"Did you bathe in a trash can, Louis?"

Louis practically jumped out of his seat at Emma's sudden outburst. Then, he shook his head because why was he still surprised at his twin sister's habit of loudly - very loudly - speaking out her mind after all this time?

Emma frowned at him, obviously mistaking his shaking of head as an answer, before adding, "Then what did you do to smell so bad?"

"Emma! Apologize to your brother," Maman quickly rebuked Emma, who shook her head.

"But Maman! He smells!" Emma countered because there was no way his sister was backing down, not even to her own mother, who probably regretted passing down her strong personality to her only daughter. Other than her personality, Emma also inherited Maman's looks that people have mistaken them as each other's twin and on one memorable occasion, even as each other.

(Both of them insisted that no one could possibly mistake a fourteen-year old girl with a nearly forty-year old woman. Mayor Bourgeois insisted that anyone would make the same mistake. And as much as Louis disliked the mayor with how she treated his family, he had to agree with her on this issue. Not only did they have the same build and height, thanks to Maman inheriting Lao lao's genes and Emma inheriting Papi's genes, but Maman aged far too gracefully for someone in her late thirties.)

"I know it's rude, but then Emma is always rude -"

"Hey!" interjected Emma, proving the point.

"- But Emma is right, Maman. Louis does reek," Hugo joined the conversation with his soft-spoken voice that was laced with the same steel found in Emma's and Maman's tone when they felt that they were in the right.

This surprised everyone sitting at the table because it was practically a miracle for Hugo and Emma to get along. For some reason, the eldest and youngest Agreste children were always butting heads with each other over anything and everything. It didn't help that they were polar opposites - Hugo was quiet while Emma was loud (which was an unfair comparison because fireworks were quiet compared to her at her most impassioned), he was practically allergic to other people while she reveled in the company of others, he preferred modern and fanciful designs while she leaned towards clean, crisp, and classical designs. And of course, with such clashing tastes, they considered the other's choices a crime against their delicate fashion sensibilities. Needless to say, they rarely got a long and it was up to Louis to play the peacemaker when their parents weren't around. (By that, he meant tossing his sister in one direction while tossing Hugo in the opposite direction and leaving them to tend to their bruised egos and well, bruises. What else would he use his black belt in Judo for?)

This was unfortunately one of those rare times they got along. On one hand, he was happy to know that they could get along because he was ready to resign to his fate of playing the peacemaker all his life. On the other hand, he was terrified because if they agreed on something then the world must be ending or something just as bad.

"It's not that bad," Papa spoke up, diverting their attention away from him, which Louis was very grateful for because he was truly uncomfortable with their combined focused attention. Then he gave his fellow blond a dubious look, just like what his siblings were doing, because Papa really had no taste at all.

Big baggy sweaters that always had a pun, messy shoulder-length hair that he almost always forgot to tie back (unless he was in the lab or a shoot), and glasses that didn't look half-bad on him except it completed his whole mad scientist ensemble. Okay, Louis knew he was being kind of harsh because he lacked the appreciation for Papa's aesthetics, but seriously, only Einstein rocked that look. (Probably...?) By some miracle, the face of the Agreste fashion empire has not brought shame to the company with his terrible fashion choices.

But, as Papa would always say, Maman was pretty miraculous and probably the sole reason why the empire was thriving to this very day despite all the issues and drama that came with the previous owner. That said, she also condoned and even enabled Papa's horrible life choices, even making most of his terrible sweaters, so Louis didn't really know what to think.

"Mari, our children do not believe me," Papa whined like an overgrown child instead of the adult that he was supposed to be. He even pouted, widening his green eyes that Hugo was lucky to inherit and pressing his lips together to paint a really heart-wrenching picture of innocence that a man in his late thirties should not be able to accomplish. But then, Papa was a veteran model; he knew how to work his face and body to his advantage.

"Our children still love you, dear," Maman sighed, humoring Papa as she patted his head.

"But they don't believe me. They just can't appreciate the smell of ripe camembert," he sighed dramatically.

"...what?" Maman asked in a rather small voice as she stopped patting his head, her hand still hanging in the air.

"Ripe camembert," he repeated in a more solemn tone before giving the air a quick sniff. "Over-ripe actually, the runny type, if I'm not mistaken," he added, soft and reverent, as if savoring the scent and the words that were coming out of his mouth.

"Oh, Adrien," Maman sighed once more, but this time it was more fond and understanding as she ran her fingers through his messy golden mane. As always, he tilted his head towards her, encouraging her ministrations.

Their rather misplaced yet touching moment was broken by a soft snickering.

At that moment, everyone's attention was back at him and he flushed before saying, "Sorry. Uh, may I be excused?"

"Go ahead," Papa said, straightening in his seat as he looked at Louis with a lazy yet determined stare, which oddly reminded him of a cat staring at its prey. It was rather unnerving and he dashed out of the dining room and into his own room.

"Plagg! What was that about?! I thought you were supposed to stay hidden?" Louis hissed as soon as he locked his room.

The cat kwami that was hiding in his collar tumbled into the air and roared in laughter.

"The kid's a riot. 'Hates camembert', hah!" Plagg explained in between his peals of laughter, which really didn't explain anything at all.

"What are you even talking about, Plagg?" Louis had to ask even though he already knew Plagg's answer.

"One day, you'll understand, kid. And you'll find it hilarious too," was Plagg's ever mysterious explanation when the kwami finally got his breath back. Then he added, "So how about some cheese?"

(The next day, a bag of deodorizing beads was placed outside of his room. Attached to the bag was a note with Papa's handwriting:

"These will help take away the worst of the scent so you won't smell like camembert. Don't be too much of a glutton. Love you.")

. . .

don't know where i'm going with this. i just thought that adrien would recognize the smell of camembert anywhere and where's camembert, there's plagg. so boom.

reviews and suggestions are very welcome. :3