"I'm a liar." Lila says quietly to the mirror before taking a breath. She stares into her own eyes, the seaweed-green reflecting back to her with the same pensive look. This was the first time she had ever admitted this to herself.
"And it's cost me… everything this time." Lila sighs before shaking her head. And I doubt there's a way to fix it.
Lila was a proud person. She always had been. Her parents expected the best from her, and she always gave the best.
Maybe that's why lying was so natural for her. Not because her father was an extremely famous and sought-after lawyer (though that certainly helped her in honing the skill.) No, it was because she had to be perfect. For her parents approval, and because everyone expected her to be. Deep down, she knew she was not this perfect kid. She always hid her insecurities behind a… mask… a mask of perfections. A mask of deception. From the time she was young, she protected this perfect image that her family and friends had of her with the only thing she had learned to do well from her father- lying.
The lies were all small at first. Covering for a bad grade, telling her friends that her eyes were red from allergies and not from crying about her parents fighting all night. Just small things. Over time, it would grow.
"You just aren't really… that interesting. You're too perfect. You never get into trouble, or do anything that's wow. I mean, sure, you're good at school and you've helped me alot, but private tutors don't make you interesting. Being rich doesn't make you fun. Maybe you'd have more fun, if you let loose every now and again." Lila's friend (ex-friend) Angela said that when Lila was eleven, she hid tears as the other girl walked off. It was then that she was conflicted. She thought she would have to decide between being the perfect daughter or a fun friend. She thought, for only a moment, that maybe she could discover more about herself, do the things she had always been tempted to do but been afraid to do because she had to be perfect all the time.
Lila quickly realized, however, she had all she needed to be both at her disposal. Lying about small things had been so easy, maybe she could pull this off too.
The next time Lila saw Angela, it was across the room. She was looking to Lila with jealousy, as Lila told all of her new friends about her summer backpacking adventure in Spain. "And I didn't even know a word of Spanish!" the group hollered with laughter as Lila smiled. This was working. She had found a way.
At least until she moved, and had to start over again. And again. And again.
Every time that Lila was forced by her family to start another school because of another move, her lies grew just a little bit more frequent and fantastical. It helped too that some of them were true. Her father had taken to spoiling her, taking her nice places on vacations (or at least letting her go on them while he attended to some form of business or another) because of his guilt. Her parents' divorce was growing rather ugly, and he was far too busy to spend actual time with her. Spoiling assuaged some of his guilt.
His spoiling made her lying more believable- and made Lila that much worse.
Lila was lonely. Her mother barely spoke to her (Lila reminded her mother of her father, the two were practically identical in looks… and in a lot of other ways) and her father was too busy for her. The more lonely she was, the more involved in her fantastical stories she became. Soon she even started to convince herself that some of the more outlandish tales were true.
The the divorce was settled. And she moved to her mother's childhood home with her.
Her mother didn't want her, not really (at least Lila had been sure of that) but her father couldn't take her on his own. He wasn't home enough. And so, even though Italy had been the only constant in her life, she found herself travelling to France to carve out a new life.
"You'll love it." her mother had told her "The city is beautiful!"
Lila had simply agreed, knowing there was no point in arguing. At least she knew French, and she could make new friends. At least the making new friends bit wasn't new to her. Nor was it particularly hard.
She had been wrong.
Lila could look back on it all now, shame coating her nervous stomach. She had started out at this school with more outlandish tales than before. It was just that… all of the students (apart from Chloe) seemed really close-knit. And she so wanted to fit in, and make friends.
And then there was Adrien.
He was so handsome, and sweet, she was instantly drawn to him. Unfortunately, like everyone in Paris, he was obsessed with the two teen heroes. Particularly Ladybug. Who could possibly compete with a superhero?
Well, of course, the answer had been so simple for Lila. You have to be a superhero.
That had been the worst mistake of all. Those lies, her deceptions, stealing (she was mortified that she had done that most of all, she didn't steal that wasn't her but she had been so desperate.) All of it had lead up to being akumatized of all things. Her mother had assured her that she shouldn't fear the akumas, that Ladybug and Chat Noir would protect everyone, and that Lila was too beautiful and happy of a child to be akumatized herself. But her mother was wrong Lila wasn't perfect, and she had fallen to the whims of Hawkmoth too.
The worse thing about it? She didn't even actually blame Ladybug (though she wasn't much her fan), she blamed herself. She was weak, that's what she told herself. She told Ladybug they would never be friends, but Ladybug wasn't a bad person.
Lila shakes her head and looks away from the mirror, wiping away the tears. She's at school, and it's time to face the consequences of her fabricated life.
As she enters the class, everyone is talking about her, whispering things. Lila knows they're about her. Maybe I can transfer schools and start fresh. And when Chloe starts picking in on her, calling her a liar- ridiculing her for becoming an akuma on her first day, Lila really considers that as an option.
Until someone steps up in front of her "Quit it Chloe! Like you have any room to judge." the girl says that last part quietly before shaking her head and continuing "A person doesn't choose to become an akuma, and it's not because they're weak. It's because they're hurting. Something happened to her, and we should have compassion for her like we do any other victims."
Lila can feel her heart swell at this girl protecting her from the sneers and glares of her classmates.
"She's a liar, Marinette. I thought you didn't like liars?" a familiar voice spoke the snide comment.
Lila freezes up at the words spoken by Alya. Alya, who had been so excited to interview her the previous day. Lila had noticed the interview was taken down, not that she could blame the young reporter, now that she knew the tale wasn't true. Lila's face burns with shame.
"Alya, not you too." The girl, Marinette, turns around. Her raven hair and blue eyes seem so familiar… and yet… not. Lila frowns, not sure what to make of that. She looks away, not wanting this kind girl to look her in the eyes. "She was trying to impress us, not hurt us." those words rang a little too true. "She's new, we should have made her feel welcome without having to try to impress us. And… we should accept her now. We should give her a chance."
Chloe snorts and sits down without another word, and Alya shifts uncomfortably under Marinette's gaze.
"Girl, I'm proud of you." Lila barely hears Alya say "That you can look past your jealousy and be more you about this whole thing."
Lila wonders if Marinette really was jealous of her. That just brings more shame as she sits down by herself, it wasn't like Marinette had something to be jealous of.
But maybe I can make a real friend now. Lila hopes, though her hopes aren't high. She looks to the board as the teacher begins. She doesn't pay attention to anyone in the class until the bell rings for lunch. She glances to Marinette then, who waves and smiles at her. Lila returns the gesture, smiling back. She decides then and there, she's done with lying. It's brought her nothing but trouble, and if she wants this brave and sweet classmate as her friend, it's what needs to change.
…
It was about a month of settling into school before Lila really discovered what her last lie had been.
"Tikki! Spots on!"
Lila still couldn't believe it. She had seen Marinette, her friend, turn into Ladybug. Ladybug! Of all people! She had followed Marinette to ask her a question about a project, since they would be out of school because of the newest akuma she figured they would have time to work on it together.
Of course now Lila knew that they most certainly would not have time to work on it. Since, y'know, Mari was out saving Paris.
Marinette is Ladybug… Ladybug is my friend. And even though before becoming Volpina, something like this would have infuriated her, now she couldn't help but to smile. To laugh at how ironic it was. She could remember her words to Ladybug still We will never be friends. She wondered if Marinette even thought about that, if she considered Ladybug and herself the same person. They acted so different and yet… they were so similar. Lila had to admit to herself that she felt stupid for not figuring it out sooner.
Of course Marinette was Ladybug. It made so much sense. That sense of duty and compassion, the fire in her eyes, the constant disappearances. And the most damning evidence of all… the really bad lies. Lila knew that Marinette had a bad habit of lying, and at first she had thought that was why Marinette had accepted her as a friend so easily. She had hoped maybe Marinette would start being more honest, after seeing Lila herself turn a new leaf. It was always so strange though, Marinette's lies were always so… stupid. They weren't for attention, but it seemed more to drag attention away from herself. While Lila had found that odd, she hadn't thought much about it until now. Now Lila understood.
How has she not been caught by now? Lila couldn't help but to wonder. She rubbed her chin as she pulled up her phone. She watched the Akuma attack, and when it was over she headed back to class. Everything was fixed, and students were trickling back in. At least some of them might still have class. As always, Marinette was one of the last back.
"Where were you at, girl?" Lila hears Alya ask. Marinette starts to open her mouth, but before she can speak Lila slips up beside them and pulls a twig out of her hair. She probably transformed back in a bush. Lila holds out the twig and chuckles softly "Did you trip into a bush, Mari?" she chuckles a little more to hid the nervous flutter in her stomach. This wasn't lying really, was it? Just because she knew where Marinette had actually been?
Marinette chuckles weakly and looks to the small twig in Lila's hand "Y-yeah." Lila doesn't miss the look of pure relief on Marinette's face "You know, clumsy me."
Lila stops herself from flinching She really lays the clumsy card on thick, but it works. I wonder if anyone has noticed that she's probably far more clumsy now that she was before Ladybug? Of course, Lila couldn't know that Marinette was always actually that clumsy.
"Thanks, for picking that out. I would have died if Adrien had seen that!"
And with that, the last piece fell into place.
Ladybug- Marinette- had been cruel to her because of her jealousy over Adrien. Lila doesn't let that bother her though, she had long since lost interest in Adrien (as she would have anyway, after getting to know him.) And had since been encouraging Marinette's crush. Besides, it was obvious that Marinette had felt guilty and tried to make amends. Lila felt just a little resentment peek it's way out at the memory, but she couldn't hold it against Marinette, not really. In the reverse, she would have done the same and far worse back then.
She missed the last bits of conversation. But she tunes back in when Alya asks Marinette to come over that night. Marinette refuses just a little too quickly, and starts to sputter when Alya asks why. Chat Noir and Ladybug patrol on Tuesdays. Lila thinks quickly and spouts off a lie, a real lie this time "We have a project to work on Alya. I bet you need to get to work with Rose anyway, right?"
Alya taps her forehead with her palm "Oh, duh!" she's about to say something else when the teacher steps in.
"Class is still dismissed." she tells the students gathered "Not enough of the day left."
The classmates that had managed to make their way back cheers, and Alya slips away quickly to work on more stuff for the Ladyblog about the last attack. Marinette turns back to Lila with a nervous smile.
"Hey, about the project Lila…"
Lila smiles to her "Hey, we could work on it now. At your house? It's closer. Then you'll have tonight free for design. Or stalking Adrien." Lila teases the now beet-red bluenette. Marinette looks relieved as she nods.
"Absolutely!" Marinette responds, a little too quickly "And we can snack a little while we work!"
Lila smiles as they quietly make their way to the bakery. She had to admit, iin a way it was almost nice to lie again, even if it did send her pulse racing now. Most of her life had revolved around it by that point. Now though, now perhaps she had an actual noble reason to lie, if there ever was one. If she could use it to protect Marinette's identity. (Because, the thought of Marinette falling into the hands of Hawkmoth was terrifying. I mean, the city too but specifically her kind classmate and now-favorite superhero)
Besides, if it turns out that her grandmother's stories (of being a fox-themed hero) were true (as she had begun to suspect since her own akumatization) then it was practically her family legacy to help however she could.
As they slip up into Marinette's room with treats in tow, Lila smiles to herself one more time.
That's right, I'll protect her doing the one thing I'm truly good at. Maybe some day she'll decide to share her secret with me willingly, for now it's up to the descendant of the fox to be sly enough to protect the Ladybug without her knowledge.
It seemed like a task that Lila could handle. It was like… being a secret sidekick. And that was pretty cool. She really and honestly thought she could handle it until one day she decided to catch up with another classmate during an akuma attack to get a little help with her physics homework.
"Hey, Adrien-" Lila blinks slowly as she sees a flash of green, and a leather-clad hero disappears through a window.
"Oh, you have go to be fu-" Lila grips her head, sighing "You've got to be joking. Who's next, Chloe?"
Well, I suppose one more secret to protect isn't that much work. At least Lila thought until they all made their way back to class that afternoon.
"I was, ah, distracted. I, ah, lost track of time in the… shower?" Adrien tells Nino as he slips into his desk.
Lila slams her palm into her forehead at the utterly unbelievable lie. These two heroes are impossible, damn it.
AN; Ok, so I had this idea while listening to the song "Idea of Her" by Whitney Woerz. Honestly, I don't get a lot of the hate for Lila. Sure, she lied, but so do Marinette and Adrien all the time (they're just... the protagonists and are pretty bad at it. Whereas Lila happens to be a really good liar) and she stole (but so have both Adrien and Marinette- book and cellphones respectively) I think there are reasons behind her deceit, and I think she has a pretty low opinion of herself honestly. I really hope we learn more about her in the future (and I hope that at least Marinette learns something from her because Marinette is... really really bad at lying.