1 – The author does not own or makes any claims over Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Tale for entertainment purposes only.
2 – Thanks a lot, everyone, I am overjoyed with your response. The response I was expecting from other tales of mine, such as Who Killed Trixie?, I am having here. Thanks for making my days.
oOo
Kwamisplaced - Riding with the King
Early in the morning, exiting the bathroom all dressed for school, Adrien was greeted by a smiling Tikki.
"I don't have to wake you up? That's great" both said in unisonous, before laughing some.
"Keep impressing me, Tikki, and I will consider having my ears pierced for your miraculous. He showed his clothing inner pocket "Shirt or backpack, what do you prefer? Don't worry, clean, cheese-less one."
"Thank you", she said, floating to his pocket She nested there, enjoying the sooth sound of a human heart and the rhythm of breathing. If Plagg ignores all that and just thinks with his stomach, Tikki thought, he's even a bigger fool than she imagined. Adrien got to the house intercom to announce he was ready for school and going downstairs for breakfast.
At a Paris patisserie, Marinette grumbles something after her mother called her downstairs. And turned to the other side, going back to sleep.
Five minutes later, Sabine Cheng called again.
Another five minutes, she was at her daughter room, shaking her.
"Marinette, sleeping beauty, you are late!"
"Wha…" the teenager looked at the time and jumped out of bed, rushing to get ready. Sabine laughed. "I thought you were past this phase. During the past months you never slept in like so."
Because, Marinette thought while grabbing the black kwami before her mother realized the "stuffed toy" was snoring, in the past months Tikki woke me up.
"Sorry, mom, and thanks for waking me up, mom, ghhhd m'ghning, mmmmhm" she said, trying to put a shirt on and brush her teeth at the same time.
"I will warm up a croissant for you" Sabine said, going to the kitchen.
Plagg yawned and looked at the time.
"I can sleep all those minutes more with you? Mari girl, have you ever consider fighting akumas wearing black?"
The teen was jumping around her room in one feet "Less jokes, more finding my other shoe, Plagg."
Inside he car, Natalie gave him a unhappy look.
"Stop by a patisserie? Why?"
"My friend's parents' patisserie. Just a quick stop." He thought a little "It's, huh, good politics to show that support."
"I suppose. But don't buy anything with too many calories."
"Don't worry." That was true. Adrien was planning on get some real cookies for his temporary red companion, nothing for himself.
The talk made Tikki alert. Yet more when she heard a familiar voice – Marinette's father.
"Two cookies, a box of macarons. That will be…" he was cut short with Sabine coming down the stairs.
"She is finally up. Oh, hello, Adrien."
"Good morning, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng."
"Look at you, ready to school, I bet you did not need to rush or stress every morning. I wish Marinette was more like that."
"Ah, is Marinette still here?"
"She just woke up."
"I can give her a ride, so she will not be late."
"Would you do it? Thank you, Adrien."
Inside his pocket, Tikki sighed. Times like those make the whole 'secret identity' thing not worth it.
"I will just text Natalie." He took a few steps back as searching for privacy and managed to insert half a cookie on his pocket before getting his phone. Tikki smiled. Plagg's kitten is really very caring. Too good for the kwami of destruction. Wayzz would be more adequate, even Dusuu, if she ever returns. She would talk with Master Fu about that.
Trying to be discreet, Adrien looked at the patisserie clock, as the minutes went by. Finally, Marinette appeared, with a croissant dangling in her mouth.
"Buh,'ad. Buh, mum, ah" she saw Adrien, enough to her chin drop and the bread to hit the floor "Ah-Adri.."
"Hello, Marinette. Need a ride to school?"
"I dire to attest. I mean, I ace the tired, no, I accept the ride!" she tried to smile "Thanks."
Getting to the car, before Natalie could say a thing, Adrien gave her the box of macarons.
"For both of you to share, a thank you for waiting" he said, pointing the Gorilla.
"Get in at once. Tardiness is not allowed."
Of course, thought Marinette, his assistant would sit between her and Adrien, a statue that was clearly not happy in having the bakers' daughter on the car. She was so troubled with the assistant expression she answered in an even worse way to Adrien:
"How was the rest of the field trip?"
"Adrien so nice, I mean, it was nice, Adrien. I-I found a kwa, huh, ah, awkward taking my crops home, that's it, I certainly did not lost nor found anything there." She lowered her head blushing. Adrien sure messes with her head.
Plagg was holding his mouth trying not to laugh. Such funny girl being ruined by the strictness of that Red Granny of Creation. Would Marinette not be better off with someone more relaxed, like Trixx?
Tikki, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. She was getting quite good in translate Marinettisms. Did she just said… nah. Impossible. What would be the odds?
Mercifully, Adrien and Marinette avoided Chloé's hissy fit leaving the car, and crossed the gates just a minute before classes start.
Inside the class, Alya was pretty excited with her matchmaker role.
"They are coming, Nino. You know what to do."
The boy was looking down.
"I don't know… feels wrong to lie to my best friend."
"Really? And what do you think it feels to disappoint your girlfriend?"
"Hmpf"
Soon Marinette and Adrien were greeted by their friends. Alya aited a few moments, until slapping Nino lightly to remind him of his part.
"Ouch. What…" He shook his head noticing her hand signals, but went on:
"So, Adrien, got that SVT* report sorted out? You must have it by tomorrow, right?"
The model made a painful face "The report. I was forgetting about it." Worse, how can he study for it and meet this Guardian at the same time?
"Nino, can you…"
"Oh, sorry, dude, I am busy this afternoon."
"Busy?"
"Yes, I have, huh…" He turned to the back seat, where Marinette was pointing to her teeth, and Alya was moving her glasses up and down.
"Yes, I have to see my oculist" he said, pointing to his teeth. "I mean, dentist" and moved his glasses.
Alya could not hold a groan and came to the rescue.
"He is going to the dentist and afterwards we're going to check a big sale of frames, Adrien."
"T-that's it. Gotta keep looking good, dude."
"Sure. But I don't need much. Just give me the basic points during recess and I will handle it."
"I, I, I left my notes home where my dog ate then. Sorry."
Adrien was beginning to wonder if Marinette condition of not being able to speak with him was contagious, when another girl called his attention.
"Adrien, I think Marinette is available for the SVT study." Said Alya, cutting Nino's torture short.
"Good morning, class." Said Ms. Mendeleiev, entering the room, and without missing a bit "Equations. Let's continue with…"
Marinette could not hear what was being said and written in the board. She had to be at the museum at a given time, that's what she wrote in the note…but Alya was never going to forgive her I she ditched the date. And she really, really wanted to spend some hours with Adrien. If she misses it just to return Plagg to his Holder…
"I will kill that alley cat."
"Marinette, is there something you want to share with class?"
"eeeep" A tomato-red Marinette realized too late she said the phrase aloud "Sorry, ms. Mendeleiev."
Now Tikki wished she would have chosen the backpack. Everything points to Plagg being with Marinette. Inside the pocket, she could not move without being seen. Without being able to check for the Cat Kwami, all she could do was wait.
*SVT – Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Life and Earth Sciences, french schools discipline that unites biology and geology.
At the recess, Adrien asked Marinette for a quick look on her notes on the farm and field class. She nodded.
Alya, however, was pressing on.
"Come on, Girl, you will not miss spending the afternoon with Adrien."
"I will do what is best for him, Alya. If he just needs to see my notes now… I will get then on the locker." And also slid the note on your locker, she added mentally.
She did those quickly and was about to race to Adrien, when:
"Wait right there, baker."
Of course, Chloé had to make Marinette day more difficult. She got close, Sabrina at her side.
"I don't know what's your plan with my Adrikins, but will not work. Riding at his car? Studying together? You are really testing me, Marinette."
"Chloé, it was Adrien who offered me the lift, and he asked me for my notes, and, and, I don't need to justify myself to you."
"As if. As if Adrien would like a girl who does not even knows how to hold a pen."
"What?"
"You have a big ink spot in your face. Must have leaned on your pen. Hah, what a loser."
Marinette rushed to the bathroom, looked on the mirror to see a clean face… and notice someone was blocking the door. The voice of Sabrina was heard at the other side.
"Sorry, Marinette, but Chloé wants to talk with Adrien alone."
"Sabrina, let me out."
"Just a few minutes, don't be mad with me, please."
Marinette fell on her knees on the floor, above frustrated.
"I lost Tikki, I will gave up a date with Adrien, I am locked in the bathroom, what else can happen?"
Plagg was flying around, excited
"I knew all the stories about the girls' bathroom were but legends. Minus a few things, it looks just like the boys'. And doesn't smell that differently, too." He noticed Marinette long face, before producing a slice of smelly delicacy "Cheese?"
The girl groaned.
After a while, she heard a quarrel on the other side, and Alya opened the door with a very nervous Sabrina behind her. Plagg barely managed to hide inside Marinette's purse.
"Please, don't go to Chloé, she will be mad with me."
Alya ignored the blonde's minion.
"Come, Marinette, there's a lot going on.", she said, grabbing the dark-haired girl arm and dragging her full speed through the school, to a private spot.
"Oh, my goodness, Marinette, I don't know where to begin. We must rescue Adrien from Chloé, sure, but you are not going to believe it! Ladybug wrote a note for me. Ladybug! She asked me a favor. She wants me to post a message to Chat Noir. Can you believe it? This is the best thing ever!"
"That's fantastic, Alya. So… are you going to post it?"
"Sure, but I don't think it will be necessary, as probably they will meet soon."
"What?"
"Oh, a tiger escaped from a circus. Too bad it's far away from here, in Vaugirard arroudissement. I will not be able to record it, but Ladybug and Chat Noir will surely control the situation. Now, about Adrien…"
Next: Bullies and Tigers and Kwamis, oh my.
Funny how things work. I was looking for a crisis that would require the heroes attention, but did not want something as serious as an akuma. Who knew a real-life news from real-life Paris would give me what I needed?