Ladybug returned to her bedroom and de-transformed. Almost immediately, a cacophony of noise erupted from Marinette's purse as message notifications came in one after another.
I need to ask Tikki what happens to my phone when I'm Ladybug… I know I was able to get those letters out of my yo-yo a while back… does my phone go in there, too? Or does my phone's tech get absorbed into my yo-yo and act as the communicator? Anyway… let's see what's up. Oh! This is a nice surprise.
[Luka] Hey Marinette, it's Luka… I got your number from Juleka. I hope that's ok
[Luka] She showed me that video from last night… lmk when you're up and moving around. Hope you're doing well
Marinette looked at her phone and smiled. She was just about to text him back when another notification chimed.
[Alya] hey girl i'm finally out of the hospital, want to hang today?
Marinette decided to have the easier conversation first and responded to Alya.
[Marinette] that's great! I'm so happy you're alright. Have to take a raincheck on hanging out today… I have family stuff tonight. Luka is texting me now so stand by for updates or help if I need it
[Alya] don't let me stop u girl, u totally got this! let me know what loverboy says :))))
Marinette rolled her eyes and chuckled at her friend. Switching back to her conversation with Luka, she sent a message.
[Marinette] Hey! That's totally ok. Thanks for checking in on me. Very sweet of you. I'm fine. How are you doing?
He's probably not right next to his phone, so I can wait for a response. She pulled out her sketchpad and started drawing what she remembered of Serket. Maybe this will help jog my memory or help me put together a strategy. Regardless, I'll definitely want to bring this to Master Fu so we can talk about that tonight.
She was a good forty-five minutes into her sketch when her phone chimed. Picking it up, she looked at the alert on the screen.
[Luka] Everything is great here. Glad to hear you're ok. Can you talk on the phone now?
Marinette considered her options. Even if I text him, I probably won't be able to concentrate on this sketch. She sent back her response.
[Marinette] sure :)
Her phone buzzed. Marinette counted to five before answering it: "Hey!"
"Hey, yourself. How are you doing?"
"Oh, you know, the usual for around here. If it's not one thing, it's a supervillain trying to destroy Paris. How about you?"
Luka laughed. "I'm good, I'm good. I know we're going to see each other on Saturday, but I didn't want to leave you hanging until then… especially with what happened last night. Are you still going to be up for a guitar lesson?"
"Oh, absolutely! I'm looking forward to it."
"Great! Tell me, what kind of music do you listen to? I want to know what kind of songs you want to learn."
Marinette hummed. "Jagged Stone, but you knew that already. Besides him, my dad listens to a lot of Beatles music. Mom is more of an 80's person… and Johnny Hallyday, of course."
"Of course," Luka chuckled.
"Your turn - what kind of music do you luke, Like-a?... I mean… like, Luka. Sorry about that."
"Ha ha, no worries. I listen to a lot of stuff. It depends on my mood and what I'm feeling at the time. Music helps me express my emotions… like, if I want to feel a certain way, music can help me get there. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah… music is pretty powerful. I like to use it to calm down. It helps me focus when I'm working on a design."
"Exactly! Music just helps me… be. Awesome! This helps me get an idea of where to start."
Marinette smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Do you have to go? I really like talking to you."
"I've got a few more minutes… let's see, since you asked me a question, I guess it's only fair that I get to ask you a question back," she giggled.
"It's a deal. Shoot."
"How did you decide on blue for your hair?"
"What do you mean? My hair's naturally this color, I haven't dyed it in months."
Aaack! "I mean, uh, wow, that's amazing! I don't know anybody with blue hair naturally and wow, yeah, that's um… really really cool…"
Her stammering was interrupted by a laugh on the other end of the phone. "Sorry, Marinette, I was teasing. I do that to people I like. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I told you… I'm not very good at words."
"Oh! Ummm… ha-ha, yeah, sorry, of course! I'm not used to being teased, I guess… well, Dad does it, and Alya… so… aside from them…" This is turning out to be a disaster! Get it together, Marinette! Just picture him here when you were taking his measurements. You were so relaxed then… She closed her eyes and pictured Luka standing in front of her, smiling. He leaned toward her, his eyes locked on hers. She could feel his hand on the back of her head... This isn't helping! Focus, Marinette!
"Sorry… I'll have to get used to that if we're going to be spending more time together. But to answer your question seriously, I like blue. My hair used to be all blue but it's grown out a bit. I'm not sure what to do with it next."
Spending more time together? Yes, please! "You should re-do it. It's a good color on you. It makes your eyes pop."
"Pop, huh?" He chuckled. "I'll take the fashion expert's word for it. My turn. I'm guessing your favorite color's pink?"
"Guilty as charged," Marinette laughed. "I can't imagine how you guessed!"
She does have a sense of humor, Luka thought. She just doesn't like being teased. She's able to make fun of herself, though, which I like. Doesn't take herself too seriously… the more I spend time with Marinette, the more I like her. I'm looking forward to Saturday… I hope I can make it that long.
Luka and Marinette's conversation wound through the next hour. By the time it was done, both of them were glad that it wasn't a video call due to the deep blushes that had taken up residence on their cheeks.
Adrien was face-down on his bed. His kwami was hovering over him, munching on a wedge of Camembert.
"Kid…"
"Plagg, you told me not to worry! You told me that everything would be OK, and that Ladybug would handle it! And look what happened! Alya was hurt, Marinette could have been hurt…!"
"That wasn't your fault, Adrien… you would have been out of town in any case."
"Yeah, but if I had told Ladybug I would have been out of town, she could have gotten Rena Rouge or someone as a backup! Ladybug and Rena Rouge could have been there and stopped her! Something could have been done!"
"Adrien…" Plagg floated down and started purring to soothe his charge. "What could they have done? It looks like the akuma was just there and back in less than a minute, maybe two, tops. By the time word got back to them, it would have been too late. This isn't your fault." He nuzzled into Adrien's neck and purred louder.
Adrien rolled over onto his back. "I'm going to have to make it up to them, somehow. I wasn't there for my friends."
"You can be there now, Adrien. You should check up on them."
"That's true…" He pulled out his phone. "Hey, Plagg?"
"Yeah?"
"Marinette called for Chat Noir… should I go visit her with my ears on? Or should I text her just as… well, me?"
Oh, boy. There's a reason why Marinette wouldn't call for Ladybug for help… but you don't know that yet. Hmm… what's the harm in visiting her as Chat Noir? She's friends with him, too. "Why not both? Text her as Adrien now, and then visit her as Chat Noir later!" Checking in on his friend twice could even cheer him up twice as much, too… and it certainly can't hurt their relationship any… not that either of them know that! My life would be so much easier if these kids could get it together long enough to recognize what they already see behind the masks.
Marinette pressed the End Call button on her phone and turned to Tikki. "Wow, that was actually really nice! I think that's probably the first real conversation I've had with a boy in… well, forever, actually!" She laughed brightly.
"I'm proud of you, Marinette! You sounded so natural and relaxed!"
"It was wonderful! I really felt like we connected… like, as artists, right? He does music and I do fashion, but we're still creative people when you boil all of that down. At this rate, I'm not sure we're going to make it to Saturday, and I don't think that Saturday is going to be just a guitar lesson! I need to text Alya and tell her the good news!" She pulled out her phone and laughed again. "Oh, shoot, looks like I missed a few texts while I was on the phone with Luka… usually I feel the phone vibrate but I guess I was too wrapped up. Let's see who these are from… ack!"
Tikki flew over her shoulder and read the first notification.
[Adrien] Hi Marinette! I saw the video from last night and wanted to make sure you were ok.
"TIKKI!" hissed Marinette. "What am I supposed to DO about this? For the first time in forever, I feel like a boy is connecting with me instead of the other way around… and then he has to go and do this?!" She slumped in her chair and groaned. "Why does my life have to be so hard?"
She scrolled past the other notifications - similar messages from Nino, Alix, and Ms. Bustier - and dismissed them all. None of these are urgent. Marinette swivelled her chair to face her kwami. "Any ideas? And don't tell me to talk to Alya either, she'll probably have me do something crazy like date both of them or I don't know maybe tease me with texts that say Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Couffaine-Agreste or send me pictures of hamsters with their names on them -"
"MARINETTE! BREATHE!" Tikki ordered. She flew down and tried to shake Marinette by the shoulders, but the size difference was too much for her to overcome.
Marinette hiccupped. "Sorry, Tikki. I guess I got a bit carried away there."
"D'ya think?" the kwami laughed. "Relax, Marinette, nothing that has happened today is the end of the world. You've got a lot on your plate, so it's OK if you're feeling a little stressed right now! It's even OK to talk to other people about it… you just have to make sure you have the right people to talk to."
"So… Alya?" Marinette ventured.
"Consider the situation, Marinette. For girl things, maybe it's good you talk to your girlfriends. For Ladybug stuff, talk to me or Master Fu. Well… you can talk to me about anything," she quickly corrected herself. "What I'm saying is… it's normal to want different perspectives on things that are going on in your life. Eventually, you'll find someone that you can share everything with, but in the meantime, talk to the people you have right now."
"Sooo… Alya then," Marinette said flatly.
Tikki rolled her eyes. "Actually, Marinette, I was thinking you should talk to your mom. She was a teenager once too, you know. And I bet she went through something similar. Surprise yourself, and I think she'll surprise you, too."
Adrien was - quite literally - climbing the walls in his room.
"Listen, you might as well transform and get some air. Being cooped up in here isn't - oh!" The door opened and Plagg zipped away to hide.
"Adrien? Where are you?" Nathalie called. Her eyes scanned the room. "I swear, it's like that boy just disappears sometimes," she muttered under her breath.
"Here I am, Nathalie," Adrien called from the top of the rock wall.
She looked up. "Your father will be having dinner with you tonight."
Wow, Adrien thought. Dessert last night and then dinner tonight. What's the catch?
Nathalie continued, "He will be hosting a new board member for Gabriel Fashion. Your presence is requested since this person will be bringing their daughter tonight and you are expected to entertain her."
There it is. Back to reality, I guess. Maybe we can get Father to take another vacation.
"Yes, Nathalie."
"Tonight at seven. Remember your piano practice beforehand, please."
"Yes, Nathalie."
No sooner had the door closed behind her then Adrien called for Chat Noir. I'm getting out of here. Just when I thought things were getting better. He opened the window and vaulted out into the Paris afternoon. I think I'll check up on Marinette. If she's not home or can't talk, then at least I can cure my mood with a cream puff or twelve.
Marinette was just about to open her door to go downstairs when she heard a soft thump from overhead. She paused, then crept up her ladder to see what caused the noise. Poking her head out of the skylight, she gave a small shriek when she saw the bright green eyes of Chat Noir blinking back at her. "Chat! What are you doing here?"
"Sorry to startle you, Marinette. I just wanted to check up on you after last night."
"That's very sweet of you, Chat. I'm doing great, and Alya's doing great, too. She texted me a while back to let me know she was home from the hospital."
"I'm so relieved to hear that! It killed me when I heard that my friend could have been hurt last night without me there to do anything about it."
"Killed you, huh? Good thing you have nine lives," she smirked.
Chat stuck his tongue out at her. She can dish it out… "Yeah, especially since you called my name… I think I'm down to seven," he said mischievously, eyes twinkling.
"You dork," Marinette teased back. Seriously, is that all this poor boy can think about? "I'm guessing you're here to ask me about what I know, then?"
"Not really," Chat shrugged. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. You did mention that we could be friends, so…" he trailed off.
Sounds like he's the one who needs the friend today. "I'm sorry, Chat - it's been a busy day already today. Want to sit down?"
"I'd like that." He plopped down on the balcony and crossed his legs. "So… what's got you so busy today?"
"Hmm… well, let's see…" she started ticking items off on her fingers. "Akuma last night, video plastered all over Paris, friend in and out of the hospital, friends checking in on me… you know, the usual. I'm just a normal girl, with a normal life, after all," she grinned.
"A parade of friends sounds like it would do you good. Besides me, who's checked in?"
"Alya, Luka, Adrien, Nino, Alix… one of my teachers, strangely enough…"
"Luka?" Chat Noir blurted before he could stop himself.
"Oh, yeah, you probably don't know him. He's one of the very few people I know who hasn't been akumatized yet, so there's no real reason you two would have met. He's really sweet. We must have talked for over an hour," she said, then quickly cut herself off. He's the one who needs the friend now… he doesn't need to hear you babbling on about your love life, Marinette.
"Over an hour? Wow, that's… incredible!"
"Chat - I'm sorry. I'm sure you needed to talk about something, and I'm being a bad friend just going on and on about me. Why are you really here?"
"Uh… it was really nothing other than to see how you were doing. I'd hate to see something bad happen to you and me not be there. After your father… well… anyway, it looks like everything's OK, though, so I'll let you rest from your busy morning and night. It was good to see you, Marinette. Let me know if you need anything, OK?"
Before Marinette could answer, he stood up, hopped onto the balcony railing, and leaped off, baton twirling overhead.
Marinette went back down to her room, shaking her head. "Tikki, can you please explain to me how I suddenly have three boys interested in me? I don't care what he says, it got so awkward after I started talking about Luka that there's no way that Chat sees me as just a friend."
"I'm not sure what to say, Marinette! I know I suggested talking to your mom, but maybe it would be better if you just played video games and didn't think about boys for the rest of the day!" This will give me time to figure out what to say, too.
"You know what? That's a great idea! I'm going to go beat up on some giant robots and see if that helps out at all!" She sat down at her desk and pulled out a video game controller.
"That's the spirit!" Tikki enthused. "I'm going to be taking a nap if you need me!" She turned away and floated up to Marinette's bed. If Marinette had looked up from the screen, she would have noticed her kwami slowly shaking her head as she flew away.
"Plagg, she likes Luka! I'm telling you, I was so dumb for even considering that she was more than just a friend, or even thought of me that way! She'll hang out with me, she'll help me with homework, she'll talk about fashion… but it looks like that's the end of it from her. There's no way on earth that Valentine poem could have come from her. Don't get me wrong… I'm glad to have her as a friend, as a very good friend, even… but she's not in love with me. This is proof, and you can't argue with proof!" Adrien was pacing back and forth in his room, Plagg floating behind him.
"Adrien…"
"I just wish I knew who sent that poem, though! Maybe I'm not crazy… maybe Ladybug sent it to me, after all!"
"Kid…" You're getting warmer…
"I just can't picture Ladybug digging through the wastebasket in the classroom and responding to poems she found in there, can you? I mean… maybe she found it in the dumpster outside… but I still can't see her digging through trash… unless it blew out somehow and she picked it up… after all, she's Ladybug, not Litterbug…" Adrien chuckled to himself at his joke.
You're a litter-brain, is more like it, Plagg thought.
"Plagg!" Adrien stopped suddenly and whirled to face his kwami. "What if Ladybug is in love with Adrien? No, wait, hear me out on this! The night Chat gave her that rose on the rooftop, she told me there was another boy! When we were escaping Riposte, she got all flustered and blushing. And I've never seen her smile as wide as when she carried me back to the fashion show from the Eiffel Tower after Style Queen. Plagg! That must be it!"
Plagg did a double-facepalm.
"What do you think would happen if I went to Ladybug as Adrien and tried to get her to go out with me? It would be perfect! I'm in love with her, she's in love with me…" He drummed his fingers on his mouth.
"...you'd have paparazzi following you everywhere, your father would probably kill you for bringing negative attention to the brand… but most importantly, how would you contact her?"
"Hmm… I've got it! Just have Chat give her a note from Adrien! This is perfect, Plagg!"
"Kid… what do you think would happen the first time you needed to run off for an akuma? What would happen if she needed to de-transform? Or worse yet… what would happen if she found out that you're Chat Noir? She would probably kill you dead for tricking her into dating her partner! I don't want that, and you don't want that. I think Ladybug is best viewed from a distance."
Adrien frowned. "You're right; she hates liars. Ugh… this is totally wishful thinking. She's probably got some guy in her civilian identity that she's head over heels for. And good for her if she does! I just want her to be happy. But it would be nice if we could be happy together," he sighed.
"Aww… hey… kid… cheer up, OK? Dinner guests are going to be arriving soon and your father will be upset if you don't have your best face on. You're young. You've got plenty of time for love. Don't rush into stuff."
Adrien walked over to his desk and picked up the Valentine. "I'll find out who you are one of these days," he said, then headed off to the bathroom to freshen up.
The doorbell to the mansion rang, and Nathalie walked over to answer the front door.
"Hello, Mrs. Tsurugi. We're pleased you could join us."
"The pleasure is mine, Miss Sancoeur. I'd like to introduce my daughter, Kagami."
"It's nice to meet you, Kagami. Please, come inside. Mr. Agreste will meet us in the dining room."
Next time:
* "You will need to learn on your own"
* "It's, um, complicated..."
* "Life is just a fencing match"