bugaboo. You’re Tikki’s chosen. That means something.”
“It means nothing,” she mutters derisively. “I’m going to mess up. I’ve done it before.”
“And what happened then?”
“Things got worse. Because I’m stupid.”
“No. You still won, because even though you make mistakes, you also fix them.”
“‘s’all ‘m good for anyways.”
“No!”
“Yes!” She steps back, gesturing at herself, somehow looking at herself critically while maintaining eye contact. “Let’s be honest, I wouldn't have done half of what I’ve done if it weren’t for you! Why should I get the credit for what you did?”
“Now, hold on. You always get mad when people write off what I do and credit it to you, so how is it fair to do it to yourself? We achieved all these things as a team. It was both of us, and neither of us deserve to be forgotten or ignored.”
“You were ready,” she argues. “That first day, you fought, and you were ready. I didn’t do anything until Alya shouted at me because you got in trouble. I was scared and stupid. I tried to give up.”
“It was a lot at once, and it’s understandable you were overwhelmed. And look at how far you’ve come! You haven’t given up!”
“Because of you. I couldn’t abandon you, Kitty.”
He shakes his head. “I may have been why you didn’t want to, but you were the one who stepped up and continued to fight. You’re the one who fought hard despite being scared. I was the why, but you were the how.”
She’s not convinced, and he sighs, sitting down and gesturing for her to do the same. When they’re both settled, he takes her hands and looks at her intently. She looks away.
“Ladybug, I just want you to listen to me. You don’t have to look, or respond, just hear me out, okay?”
For a moment, there’s nothing, then she nods.
“You’re an amazing person. Period. But clearly, it’s going to take more than just one conversation to convince you. That’s okay. Most things can’t be set right as quick as your cure.”
“What, so I’m broken?” she snaps, her anger not directed at him.
“No, you’re not broken. There’s nothing about you that needs to be changed, or fixed. You’re wonderful just as you are. I just want you to see it too.” He pulls her into a gentle hug. “We can just talk, okay? Partners support each other, no matter what. Whenever you’re feeling bad like this, just let me know, no matter where or when, and I’ll be there for you. To talk, or listen, whatever you need.”
She frowns. “That’s not fair to you. I can’t just interrupt your day like that.”
“It’s fair if I do the same to you!”
Despite herself, she can’t stop the small huff of amusement (a laugh, Chat would argue), that escapes her at his expression. “Fine. I’ll transform and text you next time. But you have to do the same! I don’t want to be just leeching off your time and giving nothing in return!”
Chat grins. “Silly! You’re no leech, you’re a ladybug.”
She rolls her eyes, sticking out her hand. “Is it a deal?”
He shakes it triumphantly. “It’s a deal.”
---
Author’s Note: I have the next chapter written, and have plans for the last one, so I'll be able to (hopefully) be posting regularly again! I do have school again, so there is that getting in my way schedule-wise.
Regardless, I am back! So I hope to get back into the swing of things and get a regular posting schedule! Stay safe and wear your masks! 💕
Hello!! Again!! I’ve been gone for... a while. But I really do miss posting and interacting with all of you.
My little disappearance was not planned, it was a mix of the time getting away from me, and lots of things happening in my personal life, and suddenly well, it had been a while.
I’m currently in the process of rewriting an old WIP I’ve had in my ‘not posted’ folder for a while. It’s a short three chapter thing I’ve been meaning to actually get around to, and now I’ll be using it as a way to (hopefully) ease myself back into this.
Here’s the plan so far:
Finish the three-shot
Begin posting three shot, over a few weeks (at most a week in between publishing)
Use that time to get back into writing A Shy ‘Sparrow’
Get A Shy ‘Sparrow on a regular update schedule
Extra things I want to do:
My birthday is coming up (am I too young to feel old?), and I want to post something (whether an update or one-shot), as a reverse present of sorts.
With Time’s anniversary isn’t too far off, so I do want to do something about that.
If you have any ideas on things for the anniversary, or anything you want to say/suggest, let me know! Asks are always open and interaction is my life force. I’m only half joking
Thank you guys so much for your patience, and I hope to be seeing you guys more often again! Stay safe! 💞💞💞
Hey, everyone! Sorry for the radio silence! I was away for a few days, (and will be again soon), and when I came back my wifi was down. :/
I’m currently stealing some wifi from my very lovely friend, and I just wanted to let everyone know that I am still around, and will probably be back sometime late next week! Sorry again for being gone, and thank you for your patience!!
Author’s Note: Eyy, it's been a while hasn't it? Well here I am! With a new chapter too! I've written more for this story, and I'm getting a better idea of how long it'll be, so I might change the chapter count to a rough estimate once I've posted this.
Chapter Summary: The side effects of a broken miraculous are beginning to catch up with Marinette.
First | Previous | ???
A month since Alya posted that picture, and things aren’t going well. The amount of attacks has almost doubled, and Marinette can’t help but feel that Hawkmoth is targeting her.
If he is, it’s working, because she’s been getting worse, fast.
Alya now shows up at the bakery to walk with her to school each day, because no one wants her to faint in the middle of the street. If Alya is absent, then Adrien or Nino will come to get her.
Her parents have been sending her to a doctor for a while now. She was prescribed something a week ago, and it’ll be starting to take effect properly around… today, actually.
She and Alya arrive at school together as usual. What isn’t usual is that for whatever reason, the school’s population is buzzing in excitement about some girl who transferred in.
“Well, she sounds interesting…” Alya remarks, unsure. The stories seem off somehow.
Marinette hums. She’s not sure about this new girl either.
Her classmates are gathered around a desk in the front. Not tightly, just all facing that way and closer than they normally would be.
“...my sprained wrist hasn’t healed properly, because- Oh! Maybe I shouldn’t tell you. Well, I guess you all seem pretty trustworthy,” the girl looks around carefully. She’s dressed in a gray romper with an orange jacket. Her hair is tied into two ponytails in the front. They resemble sausages more than anything.
It’s certainly a… unique look.
“See, I’m actually Sparrow! Chat and I are dating- Oops! We didn’t want that to be public ye-”
“I don’t believe you,” Marinette cuts in. Another wave of dizziness passes over her, and she clutches at Alya gently, swaying.
Crocodile tears come to the girl’s eyes, “H-how c-c-could you say th-that? I work so much for th-this c-c-city, and this i-i-is the th-thanks I get?”
Marinette collapses, falling to the floor. Her classmates gasp, and several rush to help her.
“Oh, so now she’s pretending t-to be sick so that y-you’ll all believe her-” New Girl sneers.
Everyone falls silent, processing what the new girl said.
“What,” Adrien snarls. She pales, but attempts to continue.
“W-well, she c-c-clearly is jealous, and is tr-trying to discredit me, and is looking for sympathy p-points by pretending to-”
“Oh, shut it!” Alya snaps, “Mari has been sick for weeks. I have to walk her to school everyday so that she doesn’t collapse in the street, and just because she didn’t believe your frankly outlandish tall tales, you’re saying that she’s faking it?”
“W-well no-”
“Really? Because that’s what it sounded like to me,” Adrien growls.
The girl makes her escape, and the class turns their full attention on their favorite pigtailed designer.
Max is muttering medical statistics to Rose and Juleka who are doing their best to revive her. Soon enough, she stirs, putting a hand to her head and groaning.
Both girls hug her, and Max sighs in relief.
“Maybe you should head home, Mari…” Alya hugs her.
“No, I’ll just go to the nurse first, if I need to go home, I’ll call Maman or Papa.” Marinette suggests, “You shouldn’t miss class.”
“Alright…”
After everyone wishes her well and she makes her way to the nurse. Of course, then she hears the sounds of an attack.
No break for her, huh?
Hurrying out the door of the school, she ducks into an alley to transform.
“Duusu, Spread My Feathers!”
Instead of the usual warm calming feeling of magic washing over her, it feels like searing fire. Every bone feels like it’s splintering and her muscles tense. She’s stumbling, but that is barely registered amidst the tidal wave of pain she is drowning in. She coughs, choking on nothing as her throat struggles to function.
Her back hits a wall, and she slides to the ground, falling until she’s nothing but a limp body on the ground, spasming occasionally.
She needs to detransform. She needs to detransform right this second.
Just thinking takes immense effort, so talking is out of the question. She’s relieved when she registers the sound of beeping from far, far away.
A voice echoes around her, something blue flying around above her, mumbling about medication.
“Wha’?” Nothing is coming into focus, but at least the pain is fading, even if she feels sore and utterly exhausted,
“I- I didn’t want to say anything, because it wasn’t completely certain to happen, but often, magic doesn’t mix well with medicine…” the blue thing chirps.
Kwami, she can barely understand French words, let alone identify… anything.
“Wha’?” Everything is swimming again, she still can’t move properly.
The blue thing rushes towards her - hiding, she thinks - as something dark lands in the alley.
“Good Kwami, what happened to you Ma- Miss?”
The dark thing crouches near her, and she does her best to repeat the blue thing’s - Duusu’s - words.
“...medzz...bad..reacshhun…” she manages.
“You had a bad reaction to your medication.” He - Chat Noir - repeats, looking for clarification.
She nods almost imperceptibly, trying to move upright but instead finds that her arms give out and she returns to the ground.
“I can take you home.” Almost as an afterthought, he adds, “Uh, where do you live?”
Marinette does her best to mumble ‘bakery’ and hopes she gets the message across properly. She’s entirely spent.
Chat Noir picks her up as gently as possible, and hurries to get her home without jostling her too much. He hands her off to her parents, doing his best to explain what she’d told him.
They nod, and her Papa takes her to bed while Maman calls the doctor. It doesn’t take long for her to give in to the exhaustion, falling into a restless sleep.
She wakes up a few hours later, feeling weak and tired.
“Duusu?” She croaks. The Kwami immediately flies up to her, looking relieved that she’s awake.
“Marinette! How are you feeling?” She’s uncharacteristically uncomposed, flitting around distractedly looking over her holder.
“Just… really tired. My head hurts, I’m kind of sore…?” She holds her head, staring off in space until something occurs to her. “The akuma! I can’t leave Chat alone!”
She stands quickly trying to get to her balcony, only to fall back onto her bed, feeling shaky.
“Marinette, that was hours ago. You aren’t well.”
“What happened?” She can’t really remember anything past transforming.
“It- I’m sorry. The miraculous uses some of your energy to transform, usually it wouldn’t be noticable, but… it’s broken. It’s trying to use your energy to heal itself, but that’s not going to work. The medication blocked that, but by transforming, you forcibly went against that… so it didn’t end well. My last chosen-” Duusu’s voice cracks, and she tears up, “Oh, Emilie, my poor little peachick…”
She shakes herself out of her mind after a moment, “Since you are younger, there was a chance that the medication wouldn’t have done anything, maybe even help, so I didn’t want to worry you…”
Marinette sighs. “It’s alright Duusu, it’s not your fault the brooch is cracked. Though, maybe I should be trying to fix it. How can I do that?”
Duusu pauses to think. This girl has proven to be very capable, and is certainly responsible. She’s ready to know about the Guardian.
“There’s a Guardian of the miraculous. They are responsible for taking care of and protecting the miraculouses. He is in Paris, that much I am sure of. He is the one who gave Chat Noir his miraculous, and he is in possession of Tikki. Together, they would be able to fix it.”
“Great!” Marinette cheers, “So just tell Chat I need to see the guardian?”
“...no. The Guardian is meant to stay a secret and it’s possible that Chat does not even know of their existence. If you were to out them, it would not look good for you. If Chat does know, he’s probably doing his best to protect him as well, given Hawkmoth’s goal. Telling him that you have to meet with the Guardian and Tikki? It wouldn’t be a good look.”
“Especially after I missed an attack…”
Duusu nods regretfully.
“Can I make sentimonsters for searching? To try and track him down?”
“I suppose. Depending on which Kwami they are the holder of it may not be as effective, but there’s no way of telling.”
---
The peahen heroine is transformed, out on patrol. Her sentimonster already healed the minimal damage from the attack. She’d rested enough earlier that she feels comfortable making another.
Touching another amok to her brooch, she allows the sentimonster to take shape. A dark crow forms in front of her, waiting for instruction.
She holds her hands out to let it rest. “Find the Guardian. Find Tikki. That’s all. Do your best,” she whispers, kissing its forehead and letting it fly away.
A Cat hero in the shadows hears the words and frowns.
That’s not right.
---
Author’s Note: Crows are predators to turtles, you know.
Did I come up with some magical nonsense as to why Marinette can't use medication for the sake of angst? Yes. Yes I did.
This story might be moving faster than you were expecting, but I never intended for it to be as long as With Time. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!
Stay safe, and have a wonderful day and night! ☀️🌙
Hey, quick question. Do you have any Quantic Kids headcanons or know any popular Quantic Kids headcanons? Thanks!
Ooh, a question about my quantic babies. Let’s see...
Some of mine:
When I do eventually write Bridgette, her personality will be a lot more like Claude’s. Bright, happy, hyper. She may be an early Marinette, but I see them very differently.
Though it hasn’t shown up in any of my quantic stories yet, I could totally see Allegra being a complete fashion nerd with Marinette, but more on the modelling side of things.
I could also see Allegra as the responsible mom friend, and instead Allan secretly/subtly tag teaming with Claude for Mischief & Chaos™
Others I’ve seen around:
Felix and Allegra do ballet together. I think it’s adorable, and the fanart I’ve seen people make of it is wonderful.
This isn’t so much a headcanon as it is a ship, but the little content I have seen for Felix x Claude is precious.
Kid Mime and Chat Noir get on each other’s nerves. (Not like they’re enemies though)
turnnoffyourmind
dailybridgerton
stormborns
2087
izzy806
romaincrisis
