Chapter 7: Friendships and Loyalties
Brutus contacted Hawk Moth, and waited for his master to reply. Knowing that he would be waiting for him to contact him, it would be a matter of seconds before he received an answer. Like it always happened, Hawk Moth's voice echoed inside Brutus' head, as they both established contact.
"I can see that." -Hawk Moth's voice echoed, as he used his powers to look at the urn through Brutus' eyes. –"Excellent job, Brutus." -he congratulated him. –"I'm going to teleport you back, right now."
Tapping its cane on the ground, a purple magic wave swept the floor, while at the same time, Brutus saw himself inside an energy sphere. Seconds later, the very same energy sphere materialized inside Hawk Moth's hideout. As the sphere disappeared, the eyes of both master and underling crossed, as the wielder of the moth miraculous approached him.
"Like I said before, excellent job, Brutus." -Hawk Moth congratulated him again. –"I see I chose the right person for the job."
Brutus tried his best to not show any kind of emotion, when hearing that compliment from his master, but it was hard. It was not everyday that he got a commendation for a job well-done; especially when what he did was going to put his master one step closer to conquering the world. But as always, there was a fowl stench of jealousy in the end, courtesy of none other than Madame Romani. Reptile and Rapier were not the jealous type, The first was only interested in seeing their master succeed, so he could have his revenge on the people who had treated him like garbage for years, and the second one just wanted to be on the winning side.
"With what's inside that urn, the master will finally be victorious, and he will fulfil his promise to me." -Reptile thought to himself, as he allowed his mind to travel and come up with ideas, of what he was going to do to those who had treated him badly, once Hawk Moth ruled the world.
"Don't know why the boss even wastes his time congratulating him. So, what if he got that old relic for him? The one who is able to get those kids' heads, along with their miraculouses will definitely get more praise, and will probably get a nice piece of land to rule, once the world is his." -Rapier mused about. –"I wouldn't mind if he gave me Australia to rule, or Russia." -he thought.
"Once again, that Brutus gets to be on the master's good side." -Madame Romani thought to herself. –"But if he thinks that just because he brought that relic with him, will make him be the master's right hand, when he rules the world, he's in for a surprise. I'll make sure of that." -she thought, as her mind came up with multiple ways to sabotage Brutus, while promoting herself in the process.
What his lieutenants were thinking did not bother Hawk Moth, primarily because he did not care. All he cared about was the Urn of Ahmet. Looking at it, he once more wondered why he did not use it all those centuries ago, and he blamed his ego, for believing that he did not need it to destroy the miraculous holders.
"After so long, we're once more reunited." -Hawk Moth declared, as he took the Urn of Ahmet from Brutus' hands. –"Inside is the power to change not only the balance of power, but also the world as we know it." -he smirked malevolently, without taking his eyes from the urn, as he caressed it surface.
Reptile, Romani and Brutus knew better than to interrupt Hawk Moth, when he was doing one of his monologues. But Rapier having joined the ranks much later, and being the reckless hothead he was, he did not realize the mistake that he was about to do, until it was too late.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah… we get it. Absolute power and all that! So, why don't you open it already?!" -Rapier asked Hawk Moth, with a disrespectful tone of voice, which angered Hawk Moth. –"Open it and let's get this party started!" -he exclaimed impatient.
Before Rapier could even realize his mistake, Hawk Moth lift his cane and fired a bolt of energy which hit him right on the chest. Gritting his teeth in pain, he wanted to yell, but his jaw was shut, because of the energy that was coursing through him. It was not the first time he was given this kind of punishment,
"May I remind you, that when you address to me, you will do so, with the utmost respect?" -Hawk Moth asked Rapier, as he used the magic on his cane to electrocute him, making Rapier yell in pain. –"So, unless you want to be turned into a fried corpse, you will do it, by showing me the respect I so deserve. Or there will be dire consequences." -he declared, as he reduced the voltage. –"Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-Yes…." -Rapier stuttered, now being able to open his jaw to talk.
"Yes, what, Rapier?" -Hawk Moth asked him with a cold voice, as he turned on the juice, making Rapier scream in agony.
"Y-Y-Yes, m-master." -Rapier said, as he felt the electricity running through his whole body, burning him.
Tuning on the voltage once more, Hawk Moth allowed Rapier to feel the full extent of his punishment a few more seconds, before ceasing it. Panting, Rapier yelped in pain, before falling to his knees on the floor, only to fall on his face a second later. The unmistakable scent of burnt flesh was in the air, not that that bothered Rapier, as he was in too much pain to care about it.
"You will do well to remember that, the next time you open your mouth." -Hawk Moth declared, before looking at the other lieutenants. –"Grab him and tend to his wounds. He's of no use to me, if he can't fly." -he ordered them.
"Yes, master." -Madame Romani said, as she silently ordered Reptile to give her a hand.
"Answering your question, I cannot open it just yet. It needs to charge." -Hawk Moth told Rapier, as his fellow lieutenants grabbed him. –"It must absorb the light of the Moon for seven straight nights. Light which will be turned to energy, which will act as a catalyst to the souls of the army that is trapped inside." -he explained. –"Only then, will we be able to open it."
The explanation of what was needed to do next with the urn satisfied everyone's curiosity, and they all realized they would have to wait, until it was time to put the next stage of the plan in motion.
"Now, leave. I want to be alone." -Hawk Moth ordered them.
"Yes, master." -Reptile and Madame Romani responded in chorus, as they carried Rapier out of there.
"As you wish, master. But before I go, master, there's something more that I need to show you." -Brutus claimed. –"With your permission, allow me to show it to you."
Pulling the talisman with Hawk Moth's insignia in it from inside his armour, Brutus also pulled the other object that he intended to show his master; the glass bead with the mist from the last trap he faced.
"This was on the floor, when I beat the last trap, master. Inside it is a piece of what attacked me. Some kind of mist, which made me relive some of my worst fears." -Brutus explained, as Hawk Moth took the glass bead from his hand.
"Could it be?" -Hawk Moth asked himself, as his eyes observed the inside of the glass bead and how the mist inside it moved with a mind of its own. –"The Breath of Arawn? Could it really be it? If so, this can provide me with an even further advantage against those blasted kids." -he thought to himself. –"You did well bringing this with you, Brutus. No doubt, it will come in handy."
"I'm glad I was of service to you, master." -Brutus said, as he left.
Holding the Urn of Ahmet and the glass bead with a sample of the Breath of Arawn, Hawk Moth entered in his private chambers, and locked the door. He needed to be alone with his thoughts, as well with his two new acquisitions. Sating them next to the glass dome
"This urn is all that I need to finally put an end to this game I've been playing with miraculous holders, once and for all." -Hawk Moth declared. –"But having the Breath of Arawn, even if it's a small sample, could make things interesting." -he said, as he stared at his Akuma Butterflies. –"Perhaps, I can make use of it to boost the power inside the urn. There were times when I combined different artefacts, so this is not different."
After he finished talking, a few seconds went by, when he heard a screech coming from the urn. Hawk Moth remembered that when he first got hold of it, he found out what was inside it, reacted to powerful magic. And his miraculous and his Akuma Butterflies were just that. Smirking malevolently, the villain caressed both the glass dome where the Akuma Butterflies rested, and the urn, with his fingertips, as if he was caressing newborn babies.
"I can hear you… the screams of countless warriors, begging to be released upon this earth." -Hawk Moth whispered at the urn. –"Be patient. In one week, you will be free and this city, and the world will be mine, at last." -he declared in a low voice. –"Once he recovers, I'll have to make sure Rapier makes himself useful and finds a place where the urn might absorb the moon rays, without being disturbed by anyone. I don't want to wait any longer than necessary to have this world at my feet, once and for all."
After their last exam was out of the way, miss Bustier's class felt as free as a bird. That meant they had to celebrate. Though the end of the exams did not officially mark the end of the school year, it did mark the end of studying time for the students. And there was no better way to celebrate it than some well-deserved ice cream from the ice cream shop located behind Françoise-Dupont, after classes. From pistachio to rocky road, there was more than four dozen flavours to choose from, and the whole class felt that the hardest was to choose which flavours went best together.
Once they had their ice cream, they all went to the nearby garden, and sat in a circle, protected from the sun by the shade of one of the huge oak trees that had been planted there, way before any of them were born.
Taking the time to enjoy their ice creams, they all began to talk about what they had answered in some of the questions of the last exam, with some of them quickly realizing they had forgotten something in their answers, or given an answer that was not the correct one.
"I can't believe I used the wrong formula." -Nathaniel sighed.
"Oh, you're saying that, but you're going to do just fine, Nate." -Marinette told him. –"You always do great in Physics." -she reminded him. –"At least, better than I do, most of the times."
"At least, you weren't the one who mistook sedimentary rocks with metamorphic rocks, in the Science exam." -Mylene told her. –"I spent so much time trying to get that into my head, and in the end, I mix them up." -she sighed, disappointed with herself.
"It's okay, Mylene." -Ivan said, trying to cheer her up. –"It's just one mistake. I'm sure you did great on the rest of the exam." -he told her, making her smile.
In any case, that subject was quickly put aside, so a more pressing matter could be discussed, and that was how they were going to spend their weekend. Some already knew how they were going to, while others were now making plans.
"For the first time in many weeks, I don't have to babysit the twins. So that means, we can finally go to that cereal café that I found online, and then, we can catch a movie. Just the two of us, turtle boy." -Alya told Nino.
"Does that mean I also get to take you to that new record store I found the other day, as well?" -Nino asked her, before stealing a lick from Alya's ice cream.
"Maybe. Humour me by taking me to the place I want to go, and I'll do the same for you, before we go to the movies, turtle boy." -Alya smiled playfully at Nino, before placing a peck on his lips.
There was another couple who wanted to go out, but could not. And that would be Juleka and Rose, because Rose had been asked to help her mom in the flower shop that Saturday, and the blonde could not say no to her. Even so, Juleka told her she did not mind lending her a helping hand, if that meant she could spend the day with her.
"I told you, Rose. I don't mind helping you and your mom at the shop." -Juleka said, as she bit her ice cream.
"I know you don't. But if you come, you'll have to spend most of the day making flower arrangements and table centrepieces for not one but three different weddings. I don' you to waste your Saturday like that. Why don't you go with your brother somewhere, or play music with him?" -Rose told her, as she licked her strawberry ice cream.
"And what if I want to waste my Saturday helping you? As long as I'm with you, I'll be happy." -Juleka smiled. –"Besides, Luka's got to study for his finals and I'm not really in the mood to play by myself." -she declared. –"So, tell your mom that she'll have another assistant to help her at the shop."
And while some planned romantic dates, others were planning a more frivolous and carefree activities.
"I'm telling you. That old arcade I told you about is the perfect place for us to spend the afternoon." -Alix declared. –"Plus, they have a challenge, which I know you won't resist." -she smiled. –"If you manage to beat one of machines, with only one token, and you get the highest score, they'll give you free t-shirt, as well as a free meal if your choosing, and your picture goes up into the wall of winners. Can you really pass up on that opportunity, Kim?"
"Sounds tempting." -Kim admitted. –"Okay, I'm in! -he said, before turning to Max. –"You want to join us, man? It would be awesome if one of us, or all the three of us could get our photos on that wall."
"Thanks, but I'm going to have to pass on it. My parents told me they want to go out somewhere during the weekend. So, that means I'm going to end up somewhere with no cell reception, and without any videogames." -Max sighed. –"But you two better make sure one of you gets "
"You bet we will. But the next time you're free, I'm taking you there, for you to see it with your own eyes, man." -Alix told him, smiling.
A few more minutes went by, when rounding the bend, the Agreste limousine showed up. Earlier, Adrien had sent Gorilla a text telling him where he could pick him up. When he saw the limousine, he knew it was time to go home, where his father was expecting him, to tell him what he was going to wear for the photoshoot the following day.
"There's my ride" -Adrien told everyone, as he saw the limousine parking.
"You don't want to keep him waiting." -Kim said, referring to Gorilla.
"He doesn't mind if I take a few more minutes." -Adrien declared, knowing his bodyguard was quite patient. –"But I better get going. My dad has a few things he wants to tell me, and I want to spend the afternoon with my aunt, since tomorrow I won't be able to, because of that photoshoot I need to do in Chartres." -he said.
"Oh, right, your aunt! She's already out of the hospital. How is she?" -Marinette asked Adrien. –"Can't believe I forgot about her. Some girlfriend you are, Marinette." -she thought to herself.
"She's okay, considering things. I'm more worried about what the police will ask her." -Adrien admitted. –"Nathalie and my dad were able to keep the police away from her, while she recovered. But now that she's at the manor, they'll want to question her, in hopes of finding out anything about La Paon." -he said, as he imagined how the conversation between the two parties would go.
"It'll be a waste of time. But you can't tell them that." -Chloe said.
"The best you can do is to remain by her side, and make sure she rests." -Marinette told him.
"I intend to do that, bugaboo." -Adrien said, as he got up and then leaned forward, kissing Marinette on her forehead. –"I better get going. See you, guys!" -he waved at the rest of the gang.
"See ya!" -the whole gang replied in chorus.
"Talk to you tonight, after dinner." -Adrien told Marinette, while winking and smiling at her. –"I love you, bugaboo."
"I love you even more, my silly kitty." -Marinette smiled, as she waved him goodbye. –"Those eyes… and that smile of his… they're just perfect, like him." -she thought to herself, as a smile appeared on her face.
Later on, at the Dupain-Cheng residence, more specifically in Marinette's bedroom, she, Alya and Sabrina were engaged into some casual conversation, while their kwamis, Tikki, Trixx and Mika had a little snack. Marinette was working on the birthday present Sabrina was going to offer Chloe, and because she was almost finishing it, Sabrina asked if it was okay for her to come over and see it.
"Thanks for letting me come over and see you finish it, Marinette." -Sabrina told her.
"My pleasure. And the way you're talking, it's like you need my permission to visit me, Sabrina." -Marinette smiled, as she continued to work on the backpack. –"It's like my dad always says: "Friends don't need permission to come over into our house." -she said. –"Alya knows that and spends a lot of time here."
"Guilty as charged, girl!" -Alya laughed.
"But Alya is your best-friend, Marinette. It's different." -Sabrina told her.
"Sabrina… after everything we went through; you still think you don't qualify yourself as one of my best-friends?" -Marinette sighed.
"She's right, kiddo. You and her might not have a relationship like you have with Chloe, minus the romance part, of course, but you still qualify as someone who's important to her." -Mika told her, as ate another piece of sweet bread. –"Mmm… this is so good!"
"At the rate you're eating, they'll have to go downstairs to get you more." -Tikki said, as she nibbled a cookie.
"You're one to talk. You and Trixx already ate most of the cookies in that plate." -Mika pointed out.
"Well, I had to eat something, since Alya forgot to bring me grapes or raisins." -Trixx told him.
"I told you I was sorry. I forgot to buy them yesterday, and I spent the rest of the money I had with me on the ice cream." -Alya stated.
"An ice cream, which I was only entitled to two licks." -Trixx pointed out.
"There were five licks, Trixx. I counted them." -Alya corrected her. –"And I promise you, that tomorrow, when I go shopping with my parents, I'll get you both grapes and raisins, so you can choose which ones you're in the mood for.
The fox kwami knew well Alya would keep her promise, and winked back at her, signalling it. That was just how Alya was, and Trixx had found out over the months they had spent together.
"But going back to what we're talking about, they're right, Sabrina. You're as welcomed here, as I am, or anyone else in our class." -Alya pointed out. –"And I extend that kind of invitation to my place as well." -she said.
"Thanks, Alya. And let me apologize for it. It's just that there are times that I have to remind myself that things have changed a lot, since I spent most of my time hanging around exclusively with Chloe." -Sabrina admitted. –"It feels like it was a lifetime ago." -she said.
And the redhead was not the only one who felt like it had been a lifetime ago. They had gone through so much, that it felt to them like years had passed, since they got their miraculouses and started to protect Paris from Hawk Moth. But the truth was, it had been roughly nine months. Not even a year had passed, and yet, it felt to them like they had been doing it for more time they could remember.
"It sure does." -Marinette confessed, sighing, as she finished stitching the teddy bear's left ear. –"There. One down, one to go." -she smiled,
"It looks beautiful. I know Chloe is going to love it." -Sabrina said.
"Well, she better. Marinette is making her an exclusive and original backpack." -Alya stated. –"I'm surprised you managed to sew that backpack in so little time, girl." -she declared.
"I admit, it wasn't easy. Especially because I was also making my own present for her, while working on the backpack." -Marinette told her.
"What are you going to give her?" -Sabrina asked Marinette.
"I'm going to give her a Queen Bee hoodie. Chloe is always bragging that she only wears the best and the most exclusive outfits and accessories. So, the one I did for her is a modified version of the Queen Bee hoodie that I originally came up with." -Marinette answered her. –"I call it the "Royal edition". She'll be able to brag about having the only one of its kind, all she wants." -she chuckled.
"Can we see it?" -Sabrina asked her.
"Sure. It's inside my wardrobe." -Marinette declared. –"Tikki, would you mind getting it for us?"
"I'm on it, Marinette." -Tikki smiled, as she flew towards Marinette's wardrobe.
Going through the wardrobe's door, Tikki opened it from the inside, and quickly grabbed the hoodie Marinette asked her, taking it to the chaise longue where Alya was seated. This one was similar to the one Marinette had done for Alya, but it bared the colours of Queen Bee. On top of the hoodie, she had placed two antennas, mirroring the ones Chloe had when transformed. It had a fur collar and fur cuffs, which gave it a regal look. All in all, it was the kind of thing that Chloe would wear, without thinking twice.
"Girl, you outdid yourself… again." –Alya said, throwing her a smile.
"It's really beautiful." -Mika declared.
"As beautiful as the one you did for Alya." -Trixx added.
"Thank you." -Marinette said. –"I put as much love in it, as I did on Alya's."
"It's fit for a queen… our queen." -Sabrina smiled, as she paid attention to the details. –"She's going to love it, Marinette. Perhaps even more than that backpack you're finishing." -she declared.
"Thanks, but I think she's going to love the backpack more than the hoodie, because it'll be a present from you." -Marinette told her. –"I can see it now, when you give her the backpack, she's going to jump for joy and then, she's going to plant a huge smooch on your lips, before hugging you and thanking you from the bottom of her heart." -she said, smiling. –"She's just that kind of girlfriend."
The way Marinette narrated what she supposed was going to happen, once Chloe saw the backpack, sent Sabrina into a fit of laughter, which surprised everyone else.
"What's so funny?" -Alya asked Sabrina, curious.
"Sorry. It's just I still haven't got completely accustomed to calling her my girlfriend." -Sabrina admitted, as she tried to stop laughing. –"Neither has Chloe. It's still a bit strange, you know?" -she said. –"Sometimes, when we're alone, and call each other that, it still feels a bit strange. In a good way, but strange nonetheless."
"Well, you and her started to date almost out of the blue, and it's been two months?" -Marinette confessed. –"I mean, Rose and Juleka, we were a bit surprised, but it's not like we didn't expect it to happen sooner or later. It was clear that there was something there." -she said. –"But you and Chloe, that was a complete shock. She spent so much time trying to get Adrien to fall in love with her, that we figured that she would fall in love with another boy, not a girl."
"I'm with you on that one." -Alya agreed. –"I would never pick her for bisexual or lesbian." -she said. –"And the same thing goes for you, Sabrina. I always picked you for straight. Especially, last year, when you had a crush on that exchange student… what was his name? Oh, yeah, Delmar!"
"Yes, I did have a little crush on him. And we still talk online, from time to time. He's a good listener." -Sabrina admitted. –"And to be honest, I don't exactly know what I am. I mean, I do find some boys attractive, so that rules me out as a full-blown lesbian. That, and because I don't find all girls attractive. But Chloe is a different story. I like her and I find her really attractive" -she admitted. –"So, I guess I'm Chloesexual, maybe?"
"Well, whatever you are, I'm happy for you, and for Chloe too." -Marinette declared. –"From all of us, you're the one whose friendship she has benefitted the most. You never gave up on her." -she said.
"Yeah. While we were all "That blonde bitch doesn't deserve our friendship. And if she treats us like trash, then we'll treat her even worst", or "If she's being this nice, she must have something up her sleeve.", or even "I'll never be friends with someone who's got to be the most spoiled, snob and rotten person in whole Paris.", you stood by her side. You saw something was going on with her, and you didn't give up on her, even if that sometimes meant you not being seen in a good light by most of us." -Alya said, as Trixx landed on her shoulder. –"In many ways, you were better than all of us. You stood by Chloe's side. I'm not saying that was a good thing, given how she used to treat everyone, especially you. But you never gave up on her. You did what we should've done from the start. You gave her the benefit of the doubt, and you tried your best to treat her like a friend, even when she was awfully mean to you."
Sabrina did not know if what she did had been right or not. But she knew that by doing it, proved that the friendship bond she and Chloe shared was true and strong enough to survive what the two of them had named "Putting my foot down: The Definite version", because it was the first time Sabrina put her foot down, and did not do what Chloe ordered her to. Looking back on it, if given the chance to go back in time, she would do it all again, for her and Chloe's sake.
"But it wasn't easy, believe me." -Sabrina sighed. –"More than once I wanted to stop her from doing the things she did, slap her and tell her that she was being a bitch and that I hardly recognized who she was anymore. But I was afraid that if I did that, I would lose her friendship." -she admitted, as she remembered some of the situations where that almost happened. –"So, last year, when I refused to lock Juleka in the girls' room, so Chloe could stay by Adrien's side in the school photo, and she went ahead and did it herself, and I told her that I wasn't her friend anymore and that I didn't want to have anything to do with her, it hurt so much… I hated to say those things to her. But like everyone else, I have my limits. And I couldn't let her think that it was okay for her to keep doing what she was doing, and that she could get away without any sort of comeuppance."
Marinette and Alya remembered that day, almost like it was yesterday. Neither of them had ever seen Sabrina snapping the way she did at Chloe. The way she talked to her, was similar to how the blonde talked to her, when she was in a bad mood. It felt strange to see that happening. But more incredible than that, was how Sabrina managed to have Chloe apologize to Juleka and everyone in class for her behaviour; a good, honest, truthful apology.
"It took a lot of guts for you to do that, kiddo." -Mika declared. –"And in the end, it paid off. She apologized to you and started to treat you better, and began her voyage to turn over a new leaf." -he said.
"Fortunately, yes." -Sabrina said. –"I don't even want to imagine what would've happened, if she… well, you know. And I rather not imagine it, because what matters is that's all in the past, where it belongs." -she smiled.
The conversation was heading in a direction that Sabrina wished it was not, so she quickly changed the subject. She had no problem remembering the bad things Chloe had done, or even what she herself had done to help her. But it was a subject that if it could be avoided, she would avoid it, not out of shame, but because she did not feel the need to dig up the past.
"So… What are you going to give to miss Bustier for her birthday?" -Sabrina asked.
"I'm going to give her a jar of Martinique spices that my grandmother brought with her the last time she went there. She brought so many that it's impossible for us to use them all in the food, before they expire. And, it's customary at my place to offer this kind of ptrsents to the people we care about." -Alya said. –"I don't know if she's into spicy food, but if she doesn't use them in her food, she can always use them as potpourri. What about you, Marinette? What are you going to give miss Bustier?" -she asked her, remembering what happened the year before. –"Let's hope whatever it is doesn't end up all scribbled with a black marker, courtesy of Chloe."
"I'm pretty sure that won't happen this year." -Marinette told her with a kind voice. –"This year, I decided to make her a wool scarf, so she can wear it on winter." -she said.
"You knitted her a wool scarf? That must've taken you forever." -Sabrina said, astounded.
"I started it back in February, and then knitted it in my spare time. It helped me to calm down, especially after a fight with an Akuma, or a stressful day at school." -Marinette declared. –"By the end of April I had already finished it.
"You really love to knit wool scarves, girl." -Alya chuckled.
"They're practical, and it's something that everyone wears." -Marinette said. –"Remember the one I made for Adrien's birthday two years ago? He has told me that he has about two dozen scarves, but he loves to wear the one I offered him, because it's warmer than the others, and because it reminds him of me." -she blushed lightly.
"As if the boy needed anything to remind him of you." -Tikki giggled. –"He's just like you. From what Plagg tells me, he spends the evenings thinking about you, and wishing you were there with him." -she laughed. –"Why do you think you're both always so eager to go on night patrol?"
If laughter is a weapon, then kwamis were professionals at using it wisely on people, making them feel good, and relieving any kind of tension in the room. In a matter of seconds, the whole vibe in the room changed, thanks to a couple of well-placed jokes and some snazzy talk from them.
"And what about you, Sabrina? What'll be your gift to miss Bustier?" -Alya questioned her, curious.
"I'm going to give her a new set of binders, for her to use. It's both practical and beautiful." -Sabrina answered her. –"Chloe thinks I should've given her something a little more pricey, and that she wouldn't mind paying for it. But I think that she's going to love them, because they'll be a gift from the heart." -she said.
"And those are the best kind." -Marinette said, as she finished stitching the second ear to the teddy bear." –"There! Finished!" -she said as she turned the backpack to Sabrina, so she could see it." –"What do you think?"
"Chloe's going to love it." -Sabrina smiled, as Marinette handed it to her. –"How much do I owe you?"
"Just the cost of the materials." -Marinette declared. –"And before you say anything, no, I don't want any money from you. You're my friend. It's my pleasure to help you put a smile on the girl you love." -she assured her.
"Marinette…" -Sabrina sighed, not feeling good about it.
"Let the girl pay you for your work, girl." -Alya told her. –"You got to stop handing freebies. And I'm saying that, with the utmost care for you and your future career." -she told her.
"Okay. 25 Euros for the materials, and 10 Euros for the work." -Marinette said, believing that was how much her work was worth.
"Just 10? Marinette, even I know that's too cheap!" -Tikki pointed out. –"The work you had to make it is worth at least 20 Euros." –she said.
"Asking 10 Euros for something that is worth a lot more, it's an insult." -Trixx agreed with the ladybug kwami.
"I'm with Tikki and Trixx. Here's 45 Euros for the backpack, and you better accept them." -Sabrina looked Marinette in the eyes.
"You better accept it, because the kiddo won't take a no for an answer. I know her well enough to know that."
"Just go with it, girl." -Alya sighed, raising an eyebrow at her. –"Let her pay you what she thinks your work is worth."
"Fine." -Marinette sighed, as she accepted the money. –"I know when I'm in minority." -she joked.
I know I promised to update this fic sooner, but things haven't been easy lately, that's all I can say. My mental health took another serious toll, this past week, and that means that my treatment isn't going as good as I wanted it to go. That and I did get the new Spider-Man videogame, which I ended up playing for maybe 2 hours, before my depression took me on another unwanted trip to some dark corners of my mind.
Regarding this chapter, I tried my best to make it work. Don't know if it's perfect, but I do know that it's far from being my best work ever. Be free to point out if there are any inconsistencies, so I may correct them in the near future, when I'm feeling better. There are a couple of easter eggs in this chapter, I challenge you to find them. :)
I hope I can manage to write the following chapter soon, because it's where the fun stuff I have prepared for all of you begins. We're going to start with the birthday parties.
In any case, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions to improve this and/or future fics in this saga of mine.
