start notes—
Then: "or would 'beelieve' it be more on-brand?"
my tellonym: milkisande
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jagged stone
we're making waves of conversation;
cause i'm getting high on humans.
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THE CONCERT arena is absolutely packed.
Marinette's only too grateful that Nino's apparent connections allow them to slip past the crowds of humans, noisily screaming and bumping over each other as they try to catch a glimpse of their idol.
Even seeing them all gathered together is more than enough to give her a headache, and she can't help but wonder how Nino survives through, much less enjoys it all— after having proudly told her that he worked similar shows and events whenever he had the time.
"You like this?" Marinette tries to ask, although she's quite sure her voice is effectively drowned out by the noise around her.
(Mermaids aren't one for loud places: they like the peace and quiet of the ocean— all-natural sounds outside of the 'synthetic' music of the humans, which they argue isn't anything more than noise.)
Nino responds like there isn't any problem. "Doesn't seem to make sense since I'm a merman, huh?" He shouts back, laughing as they navigate through the concert hall. "But I think there's a lot of things that our kind brushes off too quickly without really taking the time off to appreciate it. So we keep missing out."
"What do you mean by that—?"
He and Alya share a meaningful look, with the latter rolling her eyes and playfully nudging his side. "He just means that if you were more open, you'd probably enjoy yourself a lot more."
Marinette doesn't get to respond— or even ponder on that question, however, as they're led through a guarded door, entering backstage.
It's a lot more quiet and less crowded, though the area buzzes with activity; people either giving or taking orders, rushing around as they attempt to ready everything for the concert in half an hour.
"Come on," Nino tells them, waving his hand forward. "I have to get ready, but Adrien's somewhere around here so he can show you around."
(They don't have to look long— finding him animatedly speaking with a group of stagehands who altogether seem to hang on to his every word.)
"Of course," Alya laughs lightly, as he notices the group come into view.
Adrien doesn't even take a second thought before rushing over to them, evidently leaving a group of unenthused fans in his wake. "Alya, you're here!" he greets, before turning toward the mermaid and smiling. "And Marinette— a pleasure, as alwaves. I'm glad you made it."
"Believe me, it wasn't easy to get her to go," Alya responds instead, rolling her eyes. Then: "or would 'beelieve' it be more on-brand?"
Adrien laughs goodnaturedly. Marinette's only trying to recall where the deepest trench is in their area.
(Just for reference.)
At that moment, a stagehand rushes over to Nino, holding a clipboard as he rushedly asks him to hurry over for a sound check.
"Guess that's my cue to go," Nino finally says; then, with a sudden (almost wicked) grin: "Alya, wanna see my setup?"
"What? I've seen your setup a thou—," a nudge, then: "oh… yeah, I'd love to!"
"Adrien, you'd be good to show Marinette around right?" Nino asks, a cheeky grin on his face.
The two of them share a meaningful look, and after a brief second, Adrien nods, shyly smiling at the mermaid. "Don't mind if I dew," he replies. "Come on, I'll shoal you around!"
Terrible. Terrible. Terribly cute.
Marinette nods, and they begin to go around the set. Adrien's a great guide, and he easily navigates through the venue to show and explain to her the different tasks that are being done. (She's trying to listen, really: but it's much more interesting to watch him animatedly talk about something he evidently enjoys.)
Only because he's being a good friend to her, of course.
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"How have you never listened to Jagged Stone?!" Adrien's clearly in shock, and she has to stop herself from laughing. "Who hasn't even heard of Jagged Stone?!"
After some time going around, they take a break in a more quiet part of the stage area. And after a lengthy conversation about the concert, she'd accidentally exposed what Adrien had kindly called 'the greatest sin of all time'.
"It's not like we have Jagged Stone underwater!"
"But you've been on land for a month," he rebuts, shaking his head. "There is no excuse that you haven't listened to the greatest musician of all time."
"He's human, he can't be that great." Marinette pauses, then rolls her eyes. "Besides, I think you're being a little dramatic."
"And I think you're not making the most of your time here," Adrien argues. "Come on, you're stuck with us humans for a year. You might as whale make the most of it, and give us a chance."
(Marinette catches the pun, but she ultimately decides to ignore it.)
"I am making the most of it!"
"Really? So what have you done in your first month here?" She's about to protest, and he continues. "Aside from this concert. Which Nino and Alya basically had to corner you to go to."
Marinette pauses, then audibly hmphs, knowing she'd been caught.
"I'm just saying," Adrien points out. "Not all humans or human-related things are inherently bad. Some of what we do is pretty cool."
"Sure," she replies dryly. "Like toxic oil spills, trash pollution, dynamite fishing, coral mining, canal-digging and dam-building… need I go on?"
"I mean, of course those things are bad— but you can't just use that as a reason to hate on all land mammals as a whole," he explains, then pauses briefly. "Though I do get the feeling of wanting to throw those kinds of people into the ocean. And if you ever do meet them, don't worry; I'll be your willing partner in coralime."
Marinette feels her lips curve into a smile, and nods. "That was pretty awful."
"It still made you smile, though."
Can't argue with that.
Then she takes a moment to think about the rest of his points, as her eyes wander off to the humans busily walking around her— seeing them working together to make something a reality. And she spares a moment to look at Adrien, who continues to prove that everything she's ever known about humans was wrong.
(For the first time, maybe since ever, she doesn't quite mind being the only mermaid in the room.)
The lights suddenly flash around them, and Marinette subconsciously grabs his arm in surprise.
He laughs. "Don't worry, that just means the show's about to start," Adrien explains, before standing up. "Come on, let's go and support Nino."
Marinette prepares to let go of his arm, but he easily manoeuvres it in a way that they end up holding hands.
They're holding hands.
He… they…
?!
"What are you just standing around for?" He asks, smiling as she dumbly looks at their interlocked fingers.
"I— just— I— uh."
His hands are warm, but the good kind: the kind that makes her want to melt in the absolute best way possible.
Adrien gently pulls her forward, the same expression on his face; something she can't exactly describe, but is definitely two things: (1) something she's never felt before, and (2) something she wants to keep feeling forever.
They walk together to meet up with Alya, and are consequently guided to a stage area where they're able to watch the rest of the concert.
Alya looks at their linked hands, then stares at Marinette in a half-victory and half-I-told-you-so expression.
She pointedly ignores it, and decides to try and enjoy herself.
Nino is wonderful. He plays a beat that reminds her of ocean sounds, and she can't help but miss home with it.
When Jagged Stone comes on to perform, Marinette immediately pins his personality down to be loud and chaotic and nothing short of intense— playing something that mermaids would objectively call as nothing but absolute noise.
As he continues to beat down on his guitar and scream, however, Marinette begins to think that maybe she likes it.
She watches Alya and Adrien excitedly screaming back, with the former documenting the whole event on her phone. Adrien pauses to look at her upon noticing her gaze, offering one of the brightest grins she's ever seen him give.
She's wrong.
Marinette likes it a lot, actually.
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end notes—
hello you, get involved in helping our environment! earth day is on april 22 (it's earth month this april!) and it's so so important that we actively work toward creating a just and sustainable society for our futures and the futures of the following generations3
remember that climate justice is a social issue that affects all of us, and collective action is our most powerful tool in enacting beneficial and long-term change !
(but yes aside from this very important psa ! will have double updates today to make up for the missed days ack sorry thank you for your patiencee:)
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