Chapter Forty-Five

"L-lady Noire?" A surprised voice asked, and she managed a hesitant smile.

Lady Noire couldn't recall a time she had been out like this, transformed in the day with no akuma in sight or planned patrol waiting. Just transformed as she walked below the Eiffel Tower, as if she were a tourist that had come to visit.

"You work here, correct?" She asked the man in front of her, who bobbed his head in confirmation.

"Yes, just a guide, ma'am," he said, and Lady Noire tried to gauge his reaction. Despite what she had braced herself for, he didn't seem frightened. Just… overwhelmed, slightly on edge, maybe? Perhaps like she had felt when meeting Jagged Stone? Though perhaps not with the same admiration.

"Could… could I talk to your boss?" Lady Noire asked. "Or anyone, really. I, um, have a few questions I'd like to ask staff that might have been here at the last akuma attack?"

She wasn't sure how much she wanted to say down here, where there were plenty of crowds already, many of which seemed to have taken an interest in the presence of one of Paris' magical heroes– especially the tourists. She heard the sound of pictures being taken, and a quick glance showed there were plenty of people watching, though they gave her plenty of space.

"Of course, right this way," the guide said, turning to go, glancing over his shoulder as if he wasn't sure she would follow. She nodded at him to lead the way, her braid curling slightly as she followed after him, away from crowds and to where the staff managed the tower.

The first thing she noticed was the fact that a glimpse of pink would occasionally catch her eyes, the last few of the straggling Miraculous Ladybugs seeming to have sheltered here at their origin in the tower. They weren't the only things that had remained from that wave of Creation magic, reports having come all over from Paris in the days that followed. Everything from spring flowers blooming once more in the summer heat, to tales of healing, repairs, and magic that would have no connection to the akuma.

Of course there was the growth of hair nearly everyone had experienced. And while many people had cut and shaved theirs away, there were also many that hadn't. Marinette was one of them, deciding to keep the extra length after Lila had gushed about it non-stop. Others had seemed to appreciate the quick growth, but among them were a small group of people that insisted the long hair was a gift from Crimson Beetle and should not be disturbed at all.

Some people were weird.

Things felt a bit more bearable once she was taken beyond where guests were allowed. People still stared, some surprised, others nervous. Mutters passed among them as she was handed off from the guide to another worker.

"What can we help you with?" She asked, all business, which Lady Noire was more than fine with.

"I was wondering if it would be possible for me to review security footage from the day of the last akuma attack," she asked, practicing what she had rehearsed. "It was a very high tense battle, and I want to make sure there wasn't anything critical I missed with the fight."

Vague yet straightforward, and hopefully it sounded important enough. Unfortunately her question didn't seem as simple to those working at the tower, hesitation on the woman's face. Probably split somewhere between following protocol and listening to the girl who could destroy with a touch of her hands. Nobody seemed to want to tell her no, leaving her to stand there for about ten minutes as calls were made and questions passed between each other. Finally the woman came back, slipping the cell phone into her pocket.

"I have permission to show you footage from the day of the attack, nothing more," she said, looking hesitant.

"That's all I need to see," She promised, but still the girl looked unsure.

"I just want to warn you, there isn't much usable footage from the fight," she continued, leading Lady Noire back towards the security room. "From what I understand, nearly every camera Style Queen saw she turned to glitter."

Well, that would rule out being able to find where the Miraculous had fallen, but seeing how both her and Plagg had searched the Tower, she doubted it was still there at all. But if she could just see who had taken it... she tried not to think about that, but it would be the desperate lead she needed to reclaim the Miraculous.

She was introduced to the head of security from there, who smiled pleasantly as he pulled up the footage from the attack. Lady Noire sat next to him, feeling out of place as he fast-forwarded through the recordings of the morning, slowing it down once Style Queen arrived, reforming the glitter statues of those she had taken.

And as promised, most of the footage they had was of Style Queen zapping the cameras with her staff, giving them a moment of sparkles before the footage was cut off. Only two cameras had remained untouched through it all, and despite careful examination of the footage from them, they showed little of the fight, just the flicker of shadows and glitter from above, and no hint of the fate of the Bee Miraculous.

"How about after the battle?" She asked, looking up at him. "After the Miraculous Ladybugs restored everything."

He gave a sad smile. "Afraid there isn't much there either, ma'am. But I'll show you what we got."

Lady Noire wasn't sure if she wanted to scream or cry when she saw the footage, every camera screen showing nothing but a solid wall of swarming pink. All the lenses had been covered by the giant mass of magical ladybugs, leaving no footage of what had taken place afterwards anywhere on the tower, just the hum of wings being heard from the audio. Instead her braid curled around her, a sense of hopelessness slowly starting to take hold. Still she watched as he fast forwarded the pink screens, but still no clear view of any human activities on the tower– just pink going on for hours.

Security footage was a deadend.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yep!" She said swiftly. "Er, it just seems like I underestimated the Miraculous Ladybugs, heh."

The security guard watched her thoughtfully. "Why were there so many, anyways?"

He asked the question casually, but with that question having been in the news for the last few days, it was nothing new. She didn't have an answer for him, though, because she had no intention of talking about kwamis to any outsiders. So she just clapped her hands together, pushing herself to her feet.

"It's hard to describe," was the answer she settled for. "But they should clear out eventually, it's nothing to worry about."

"Hope so," he muttered. "Attracts strange crowds, some people have been eating them."

"They've what?" Lady Noire shouted at this, causing him to jump slightly.

"Y-yeah, some think it will give them magic properties or something? We've had a few groups come to collect them off the Tower actually," he eyed her, and she couldn't mask her shock at this. It wouldn't have an effect on anyone, right? She didn't think so, and she didn't sense any concern from Plagg...

"Heh, people can be strange," she clasped her hands together again. "Er, one last question– is there a lost and found here by any chance?"

The guard tilted his head slightly. "You'll want to talk with the lost property office. May I... ask why?"

"Hero business," she replied, though deep down she knew it would be another deadend.


Alya stared up at the entrance of the bakery.

It shouldn't be a hard thing to do, walk in, congratulate Marinette, then walk out. Short, simple, and hopefully a way to show that she still cared.

Amidst the chaos that had come from the Gabriel show– the wave of Miraculous Ladybugs to the first public appearance of Gabriel Agreste in over a year– the hat that Marinette had crafted had appeared in multiple newspaper articles and in magazines. Most were just featured thanks to Adrien wearing it during when the photos had been taken after the show, but there had actually been a few that had put the focus on the hat itself, thanks to the discussion Gabriel and Audrey had over it. Two people with high standing in the fashion world, practically fighting over the potential of a collège student was something quite a few people had taken interest in, even with everything else that had happened.

Alya held such an article in her hand here at the bakery, trying to muster her courage. This didn't have to be anything big, just give her congratulations. Easy! Nothing to be nervous over– and yet she was.

"Hey, Alya, whatcha doing here?" A cheery voice asked just as Alya reached for the handle. She paused, and turned to find Lila making her way over, smiling a wide smile at her, and she wondered where she had come from.

"Hi, Lila," Alya said, trying to reflect her tone– but the courage she had mustered up seemed to have vanished with the interruption. "Just came to say hi to Marinette, how about you?"

"Oh, did she decide to reach out to you?" Lila asked, tilting her head slightly. She moved towards the bakery door, causing Alya to step back slightly so there was room for both of them. "I'm so glad to hear that, I'm just surprised she didn't say anything to me."

"Um, well–" Alya began.

"Here, let's get out of the way," Lila said, grabbing her elbow and moving them away from the bakery. "We don't want to block the entrance."

Alya followed her around the corner, looking back at the bakery as someone headed inside. When she turned to face Lila she found that the girl's expression had changed again, looking guarded– instantly making her feel the same. She didn't like the sudden uneasiness, or the pull away from her destination, but it wouldn't exactly be nice to suddenly cut off this conversation either.

"So," Lila began. "When did Marinette invite you over?"

"Er, she didn't," Alya said, and the last of Lila's friendly demeanor seemed to melt away. "I just wanted to congratulate her on the success from the show, I wasn't planning on staying long."

She was immediately on the defensive as she spoke, and it felt off as she did so. She didn't owe Lila an explanation for coming here; perhaps if this was one of Marinette's parents or Marinette herself– but Lila was just one of Marinette's friends. Like her (at least, that's what Alya clung to, deep down), and it was nobody else's business except for those directly involved. So she composed herself slightly, pulling her arm from Lila's hands, sitting up slightly.

"And you couldn't do it at school because...?" Lila prompted, and Alya almost found herself offering an explanation, but stopped herself.

"Why would I have to do it at school?" Alya challenged, throwing the demand for an answer back at Lila– who seemed slightly startled by this. For a moment, she wondered if she was thinking too hard about all this, overreacting to a simple question.

Lila's expression was soft, gentle, causing Alya to doubt her words further as the girl stepped forward. "Marinette wants to take the first step on her own terms, remember? She personally asked you to step back. I just don't think barging into her home when she hasn't done that is the right idea. I don't want you to ruin your chance at regaining her friendship."

Regaining. Meaning it was truly already gone. Alya felt a heavy pit in her stomach, and she took in a deep breath as Lila touched her shoulder, taking in Lila's words.

"Do you want me to pass the message on for you? I'd be more than happy–"

"Marinette never said that," Alya said quietly.

"Huh?"

"Marinette never asked me to step back," Alya said, raising her gaze to look at Lila. "You asked me to give her some space, and I have. I– I appreciate you looking out for her, but– but this is between me and Marinette." She squared her shoulders. "I think it's at the point where one of us has to make a first move instead of just waiting or else I'm never going to fix– to fix this, and I'd appreciate it if you'd let me handle this myself."

Firm, straight to the point– this was between her and Marinette, not her and Lila– and she was tired of letting it be that way. As she spoke though, Lila's expression hardened, and Alya couldn't help but feel uneasy as the girl looked at her.

"You think you have the right?" The harshness in Lila's voice was sudden, sharp– a step forward making Alya take a step back, eyes wide. "Look, Alya, I've tried to be nice, but do you really think I don't see what you're doing?"

"What–"

Lila snatched the magazine that Alya had, holding it up to her face. "You've just been ignoring Marinette all this time, treating her friendship like it was nothing– but the moment she actually achieves something you come crawling back like you never did anything to her?"

What? "That's not why I–"

"You're crazy if you think no one would be able to see through you, Alya," Lila said, crossing her arms. "The BeetleBlogger, immediately pouncing on an abandoned friendship the moment Marinette's popularity soars? The moment she becomes newsworthy you're back, like she's just something to report on?"

"I–"

"I'm not going to let you treat Marinette like she's some object," Lila snarled. "Let you act like nothing happened and it's all just sunshine and roses the moment it's convenient for you." Her hand curled around the magazine. "You don't know how hard everything has been for her, you haven't been there for her, and you just don't get to–"

"I would never!" Alya shouted, finally able to get a word in, and she felt tears stinging her eyes. "I would never do that to Marinette, or anyone! She's my friend, even if– even if–" She closed her eyes. "Stop putting words in my mouth! You're not Marinette's keeper! If she doesn't want to see me, that's one thing, but I'm not just giving up on her before I can even talk to her!"

"If you think your lies are going to work on me, then you're wrong," Lila said quietly, shoving the crumpled magazine back into her hands. "Listen to me, Alya, and listen well. If you so much as step into that bakery I will let everyone know exactly what you're like, what you're trying to do."

Alya felt her heart beat heavily, and she didn't know what to say, just a horrible feeling crawling through her. She wasn't– she wouldn't– she knew that, she knew that! But seeing that gleam in Lila's eyes just made the doubt linger for too long. If Lila thought that, if that's what people saw then what did that mean–?

"Maybe I won't even need to say anything, everyone will probably know what you're trying to do," Lila muttered quietly. "I know everyone agrees that you're always trying to grab attention; you're not exactly subtle, you know."

She closed her eyes, trying to flush the thoughts from her mind– that wasn't true. Yes she had her blog, and of course she wanted it to succeed– but that didn't even have anything to do with this conversation! This wasn't about her, this wasn't about the blog, she hadn't even thought about the blog! This was about Marinette! Lila was wrong, no one else thought she would just do this for attention!

Right?

Alya looked down at the magazine that she held in her hands, the crumpled image of Adrien wearing Marinette's hat looking up at her from the cover. This– this had been the reason she had come here, but it wasn't because of that. She knew this must have been a dream come true to Marinette; it would be wrong to act like it didn't happen, not to give her a reason to celebrate.

"I'm– I'm going to go," Lila muttered, and Alya looked up to see her blinking back tears. "Be-because yeah, I'm not Marinette's keeper. But if you hurt her, if you so much as treat her as anything less than she's worth I'll– I'll–" Lila watched her. "Marinette is my best friend, and no one gets to hurt her."

I would never hurt her! Alya wanted to scream, but the words wouldn't leave her lips. Because she had seen the hurt Marinette had carried. From what, she didn't know, and how to fix it had been an answer she had never found.

Alya found herself standing there as Lila hurried away, shoulders hunched. She vanished around the corner, back towards the bakery, and despite the fire that had been in Alya's heart before, she didn't even feel a spark to follow. She just forced herself to keep breathing as she tried to take in the wave of emotions running through her. Anger and hurt and confusion. She just needed to slowly take in a breath– hold it, then let it out.

Again she looked down at the picture of Adrien, frowning slightly. It was the thoughts that she wasn't trying to think that came to her mind. The idea of how Adrien lived was one thing, of the cameras and fans that followed them, but did he think she was just like that? The memories of the expressions that often crept on his face when she talked of her blog couldn't help but come to mind. The defensive look she often saw, the worried glances, a caution before reading her new article.

Everyone agrees that you're always trying to grab attention; you're not exactly subtle. Lila's words rang in her mind, and Alya closed her eyes.

Marinette always had that same cautious look like Adrien when it came to discussions about her blog and the heroes. And all too vivid now was the panic that would flash in Nino's eyes with the same discussions. It hadn't always been that way, but it now was frequent enough that it felt branded in her mind as she stood there, fear swarming her thoughts.

Alya stood on that corner, people moving past her in the crowded streets.

Then Alya turned, walking away from the bakery, leaving the crumpled magazine abandoned on the sidewalk.


"Not coming to art club today?"

Marinette's papers went flying as she heard the voice behind her, the items she had been attempting to move from her locker to her backpack spiraling towards the floor as she let out a small yelp of surprise. She quickly turned around, feeling stupid for letting herself get startled so easily, especially when she saw it was Kagami who was stooping down, gathering what she had dropped.

"That's today?" Marinette squeaked when she had at last processed what Kagami had said, kneeling down to help, but by then Kagami had already gathered what had fallen.

"Same as every week," she replied, watching Marinette closely. She wished she could have offered a smile, anything to tell the world she was okay– but she was far too drained from school to even do that. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Marinette instantly said, slightly startled at the direct question, but that was Kagami's way. "Just a long day, that's all. I... I don't think I'll make it to art club today. Next time though, I promise."

She tucked her things away into her backpack. "I don't think it's nothing," Kagami remarked, watching as she gathered her things. "But if it is something you do not wish to talk about, then I won't press. Would some company help, or are you looking to spend time alone?"

Three days. It had been three days since Pollen's Miraculous had gone missing– and three days of nothing but panic having lived in Marinette's mind. That turmoil had only grown now that it was clear that there was nowhere left to look but in the hands of a stranger. She had lost a Miraculous, and someone else probably had it.

No word from either Guardian yet, asking her why she hadn't returned it. The worry in Plagg's eyes grew everyday, even though he kept insisting that they keep looking, and not contact the others. And what else was there to do? She couldn't just stop looking, knowing that a kwami was now out there at risk. A kwami she had yet to even meet, but had already failed them.

Kagami's offer of company... Marinette wanted it. She knew that she probably needed it as well, as school hadn't served as a good distraction. But she just shook her head, smiling softly. "No, don't worry about me. I don't want you to miss out on art club."

"Well would you look at that, I do not want to go to art club," Kagami said dryly, shouldering her own bag. "Now, do you want some company? And don't make this about what I want; it's you I'm worried about."

Marinette felt her throat close up, because now was not the time to be selfish, not when she had messed up... still, she found herself looking up at Kagami, swallowing the guilt in her heart. "That would be really nice, actually."

She nodded. "Shall we go to your house? Or would you prefer somewhere else? I would offer my place, but Mother thinks I'm doing fencing at the moment."

"My place sounds good," Marinette said, because she didn't want to be anywhere else at the moment. Kagami reached for her hand, before leading her out of the locker room. It felt nice to just not think for a moment, letting Kagami guide her. All she had to focus on was her fingers laced between hers, and pretend there was nothing else she had to worry about.

She felt Plagg tensing up as they reached the front of the school, the only warning she had before another hand was placed on her shoulder, pulling from her thoughts and to a stop. She and Kagami turned to find Lila looking at them with wide eyes, her head tilting slightly questioningly.

"Where are you going, Marinette?" Lila asked with a smile. "Don't we have art club today?"

"We're not going," Kagami replied.

"Marinette loves art club," Lila crossed her arms, narrowing her gaze on Kagami. "And I think everyone wants to congratulate her with her success from the fashion show– are you really trying to take her from that?"

Plagg twisted in her bag as Lila grabbed her hand, giving a slight tug as she tried to guide her back towards the school– and no longer was the sensation of someone holding her hand pleasant. If anything, she felt small, like she was about to be tossed to and fro.

"I would appreciate it if you did not make assumptions," Kagami said coolly. "Perhaps you should actually ask Marinette what she likes to do instead of dragging her away."

"Marinette is my best friend," Lila said. "And maybe you should think about her, rather than yourself. She's just the sweetest, and of course she'd agree to spend time with you not to hurt your feelings– even if that's taking her from what she's looking forward to."

She didn't like this discussion about her, being thrown over her head without her own words in there, yet she didn't have the energy to speak. She just stood there, feeling pathetic as thoughts formed on her tongue, going nowhere. She looked desperately at Kagami, hoping that she'd be able to pluck her thoughts from her and just understand, as she had before.

"Lila," Kagami said firmly, turning to face her fully. "I would appreciate it if you backed off. Marinette doesn't want to go to art club today."

"You shouldn't be putting words in people's mouth–"

"Which is exactly what you're doing."

"Well I just don't think Marinette is a doll to drag about–"

"Again, which is what you always do."

"What– what are you suggesting?" Lila's eyes went wide. "You think that I would–?"

"Stop!" Marinette cried, at last finding her voice, and she didn't know why she was surprised when they both went silent. As if a part of her was so sure that the back and forth would keep going despite her words. "Just... stop, guys, please. It's not like that, it's not like that with either of you."

Why did both insist the other was trying to drag her away?

"Lila, I... Kagami was right, I don't want to go to art club today," she said quickly. "I just want some space after everything, and... and we're going to my house. That's all."

"I see," Lila said, quiet for a moment, before smiling. "Well, in that case, can I come with you?"

What was she supposed to say to that? It didn't feel right to invite Lila along with plans for just her and Kagami had been made. It wasn't like it was specifically going to be a date, but at the same time, she had been looking forward to Kagami's calming company. She loved Lila, she had a spark that often pushed Marinette forward– but she didn't want to go forward right now. She just wanted to stop. She wanted everything around her to stop and for the world and its worries to just vanish away.

"Maybe... another time?" Marinette said slowly– and instantly she felt horrible with how Lila's expression felt. The hurt in her expression was just too clear, and she wondered why she felt it would be too much to invite her along too. Friends were just as important as any romantic relationship, she shouldn't put one over the other.

Yet she felt a sense of relief as Lila turned away. "Okay then," she said quietly. "We can hang out tomorrow, then– you won't forget this time, right?"

"Of course not!" Marinette said swiftly. "Tomorrow sounds great, I'll see you then?"

"See you," Lila agreed with a small nod, before moving off to join the crowd. Marinette was left standing there, not sure how to feel. She was glad that it had been worked out, but a part of her felt like that hadn't happened, that she had just pushed Lila aside for another day. She hoped she didn't feel that way, she did understand, right? She would have said something if that wasn't the case, she always spoke how she felt–

"Marinette?" Kagami asked.

"Let's go," Marinette said, squeezing Kagami's hand, before making her way forward. Get away from the school, get away from everyone else, she just wanted to get home.

She barely realized that she was practically dragging Kagami behind her as she pressed forward, not fully comprehending the urgency about her until she came to a stop by the streets, waiting for a moment in the traffic they could use to cross.

"Marinette," Kagami said softly.

"S-sorry," she stammered, loosening her grip. "I'm just- just ready for school to be over."

Kagami hesitated. "I know I said I wouldn't press, but is everything okay with you and Lila?"

"Of course!" At least, she hoped so. She'd hate it if Lila was upset because she hadn't invited her along today.

The crossing signal turned, and they moved across the street with the rest of the crowd towards the other side. She was so glad she was this close to home, the bakery practically in front of them. Soon she'd be inside and hopefully all this stress would just stop.

"You practically ran all the way here."

"To be fair, school sucks?" Marinette offered.

"Well, it is a good thing that summer is almost here, then, is it not? I'm looking forward to such a long break." Kagami replied, and Marinette was thankful for the change in topic. They headed into the bakery, where both girls were immediately greeted by her mom from behind the counter.

"It's good to see you, Kagami," Sabine said with a smile. "Will you be staying for a while? We can set another place for dinner."

"No, my mother will be expecting me home by then. Besides, I don't want to intrude."

"You're not intruding!" Marinette protested, while Sabine chuckled.

"Oh, don't worry dear, you're always welcome. But if you're not staying for dinner, then why don't you girls pick out some treats from the bakery."

Marinette went for her usual of macarons and pain au chocolat, alongside some cheese puff pastries for Plagg. Kagami took a bit more time deciding, and Marinette wasn't sure if she was hesitating from the many choices, or the free pastries.

"I will take an orange cinnamon roll," she finally decided. "And some chocolate bread that Marinette selected as well, if that's okay."

"Anything else?"

Kagami scanned the options, before pointing. "What is that?"

"Ah, baklava!" Tom said, sticking his head out from the kitchen with a grin. "A newer addition to our bakery– you should tell me what you think of it!"

"Then I will take that as well," she said.

"Give the girls some cookies as well," Tom added as Sabine started to place their foods of choice into two paper bags, before vanishing back into the kitchen as the sound of a timer went off. Sabine shook her head, but sure enough, several cookies were placed in their bags as well, before being handed off to them as a customer entered the bakery.

"Sorry, they can be... nosy, sometimes," Marinette said as they headed up the stairs.

"I find that it is sweet," Kagami replied, pulling out her cinnamon roll. "My mother would not be as, well, warm to guests. She prefers to keep small circles of associates."

"Associates?" Marinette couldn't help but smile at this.

"Mother is not keen on the idea of 'friendships'; you are aware of that," Kagami replied.

They had reached Marinette's rooms, flipping on the lights as they climbed through the trapdoor. "She doesn't give you a hard time about yours, right?"

It was a messed up thought, that a parent would want to isolate their child from any potential friendships, and Marinette couldn't help but worry. Tomoe didn't even approve of Kagami doing something as simple as drawing! She eyed Kagami, who just gave her a tight smile.

"Mother is aware of my friendships, advises otherwise, but doesn't intrude," Kagami replied.

"Does your mom know... about us?" Marinette asked, and it was now that Kagami looked a bit more guarded.

"No," Kagami said– and left it at that.

The two settled on Marinette's chaise, pulling out their bags of treats to eat. Marinette found herself relaxing as Kagami talked about her latest fencing practices– a topic that was far from everything that had happened, that she could just easily listen to and get lost in. Kagami always went into detail when it came to her fencing, talking about the stances and the different strikes, never glossing over anything just because Marinette did not do the sport herself.

Soon the treats were gone, and Marinette found herself pulling her sketchbook out of her backpack. While she hadn't been keen on going to art club and being surrounded, drawing itself did not feel like the same burden, flipping open to a blank page, quickly sketching a vague body shape, before outlining the shape of a dress.

Their conversation veered from fencing to the bakery, Kagami having pulled out her sketchbook as well, who was working on the lineart of a detailed picture of a garden view. Marinette found herself pulled away from her own work, watching as Kagami carefully inked the details on petals and leaves, while Marinette found herself trailing off in the explanation of the process of making macarons.

"I'm, um, not boring you, right?" Marinette asked quietly, watching as Kagami drew the long spindly petals of a spider lily, leaning against her shoulder.

"I do not bake much, let alone pastries," Kagami replied. "I find the process fascinating."

"If you'd like, we could go down to the kitchen for a bit," Marinette offered. "We could bake up something."

"I would enjoy that," Kagami said after a moment. "But it seemed quite busy down there, is that something you wanted to do at the moment?"

Marinette said nothing, because while the idea itself didn't sound bad, being down in the bakery where customers were bustling in and out did. Kagami just gave a nod, taking the silence as her answer, and continued her drawing. Marinette let out a soft breath, letting the silence settle around them.

This... this was nice. The quiet, save for the tracing of ink against paper. The smell of their pastries still lingered in the air, or perhaps it drifted up from downstairs. To not be alone, cuddling against Kagami, and it felt like the whole world wasn't looming behind her. It was the first sense of calm she had felt in many days, and Marinette was content to set her worries aside just for this moment.

She watched the garden sketch come to life– a small pond visible in the background, the flowing petals of sweet peas in the foreground. Monarda and edelweiss were springing up in the shade of a weeping willow. And the spider lilies slowly began to bleed red as color was added to the image.

Marinette's own drawings were usually simple when they were colored, often acting just as a simple palette for her designs, rather than the final detailings of an image. She would be lying if she said a part of her wasn't envious of Kagami's skill, the simple colors she added slowly becoming detailed with shading, the colors blending just right with each lair she added. She was only working on a fraction of the image, which only made it stand out even more against the black and white of the rest of the drawing.

"Maybe... maybe you could teach me a bit about how you draw," Marinette said quietly. "Another day. Maybe after I show you some baking?"

"I would love to do that," Kagami said, shifting to get a better angle of her work. Her knees came up, sketchbook resting against them, while her head leaned against Marinette, selecting several shades of green and yellow from among her colored pencils as she began to work on the stems of the plants.

Marinette watched as Kagami worked, getting lost in her own thoughts as she observed. For the first time in what felt like a long time, she found herself relaxing. The raging panic of her mind dipping down to a faint call, for once not dominating, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

"Kagami...?" Marinette asked after a time, her voice breaking the warm silence that had settled around them. She looked up as Kagami turned her gaze to her, the two watching each other for a moment. Despite the beautiful drawing that had captured Marinette's attention, she found that Kagami's eyes had a much stronger hold. Marinette swallowed, and she found she had forgotten what she was going to say.

"Yes?" Kagami asked.

"...Thank you," Marinette said after a moment of thought.

Kagami blinked, giving a small smile. "Of course... but for what, may I ask?"

"For understanding," Mairnette said quietly– and for understanding what, even she wasn't sure. But Kagami just always seemed to know what to say, she always stepped in at the moment that Marinette felt like she couldn't keep going.

Kagami's smile softened, and she brushed back Marinette's bangs. "You are kind, Marinette, and I admire that about you, greatly. But I am not the same."

"You're wrong," Marinette blurted out, a bit louder than she had intended, and she flushed. "You're very kind, Kagami. One of the nicest people I know."

Kagami considered this, thinking for longer than Marinette expected her to. "That is because I care about you. However, I've seen you reach out to those that do not deserve such a courtesy, especially from you. I admire not just your ability to care, but to care for all. Even strangers and those that wish you harm."

"I don't think anyone's plotting against me," Marinette teased lightly, though she had to push the thoughts of Monarch and the Miraculouses from her mind. Those were plots against Lady Noire– not Marinette.

Kagami merely frowned.

"Kagami?" Marinette asked, worried she had ruined the mood.

"Can I kiss you?"

Apparently she hadn't.

Marinette, however, immediately felt herself turning red. She realized just how close Kagami was to her, having been leaning closer, sketchbook sitting in her lap– forgotten. She barely had time to process what was being asked of her before she let out a slight yelp, jumping back on the chaise– immediately missing the closeness that had been between them. Kagami watched, not looking upset.

"I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

But she wasn't uncomfortable, just surprised. "Wait, I–" she began, and Kagami's gaze returned to her– golden brown eyes seeming as bright as ever, and Marinette's face felt hot. "I just I am just wanting to just–"

But her words made no sense, as they often did in situations like this– and Marinette decided that words wouldn't mean a thing right now. Instead she grabbed Kagami's cheeks, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to her lips to get the message across. She pulled back, and found that a small blush was on Kagami's face, this time she was the one at a loss for words.

"I... I see," Kagami said after a moment, looking slightly dazed, before clearing her throat. "Thank you, Marinette."

Marinette just nodded, still not trusting herself to talk. Kagami set her sketchbook aside, turning to face her once more, leaning forward. Marinette closed her eyes, doing the same, heart hammering in her chest. Their lips touched once more, short and sweet– and she couldn't help but open her eyes to see her girlfriend once more.

Kagami's gaze had turned gentle, her hands reaching out to entangle hers, a thumb being rubbed across the back of her hand. Heart still beating, Marinette found herself relaxing, leaning against Kagami.

For that moment, Marinette felt everything would be okay.


Zoe was nervous to meet her stepfather.

Well, not that she had never met him before, but the two had never had a candid conversation, had never had the opportunity to talk one on one. And Zoe would have thought that he had no interest in such if it weren't for the conversation Chloe had let her overhear.

(Well, maybe he didn't want a one on one conversation; just because he didn't despise her didn't mean he wanted anything to do with her…)

No. She had to focus on the dinner they had as a family, how he had tried to engage her in conversation. At the time she had been so sure it was part of the act she was supposed to put on, but now looking back perhaps he truly had wanted to know about her. At least, that was the only hope she had, because with Mother adamant about them heading back to New York, he was her only hope of actually staying here.

If you had asked her on the plane ride here that she'd be ready to beg to stay in Paris once she had arrived… well, that reality hadn't seemed like a possibility. She had been too worried about speaking passable French, acting like she always lived the high class life her Mother embraced, and that she wasn't about to be dragged into a family reunion that she wasn't truly a part of.

Yet she had found herself a sister here in Paris, and she wasn't keen to go back to the isolation her father gave her with boarding and summer school.

"M. Andre?" Zoe forced herself to speak the moment she saw the man, sitting up and straightening her shoulders. Her heart pounded, afraid she had caught him at a bad time. He was the mayor after all, but there wasn't anyone with him… unless he was heading to a meeting. Or a speech, or maybe he had a hundred other things that needed his attention at the moment that shouldn't be interrupted by a girl that wasn't even his own that wasn't happy with what she had.

But he had already heard her, turning to face her, and it was too late to back out or pretend it had been someone else. Her heart pounded as the man made his way towards her, and her mind was already scrambling for a reasonable excuse. Something that could end the conversation quickly and not be a bother.

"Zoe," he said warmly, giving her a smile. "It's good to see you, what can I help you with?"

Was it that obvious that she was just here for something? This thought made her hesitate, wondering if she should even be asking. Zoe didn't let this hesitation show, though, just smiling up at the man as he approached. She still wasn't sure how she should be acting around him, and decided to stick to the same warm tone he emulated.

"Just been packing up," she said as Andre signaled for her to walk with him, and she followed him through the hotel. "Mother wants to leave soon... and that's what I actually wanted to talk to you about, M. Andre, if you have a moment."

"Just 'Andre' is fine, Zoe," he replied.

"Andre," she said, testing the name. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a breath. "Andre, I was wondering if there was any way that I could... if it would be possible for me to stay in Paris?"

She felt herself faltering as she spoke, her desperation leaking into her words. Andre paused, the mayor looking down at her for a moment, and she wasn't sure what he was thinking. Zoe was careful to keep her expression neutral, even if how she felt about this had already been revealed. The man looked slightly surprised, but not at all upset, just blinking as he took in her question.

"You'd like to stay here?" He asked.

"...Yes," she hesitated for just a moment. "I know I haven't been here long, but I'm... I'm not ready to leave. I've just barely been able to meet Chloe, and her friends– and I'm not ready to go back to New York. Not yet, and I know that Mother isn't going to listen to me, and I thought that maybe you'd be able to talk to her and... and change her mind."

Her voice fell quiet, blinking rapidly. Her voice was wavering again, that desperation back, and this time she didn't try to hide it. She couldn't bear that thought of going back to New York, not when she knew what it was like to wake up in Paris and not feel a sense of looming isolation. Not when the sense of family was slowly beginning to mean something more than just the one she shared a name with. When mornings were spent trying to figure out Chloe's strange aloofness that she carried as she lingered so close, instead of just trying to get through the day.

She was not comforted by the distant look on Andre's face.

"Zoe..." he said softly, and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I cannot promise anything, I'm afraid. Your mother, well– Audrey is hard to sway when she has set her mind to something, and I do not get a say when it comes to you. That is solely up to Audrey and your father."

"I– I know–"

"But I would be more than happy to have you here," Andre continued, smiling softly. "And if Audrey allows it, I will do what I can to help you settle here if that's what you'd like, for as long as you like."

Zoe nodded, understanding that this choice wasn't in any of their hands. Still, with Andre's words she found herself relaxing, a small spark of hope growing warm in her chest. "Thank you, Andre."


"How you feeling, kid?"

Marinette was standing out on her balcony, looking out into the cool summer night. She glanced over at Plagg, who stood out against the light of the city, bright green eyes regarding her. She smiled softly at the kwami, before turning to look at the buildings that surrounded them, taking in a deep breath.

"Okay," she replied after some thought. Everything wasn't okay... but she did feel okay, better than she had all weekend. She laced her fingers together, gathering her thoughts. "Can we transform?"

"Eh, just have some cheese for me when we get back," Plagg replied, stretching out.

She called for a transformation, the kwami turning into a burst of green light as he was drawn into a ring. The energy twisted across her body, and as Lady Noire opened her eyes she found more of the Paris night had opened to her eyes, the shadows of the city having brightened as her powers took hold.

Lady Noire grabbed her baton, expanding it with a tap of her claw, leaping out into the night. She preferred going out like this compared to the daytime, when no one could spot her and she could travel with ease. She was looking forward to school's end, when she could stay out late without worrying about classes the next day.

She sprang from rooftop to rooftop, bounding across streets and scurrying around chimneys, not thinking about where she was going. Instead she let her thoughts turn to Kagami, and the soft kisses that they had shared.

Lady Noire paused on the edge of a roof, hanging onto a pipe for balance as she leaned out, looking at a park below. Her heart was still soaring though, warm and light, the best feeling she had felt in so long. She closed her eyes, feeling a gentle breeze rustle by. She could feel Plagg's presence in her mind, alert and aware, but unintruding. She could sense his emotions as she turned her focus towards him, the kwami seeming just as content with their nighttime stroll.

She was pulled from her thoughts as she heard a familiar zip sound through the air. Plagg's presence immediately turned suspicious at the sound of the yoyo, while Lady Noire turned. It had been so long since she had seen Crimson Beetle, and she was more than happy to welcome another kind face. And while she couldn't tell him a lot without risking her identity, there was still so much she wanted to say about today.

Lady Noire didn't spot him on the roof with her, which surprised her. It was easy to find each other with how they could sense the energy of the other, and she had assumed he would come straight to her. Instead she reached out in search of his pleasantly warm aura to figure out in what direction he was coming from. Her ears flicked as she heard the zip of the yoyo again– but sensed nothing in her heart.

Chills ran through her, and Plagg's suspicion was quickly flooding her. If she sensed nothing, then whoever she was hearing could not be Crimson Beetle. Her heart pounded, and she lowered herself to the roof– eyes scanning the night warily.

She heard the zip one more time, and this time she saw the source– a small object flying through the air, wrapping around a light post in the park. Blue eyes narrowed as she watched a figure be pulled by the thrown trompo, landing lightly on top of the post, which illuminated their golden form for a moment– before they tossed the trompo once more and were pulled up towards a distant rooftop.

Chills ran through Lady Noire, and only if she had seen them for a few seconds, the golden and black stripes of their suit was unmistakable– she had found the Bee Miraculous.

Instantly Lady Noire was on the hunt, ears flicked towards her target, silently leaping from her perch to another roof, taking off on all fours as she hurried after the holder in the distance– refusing to let them leave her sight.

Lady Noire was able to quickly close the distance between them– as her target did not seem to be in a hurry. They moved carefully, but they did not sense her approach, just slowly making their way through the night while unaware of the Black Cat on their tail. In no time at all Lady Noire found herself just a few meters behind the Bee holder, able to get a better look at the stolen Miraculous that sat tucked in their hair.

It looked like it would be so simple to knock the Miraculous from their hair, the teeth of the comb visible, showing it was not tucked tightly– and so Lady Noire sprang out from the shadows. One good pounce was all it would take to knock the thief to the ground and let the Miraculous fall from their hair– rendering them powerless. Then there would be no chance for them to run or fight, and she could reclaim the Bee Miraculous.

She crashed into the Bee holder, the two of them tumbling across the roof, Lady Noire swiftly pinning the thief beneath her– a thief she was startled to find still had the comb in her hair– allowing them to push back with their enhanced strength– a powerful kick sending Lady Noire flying over their head, the feline hero landing on all fours, turning as the Bee holder rose, the trompo clutched in their hand.

"Lady Noire?" the girl said, sounding surprised, though her voice was hard.

Lady Noire grabbed her baton, but kept it at her side– instead holding out one hand. "Return the Miraculous."

Eyes flickered towards the empty palm, one hand touching the comb in her hair. Silence passed between them for a few seconds, before the Bee holder looked away.

"It is not yours to keep," Lady Noire said, a slight growl crawling into her voice. "Return Pollen to me, now."

The Bee holder took a step back, hand tightening around the trompo, voice quiet, but clear. "No."

"I don't want to fight you."

A small smile curved on her lips. "But you have already done so, haven't you?"

Then the trompo was flying straight at her Lady Noire, who raised the baton to block the blow, knocking the weapon away– but the Bee holder was already charging straight at her, only instead of striking once more, the girl bounded over her, in almost a graceful glide, landing behind Lady Noire and taking off running. Immediately the Black Cat was on their tail, turning sharply to pursue as they fled.

The trompo was thrown to a distant rooftop, the string lifting the Bee into the air and carrying off– but Lady Noire was not deterred. One too many akuma battles made navigating this city second nature, and if the Bee holder hoped the range of their weapon would give them an advantage, then they had severely underestimated just how far a cat could leap– especially with a baton that had shown no limit with how far it could stretch. As the Bee landed the Black Cat was only steps behind, quickly closing the distance. Muscles tensed, claws twitching, Lady Noire ready to pounce again– only for the Bee to suddenly spin around.

Lady Noire avoided the first strike on instinct, leaping back to put some space between them as the trompo was sent flying at her. She fell to the roof, the weapon zipping over her head, springing towards the Bee's legs to bring her down as well– who retreated with expert footwork– before sliding down the roof to jump to another rooftop– Lady Noire right behind her as before.

The Black Cat felt a hiss building up in her throat, realizing just how greatly she had underestimated this thief. Yes she was far more used to the abilities that came from wielding a Miraculous, but she had forgotten just how instinctual the magic could be. It seemed her foe had no qualms about listening to impulses that came from the Miraculous, maneuvering with a grace that came with the Bee her Miraculous resembled. She was easily trusting these new powers– or perhaps this was not the first night she had transformed with the Miraculous.

The thief was quick, but she did not run for long. She had run across several rooftops at great speed, stopping near the edge of one of– and she looked surprised to see Lady Noire land on a chimney not far from her, having kept pace with ease. The thief's gaze hardened behind the mask, before looking down at the trompo once more.

The Bee lashed out– the spinning top rushing straight for Lady Noire. She knocked the incoming projectible to the side with her baton, the top being sent flying down towards the streets, while the string of the trompo continued forward, wrapping tightly around her wrist. Lady's eyes widened as she felt the pressure tightened– before being yanked forward with a harsh tug.

She had been treating the trompo like Crimson Beetle's yoyo, and while the two weapons were very similar in function, like a true top, the trompo was not permanently linked to the string it was attached to. Lady Noire was pulled from the chimney she had been using as a perch, painfully hitting her chin as she crashed into the roof. She heard the light tapping of footsteps, a gloved hand reaching for her baton– which she knocked away with a strong lash, hearing a hiss of pain as the Bee retreated several steps.

"Pretty good," Lady Noire commented as she rose to her feet, tugging the wire of the trompo off of her wrist– she had thought her experience would give her the edge she needed. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're using a stolen Miraculous."

"I didn't steal it," the Bee replied, rewinding the string with a flick of her wrist. "I found it."

She tossed the string once more, and Lady Noire's eyes watched the wire sharply as it unwound off of the edge of their roof. Even in the dark she could spot it reaching the fallen trompo, seemingly reconnecting with ease– as it came flying back to the Bee's hand only moments later.

"Yes, because 'finders-keepers' is how real life works," Lady said sarcastically, and the Bee's eyes narrowed behind their mask. "Let's keep this simple, please– give me back Pollen."

"I do not wish to fight you, Lady Noire– but do you truly expect me to just give this back?" The Bee asked.

"Yes, I do," she replied evenly. She could understand not wanting to, the idea of letting go of such power would be a struggle for anyone, but that did not mean that letting a stranger keep this was right.

The Bee holder was silent for a moment, thinking. Within her mind Lady Noire could sense Plagg urging her to move now, to grab the Miraculous and be done with this, but she chose to wait. This person did not seem ill-intended, as frustrating as they were, but they just needed to make the right choice. Lady Noire held out her hand, silently asking for the Miraculous once more, and the Bee stared at it for a moment.

"Let tonight be a good memory of magic for you," Lady said softly. "And return things to where they belong. I'll take you home, and that will be the end of it. I'm not angry, I just need the Miraculous to be safe, that's all."

The Bee holder hadn't seemed particularly afraid of her at any point, even when she had been running– but she figured nobody wanted a superhero to bear a grudge against them. Lady Noire wondered if this would have gone easier if Crimson Beetle was here too, but she was handling this just fine. In a few moments her mistake would be fixed, and she could finally go home without this anxiety eating away at her heart–

The trompo came flying at her, striking Lady Noire straight in the chest, sending her stumbling back. Lady managed to stay standing, looking up as she watched the Bee holder leaping away, spinning around as the Black Cat stepped forward, whipping the trompo towards her once more.

This time the Bee didn't go for a strike, instead willing the top to detach from the string once more, which landed right in Lady Noire's path. It spun across the roof right towards her, causing her to misstep as it hit her feet. She grunted as she hit the rooftop, snatching the spinning top before it could retreat. Claws curled about it as Lady sprang to her feet, small cracks appearing in the top as the Black Cat pursued the retreating Bee, a hiss building up in her throat.

This stunt gave the thief a lead, a distance between them that there hadn't been before. It was not enough to keep them out of sight, however, the bright gold of their suit standing out like a beacon in the night for Lady. She chased the Bee across several rooftops, steadily gaining ground as they ran, the thief looking back at her with a calculating look in their eye.

"Venom!" They called out, the word instantly sending a jolt through Lady Noire– knowing just how dangerous the power was even if she had never seen it in action before. Instantly, she was on alert, even if she wasn't sure how effective the power would be with the distance between them.

Immediately, Plagg was thrashing about in her mind, his aura calling out in warning. A small glow caught Lady's attention, realizing that the top still clutched in her hand was beginning to shine with a bright yellow light. Instantly she dropped the weapon, leaping back as the Venom flared to life about it. The top spun around on the shingles where it was dropped, the pulsing light looking harmless compared to the true harm it could do if she had remained in contact.

Lady Noire heard the zip of the string followed by a faint beeping, leaping back without looking as the wire was sent flying in her direction. It wasn't coming for her, however– instead lashing around the fallen top glowing with Venom. With the spinning top whole once more it lashed out again, this time flying towards Lady Noire. She dropped to the roof as it zipped above her, before rolling down off of the building, landing in an alleyway below– watching as the Venom flew above once more, having been launched off the wire once more.

Silence hummed above her, no sign of the thief or the string going to reclaim the top– meaning that she was probably running once more.

Lady Noire shook slightly as she expanded her baton, rising back up to the roofs. Her eyes swept across the dark night, but there was no sign of where the Bee had gone. Claws curling, she looked back, where she saw the Venom-lit top had been embedded into a vent. It was glowing softly as she approached, and she wondered if she could somehow use it to track the Bee. Was there a way she could sense the energy within like she could with Crimson? Get a feel for the energy of the Venom, and locate the source within the city?

Before she could even verbalize this idea to Plagg, however, the trompo seemed to disintegrate in front of her, turning into pure light before fading completely– meaning the holder had detransformed.

"Plagg," Lady Noire whispered. "Plagg, what– what do I do?"

He could give her no verbal answer, but he twisted in her mind, energy washing over her as if to calm her– but even in this state he could not hide the tension that surrounded him, both of them. The horrible anxiety that had seemed to have become part of her very being returned to her heart with a surge, and she found herself rapidly blinking back tears.

The Miraculous had been right there, and she had failed to reclaim it.

How long she remained on the rooftop, she didn't know– perhaps a part of her hoping that somehow the Bee would return. But as the night grew darker her foe did not return, not to fight nor to return what had been stolen. By the time Lady Noire found herself crawling in through her skylight night had turned into morning, pulling the ring from her finger– desperately needing Plagg in front of her, who reappeared in a shower of green light.

He immediately zipped to her side, circling around her as she fought back tears. "Kid?" He asked in a low voice. "Kid, you hear me?"

"What do I do, Plagg?" She asked him desperately– the same question she had been repeating all night. "Pollen– her Miraculous– it was right there."

"Take in a deep breath, kid, that's all you need to do," Plagg promised as he nestled in the crook of her neck. "There's nothing more we can do tonight, okay? I just need you to try to get some sleep."

"I– I need to talk to Crimson," Marinette whispered, making no effort to crawl into bed, sliding towards the ladder as she put the ring back on. "The Guardians, we have to tell them that someone has the Miraculous, that someone has Pollen–"

"No!" Plagg shouted, cutting her off before she could fully spiral into a panic, and his voice became quiet. "...No, we got this. We can handle this. We know someone is holding the Miraculous, and they can't hide forever. They won't, not if they favor the powers."

"But– but they almost Venomed–"

"They're a kid," Plagg snapped, tail curling. "I heard their timer– and if there's a timer, then we can outlast it. We just need to wait until next time we see them, that Miraculous is as good as ours."

"But– but the others–"

"We don't need the others, Kitten!" Plagg cried, flying in front of her face.

Marinette hesitated, not sure of what to do. She... she didn't want to tell the others of what happened, of how badly she had messed up– but at the same time she didn't want to do this alone. She closed her eyes, heart pounding. She could feel Plagg watching her, waiting to see what she should do.

She didn't want to do this alone... but as long as Plagg was with her, she wasn't alone. And he had been doing this for a long time, he had a Miraculous himself– surely he knew the best thing to do in this situation. So she found herself nodding, looking up at the Black Cat, who relaxed.

"Don't worry, kid," Plagg promised, landing in her hair, letting out soft purrs. "It'll be okay, I'll fix this, don't worry."


It took far too long for his Kitten to fall asleep that night– the clock well past three as her soft snores began to fill the room. Only an hour until her parents would wake up to begin working. Plagg had sat with her as she had tried to fall asleep, the girl twisting and turning under the covers, what had been such a wonderful day having been turned back into the anxiety that cocooned her so tightly.

Plagg's tail twisted in irritation, wishing that he could take those emotions from her and Destroy them. But the only thing he could do right now was knead the top of her head, hoping that the dreams that came would be good ones, softly purring to urge his little Kitten to stay resting and asleep.

"I told you that you'd like this holder," a smug voice called, sounding like the soft ringing of bells. Plagg closed his eyes, but turned to face the kwami who had drifted in through the window, orange tail swaying as she watched human and kwami.

"What are you doing here?" Plagg snapped back at Trixx, speaking the same musical language– the tongue of kwamis. Both unintelligible to humans, and melodic enough that he didn't think it would disturb Marinette as she slept.

Trixx raised an eye ridge, as this wasn't their first visit here as of late. "What do you think? The Guardian still wants to know what happened to the Bee."

Plagg turned away. "Still none of your business. Tell him to crawl back under a rock."

Trixx sighed. "And just, realistically, what am I supposed to tell him this time?"

"You'll figure out something," Plagg replied. "But we're closer than ever, we'll get it back no problem."

"You found Pollen?"

"...Someone else did," Plagg said after a moment. "But it's just some kid, won't be a problem."

Trixx was frowning. "Are you sure, Plagg? I don't like this at all."

"Neither do I!" Plagg snarled, though quickly he fell quiet as he watched Marinette shift slightly. "Trixx, please, just let me handle this. I don't need some old humans getting involved!"

"What about Marianne?" Trixx asked, drifting closer. "I'm sure she'd–"

"I got this," Plagg insisted, cutting off Trixx at the mention of his old holder. He cared deeply for Marinanne, he did– but she didn't need to get involved in this anymore than Fu did.

"If you say so," Trixx said, drifting back towards the window, before pausing. "You know they wouldn't blame the kid, Plagg."

"I got this." Plagg repeated, more firmly this time– and Trixx merely sighed. She gave a small chirp of farewell, more formal than her usual goodbyes– and phased through the wall.

Plagg relaxed ever so slightly, settling back next down to Marinette. He didn't know what story Trixx would feed to the Guardians, but he wasn't too concerned about that. As Deception incarnate, he knew she could spin the most unbelievable of tales into something that felt concrete enough to even throw a suspicious Guardian off course.

He was glad that the Guardians had sent Trixx– a kwami that understood Plagg better than most. They had both found themselves in unsavory hands more times than they had wished, and they were both navigating the situation with Pollen similarly. Slowly, one step at a time, and not announcing to the world what had happened. It helped that lies were part of Trixx's nature, to hide issues away rather than confront them head on– but Trixx was also not a passive kwami. As an aspect of Chaos, Plagg could not confidently say how long she would play along in keeping this conversation between them.

But for now, Plagg was content with the silence, this mess set before him merely being one that he would solve with time– and all would be well.


If you're interested, this fic now has a comic on tumblr (crimson-and-noire) and instagram (DKsaikou) coordinated by scarlett-writes with art by DKsaikou.