MLB Bio!Dad Constantine Recommendations

Con Man’s Daughterby@arty-shadow-morningstar

(Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)(Part 7.5)

Batman is surprised to find out that Constantine has a daughter who is also involved in magic like her Father but an apparently more specialised kind called the Miraculous. He is a little miffed that he didn’t know about John having a daughter. He did consider it weird at first that she had a slight french accent unlike her father’s Liverpool accent although she pronounced some words like he does.

He also connected some dots that she is also the Parisian heroine, Lady Rouge who Wonder Woman introduced to the League a while back and had declined to join the Young Justice or Teen Titans until everything in Paris was resolved.

Curiosity Killed the Exorcistby@soulmate-game

“If those timelines are now-deleted, then I obviously don’t remember what’s so bad about telling me why you’re acting like I’m some hated family member you’re avoiding!”

Silence.

Pure. Fucking. Silence. As they all watch with front row seats as Marinette flinches at the word ‘family’.

Pure silence as Constantine’s shoulders drop at the sight of her flinch, realization slapping itself on his face.

“No.”

Locked Emotionsby@musicfeedsmysoul12

This doesn’t actually have a title

So Marinette is angry and bitter and full of magic. She also does something super risky. Like John locking up his childhood innocence and such, she locks up her rage and anger and her knowledge of the truth. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone.

Becoming Ladybug is easy. She’s good at what she does and uses her own magic to help. John hears about what’s going on in Paris and goes looking. He sees Ladybug using magic and… that’s his family magic… oh.

Bio!Dad John Constantineby@multifandomscribette

(Part 2)(Part 3)(Part 4)(Part 5)(Part 6)

They never developed a father-daughter relationship - neither particularly wanted one - but the mentor-mentee one worked out very well for them, and it did help both of them improve as people and ‘professionals’.

Marinette gave John a ladybug charm that she made, endowed with a lot of luck, since she know he has a dangerous job, though she never told him about what it can actually do. He doesn’t know about her being Ladybug and she likes it like that.

Taglist:

@macerunner@maribat-central@batmanzplan@doll246@leftguard66@multplelifes@nugget-consumer-9000 @lostinday @ramos123@seacashew@jeminiikrystal@wolfy-kat@kashlyn@anime-rae @literaryhiraeth @creampuff-mlbfics-finished@luminous-carrot@vixen-uchiha@khneltea@atomicsoph@heckofhell@cao0227@ellerahs@demonicbusiness@celestial-slytherin-blog@luciferge@just-a-bottle-of-chaos@daddylonglegsfacts@theravenclawfangirl@jintana-critical@secretlawyercolorscissors@g-arya @sandraf0612@mariloki4@the-dumber-scaramouche@ranger-jedi-knight@fangirling-101@iglowinggemma28@seraphichana@unabashedbookworm

MLB Caline Bustier Salt Prompts/Fics Recommendation

Let Her Eat Cakeby@stormiclown

Theories began floating around that she was Mayura. The fact that she looked eerily similar to the peacock themed villain.

It was then that a dam burst. Students and teachers alike who had witnessed Bustier’s teaching methods revealed her tendency to gaslight or outright punish victims of bullying while letting the aggressors off scot free.

Happy Birthday, Miss Bustierby@unmaskedagain

“And why should I apologize,” Marinette asked. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“We talked about the Marinettes of the world, remember?” Caline smiled. “You have to be the bigger person; be an example for the other students. Show them the right way to act.”

“No.”

Attitude - [Bustier Salt] by @aliensunflower-fics

“This attitude of yours is getting out of control Mari-“

“What attitude?! Mme Bustier? The one where I sat quietly in class taking notes? Or the one where I calmly answered questions when asked? Or maybe the one where when the class got disruptive I didn’t do your job for you?” Anger filled Bustier’s eyes and her smile twisted into an ugly look.

“Don’t you think your going a bit far. Marinette.” Bustier’s voice was sickly sweet barely hiding the venom behind it.

Taste of your own medicineby@mcheang

Marinette reminded Ms Bustier, “Smile and forgive, Ms Bustier. Isn’t that what you told me? To be a better example.”

Caline had forgotten that mantra when she was a teenager, the teachers actually did their job so she wasn’t punished. The rule breakers were. It was easy to be on the high road when she wasn’t the one punished. Sure she wasn’t popular with her class, but it’s not like they would stay friends upon graduation.

And now here was, a teacher, while her bully was a socialite. It wasn’t fair.

Paycheckby@sturchling

This doesn’t actually have a title

Mrs. Bustier went to the school board the next day to ask about her pay. She didn’t expect to hear what she did. “Why haven’t I received my most recent pay checks? I haven’t received my last two checks, and I need to pay my rent. What is going on?” The board just looked at her with bored expressions. “You haven’t been paid, because you haven’t been doing your job.” Mrs. Bustier was shocked. “What do you mean? I show up everyday, and I teach my pupils all day. I am doing my job.” The head of the board just rolled their eyes.

Remember some chapters are longer than others (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

Taglist:

@the-dumber-scaramouche@255940g@epiclazershark@kitsunekat9@smartlanceisreal@bookssetufree@gingerdaile@mewwitch@caffeinetheory@dragonkings444@alicesangelofmusic@bee-a-garbage-shipper@northernbluetongue@turiankitty@finnishbookmark@ml-fanfic-comp@khoughme@773hell@zenarella@rabbitholefor-anymediailike@adrestar@fandombetch@mysticsoulgirl@dagnysdawn@madd-kwami@secretlawyercolorscissors

MLB Class Salt Prompts/Fics Reccomendations 2

Part 1

A False Ladybugby@cornholio4

She looked and saw an open mouth Chat Noir and was surprised to see him there already but then saw everyone looking towards a nervous looking Lila and a girl she didn’t recognise. “Wait, you’re not Milady? Did you use the Mouse Miraculous to multiply yourself or something? Please tell me this wasn’t a lie!” Chat Noir demanded and Marinette demanded someone explain what was going on.

“The new student is Sara and she is Lila’s best friend; they had been telling us that she was you.” Sabrina spoke up and Marinette had her mouth wide open and was growing angry. This had gone far enough…

Not My Friendsby@lenacraft

This doesn’t actually have a title

“Then why won’t you help the class,” asked Adrien. Lately, he’d been on Lila’s heels. Her former crush was another name on a long list of betrayals.

“It’s simple, I’m always willing to help my friends. Now, please leave, I’m busy.”

They left the art room, her words sinking in. Oddly enough, it was Nathaniel who broke the news. Telling Alix, who told Kim, who told Max, and so on and so forth until it got to Alya.

Tattered Remains of Broken Dreams (Yours, not Mine)by@unmaskedagain

Marinette shook her head, “Fifteen thousand dollars of work you were going to get for free, gone.”

Most of her classmates’ faces had drained of color at the price, at realization of how big of a screw up they made. They had no idea just how much work Marinette did.

Lila was seething because it would be too hard to turn this around.

Marinettes Big Fallby@aliensunflower-fics

“What’s your best friends name? And can you describe them.”

Marinette froze and stayed silent. Tikki suddenly felt a strange twist in her tummy. Sabine and Tom looked at their daughter uncertainly. Finally after a long pause. Marinette spoke with a strained laugh.

“I uhh dont remember having one sir.” Sabine felt her stomach suddenly drop, hidden away behind a plant Tikki felt the same thing.

Nothing Left to Say Nowby@musicfeedsmysoul12

“I suppose there’s nothing left to say then.” She told them, before she turned away from them, heading to the back of the class. She sat down and refused to speak for the rest of the class despite the confused looks she got and the annoyed ones. Even a few hurt ones.

Like they had any fucking right to be hurt.

Remember some chapters are longer than others

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

Taglist:

@the-dumber-scaramouche@madd-kwami@arty-shadow-morningstar@platinum-here@ao3s-ishouldreads@naturegreenr-2@fandombetch@fangirlingfanatic@caney768@funnybunnyxxx@sillyandquest@storylover04@fangirlingfanatic@crazyyanderefangirlfan@sassakitty@alicesangelofmusic@virgil-is-a-cutie@babyizuwu@briansastro10@harrietrile17@actualnarislayer@d-starfairy@summerfox1988@lcamila23@wolf-for-life@mothwithglasses@xpxlxgxxs

Listen Instead of Lie

This is based off a prompt by @miraculousfanworks that I was tagged in by @vixen-uchiha a while back. Sorry it took so long for me to get to it! Hope this was worth the wait!

What happens if Lila tries to lie about MDC, when the class already knows who MDC is? The end of the liar’s reign happens.

Marinette had been making quite the name for herself in the fashion world. Ever since she made the sunglasses for Jagged, he kept asking her for more pieces every few months. He also made sure to brag on Marinette every chance he got, using her pseudonym, MDC. Soon other major celebrities had commissioned her work and were also raving about the talented young designer. She was quickly becoming a household name, or at least her pseudonym was. Marinette wanted to stay relatively anonymous for now, for a few reasons, Lila being chief among them. She worried that if the liar knew about her success, she would try to destroy it. She also didn’t want to be hounded for her work for now. So she resolved to use the name MDC until she graduated at least.

As the whole world was talking about her designs, no one knew who MDC actually was. That is, except for her class. Marinette had been using MDC for all of her designs for years, ever since they had known her. So naturally, they all knew who this ‘mysterious new designer’ was. They were very happy for their friend and her success. While they didn’t get why Marinette didn’t tell the world who she was (after all, who wouldn’t want to have this kind of spotlight), they did respect her wishes, and made sure not to slip up and mention her actual name in public. However, when it was just the class, they would gush about Marinette and her latest designs, always impressed with their friend’s work. Maybe if Lila had listened to her friends talk, instead of always make the conversation about her lies, then maybe she wouldn’t have made such a stupid mistake.

MDC was now a major player in the fashion industry and was even going to be featured at the next Paris Fashion Week and the class couldn’t be happier for their friend. The class decided that they wanted to throw Marinette a small party, nothing too crazy, but they wanted to congratulate her. The next morning, they arrived at school and when they went in the classroom, they saw Lila walking from the back of the classroom where Marinette was sitting towards the front to her desk. Lila went to greet the class with a sweet smile plastered on her face, but the class just continued towards Marinette. Lila hated the class even looking at Marinette. And she would put a stop to it. As Lila approached the group, she heard Alya say, “Marinette! We saw the latest news about MDC and we wanted to tell you-” But before Alya could finish her thought, Lila jumped in. If she had listened to what Alya was saying, she may have thought again about what she was going to say. But she was so focused on getting the attention off Marinette and back on to her, that she went to her usual plan. Lie. But this time that was the worst thing she could have done.

“Oh Alya! You all are talking about MDC?” Alya turned back to Lila with a smile, slightly irritated though that she had been interrupted. “Oh yeah, we were just going to tell Marinette-” Lila cut her off again. “Oh MDC is such a sweetheart. We actually met at the Milan Fashion Week, before she used MDC as her name. MDC are the initials of her mother who got her into fashion. Its her way of honoring her mother. I was so happy to hear she will be at the Paris Fashion Week, maybe I could introduce you all and get us tickets to her show? And Marinette, maybe she could give you some pointers on how to break into the fashion world?” Lila put on her best shy smile and waited for the class to gush about how awesome that would be, and how sweet Lila is. But that never came. Instead the class was staring at her in shock and anger.

“Lila? What are you talking about? Why are you lying?” Alya asked, hoping maybe she had misunderstood Lila, though she didn’t see how she could have. “What are you talking about? I’m not lying! I’ve known MDC for years, we are very good friends.” Lila immediately got defensive. Nino spoke up, saying “That isn’t possible.” Lila, forgetting to appear sweet and nice, snapped at Nino. “And why is that Nino?” Marinette stood up from her desk. “Because I am MDC.” Lila scoffed. “Do you guys actually believe her? She is obviously lying for attention since her fashion business isn’t doing as well. You should be ashamed Marinette, taking credit from a hard working designer! I thought you were better than that!” Lila expected the class to drop the conversation. They always did when this happened, if only to keep the peace. But they just doubled down. Alya walked towards Lila, furious that this girl had been lying to them, likely since she joined the class. “Marinette isn’t lying. She is MDC. And if you hadn’t interrupted me earlier, and listened, you would have heard us congratulate her for her success. She has used those initials for years for her fashion. MDC stands for Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You haven’t been friends with her for years, and you certainly haven’t been friends since you got here!” Lila was backed into a corner. She had no way out of this.

The class started yelling as they realized that not only did Lila try to lie about Marinette as MDC, but had likely been lying to them the whole time. Lila couldn’t lie her way out of this one. So she ran. She ran out of the school and all the way home. The class continued with the celebration, congratulating Marinette and then treating her to a picnic in the park after school to celebrate. They had a great time, and went their separate ways that night, glad to not only have congratulated their friend, but defended her from a liar.

Later that night, Lila would convince her mother to send her back to Italy, saying that she was scared of the akumas and didn’t want to stay in Paris. Lila wished she didn’t have to leave Paris, but her mother wouldn’t just let her transfer to another school in Paris. And she couldn’t risk transferring to a new school in the city and then Mrs. Bustier’s class spreading the word that she is a liar. Lila knew that if she just asked her mom to transfer because she didn’t like her school, her mom would say to tough it out and not let her transfer. But if she was too scared to stay in Paris entirely? Her mother would listen. So, Lila reluctantly left Paris behind and returned to Italy. She would be living with her grandparents until a new school, likely a boarding school since her grandparents couldn’t care for her long term, could be found. Lila sat on the plane to Italy, lamenting her mistakes in Mrs. Bustier’s class. If only she had listened more than she lied.

Beginning

Last Chapter                        Next Chapter

Ivan was never the smartest guy, he knew that, but what he lacked in brain he thought he more than made up in heart. That’s what his Mama always said and surprisingly that is what his former friend Marinette would also say to him when he was having a bad day. Contrary to popular belief, he and Mylène were not the perfect couple, they had their fights, they annoyed one another on occasion, they even took jokes too far. More often than he would care to admit it was because he put his foot in his mouth and said something stupid, or didn’t think things through and they would end up in a misunderstanding, but his mothers’ and Marinette were always there to help him cool down and think things through whenever he needed them. Before this whole Lila thing he used to be able to just call up Marinette whenever he needed help or just whenever he wanted to talk with her. 

She was his person and he liked to think he was hers, she would vent about her frustrations with Alya and the Girl Group, she would lament her failures and by failures Ivan meant little mistakes that Marinette was overthinking but that was okay, he knew she couldn’t help it. That was something he didn’t like that the girls and some of the guys in class teased her about, her tendency to spiral, they acted like it was just one of her quirks or it wasn’t a big deal. It was no secret that Marinette had anxiety, but he didn’t know if the others knew she had to take medication for it, but then even if they didn’t they still shouldn’t tease her for something she can’t control. Ivan had even said as much to said girl, he would never forget the smile she gave him as she told him he was a loyal friend.

Loyal. The memory made his stomach tie into a knot. No, he was not loyal, not at all, he was a coward, he was weak and he had tricked himself into believing he was strong. He didn’t know when it happened, but at some point Ivan got it in his head that if he just kept Mylène happy no matter what, everything would be okay. It didn’t matter if she didn’t want to go to a concert with him because she would rather they go and protest some issue she was passionate about (never you mind the fact that passion seemed to change every month or so), it didn’t matter that he couldn’t play some of his favorite songs around her because she thought they were too scary (she only listened to one verse), and it didn’t matter that she never wanted to hang out at his parent’s house (the décor was too intense she said). He couldn’t really remember when it started exactly but he knew it was after Lila returned from her trip or whatever.

Apparently Mylène had gone to the girl and expressed her concern to the Italian about how often they fight, which he thought was a small amount but apparently his girlfriend didn’t agree and it had begun to make her question their relationship. Ivan had been heartbroken and desperate and when Lila gave him the advice to just make sure Mylène was always happy he took to it like a duck to water. He liked Mylène a lot, she was the first girl he ever actually considered confessing too. He had crushes, but with Mylène it was just different. The crush didn’t fade away like the others, no, in fact it grew day by day to the point he just had to tell her how he felt. She was important to him and oh so special, and well, he’s a teenage boy and this is his first relationship, of course he didn’t want it to end. So he took Lila’s advice and it was like he could think of nothing else but Mylène.

Then time passed, his bottled emotions grew and he was finally able to take a step back when his older sister was home from university and pulled him aside for a talk. She noticed how different he had been and that’s when it hit him. He had always been proud to be him, sure he had insecurities, what teenager didn’t? But he loved rock and metal music, he loved horror films, his favorite color was black, and yeah he wore eyeliner. All that stuff made him happy and he believed it was what made him, well him. The point was, he had been raised to be proud of who you are, no matter if what you are going through is a phase or not (he fondly remembered his sister’s pastel phase, and so did his parents) because ultimately even that is you. It is just you trying to find what you are most comfortable in and in some cases broadening your tastes. It was that talk with his sister that made him realize he had not been himself in a long time, and that really upset him. 

He decided he needed to take a step back from everything and really take a moment for himself so he could reflect and just think. He maybe, sort of, forgot that the trip to Gotham had been coming up but it honestly was a blessing in disguise because it gave him time away from Mylène. Which was sad that he thought of that as a plus, but he needed time away from her because it was his time with her that had been what had changed him and not for the better. So yes, he was more than content to use this education trip as his own personal getaway from everything, even if it was only when they were back at the hotel since Mylène decided that this trip had to be some romantic thing for them. Ivan had already tried to tell her that this trip was an educational one and they should treat it as such and not mess around, more so because they were specifically in one of the most crime ridden cities in the world. 

Apparently what he said had been ‘totally mean’ and ‘inconsiderate’ so Mylène was giving him the silent treatment until he apologized. Another bonus, only if she remembered she was ignoring him, because sometimes she would be talking to the girls and come over and hang on his arm the way Lila did to Adrien and it took a lot out of him not to pry her fingers off him. He remained polite though, his mothers’ did not raise a rude son, they always made sure he was polite because they knew people would always judge their family for their looks and choices. His Mum said politeness was a weapon and he truly believed her. So he made sure to always be polite when he reminded Mylène about the silent treatment and why he didn’t believe he had to apologize and maybe they both needed to think about it. The boys were surprisingly on his side, especially Nino. What was a big shock to Ivan was that even Juleka, not one for talking Juleka, had even stood up for him and taken his side.

Distantly he hoped he hadn’t caused any problems for her and Rose. He really liked his bandmates but he was closer to Juleka he would admit. They both were people of few words and were more comfortable being in the background even if they were proud of who they were. He and Juleka could sit there in silence for hours without it going awkward because they both knew they were hanging out even if they didn’t say anything, they just appreciated each other’s presence. Nowadays though, the two hadn’t been able to just hang out with each other like they used to and Ivan hated to point the finger without proof but he blamed Lila. Everything changed after her lengthy return after her first day in the class. Ivan hadn’t noticed at first, he was admittedly not the most observant, but by the time he noticed it felt like there was nothing he could do. 

No. The feeling was true but he knew he could have done something, he could have stood up for Marinette when he finally saw just how horrible the class was being, he could have broken up with Mylène when he first noticed her change or even sat done with her and her dad and talked over with both of them how the girl had been changing and not for the good, he could have spoken up for Nino and Juleka when he noticed they had become the Italian’s latest “projects.” Everyone in the class that had sided with Lila had been changing, and it had not been for the better, not at all. That had become all the more clear when he had heard Alya say they had to teach Marinette a lesson. It was the way she said it, there was so much anger behind it and she said it out in the lobby of Wayne Tower with a bravado that told him she didn’t expect them to get in trouble. The sad truth was they wouldn’t, not with the blatant favoritism Mme Bustier gave Lila. 

That was all Ivan could think of throughout the rest of the tour, then the hostage situation had happened and everything happened all at once and much too fast and it had been utterly, devastatingly overwhelming. His heart had still been racing by the time they had made it back to the hotel and even then he didn’t remember getting back on the bus, he didn’t even remember getting out of the lobby. It had taken a much needed bath and a long time of blasting music from his headphones as he laid on his bed before he finally felt himself come back into focus enough to realize they had left Marinette behind. They had left a classmate behind in a fucking hostage situation, and it made his stomach drop so harshly he thought for a brief moment that gravity had ripped it out of him. It made him rush to the bathroom to puke up whatever he had eaten for lunch because for the life of him he could not remember. 

They really had left Marinette back there to an uncertain fate and Ivan had never been more grateful that he was the odd boy out with his own room considering Nathaniel had fallen ill before the trip. So no one was around when he broke down, he cried, he sobbed, he muffled his screams into his mountain of pillows and even then it hadn’t felt like enough. The grief he felt, the anger, the guilt, it was all too much and the string that had been precariously holding him together before the start of the trip snapped. He needed…well he wasn’t entirely sure what he needed, he knew what he wanted and that was to make sure Marinette was okay. He wanted the old Mylène back. He wanted Kitty Section together again and rehearsing and just planning out new performances. He wanted to be able to write songs with Rose once more without fear of her taking them to Lila for her “expert opinion.” Ivan wanted to hang out with a friend group that didn’t just stand around and listen to one person’s stories or opinions without getting to share their own. 

Yes, Ivan wanted a lot of things.

But first he had to get his nausea under control.

So with great reluctance he pushed himself out of bed and walked out of his room determined to go downstairs to the lobby in hopes the restaurant was still open, if it wasn’t then he would try and find a vending machine, and if that all failed he would ask an employee to go into the bar section of the hotel for him. He needed sparkling water or something with ginger in it, or even peppermint tea. Though he loathed the stuff, his Mama always told him those were the best for nausea. It was after their curfew but…well they didn’t exactly have a teacher or chaperone around to enforce said curfew and it’s not like Mme Bustier actually did anything if she caught you outside your room, or so Alya and Lila had said after they told everyone they had to go to the lobby after curfew the first night because Lila absolutely needed something, something dumb he was sure. The girls said the most they got was a gentle admonishment and made to promise they wouldn’t do it again. 

Yeah Ivan could see why Caline Bustier was being investigated and honestly he wished it had happened sooner. If it had, maybe Marinette wouldn’t have had to plan and prepare the trip for them all and do her best to make sure they were safe. You know, like the teacher should have done. Oh Ivan knew it was Marinette who had won them the trip and not Lila who had claimed it so. He had been so grateful to the pig-tailed girl, he had never left Europe before and he had been so excited to have the opportunity to do so. But that had been a childish dream, or that’s how it felt anyhow, because as soon as they got the trip started Caline Bustier continued to fail as a teacher. Once upon a time, Ivan would have claimed the woman was his favorite teacher but after all the shit she let slide and he had been witness to that shattered. Caline Bustier fell from her self made high-horse throne and Ivan didn’t care. 

He was glad that Mlle Mendeleiv would be her replacement for the trip, no matter what others said about the teacher, Ivan respected her no nonsense attitude when it came to rules and safety in her classroom and lab. He knew they would be in good hands, along with whatever chaperones would be coming. It was those thoughts that renewed a bit of hope in him that things would look up, a little voice in his head reassured him that things would get better. It suspiciously sounded like Marinette. Ivan huffed at that and willed the ache in his chest to go away as he reached the lobby and was about to head to the restaurant to see if it was open when he saw a familiar person sitting on one of the chairs in the lobby’s lounge. 

“Alya?”

Said girl jumped in her seat before turning her head and wiping her face, Ivan pretended not to notice. “Ivan. Hey.”

Ivan looked at someone he had once considered a friend, not a particularly close one, but a friend nonetheless and decided they needed to talk and just be there for one another. Even if both weren’t exactly that close. So he sat on the seat next to her, his quest for a carbonated drink or ginger one put on hold. “I’m not going to ask how you’re doing because that would be pretty dumb, but it is the polite thing to do. So how are you feeling, Alya?”

“I…” At first it looked like she was going to lie or laugh him off but after a minute the girl’s face scrunched up tight before it seemed like all the fight had left her as she sagged into the seat. “Not the best I admit.”

“Me too.”

“I just…I didn’t think. When we left, my mind was on Lila and I didn’t think…”

“Didn’t think of Marinette.” He didn’t pose it as a question because he knew.

Alya looked like she was about to snap at him for even speaking the ‘forbidden name’, but she merely bit her lip and nodded. “We left but I didn’t…I knew we left Marinette there. And before you yell or lecture me or whatever, I know, I know that’s bad. The police had a grand ol’ time letting me know that. It’s just…I really didn’t think Ivan. I didn’t think she would…”

Ivan had to take a deep breath, but he did get what she was trying to say. “You didn’t think she would get hurt. Or taken off the trip. But Alya, before you yell at me, what did you think would happen? Honestly? Because from where I have been sitting and seeing, you haven’t cared what happened to Marinette the moment this trip started.”

He held his hand up when it looked like she was about to argue. “Alya. You asked me not to yell, I asked you the same, please. Look. You and Lila and Rose and…and Mylène have all been making this trip hell for her. Like it or not but Lila tried to leave her back in Paris. You may not believe that but that’s how it came across. You guys talked Bustier into leaving the hotel early our first official day to tour and you guys didn’t care that we left her here. You didn’t care when her friends argued or worried. You guys didn’t care. I should have spoken up. I know I should have when I noticed what you guys were doing. That’s my fault. But…but I don’t think I believe you when you say you didn’t think she would get hurt or be hurt.”

It was quiet. The silence grew and grew and it was wrapped around them both like hands pressed to their throats. Tears were gathered in both sets of eyes but they had yet to fall. “We left her behind in a hostage situation. She had a gun to her head Alya…we had no way of knowing if she was okay and we left and I hate myself for letting us leave.”

Both were crying. “Ivan…I…”

“You’re a good person Alya. But…you…you’re not acting like yourself anymore. You may jump into things without thinking, be a bit short tempered, but you always strived for information. For proof. For justice. This? This isn’t justice. When you…When you suggested teaching Marinette a lesson in the lobby…it sounded like you were suggesting…” Ivan never spoke this much but he wanted Alya to listen. He wanted her to see exactly what was wrong, or at the very least plant a seed of doubt of some kind.

Alya gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, she was unbelievably pale. “Ivan…please, please tell me you didn’t think I was suggesting…Mon Dieu…beating Marinette up!”

Ivan shrugged half-heartedly. “That’s what it sounded like but I know you’re not like that.”

“Ivan, I swear that’s not what I meant!” Alya denied. “I just…I was so mad at her because of what she did to Lila, but I didn’t mean hurting her. I swear it. I meant like…getting even. Playing pranks or something. Calling her parents! But never, never would I mean hurting her! I…look, we may not be friends any more but that doesn’t mean I want her to be hurt or to hurt her.”

“I want to believe that, and I think you want to believe that too. I think you need to take a step back from everything and just think about what’s happened. Not just here, back in Paris too.” He advised.

Alya licked her lips before looking him in the eyes sharply. “Like you did? Like with Mylène?”

“That’s!…Yeah…Yeah like me. Like that. It’s been an experience…Mylène has changed and so have I and I’m not convinced either change was for the better. So I took a step back. I had hoped she would understand and I’ve been trying to give her space…” He admitted.

A voice, a familiar heart-breaking voice, cut off whatever Alya was going to say next and it had Ivan stiffen in his seat. “Ivan? Why are you down here with Alya? Alone?” 

Mylène.

“Hey Mylène.”

Ivan tiredly watched as his girlfriend looked between him and Alya with a frown on her face, her hands on her hips and one foot tapping the floor impatiently. It would have brought him some amusement-she looked like a cartoon character-but he knew if he laughed it wouldn’t be appreciated. “You didn’t answer my question. Lila says-”

“Mylène.” Alya cut in as she stared at her friend in confusion and something else that Ivan could not identify but he was grateful that Mylène’s attention was not on him. “He…He wasn’t feeling well. I just wanted to see if he was alright.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the full truth but Ivan appreciated it all the same. “Yeah. I’m actually going to head to bed. Night girls.”

Without hearing their replies the boy got up and made his way to the elevators. He wasn’t one for many words, he didn’t really enjoy talking but this was one conversation he knew he would have to have many times over. For Marinette he would do it. For his friends he would do it. For himself…he would do it. So once he was on his level, Ivan squared his shoulders and passed his own room only to stop at another and knock. Once the door opened he stared down at a former friend, one he missed. He knew from experience that people found him intimidating given his size and his apparent ‘resting bitch face’ but Max just glared up at him with all his anger and determination. It made Ivan smile despite the situation.

“Can we talk please?” 

_______________________

Swanky Hank@iamsadlynotkingofahill

Guess who got fired! UnU

#imeanfair #butitsucks #butfair #imeanididgiveoutprivateinfo 

Ello@nahimjustawormRetweeted

That’s rough buddy

           Swanky Hank@iamsadlynotkingofahill

           Guess who got fired! UnU

           #imeanfair #butitsucks #butfair #imeanididgiveoutprivateinfo

Next Chapter

TAGS: @kurogaya913 @xxmadamjinxx@chez-pezeater @northernbluetongue @sonif50 @drama-queen-supreme @tinybrie@vixen-uchiha@unabashedbookworm @mochinek0 @vivilakitty @mindfulmagics @yin-390 @melicmusicmagic @iglowinggemma28 @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @interobanginyourmom @hunter-shyreen @ginamarie1512 @silvergold-swirl @heldtogetherbysafetypins @luciferge @lunar-wolf-warrior @housekitty711 @kae690 @themcclan @zazzlejazzle @shadowberrybinch @slytherinqueen2432 @huntressofthenight0516@etheralentity @eliza-bich @creator-josie @sassy-spocko @mortally-strange-candy @driftingmoonlitpetals @fiendsangelical @minotaurlord9 @spicybelladonna @slytherinhquinn @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @rikku052 @domena151 @qs-queued-tall-tales @my-name-is-michell  @tamoni112 @crazylittlemunchkin @resignedcatservant @lamestplaceontheinternet @shamefullove  @hypnosharkrebeldreamer @poshplumcot @schrodingers25 @this-is-vander @mariae2900 @st0rmy-w1th1n @imspectralboiii @sinfulfoxbeast@slytherin-batbitch @elspethshadow @nataladriana9 @violatiger8 @paradoxal-occurance @a-fan-of-art @only-lonely-stars-twinkle @cupcakeandkisses @marcy-senpai @doggiediva13 @palvine-of-the-alvins @zeldagatha @redscarlet95 @graduatedmelon @tinyterror333 @echpr @two-faced-biatch @silvia7272 @hufflejournals @queenmj10 @risingmoonyue @sweet-coconut-water @sturchling @corabeth11 @elliecake5 @vgirl-10123   @uwuteamleader @fanficaddict4ever @virgil-is-a-cutie @mintychaewon @whomthefyck @miukiiu @trainflavor @a-star-with-a-human-name @fandom-trapped-03 @sayuricorner @aestheticnpoetic @kawaiigiantjudgefish @motherly-type @sunkenshipsanddreams @tbehartoo @dagnysdawn @nanakeid @clumsy-owl-4178 @purplesundaze @rowanrouge @captainartsypants @animegirlweeb @novicevoice @chaosace-e @hauntedwintersweets @emootaku-666 @athena452 @lunammoon @risingmoonyue @pirats-pizzacanninibles @ellenlovepl @zestyzealot @agirlwithhercrazydreams @maribat-is-lifeblood  @immafangirl @insane-fangirl-of-everything @kittydemon9000 @make-the-stars-stay @prudencerika @fantasiame @liquid-luck-00@theymakeupfairies @alysrose-starchild @trippingovermyfeet @solangelo252 @ichigorose@ihavehomeworkbutistillhere@ultimatetornshipper@miraculous-trinity-leo@jayjayspixiepop@mercenaryangel@weirdo-with-no-beardo@lovelyautumnsunflower@varianscarlet@kking13@bygge00@i-am-creator28@missanalysis@miyatalksshit@snowymarvel1205@alcoholic-barney@echpr@ev-cupcake

Latest chapter of the story for @miner249er

Previous Story

Last Chapter                        Next Chapter        

Summary: Marc was determined to find his redheaded friend and finally have a talk, whether said friend wanted to or not. They couldn’t ignore each other forever.

Marc never liked confrontation. He hated it in fact. It always made his heart jump in his throat and made his skin tingle uncomfortably like there were tiny hairs all over his body that you always mistook for bugs. It was a sensation he was very much not a fan of, but one he felt too often for his liking. But even though he hated confrontation and the feelings it brought along he knew he couldn’t put this off, nor did he want to. Nathaniel was his friend, his business partner, his crush, as much as he didn’t want to talk to Nath about the Lila thing and the Marinette thing, Marc deserved answers and Nathaniel had been avoiding him. Sure in the beginning he had been avoiding the redhead as well but he felt that was to be expected, Nath knew him, knew what he was like and really the whole situation was very overwhelming. One of his closest friends was turned into an akuma, the deadliest and smartest akumas to date, and she went missing. There was no trace of her. Then there was the fact that apparently her class had a big hand in her akumatization.

Now it was just speculation but all be damned if there wasn’t some circumstantial evidence that helped “prove” that theory. It was a theory that was not hard to believe, everyone in the school could see the change in Mlle Bustier’s class, and they could see it hadn’t been a good change. But it didn’t matter how many times Marc asked Nathaniel if everything was okay in his class, it didn’t matter how many times Marc asked Aurore to help him talk to Mme Mendeleiev about what was maybe going on in Mlle Bustier’s class, nothing was being done, and nothing he or his friends did seemed to make a dent in the infamous ‘Akuma Class’s’ walls. The class had a reputation of being close, but where once it was admired and seen as a good thing, it grew to be something intimidating and off putting. It seemed like no matter what you did, no matter how hard you tried, there was nothing you could do to get close to anyone in the class. There was no way to break through or be invited past the walls. 

Marc had been lucky, or it had seemed that way for a while. Marinette was always the anomaly in the ‘Akuma Class’, she would talk to kids outside her class, she would try and make other friends, and other kids tried to be friends with her too. Marinette just had this gravitational pull to her, she was a star and many wanted to be a part of her constellation, but her classmates always seemed to keep her just out of everyone else’s reach. When Marinette had started talking to him it was nothing short of feeling like he was speaking to a goddess and he wished he was joking, because that is exactly how he felt when she approached him. Of course there was his whole akumatization but that had been a stupid misunderstanding and he still felt bad for blaming her and even thinking she was malicious enough to want to embarrass him on purpose, even if it was for a brief moment. It was what happened after that made him feel like he had received a blessing, he met Nathaniel, someone he had always admired, whether it was his art or simply just his looks.

 Marc thought Nathaniel’s art was incredible and that the boy himself was cute, then Marinette happened and he soon found himself in a partnership with the artist and next thing he knew they were making a comic series together. A rather successful one at that. Marc couldn’t have been happier and really it was all thanks to Marinette, he had wanted to find some way to thank her ever since, but everything he thought up always seemed subpar. And yet he still kept thinking of ways to thank her but in the end he would never get a chance to, because Marinette was gone. No one knew where she was. She was still an akuma and it was more than likely her classmates that drove her to being possessed by said akuma. The boy huffed when he realized his thoughts had just done a complete circle yet again. That had been happening more and more recently. 

He would think about how Nathaniel was really not being subtle about avoiding him, then his thoughts would predictably turn towards Marinette and how kind and amazing she was. Then of course his thoughts would go to her disappearance and of course the fact that not only did she disappear, but she disappeared as an akuma. There had been no Miraculous Ladybug to cure and repair everything that had gone wrong, and boy had things gone wrong. It was like Paris as a whole had been the one to be akumatized rather than Marinette, everyone acted differently or just completely out of their minds. Marc couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of the overzealous-and that was putting it mildly-followers that The Protector had somehow garnered after her disappearance. He had never run into any of them thank goodness, but all the stories he had heard and read about from eyes-witnesses had him glad he was never one to go out much anyways. But it was those overzealous sycophants and the rowdy self-righteous kids in school that had him worried and wanting to find and speak to Nathaniel. 

He had checked all of Nathaniel’s old haunts, he had been very surprised that the redhead had not been in the art room but then he remembered the club’s attitude towards the ‘Akuma Class’ and he felt foolish for even checking there in the first place. So he basically just went on a blind hunt for Nathaniel and hoped he would be able to find the boy before lunch was over. Thankfully he knew Nathaniel always had lunch at school since his parents weren’t able to pick him up to take home for lunch and back to school after. So he continued looking for his friend, at least, he hoped they were still friends and if they weren’t then hopefully they could work towards being friends once more. Though he knew if he did manage to find Nathaniel, the talk they had to have wouldn’t be pleasant, he just hoped that both of them could manage not to blow anything out of proportion. 

Both of them were driven by their emotions, and they both tended to jump to conclusions, point and case being their individual akumatizations. Marc grumbled as he shut the locker room door as there was no redhead in sight. He hated having to be the rational one. He was just fine being the hot mess he was, he was content to be that and proudly made sure everyone knew it. Though he liked sharing the role with Marinette, the two of them bonded over the fact that they couldn’t go through one day without something happening because they were always in a tizzy. It was great to find someone he shared that with, they had even joked about making a club, but overall it was just great to have a friend that understood when he spiraled over something so little as misplacing his journal. Marinette made him feel seen, she helped him come out of his shell, she was the reason he was able to make friends. She would always deny it and say that was all him but he knew if she had never talked to him he probably would have been content to just stay in the shadows away from everyone. 

It was when he was getting frustrated and decided to just eat his lunch in Mme Mendeleiev’s homeroom class (he wouldn’t dare try and eat in her lab even if it was closer to him after the lecture she gave to one of his classmates that decided it was a good time to snack while in the lab) and try again tomorrow that he saw a familiar head of red hair sitting at a desk at the back. “So this is where you’ve been hiding.”

“Marc? What…what are you doing here?” Nathaniel asked, it was clear he had not been expecting anyone to walk in. To be fair, not many people had permission to eat their lunch in Mme Mendeleiev’s homeroom and not many of them ran into each other.

“I did just say, ‘So this is where you’ve been hiding,’ I think that is rather clear.”

“You were looking for me?” Nath asked cautiously and Marc had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes even if he was getting frustrated. He found himself getting frustrated easier and faster nowadays. Stupid hormones. 

“Well yeah. You’ve certainly haven’t made it easy. You’ve been avoiding me.” 

“I haven’t-”

“Don’t lie to me.” 

“Well what do you want me to say Marc?” 

“I-” Marc started but he realized it was a bit more heated than he wanted it to be, with a sigh it was like all his frustration and determination left him. “I didn’t come here to fight Nath.”

“I’m…Look. I’m sorry Marc. It’s just, that’s all anyone seems to want to do nowadays.” Nathaniel did look sorry so Marc didn’t hold it against him, and to be fair he himself came in a little hot headed so he just nodded his head as he walked closer. He didn’t sit at the desk with Nathaniel but since the boy was sitting on the edge anyway he decided to sit in the desk across from him. “I guess that’s why I’m…hiding. Everyone just wants to fight, or, or yell at me- at us, about how awful we are and how we let her down!”

“Well…” Marc began as he picked off lint from his fingerless gloves, it was a nervous habit. Thankfully he hadn’t accidentally picked a stray string and unraveled the gloves but he knew it was only a matter of when. “I didn’t track you down to yell at you.”

“Are-Aren’t you mad at me?”

“I was. I’m not going to lie. But I think you’re mad at yourself enough for the both of us.” Marc said as he gestured to Nath’s bandaged hands. He was one of the few people that knew how self-destructive Nath could be when upset, especially when he was upset at himself. He would force himself to work on a wood carving project, something he rarely did, but he wouldn’t put on the protective gloves, so if he got nicked by a tool he would feel it. Marc tried his best to get Nath to stop, and he thought he had succeeded. Looks like he in all actuality failed. “I wish you wouldn’t do that..”

“I know.” Nath admitted softly. 

“Have you been…working on a project recently?” Marc asked softly, still looking at Nathaniel’s bandaged hands. There were so many band aids he could barely see the boy’s pale skin.

Nathaniel shook his head, it was then that Marc noticed the red hair that was usually well kept was greasy and a mess. His heart clenched at the knowledge that his friend was neglecting his self-care. “No…I haven’t had the energy to really work on anything. I’ve thought about it…but no. No new projects, er, carving-wise.”

It was Marc’s turn to nod. There was a moment of silence and where once it would have been comfortable like all the silence shared between them was before, now it was long, it was uncomfortable and it was nerve wracking. “Nath? What happened?”

“I don’t even know what to say Marc. Or well, I do, I just don’t know where to start.”

“Start wherever you’re most comfortable.” 

“I…I didn’t really pay attention to Lila. I know that doesn’t give me any points. I know it doesn’t make me better than my classmates, but I genuinely didn’t really pay attention to her.” Nathaniel started with a far away look in his eyes. “Sure she had amazing stories and such but they just never hooked me. Like, I don’t know how to explain it, there were stories for everyone to hear, to relate to, but there was always a constant. Her.”

“Everything was about her.” Marc muttered, he remembered hearing her regale her posy with a tale of herself meeting some big name author and he had felt like her eyes had been on him but he had just kept walking to his table with his friends. 

“Yeah. Exactly. And well, we were so busy with our comic, I just never really paid attention to what was going on in class. You know how I can get.” Nath said as he ran a hand through his hair. 

Marc nodded, he did know how Nathaniel could get because he was the same way. When they were in the zone everything else was like a haze, if they didn’t set alarms in their phones they would definitely forget to eat or take breaks. The alarms had been Marinette’s doing. “We both get like that when it comes to the comic.”

“So when I get like that, I usually have Alix tell me what’s going on in class and with our friends so I’m in the loop.” Nath explained as he looked down at his hands as he clenched and unclenched them. “But…I should have known better. Alix, I love Alix, but Alix is stubborn and rash, and….but she’s loyal. So when she told me Marinette didn’t like Lila and she explained that Marinette was being a bully…I was confused because Marinette has never been like that but at the same time I wasn’t her friend till this year…”

“So you-”

“So I listened to Alix, but it wasn’t just Alix. Everyone was talking about it! How Marinette had changed and how she was being mean to Lila! I…I listened to them. I didn’t partake in anything but I knew they were pulling pranks on her.” Nathaniel’s words were choked out on a sob. 

“I didn’t want to get involved. I-I hate situations like that, and I didn’t want to get involved so I didn’t,” Nathaniel cried. “And I have never regretted anything more. I should have looked into things more, I shouldn’t have just taken things at face value, I should have done something!”

At this Marc himself was crying too so he stood up and pushed Nath more into the desk so he could sit beside him and hug his friend. He didn’t know how long they sat there like that, just crying for anyone to hear, but it felt good. It felt good to hug his friend again and to just cry with someone he trusted. Yes Nathaniel made a mistake, but at least the boy realized that himself and felt ashamed, there was no need for Marc to punish his friend more. He knew people wouldn’t understand him forgiving Nathaniel but he didn’t care, people are allowed to make mistakes, especially children. This was a mistake, a big mistake, but it wasn’t made intentionally and everyone was already suffering because of it. Marc didn’t see the point of continuing to place blame on Nathaniel, what happened was terrible and one of their friends was missing because of it, but there was no way to heal and move forward if he decided to continue to be mad and hateful. 

“You might think it’s too late…” Marc began softly, “but the fact that you recognize what you did was a problem and feel regretful, shows how sorry you are. Nath, I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t mad at you, because I was. But you can’t keep punishing yourself for the past.”

“How can you forgive me?” Nath asked around his choked out sobs.

“Because you’re my friend.” Marc said firmly as he hugged Nathaniel tighter. “And…and because it’s what Marinette would do.”

The room was quiet as Marc had memory after memory of Marinette flooded his brain, he imagined the same could be said for Nathaniel who was still crying but had managed to calm down enough to stop his choked out sobs. Now all that could be heard from him was sniffling. They just sat there hugging each other, remembering their friend and hoping to muffle and forget everything going on outside for just a moment. One moment was all they needed, away from the chaos and the crushing weight of judgments and expectations, just one moment to be just them. A moment where no one would yell or laugh at their misery, or have people expect them to jump on the bandwagon and treat the class like social pariahs. In that empty classroom they could be just Marc and Nathaniel, two boys who desperately missed their friend. 

“She was always too forgiving.” Nathaniel mumbled with a sad chuckle. “Even when someone didn’t deserve it…she was always ready to forgive.”

“She really was. Marinette,” Marc tried to ignore the pain in his chest at her name, “Marinette was amazing, and kind, and selfless, and so so much more.”

“She was…” Nathaniel sighed as he gently pulled away from Marc and ran a hand through his hair. “And-and it hurts that people, well a majority, only see her as The Protector. That’s not Marinette, that will never be her. Marinette was many things, and I want to remember her as those rather than…than the akuma she left us as.”

“Sometimes…Sometimes people only want to see the akuma. They only want to see the bad in people or they only see what they want to see.” Marc supplied with a tilt of his head and shrug of his shoulders. It was depressing but it was the truth. 

“She’snot her akuma! We’re not our akumas!” Nathaniel said hotly.

Marc flinched even though he knew Nath wasn’t yelling at him, but he nodded all the same. “You know…people were still wary around me after the whole…Reverser incident. It was like they expected me to turn into…him at any moment. Some of my classmates even stopped talking to me altogether.” 

“Marc…That’s awful.”

“It is. But it stopped eventually.”

“How? W-Why?”

Marc gave Nathaniel a bright smile. “You happened. You suggested making my akuma a hero in the comic. Like how you turned Evillustrator into Mighty-Illustrator. And we paired up to make the comic which definitely helped, but really, it was the comic itself that helped me. People saw my akuma not as Reverser, they saw the hero you made it to be, they saw it as Contrary Wise.”

“You did that too, you know? You wrote your akuma as a hero fantastically. You write fantastically Marc. I don’t know where I’d be without you.” 

“My point is,” Marc laughed and bumped Nath with his shoulder to try and hide his blush, “you helped everyone separate me from Reverser.”

Marc watched as Nath smiled and rubbed the back of his neck before the boy stopped and sat up suddenly, no longer slouching. He turned to Marc with wide, excited eyes. “That’s what we need to do!”

“What?”

“We! I’ve been wanting to make something for her anyways but I didn’t think I could because I didn’t know if you still wanted to work with me. But you’re here now! It can happen! We can make it!” Nathaniel babbled as he gestured wildly with his hands. 

“Make what, Nath? I just want you to make sense!”

“We make another comic!” Nathaniel announced as he fumbled with his backpack before he yanked out his ‘Ideas’ journal. “Only this time it won’t feature Ladybug. Ladybug is gone. Marinette…well Mari as Ladybug promised to always protect us. She never realized she was a hero all the time. To all of us. Mask or no mask.”

Marc started getting excited and a bit sad when he realized what Nath wanted. “A comic dedicated to her but her as Marinette. The everyday hero. Our everyday hero. No mask.”

“We show everyone she’s not The Protector. Not just Ladybug. She’s human. Like all of us, we show Paris that we can be heroes too. Not…not like we, we.”

“I know what you mean, Nath. We show them that Paris…that we, the people, can be heroes like Marinette.” Marc beamed with pride at his friend. 

Nathaniel nodded and gave a more bittersweet smile. “Like Marinette.”

Next Chapter