Hi, his was written pre-season 4. I still haven't watched it. Also there are going g to be some majorly controversial opinions in here for kicks. Hope you suffe- enjoy.
-xoxo, Lucia
Emily sat in the back of her classroom and watched from her desk as the days routine began. Like clockwork Marinette tripped into the classroom 7 minutes after class started, Lila spewed out some of her typical bullshit, Alya shook her head fondly, Chloe rolled her eyes and everyone had their own reactions as the teacher continued with the lesson. The day was as standard as it always was and there looked to be no 'cinema effects' where the day began differently before snowballing into an akuma. Emily was the only person in her class who wasn't a superhero and hadn't been akumatised.
She was only friends with the other ambivert of the class, her brother Nino and... well just Nino. The two were twins, however they looked nothing alike, Emily had inherited her mothers Caucasian-Italian skin tone while Nino was mixed and somehow Emily had the darker hair. The only thing identical about them were their eyes but even they had changed, the female twins having been muted by years of apathy, empathy and neglect. She technically lived with her mother, but she was close enough to her twin that she slept over at her dad and his wife's house 4 nights or more a week. Anything was better than living with her drunk harlot of a mother.
Emily wasn't blind. She could connect the dots between Marinette and Adrien and the Akuma's. She was pretty sure she knew who Hawkmoth was but had no confirmation. She was probably the most observant person in the class and it hurt to be able to see more than everyone. No one ever understood.
Emily seemed so uninterested in day to day life because it was painful for her to get too emotionally invested in more than simplistic concepts. Either she understood everything immediately, which was why she was such a good student, or she had to dumb it down so her brain wouldnt break down because it did something stupid like reprogram itself to understand the creation of the universe just because someone pointed out a passing butterfly.
To make a long story short, Emily had ADHD and a Psychoanalytical mind.
Today was an off day apparently, she was focussing on Marinette, on Ladybug and was getting concerned. That girl was definitely a Mary Sue (excessively flawless woman) upon first glance, however if you look even a millimetre under the surface the whole picture comes unravelled. She was an awful liar and everyone else, even the smarties that she surrounded herself with, was too dumb to notice.
Mari was insecure and a people pleaser, incredibly self destructive, had to be peer pressured into self care but had more negative influences pressuring her to disregard herself, *cough* her "bestie" Alya *cough* and was definitely not getting enough support. Alya was supportive on first glance but was too self absorbed and tunnel minded to realise that she is doing the worst possible things too achieve her goal of "fixing" her best friend. Her parents were so busy with work and each other to acknowledge anything but Marinette's achievements or worry about her flaws and coo over her phantom live life. Marinette herself was not doing well and there was probably only one person in her life stopping her from being akumatised and to be perfectly honest, Emily was glad she hadn't met them. Why? Because while they helped Mainette stay away from breaking down, the were also encouraging all of the overworked girl's negative coping mechanisms.
Such as her possesivness and stalking of Adrien. Emily got it, Mari liked him and they'd be cute together. BUT freaking out every time he talked to another girl, acting as if you own him and putting him onto a pedestal while not acknowledging any of the issues surrounding and impacting him was a while other level of catastrophic.
Not to mention the love square the had pulled themselves into was actually the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen. And she had seen Nino jump off a shed clutching an open umbrella screeching "I'M MARY POPPINS Y'ALL!" as if he was Yondu not a year ago. When he was 14. Seriously.
As Emily watched the poor girl sitting four rows ahead of her instead of listening to her teacher- who cared, the teacher did a double take everytime she saw Emily's name on the register, she clearly forgot she was here all the time- she noticed her look at her phone and saw the tension it her shoulders peak before dissipating and she slumped quite noticeably against the desk. The designer didn't even bother staring at the back of her crushes head. Emily witnessed Alya give her an unintentionally patronising pat on the shoulder before she pulled her gaze away from the scene. She noted Lila's smirk and came up with the not inaccurate conclusion that she was the catalyst for Marinette's depressive mood.
Why couldn't people just see clearly? Was it so much to ask that arrogance just take a day off? Couldn't people understand for once in their horrendously self absorbed lives?
That thought remained stuck in her head as she spun her bracelet on her wrist for the rest of the day.
Emily sat on her secret perch. It wasn't really secret so much as, unless you lived in the building it was on top of, or were a superhero, you couldn't exactly access it. The building was owned by Marinette's parents but was used as a storehouse for quick access. No one but Chat Noir and occasionally Ladybug came up here and that happened late at night and Emily had long since known how to scale the building. She threw and caught the little bracelet as she tried to distract herself. She was done with her homework, Nino was on a date, her mind was still stewing over Marinette and the world's problems and she was begining to spiral. So what could Emily do? She twirled a fidget around like her hyperfixation demanded.
If they could see as she saw, only for a moment, then surely things would be better.
"How right you are. They are blind, they are foolish. You however, you understand, as I do, you simply lack the power."The voice came from all sides and Emily did not react visibly. She simply pushed back against the wall and rested her head against the warned brickwork.
"What do you want Hawkmoth?"
"What do I want? What do you want Rose Tint? Our wishes are one in the same, I only have an extra request."A visual of ladybug spotted earrings and an obsidian black and neon green ring popped into the front of my mind.
"I know what you want Hawkmoth. I'll give it to you"
"excellent-""Let me finish. None of the 'Rose Tint' bullshit. Let me choose, let me give myself the power I want, fight by my terms and you shall see a victory you have so desperately craved."
"Why should I?""
"Even when you tried stealth you ruined your chances with bravado. Clearly you need change... and patience. You have never seemed inclined towards that particular virtue. It would serve you well."
He was very clearly displeased but grumbled nonetheless.
"Very well."E
mily was not ashamed to admit that she had spent a long, probably unhealthy, amount of time picturing what she would be like as an akuma.
To those that saw her, she would flicker between a cross of herself with a godess like being or herself crossed with their greatest fear. She would be known as Clarity. Clarity didn't need any physical enhancements, Emily had been sporty enough and could fight. The only power Clarity had, was that she could make people see the whole truth about their lives and the impact on others. After she expanded their minds, they would be at the mercy of truth, and the one thing she knew for herself was that people wouldn't forget what she told them. She would not be forgotten, even though her intention had not been to be seen, she would be heard.
Clarity climbed down the fire escape and walked calmly down the street, paying no mind to the confused and amazed or even slightly terrified looks she was getting. She simply walked around. Clarity could feel Hawkmoth's presence in the back of her mind, and the irritation emanating from him. The girl disregarded him too. Eventually, the supervillain who had been simple, forgettable little Emily came across someone who needed to change. Kim. He wasn't a major issue, he just needed to learn how emotionally exhausting his dares and bets and intensity could be.
He was just standing there gawking at her as she walked directly to him. His only reaction was the widening of his eyes. Clarity came face to face with him, placed her forefingers on his temples and rested her forehead against his.
"See what you must and learn from your worst."
A soft glow surrounded the two of them and the remade girl pulled away to see the grey of his eyes lose some of their warm tone and become more weary. He slumped to his knees and exhaled. As Max and Alix, who were hanging out with him, got down to check on him, Alix looked up and shouted,
"What did you do to him?"
Clarity looked down at them her gaze showing conflicting, empathy and apathy.
"I showed him the truth"
The two friends opened their mouths to argue but were cut off by the Jock on his knees gasping out,
"I'm sorry guys. I'm sorry I keep bothering you with my dares all the time. I didn't know they were so, so... in the way and- and annoying."
As the friends went to comfort Kim, Clarity swooped in on Max and revealed his truth. It wasn't as intense as it could be, it wasn't even as intense as Kim's and the jock's was likely one of the mildest to come. Yet Max took a steadying step, before giving up and sitting next to Kim. He began apologising for his know-it-all habits and pushy attitude. The Akuma looked over the scene with minimal visible satisfaction. She turned to the short punk before deciding that two was enough, if she saw her again she would enlighten her too but she had already been here too long. People who had snapped out of their dazed were taking photos and videos of the events unfolding in front of them.
Emily walked on, unbothered by anything.