Note: I do not own Miraculous: Les Adventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir, nor the characters in the show. Please support the official show.
Roman's short but punctual introduction completed, the class erupted into a roar of questions, exclamation, and welcoming energy all at once. It was, however, promptly silenced by a few short claps from the hands of Mme. Bustier.
"Now then class, I know that you're all very excited to meet Roman, though we have a class to complete. I'll allow for three questions, each from a different person, and then we'll begin." Mme. Bustier, well-known for her amiable resolutions to problems in the classroom, quickly eased the roar of reactions to a wave of excitement, murmuring just below the students' collective surface. "Roman," she addressed, "I'll have you choose who gets to ask questions. Just point at someone raising their hand, and I'll tell you their name." Roman nodded, then turned his emerald eyes on the class, looking over each one with a curious smirk on his lips.
Needless to say, everyone in the class rose their hands, other than Chloe, who got a raised eyebrow from the transfer student as a result. Easily the most excitable of the raised hands was Alya, who was half-sitting, half-standing and shaking her arm with barely contained enthusiasm. Roman, after a moment of shaking his head, seemingly in amusement, he pointed at her for his first question. Mme. Bustier quickly chimed in with her name, and Alya immediately started talking.
"Nice to meet you Roman, I'm Alya, the creator of the Ladyblog. You mentioned that you are a 'huge fan' of Ladybug and Chat Noir, even though you're from America. My question is this; how popular are the Parisian super-duo where you come from?" Given that she had clearly been holding in her question to the bring of just announcing it regardless of who had been chosen, Alya seemed quite exhausted, though no less interested in the answer. Her eyes were sparkling, and Marinette recognized this as the 'Next Big Scoop' look, which the Ladyblogger often had when it came to the subject of superheroes.
In response, Roman chuckled, bringing the knuckle of his forefinger to cover his closed lips. "Apologies, I don't mean to laugh," he started, his voice a few timbres deeper than most of the students, due to his age, "before I answer your question, let me just say that it's an honor to meet the person who created the Ladyblog. A lot of people I know back home are big fans of both you and the super-duo, as you call them, and they often have me read out your posts in English so that they can understand." He nodded, in acknowledgement of Alya, before continuing. "As for the question itself, people in America are often very interested in superheroes for a variety of reasons, though because of that, when two real-life heroes appeared here in Paris, quite the large fanbase made itself apparent there. There are even stores that sell merchandise, though I personally think coming to France and having the potential to see them in person is more worthwhile."
Alya thanked Roman for his answer and sat down, though mere moments after she was giddily shaking in her seat as she searched up American merchandise for her favorite heroes. Marinette knew that there would be a post on the Ladyblog before the end of the night, detailing her critiques of said products, as well as the fanbase in America.
"I've got a question too, Mme. Bustier." Chloe, raising her hand, interrupted.
"That's wonderful, Chloe," said instructor chimed, "though it's up to Roman whether or not he wants to pick your question."
"It's alright, Mme. Bustier," Roman responded, "What is your question, Chloe?" He asked with a smile on his face.
There were small whispers of concern about the classroom, with the majority of the students tentatively worried whether or not Chloe would play nice with the foreign exchange student. Despite being the daughter of Paris' mayor, Chloe lacked training in her consideration for other people, and oftentimes mocked them for one thing or another. This led to a large number of Akumatized villains from those she conversed with, as well as a general feeling of dislike for the young woman.
"Umm, yeah." Chloe started, and everyone knew that it would only go south from there, though they could not interrupt due to Mme. Bustier's excitement at Ms. Bourgeois' participation. "Can I just ask who dressed you today? Because, if it was a butler or servant, I would fire them immediately. Though, if you did that to yourself, I just feel sorry for you, having no sense of style. I mean, combat boots and fingerless gloves? Talk about tacky." Roman's smile and right eye ever so slightly twitched at the end of the question, though other than that he had no reaction to the inquiry.
Roman then clicked his tongue, making a "Tsk" noise that echoed through the quiet of the classroom. Chloe had a smug look on her face, and was posturing in a way that clearly stated her perceived superiority over the company she held. It was only a few seconds after that Roman answered, though the pause was physically felt by everyone in the room, who were now all on the edge of their seats for his reply.
"First. I am not so monetarily blessed as yourself, Ms... Bourgeois, that I could afford a butler or servant. As such, I dressed myself this morning, thank you." The students were clearly leaning forward at their desks, hanging on Roman's words as to what he would say in response to Chloe's... usual demeanor. "Second. I wear these because they're comfortable. After all, if I wore such high-end and expensive clothing as yourself on a daily basis, I would feel so stuffy that I'd be likely to think that my collar was preventing oxygen from reaching my brain." A small but proud smile was displayed on Roman's face when he finished with "Speaking of which, how are you feeling today, Ms. Bourgeois?"
The classroom erupted into a cheer, which was again quickly silenced by Mme. Bustier's clapping. Chloe was notably red in the cheeks due to indignation, and there was still one more question to answer.
In the end, the final question came from Kim, who was dressed in a red hoodie and track pants, even despite the winter weather. "When did you start kickboxing, and what made you want to get into it?" Despite his composure, he appeared just as excited as Alya to have his question answered.
Roman looked down at his hand, readjusted one of his fingerless gloves, then returned his gaze to Kim. "I started kickboxing about... five years back, when I was a sophomore in high school. I was having a rough time, for multiple reasons, and needed some kind of outlet. It got out the stress, and helped me... process some things." Roman paused, and his face was neutral, but his eyes were sad to anyone who could see them. He took a breath before continuing; "Now it's something that I enjoy when I've got a lot on my mind, and just need a little break." The smile returned to Roman's eyes and face by the time he finished, though the class was clearly sobered of their previous excitement.
Following Mme. Bustier's instruction when he entered, Roman sat down next to Ivan, who himself was wearing a large dark gray parka, in the second-to-back row. It was at this point that class began in full, starting with a recap for the new introduction.
Mme. Bustier stood at the front and center of the room, a textbook opened on the desk behind her. "Last class, we covered the death of King Louis XV in 1774, who left his grandson, Louis XVI, with 'a heavy legacy, with ruined finances, unhappy subjects, and a faulty and incompetent government', as well as how the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War had bankrupted the state." The lecture continued on the subjects of the creation of the National Assembly, the Tennis Court Oath, and the storming and seizure of the Bastille prison, which led to the establishment of Bastille day on July 14th as a national holiday.
It was at this point, however, that screams began to ring out around the school, and everyone's phone - with the exception of Roman's - buzzed and lit up with the most dreaded disaster warning in recent years; an Akuma alert.
