Over the past four days, there had been just as many uninspired Akuma. Clearly Hawkmoth had to be getting tired too - his ideas certainly were. Adrien sighed... even his standard rotation of puns were feeling a little too familiar for comfort.
Though he should have been relishing the relative calm of not being attacked multiple times in a day, it really didn't sit right with him. Adrien slumped into his seat as class was almost ready to begin, belatedly aware that there was a dull roar of grumbling behind him. He turned to ask Nino if something had happened, when he noticed a firm frown his face.
He shot Nino a puzzled look.
Nino just shrugged. "It's just this school trip… I mean, it seems cool and all, but it isn't exactly inexpensive for most of us…"
Adrien shuffled guiltily in his seat.
They had left classes the day before with the whispers of a class trip rushing through the rumor mill (or at least via Alya's text messages) before the school had issued the formal notification through e-mail to their parents. He'd only heard from Nathalie before he'd gotten into the sedan this morning.
Of course, his father could easily cover the cost - provided he'd actually allow him to travel with the class. But it was clear that outside of himself - and probably Chloe - not everyone might be so lucky.
Just then, Marinette scrambled in seconds before the bell rang very nearly tripping over her own feet as she sped up to her seat.
Her book bag hadn't been nearly so lucky, spilling a slim pink sketchbook open upon the floor. Without hesitation, he'd stooped down to pick it up. He spotted a paw print sketch in her book before he snapped it closed, then turned in his chair to hand it over. "Here you go."
Marinette flushed prettily as he placed it into her hands
As they settled into the usual routine of class beginning, Adrien peered back over his shoulder. He might not be wearing the ears at the moment, but his curiosity was no less acute.
There was a gleam in Marinette's blue eyes as her pencil scribbled furiously across the page of that pink sketchbook. Clearly, she had that spark of an idea… one that wouldn't let her attention go.
And considering his own symbol was in the mix, his attention kept straying back to her.
By the time Adrien was scrambling up the steps after lunch, things were no less quiet. He'd half expected that Hawkmoth would send out another lunchtime Akuma, but today, it seemed like they'd gotten a momentary reprieve.
Throughout the long, quiet lunch, he'd kept poking at Plagg, trying to puzzle out some good way to help his friends go on the trip - without stepping into some faux pas. But his Kwami was just grumpy with him, grumbling and rolling his eyes, much as he had done over the last few days.
Back in class, his knee bounced anxiously beneath the desk. So much quiet only left him feeling anxious - like something big had to be brewing - and that he'd have to be ready to rush in and set it all to rights.
The unease Adrien was exhibiting resulted in a muffled groan from his Kwami. He mentally shrugged it off… it was just as well that Plagg was resting up.
Adrien fully expected that his focus would only return with the usual scream from a nearby classroom - or a sudden Akuma notification from his cell phone.
Instead, it came in with a pair of pigtails.
Beaming, Marinette strode into the classroom with Alya in tow. She held a large pink box with her parent's logo embossed into the surface.
"No way, girl," Alya assured as they both turned into the classroom. "Even Chloe would want one of those for sure."
Marinette smiled back at her best friend's vote of confidence… until the moment she just barely missed the step right beside his desk.
Frowning, Adrien reached out, barely catching her fall from waist height with one arm.
Unfortunately, though, he wasn't quick enough, as the contents of the box flew in all directions.
Several had been tossed up into the air with her sudden, swift momentum, arcing down onto his head like a tiny hailstorm as he gazed down at her in concern.
"Oh, no!" she gasped aloud.
It wasn't until Marinette scurried out of his hold that he'd noticed what had fallen onto his head and into his lap.
It was a Ladybug yo-yo.
More accurately, it was a red macaron with a artfully placed pattern of spots that bore uncanny resemblance to Ladybug's yo-yo.
Adrien blinked, dazed as he weighed the tiny thing in his palm, entirely missing the black blur phasing back into his bag beneath his chair.
His eyes darted up to hers, gaping as Marinette pulled back onto her knees beside him and frowned over the crumbly remnants of a shattered dark chocolate macaron.
He could barely make out the bits of electric green in the fragments she had cradled in her hand.
"You alright there, Marinette?" Alya whispered, tugging the girl back up to her feet.
"I am," Marinette sighed, holding up. "But this one didn't seem to make the trip."
"Don't be mad." Alya smirked ruefully at the damage. "It seems like you were actually pretty accurate to Chat Noir's abilities."
""This has nothing to do with Chat." Marinette snorted, gently elbowing her friend in the side before she dolefully dumped the crumbs into the waste bin. "I'm just madly clumsy…"
Adrien gulped, feeling his ears burn as he slumped back down into his chair, furtively peering back at the girl behind him. His fingers brushed over the macaron - perhaps his Luckiest of Charms - that he still held in his palm.
He hadn't ever known Marinette to pun.
Then again, Adrien wondered, just how much had he missed with he had not been paying close attention?