*Author's Note*
That's right, folks. I'm still stubbornly working on those Love Square Fluff Week prompts. We'll ignore that the event ended February 13th... It kept me nearly an extra week to decide what I wanted to do with the prompt 'AU Day', and only finally figured it out after thinking of the Ouran High School Host Club episode "Haruhi in Wonderland." While I didn't use the story of "Alice in Wonderland" as my loose AU/Crossover, I did use a well-known work of classic fiction. Can you pick up on what it was?
In the end, it kept me the better part of another week - and about 5 different rewrites and major storytelling shifts - for me to actually get the darn thing figured out.
I wanted to have the final 3 prompts completed before the end of February, but Life sucks, doesn't it? I AM still going to work on those final 2 prompts - 'Your Voice' and 'Reveal' - and I hope to get at least one more up this upcoming week.
Day 6: AU Day
Spoilers: Yes - major season 2 Rena Rouge and Carapace spoilers, major Puppeteer 2 spoilers, and major Zombizou spoilers.
Also includes minor spoilers for Felix, Frighteningale, and Dark Cupid
Love Square Side: Adrienette and MariChat (sorta)
Romance Level: Collapsing Love Square; attempts to woo
WARNING: This story is probably going to feel trippy until you "get" it.
Summary: The Love Square is as complicated as it's always been, with Marinette only in love with Adrien, and Adrien only in love with Ladybug. Tikki confesses that she might have a solution to the whole problem, but it ended up making things even MORE complicated. Marinette just wants a simple solution to everything.
~ Making the Complicated Simple ~
There he was: Adrien. The love of Marinette's life, although she could never find a way of letting him know, despite her many attempts to do just that.
"Marinette?" Tikki chirped from Marinette's purse.
The teen kept staring longingly at the street poster of Adrien, debating how much trouble she'd be in if she swiped it. Adrien was posed a little seductively, his elbow resting on a counter just behind him, and his other hand running through his hair as he gave a cheeky grin to the camera; his eyes a little heavy. He filled the full poster, meaning he was also life-size. Marinette felt the temptation to lean into the public advertisement board outside their school and just place a long kiss on Poster-Adrien's lips. Germs and embarrassment kept her from following through.
"Marinette!" Tikki tried again. "Just go to him and tell him how you feel."
"You mean like I did at the wax museum?" Marinette snarkily replied.
"Um." Tikki sheepishly tucked herself further inside the purse. "Maybe not so dramatically? I'm sure a simple 'I really like you, Adrien' will work."
"You know I can't do that." Marinette slumped against the poster so her head was nestled against the arm Adrien was leaning on.
"Just try. Use the poster. Tell him how you feel, but, maybe keep it simple. Like you did in the Valentine, or when you made that video to try to cheer him up."
"Tikki-" Marinette looked down at her kwami, but Tikki simply waved for her to go on. Looking around, Marinette discovered she was alone. The streets were surprisingly empty for such a sunny afternoon. She checked her phone to see if there was an akuma alert she somehow missed, but all she saw was a white screen with black font reading 'NOTHING WRONG'.
Shrugging it off, she deeply inhaled, plotting out what she'd say. Turning to the poster, Marinette became just as shy and warm as she normally would be around the actual Adrien.
"Adrien," she started meekly, "I need to tell you something. I should have told you this long ago. I love you. I've loved you practically since we first met. You are amazing, and I hope you know that."
"That was perfect, Marinette!"
Marinette looked at her friend upon Tikki's encouraging words. A smile slowly grew on her face, her cheeks pinking.
"It was very sweet," Adrien's voice chimed in.
Marinette jumped, and looked up at the poster. Adrien had shifted in it. He was standing upright instead of leaning on the counter, and his one hand was rubbing the back of his neck instead of combing through his hair. His shoulders were hunched, and his cheeks were lightly flushed.
"A-Adrien?" Marinette squeaked in disbelief.
"It's a shame that I only think of you as a friend, but I appreciate how much you care about me." Adrien stepped down from the poster, rested a hand on Marinette's shoulder, gave her another soft smile, and then walked over to his father's awaiting town car. He waved her goodbye, and climbed into the back seat.
Behind Marinette, the poster restored to Adrien seductively posing against a counter.
~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~
"I told you dozens of times already, Chat Noir. I'm in love with another boy." Ladybug leapt from one roof to another, her partner racing beside her.
"I know, but isn't it hard to never be able to tell him who you really are? Meanwhile, I already know about your superheroing, M'lady."
"First of all, Ladybug isn't who I really am. Which means it's actually you who doesn't know the real me." She stopped to scan the horizon. A large dust cloud kicked up from a street about a kilometer away. That was where the akuma must be. She started off in that direction.
Chat Noir quickly followed. "That's very true, Bugaboo, but wouldn't it be better to be able to talk to your boyfriend about how stressful being a superhero and Guardian is? Plus, I would understand if our dates had to be cancelled because of akuma attacks."
"We wouldn't be able to have dates. We don't know who the other is."
"I set up that picnic on the rooftop once. We could do that as dates. And I don't mind not knowing who you are under the mask. I like a little mystery to spice up my relationships." He landed beside her on another rooftop and winked.
She giggled despite herself, then waved him off with a stern arm slash through the air. "We don't have time for this, Chat Noir!" She scanned the area. It was a wreck, but there was no akumatized supervillain anywhere that she could see. She didn't spot any hurt civilians either, so that was a positive.
Behind her there was a loud rumble. She turned in time to see another large dust cloud.
"He moved this way, hurry up! And no more talk about us dating. You need to give that up, Chat Noir!"
Hooking a flag poll sticking out of a nearby building, she swung herself towards the villain. She never actually found it, but saved the day none-the-less.
~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~
"Okay, enough!" Tikki shouted as Marinette looked longingly at the Adrien collage on her desktop.
"Tikki? You okay?" Marinette pushed away from the desk as she turned to her irritated friend. She had never seen Tikki so riled up before.
"You've been in love with Adrien for months, and nothing has changed. Yet you keep turning Chat Noir down because you can't think of anyone besides Adrien. Clearly you aren't going to move on, are you?"
"N-no. No, I'm not, but-"
"No buts." Tikki crossed her arms in front of her and shook her head. "That's all the answer I need." She sighed audibly, hanging her head. "I didn't want to tell you this because I don't like using it, but as the Kwami of Creation, I can even create feelings. I can make Adrien fall in love with you if you really want me to."
"You can?" Marinette leapt from her chair, scooping Tikki up and practically pressing the little being against her nose. "You truly can?"
"Yes."
"Then, yes! Please, Tikki? Please? I'll do anything!"
"You do understand that if I do this you can never be sure if it's my magic that makes him love you or if he truly does. Are you prepared for that?"
"Tikki, it's Adrien! Please. I just want him to love me back. Then we can get married, and have three kids, and a hamster. And he'll be my personal model, proudly showing off his wife's amazing work. And then we'll retire to a private island and spend the second half of our lives just cuddling with each other. And-"
"Okay! Okay. I'll do it. You're lucky I love you, Marinette." Tikki pouted as she gave her holder a long side-eye.
"Oh! Thank you, Tikki! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She placed a large kiss on Tikki's cheek and nuzzled her kwami.
"Fine. I'll be right back." She giggled off the affection Marinette poured onto her, then zipped through the wall.
Almost instantly, Tikki dashed back through, in a panic.
"Tikki? What's wrong? Did someone see you?"
"This is bad. This is very bad. I'm sorry, Marinette. I didn't mean to."
"Didn't mean to what?"
Above them, there was a tap on the skylight.
Marinette didn't remember climbing to the roof. She was just there, as if she had teleported to her balcony. She wasn't confused, though. She leaned against the railing and looked across the Seine at the Notre Dame.
"Good evening, my princess." Chat Noir cooed behind her, making her jump.
"Evening, Kitty. What are you doing here?"
"I had something very important to tell you." Chat Noir knelt before her and scooped up her hand with his left. In his right was a single red rose. "Marinette, I love you."
"You- you what?" Marinette screeched.
"I don't know why I never saw it before." He stood up, her hand still in his, and he inched closer. "You have hair dark as night, but eyes as vibrant as bluebells. You're kind and brave. You're amazing, Marinette."
There was something about the softness in Chat Noir's voice that last sentence. He quickly flickered into Adrien before flashing back into Chat Noir. She blinked a few times, but the image of Adrien didn't return. As Marinette studied the artificially-green eyes hidden behind a black mask, she remembered exactly who it was that was confessing his love to her. It wasn't the boy of her dreams, like she would have wanted. It was her superhero partner. Marinette was baffled as to why he was confessing to her so out of the blue.
Then it came to her.
"You!" Marinette panicked, ripping her hand from his as she skirted her balcony. "You figured out- You discovered I'm-"
"In love with me too?" Chat Noir interrupted as he followed her around the small space.
"Wait. I'm-"
"I'm sorry, Marinette." Tikki chirped from her hiding space. "I cast the love spell on him instead of Adrien by mistake."
"He doesn't know about Ladybug?" Marinette didn't worry about whether or not Chat Noir would hear her. Her balcony was empty anyway.
"No. No, he gave up on his love for Ladybug in favor of you. That's part of the spell."
"Oh." Marinette wasn't sure how she'd handle Chat Noir's affections towards her civilian self, but at least being Ladybug would be easier.
~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~
"So what's the plan, L.B.?"
Ladybug was hiding with Chat Noir inside an alley. A red water bottle with black spots was cradled in her hands. She looked around the alley. Nothing. She poked her head out of their hiding spot slightly, scanned, and noticed an abandoned car with the driver's side door open. The nearby light post also looked promising, as did a small patch of sidewalk lining the Seine that had chips and some deterioration already in it.
"Almost got it. I just need to-" She continued scanning. There were a lot of potential pieces to the puzzle, but they didn't quite fit together yet.
"No problem." Chat Noir took his stick off the small of his back, extended it, and whipped it around himself as he prepared to use it as a weapon. "I'll keep the akuma occupied. How much more time do you need?"
"Um..." She should have had the solution already. She just couldn't get it all to connect. She was distracted. "Spare me as much time as you can. I'll let you know once I've got it."
"Works for me. Catch ya in a little bit, Ladybug." No wink. No pun. No pet name. He just did a leaping forward roll out of the alleyway, swinging his stick like a bo staff around him to make sure the coast was clear. He then ran to his right.
He hadn't called her a pet name or otherwise flirted with her the whole attack. Chat Noir was still a little playful and liked showing off his skills, but it wasn't the same level as how he normally acted. He was mostly focused on the akuma. It was weird.
"Pound it."
Ladybug held her fist out for Chat Noir. The water bottle wasn't in her hand anymore. A woman whose face Ladybug couldn't make out was kneeling in the middle of the street. The magical ladybugs had already returned the street lamp, car, and sidewalk to the way they were before.
"Until next time, Ladybug." Chat Noir was more attentive of their Miraculouses beeping, and didn't bother trying to stick around despite the time-crunch, unlike how he normally would. He didn't call her 'M'lady' or bow or try to kiss her hand. He simply gave her a quick two-finger salute, then turned to leave.
"Wait!" It was weird. Having him not flirt with her was nice, but also felt very wrong.
"Something wrong, L.B.?"
Yes. Something was terribly wrong.
"You, uh, you didn't flirt or call me M'lady or Bugaboo or anything."
"You don't like those things." His eyes narrowed, and an eyebrow quirked up.
"True. I was- I guess I just wondered- You're okay, right?"
"More than okay." He grabbed her hands, and everything felt normal finally. "Ladybug, I'm in love."
"I know you are, but-"
"Marinette is just the most amazing girl, isn't she? Thank you for introducing us!"
"Wait, what?" So the spell truly did wipe Chat Noir's love for Ladybug and replaced it with undying devotion for Marinette instead.
"Don't worry, Ladybug. I'll be careful with my identity." His ring beeped. "Whoops. Gotta go! Take care." He again saluted her and dashed off.
~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~
"I fixed it." Tikki phased through the window and landed on Marinette's lap.
"You what?"
"Adrien. I-"
There was a tap on the skylight, increasing in intensity and pace the longer Marinette ignored it. She glared at Tikki, who cringed as she shrugged.
"What is it, Chat Noir?" She was on her balcony, and he was again kneeling before her. His left hand on his heart, and a small bouquet of flowers in his right.
"For you, my fair princess in the high tower." Chat Noir plucked one of the flowers out of the bouquet, and tucked it in her hair behind her ear. "Want me to make you a crown with the rest?" He winked. She hadn't realized how much she missed his winks.
"This is very sweet of you, Kitty-cat, but I'm sorry. I can't accept these." She gently pushed the flowers away as she took a step back. "I- You see, I-"
Chat Noir's whole body slumped, and he studied his bouquet as if he could figure out why they were wrong. He had been so happy a couple of seconds ago, and now he was this poor, wounded thing. Marinette knew she should just tell him she loved someone else, but she couldn't find the heart to break him further.
"I can't date you because you're a superhero," she blurted out. "I, uh, I appreciate the gift, and it means a lot to me that you care so much, but it wouldn't feel right. Ya know, without us being able to actually date or anything."
"Who says we can't date?"
"Wait, what?" She thought she already had this discussion with Chat Noir as Ladybug. "I mean, it's obvious, isn't it? We can't very well hang out in public together. What if Hawkmoth finds out? I- I could be used against you somehow."
"Do you need us to be out in public for our hang-outs to be dates? I can still spend time with you, can't I? And I can still show you Paris without anyone else seeing us."
Marinette folded her arms and raised her eyebrows at him.
Without a word, Chat Noir smirked, and scooped her up in a bridal carry. He then pivoted, and placed her back on her feet, his hands protectively remained on her waist.
They were on the roof of the Notre Dame, watching the Seine drift around the sides, and the lights sparkle in the waters.
"What do you think of the view?" Chat Noir leaned close to Marinette's ear, sending a small chill across her neck.
"It's gorgeous." As Marinette watched a small ferry float down the river, she leaned against the golden angel statue on the roof of the Palais Garnier. The impressive vocals of the opera performance permeated the glass dome.
"Amazing," Marinette sighed.
"See?" Chat Noir playfully purred. "I'm even the sophisticated sort. Bet you weren't expecting that."
Marinette giggled, and turned to look at Chat Noir. The glittering of Paris spread out before them from atop the Eiffel Tower. She walked around the observation deck outside of Gustave Eiffel's office. It was certainly lovelier without a horde of kiss-obsessed "zombies" coming after them.
As if summoned, Chat Noir stood firm against the kissing zombies. His stick fully extended across the width of the balcony to hold back the dazed reach of the brainwashed citizens pouring out of the elevator. Chat Noir's cheek had lipstick marks, but he hadn't fallen under the spell yet.
"Chat Noir?" Marinette ran up to him, and cupped his cheek with a gloved hand; red with black spots.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine." He smiled at her, and the horde disappeared behind him. The lipstick marks remained, but he now stood tall before her, with soft, heavy-lidded eyes.
"You trust me that much?"
"More than you know." He took her bare hands in his own.
"Probably." She squeezed his hands, and waited to feel him squeeze back. "You're also a lot sweeter than I give you credit for. You're one of my best friends, Chat Noir, but- but I think you're more than that. I love Alya and Nino and all, and I trusted them with Miraculouses-" Marinette didn't care about identities anymore. This needed to be said, and nothing was going to hold her back. "-but I don't have the same bond with them as I do with you. I'm completely lost without my kitty. Even when I do have to fight alone, it's usually with the resolve to do whatever it takes to bring you back to me."
She stepped towards him, and he to her. They pressed their foreheads together, each closing their eyes to fully experience the touch. The gentle rumble of the Seine beneath their feet accompanied the soft rattling of the Lover's Locks along the wired fencing of the Pont des Arts.
"So let me stay with you." Chat Noir whispered. His voice was pleading, but with a strange bravado to it that nearly caused Marinette to whimper with yearning. "I just proved I can take us on dates without anyone else knowing. We have other ways of announcing our love to the world."
They pulled away from each other, and Chat Noir held out an open padlock on his palm. 'CN + MD-C' were carved along the side. Her hand shaking, Marinette grabbed the keys to the padlock, and hurled them into the Seine. She turned back to Chat Noir, but the initials on the lock now read 'AA + MD-C'. His gloved hand was bare. Marinette hovered her hand over the lock, wanting so desperately to attach it to the fence.
Instead, she quickly closed Chat Noir's re-gloved fingers around the lock, and gently pushed his hand away. The sound of rushing water was replaced by gentle traffic. The Notre Dame was behind Chat Noir. They were back on Marinette's balcony.
"I'm sorry, Kitty. I can't. It's- it's not just about the dating. I should have just told you before, but- but I love someone else." She screwed her eyes tightly shut. She couldn't bear to watch him get hurt again because of her.
"You- but-" His gasps choking down tears forced Marinette's eyes open. Chat Noir's cat ears folded low against his head, and his belt tail hung limp behind him. "But, everything you just said."
"I know. If- if I didn't- If I hadn't already-"
Chat Noir's shoulders curled forward, and he wouldn't hold eye contact with her. "I wish you would consider me, just once."
She reached out to cradle his face, and he leaned his cheek into the touch. As she raised his head, his mask and cat ears disappeared, and his bangs swept out of his face. Adrien looked at her with hurt, piercing eyes. Begging her to love him. She jumped, and dropped her hand from Adrien's face. His head lowered again; once more Chat Noir.
"Who?" he choked out, "Please at least tell me who it is you love."
"It's not important-"
"It is to me. Please."
Baby-doll eyes. Who taught him that she was weak to baby-doll eyes?
"Adrien Agreste," she breathed. "But before you say anything, it's not because he's a model or rich or the son of my favorite fashion designer! It's because he's sweet, and funny, and cares for his friends."
Chat Noir's cat ears shot up, and his belt tail prickled behind him. "But I- I saw him with Kagami. He loves her, not you! I'm the one who loves you!"
"That doesn't matter, Chat Noir." Marinette's voice had a bite to it. "Of course all I want is for Adrien to love me, but whether or not he loves me back doesn't stop me from loving him."
"Marinette?" A sweet voice called up from the street below.
"Oh, no." Tikki muttered, and hid further inside Marinette's purse.
Marinette leaned over her balcony railing. Standing a few meters below, Adrien's face brightened upon seeing her.
"Marinette! Love of my life! Girl of my dreams!"
"I- uh- what?" Marinette held herself upright against the railing.
"May I come up, my love?" Adrien gestured towards the railing. When Marinette numbly nodded, he easily vaulted up and over the railing, landing beside her on the balcony.
"Hey!" Chat Noir snarled behind Marinette, reminding her that he was still around. "What are you doing here, blondie?"
"Why, confessing my undying love for Marinette, of course. What about you, you stray cat?" Adrien spat back at the superhero.
"Um..." Marinette tried to interject, still trying to process Adrien calling her the love of his life.
"I confessed my love for her already! You have Kagami, so give up on Marinette."
"Uh, Chat Noir-" Marinette attempted to intervene again.
"And what about your love for Ladybug?" Adrien demanded. "We both know that Marinette truly loves me, so you stick with your partner and leave Marinette for me."
"Actually-" Marinette ventured.
"I have no love for Ladybug! Who could be more perfect than Marinette? You need to stop pulling her along, Agreste, so that she can move on to a real man!" Chat Noir stepped closer to Adrien, who didn't flinch.
"Chat Noir, that's uncalled for-" Marinette pulled a little on Chat Noir's arm to try to separate the boys.
"I'm not pulling her along! You are, with this claim that you gave up on Ladybug." Adrien moved closer to Chat Noir, unintentionally pinning Marinette between them. "Why are you teasing her like this? I thought you were better than that!"
"Adrien!" Marinette chided. "He's not doing anything like th-"
"I thought you were better than this! Keeping her hanging on so you can feel better about yourself, knowing that at least Marinette is pining over you."
"Seriously?" Marinette demanded as she pushed back against both boys. "Are you two insane?"
"Prove to me how much you truly love her." Chat Noir jumped away from Marinette, took his stick off his lower back, extended it, and twirled it impressively around his hand before taking a fighting stance. "Fight me for her!"
"Excuse me?" Marinette glared at Chat Noir. "What on earth are you thinking? First of all, no one is fighting over me! How archaic! Secondly, you're a superhero, and he's a civilian. What if you hurt him?"
"I accept." Adrien stood in full fencing gear behind Marinette, his saber in hand, already prepared to lunge.
"You what?" Marinette screeched. "No! Nope! Nuh-uh! Not. Happening. You two need to stop this. Right now!"
"I am so, so sorry, Marinette." Tikki's soft voice leaked from inside Marinette's purse. "I never meant for this to happen."
"Yeah, well, now what am I gonna do, Tikki?"
The two boys charged each other, batting away the other's weapon with their own. Sparks flew off the metal clashing. Adrien kept firm footing, pushing Chat Noir back easily. The superhero went more unconventionally with his attack as he leapt onto the balcony railing, then flipped over Adrien's head, and landed behind him. Adrien was too quick, though, and easily countered Chat Noir's attack.
"Stop it!" Marinette screamed at them. "You two are acting ridiculous! Stop this right now!" She whipped her Ladybug yo-yo at each of them, knocking Chat Noir's stick, and then Adrien's saber, out of their hands and over the balcony railing. She then lassoed them together.
"Marinette?" The two asked slightly off sync of each other. It had an odd echo effect to it.
"Enough! I don't want any of this. I would never want someone to literally fight for me. You both should know me better than that! My emotions are mine and I will love whom I love regardless of some idiotic battle." She released them from her yo-yo's string; the weapon vanishing as soon as she caught it.
"Then which one of us do you love?" Adrien stepped away from Chat Noir, but kept his distance from Marinette.
"Yes. Is it truly him?" Chat Noir stood tall beside his rival, gesturing towards Adrien. "Is there no way you could love me instead?"
"I-" Marinette stared at them both. "I love-" She couldn't say. She couldn't get out the name 'Adrien,' but she couldn't reject him either. "I want-" The world vanished, and it was just a white void with the three of them trapped inside it; standing on an invisible floor.
"What?" Chat Noir stepped closer. His voice was soft and gentle. Coaxing her to continue.
"What do you want, Marinette?" Adrien chimed in, his voice just as gently imploring.
"I just want this to be simple!" Marinette stomped, arms flailing. "Why can't I have both of you? Why can't you just be the same person?"
Both boys perked up, shock on their faces. They looked at each other, and held some silent conversation. In unison, they turned back towards Marinette.
"Your wish is our command," they said with impeccable unison; their voices matching perfectly, as if only one. They faded together, blending into one person: Adrien with is swooped to the side bangs, but wearing Chat Noir's costume, just as he had for the Clara Nightingale music video try-out. He also had Chat Noir's cheeky grin, but awkwardly rubbed his neck exactly like Adrien did whenever he was unsure or nervous about something.
"Do you think I'm purr-fect just like this, Princess?" Adrien-Noir asked.
"Yes." Marinette took his hands, and wrapped them around her waist. She then draped her own arms around his neck. "I wouldn't want any other but you."
"That's all I need to hear." He leaned down towards her, pulling her closer against him.
Marinette rolled slowly onto her toes, her lips reaching for his. Her fingers snaked into his shaggy hair, and his claws delicately scratched her back. Their eyes closed as their breaths mixed. Their lips brushed. The softness of his skin sending tingles through Marinette. She moved closer to press his mouth firmly against hers-
BZZZZZT. BZZZZZT. BZZZZZT.
Marinette bolted up in bed, flailing around for her phone.
BZZZZZT. BZZZZZT. BZZZZZT. BZZZ-whoomp.
Flopping back in bed, Marinette held her cell phone to her chest. She probably should get up and get ready for school, but she could afford one snooze.
She tried to grab at every image of her dream that lingered just on the edge of her mind. She wanted to thread them all back together. She remembered just starting to kiss Adrien when her alarm went off, but he was also not-Adrien. There was something more. Chat Noir was in her dream too. She vaguely recalled the different places he took her to prove they could still go on dates. She couldn't remember if she was wearing her Ladybug costume at the time, though.
There was a familiarity as well. Chat Noir and Adrien were somehow connected. Marinette couldn't recall how or why anymore, but she knew there was something that pulled them together in her dream.
"Tikki?" Marinette addressed the cork board covered in pictures of Adrien, instead of her kwami directly.
"Hmm?" Tikki sleepily replied.
"Can you make Adrien fall in love with me?"
"No." Tikki was blunt, but her voice stayed kind and comforting. "Love is something very special, Marinette. Us kwamis can't do anything against such a powerful force. We cannot make anyone fall in love, but we also cannot destroy it."
"Good." Marinette ran a hand across one of Adrien's pictures, then she brought up the Ladyblog on her phone. She quickly scrolled to a picture of Chat Noir, and zoomed in to his playful smile. "Something tells me love is complicated enough without you getting involved."
~ Thanks For Reading. Feel Free To Review And Come Back For The Next Prompt: Your Voice ~
*Closing Notes*
After struggling as to what to do for the AU while still having a cohesive over-arcing story throughout all 7 prompts, I realized I wanted to go with a dream sequence inspired by another work of fiction. As I mentioned in the opening notes, OHSHC went with "Alice in Wonderland," and I very loosely based this story on "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Did you pick up on that?
Tikki was Puck, and Adrien and Chat Noir were Lysander and Demetrius fighting over the originally ignored Hermia. Honestly, it was tough trying to portray that since the love square only has 2 members, and the square doesn't have the same dynamic as the Midsummer one. On top of that, writing a story that felt like a dream without outwardly stating so until the end was so tricky. I wanted to give more inner monologue and reflections, but Marinette wouldn't be able to mentally reflect while also in a dream, not without going full Inception with it. I also needed to edit out all non-essentials because your brain does the same thing when dreaming, and it's only your conscious mind that adds in the middle bits to make more sense of the whole thing.
This was truly an experimental work of fiction for me. How did I do?