Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. I own only my OCs for the purpose of this FanFiction.
"Moral wounds have this peculiarity - they may be hidden, but they never close; always painful, always ready to bleed when touched, they remain fresh and open in the heart."
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Two days later after the crazy dance, the Monday morning was normal for Olympe. The girls were getting their breakfast at the cafeteria before lessons and practice.
One table in particular had their eyes glued to their phones. They were the Divas and they were reading the news on Lila, still going strong after a weekend, especially that she was outed for siding with Hawkmoth.
Elisabeth stared at her green laptop, gawking wide-eyed. "Jake the Fake has really done it this time. He had to pick a girl asking for a chance in the spotlight and he actually put her in it."
"I knew that someday she'll get her karma." Tāmaki scoffed, puffing with hate got Lila since that night. When she lied about knowing her dance group and picking on her body shape. "You don't just say one mean comment and expect to walk away scot-free."
"She wanted it, plain and simple." Swanhilde stated firmly.
"If she came down from her high tower, she would've seen the dangers she's putting herself in." Jimena mused.
"No, she wouldn't. She's that delusional." Verity answered.
"I haven't seen this much news coverage on one person since Jon in Game of Thrones." Vanessa commented while reading the media backslash of Lila's lies on her lavender phone, the headlines flooding in.
'Girl Lies on LadyBlog of Knowing Ladybug'
'Lies Cause Mayhem at Hotel de Paris'
'Diplomat's Daughter Cost Place'
'Lying Brat Cost Parents Their Job'
'Italian Ambassador's Daughter Steal Money from Embassy to Travel'
'Ambassadors Steal Embassy's Money to Fund Daughter's Lifestyle'
'Italian Liar Terrorises London's Sweetheart in Paris'
'Girl Stole From London's Star'
'London Mayor Bans Liar from England'
'Lie-la Won't Let It Lie'
"Lie-la at the Root of the Problem!'
'Sociopath Runs Free'
'School Dance Ends in Disaster'
'Homophobic Girl Bullies Mayor's Daughter'
'Model's Girlfriend Cheats on Him'
'Stalker Blackmails Mayor's family'
"Oh!" Jimena perked up. "These are my favourites!"
'Teenage Terrorist Threatens Three Countries'
'Teenager In Hawkmoth's Sheets'
'Teenager in Cahoots with Hawkmoth'
"At least everyone knows Lila Rossi." Vanessa mentioned.
"Yeah, for being a big fat liar!" Verity exclaimed, bringing hers d the table into a hearty fit of laughter.
However, Marinette stayed quiet throughout the whole time. She read the latest news on her phone with a forlorn face, visualising Lila's wicked grin and the kids who were her 'friends' alongside.
Vanessa stopped laughing when she finally her friend's sad silence. "Mari? What's wrong?"
Marinette sighed. For today, she wore a white mesh long-sleeved top with red Chinese dragons prints dancing on it, a black bra-like garment seen underneath, clean white jeans, and black velvet slip-on shoes. Her hair was pulled up in a bun on top of her head and she had another set of earrings beside her Miraculous ones on her earlobes. Clip-on ones, long and dangling on a thin strand with tiny crystal-studded gold stars.
"They knew she was lying. They knew she hurt me. Why did they wait so long to do something about it? Why didn't they do anything?" Marinette questioned, more to herself than her best friend, numbly rubbing circles on her purse where Tikki laid beneath. Her bully was finally exposed but Marinette still can't forgive and forget her old friends who sided with the monster herself.
"Because they're idiots." Swanhilde said bluntly, the whole table nodding in agreement.
"Only a brain-dead moron would believe her made up junk!" Jimena called out.
"Or maybe they're like abuse victims." Vanessa inquired. "They confessed that she threatened them. Repeatedly. Like that girl, Julia."
"Juleka."
"I danced with her more than I talked with her. Me and you were here when she confessed Lila's bullying to everyone. Everyone else was probably torn between getting help and keeping quiet. It's not always easy to do the right thing."
Marinette gave Vanessa her best apologetic face. "Vanessa, I'm so sorry. It's my fault that's you're involved and got ambushed by the paparazzi in the first place."
Vanessa simply shrugged and grinned, not really bothered by the incident. She was more satisfied by the fact Lila got what she deserved. "The paparazzi ambushed me because of Lila, plain and simple as that. She lied about knowing my sister, she tells that lie to a boy who's secretly a reporter, he publishes it and the press go after me because I'm Crystal's sister. See? It's not your fault anyway. Lila's lies were gonna bit her in the bum anyway. If Jake hadn't got to her first, some other reporter will do the same thing on one of her lies or someone else get wind of her lies. Sooner or later, she's gonna get found out. No lie stays hidden forever. All she had to do is tell the wrong thing to the wrong someone and get the wrong person involved. Be it me or someone else."
"Chloe is the daughter of the Mayor of Paris and she never had to deal with your scrutiny."
"Chloe doesn't have a famous sister or a hardcore dad. She's considered 2nd class famous by other standards. Now, let's go! We can't be late for art!"
Back at Françoise Dupont, the class of Ms. Bustier sat in their usual seats while waiting for their first lesson to begin. Nino was back beside Adrien and Nathaniel was next to Alya. At the door, Juleka entered with a goofy smile, blabbering endless. Luka was behind her and he gently pushed her in the room.
"She's your problem now. See ya." He said to the room, giving a two-finger salute as he went away to his own classroom.
Juleka walked up to her seat beside Rose, chattering about a certain girl who inspired her to speak out.
Soon Ms. Bustier arrived but she wasn't alone. Mr Damocles cane in, followed by the most hated student in the school. The kids stood up at the sight of her.
"What is she still doing here?" Chloé sneered.
"Shouldn't she be flying back to Italy?"
"I heard she's going to jail."
"I thought she went into hiding."
"I thought her parents are home-schooling her?"
"Class, settle down." Ms. Bustier told.
Her students slowly sat down, burning glares at Lila. The girl grimaced at the hostile unwelcome.
"After a begrudging long discussion with miss Rossi's parents, we came to the agreement that she will spend every day and weekend in detention, cleaning the school without pay and doing community service." Mr. Damocles announced.
The class jumped into protest once again.
"What?"
"That's ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"
"She drove Marinette out and almost did the same to Juleka!"
"She deserves to be kicked out!"
"Arrest her!"
"SILENCE!"
Mr. Damocles's bellow set the teenagers to silence as ordered.
"Now, the reason why she's still attending this school in this city in this country is because she needs discipline. She needs to face the consequences of her actions. Expelling her is only what she wants." He shifted his glance on a scowling Lila as he continued to scold her in front of the class. "To ensure she won't be swindling away her responsibilities, she will be supervised at all times. And that is only my hand in it. I am not the only one Lila crosses. She upset two mayors of capitals, embarrassed three whole countries, disgraced her family, and let the whole world know about it. The mayor of London has contacted her parents and our mayor has ordered her to do community service as for her involvement with the city's most dangerous criminal. We have yet to find evidence of her involvement with Hawkmoth beside Chloe's confirmation but that doesn't mean she wouldn't be suspected in future akuma attacks. She has to pay her dos in Paris first."
"In other words, she won't be skipping to go to clubs and watching soap operas all day now." Chloe hissed to Sabrina and they snickered together.
'Now, I'll leave. Carry on. Hopefully, Catherine-Marie would forgive me for letting this happen…"
He left the classroom, leaving Lila under the teacher's disapproving stare and every classmates' hateful glare. All eyes on her, judging her every move.
Her punishment was to face the people she tricked.
Mustering what little bravery she had, she marched up to Adrien and Nino.
"You're in my seat."
Nino crossed his arms, frowning firm. "I'm not moving an inch."
"Move it, four-eyes!"
"I rather stand naked in a pit full of hungry tigers than sit with you." Adrien said with sass. "Nino stays next to me where he belongs."
Lila dropped her jaw to welcome flies. She numbly ascended a few steps up, believing that she might as well sit behind him. But like Nino, Nathaniel refuses to budge.
"Up!"
"Back. Off."
"Take a hike, Lie-la."
"Miss Rossi, sit at the back of the class. You clearly do not see what you've done to your fellow students."
"But ms-"
"Now, Lila!"
Lila growled yet she took her new seating at the very back of the classroom, away from her 'friends.' Class resumed until it was time for lunch.
It was the end of lunch with minutes to spare. Ms. Bustier's class decided to spend those remaining 10 minutes in the classroom.
"ALYA!"
One angry Lila marched up to Alya and thrust her phone out in her clutched hand.
"WHAT IS THIS?!"
Alya merely glanced to the phone and to Lila, smirking.
"Payback."
As she said, Alya finally gets her payback on Lila. She finally took down the joke video but also put up Lila's 'real news' and posted articles on Lila lying at the hotel and the bullying related to Olympe.
"This is slander!"
"It's the truth. Unlike your interview, everything I posted now is 100% real. With evidence."
"I'm even more humiliated! You did this!"
"I didn't have to do anything. Your big mouth did! I risked my career and my best friend helping you. You dug that hole yourself."
"No way! I have so many lawyers, I'll bleed you and your pathetic little blog dry-"
"That's enough, Lila!" Adrien stood up, snapping at her. "The only disability you have is deaf-blind because you clearly won't acknowledge what you done!"
"Adrien!"
"You're not in the green light anymore, nothing you do or say is innocent."
"That's not true!"
"Yes, it is! I tried to warn you, I tried to let you down gently, but you didn't listen. You just keep lying and lying, and destroying everything and everyone around you. My father almost threw me back to in home-schooling because of your lies."
"But he didn't, so there."
"No. He locked himself in his office and didn't speak to me after that. But you caused his reaction. Like what you caused at the club, the hotel and the dance. Making Marinette leave should've been the last straw. Almost ruining my life is where I cross the line and you did it anyway."
"Uh! Whatever." She scoffed, still not listening or even looking at him, refusing to believe her ruse is up, and just walked up to her lonely seat. Whatever attraction she possessed for him had washed away by the waves of hate.
As of now, Adrien Agreste was one of her many enemies.
She sundered pass Nathaniel, hard at work on illustrating his Ladybug comic. Fortunately, he got another chance with the magazine for his Ladybug comic after he come out being involved with Lila. And another shot at a professional writer.
A stack of freshly written papers plopped on his desk.
"Here's the script."
"You got it done already? Tha-"
Marc had already turned his back on him and walked away in less of a second. Nathaniel sighed, resting his face by his hands placed on the bridge of his nose. Marc did the work yet still refused to be anything but his writer for the comic.
As Lila stalked off, Kagami, who was with Adrien before she leaves for her own class, offered sage advice.
"I highly recommend duelling her. She committed a great dishonour on you and your loved ones."
"No, Kagami." Adrien answered.
"It's tradition in my family to duel the wrong doer."
"Oh, I know." Adrien recalled being chased by her first akumatized form, Riposte. He rubbed his back, vaguely remembering the sharp points of her sword.
"Fine, I'll do it." She flourished her rapier, swiping the air and made a serious yet dramatic pose. "We duel at the last ring of the bell."
"Kagami, no! She's doesn't even fence. She only made up fencing with the current champ to impress me. I would be more impressed if she didn't lean on me with her hands on my thigh!"
"Her tongue is like a sword, blunt but needs sharpening. Then her lies will be more convincing."
"I'm more concerned about Marinette. I haven't seen her since Saturday night and she's not answering my class."
"Marinette is a kind girl. She's like a cherry blossom. She's pure, sweet and often in pink."
"Exactly!"
"Yet she is fragile and easily trampled."
"Kagami! That's horrible!"
"I'm merely giving an example. I must go. Goodbye." She rose up and begun to leave, but not before she looked over her shoulder to Adrien. "And think about it."
He thought on her strange choice of words to describe Marinette. Sweet, pure and always in pink yet fragile and prone to be stomped on? How can Marinette be two different things?
Just as Kagami left the room, Juleka and Rose entered, the goth girl still talking and talking about her crush.
"….she's perfect, so down to earth to walk among us commoners when born as the daughter of a mayor, a powerful one at that, so I need to get rich soon, me being poor and her rich, we will be like Romeo and Juliet or Rome-a and Juliet, but she obviously doesn't care about money..."
The good news: Juleka could talk about her new crush.
The bad news: she's won't stop talking about her new crush.
She hadn't stop stop taking since that night, spending the rest of the weekend obsessing over Vanessa. She already gone to the stage of planning their future together.
"…our wedding will be grand to show our love while simple and humble enough, you'll definitely be there as my maid-of-honour and Luka as my best man, she'll have Marinette as her maid-of-honour or her sister, we'll each have a best and bridesmaid because we're lesbians, her famous family and friends will be there, Prince Ali as well…"
Her endless chatter about Vanessa annoyed Alya and Lila.
"…gay marriages really helped the rise of adoption so we'll have four or maybe five kids, adopt them from other countries, children in need of a good home, regardless of their birth and not just to help her father's image, the one thing she really hates is being used as a pawn in her father's political game, I figured it out on Saturday when Mr Damocles was chewing off Lila, anyways me, Vanessa and the kids will live in some cosy little cottage or we'll follow my mother's example and live on a boat, the kids will swim around and pretend to be pirates and Vanessa and I will sunbath and make a romance better than Titani-"
"SHUT UP!"
Julaka finally shut her mouth to stare wide-eyed at Alya who made the shout. (Lila was burying her face against the wooden desk, trying to block Jukela's blabber.)
"…Wha?"
Alya snarled through gritting teeth, shaking her ombré hair. "You've been going on about that stupid English muffin for the last 6 and a half hours!"
"But I love her! Here, I even have Luka write a song for her. You'll be Vanessa and I'll be me. She is a-"
"NO!"
"Ok, you'll be me and I'll be Vanessa." Juleka took a higher pitch with what was supposed to be a British accent. "SHE IS A-"
"STOP!" Alya shouted again, shutting Juleka up who made an adorable pout. "No more talking about her or I'll throw you into the Seine!"
Alya turned around to walk back to her desk, when Juleka smiled teasing.
"We'll have-"
She immediately silenced when Alya whipped back around to her, daring her to talk again.
"So close." Alya muttered.
As soon as her back was turned again, Juleka made a bold and blunt last word.
"A dog, a cat and a yacht!"
"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE GOING SWIMMING!"
At that, Alya chased Juleka all over the room, hopping over desks and pushing pass friends.
"You're crazy, Juleka!"
"She's in love!" Rose cheered, delighted for her friend.
"Who wouldn't with her?" Juleka swooned, moving onto another long one-minded discussion on her lady love. "But she's her own person and can date whoever she wants, but my heart will break if she does, she's so wonderful, I love her!"
Alya growled furiously like one of her father's animals when riled up. "Ugh...! You're worse than Marinette over Adrien!"
That one girl's name put a halt to their wild goose chase and placed a guilty silence on the kids. A number of whines voiced their regret.
"Marinette…"
"We need to talk to her." Adrien suggested.
"She was right all along." Ivan said, sending a dissatisfied glance to Lila.
"We gotta tell her." Alya said, rather adamant.
"What if she doesn't forgive us?" Mylene wondered.
"She will." Max assured, arrogance played on his body behaviour, promoting him to smirk and tilted his glasses. "According to professionals, people such as Marinette who are very forgiving are 10 times happier than everyone else who are not forgiving."
"You're forgetting the fact that Marinette is also quite stubborn." Kim pointed out.
"…True. She's 75% tougher than she looks."
Lila snarked from her distance, still going strong. "What makes you think she'll forgive you all after you all left her alone? She might decide not to be so forgiving."
"Shut up, Rossi! We only left her alone because of you!" Alix shouted.
"And she will forgive us!" Nino added.
("Manipulative cow..." Nathaniel murmured.)
"But she's not alone. She has Vanessa, right?" Rose mentioned.
At the exact same time, Juleka sighed whereas Alya groaned.
"I love her..."
"I hate her!"
"But why?" Nino asked his girlfriend. "Vanessa's cool! She's a wicked dancer and know every famous person, she's basically a nice girl and is everything Lila isn't. You've seen the way she egged on Lila."
"She's, like, better than Lila!" Chloé agreed. "She's the daughter of a mayor and my idol's little sister! She has proof!"
"Who has Marinette in her clutches!" Alya
Sabrina realised the girl's bitter attitude. It was jealousy. "Oh…You just don't like her because she's best 'mates' with Marinette."
"Don't remind me!"
"Then it's decided. We all go to Olympe to apologise to Marinette in person today." Adrien decided there and then, in a firm tone rivalling his father.
"Don't you have modelling to do?" Nino asked.
Their friends asked similar questions relating to his typical schedule. "Or do a photoshoot?"
"Fencing?"
"Piano?"
"Chinese?"
"Anything?"
"No, my whole day is free. As a matter of fact, I have nothing planned for the next week. Usually I have a month planned ahead."
"Really?"
"Yeah! It's strange though. After the party, I realised I've got a stain on my jacket. A stain! But my dad barely noticed. He just yelled at me for the media, told me to never go near Lila Rossi again and go back into his office. He usually freaks out at a wrong colour combination, like black and navy. First, he wants me to stay in the mansion, away from human contact, but all of a sudden, he doesn't care. Even Natalie spends her time with him."
"Now's your chance, bro."
"My bodyguard is still here. He can drive us."
"I'm taking my own limo." Chloe said. "You give the directions."
The bell rang and Ms. Bustier entered just a second later. For the next two hours, the teenagers sat in perfect obedience and contained nerves. As soon as the last bell rang, the kids shot up from their chairs, packed their books into their bags and flew out the door.
All except for Lila who stayed behind to stacked up the chairs.
Chloe stuck her head back in before she left, bidding a joke. "Have fun sweeping the floors!"
Lila growled at her and then snatched a nearby to starts sweeping.
Kagami was minding her own business when she was suddenly pulled in a herd of kids running like mad out of the school, piling into the white limo parked outside. Chloe and Sabina took the latter's limo just behind Adrien's.
Adrien, once he and everyone else was properly seated, gave the directions to his driver. "To 3 Romain and 7 Palumbo, please."
"Whoa…"
Those kids stared at the residence, hands gripped the gold bars of the gate, gazing up amazed at the school, no, castle.
Olympe was so elite, so exclusive, the kids from Françoise Dupont felt plain, old and ordinary under the radiance the building cast. Guarded inside, girls lounged on the grass or stood while talking in small groups, shooting teasing looks to the males ogling them as if they never saw the opposite sex before.
"Impressive." Kagami said, the least expressive.
"Wowee!" Kim exclaimed, more impressed with the girls than the school.
"Dudes, I think that we just found Beauxbatons." Nino gawked.
"It's...bigger than I imagined." Chloé made a comment.
"Marinette is in there?" Alya questioned.
"It's like she's studying to be a real princess!" Rose gushed, cupping her hands together.
"How do we get in?" Nathaniel wondered.
Adrien peeked in between two bars. "Hello?"
"Oi!"
"Here comes a princess." Juleka said as a girl their age marched on the path towards them.
She had bushy, thick hair cut short, swinging in a fluffy ponytail, coloured between deep brown and dark black, skin of warm mocha brown, and pink lips positioned in a frown. The most striking thing about her was her eyes. A deep, dark shade of green like emerald jungles, so fiery and hypothesising to see on her. Her body was shaped like a pear, strong legs with soft, deep curves and wide hips, adorned in a green leotard with a gold oriental design of a howling wolf and nothing else, even her feet were bare. Her sharp facial features were sharply made, right down to the prominent chin, catlike eyes and pointy nose. A tiny blue bindi donned her forehead.
"You lot again?" She snarled with an Indian accent. She faced the gate and the outsiders in a brave front. "Wasn't the put down at Balter enough to bruise your ego? Not even at the hotel or school dance? You want to a fourth?"
The other girls sprung up action and crowded around her as she made her challenge. All of them got unhappy when the truth of the interesting new boys came to view.
"We're not here to fight, we just want to go come in." Adrien reassured calmly.
"Tough luck. This is a gate. It's designed to keep riffraff like you out."
"Riffraff? I am the mayor's daughter!" Chloé shouted in outrage.
"We have one too, and a couple of politicians' daughters. We have all kinds of nobles here at Olympe. We have the former President of France's niece, twins of a Thai noble, triplets of a Swahili chief…" She then caught a glance at Kim's foot peeking out from under the gate. "Hey! You're trespassing."
Kim gave a girlish squeal as he quickly took his foot back. Not his proudest moment.
"Next time I see any of you losers step on Olympe territory, I'll squash you like a malaria mosquito in Mumbai!"
The girl in the leotard was as scary as a caged wolf, same as the other girls here at Olympe.
Max gripped the gate bars, feeling much safer on the other side from the female incarnations of Browser and his Koopas.
"Why are you so mad at us?" He whimpered.
"Lila was the one who lied her ass off." Ivan mentioned.
"Because you took her side. It's like you have no common sense. None of you do!"
"What's your problem?" "Alix asked. "It's not like Lila lied about you."
The Hindu girl let a growl rumbled out of her throat, her anger, barely contained before, now unleashed. "You wanna know my problem? Know what Olympe's problem is? Fine! It took me 7 years to meet the champions of gymnastics. I started training at 5 and didn't get noticed until I was 12. I only moved to Paris to attend Olympe last year. I worked my way up the ladder, I didn't lie to get the life I wanted. It's insulting that girls like me have to work our asses off and you guys are so stupid to believe a lying childish blabbermouth. You think I got this far because I'm rich? No! I'm rich because I worked hard and won as many competitions as I can, and I got sponsors! My family worked for generations on a farm of a more prominent family and my father was a rickshaw pusher and he still is!"
The kids on the other side actually felt waves of sympathy washed over them.
"We all came from lives we dreamed of doing things and we worked to achieved them. We have to prove that we have what it takes to go from having fantasies to living realities. You have no idea what it's like having to work every day just to get your name out there for one chance to shine. You have everything handed to you on a silver platter, so you don't have to work, especially her. Do you understand now why we at Olympe hates that lying tramp so much? And what's even worse? You blindly believed her and bullied poor Marinette."
"We didn't know!" Alix shouted.
"And you call yourself her friends."
"We're here for her, aren't we?"
"You wanna go?"
"Gymnastics is not a defensive sport."
"I can crush you like a Delhi blue fly with my bare legs!"
"Bring it, flexie!"
"Flexie?!"
"Alix, stop it!" Adrien pushed the pink-haired girl back, stopping the argument from escalating.
A voice called from inside the school.
"Mohini, you still out here or what?"
"Coming! Just taking out the trash." The Hindu girl called back.
"We're not leaving until we talk to Marinette!" Alya insisted.
"We stay out here all day and night if we have too." Adrien stated.
"What? My curfew is 9!" Sabrina freaked.
"We're staying until we see her."
"Now, ladies…"
In the gymnasium of the grand school, some girls sat in a circle as Valérie walked around inside, taking one step at a time, hands behind her back. The woman changed her tight dress for a simple black tank-top, green army camouflage pants stopping in between her knees and ankles, white cotton socks and brown combat-boots. Without the cover of her dress's long sleeves, her bare arms displayed stripy scars and a tattoo of an eagle spreading its wings, words embedded underneath, saying 'Donatien Bisset, 1981-2008'.
"First thing, I want to give my gratitude to Ms. Auberon for allowing me to hold a short class of my own and to you for giving the time to take my new class. For the next hour, I'm going to teach you the basics of self-defence. The world is a dangerous place at times, especially when you're a vulnerable woman left to it. Which is why I am proud to teach you all ways to defence yourselves. Pepper spray and speed-dialling 911 will not always aid you when you're assaulted by a bulky man."
Marinette sat in between Vanessa and a girl with dark skin and short hair, head up and ears listening to her. She hoped this class would teach her extra tips to be used when she's Ladybug and also to add good points in with Valérie.
"Are we gonna learn martial arts?" One girl inquired.
"Marinette knows martial arts." Another girl said.
"That is so racist and stereotypical that you assumed I know martial arts." Marinette answered in a snarky tone.
"Now, girls, calm down, there's no reason to fight over misled racism. And martial arts do have a part in my self-defence class, it is a great physical way to relieve stress, and my goddaughter is a champ at it. Now, everyone, stand up and follow my lead."
The girls stood as told.
"Without a volunteer, I'll demonstrate basic defensive moves. Whenever a male has trapped in his arms or have you backed against the wall, elbow him in the gut and knuckle him in the jaw, and even bite if he has his hand on your mouth. Then you kneel him in the crown jewels and give him a good kick. Repeat after me. Elbow, knuckle, bite, kneel, kick."
"Elbow, knuckle, bite, kneel, kick."
The girls copied her words and mimicked her moves. They went slowly at first, processing the information and tactics until they got faster as the new lesson planted in their minds.
Valérie nodded, walking passed each girl. "Very good. You're all catching on well."
She halted at Marinette's side, noticing how the clumsy girl was rather breezing through the lesson, practicing the basics with swiftness and strength worthy of a warrior. Everything came natural for the young girl.
"Marinette, how you fought before? Boxing, karate, anything?"
At once, Marinette dropped her punches and flushed bright red, embarrassed that her Ladybug was showing and trying to mislead her teacher. "N-N-N-No, madam! I'm way too clumsy to do any of that!"
Valérie chortled. "Remember, I trained in the French army for 10 years. I know when a person, young girl or grown man, has the experience of a soldier."
"Well looky here!"
The gym doors swung open and a man strolled in. He had more fat than muscles.
"A bunch of little girls playing boy games!" He sneered.
Valérie presses her hand on her forehead, attempting to calm her irritation down. "Saint Joan of Arc, give me strength…Guy, can't you see I'm in the middle of a lesson here?"
"Hey, I'm just making an observation! Don't be so prissy, woman!"
"Don't you have to deliver the food supplies Ms. Auberon required?"
"Already done. Anyway, you chicks are wasting your time. Fighting is no sport for wimps."
The girls scoffed in disgust. Even Valérie seethed in anger but she kept her cool and tried to be diplomatic.
"I am not teaching my girls fighting. I'm teaching them self-defence."
He shrugged his thick shoulders, not really caring. "Potato potahto. Same thing. You got the gender wrong. This is for boys only."
"Self-defence is not just for males."
"Girls can't fight. End of story."
"I am not a girl. I am a woman. And girls and women prefer the term 'self-defence.'"
"Sweetie, you can prance around in your big trousers but face it, you don't have the genetics for sports. Men do!"
"I'm a woman, and I find that gives me ample reason to learn and teach self-defence in this constant cycle of rapes, sexual assaults and harassments, repeatedly silenced and overlooked by generations pf misogynism!"
Guy frowned and gave a simple statement. "Boys will be boys."
"Is he serious?" One of the girls questioned.
"Ms. Duchemin has more fighting will in her whole body than you do in your index finger!" Another one jeered, promoting her friends to laugh and Guy to take defence.
"Girls, you should never provoke a-"
"Come on and fight me like a man!"
"…If you suggested."
Guy circled Valérie like a vulture or a buffalo depending on his size, eager to prove his manly-hood. The woman just stared at him causally, hands on her hips, looking annoyed. Her students giggled various words about the event being played out.
"Just what we need. A big, dumb man."
"He's gonna get his butt kicked, isn't he?"
"Oh yeah!"
Marinette gaped at what she was witnessing. "I don't know which is stupider: The fact that guy was taking in such a sexist manner whilst being in an all-girls boarding school or the fact he attempted to fight an ex-navy seal."
"It's good entertainment!" Vanessa, while grinning manically, had her phone recording the debate/duel, taping the two adults unaware. And she wasn't the only one. Several other girls were recording this glorious moment.
"You wanna play men's games? Wanna play with the big boys? I'll be your daddy." Guy jeered at Valérie before running at high speed towards her. "I'LL BE YOUR DA-"
In one flash, he collided with her arm stuck out to meet him and he immediately fell back hard, pain shooting back and front, moaning of the horrible experience.
Valérie flexed her arm. Not a single bruise or blemish made. She turned to the girls.
"Rule number 1: never be too eager to rush your opponent. Be patient. Always wait for the right moment to strike."
Guy stumbled to his feet, his skin turning red from the boiling blood underneath.
"THAT'S IT! YOU'D AWAKEN THE BEAST!"
He charged at her, throwing fists this time. She evaded his punches. One of his fists barely grabbed her chest when she grabbed his wrist by two hands. He whined as she crunched his hand, bringing him to his knees. The beast reduced to a whimpered mess.
"Rule number 2: always be prepared. Know how you can manipulate your foe. In this position, you can perform the chicken-wing." Valérie twisted his arm around his back. "The hand-bar." Then she straightened his whole arm. "The crowbar." She snapped up his arm in half. "And my personal favourite…" And then she stuck his hand in his mouth. "The pacifier!"
The girls cheered. Valérie proclaimed the lesson with a wide grin, unable to hide the satisfaction of making fun of this bully.
"I'm just a matron now, but for 10 years, I was a Lance Corporal from the French Navy until I honourably discharged 12 years ago. How about you?"
Guy tried to hoarse his answer out through the hand in his mouth. "…Ataman…Grey Warden…Champion…Masters…"
Valérie pulled on a bewildered expression. "I've never heard of that position. Has the army issued it after I discharged?"
"It's part of a video game, Ms." A girl said.
"Oh, then that explains it." She yanked his hand out of his mouth, keeping a firm grip on his wrist. "And rule number 3: Video games are not real war experience. Either is arrogance and cowardice. Always go physical!"
With one last mighty use of her war-like strength, Valérie flipped Guy and let go, sending him spinning twice in mid-air and then PLAM! He landed on his front, every arch of his body hurting like Hell by one woman smaller than him.
Valérie hauled him up back by his shirt's collar, sporting an out-of-character smirk.
"Boys will be boys. Always."
Then she hauled him to the door.
"And girls will be girls!"
He staggered off while every young girl recorded his 'fight' with Valérie and posted it. The video went viral in a matter of minutes.
Marinette couldn't help but make a prominent remark. "If you put our matron and an akuma in the same for 10 seconds, the akuma would be beaten to a pulp before Ladybug and Chat Noir got there to purify it!"
"Couldn't agree more!" Vanessa nodded, laughing.
Mohini entered through the doors after Guy stormed out, humiliated.
"Hey, Mohini, what's up?"
Mohini turned away from the embarrassed man and looked for the girls she wanted to see "Mari? The backstabbing group from the club is loitering outside the gates!"
Marinette immediately got scared. "Is she here? Lila?"
"The Queen of mean? No! Just her lackeys."
Marinette got even more scared. "How did they find me? What are they doing here? Are they here to tell me they still believe Lila and I manipulated everyone here to get revenge?"
Vanessa hugged Marinette around the shoulders, giving her comfort to calm down. "Easy, Mari."
"A mixed school involves boys." Valérie scolded.
"They're behind the gate, Ms, not on Olympe property." Mohini quickly added. Then she proceeded to tell Marinette. "They said they won't leave until they talk to you. They're rather determined for a bunch of spineless fools."
Marinette sighed with clenched teeth, but nonetheless, she knew she had no choice but to walk out, following Mohini to her old life.
Her old life waited where they firmly stood, at the gate, waiting for a chance to talk face-to-face with the girl they wanted to see.
And they saw that girl marching towards them. Like the last three times they saw her, she wore a different outfit, adorned a style more different than the last but suited her well and made her all the more attractive.
Adrien dropped his jaw, a blush blooming across his face.
"Oh. My. God."
"Wow…"
"She looks amazing…"
"Dang! She looks great!" Plagg popped up from Adrien's shirt, exclaiming loud and clear. He darted back in Adrien's shirt without being seen yet everyone now thought Adrien had said that, making Adrien blush redder than before.
Marinette stopped at the gate, the gold bars the only thing separating her from the past. The kinds of her past went silent, no power to say a single word for she had stunned them all with her bare presence.
Kagami was the first to snap out her daze and made the first step by complimenting Marinette. "Lovely attire, Marinette. The dragons are exquisite."
Marinette glanced to her, uncertain. "Thanks…" Then she glanced to everyone else with the same cautious look in her eyes. "What are you all doing here? How did you find out where I live?"
"You told us at Balter, or rather your classmates told us." Alya explained.
"You need to leave. Now." Marinette said bluntly, no hesitation in her voice.
"But Mari-"
"I don't want to see any of you or speak to you ever again. I spoke to you, now leave and not came back."
"That's harsh." Alix added.
"Maybe I want to be harsh for once rather than be sickly sweet all the time. I'm tired of pretending for you all."
"I thought after the dance, you'll be happy." Mylene speak up.
"I'm satisfied that Lila is getting her just desserts. However, that doesn't mean we're automatically best friends again."
"Come on, Marinette!" Alya shouted, gripping the bars and pressing her face in the space between to get closer. It was hard to take her seriously with her face all squished. "We said sorry so forgive us!"
"Alya, that may work with your sisters, but this is too far for me to forgive you."
"Mari!" Alya whined while Nino and Adrien pulled her out of the bars.
"Alya, we're trying to make her like us again, not hate us more!" Adrien said.
"Excuse me." Valérie said as she and Vanessa walked up after hearing that Marinette was getting upset. "Is there a problem here, Marinette?"
"Yes, and I used to go to school with them." Marinette answered snidely. Vanessa put her gentle hands on Marinette's shoulders, trying to comfort her. The very sight of the British girl sent Juleka in a goofy ogling mess and Alya in a growling state of jealousy.
Valérie snapped her hawk-like eyes on the would-be trespassers, successfully scaring them to take a step back. Adrien was the most terrified of her, remembering how she chased him as Hawkeye and almost killed him because of his gender.
"No boys on the premises!" She snapped.
"We're not the premises!" Ivan protested.
"Hey! You there, big guy!" Valérie shouted over the kids' heads, directed to Gorilla who sat in the limo with the door open as he waited for his charge and his friends. "Tell your boys to stop disturbing my girls."
Gorilla grunted. Yet he and her shared an intense stare in each other's eyes.
"Ms Duchemin, there's girls there as well." Vanessa pointed out.
Marinette looked at her old class and sighed in defeat. "Looks like I have to sort this out once and for all. This is my battle to fight. I can handle them myself."
Despite her parental instincts to protect Marinette, Valérie knew the girl was correct and this confrontation cannot be avoided forever. "Well, let me know if you want a hand with these jokers. Vanessa, come with me."
"If you need me, I'll be nearby." Vanessa whispered, casting Marinette a look of comfort and offering help before walking away with Valérie.
Juleka swooned and Alya growled.
"Jokers!" Nino scoffed. He and the boys, besides Adrien, chuckled about the matron.
"Check her out! Who does that lady think she is?" Kim asked.
Marinette's swift answer sent the boys into a staggering silence. "An ex-navy seal."
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Oh…"
"She knows 10 different ways to kill you with a popsicle stick and 18 ways using a single paperclip!"
"…She's sure hates guys." Max noted.
"She's doesn't hate guys. She's just protective of us, her female students. She's like a mom to us after the headmistress. Do you know how much grown men loiter outside an all-girls boarding school? We just had an obnoxious supply brute dissing us until she kicked his butt. Now what are you doing here, other than making remarks on my teachers?"
"We just want to apologise." Juleka admitted.
Marinette scoffed. "Apologise? Really? Now?"
"We're so sorry we didn't believe you earlier." Alya said with remorse dipping. "You don't have to worry about Lila anymore!"
"She'll do it again. She's that relentless."
"No, she won't! Everyone knows now she has a lying habit!" Nino confirmed.
"She's been punished! She has community service and clean up the school! No one is gonna trust her again." Chloe had said.
"You leaving was the wakeup call we needed!" Alya added.
"Lila was too much. She would do anything to get what she wants." Rose followed.
"Lila's lies are unravelling!" Max said.
"She's a terrorist!" Then Alix added.
"Total psycho!" Ivan commented.
"She's a...Sabrina?" Chloe asked.
"An attention-seeking power-hungry narcissistic blend of both a sociopath and a psychopath."
"Exactly!"
Marinette stayed silent for a moment until she asked one thing. "...why?"
"What?" Alya blinked.
"Why do you want me to come back?"
"Because you're our friend." Ivan simply said.
"We just want you to come back! That's it!" Kim bellowed.
Marinette crossed her arms and frowned. "Back? Go back to the toxicity of the schoolyard, back to your obliviousness of my feelings, back to Lila tearing me down?"
"We told you, she's no longer a problem." Alya repeated.
"She's always a problem."
"Don't be like that. We miss you."
"You miss me? Miss me doing favours for you? Miss me letting you take my place in the line until I was at the end again? Miss me giving you free pastries that get cut out of my allowance? Miss me designing free outfits for you, doing everything on my own? You couldn't do anything on your own! You have to make me do it!" Marinette switched her frown to her former crush. "
Adrien, you told me to let Lila lie. You said it yourself."
"I-I-I-I didn't say it like that! I was trying to help!"
"Well, you weren't. You knew she was lying but you didn't help me. Instead, you told me to take the high road and let her realize her mistakes. But she didn't. She wouldn't. She wouldn't see the error of her ways if she was driving and her error is a deer! You keep going on and going on how I'm a great friend to you! But to me, you're not. None of you are!" In her fury, Marinette then noticed Kagami standing at the edge of the small crowd. "Kagami, what are you doing here?"
"I'm simply here as a bystander. Don't mind me."
Marinette rolled her eyes and looked away, jumping to the conclusion that she was here because she was Adrien's girlfriend. That was almost as bad as Lila dating Adrien.
To distract herself, Marinette asked Alya. "Alya, if you knew she's lying, why didn't you call her out? You still run the interview."
"She threatened me, girl. I couldn't stop her."
"I thought you were tough dealing with Chloe. I guess Lila telling you what you want to hear."
"She's much smarter than Chloe!"
"I'm right here!" Chloé said, insulted.
"Marinette, if you knew, why didn't you do something?" Mylene questioned, sending Marinette in another furious rage.
"I did do something, and it got me exiled! None of you listened to me and had the gall to demand evidence!"
"Lila was very charismatic!" Kim protested
"It's not just Lila! It's all of you! You're all so fickle! You're quick to use me and then drop me! I don't trust any of you. I thought we were best friends!"
"We are! Still are!" Nino shouted back, sounding desperate.
"You belong with us! At Françoise Dupont." Adrien said firmly.
But Marinette shook her head, her long earrings swinging to the movements of her head. "I'm not going back there. I like it here. I have new friends who got my back, my generosity is returned, I do more designing in a day than in a month! Olympe is my new home. I can't leave it. I won't."
"Oh, come on!" Chloe huffed. "You can't stay here!"
"We'll do anything!" Adrien pleaded.
"What are you gonna do? Duel Lila?"
"Absolutely!" Kagami piped.
"No, we're not!" Adrien shot her down, angering Kagami and Marinette even more.
"Are you gonna do anything? You already did nothing. You all let Lila lie, you all let Vanessa and Mr Damocles call her out."
"It all happened so fast…" Sabrina said weakly.
"This isn't about what you would do! It's about what you didn't do."
"What's the difference?" Alix inquired.
"Time. You didn't help me when I need it the most and then you say you'll help me when I no longer needed it. You're too late. Even I am never that tardy. You're a month too late. Even if you knew Lila is a liar, that still doesn't change the fact you did nothing to stop her. It took you too damn long to help me now. Mr Damocles called her out, and before that it is Crystal and Vanessa!"
"Juleka called her out!" Alya shouted.
"I'm sorry...but by then, the damage is done. You know what? I shouldn't be even apologising. You did nothing to stop her, nothing to help me until the minute after she got what she deserved. You left me alone to deal with everything. No matter how much I love you all, you clearly don't love me back. Our levels of love don't match. I would move the moon and shield the sun for you. And you dropped me like a falling star. I'd done so much for you all. Who designed every poster for Kim and Alix's races? Who brought free pastries every morning? Who gave you all discounts at my parents' bakery? Who babysit your little siblings while you go on dates? Who did most of your work while having her own as class rep? Who gave up chances with her crush to give them to you? Me. I did everything. I did so much for you all. And did I ask for payment? No. I was just a friend who does everything for free, who you take for granted of. Vanessa and everyone at Olympe have done for me more in day than you ever did. I help them and they help me. They don't say 'thank you' and walk away. They return the favour."
Behind Marinette, her fellow ladies at Olympe cheered her on.
"You tell them, M!"
"You go, girl!"
"So…you're not coming back?" Adrien didn't want to ask that as he knew the answer.
Marinette crossed her arms. "As I said, I like it here."
Adrien took in and let out a deep sigh. "If you still don't want to come back, that's fine. But know we're so sorry. We'll do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness."
"It's gonna take a lot more than a few apologies to make me forgive you."
"I don't care if it takes a century!" Alya proclaimed.
"Like you have the patience. You couldn't even wait 10 minutes for me to get up in the morning."
"You sleep like a rock!"
"I waited two hours for you to meet up at the movies, only to learn that you took Lila out for ice cream for her 'tonsils operation.' You never even sent me a text earlier to cancel. You just went ahead and left me to deal with the consequences. I got grounded for staying out pass my curfew. I have enough of being taken advantage of. I have enough of being selfless all the time."
"Oh please! You're acting like a child!" Chloe chimed.
"Don't be so selfish!" Sabrina scolded.
"I'm not allowed to be selfish for once, but you can be selfish all the time? I'm a teenage girl! I'm human! I have feelings of my own! I feel hurt and pain and depression and loneliness! I'm not made of sugar!"
"We can't let you get akumatized!"
"Lila is allowed to get akumatized three times, but I'm not allowed thinking of the possibility of getting akumatized?"
"But Marinette, you're sweet and kind and perfect-" Nathaniel tried to say but Marinette cut him off.
"A perfect pushover."
"A cherry blossom." Kagami added in.
"What?"
"Never mind her." Adrien said. Now he was squeezing his head in between the bars, hands gripping the gold pillars, looking desperate. "Marinette, if you hold onto this grudge against us, you're never gonna be at peace. It's gonna haunt you every day, every minute and second, for the rest of your life unless you learn to forgive us and live your life to the fullest. Please, I'm only saying this just to help you, even if you hate me."
Marinette bit her lip, pondering over Adrien's piece of advice. Against her will, his voice made the clockworks in her mind turn, promoting her heart and head to formulate decisions that will conclude this conservation.
She lifted her gaze up at the kids awaiting her next answer.
"You're right. I'm a good enough person to forgive you…" She finally said.
The co-eds grinned, believing they conquered her stubbornness and eventually won her over, as if the struggle was over for them. Adrien had the biggest, brightest, happiest smile on his face as he reached forward to hold her hand.
However, Marinette pulled away from his bare touch.
"…but I'm not stupid enough to trust you again."
She shifted her body around, her back facing the gate.
"That's all I have to say. Now please leave or Ms. Duchemin will escort you all away. Goodbye."
"Marinette..."
Head held high with as much pride she can muster, Marinette strode away, from the golden gate keeping her old life out and to the safety of her new life. Her fellow schoolgirls followed after her. The doors of Olympe opened for her, welcoming her, basking her in its warmth.
"Wait, don't!"
"Don't go!"
"Marinette, please wait!"
"We need you!"
"MARINETTE!"
Pleading screams drowned as when the doors closed behind the last Olympe girl.
Once safely secured inside, Marinette's brave persona dissolved. Her almost-stoicness immediately altered to her crazy expressions of paranoia. She dropped to her knees and brought down in tears. Her pretty pink-ish face blooming red from the crying and wailing. At once, everyone nearby ran to her aid. Vanessa and Valérie knelt down and rubbed her back in circles of comfort.
"You were very brave, Marinette, to face your fears like that." Valérie complimented.
"I acted like a bitch to them!" Marinette wept.
"Language!"
"You were honest." Vanessa soothed. "Hurt, betrayed…Confessing your true feelings is better than putting on a fake apology."
Marinette inhaled and exhaled, again and again, slowly gaining her breath and forming words to speak.
"It's just…it's so hard to forgive them. I know it was the right thing to do. But…it feels like it was the hardest thing I ever done."
"I agree."
All heads snapped up to Ms. Auberon, the light shining behind her as a holy halo. The old woman bent down to kneel before the young girl, back straight and her skirt pooling around. Even when lowing to a deep level, she remained her elegance, regal and poise.
"I'm disappointed that Mr. Damocles didn't notice this bullying problem until it hit the news. He just called me that Miss Rossi is now severely punished for her actions. But as you said, it was too late. The experience has hardened you. But also, you learned from this past incident. You are stronger than before and wiser, and I trust you can make the right decision out of the goodness of your heart."
Marinette gazed up at her headmistress. "Should I forgive them?"
"Yes." Ms. Auberon answered right away. Marinette looked away, slightly dissatisfied. Then Ms. Aubderon stroke her chin, bringing her face back up. "When you want to. You need time to forgive and forget."
"M, you don't have to forgive them if you don't believe in them." Mohini spoke up from the surrounding girls. "There's no rush, even if they say otherwise."
"Forgive in your own time. Focus on the now. Focus on us." Swanhilda advised, sounding more like she was delivering a definite demand than offering a suggestion.
Through glassy eyes, Marinette strained a small smile, bubbling with joy and warmth formed by the people around her, the adults who protected her, the great friends she made who supported her.
Even her old 'friends' were genuine towards her.
In time, she will forgive them.
Just not now.
"Wait, don't!"
"Don't go!"
"Marinette, please wait!"
"We need you!"
"MARINETTE!"
Her old 'friends' stood outside at the gleaming gate, left alone and stunned at Marinette's exit and passing words. Ms. Duchemin had glared at them but made no move to drive them away, knowing they will leave on their own free will, and went after the girls, ultimately deserting the outsiders.
"Mari…"
They stood alone, hit by a horrible realization.
They had lost their everyday Ladybug.
"…That went well." Ivan finally said.
"To rebuttal your proven fact, Max, she is definitely not so forgiving anymore." Alix commented.
"S-S-She's probably just 74% confused." Max stuttered.
"Confused? More like assured." Nathaniel remarked.
"She did so much for us, and we took advantage of that." Mylene recalled, ashamed of herself and her friends.
"Can't she just let it go?" Kim questioned.
"Would you let go if the same experience happened to you?" Kagami proclaimed. "Having everyone you trusted turn their backs on you on the account on your bully? Forgiveness is not always easy. Lila caused great damage. Unless she dies, a fool may not be cured."
"Why weren't you helping?" Alya spat out. "You said almost nothing the whole time."
"This is your battle to fight, not mine."
"Lila's right about one thing." Juleka said with a sad face. "Marinette didn't forgive us."
"She will forgive us." Adrien promised. But even he was unsure and heartbroken.
"But at the cost of never trusting us again!" Rose wailed, fisting her hair.
"If Marinette won't come out, I will just transfer to Olympe myself and get her out!" Chloe exclaimed.
"I don't know, Chloe." Nino said. "Olympe requires talent, not money. You clearly can't buy yourself in there."
"I have talent!"
"The amazing ability to get as many people akumatized in a day is not a talent."
"Why you..."
"I told you to duel that liar. Marinette deserves a grand gesture to demonstrate your feelings for her." Kagami interrupted.
"Not helping, Kagami." Adrien snarled.
"I am helping you. You are just not listening. The problem is your indifference and silence. Marinette was right. You did nothing. Your hesitation has cost you a dear friend. You say you cherish her, yet you stood as frozen as statues when she needed help from Lila Rossi. You failed her once too many times and she's afraid you'll do it once again!"
"WE'RE NOT STATUES!" Adrien yelled at her in the face.
Everyone was taken back, shocked, bewildered. Never had they heard nice-guy Adrien Agreste raise his voice at anyone, even at Chloe.
Losing Marinette has really pushed his limits.
On the other hand, Kagami was unmoved. "Then do something then stand around like statues. Stop telling and start showing."
She turned her back on him and marched to the limo. Soon, everyone got into the limos and headed back to school, having nothing else to do.
Throughout the ride, Adrien pouted with such sorrow, sagging over his seated form.
"Nino, can I come over to your house?"
"Sure, man. But your pops mind?"
"I told you before, I'm free for the whole week. My father wouldn't notice me gone. He just spends all day in his office, doing business with Natalie."
Loud smacking echoed through the dark walls of Hawkmoth's lair. Gabriel and Natalie held each other tightly as they ravaged their faces off, shame toss to the wind. After a long time of heated snogging, the two adults broke apart, heaving breathing and stared at each other.
"That was nicely done." Gabriel smirked.
Natalie sniffed a small giggle, her eyes and lips full of pure love.
"Nooroo, dark wings rise."
"Duusu, spread my feathers."
Purple and blue engulfed the room, leaving Hawkmoth and Mayura in their place.
Hawkmoth stepped forward, tapping his staff. "I sense strong negativity from this man. Another perfect target."
He grabbed a white butterfly, squeezed and released a purple one. He let it fly to across Paris, to flutter toward Guy, walking down the street, head down and rubbing sore muscles. The dark butterfly emerged with the glass trophy he shamelessly carried in his bag, the symbol of his masculinity.
"What an awful day. Humiliated by a woman and the girls who put your gruesome defeat on live for all to see, all for expressing your opinion. Its tradition for men to fight and girls to hide. A woman should know her place."
Despite the obvious insult to her gender, Mayura stayed silent.
"I'll give you the power to show your supreme place over women, if you will get Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous."
Hawkmoth's charm worked on Guy. He grunted with a nod, the butterfly-shaped mask on his face as his whole body hardened into clear glass.
"Ladies, here comes MasterMan!"
Akuma of the day: Guy
An arrogant and chauvinistic man who drops off food supplies for Olympe.
Guy means 'guide' in French and pronounced 'gai'.
Akuma- MasterMan; it's the manliest name for an akuma I can think of. The fact he has a body of glass streams from Charles VI of France. He suffered from such debilitating mental illness that he forgot his own name, children, wife and identity as king. He actually believed that he was made out of glass and tried to prevent him from breaking.
Nino made a reference to Harry Potter. Beauxbatons is a French wizarding school of beautiful students.
I'm not Hindu and have no one around me for real information, so bear with me and correct me if I'm wrong. From my understanding, a bindi is a red powered dot positioned between the eyes on the forehead of a Indian Women. It's traditionally used for married women and sometimes, unmarried girls will wear bindi's in different colours, so Mohini's bindi is blue.
Valérie fighting Guy is based off a scene from the movie, The Pacifier, where the Vice-Principal and wrestling coach attempted to wrestle a navy seal. Big mistake. And so funny!
Guy's online ranks are based on the most popular video games The Witcher, Dragon Age, and Overwatch.
"Unless she dies, a fool may not be cured." is a Japanese proverb Kagami said to illustrate Lila. Unless Lila dies, she won't stop lying!