TO EVERYONE SAYING THEY'RE INSECURE ABOUT THEIR WRITTING:
I've been seeing a lot of people reposting their insecure about their writting and its really sad because ik for a FACT most of you write BEAUTIFULLY. So I just wanted to send some motivation because writting is hard, and writers deserve love. You guys are literally creating ENTIRE REALITIES with your imaginations . Wether it be fan ficts, short story writers, etc., You are giving us a key into experiencing the world from a different perspective. Your craft is an escape, your craft is inspiring. Its always good to want to be better, but please appreciate the work you're doing RIGHT NOW. It may not seem like much, but your stories are so much more than just words in a page. Its the adventure we never experienced, its the worlds we never got to see. Writers please, whatever you write, I want to assure you today it IS good enough. Because you bled your thoughts into the page, because you were brave enough to create. Writting doesnt have to be perfect, for perfection is nothing but a myth, writting just needs to exist. Insecurity is normal but let me tell you today, your writting is worth it, your ideas are worth it, your work is worth it.
Writers, keep your heads high, continue to poor your soul into your words and know you never have to punish yourself for creating
A good friend of mine often tells me this. (Thanks, @synkiller82. <3) Iâm jotting down these thoughts now, because sometimes I forget and get sucked into feeling inadequate because I feel I canât write like the great writers I admire.
When I read, I try to learn what I can about the author, because even when it comes to fanfiction, the way a person writes a character is colored by their own views, experiences, and interpretation of the character. Thereâs a lot of grey area for us to make the characters our own, and use characters in a cast to highlight different aspects of humanity that weâve experienced or felt. I think this is the great thing about writing, and particularly, fanfiction where everyone starts from the same base, but we all develop it in different directions.
Iâm a socially awkward person who has always struggled with having an easy rapport with people. A lot of my writing is filled with people struggling to say what they really want to say, because thatâs been my life. Sometimes, I read fics where the characters have such a great, funny and adorable banter, or theyâre able to just say what they want, and I feel despair, thinking âHow can I do this? How can I write what still feels impossible to me?â I try, and writing is a way that I experiment and grapple with scenes that I could probably never live in real life, but oftentimes Iâm very insecure about whether it âworkedâ or not. And I feel like that makes me a bad writer, because if I were a good one, Iâd be able to write any type of character, any type of mood or scenario. I should be like a chameleon, able to step into anyoneâs mind and write them as if I were that person.
(And, despite the points that I go into below, I donât think trying to be a âchameleonâ is something to ever give up on⊠I just want to remind myself and anyone else who happens to find this post encouraging, that itâs okay to read something and think, âI could never write thisâ and not follow that thought with, âI should be able to write this if I wanted to, but I know I canât, so I suck.â)
In moments of clarity, I realize that I do not have to write what everyone expects, or even what everyone likes. Iâve rarely found characters that I relate to, because my personality type is not very loud, and maybe not the most exciting or interesting for people to read about. The situations Iâve experienced are unconventional, a bit weird, and I often feel shy to even talk about my personal experiences because most people wouldnât understand. Sometimes I feel like, Iâm not good enough at being a human in the first place, so how can I write?
But instead of feeling like Iâm not a good enough person to be a writer, I should write about my unique experiences, so theyâll be out in the world, adding to the voices telling the stories of the people who live on this earth. I donât have to feel obligated to step far out of my comfort zone to conform to peopleâs taste. I have my own story to tell. Thatâs not copping out as a writer or being an inadequate writer⊠thatâs me giving the verbal contribution that only I can give.
(And I donât mean writing a self-insert or making characters OOC⊠even when characters are distinct and have traits that the author doesnât have, each one still has a seed of the author.)
Of course, itâs nice to have people read oneâs work, but even if a very few read something that comes from my heart and genuinely click with it, that would have real value and mean more to me than if hundreds of people raved over something throwaway that I wrote and happened to push the right buttons.
ThisâŠ.this right here! We had this conversation over writing a plot line that we have seen multiple times, but wanted to make our ownâŠand my thoughts boiled down to this phrase: âyou write youâ It doesnât matter if there are hundreds of stories with the particular plot hook, because you will write it in your own way. Â
Meanwhile, there is nothing wrong with your writing skills verses someone elseâs. We are all unique beings with our own way of expressing ourselves. We all have experiences that shape our views of the world and bleed into our writing. I, myself, am the supportive friend who sometimes stumbles and falls, but will always be there for anyone, even if they burned me in the past. This type of personality tends to bleed into my writing of Marinette, as she seems to resonate with me.
All of this to sayâŠ.no matter what, âyou write youâ. We write to feel better, to express ourselves in a way that reaches others and may help them through a bad day, or to apologize for a mistake we made. Some people express themselves better with written communication than vocal, and thatâs okay! No one is asking any of us to be Pulitzer prize winning authorsâŠwe are all just here to have fun and write about our favorite characters. Â
Please be kind to one another out there. Some of us are scared to put our writing out there and that fear is only solidified when negative words find our inbox. Iâm not saying that you canât comment on things to helpâŠcreative criticism is something that should be welcomedâŠbut it should be done with a gentle touch. I know I am absolutely terrified to hit the post button any time it stares at me, and I have to remind myself of not only the lovely words of encouragement from my commenters and @mireilletan, but also look forward to the constructive words of advice from them as well.
I hope that this will help others as it has helped both @mireilletan and myself, as I have to tell myself this every once and a while. Please remember though, please ask permission before using anyoneâs original idea.
Reblogging this not only for myself, but for others who struggle. I havenât posted a story in forever for a number of reasons, but a few of the top ones are in here: my writing isnât good enough to take others precious time to read it, the community will tear me apart bc this is a salt fic/that Lila anon will appear and idk how ppl deal with them, or that there are 100 other stories like this one and I donât want to get hit with copying or anything.
I finally posted again after someone reminded me of a story I was excited to write, but lost all motivation to work on. Iâm back in the game, not just for them, but for any and all readers and for myself. Â
Write if you want to write, draw if you want to draw...not everything you create will be everyoneâs cup of tea, but you will always be someoneâs cup of whiskey!
Labyrinth of Akumas - Chapter 1 - Into the Labyrinth
Quick chapter to get the ball rolling. Enjoy!
Ladybug groaned as she made her way across the rooftops. Why did an akuma always have to show up on the worst days? She had a contest deadline to meet and wasnât even halfway done with the designs!
Her thoughts were interrupted when soft bootsteps fell in sync with hers. Chat grinned as they ran toward the akuma. âGood afternoon, Mâlady.â
âHey, Chat,â Ladybug returned. âLetâs get this done quickly.â
Chat nodded before skidding to a stop, reaching a hand out to stop Ladybug as well. He tilted his head toward the plaza below before pulling Ladybug down and making their way to the edge of the roof. Peering over the ledge, they saw the akuma in the middle of the plaza. He was about 3 feet tall, with a billowing red robe that dragged on the floor behind him, with a staff in his hands and a sword at his hip. He was shooting beams at citizens, saying things like âyou will do nicely as a monsterâ or âyou will be sent to the pitâ. Something about him looked familiar to Ladybug, but she couldnât put her finger on it.
âHe looks like the Dungeon Master from the cartoon,â Carapaceâs voice came from behind the duo as he and Rena crouched and surveyed the scene.
âWhat can you tell us about it?â Ladybug inquired. At least she knew why she was getting a sense of deja vu from this. Nino had introduced her to the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon series when they were younger and she had played campaigns with him over the years. She wasnât as versed in the game as he was, but she could hold her own.
âWell, in the series, six kids are transported to the realm of Dungeons and Dragons and have to find their way home. They are guided by âThe Dungeon Masterâ and their main enemy is Venger,â Carapace explained as they continued their surveillance. âThough, I donât think this DM is going to be a help to us.â
âUgg, you have to be kidding me! Can this get any geekier?â Queen Bee grumbled as she joined the group.
âProbably,â Viperion remarked as he made his way over. âLetâs not tempt the Fates though, shall we?â
âAlright, everyone seems to be here,â Ladybug brought the focus of the group back. âHas anyone seen the akumatized object?â With a chorus of ânoâsâ, Ladybug shook her head. âBee, Rena, and Viperion, stay back until we call for you. Carapace, Chat, and I will engage and see if we can figure out the object so I can call my Lucky Charm and formulate a plan.â Everyone nodded, though Rena grumbled about having to stay on the sidelines again, and the three stood to make their move.
âI was wondering when you would show yourselves,â a voice called. The group looked to see the Dungeon Master lifting into the air. âWhat is our story without the heroes, after all?â He sent beams towards the group, who were hit one by one.
âLadybug!â Chat shouted as he pushed her to the ground, disappearing as a pulse hit him.
âChat!â Ladybug screamed, her focus momentarily lost. She heard laughing before her world went white.
The Labyrinth of Akumas - Prologue and Explanation
This story was inspired by a Tumblr post. It combines two things I love: Dungeons and Dragons and MLB. Thank you's go out to the OG poster, thelastpilot, for allowing me to work with their ideas, and dutchessofallthingsmagical for reminding me of this story that has been sitting in the WIP folder. I hope you enjoy! For those who want to read it at AO3 the link is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27878149/chapters/68259729
This is a set up chapter to explain the characters in greater detail for those who may not know D&D as well. It is also so I donât have to take up time in the story with it. Â
For ease of their abilities transferring over to the D&D world, all characters have been designed with level 20 in mind. As of right now, I do not have every character in the story, but I wrote them up in case they get dropped in. Writing six characters is enough to make my head spin, nine would probably effect the flow and quality of the story.
Ladybug/Marinette - Hill Dwarf Cleric of Life Domain - healer for the group - she wears dragon full plate, made from alternating red and black sections with her Ladybug symbol adhered to the middle of the breastplate.. Her hair has been pulled into braided pigtails and her normal mask is still in place. She carries her yoyo and a shield.
Chat Noir/Adrien - Tabaxi Way of the Shadow Monk - Now resembling a true cat, he is covered with black fur with real ears, eyes, and tail. His clothes consist of a black tunic and pants, both made from a lightweight cotton. He uses a quarterstaff
Rena Rouge/Alya - Kitsune Illusionist Mage with Criminal background - In her true form, she is an anamorphic fox with reddish-brown fur, however her illusion shows her as she is in canon. She is dressed in an orange and white tunic that stops at her waist in the front, but goes to her knees in back, as well as black pants tucked into leather boots. She carries a spell book on one hip and her flute across her back. She has lock picking skills.
Carapace/Nino - Tortle Way of the Turtle Totem Barbarian - Yes, he is a giant turtle! He carries a large club
Queen Bee/Chloe - Human Warlock - she is wearing a yellow, black, and white flowing gown, but looks identical to canon Chloe other than the change of clothes
Viperion/Luka - Yuan-Ti Pureblood Transmutation wizard with Entertainer background - A thin sheen of turquoise, blue, and green scales cover his skin and his eyes have become reptilian. He wears brightly colored tunic and pants and carries his lyre on his hip. His special ability is Time Stop spell
Ryuko/Kagami - Dragonborn Kensi Monk - She now resembles a dragon, covered in red scales, with her red, black, and yellow horns. She wears a simple outfit of red and black that closely resembles her fencing attire. On her hip is a rapier and a bow with a quiver strung across her back. She has a breath weapon capability.
Pegasus/Max - Vedalken Conjuration Wizard - His skin is a dark blue and his eyes are a vibrant purple. He wears all black clothes under a black cloak.
King Monkey - Half-Elf Arcane Trickster Rogue - His clothes are now black leather armor instead of the brown monk outfit from canon, and his ears are pointed to show his elven heritage, but other than that, he looks as he does in canon. His staff has been switched out for an umbrella. Yes, I know itâs crazy and itâs normally Alix/Bunnixâs weapon of choice, but it is Kim and he is a monkey and extra.
For photos of races or to read more on them, go to: https://www.dndbeyond.com/races
For better class descriptions, head over to: https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes
As promised (about a year ago ^^;;) hereâs the first part of the classmate merms! I wanted to post them all together but then an unexpected problem showed up so itâs split to 2 parts OTL Part 2 will be posted hopefully next week but youâll be able to find early peeks of them on patreon ^0^/
In reference to last yearâs merms: Part 1 | Part 2
Waffle House restaurants are often used to gauge the magnitude of disasters in the Southeast: If a store is open, your community has been spared. If the store is open but has a limited menu, you've probably gotten some damage. If the store is completely closed, youâre in a disaster zone.
As a almost life time resident of the Southeast, I can confirm this is a thing and my local WaHoâs are at âpick-up with limited menu onlyâ status....
How yâall THINK fanfic authors react when you send multiple comments on different fics: Ugh, another comment from them? Wow, I donât appreciate how they enjoy what I write. :(
How fanfic authors actually react: OH MY GOD ANOTHER COMMENT? They must be on a marathon! I hope they read my recent whump fic and tell me what they think. Their kindness will be what drives me to finish my current WIP!!!! I WONâT FAIL YOU, NEW READER.
A good friend of mine often tells me this. (Thanks, @synkiller82. <3) Iâm jotting down these thoughts now, because sometimes I forget and get sucked into feeling inadequate because I feel I canât write like the great writers I admire.
When I read, I try to learn what I can about the author, because even when it comes to fanfiction, the way a person writes a character is colored by their own views, experiences, and interpretation of the character. Thereâs a lot of grey area for us to make the characters our own, and use characters in a cast to highlight different aspects of humanity that weâve experienced or felt. I think this is the great thing about writing, and particularly, fanfiction where everyone starts from the same base, but we all develop it in different directions.
Iâm a socially awkward person who has always struggled with having an easy rapport with people. A lot of my writing is filled with people struggling to say what they really want to say, because thatâs been my life. Sometimes, I read fics where the characters have such a great, funny and adorable banter, or theyâre able to just say what they want, and I feel despair, thinking âHow can I do this? How can I write what still feels impossible to me?â I try, and writing is a way that I experiment and grapple with scenes that I could probably never live in real life, but oftentimes Iâm very insecure about whether it âworkedâ or not. And I feel like that makes me a bad writer, because if I were a good one, Iâd be able to write any type of character, any type of mood or scenario. I should be like a chameleon, able to step into anyoneâs mind and write them as if I were that person.
(And, despite the points that I go into below, I donât think trying to be a âchameleonâ is something to ever give up on⊠I just want to remind myself and anyone else who happens to find this post encouraging, that itâs okay to read something and think, âI could never write thisâ and not follow that thought with, âI should be able to write this if I wanted to, but I know I canât, so I suck.â)
In moments of clarity, I realize that I do not have to write what everyone expects, or even what everyone likes. Iâve rarely found characters that I relate to, because my personality type is not very loud, and maybe not the most exciting or interesting for people to read about. The situations Iâve experienced are unconventional, a bit weird, and I often feel shy to even talk about my personal experiences because most people wouldnât understand. Sometimes I feel like, Iâm not good enough at being a human in the first place, so how can I write?
But instead of feeling like Iâm not a good enough person to be a writer, I should write about my unique experiences, so theyâll be out in the world, adding to the voices telling the stories of the people who live on this earth. I donât have to feel obligated to step far out of my comfort zone to conform to peopleâs taste. I have my own story to tell. Thatâs not copping out as a writer or being an inadequate writer⊠thatâs me giving the verbal contribution that only I can give.
(And I donât mean writing a self-insert or making characters OOC⊠even when characters are distinct and have traits that the author doesnât have, each one still has a seed of the author.)
Of course, itâs nice to have people read oneâs work, but even if a very few read something that comes from my heart and genuinely click with it, that would have real value and mean more to me than if hundreds of people raved over something throwaway that I wrote and happened to push the right buttons.
This....this right here! We had this conversation over writing a plot line that we have seen multiple times, but wanted to make our own...and my thoughts boiled down to this phrase: âyou write youâ It doesnât matter if there are hundreds of stories with the particular plot hook, because you will write it in your own way. Â
Meanwhile, there is nothing wrong with your writing skills verses someone elseâs. We are all unique beings with our own way of expressing ourselves. We all have experiences that shape our views of the world and bleed into our writing. I, myself, am the supportive friend who sometimes stumbles and falls, but will always be there for anyone, even if they burned me in the past. This type of personality tends to bleed into my writing of Marinette, as she seems to resonate with me.
All of this to say....no matter what, âyou write youâ. We write to feel better, to express ourselves in a way that reaches others and may help them through a bad day, or to apologize for a mistake we made. Some people express themselves better with written communication than vocal, and thatâs okay! No one is asking any of us to be Pulitzer prize winning authors...we are all just here to have fun and write about our favorite characters. Â
Please be kind to one another out there. Some of us are scared to put our writing out there and that fear is only solidified when negative words find our inbox. Iâm not saying that you canât comment on things to help...creative criticism is something that should be welcomed...but it should be done with a gentle touch. I know I am absolutely terrified to hit the post button any time it stares at me, and I have to remind myself of not only the lovely words of encouragement from my commenters and @mireilletan, but also look forward to the constructive words of advice from them as well.
I hope that this will help others as it has helped both @mireilletan and myself, as I have to tell myself this every once and a while. Please remember though, please ask permission before using anyoneâs original idea.
Hey Pilot, what do you think the Miraculous bearers D&D classes would be? (Also If you could get Niyes and Tides thoughts on this too, that would Magnifique)
Iâll give my personal take in that
Ladybug/Marinette: Wizard (expected to have all the strategies and clever solutions while magicking your way out of a problem? Wizard)
Cat Noir/Adrien: Fighter (could have gone rogue, honestly its more accurate to say he would probably multiclass)Â
Rena Rouge/Alya: Rogue (this one seems obvious, she has some ridiculous Charisma stats lemme tell you, and her deception is totally unfair)
Carapace/Nino: Paladin (i know people were probably expecting Bard but I feel like truly it would be better for his characterization to be a Paladin who happens to have a super high proficiency in performance checks)
Queen Bee/ Chloe: Sorcerer (sort of a power hungry comparison to the Wizard, more BOOM less control. But can be equally as good if they stop trying to BE a wizard)Â
As bonus: Kim and Alix would be Monks, and Max would be a Warlock.Â
Solid choice, definitely, especially if that is the classes they would be rather than play. I wrote a fic where the core four played a D&D (Pathfinder) campaign and what I ended up going with was:
Marinette: Rogue - all those skill points to invest in random skills and a class that is based entirely around fighting smarter rather than harder.Â
Adrien: Bard - more because it combines the bombastic personality of Chat Noir, and lets him be flirt, even if he is too shy to do it out of the mask very well.Â
Alya: Fighter - honestly this wasnât so much because of her personality and more because she was the newest player and fighters are easy to learn.
Nino: Cleric - a pure team player who is always looking out for his best buds / party members. Someone who helps other people get the glory without going for it himself.
I am actually in the process of writing a D&D based Akuma story for the MLB universe...and this is what I decided for their class/race combos with the help of my DM husband. We decided to change their races for the sake of identities:
Ladybug/Marinette - Hill Dwarf Cleric of Life DomainÂ
I participated in the Lukanette Secret Admirer Exchange, which released today. Here is my submission for @mintiimagi. I hope she and everyone else enjoys! This was based on the Taylor Swift song of the same name.
Marinette took another look in her mirror, sighing at her reflection. Â Her outfit was cute, a red sundress with a white flower pattern, white cardigan, and low-heeled, peep-toe red shoes. Â However, she felt anything but cute.
âMarinette, hurry up girl! Â Weâre going to be late!â Alya called from the living room.
Sighing again, Marinette grabbed her purse and walked out of her room. Â It wasnât that she didnât love Alya, she did, but she wasnât looking forward to being the third wheel yet again when they met Nino for lunch. Â She just wasnât in the mood to be around couples, being reminded of what she lost almost a year ago, but Alya never took no for an answer.
As they walked toward the metro, Marinette made a decision. Â Looking towards Alya, Marinette made a silent apology before stopping on the platform while Alya continued onto the train, her eyes trained on a message from Nino. Â She would pay for it, she knew, but she really couldnât do it today. Marinette walked back out of the station, sent apology texts to Nino and Alya, and made her way to her favorite cafe a few blocks away.
---
The owners greeted her kindly and went about preparing her normal order. Â She smiled and thanked them before sitting at a small table near the window. Â The cafe had a beautiful view of the skyline, with the Eiffel Tower standing tall and timeless in the distance. Â Her order was delivered while she absent-mindedly sketched the tower, her mind wandering to the past.
It had been eight months since things had changed, and she didnât know how to handle it. Â It was like she was living in limbo, unable to move forward. Hawkmoth was gone, which should have been the best day of her young life, but it was a bitter-sweet memory. Â She also lost her partner without knowing who he was, finding his ring and note at their meeting spot a few days after the final battle. Then Adrien announced he was moving to England to live with his aunt and cousin, as they were his closest relatives and he couldnât bring himself to stay in Paris after everything that had happened.
Marinette was beginning to believe that, even with all her Ladybug luck over the years, that she would never find love. Â That she was destined to be like Master Fu, a lonely Guardian with a lost love until it was time to give the Guardianship to someone else. Â Marinette thought it would be better that way because then she wouldnât leave her family without an explanation as to why she didnât remember them.
A familiar, soft voice brought her out of her thoughts. Â She looked up to see a pair of aqua eyes framed by blue-tipped black hair looking back at her, a concerned frown marring his handsome face.
âLuka,â Marinette squeaked, startled at his appearance. Â âWhat are you doing here?â
âI was walking by when I saw you sitting here. Â Your song is so sad today, and I had to stop to see if I could help,â he explained as he stood at her table.
She smiled a little, waving at the chair across from her as an invitation. Â Luka had always been a sweet boy, supportive of her without pushing for anything more than friendship. Â Marinette knew he had feelings for her, but she never let herself consider them while Adrien was around. Â She was beginning to realize that she was a bit obsessive over the blonde. How many Lukas had there been in her life while she chased an unattainable dream?
âWould you like to talk about it?â Luka asked quietly as his coffee was delivered. Â He sat patiently, as he always did, waiting for her to make the first move.
âJust overthinking things, like always,â she replied as she looked down at her book. Â Next to the rough sketch of the tower stood a male figure, the beginnings of an outfit that already had a cat motif emerging. Â She sighed. âLuka, do you think some people are just fated to be alone their whole life?â
Luka tilted his head to the side, considering her question. Â âI donât.â He watched as Marinetteâs head snapped up, her melancholy eyes locking with his. Â âWe always have people around us, who love us in different ways. I donât think anyone is alone by fate, but by choice.â
Marinette nodded, taking what Luka said to heart. Â She had been pushing everyone away, keeping them at arm's length because of her secrets and her pain. Â Maybe, just maybe, it was time to let someone in.
âThanks, Luka. Â I needed to hear that,â she replied, a small smile tugging at her lips. Â âSo, how are things going for you?â
They spent the afternoon catching up. Â Luka was back from touring with Jagged as a backup guitarist and had learned a lot about the music industry. Â Jagged promised to get Luka an interview with Jaggedâs record label since Lukaâs sound was ârock and rollâ. Marinette giggled fondly at the comment, knowing her pseudo-uncle loved the young musician. Â Luka was also taking online classes in Music Theory to broaden his knowledge.
Marinette, on the other hand, was hard at work getting her Fashion degree from a well-known university near the apartment she shared with Alya, who was attending the same school for Journalism. Â Marinette told him about her classes and how much she was learning. Her hands became animated as she spoke, only adding to her excitement, which Luka found himself quickly getting swept up in. He may not understand a lot of what she was saying, but he couldnât help but listen with a sort of awe and fondness. Â Marinette had always been the girl he wanted to date, maybe even marry one day, but he had stepped to the side when he realized she had eyes for one person, and that wasnât him.
âDo you wanna walk around for a while? Â I was thinking about heading to a nearby park,â Marinette asked shyly, which was a complete 180 from her earlier excited and bold speech.
âSure. Â Iâd love to play for you again,â Luka answered just as shyly, motioning to his ever-present guitar sitting on one of the other chairs at the table.
âIâd love that.  Itâs been so long since Iâve had a private concert,â Marinette remarked, standing and gathering her things.  She stopped abruptly, as her words sunk in, cheeks tinting a bright shade of red. âI mean, that is...not like a private, private concert.  You know, but just playing for me, alone. I mean, not aloneâŠâ
Luka placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her rush of words. Â âI understand, Marinette. You donât have to explain.â He held out a hand to her. Â âShall we?â
Marinette released the breath she had been holding, slung her purse over her shoulder, and took his hand in hers. Â âWe shall.â
---
The park they stopped in was a few blocks from the cafe. Â The late spring air was warm on their skin as they sat on a park bench. Â There were a few families around the playground, with kids running after each other and playing on the equipment. Â Marinette was quietly sketching an outfit for Luka for his interview while Luka strummed on his guitar. He had noticed her song wasnât as sad anymore, but not quite what it was the last time he had seen her. Â He began to play what he heard, a beautiful melody, but with a bit of a sad undercurrent that spoke of loss and uncertainty. Something was still bothering his friend, but he would never pry. She got enough of that from her best friend. Â Luka was patient. He could wait for her to come to him if she wanted to. He would be just as content sitting here in the comfortable bubble they found themselves in.
âWhat do you think?â Marinette asked, bringing Luka out of his thoughts.
He looked over the page. Â The figure was dressed in a pair of distressed black skinny jeans, an aqua shirt, and a black hoodie, all with teal and black accents in a snake motif. Â It was nicer than his usual look, but still looked comfortable and played to his style. Marinette always had a way of bringing a personâs personality and style into her designs, much like he was able to put a personâs feelings into music.
âIt looks great, Marinette. Â Where did you get the snake idea from?â
Marinette startled, trying to figure out how to explain she knew he was Viperion at one point, but then remembered the Miracle Queen incident. Â She didnât want to ruin the mood they found themselves in, so she decided to steer clear of it. After scrambling her mind, she found another reason. Â âWell, you remind me of a snake. Quiet and hidden in the background, happy to be left alone. However, you will strike to defend those you love. Also, your music could charm even the most savage of beasts.â
Lukaâs cheeks tinged pink at the compliment. Â âThanks, Marinette. That means a lot.â
âWhat was that song you were playing? Â It was really pretty,â Marinette inquired, putting her sketchbook away after making a few notations about fabrics and a reminder to get Lukaâs measurements.
âOh, it was, uhâ Luka began, not sure how to explain. Â âIt was the song I heard from you,â he finished quietly.
âThat makes sense,â she replied quietly, placing a hand on Lukaâs thigh. Â âCould you play it again?â
Luka nodded and started playing. Â Marinette once again got lost in the music, the sounds soothing something inside her heart. Â For months, her thoughts had swirled with endings, disappointments, and loss. Now, she began to feel hope again. Â A feeling that things would turn for the better, that the beginning was within reach if she had the courage and strength to grab it. Â As the song finished, she opened her eyes slowly to see Luka looking at her, and she made a decision. One she shouldâve made long ago.
âHey, Luka? Â Would you like to go to dinner sometime?â Marinette asked quietly, hope and nervousness lacing her voice.
âI would love to, Marinette.â Â Luka reached up and cupped her cheek, watching her face for signs to stop as he slowly leaned in. Â When she offered no resistance, instead of tilting her head slightly, he closed the distance between them.
Marinette gasped as Lukaâs lips touched hers softly. Â She moved her hands to his neck, playing with the fringe, before pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. Â She pulled him back to her, smiling into the kiss as she realized that this was it. She was ready to let the past go, and with Luka, she would begin again.
Here it is everyone...the final chapter of this story. Thank you again for all your support throughout this experience! I hope I did this last chapter justice.
âAdrien,â Emilie called softly from the other side of his bedroom door. âIf you donât leave now, you are going to be late.â When she didnât hear him reply, she slowly opened the door to peer inside and found her son fiddling with his outfit and hair in the bathroom mirror. âNervous?â
Adrienâs head whipped toward his mom, a blush appearing on his cheeks. âThat obvious?â
Emilie smiled as she walked over to him, straightening his collar and brushing off his shoulders with her hands. âItâs okay to be nervous. This is a big step. I thought your father was going to pass out when he asked me.â
Adrien chuckled at the image. âI didnât think Father could be nervous about anything.â
âHe was sweating bullets that day, and at our wedding. However, I never saw him more nervous than when he held you for the first time, like you would break if he moved at all.â Emilie pulled Adrien into a hug. âWe love you, kitten, and so does Marinette. Iâm sure everything will go well and we will be anxiously awaiting your return.â
Adrien squeezed his mother tightly, thankful to finally have her back. It had been a rough few months after her coma was reversed and she found out what had happened during her absence. After that, the family was able to heal and grow closer over the last two years, which Adrien was eternally thankful for. He finally had the relationship with his parents he wanted and they were allowing him to make decisions about his future, which started with his date tonight. He let go of his mom and led her out of the room and down the stairs to the foyer where his father and Nathalie were awaiting his departure.
âAlright, wish me luck!â Adrien called as he rushed out the door to the waiting limo, nodding at his father and Nathalie.
His parents just smiled knowingly as they watched his car pull out of the gates.
---
âAre you sure this looks okay?â Marinette asked as she spun in front of her mirror. She had spent the better part of the afternoon searching for the right outfit for tonightâs date.
âFor the last time, girl, you could show up in a potato sack and Adrien would tell you that you look beautiful. Stop fretting!â Alya replied, her exasperation lacing her words.
Marinette knew that, but tonight was special. It was the four year anniversary of the day they became heroes and Adrien had told her he had a surprise for her, so she was more nervous than usual. He always had these grand plans, like the flower race all over Paris just to show her how much he cared, and she was sure today would be no exception.
She was currently wearing a knee length red and black dress and black low-heeled wedges, as he had told her they would be walking a bit. Alya had styled Marinetteâs hair into a half-up style, a bun held by a ladybug comb and the rest in soft curls down her back. The necklace Adrien had given her was around her neck, the pink stones shimmering in the light of her room.Â
Before she could protest and try yet another outfit, her motherâs voice came from the trap door, letting her know Adrien had arrived. With one last look in the mirror, she pulled Alya into a tight hug, thanking her for everything, before grabbing her purse and heading down the stairs.
The girls came down to find Adrien standing inside the door, speaking quietly to Sabine in Chinese. Marinette took a moment to appreciate Adrienâs outfit, black slacks with a green short-sleeve polo, before she made her presence known.
âReady to go?â She asked as she walked up to Adrien, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
âYep,â Adrien replied as he held out his arm for her to take.
âHave fun, you two,â Sabine called as the couple left the house, looking over to Alya. They shared a knowing smile before getting ready to make their way to the restaurant.
---
Adrien led Marinette through the streets, making small talk about their weeks, until he came to a corner and stopped. Marinette looked at him quizzically, wondering what was wrong.
âDo you remember this spot?â Adrien asked, watching Marinetteâs face light up in recognition.
âThis is where I crashed into you,â she whispered.
âYep. This was the beginning of it all, and I wouldnât change a thing about it, yo-yo hit and all,â Adrien chuckled as Marinette hid her face in embarrassment. âCome on, Clumsy Girl. We have a lot of ground to cover.â
They walked a bit further, stopping at the stadium where they had fought Stoneheart, the Eiffel Tower where Adrien had confessed his declaration to love Ladybug, no matter who she was under the mask, and finally made their way to where Master Fuâs shop used to be.
âMarinette,â Adrien began, his nerves beginning to get to him. This was it, the moment their trip down memory lane had been building to. âFour years ago, you crashed into my life and my heart and I havenât been the same since. You have taught me what love and friendship are all about, both as Ladybug and Marinette. I canât see my life without you in it.â He paused, dropping to one knee and pulling out a velvet box from his pocket. âMarinette Dupain-Cheng, will you marry me?â
Marinette stood there, hands covering her mouth and tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, as she watched Adrien propose. She quickly dropped to her knees and wrapped him into a tight hug, whispering âyesâ over and over. Pulling out of the hug, she cupped his cheeks, wiping the tears away as they fell. âI love you, Adrien.â
He slipped the engagement ring on her finger, gently cupping her face with his other hand. âI love you, too,â he whispered before kissing her.
âAdrien,â Marinette gasped. âWhat is everyone doing here?â
âWell,â he started sheepishly. âI told my parents and had to ask your parents, of course. Then I took Alya to help pick out your ring, which led to almost everyone else knowing and before I knew it, everyone wanted to celebrate, so Father booked the restaurant and here we are.â He rubbed the back of his neck, his shoulders pulling up a bit. âSorry if itâs too much.â
