People on twitter are saying glasses aren’t a disability aid, and like… I get glasses have been pretty normalized, but I’m poor and need my glasses to drive/see in general/stop myself from getting migraines so… if my glasses break, I’m pretty fucked. Not being able to see is a disability for many, actually.
People don't seem to understand that there's more symptoms to vision loss than just "blurry vision".
Without my glasses, aside from not being able to legally drive, I get horrible migraines because of the strain put on my eyes.
Headaches and migraines go hand-in-hand with vision loss.
Hell, even when I'm wearing my glasses, if one eye's vision gets even slightly worse, the migraines are back because the eyestrain is back.
And at least in the US, vision care isn't covered by regular health insurance. (Which is ridiculous, of course, but hey, that's the world we live in)
There have been numerous studies that show that students in low-income school districts struggle academically because of their unmet vision needs. And almost as soon as these students are provided with the vision care they need, their academic performance improves.
Yes, glasses are one of the most destigmatized disability aid, but that doesn't mean they're any less of a disability aid, and that doesn't mean that poor vision is any less of a disability.
And hell, there's still stigma around glasses. How many TV shows and movies show the nerdy, unpopular, ugly character suddenly become more "improved" when they remove their glasses? How many TV shows and movies make fun of glasses-wearers, especially their panic when they lose their glasses? How many glasses-wearers are depicted as socially-awkward, ugly, old, and unpopular? The only characters who wear glasses usually are unpopular nerds, elderly people, and nagging secretaries! There's still a hell of a lot of stigma around glasses, and just because they're very common, doesn't mean there still isn't soooo much stigma that needs to be worked on.
As a glasses-wearing girl I feel like I must reblog this.
The last paragraph is true especially when the character is a girl. I can’t believe I was so blind to it before. No pun intended.
Also I’m legally required to have glasses to drive, so if I loose my glasses I’m screwed and can’t get around anywhere. Without my glasses I also can’t see people. I’m nearsighted so I can’t see people far away. So much so that once I was looking out window of my moms car near Kroger and thought I was seeing many people in pink shirts which turned out to be pink Kroger advertisements when I put on my glasses. People are also extremely blurry and are essentially poor pixels from the 2000s.
Tim doesn’t come out to the media, he just posts this as soon as June 1st hits and immediately turns off notifications , Bernard meanwhile is laughing like a madman next to him reading the comments 😌 Happy Pride 🏳️🌈🌈
I swear fanfiction authors will really just say: hey guys, sorry that this chapter came out an hour later than I planned it. I was murdered two weeks ago and just got revived. Anyway, here the chapter. Then write something that’s better than 99% of what Hollywood is putting out.
Rules: “post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have wips. (You can make your own post or reblog this one!) I have deemed that this isn’t just for writing either. Sketch titles? Comics? Dnd campaigns? If you have an unfinished project, it counts!!”
I have way too many (60 with their own files and a ton of others sitting in ideas files I haven't bothered with yet) - here's ones with actual progress that made the cut on my vote.
So I was tagged in this like a couple weeks ago but I haven’t been on Tumblr in months so I’m getting to it now!!! Thank you for tagging me!!! Some WIPS I’m working on are
1. The Titanides (I’m hoping a chapter will be out soon for those waiting)
2. Height Is Just A Number (I have no clue when they will be out)
3. The Apple Fell Far From The Tree….Then Proceeded To Roll Even Further Away
4. “I Loved You Too Much…”
5. Guilt
6. Lady Luck, Red Beetle, and Scarlet Bug
Sorry if you were already tagged and I tag you I have lost all brain cells: @jinx-jade @astrynyx @localdoesmaribat @ultimatetornshipper @sneksnacc @mysnis
Y’all ever see that dude on here doing all those really old baking recipes from tiktok?? Well he just thanked all of us on tumblr for the support so let’s spread the word k?? Lol
MGI is proud to announce that, in order to determine the BEST trope in fanfiction, we will be hosting a Trope Madness! Open to everyone who wishes to vote.
There will be 10 rounds to determine the best trope, with three days of voting (via the google form linked below) to make sure people have a chance to see it and participate. Round one begins today! All you have to do is pick your favorite tropes.
https://forms.gle/Rd9R27HCpXCaJrr46
Updates will be posted here on Tumblr and our server, Maribat? Get In!
This post is to announce some regular stuff you need to know for our next event:
CIVIL WAR 2022 (Valentine’s Edition)
The event will be host from February 7th to 14th, teams can prepare as much as they want, but submissions have to be publish during that week for them to count.
It’s a content war, so please be nice to each other.
You can participate with whatever you can think of as long as it’s related to your pairing, the pairing doesn’t have to be romantic, If you want to make it platonic that’s okay with us too.
Some examples of participation are prompts, fics, art, doodles, recipes, tik toks, moodboards, playlists.
We’ll have a max of 20 memes per team this year. Even so, If you draw it yourself, they’ll be counted as art and won’t have a cap.
Example thanks to @thedragonbug participation in Civil War 2021
There’s not a min or max of works, you can contribute as much as you can.
All submissions have to be send to my dms (issarockz#1822) along with your team, word count, and the link. (Link can be whatever you published your work, from tumblr to ao3 to even an actual server channel if you’re more comfortable that way)
Example thanks to @phis-corner participation in Trope Tussle 2021:
Once they have been sent to my dms, I’ll publish them in the official event channel in the server and they’ll count as participation.
Example thanks to @flapdoodle-noodle participation in Civil War 2021
The table with points won’t be public this year, we want you all to have fun and do the content you want to do because that’s what it feels right, not because it’s what gives you more points.
Collabs between teammates will count as extra points
As last year, we’ll publish a general prompt everyday, it’s just for inspiration, you are not forced to follow it and can be also used in the following days.
If you’re going to publish on tumblr, please add the tag #MGICIVILWAR2022 and tag us here in @mgi-events or with our main @illiteratefucks
More questions and extra info can be answered in my dms or in the server’s #askthemods
If you’re interested in participating but are not currently in the server, go visit and let us know, we’ll make space 🤍
Thanks everyone! With love, @issaxcharlie, @flapdoodle-noodle and @eggadoodle
Server’s link: https://discord.gg/fWNU4BnAxv
Check out the Maribat? Get In! community on Discord - hang out with 387 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.
“And as the clock ticked closer and closer to midnight, Cinderella forgot little by little about her curfew as she danced the night away with the prince.” Marinette told her children, as their eyes were slowly but surely closing. She sat on one of the two twin beds as she tried to keep her voice as quiet as possible while telling the story.
“But the sudden chime of the clock had her halting in her steps as she remembered what she had forgotten. Saying a hurried goodbye to the prince she raced away, hoping to get to her carriage before the magic wore off. However when she was running down the steps-” She continued before she was cut off.
“She lost her shoe.” Damian interrupted from the doorway. His voice was the volume one would have in a normal conversation, but in this setting it ended up shattering the peaceful silence.
“Damian! I’m telling a story.” And just like that the children were no longer sleepy, but eager to watch the drama unfold before they’re very eyes.
“I don’t get why you’re telling them that story.” He entered the room and sat across from his wife on their other child’s bed.
“What’s wrong with Cinderella?” She questioned.
“I just don’t get why you would tell them such an overused story when you could be telling them ours. After all, they are almost the same.”
“Is that so?” Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded in challenge. “Well if you’re so sure then why not you tell them their bedtime story today?”
“Gladly.” Damian smirked.
“Daddy! Daddy! Make sure to use your storytelling voice!” One of their children piped up. The other eagerly agreeing with them.
“Of course, of course. It all started many years ago. When your mother and I were just teenagers.”
-
“DC.” Damian greeted the girl who had just walked in the classroom.
“Wayne.” She greeted back, taking her seat next to him. She began to take her stuff out in preparation for the lesson and he realized he should do the same.
“Are you going to the dance?” He asked, eyes fixed on a sheet of paper he was drawing on so that he wouldn’t stare at her.
“Probably, are you?” She asked back and he looked up at her to see her eyes on him, waiting for an answer.
“Maybe, I still have to see if I’m available.” He answered, making a mental note to ask his father when he returned home.
“Hey Marinette!” A call from the back of the classroom grabbed both of their attention and they turned their heads to see a blonde boy standing on his chair. “Wanna go to the dance with me?”
She rolled her eyes as she responded, “Fat chance Agreste.” Turning around Damian could hear her muttering under her breath about stupid boys.
Mr. Martin entered just in time to see Agreste with an annoyed expression on his face, but still standing on his desk. “Mr. Agreste sit down this instant!” Once he had sat down the lesson began and Damian wondered that if he were to try and ask Marinette, would she have the same reaction?
-
“Honestly I don’t get why you won’t just ask her!” Jon complained as they sat in Damian’s room, supposed to be completing a project for one of their classes.
“You weren’t there when Agreste asked her, you didn’t see how she reacted. There is no point in asking when I will just be rejected.” Damian replied.
“But-” Jon tried to protest.
“Besides, Father said I can’t go.” Damian uttered.
“Why?”
“I have patrol that night.”
“Seriously? And you didn’t ask that you could just have it another night?”
“Father wouldn’t change his mind. Now let’s finally get to work on this project.” Damian stated, hoping to end the conversation. Unfortunately for him, it was not that easy.
“Don’t tell me he’s not letting you go to your dance?” An unwelcome voice at the door asked.
“What happened to knocking Grayson?” Damian snapped.
“The door was open.” Dick responded as he walked into the room.
“So you’re gonna help?” Jon asked, eager to get Damian to go to the dance so he could ask Marinette out.
“Course, this isn’t the first time I’ve helped one of my brothers out.” Dick instantly replied but then paused.
“There’s a but isn’t there?” Damian spoke up in his brother’s silence.
“Yeah…you have till midnight. I can only stall B for so long.” Dick hesitantly said.
“Good enough!” Jon cheered as Damian sighed. “Also no wearing you’re Robin mask Damian that’s way too obvious.”
“Why would I wear a mask?” Damian questioned.
“Cause it’s a masquerade.” Jon said, looking at Damian in confusion, “Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”
This just caused Damian to let out another sigh, “I guess I’m gonna need help with my outfit as well.”
-
Damian walked into the room with a complete poker face, his hair was done and a mask over the bottom half of his face. Jon insisted he not use a mask that covered the top half of his face so he could see easier. Jon also insisted they not walk in together to make it less obvious who they were, he didn’t think his classmates were that dumb that they wouldn’t know who they were but apparently that was the case.
He surveyed the room and found Marinette sitting at a table with her friends, her mask doing nothing to conceal her identity. She was doing her best to ignore Agreste who kept asking her to dance by constantly making conversation with those around her. Eventually she got up to get a drink and Damian found his opening.
He made his way to the punch table as Marinette tried to get a drink as slowly as possible. Seeing Agreste approaching he quickly made his way to Marinette.
“Care to dance?” He asked.
“Who’s asking?” She eyed him warily.
“Not Agreste.” He stated, tilting his head in the direction Agreste was approaching.
One look over her shoulder had Marinette putting her drink down and accepting the hand Damian offered. He led her to the dance floor where the DJ had just started playing a slow song.
“So am I ever going to get your name?” Marinette questioned.
“Perhaps.” Damian smirked, although Marinette wasn’t able to see it beneath the mask.
“Why ask me to dance?”
“You could say that I have held a liking for you for a while now.”
“What’s with the fancy talk, you could just say you have a crush on me."
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Marinette studied for a moment more before smiling brightly. “Wanna talk more outside?”
“Sure.” Damian answered.
They made their way outside and found a bench to sit on. “So how do you know me, mystery man?” Marinette asked once they had sat down.
“We share some classes.” Damian answered.
“As if you couldn’t be more vague.” Marinette laughed, “How am I supposed to figure out who you are?”
“With your brain.” Damian stated.
“Okay, so vague and a smartass.” Marinette nudged him, only to grow confused when he took his jacket off, “What are you doing?”
“Being a gentleman and giving you my jacket.”
“Why?”
“You’re shivering, if you haven’t noticed, but I have.” He draped his jacket over her shoulders. She then slipped her arms through the sleeves and they could both see that the jacket was a little too big for her.
“I didn’t have the cold in mind when I was making this dress.” She muttered.
“Next time you should take the cold into account.” He laughed when she went to hit his arm.
“Duly noted.” She sarcastically remarked.
They stayed out there just talking about anything and everything that came to mind. The clock ticked and ticked closer to midnight, but Damian was too wrapped in their conversation to notice. Jon kept blowing up Damian’s phone that he had to leave soon but unfortunately it was silenced.
“So you’re still not gonna tell me who you are?” Marinette asked.
“You really wanna know?” Damian asked back.
“Course! If I didn’t wanna know I would’ve never made conversation with you.” Marinette pulled her phone out and Damian got a glance of the time, 11:54.
“Wait, is that the time?” He hurriedly asked, standing up and making his way back to where the dance was being held.
“Yeah…why? Wait where are you going?” Marinette called after him.
“I have to be home by midnight.” Damian replied.
“You have a curfew?” She rushed out as she tried to catch up with him.
“Yes and I’m sorry, I’ll tell you who I am another time.” With that he left, vanishing into a crowd of people and leaving Marinette alone and confused.
-
“So you just left?” Dick questioned once again.
“It was all I could do! You gave me till midnight and it was minutes till midnight!” Damian repeated. He was getting tired of this interrogation.
“Let’s hope she isn’t too upset about your sudden disappearance.” Jon piped up.
“Marinette isn’t like that.” Damian immediately protested.
“We’ll just have to see what she has to say about you on Monday.” Jon added.
“About that-”
“What did you do?” Dick cut him off.
“I didn’t tell her who I was.”
“And why not!” Jon shouted.
“Well I didn’t want to do it at first because if she rejected me then she wouldn’t know who she rejected and then when I was going to it was almost midnight and I had to go!” Damian responded.
“Best thing to do is just tell her on Monday that it was you she talked with all night and hope for the best.” Dick wisely advised.
“It’s a good thing you have first period with her so you can get it over and done with.” Jon commented. “Now we just have to wait for Monday.”
-
Damian sat in his first period with his head down and doodling in his notebook. He refused to glance at the door and was determined to ignore all his problems until something landed on his head.
Lifting his head up and taking it off he realized it was his suit jacket from the dance. The one he had given to Marinette. Looking to his left he saw her sitting with her arms crossed, eyes focused on him.
“You forgot that.” She stated, eyes never leaving him.
“How did you know?” He questioned.
“Took me five minutes to figure it out. Not exactly a good disguise.” She responded. “What confused me was why you had a curfew?”
“A question that I will answer another day.”
She rolled her eyes and started to get her stuff out when a thought occurred to Damian. “I told you I like you, if you knew it was me how come you didn’t address that?”
She paused before replying, “Part of me didn’t believe it, that the boy I had liked for so long liked me back.”
“You like me?” Damian asked in disbelief.
“Yes, and it was quite obvious if you ask me.”
“Well then, we should go on a date.”
“A date?” Marinette repeated, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Yes, are you free this Saturday?” Damian asked, undeterred by her questioning.
“I am.” Marinette let out a small smile.
“So will you go out with me?”
“I would love to.” Marinette leaned and placed a kiss on his cheek before the teacher walked in. And Damian focused his attention solely on what his teacher was saying, trying to ignore the way his ears burned.
-
“Aw, that’s so cute!” One of their children said, letting out a yawn immediately afterwards.
“Yes and it’s also time for you to fall asleep.” Marinette whispered, getting up and placing a kiss on both her children’s foreheads. Damian did the same before they left the room of snoring children and made their way to their room.
“I didn’t know you talked to Jon and Dick about me so much.” Marinette teased her husband.
“Well I wasn’t the only one, Alya tells me about your teenage rants about me all the time.” Damian smirked.
A faint blush spread on Marinette’s cheeks, “I have to talk to her about that.”
Damian made his way over to her and gave her a slow kiss, “Tomorrow, we need to get some rest.”
“Oh, is that so Cinderella? Need your beauty sleep?” Marinette smirked.
“Not really, but I know that Prince Charming gets grumpy when she doesn’t get enough sleep.” Damian countered.
“Yeah yeah, getting to bed.” Marinette replied as she pulled the blanket towards her.
Damian turned off the lights and climbed into bed with her, whispering in her ear, “I’m so glad I asked you to dance.”
Marinette turned to face him, whispering back, “I’m so glad I said yes.”
It was a peaceful day for Tim. He was able to stay home and catch up on sleep for once before he had to go to Wayne Enterprises the next day. Currently he was enjoying a warm hot chocolate Alfred had whipped up. Dick was sitting on the couch with him, enjoying his own cup of hot chocolate. Kor’i, Mar’i, Steph, Babs, and Cass were all going Christmas shopping and Jason was who knows where. It was a rare quiet atmosphere that he couldn’t get enough of as he scrolled through funny tweets on twitter. Dick seemed to share the sentiment as for once he wasn’t trying to break it.
Unfortunately, the wonderful silence was interrupted when Jason came barreling through the door. “Have you guys seen the viral video on Youtube?”
“No, we haven’t Jason. Why?” Dick questioned.
“Just watch.” He responded as he pulled up a video on his phone. He set it on the coffee table in front of the two.
Dick and Tim both looked at each other before Dick hit play. The video started playing, showing the person recording in an auditorium with a girl up on stage. She had pale skin, dark hair, and if he looked close enough blue eyes. She was wearing a red dress with a black belt, white headband, and white shoes. The look screamed Christmas. However she was gripping the microphone like her life depended on it and could be visibly seen shaking. She took a deep breath before she started to quietly sing into the microphone.
“Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose.”
Then they heard a voice near the person recording, eerily familiar to Damian’s voice, shout, “LIKE A LIGHTBULB!”
The camera immediately turned and focused on the person and sure enough it was Damian. Many were also staring at him while the people around him were grinning like lunatics. Tim could swear he heard the camera person whisper, “Fucking simp.”
The girl on stage seemed to gain more confidence from his shout as she sang a little louder, “And if you ever saw it, you would even see it glow.”
Damian once again shouted, “LIKE A LIGHTBULB!”
The girl was now smiling as she sang a little louder and more clearly, “All of the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names.”
It was now 2 voices that shouted, “LIKE PINOCCHIO!” Damian’s and a girl’s.
The girl on stage took the microphone off the mic stand and walked around the stage as she continued to sing, “They never let poor Rudolph, join in any reindeer games.”
Now it was 4 voices, including Damian’s and the person recording, shouting, “LIKE MONOPOLY!”
The girl was now smiling and moving to the beat as she skipped and twirled around the stage, “Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say.”
It was now a much larger group of people shouting, “HO HO HO!”
Her voice was much clearer now and she definitely had some pipes, “Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”
One look at Dick confirmed he also liked the girl on stage, “Then all the reindeer loved him, as they shouted out with glee.”
Almost the whole room was shouting now, “YIPEE!”
“Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you’ll go down in history!”
“LIKE GEORGE WASHINGTON!”
The girl proceeded to do a little curtsy and she even blew a kiss in the camera’s direction. Many people were cheering for her as she smiled and waved at the audience. The person recording was screaming pretty loudly, he was pretty sure the girl’s name was Marinette now.
As she walked backstage, she paused for a second before seeming to make a decision. She looked over her shoulder one last time and winked in Damian’s direction. The camera zoomed in on Damian, his ears a bright red, as he stared at the ground, refusing to look anyone in the eye.
That’s when Tim decided to look at the title of the video. It stated ‘My Best Friend Gets Damian Wayne to Sing and Blush’. He wasn’t sure if he could call what Damian was doing singing, but at the end he was definitely blushing.
“Wait so Damian has a crush on that girl! And he’s never bothered to mention her to us!” Dick complained, upset that his little brother didn’t bring her up to him.
“Well we know about her now so…” Jason trailed off, letting his brothers complete his thoughts.
They then heard the front door open, signaling Damian was home from school. All the boys proceeded to run for the front door, wanting to interrogate question him on this mysterious Marinette and his obvious crush on her.
As they rounded the corner Jason yelled, “Yo Demon Spawn! Who’s Marinette?”
They watched as Damian’s ears turned red and he bolted down the hall, ignoring their shouts for him to come back. Looks like if they weren’t going to get answers the easy way, they would get them the hard way.
That’s when a thought occurred to Tim, he took his phone out, still running, and sent the link to Bruce, Babs, Steph, Cass, and even Kor’i. Hopefully she would show Mar’i the video and the little girl could help question him. The more people on their side the better.
Turning the corner the boys let out a couple muttered curses after realizing they had lost the youngest one. Well, no matter, he wouldn’t be able to hide forever. Plus, he now has a lot more people he needs to respond to.
Damian stared at the library table in confusion. Someone had decided to take time out of their day to write Hey stranger in sparkly red ink. While writing on tables was a common occurrence, the weird part was that this particular person had chosen to do it on the untouched back table. The one no one rarely ever used because it was basically hidden away from sight.
He was very tempted to wipe the ink off and go on with his day. But he remembered Jason talking about his horrible social skills and inability to make friends earlier that day when he thought he wasn’t around. And perhaps this strange person would be his ticket to proving Jason wrong.
So in a very un-Damian Wayne fashion, he took his dark green pen out from his pencil case and started writing on the table. Once he was finished writing he put his pen back in his bag and took out his English essay that was due the next period. He proceeded to spend the last of his free period going over the work and making edits till it was what he considered perfection before heading to his class.
-
Marinette walked into the library and headed straight towards the hidden table in the back. Her last class had sucked what little energy she had away and she was going to take her free period to sleep. Making her way to the table she took a double take when she spotted the green ink on the table just below her red one.
Taking a closer look she realized that someone had replied to what she had written yesterday afternoon. While it was definitely not her best decision, at the time her sleep deprived brain thought it was the greatest thing she had ever thought of. She was planning on wiping it away before she took her nap so that way no one would see it but it seemed it was too late for that.
Under her writing this mysterious person had wrote, Didn’t know my name was stranger, what’s your name?
Deciding to keep the conversation going she took out her red sparkly pen and wrote under their writing, You can call me Ladybug :) What period are you writing this in? It's currently 3rd for me.
Satisfied with what she had wrote, Marinette put her stuff away and took her jacket off of her waist. Folding her jacket up and putting it on the table she used it as a pillow to go to sleep with. And the second her head hit the makeshift pillow she was out like a light.
-
Damian returned to the table during lunch since Jon was on a mission off planet and he didn’t want to go to the cafeteria alone. He looked to the side of the table and was surprised to find that there was new writing there. After reading what this so-called “Ladybug” had wrote he now knew they had a free third period.
And since they had also first written something before his free period, which was first period, they either went to the library before or after school. Before he started eating his lunch he wrote back to Ladybug, It’s lunch right now, but I first wrote to you in first period.
Once he finished writing he started eating his lunch. He hoped he could find out who this mysterious Ladybug was before winter break. It would suck if he had to spend the whole two weeks they were off wondering who Ladybug was.
-
Marinette returned to the table after school and was pleasantly surprised to find that her mysterious stranger had replied. She was a little concerned that they were eating lunch in the library but she summed it up to them liking their alone time. She wondered just who this person was that they would always reply to her, were they just as invested in this as she was?
Either way it was nice that she had someone new to talk to. Alya, Alix, Juleka, Rose, and Mylene were nice but sometimes they could be a little much. Plus she liked the mysteriousness that surrounded this person.
-
“So you’ve been talking to someone by writing on a library table?” Jon repeated for what must’ve been the hundredth time.
“Yes, is it so hard to believe?” Damian replied exasperated.
“It is! You’ve gone out of your way to talk to someone! And keep talking to them and now you’re trying to figure out who they are!”
“Tt, it is only natural that I am curious who they are.”
“Yeah…hey what if it was Marinette?” Jon asked out of nowhere.
Damian whirled his head around and followed Jon’s gaze which was fixed on Marinette and her friends. He fought a blush as he responded, “Why would it be her?”
“Cause she has a literal ladybug backpack and everyone knows her favorite color is red. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume its her.”
“Well it is probably not since I’m sure she has much more important stuff to be doing than writing on library tables.” Damian snapped back, effectively ending that conversation. But that doesn’t mean that he didn’t let the thought that this mysterious Ladybug could be Marinette cross his mind.
-
“Come on girl! You’ve gotta have at least a little clue as to who it could be!” Alya pestered as they walked to their next class.
“Like I told you before Alya, I have no idea who it could be. All I know is they have a dark green pen and are free for first period.” Marinette responded. The two girls had been going back and forth ever since Marinette had confessed to why she had been spending so much time in the library. One reason was to take extra naps and the other was to talk to this mystery stranger.
“This is the exact reason you would suck at being a detective. You never look at things beyond the surface, and what kind of nickname is Ladybug. Anyone with a brain would know it was you.”
“That’s kinda the point, make it obvious enough it’s me so if they want to approach me they can and if the librarian were to find the writing she wouldn’t have a name to put to the vandalism.” Marinette continued walking but paused when she noticed Alya was no longer at her side. She turned around and found the bespectacled girl staring at her in bewilderment.
“Maybe you deserve more than I give you credit for.” Alya commented, taking her place back at Marinette’s side as they walked to class.
Entering the classroom Marinette’s eyes immediately went to the back where Damian was seated. She turned her attention away from Alya to give the usually stoic boy a friendly wave. Smiling when he waved back to her she returned her attention to Alya as they sat down at their front row desks.
After taking her pencil and notebook out she was about to ask Alya where she thought the teacher was but stopped when she saw the look in her eyes. “What?” She hesitantly asked.
“I didn’t say anything.” Alya said smiling.
“You didn’t have to. I can tell you have something to say just by the look in your eyes, so out with it.” Marinette rolled her eyes.
“What if it’s Damian?” Alya rushed out.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me, what if your mysterious stranger is Damian?”
“Impossible.”
“Why?”
“I’m sure Damian Wayne has much better things to be doing than writing to random girls on library desks.” Marinette protested as she fought the urge to look at the boy sitting a few rows behind her.
“But the thought has totally crossed your mind right?”
“Honestly Alya, you really need to control your inner shipper.” She said the last two words with air quotations, “Damian doesn’t like me back, end of story.”
“Hey, I never mentioned anything about your crush on him and his also very obvious crush on you.” Alya said smugly.
Before Marinette was able to grab her notebook to hit Alya on the head with it, the teacher walked in, so she had to suffice with kicking her leg underneath the table. Honestly, Alya really needed to stop with her delusions. There was no way that Damian Wayne would like a scatter-brained klutz like herself, and the sooner Alya accepted that, the sooner they could move on with their lives.
-
“How did your end of the plan go?” A bespectacled girl asked a bespectacled boy as they hid in an empty classroom.
“Horribly, yours?”
“Terrible as well.”
“Honestly, those two are made for each other if they’re both this dense.”
“Couldn’t agree more.”
There was a pause before the boy spoke up, “Should we stop?”
The girl whirled around to face him, confusion all across her face, “What do you mean stop? We’ve come too far-”
“And so far it's all been in vain.” He cut her off. “Perhaps it’s time to let them do this on their own. We’ve done all we can, now it’s up to them to stop being oblivious cowards.”
The girl thought for a minute before nodding her agreement, “This had better work Kent.”
“I am hoping the exact same thing Cesaire.”
-
The plan, while good in theory, did not account for the fact that both Damian and Marinette were not planning on approaching each other, at all. Both were content to “suffer” their crushes in silence while conversing with their alter egos on the library table. It was driving Alya and Jon mad.
The days kept going by and winter break was quickly approaching. Marinette kept trying to figure out who her stranger was but never once thought that it could be Damian. While Damian tried his best to think of any tolerable person Ladybug could be, but Marinette.
Soon the last day of school before break had arrived and still no confession was made. Currently the senior class was gathered outside to continue the tradition of writing their new year's resolutions on the side of the main school building as Alya and Jon pulled their hairs out.
Luckily with a little of their meddling, Marinette and Damian were writing their resolutions right next to each other. Damian looked over to Marinette’s writing and immediately recognized the sparkly red ink that she was using. At the same time Marinette glanced over at Damian and her eyes widened upon recognizing the dark green pen he was using.
Locking eyes with each other they both blurted out at the same time, “Ladybug!” “Stranger!”
“Finally! Omg, that took way too long for you guys to-” Alya was cut off as Jon dragged her away with the promise of giving them space.
Marinette turned back to Damian and couldn’t help but laugh. “We’re both idiots aren’t we?”
“Perhaps.” Damian answered, “So Jon tells me you like me?”
“Alya says the same.” Marinette said back.
“Well then, would you like to hangout this Saturday?”
“Hangout?” Marinette teased.
“You know what I mean.” Damian rolled his eyes.
“Do I?”
“A date, would you like to go on a date with me?” A smile of pure happiness broke onto Marinette’s face as she replied.
“I would love that.”
Damian took Marinette’s hand but on their way back to the building paused. When Marinette looked back at him he groaned.
“Kent and Césaire will never let us hear the end of this.”
Just as Marinette was about to respond Alya’s voice sounded from somewhere, Marinette had no clue the exact spot. “YOU’RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT WAYNE!”
Marinette just giggled as she gave Damian a quick peck on the cheek as she proceeded to drag him into the building. He just smiled as he mentally prepared himself for the landslide of teasing he was sure to receive.
Hey, so I’m back...kinda. Hope you enjoy the fic! First time writing in a while but when I first got into Maribat I made a promise to myself that I would try to do Daminette December so here I am.
