FINALLY MANAGED TO WRITE SOMETHING. Last month was complicated, and this one is still not being the easiest, but I managed to come up with something for today's prompt this night (It still is 12/09 somewhere).
TW: HEAVY domestic abuse, alcoholism, cigarette addiction, and more...
(Again, Owen's family is inspired by the short movie "Opal" by Jack Stauber)
Owen was walking back home being accompanied by his friend Cosette. Although the streets were very dirty, all that the make-up artist could focus on was how many burgers Owen had managed to put inside his backpack.
“You need to teach me how you manage to fit so many things in your backpack,” she joked, impressed. Her friend just giggled.
“I honestly don’t know. It’s kind of… instinctive in a way” the optimistic boy replied while finishing his sixth burger.
Owen came from a rough background. His family spent too much money on their own addictions to actually pay for things that he needed, especially food. That’s the main reason he ate so much at school: he was going hungry at home.
“And here is my stop!” the optimistic boy beamed as he looked into his house. Cosette, meanwhile, couldn’t help but shiver.
It wasn’t the first time that the make-up artist saw his house, but it felt like every time they went there, the place got scarier.
“Owen, are you sure you don’t want to go to my house for a sleepover again? We can make some more brownies,” Cosette suggested, afraid of letting her friend go to his home.
The truth was that the makeup artist was aware that the optimistic boy had a hard home life. It wasn’t hard to notice, considering how many scratches and bruises he had on his body… especially cause the ‘explanations’ Owen came up with didn’t make any sense.
But there was nothing she could do, not until Owen himself asked for help.
“Nah, it’s fine. Besides, I need to check on grandpa,” the optimistic boy assured.
The makeup artist gave him one last hug and bid him farewell. The optimistic boy, meanwhile, gave a deep breath before opening the door.
Inside his home, Owen was doing his best not to make a sound. It was hard considering how the ground floor had no windows and his grandfather refused to turn on the lights.
Still, he was managing to do a good job… until he accidentally stepped on an empty pack of cigarettes.
“Yikes,” he murmured out of despair.
“OWEN! Is that you?!” his grandfather shouted. Owen gulped in fear.
“Hi, grandpa, how are you?” the optimistic boy asked, trying to start a friendly conversation.
“What took you so long! I have been waiting for HOURS for you to come back,” the elder man shouted, ignoring the boy’s question.
“I was at school,” the optimistic boy answered.
“School this. School that. Haven’t you learned that no amount of school will change that you won’t get anywhere?!” the elder man shouted.
Unlike Owen, his grandfather was a very pessimistic person. Reginald Abadie worked for YEARS in a factory, and what did he get? Nothing. As soon as he lost his vision in an accident, they fired him.
Now, he spent his days hearing the audio from the television, with people having lives way better than his, and smoking his cigarettes, his only pleasure.
“Owen, be a good boy and give your grandpa a cigarette, okay?” Reginald demanded.
“Right away, grandpa” Owen responded.
“And don’t even think about trying to hide them again! You do remember what happened last time, right?!” the elder man yelled.
The optimistic boy shivered at remembering what happened last time, and instinctively put his hand on his arm, where there was a scar.
“Yes, grandpa,” Owen nodded, as he desperately ran to some drawers nearby to get a new pack of cigarettes as soon as possible.
The optimistic boy, always trying his best to help everyone, once tried helping his grandfather to fight against his cigarette addiction… and it was that day that he learned that he shouldn’t help people who don’t want to be helped.
“Here, grandpa,” Owen stuttered as he shakingly handed his grandfather the pack of cigarettes.
Reginald grabbed it from his grandson’s hands and quickly put the cigarette to his mouth. As soon as the smoke left, however, he started violently coughing blood, covering part of the television’s screen in the process.
“Owen?” Reginald asked.
“Yes, grandpa,” the optimistic boy answered.
“Why do you think it sounds so easy to breathe in TV… but so hard to do it in the real world?” the elder man questioned.
Owen had A LOT of different answers in mind, but he knew that all of them would anger his grandfather.
“I… I don’t know, Grandpa,” the optimistic boy replied.
“Of course you don’t. You are young, naïve, and stupid,” Reginald commented. The grandson was doing his best to hold back the tears.
Owen had managed to arrive on the next floor, with only two floors left for his room. Hopefully, there won’t be any other obstacles in his way.
“Owen, you came!” the optimistic boy heard from the bathroom.
“Oh, hi, dad,” Owen replied, feeling a bit annoyed that he was interrupted.
“Can you come here for a sec? Daddy has something great that he wants to show,” his father asked.
The optimistic boy, knowing he didn’t have much of a choice, decided to go see what his father had to tell him.
In the bathroom, his father was admiring his reflection, as always.
“What’s new, Dad?” Owen asked with a smile. His father only glanced at his reflection in the mirror, not at the boy himself.
“I finally managed to pay for the surgery on my nose. Did you like it?” his father asked.
Owen… genuinely didn’t know what to answer. His father had already done so many procedures that he almost looked like a plastic toy, so, one more surgery or one less wouldn’t make any difference. But, of course, he wasn’t going to tell him that.
“You look more beautiful than ever, Dad” the optimistic boy told him, managing to make his father smile.
After a few more minutes of admiring his own reflection, the father decided to speak once again.
“Owen, I was thinking to myself the other day, aren’t genetics something very funny?” the father asked him.
“Really, father, why?” Owen asked him, already bracing himself for an insult.
“Because you are my son, and you inherited my blonde hair and my green eyes, but… You look so ugly, while I look so beautiful,” the adult stated, leaving his son uncomfortable.
“Very funny indeed, father,” the optimistic boy agreed to avoid hurting his father’s feelings.
“Sometimes I worry about your future, you know? If I got rejected while looking like this… You are probably not getting anywhere looking so horrendous,” the father spoke, as he grabbed a brush to apply more makeup.
Owen didn’t actually fear his father as much as he feared the other two. He wasn’t aggressive, pessimistic, or violent… just narcissistic.
Kevin Abadie always dreamed of being one of those movie stars when he was young. Sadly, he never managed to get any major role. The directors told him he didn’t ‘look the part,’ which led him to an obsession with his image, spending tons and tons of money hoping that, one day, he would be pretty enough to be famous.
And, sadly for Owen, there was no better way for his dad to feel prettier than by making his son feel uglier.
“Well, I will be going to my room now. Have fun, enjoy your new nose, Dad,” the optimistic boy said, leaving.
“You can bet I will, my boy,” Kevin said, going back to his reflection.
Now, it was time to walk through his parents' room… which was the hardest part. But hopefully, his mother would be too drunk or high to notice he was there.
“AH!” Owen exclaimed as he dodged a glass bottle that almost hit him. It seemed like she was awake.
“Owen… Owen… is that you?” his mother asked with a tired and deep voice. The optimistic boy could feel his legs trembling.
“Owen…” his mother repeated, growing impatient.
“Hi… hi, mo… mother,” Owen mumbled, too scared to speak normally.
“Owen, Mama needs your help to get to bed. Help Mama get up,” the woman asked, lying on the ground.
The optimistic boy quickly ran to help his mother stand. He REALLY didn’t want to see her mad.
Ophelia Abadie was probably the most unstable person in
the family. When she was a child, she dreamed of being a singer, but no one was interested in her voice.
She resorted to alcohol and pills to numb the pain… but the substances only made her grow increasingly aggressive. She was aggressive with her husband, with her father-in-law… and especially her son.
And still, even if his mother was such an awful person, Owen didn’t hate her. He felt bad for her and did his best to help her out… even if she hit him whenever she needed to relieve stress.
“We are almost there… mo… mother,” he stuttered, while he guided his mom to her bed. However, when they were about to get there, Ophelia vomited on him.
“Oh no…” he whispered, hoping his mother wouldn’t hear it. He could already hear Aria commenting on how ‘he wasn’t smelling well’ on the next day.
Well, if he could wake up earlier, maybe he could pass by either Cosette's or Rose’s house and ask either of them if he could shower there.
After his mother recovered from the vomit, he put her in bed and covered her with a thin blanket.
“Owen… you know that there are days when I… when I feel terrible about…” Ophelia started, very close to owning up to her own mistakes… but she stopped midway.
“I feel terrible, you know?” the woman commented.
“I… understand… mo… mo… mother,” he stuttered, as he left for his room.
Now, after that whole trip, Owen had finally arrived at the attic, or, as he referred to, his room.
There wasn’t a lot of furniture. Just a small desk with a single window to the outside world.
He put his backpack on said desk and changed from his normal clothes to his pajamas and curled up on the floor with his blanket and pillow, since he didn’t have a bed.
Now that there was no one watching him, he finally let his face rest from the smiles he put on for everyone and started to cry.
In reality, all of that optimism he presented to the world was just a way of denying his reality.
Just like the rest of his family, he was drowning in despair, and he felt like there was no way out for him.
Almost as if he were in the tiniest lifeboat… with people he knows.
Here's another Classcember oneshot. This one's a bit longer because I really wanted an elimination story to add a bit more impact to the original scene.
Marinette is currently sitting curled up against a tree, crying against it since she knows she's going home today due to messing up the challenge because of her jealousy.
She and the rest of the Miraculous Ladybugs were so close to winning today and finally breaking their losing streak against the Chaotic Cats. But she let Lila get into her head about Adrien and Sabrina's blooming friendship, and it caused her to sabotage Sabrina at the last second. Worst of all, Ivan saw her do it and told the others.
"Idiot, idiot, idiot." She keeps telling herself as she cries.
"...Marinette?" A quiet, hesitant female voice asks in a worried tone.
Marinette freezes when she hears the all too familiar voice of her former friend and person on the rival team.
She lifts her head and turns to see Bryn looking at her with a worried expression while hiding behind the tree.
"Are you okay?" She asks in concern.
"Why do you care?" Marinette asks with a glare, still bitter about the prank she pulled.
She lost tons of designs from it. Designs that she knows Bryn remembers from when they were really young. The girl was her friend for years, along with Nino, which made the betrayal hit all the harder.
Bryn flinches at the harshness of Marinette's tone and slightly shifts closer behind the tree between them.
"I'm sorry. Really." Bryn tells her as she puts a hand in her hoodie's pouch, where she's keeping something she's been wanting to give Marinette.
"For what? Your team won again, and I'm probably going home. Isn't that what you wanted?" Marinette asks with a slight, bitter laugh, remembering the times she and Bryn were near each other while on this show and the tension between them.
"That's not what I wanted at all." Bryn's words shoot out before her mind can do anything.
She covers her mouth in surprise as Marinette looks at her in confusion.
"I-I wanted to apologize to you. I k-know you don't believe me. But I am sorry." Bryn hesitantly tells her, her expression desperate.
Marinette doesn't say anything.
"...Why did you do it?" Marinette asks quietly.
"I-It was Chloe. She threatened to destroy my family business. I-I didn't want to. I really didn't. But I was scared." Bryn tells Marinette, hope filling her chest now that she finally has a chance to reveal the truth.
"You really mean it?" Marinette asks, unsure if she can believe Bryn.
"Of course. I-I had so much fun being your friend. I-I didn't want to ruin it. I'm so sorry that I destroyed all of your designs, Marinette." Bryn desperately apologizes as she starts pulling forward so she's a little closer to Marinette.
"I-I couldn't make any other friends after what I did to you. I was so scared that Chloe would make me do the same thing to them. You were my only friend I ever made before I met Amber and Louis." Bryn says while remembering the two people she met on this show who helped her build her confidence for this talk.
Marinette doesn't say anything for a moment, causing Bryn to worry she said something wrong.
"...I missed you, too," Marinette reveals, causing Bryn's eyes to widen in shock.
"Y-You did?" Bryn asks hopefully, scared she heard wrong.
"You were the first friend I made who I could talk to about fashion. It's what made what you did so much worse." Marinette nods, looking toward Bryn with puffy red eyes as she recalls all the good times she and Bryn had where they'd be silly and Bryn would listen to her dream.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry that I did that to you!" Bryn says as she puts a hand on Marinette's shoulder and gives her a sorrowful expression.
Before realizing what she's doing and pulling her hand away like she put it in fire.
Marinette sees this and can't help but smile sadly.
"Well, thanks for telling me, but it's not like it matters anymore. We won't get to hang out here since I'm going home tonight. Maybe we can try again later." Marinette tells her in disappointment as she looks down.
"You really have funny timing. I guess it cheers me up a bit, though." Marinette tells her with a slight, shaky laugh.
"I might have something that can help cheer you up even more," Bryn reveals as she pulls out an immunity totem in the shape of a ladybug.
"You've had one of the totems this whole time?" Marinette asks in shock, knowing that Alya and a few others were searching desperately for them.
"Yeah. I found it a while back. You can have it if you want." She says as she holds the totem out to Marinette.
Marinette stares at it in shock before looking at Bryn with an astonished expression and shaking her head.
"I can't take this. You found it. You should use it to keep yourself safe." Marinette tells her as she tries to push it away.
But, surprisingly, Bryn isn't backing down this time. The girl pushes back.
"I want you to have it. I don't want you to leave yet." Bryn tells her before giving Marinette a pleading expression.
"Please." She begs the girl, eyes starting to tear up at the thought of not being able to help Marinette again.
Hesitantly, Marinette takes the idol and inspects it. She then looks to Bryn with an unsure expression.
"Are you sure? Like, really sure? This could save you later." Marinette reminds her, but Bryn shakes her head.
"I don't want it. I don't even care if I get voted out next. I just want to make up for what I did." Bryn tells Marinette with more conviction than Marinette has ever heard in her voice in a long time.
"Thanks," Marinette says as she holds the idol in her lap and hugs herself.
The two go quiet after that. And Bryn ends up sliding down the tree and copying Marinette's form as they sit there. No words are traded for a while, until Marinette eventually speaks up.
"I'm sorry I didn't try to listen to you." She apologizes.
"It's alright. What I did was horrible." Bryn nods.
-------------------
*Confessional*
"I can't believe Bryn gave me an idol after how I've been treating her this whole game. I don't know if I deserve this." Marinette says with a conflicted expression.
-------------------
*Confessional*
"I'm glad I could finally give it to her. I was starting to think I'd have to leave it to her with a letter. But when I saw her teammates' expressions, I knew this might be my last chance. I just hope it helps." Bryn tells the camera with a worried expression.
-------------------
The remaining Miraculous Ladybugs are sitting at the campfire for the elimination ceremony. Ivan, Lila, Sabrina, Adrien, Marinette, and Chloe. All of them are staring at a grinning Chris.
"Man. I have to say. You guys choked hard. I mean, you were so close to winning and finally breaking your curse." Chris chuckles, emphasizing the word 'hard' with an amused tone, causing Chloe and Ivan to glare at Marinette.
Marinette winces while Adrien gives her a look of pity. Beside him, off to the side corner, Lila is smirking, knowing she's finally getting rid of one of her main obstacles and can finally take over the rest of the team.
"You've all already placed your votes. When I call your name, come and get a marshmallow. If you do not get a marshmallow, you are out of the game and must take-" Chris explains before getting cut off by Chloe.
"Can we just get on with this. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Let's just send Dupain-Cheng away already." Chloe snaps at him in a bratty tone as she gets annoyed with his explanation.
Chris gives her a glare for a moment.
"Fine. Ruin the moment, why don't ya." Chris says, before pulling himself together.
"Ivan." The muscle of the team stands up with a relieved expression.
"Adrien." The model gives Marinette an apologetic look as he walks past her.
"Sabrina." The glasses-wearing girl tries to avoid looking at Marinette as she walks past her.
"Campers. We're down to the final two marshmallows. One of you three is going home tonight. And you can't come back, ever." Chris reminds the remaining three.
Marinette looks nervous and is secretly clutching the immunity idol she hid in her jacket, while Chloe looks bored, and Lila pretends to be worried.
Chris doesn't say anything, letting the drama build with intense music before calling out.
"Chloe."
"Obviously." She scoffs as she gets up and takes her marshmallow before standing next to Adrien.
"And the final marshmallow goes to..." Chris says as he adds another pause.
"Lila." He finally announces, causing Lila to stand up with a smile.
"Sorry, Marinette. You really shouldn't have gotten so jealous." Lila advises Marinette with a friendly tone.
"Marinette, I'm sorry. But it's time for you to leave." Chris apologizes with a smile.
"Wait," Marinette announces as she stands up.
"Oh, please don't cry, Marinette. You should leave with some dignity." Lila advises with a 'worried' expression.
"I'm not going anywhere. I have this." Marinette announces as she holds up the idol, shocking her teammates.
"What!" Chloe shouts in anger, having ordered Sabrina to go out and search for it for her, but the girl always came back with nothing.
Chris's grin widens at the dramatic twist as Marinette walks up to him and offers it for inspection.
Chris looks it over and realizes it's real, giving Marinette a grin.
"Well, congratulations. This is a valid immunity totem. All votes against you are officially void. That means, your vote is the only one that counts." Chris nonchalantly reveals, causing Lila's mask to slip and show a horrified expression.
"Wait! You don't mean-" She starts before Chris cuts her off.
"I mean exactly that. Lila, you're out of here." Chris announces as he points his thumb to the Dock of Shame.
"You can't do that. Lila hasn't done anything wrong. She's the one who messed us up!" Ivan yells in anger as he points at Marinette.
"Sorry, dude. I don't make the rules. Oh, wait. I do. Lila, it's time to go." Chris announces as Chef comes up behind the girl and begins pushing her toward the dock.
Realizing that everything is coming to an end, Lila sends a nasty glare toward Marinette that shocks Sabrina and Ivan.
"Do you think you've won! I'll be back. And when I do, you're dead! You hear me, you goodie two-shoes! You're dead. I will ruin you!" Lila screams in utter frustration as Chef keeps pushing her.
"Yeah, yeah. You do that. As for the rest of you. Enjoy another night of safety." Chris says as he waves the others away.
-------------------
Back on the Dock of Shame, Chef throws Lila on the Boat of Losers, and it takes off, with Lila glaring back at the island as she leaves.
"How did she get an idol? I checked every idiot's bag and couldn't find anything." Lila growls in frustration, having kicked back and waited until someone on her team found an idol and planned to steal it from their stuff.
"When I find out whoever helped her, they're going to wish they never met Marinette, let alone helped her kick me out," Lila promises as she continues to grow further and further from the island.
@imsparky2002 @booksrbetterthanpeople @nerdy-chocomallow @thefcguy Enjoy this installment! These all take place in MiracOlympus, and will focus a bit more on the akuma class.)
Adrien is honestly getting sick of all these ridiculous stories about him cheating on his queen, the light and love of his life. And seriously, some of these are just insane! Kidnapping? Turning into a swan, a bull?! What on Denise is wrong with these people?! He hates how his father’s terrible reputation continues to taint people’s perceptions of him even now. He works tirelessly to try and be a good ruler but so many people refuse to give him credit for it, only seeing a reflection of Gabriel.
It’s not exactly hidden knowledge that Ondine wasn’t born as a full-fledged goddess. She was a Nereid, an ocean nymph, before her marriage to Kim, their vows to be partners for all eternity, bumped her up to full-fledged immortality. Now, of course, people don’t like to mind their own business, so word quickly spread that this was her plan all along, that she didn’t really love the sea god and only wanted the status boost. Hearing this all the time (even from a few of her sisters who aren’t of the pleasant sort) is infuriating for her because she adores her husband, as much as he loves her.
Just because Juleka is hailed as a protector deity of women, some seem to have taken this personally and come to the conclusion that she must hate all men with a burning passion. Having her temples be a safe space for women to come if they’re being threatened is apparently an offense to the very people she offers them safety from. But somehow this got twisted into her denouncing men as pigs who don’t deserve the oxygen in their lungs, something she has never said. She fully acknowledges that not all men are monsters. She loves her brother dearly after all, and is great friends with many other male deities.
Rose having the title of the goddess of beauty as well as love has led to people making certain assumptions about her, and the way she views herself. Seriously, ONE girl happened to get sick after her mother said she was as beautiful as the goddess of love (which Rose had NOTHING to do with by the way), and suddenly everyone ‘knows’ that if you dare compare your looks to hers, you’ll pay a dire price. People even say that she tortured Mallory because people were always saying how beautiful and perfect she was. This pisses Rose off because one, it paints her as some kind of monster narcissist, and two, it permits the people who actually hurt her to get away with their actions by blaming it on a deity.
For the record, Nino is not a proponent of reckless hedonistic activity and just drinking as much as you can for the hell of it. Just because he’s the god of wine and festivity doesn’t mean he’s some crazy drunk who only cares about partying. He’s actually a very responsible drinker and encourages mortals to be such as well. And yet mortals still act like alcohol and parties are all he cares about, often pointing to him as the most immature and irresponsible of the gods. (Lila literally exists, y’all.)
Okay, so apparently if a god isn’t born with every single thing about their physical form being absolute and utter perfection, there has to be some nefarious reason behind it. So thus, because Ivan didn’t fit the ‘godly mold of perfection’ that mortals built in their heads, and was born with a bad left knee that means he uses a brace and on some days a cane, that must automatically mean that his mother found him so hideous at birth that she tossed him off Olympus and that’s why his knee is crippled! Makes perfect sense! Ivan hates this rumor because his mother, Galina, a goddess of precious stones and minerals, adores both her children with all her heart. She suffered enough at the hands of his sperm donor, she doesn’t need this slanderous bullshit.
Mortals tend to demonize the things they fear, it’s a simple fact, so it’s really not all that surprising that the deities of those things are unfairly branded as ‘bad’ and ‘evil’. Eri is the spooky goddess of witchcraft, so that must mean she boils children and drinks blood…never mind the fact that she’s more than happy to help any mortal who comes to her with good intent. Anthony’s existence is necessary, death is a necessary part of the life cycle for mortal beings, and yet mortals still denounce him every chance they get. (Does no one remember the chaos of the Jason incident?) And that’s not even starting with the dreaded Nathaniel, the terrifying lord of the underworld! Mortals are afraid to even say his name!
Decided to come back to the Imaginative Class for Classcember! I’m excited to see what others will come up with and hope you all enjoy my Classcember posts!
Noelle Blanche whistled to herself as she wiped the classroom board clean. Cleaning off today's lesson, wiping away the excess chalk and throwing away stray trash left behind by the previous class.
"Ms. Blanche? What are you still doing here?" Professor Louis Canard asked with a twitch of his snow white mustache. Many of the students and faculty have already gone home for the day, it was quiet and silence besides the rustling papers and the squeaking of Noelle’s shoes as she worked.
"Sorry, Professor," Noelle brushed off some chalk that had gotten on her skirt, "The class president meeting ran late, but my uncle should be here to pick me up soon."
"Ehh….who is picking you up this time?" The Professor scratch his head trying to remember, "Uncle Douglas? Or Uncle Stephen?" She didn't blame him for not remembering. It was hard to keep check of her uncles.
"Uncle Grant."
"Is that the one who always…?" Professor Canard made a grumpy expression, making Noelle laugh.
"Yes, that's him." She said as she sprayed one of the windows with the spray battle she found in the janitor's closet. In fact, she had found many of the supplies that the school uses, she also used to clean her own house.
"Noelle, there's no need to do that,” Professor Canard gently took the rag from her hand, "The janitor should be making his rounds soon."
"But-"
"I admire your gumption, dear,” Canard smiled at her, adults often smiled at her, "But you are a child, surely you should be out with your friends or with your family."
Her…family?
"You stupid girl! Do it again!"
"Why haven't these dishes been cleaned yet?!"
"Don't tell me you're slacking off? You still need to cook my dinner."
"You call this clean?! Are you dumb AND blind?!"
"You should be grateful I let you stay here at all. You wouldn't survive a minute out in the streets."
Echoes of her step-mother's voice caused Noelle to drop the spray bottle, clutching her shaking hands in fear.
"Oh, Noelle!" Professor Canard gently guided her to an empty seat, "Here, sit, sit."
"T-thank you, Professor." Noelle mumbled, oh, why did he have to see that? She did her best to smile and be optimistic. She needed to be strong, to be a positive example for others. And here she was shaking like a leaf in front of her professor.
"Dear, you look as if you've seen a ghost." Canard pursed his lips.
"Oh, no, everything is fine, I'm fine, Professor." Noelle did her best to muster up a smile, to reassure him.
"I should get going, my uncle should be here soon." The girl quickly excused herself before he could press further.
Noelle made her way to the front of the school, watching the rain fall under the safety of her red umbrella. She readjusted her gloves, carefully pulling at the fingers. Her hands were not the hands of a girl born into luxury and prestige. Every rough ridge, every callous, every bruised finger was the result of hours upon hours cleaning every surface of her father's—no, her stepmother's house. Her father was gone, her step mother held control of Blanche Industries, and she was the sole heir to Blanche Industries. Her ears nearly deafened by her step-mother's screeches, her stomach growling from minuscule meals she made for herself, the long sleeved skirts that covered up her bruised up knees from kneeling far too long. Her uncles couldn't do much, they were workers of her father's company. Hilda Blanche held all the power over her, her father's company, and them. If any of them said anything against the Hilda Blanche, they'd find them fired and thrown out faster than they could blink. She couldn't do that to them, not when they were last remnant she had of her father. They were loyal, they were kind, and they were there for her.
Noelle just had to hold onto hope. She would hold onto the hope that once she'd come of age, that she'd be ready to take on her father's position, to take the helm of the ship.
Blanche Industries would be in her hands, her hardened hands.
Noelle smiled as the rain began to dissipate, creating a rainbow over Paris as the sun came back out. She could faintly hear the sound of birds tweeting as she began walking down the sidewalk towards her uncle's car.
Someday they would see that Noelle Blanche was strong.
Austinelli: Armbruster: A handmade ballet shoes with Spinelli's initials on each points. Spinelli: matching rings for them with gemstones of their favorite color (red & pink)
Austoriard: Quinlan: Gerard a new chemistry set & Victoria, an limited edition basketball jersey. Gerard: Got Quinlan & Victoria a scrapbook of memorable photos of their dates. Victoria: Got them cute charm bracelets (Q: Ocean themed, G: Science themed, V: Basketball themed)
Jeanstin: Jean: A cute pastel green journal for his recipes. Tomassian: A broadway poster of Hamilton.
Mindgia: Mindy: A cameo jacket with their initials on the front. Gia: A charm necklace with music theme.
DJason: DJ: An office themed joke book. Mason: A new and improved framed photo of them at her 4th birthday party.
Friendship
Austin B & Eloise: Boulet: A math theme game controller case. Eloise: Pac man plush set
Kendra & Anthony: Anthony: A cute black and pink plush toy. Kendra: An Edgar Allen Poe themed necklace.
Lotta & Aggie: Aggie: A new bomber jacket with green flames on the back. Lotta: A new skateboard with Aggie's Name on the front.
Rochelle & Roxie: Roxie: A huge box of cookies. Rochelle: A new set of boxing gloves with nonbinary colors.
Merry Christmas everyone and hope y'all have a great and safe holiday. God bless!
Jean x Tomassian: Whenever they feel stressed, sad, or just for fun, they'll sing each other's favorite songs and dance together.
Spinelli x Armbruster: Spinelli often tells Austin A to not worry so much about her looks and that he loves him the way she is.
Gerard x Quinlan x Victoria: Their favorite romantic moment is the time they went to the Aquarium for a date, Gerard and Victoria can't get over Austin Q's cute dorky self when they visited the shark exhibit.
Mindy x Gia: Mindy, being one the tallest and strongest in the class, likes to carry Gia when she feels tired or in a bad mood, and Gia is trying so hard not to simp over Mindy's muscles.
DJ x Mason: Secretly, Mason loves DJ's jokes and pranks because it always made her day, and DJ loves it when Mason planned out their dates.
My first little oneshot for Classcember. I hope you all like this. Can't wait to see what you guys might come up with. I'm starting this month off with something a bit unexpected.
Cecile is taking some deep breaths as she stands in line for Clara Nightingale's auditions as Ladybug in her newest music video surrounding the heroes.
She's never felt so nervous about dancing, even when she and her group would put on shows in public areas for a little extra spending money before having to run from the police.
"Alright. Calm down. You've got this. This could be the big break for you, and a major help for your friends." Cecile tells herself as she slaps her hands to her cheeks to pump herself up.
She then notes how her chances seem good. She notices plenty of people in the line don't quite fit the criteria to look like Ladybug. She even sees grown men auditioning for the role.
"Yeah. I dance, and I look fairly similar to Ladybug. I can do this," she mutters as she recognizes that her chances might be a bit higher than most people in line.
Cooling her features, Cecile listens to Clara's announcement about Adrien being Cat Noir and watches as he comes on stage without a mask. It seems like there are some issues, but she sees Clara wave it off for now in favor of the auditions.
She then watches as the first contestant wears a Ladybug wig and mask before spinning the given yo-yo as she walks toward Adrien. But the yo-yo accidentally wraps around her and a surprised Adrien.
The second audition has a little girl play with a hula hoop as Adrien watches with an amused expression.
Next, an older woman performs some impressive ballet moves that surprise Adrien, causing Cecile to grow worried before she sees the woman slip and fall.
Relief fills her, and she soon sees her friends giving her thumbs up from across the line and gives them one back.
After a few more lackluster auditions, it's finally Cecile's turn to compete.
"Alright, just try your best and we'll see how you compare to the rest." Clara energetically encourages Cecile as the younger girl puts on the wig and mask.
Cecile nods before taking a deep breath. She then begins her dance, moving to the beat of the music Clara provides. Her moves are focused, doing her best not to overshadow Adrien next to her as she dances a bit around him. She then does a quick spin to get in front of him before grabbing his hand and causing him to do a spin of his own. She then throws him back slightly while keeping a firm hold of his hand so he won't fall.
She gives her partner a second to recover and to see what he'll do. Adrien is surprisingly quick to recover and gives her a nervous expression she's not sure about before deciding to play along.
The two then dance on stage. But Cecile can't help but note how much more focused her moves are when compared to his. He seems reluctant to join her in the dance, causing her to grow worried that it will affect her chances.
After a few more moments, she ends her performance by doing the splits and throwing her arms out.
"Wonderful! Your moves were so colorful! With that dance, you might just have a chance!" Clara announces, causing hope to fill Cecile's chest while cheers erupt from the line of witnesses.
