It's what a lot of you have been waiting for. THE RISE OF LUKA!
Lucy, Talia, Marinette, Alya, Rose, Julika, Ivan, and Mylene were setting up Julika's houseboat for the concert they would be putting on for the music festival happening in Paris. Several big names would be playing in different locations around the city as well as gigs performed by smaller bands in between. Rose, Julika, and Ivan were all part of a band named Kitty Section. Lucy had thought it was an interesting choice in name but then again there are bands out there called 'Bowling for soup', 'Crispy Ambulance', 'Hoobastank', and 'Rage against the Machine" as well as a ton of others. So all in all, Kitty Selection really wasn't all that strange. Looking around, Lucy nudged Talia as she moved some boxes out of the way.
"Hey, where is Luka?" She asked earning a shrug from her dark-haired friend.
"Probably in his room. I mean it's a boat Lucy, there are only so many places a person can be."
Lucy rolled her eyes and walked toward the steps that lead to the rooms below deck as Talia called out to her.
"My little cousin isn't your rebound Lucy!" The blonde didn't look back at her but instead lifted her hand to give Talia the finger from over her shoulder as she descended the stairs. Knocking on Luka's door she waited to be invited in before opening it and giving Luka a small smile which he returned. "Hey, you." She greeted.
Since discovering Julika is one of Lucy's friends, Talia had taken it upon herself to drag Lucy along the past few times she has visited. In that time Lucy got to know Julika a little better, as well as Rose who happened to be around as a well a majority of the time. She naturally also met Julika's older brother Luka. Luka was younger than Talia but older than Julika and Lucy. Anarka, Luka, and Julika's mother was a very firm believer in personal freedom. Rules were minimal in her household and her children were given a lot of freedom in how they spent their time. Julika goes to public school because she wants to. She and Rose met when they were little and Julika had asked to be placed in school so she could spend more time with her friend. Anarka had to explain to Julika that public school would be different from homeschool. There would be rules she would have to follow that her mother could not do anything about. Julika had agreed and has gone to public school with Rose ever since. Luka had been different. It wasn't that he hated rules and couldn't deal with them, in fact as a whole he was a very level-headed person. Homeschool was just what he was used to. He also didn't have any specific need to join public school as Julika had with Rose. He made friends just fine without being in a classroom. However, Luka could admit that for a sense of schedule, perhaps going to school would make it so he could see them more. As of lately, it was something he had been considering more and more.
"Hello, Lucy." He greeted back, sitting in a meditational pose. "It's been a while."
Lucy plopped down next to Luka and laid back on his bed. "That it has. You excited about the concert?" He gave her a small nod.
"It will be fun to finally try and put our music out there." Lucy gave a silent nod and closed her eyes. Luka looked down at her and frowned. "Something is bothering you." Lucy let out a deep breath from her nose and peeked up at Luka.
"Yeah, Kinda. Not as much as it was but... it's been a rough couple of weeks."
"You wanna talk about it?"
"Nah," Lucy said with a small shake of her head. "I appreciate the offer but, talking about it makes me sad and I don't really feel like being sad today."
"Okay," Luka said, as understanding as always. Her tune, the one that Luka thought he knew the sound of by now, was different than usual. Softer, maybe even a little slower. He supposed it was a good thing that it had at least not changed completely, or gone away entirely. In the time that he has known her, Luka couldn't help but feel the gravity of Lucy's presence. She had this calming effect on people the drew them in. Talking with Lucy was sometimes like attending a therapy session you didn't know you needed. Conversation flowed so easily and it seemed that much like himself, she could be very empathic to the emotional needs of those around her. Luka had told her that, and her response was that maybe that was what you got when a criminal profiler and a literacy scholar reproduce. He had told Lucy about his own father. How he could still see them together. "My parents danced together, her head on his chest. Both had their eyes closed. They seemed so perfectly content. If you can find someone like that, someone with who you can hold and close your eyes to the world with, then you're lucky. Even if it only lasts for a minute or a day. The image of them gently swaying to the music is how I picture love in my mind even after all these years." Luka was only about two years older than Julika, but his image of their father rested in his mind much more clearly than hers. He had passed away from heart problems when Luka was seven, but even after all this time, picturing him in his final days was heartbreaking. Both of his parents were free spirits before, but after his father's passing, his mother took the idea of living every moment like it was your last to high notes. His mother was a bit eccentric, to say the least, but she had a big heart and always made sure her children knew how much she supported and loved them. "If you change your mind though..."
"I know, little boy blue. I know."
OoOoOoOoOo
"I've heard enough." Gabriel said, stopping his son from playing the piano. "Are you sure you're practicing, Adrien?"
"I'm just doing the same exercises over and over again. I think I could make better progress if I could just play with other musicians. After all, music's meant to be shared with other people, don't you think?" Adrien tried to persuade his father. He liked playing the piano. In fact, most of the activities his father had pushed him to join were things he ended up likeing in the long run. He just wished he didn't have to do it all alone.
"We Agrestes are soloists. We're no mere group members. I suggest you rehearse your piece some more. You'll play it for me again later today." Gabriel said standing.
"But father, you promised that I could attend my friends' concert."
Gabriel frowned at his son. "Not after that performance you've just given, which is probably due to their influence! You need to refocus, Adrien." His father leaves the room and Adrien sighs before pulling out his phone and calling Nino to let him know what was happening.
OoOoOoOoOo
"Well, it's not exactly the first time his dad's kept him from hanging out with us. Actually, I'd have been super surprised if he hadn't." Alya told a bummed Marinette, taking the metal statue she had been fiddling with and putting it to the side. Adrien was once again not going to make it to their hang out and if Marinette was honest, it was starting to really take its toll on her.
"Whoa, sailor!" Anarka, Julika's mother spoke. "Never place a metal object next to a compass, ya hear lass? Metal attracts the needle, just like a magnet, which is why you can't get them anywhere near each other." She explained, picking up the metal statue Alaya had moved away from Marinette and placed accidentally on the compass, showing them how the needle reacted to the metal being close.
"I know how they feel. Maybe I'm just like this statue and Adrien's my compass. Maybe we're meant to stay away from each other forever." Marinette said dramatically with a pout as Anarka hands the statue back to her. Alaya frowns but then takes the stature away and gives her a friendly smile.
"I think it's the other way around. He's the statue and your the compass that goes crazy whenever he gets close!" She puts the statue down and places her hands on Marinette's shoulders. "There'll be other chances Marinette."
"That's what you said last time and the time before that." Spending time with Adrien seemed to only happen once in a blue moon for Marinette. Something or someone always came up and took the opportunity away. They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder but it also makes it ache. We live so much of our lives pushed forward by these "if only" thoughts, and yet the itch remains. The pursuit of happiness becomes the source of our unhappiness.
"We're ready Captain! Uh... but Luka's missing." Rose spoke, gaining Anarka's attention. She looked to Marinette.
"Marinette, right?"
"Yes, ma'am... uh, Captain!"
"Since you're free from your cleaning duties, could you go and tell Luka that we're waiting for him to start rehearsals?"
Marinette gave her a smile. "Of course. Uh, but who's Luka? And where is he?"
"Luka's my son, you'll find him in his cabin. I'm almost positive I saw Lucy wander down there as well not too long ago."
Marinette nodded and made her way below deck to find Lucy and this...Luka Character. She walked about rather aimlessly, distracted by all the random items simply laying around. So much so that she almost walked right past Luc and the boy she could only assume was Luka. Lucy laid on her back on the bed with her eyes closed, while Luka sat crisscross with his arms outstretched and fingers pinched together, one hand holding a guitar pick, while in a meditation pose with his eyes closed as well. He had black hair with vibrant blue tips. His nails painted dark and his shirt was Jagged Stone merch. Luka opened his eyes and smiled at Marinette as she began to panic a little at being caught looking him over.
"Oh! Uh? Hey, my name's Ma-ma uh Mamamarinette! Your mom sent me down here. The groove...uh... the group's waiting for you guys."
Lucy sat up and smiled while Luka greeted the nervous girl. "Hello, Mamamarinette." He greets with a small chuckle, earning a frown from Marinette. " Sorry. I tend to make more sense with this." Luka picks up his guitar and places it over him, strumming a few chords. Marinette looked at him taken back by the lovely sound. She didn't know anyone personally that played the guitar. "That's strange," Luka said. "It seems you have something like this in your heart." He played a few more chords and invited Marinette to sit. Marinette closed her eyes and listened to the tune, placing a hand on her heart. It was strange. She did not know this boy, and yet she felt like he was playing a tune that so accurately described how she was feeling.
"How do you do that?" She asked to which Luka replied. " Music is often more simple than words."
Lucy hummed and nodded. "Music is a total constant. That's why we have such a strong visceral connection to it, you know? Because a song can take you back instantly to a moment, or a place, or even a person. No matter what else has changed in your or the world, that one song says the same, just like that moment."
Marinette got up and walked over to a wall holding a Jagged Stone poster and a collection of guitar picks.
"You like Jagged Stone?"
"He's my favorite singer."
"Mine too."
Lucy watched the exchange with curiosity. Marinette examined one of Luka's picks that had Jagged Stone on it, and Luka offered her to keep it.
"I think I'd better go join the... groove, you said?"
"Did I really say that? Oh no..."
Luka gave her another small smile before making his way to the doorway. "You're a funny girl, Marinette."
Marinette smiled after him, a light blush going to her cheeks. Her dazed eyes slowly brought themselves to Lucy who stared at her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on her face making Marinette's eyes go wide.
"Ma-ma-Marinette." Luck mocked seductively.
"Shut up!" Marinette squeaked before exiting the room as quickly as she could, almost tripping on a random box as she did so.k Lucy snorted and got up from the bed, making her way up top as well.
On the main deck, the band set up as the rest of the group took their seats on some large boxes. As Lucy passed Alya to sit on the other side of Nino, she tapped and her shoulder. Alya looked up at Lucy who nodded her head in Marinette's direction as the pigtailed girl came to sit down. Alya watched as Marinette and Luka exchanged a look and smiled.
"I'm thinking, Marinette the compass has found herself a new statue." She joked, but Marinette quickly defended herself.
" What? Luka? No way! You're being ridiculous! Pff! Sure he's cool and nice and everything... but there's only one statue that drives this compass crazy!" She said as Alya raised an eyebrow at her. The brunette girl had been making a small joke but the defensive response given by her best friend made her wonder.
Anarka told the band everything was ready when they were, revealing a very large speaker system behind her. Mylene offered her friends some earplugs, already well aware of the sound level that was about to come through. Luka strung his guitar and the sound wave that followed blasted through the streets. Within moments the boat was surrounded by police informing Anarka that if she did not turn the volume down, they would not be allowed to play. The request was reasonable. Concerts are meant to be loud, but they aren't meant to burst the eardrums of everyone in a 10-mile radius. For reasons that Lucy and everyone else did not understand, Anarka seemed to be outraged at being told to turn down the volume. Giving them some schpiel about freedom of speech and that it was her home and they could do as they pleased. Lucy was not entirely aware of every law in France in comparison to the United States, but if it was anything similar, Anarka was definitely wrong. Home or not, making noise past a certain level, especially when it's clearly disturbing other people will get you a fine. The officer, who Lucy recognized as Sabrina's father, annoyed with Anarka's insubordination, decided to not only ticket her for the noise, but for numerous other things as well. Some of which Lucy was also sure, were not actually valid tickets but seemed to continue to aggravate Anarka even more. When he was through, the police all left, and Anarka retreated to the upper deck, leaving the teens to wonder what to do next.
"Your aunt seemed a little..."
"Dramatic?" Talia answered Lucy with her arms crossed. "Yeah, it seems to run in the family. My mom is her sister, and it's exactly the same. Anytime I got in trouble at school, my mom had my back, which was great but at the same time, she was so extra about it. When I turned eighteen and no longer had to go to school my mom wanted us to hit the road, see the world, but...I had Danny. She actually would have let him come with us but Danny-boy is actually really close-knit with his family. I couldn't make him chose between them and me."
"But, doesn't that mean you had to choose between him and your mom?" Lucy asked.
"No," Talia explained. "I had to choose between him and seeing the world. I get regular phone calls and postcards from my mom all the time. Believe me, when I chose a boy over adventure, she had no issue telling me exactly how she felt about it. After all, her "free spirit" was a big part of why my dad didn't stick around. He wanted her to grow up and be something she wasn't. My mom likes Danny. She just didn't want me to settle for anything less than a great adventure."
"I wish Danny could be around more, I think I've only been in his presence a few times since we have met," Lucy spoke and Talia sighed.
"Yeah, he's got crazy work hours. Plus, did I tell you? He's going back to school."
Lucy gave her a surprised look. "Really? That's great, for what?"
"Environmental Science."
"Fancy."
"Yeah, his dad got him into recycling, and now it's this whole thing." Talia drawled, moving her wrist in a circular motion.
Lucy laughed but it was cut short when a black and purple fog rolled over the ship floor.
"Oh, that can't be good." Lucy muttered as the teens all brought their attention up to the upper level
"Raise the mainsail me deck hands let's get swashbuckling around here!" Anarka had been akumatized. Her appearance, like most, had been changed, and if the others had been elsewhere when she turned, Lucy was almost certain none of them would recognize her. Her long gray hair that was braided down her back was now short, bright red and spiky. Her blue eyes were entirely green and her outfit changed to that of a punk rock pirate.
"Mom?" Julika called out, followed by her brother. "What's going on?"
"Your mom has weighed anchor, me lad, I'm Captain Hardrock and today Paris's timbers are about to be shivered by my cannons." She shouted looking through her telescope. "Westward ho, Liberty next stop, Jagged Stone at the Eiffel Tower. Soon, there will only be one concert in Paris only one Music Festival. We will destroy all the others. Now, get to your instruments and rock those decibels!"
"Someones had a little too much Rum I think." Talia joked, earning a jab from Lucy.
"Mom please, you can't ruin the music festival." Luka pleaded.
"You can't force people to listen to your music!" Chimmed in Marinette.
"No way we are playing like this!" Ivan shouted.
"Mutiny? On my ship? Liberty, seize these scallywags and throw them down into the hold!" Hardrock shouted, sending chains in their direction. Wrapping up the kids in pairs. Nino and Alya, Luka and Marinette, Ivan and Mylene, and Lucy and Talia. In the lower deck, the teens sat, chained together, Talila nudged Lucy, pointing out Roaar, who sent them a wink before unlocking the chain around them. At almost the exact same time, the chain around Marinette and Luka also unlatched. Marinette gave the excuse of using the guitar pick Luka had gifted her to get out.
"You're amazing. A real magician Marinette." Luka commented, making Marinette blush.
"You think so? Oh, it was nothing, uh, amazing, really?"
"Um excuse me, some of us are still chained up here," Alya remarked, but Hardrock was already making her way into the lower deck.
"Go!" Lucy said, mainly to Talia, knowing she needed to get out to transform. Luka, Marinette, and Talia ran into Luka's bedroom and slammed the door behind them. Lucy didn't know what Talia's plan was but hoped she could come up with one fast as Hardrock shoved Lucy to the side and re-chained her.
Inside the bedroom, the three looked around for an escape route.
"The window!" Luka suggested opening it up.
"There is no time!" Talila said opening the dressed blow the bed. Shoving Marinette inside and closing it. She looked to Luka who made a move motion with his hands, and Talila ran down the hall and around the corner, getting out of sight as Hardrock broke open the door.
"Guys run!" Luka shouted out the window, tricking his mother into thinking the girls jumped ship. Hardrock chained up Luka once more and brought him back into the room with the others, leaving Marinette and Talia to come out of hiding.
"Sorry about that, had to think fast," Talia explained, helping Marinette from the drawer. She then walked over to the window and began to climb into it.
"What are you doing?!" Marinette asked, not wanting her friend to get hurt. Talia raised her eyebrows at her.
"I'm jumping? Or do you have some other plan to get out of here?"
"Well...no but..."
"Marinette, I'm gonna be fine. Just stay here, I'll get help."
Although Marinette didn't want to let Talia jump from the window into the canal, she needed to transform and couldn't do that if Talia stayed. So instead, she nodded and watched the girl hop out, looking out the window to see her swimming to land. Tiki popped out of Marinette's bag.
"Phew, that was close."
"I have to save my friends! Tiki spots on!"
OoOoOoOoOooO
The boat ride was bumpy to say the least, and the trapped teens could hear the destruction going on outside. Ladybug had made an appearance and unchained everyone, calling upon her lucky charm. A chain fell into her hand and as usual, Ladybug looked at it utterly complexed. Unable to get out with Ladybug the friends had no choice but to wait it out in the hold. The ship soon felt like it had crashed, knocking most of the teens to the ground. Chat Noir, Ladybug, and Tigress pounded fists as the Akuma was de-evilized. Glancing over in the hostage's direction, Chat knitted his eyebrows at the sight of a boy he did not recognize helping Lucy from the ground. The two smiled at one another and Chat contemplated walking over when his ring beeped. An introduction would have to wait and Chat said goodbye to his partners and headed back to his home. Ladybug threw her luck charm into the air and in moments everything was back to the way it was. Marinette returned, and shortly after so did Talia. Roger, the police officer, monitored their sound and gave them the green light to play their music. Then lo and behold, Adrien came on deck, greeting everyone while also almost breaking his neck tripping over a keyboard.
"Whoa, an original ZX20.4, I love the sound of this instrument."
"Oh that old thing? No one knows how to play it." Anarka explained.
"I know how to play it." Adrien said, and soon a hand was in front of him.
"Great. Welcome to the band."
Adrien took the hand that belonged to the guy he had seen earlier with Lucy.
"Thanks..."
"Luka." He introduced himself.
"Thanks, Luka." Adrien greeted, shaking the blue-haired boy's hand. Lucy walked over to the boys, leaning her elbow on Luka's shoulder.
"We thought you weren't gonna make it princess." She joked earning a look from Luka.
"Ah, so this is the Adrien you told me about."
Usually, Lucy's little name-calling was something Adrien didn't mind. He knew she was just teasing him and could laugh along with her. However, in this particular interaction, Adrien couldn't help but wish Lucy would just not. Here she was, leaning against this tall, seemingly older, punk-rock-cool guy, and she has the nerve to refer to him as "princess." The worst part of that entire interaction is that her little nickname is what made Luka know who he was. How. Fucking. Embarrassing. But two could play at that game.
"Well, I'm full of surprises Lulu, haven't you realized that by now?" He spoke smugly.
Luka chuckled. "Lulu huh?"
Lucy tilted her head to the side and smiled. "A nickname my parents used when I was small." She wasn't stupid of course. Adrien could be terribly transparent at times. Unfortunately for him, being called Lulu, though mildly annoying wasn't a name she was embarrassed of unlike Adrien's feeling towards 'princess' and of course...
"We are just glad you could make it. Plus, I'm sure you'll make a great addition to the band Adrikins!" She winked and walked off toward Alya and Marinette who seemed to be watching the interaction closely.
"She's a little spitfire sometimes, isn't she?" Luka commented, looking from Lucy and back to Adrien.
"Mmhmm. Yeah, spitfire." He agreed before looking back at Luka. "We should get this set up." He said gesturing to the keyboard. to which Luka nodded.
"Sure thing Adrikins, follow me," Luka said heading towards the stage area.
Adrien gritted his teeth and forced a tight smile. "Mm...mhmm. Yup. Is there a plank here? Because I already wanna throw myself off this ship." He muttered.
"What was that?"
"I said let's rock this ship!" Adrien answered enthusiastically, getting a short wide-eyed expression from Luka.
"Ooookay, yeah. Totally."
Across the way, Lucy stood with Alya and Marinette who raised eyebrows at her.
"What was that all about?" Alya asked, crossing her arms.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know...I've just never seen Adrien look...annoyed with you before I guess," Alya explained.
"Oh," Lucy spoke waving her hand dismissively. "That's nothin. I was just messing with him. He's not used to me doing it in front of people he's just met is all. Now, Marinette! I couldn't help be see a little...chemistry happening between you and a particular guitar player. Anything you wanna share with the rest of the class?"
Marinette's face flushed as she quickly tried to deny Lucy's claims. "No, no, no. Like I was telling Alya, Luka is...cool, but I'm not into him or anything!"
Lucy rolled her eyes and shared a look with Alya before looking back to the boy of topic who sent a glance their way.
"Well, it seems like he might have taken a shining to you, Mari. Just something to think about."
Marinette looked over at the band players setting up nervously. Sure, Luka was handsome, and he seemed really nice, but..Adriiieeenn. How could she ever even consider anyone else? Still, as Luka shot her a smile, Marinette couldn't help but smile back. Rose spoke into the microphone grabbing everyone's attention.
"Evening everyone, our name is Kitty Section. One, two, three."
As Adrien played the keyboard, attempting to follow the tune of everyone else, he looked up at the crowd and smiled. He made eye contact with Lucy who sent him a thumbs up and a wink. And just like that, he wasn't even mad anymore.
Okay, peeps! This took a lot longer to get out than I planned and in comparison to some of my most recent chapters it's a little on the short side, but I still managed to get it around 4500 words. My mom took my laptop hostage for a week and a half, then I was on vacation and then two days ago was my birthday! I hope you all liked this small introduction of Luka and I can't wait to incorporate him more into the story! Remember to like and comment on what you think, as I love hearing from you guys! See you in the next chapter!
