Hello, hi, again! A few questions that I'm sure the few people who follow me are wondering:

Firstly, where WAS I?

Yeah, sorry about that. Long story short, my first year of college ended, and alongside that I had to worry about getting a job, and I had quite a few trips of my own to worry about. But, not to worry, I'm back, at least for a good bit.

Next, what's this new story about?

First, let me start off by saying…for lack of better explanation, I may not be able to finish the Alessia Orimura arc that I had originally planned right now. Why, you may ask? Well, upon further reflection, in addition to already preparing the arc for a P5 roleplay Discord I'm in, I realized that I was basically shoe-horning in Rocco to become a member of the Thieves, which I didn't really like. Plus, I felt like the plato was either going too fast or too slow a lot of the time, and it just rubbed me the wrong way.

With that being said, I will probably continue it at some point, once I finish this new story (and after I come back from a two-year hiatus I am inevitably taking some time in the future).

So, now, this new story. I'm sure you saw the title and are thinking, "Paris? What the heck does Persona 5 have to do with Paris?"

For those of you who have not read the crossover title:

It's a Miraculous Ladybug and Persona series crossover story! (Again, like other authors haven't done this already.)

For the sake of flow in the story, the events of this story take place after Persona 5 Strikers and Persona 5 Royal, and during Seasons 1 and 2 of Miraculous Ladybug. In addition, since a lot of people and cultures around the world know English, that's the main dialect I will be using. Happy reading!

All rights of Miraculous Ladybug belong to Zagtoon, Method Animation, Thomas Astruc, and Disney. All rights of the Persona series belong to Atlus and Sega. This is a work of my own design. Any and all correlation to real life events, past or present, is completely coincidental.

It had been a while since Ren had seen his friends. Well, normal life had been rather dull, especially after he and the rest of the Phantom Thieves had saved humanity from being enslaved by a false god, but even by normal standards, his life was dragging on ever slowly.

Fortunately, he had made plans to meet up with his friends during summer break, and from the looks of it, everyone had shared the same sentiment.

His phone buzzed, for what must have been the hundredth time that day. Opening it, he saw a few familiar faces, along with the messages that came with them.

Ryuji: Dude, is your train going at walking speed or something? We've been waiting forever!

Ann: Don't rush him, Ryuji. It's not like we can break into the conductor's booth and make his train go faster. Plus, if I recall correctly, you were complaining about how you weren't packed yet for the trip.

Ryuji: I, uh…was almost done?

"That oaf…" A voice muffled from Ren's pack, before a black-furred cat with a yellow collar and white paws appeared, leaning over Ren's shoulder. To any normal passerby, they would assume that it was Ren's pet. But, Ren knew that the cat was Morgana, always staying with him during his travels. Not that he minded, of course. He was always grateful for his friend.

"Honestly," the cat that wasn't a cat continued, "if someone wasn't there for him he'd lose his brain after five minutes of being alone."

Ren chuckled. "Well, to be fair, I'm the same way. I almost forgot that we were going out of the country."

Right on cue, another buzz vibrated from the phone. Looking back, the two saw that a few new parties had joined the chat.

Yusuke: I hope that you do not take this visit lightly, Ryuji. You should know that every detail must be unblemished if we wish for this trip to go well.

Makoto: How many times do I have to tell you, Yusuke? We're not going to be there to see art, we're there to support Haru.

Futaba: Oh, don't you guys know by now? Inari's made it a point that his beloved art is as important to him as…hmm…I don't know, actually.

Haru: Oh, don't make a fuss, you guys, we'll have plenty of time to see everything. I wasn't planning on going to Paris only to make another deal with one of my father's clients, anyway.

Ren's fingers deftly tapped the keypad of his phone as he typed out a response to the commotion that was going on.

Ren: It's going to be good to see you all again. I'm excited to go out of the country for a change.

Positive affirmations followed as all of the Thieves commented on how it was going to be a blast to have their beloved leader back.

"I'm just glad that we'll actually have a chance at relaxing for a couple weeks, instead of worrying about corrupt adults all the time," Morgana lamented as he let out a long yawn. "Hey, by the way, wasn't Sumire on the Thieves group chat?"

"Something happened with her phone, so she's unable to chat right now. But she did wish us well on our trip." Ren replied. "I'm a bit bummed that she isn't coming. She has gymnastics holding her hostage."

"Agreed. We'll have to take her somewhere once we get the chance to."

Ren nodded in agreement, before spotting in the distance the familiar buildings and skyscrapers of Shibuya, the sun reflecting off their glass panes like beacons of light shining from heaven. He felt a tug at his heart. Coming back here was nostalgic. It reminded him of how many memories he had created, with his friends.

"It's good to be home." He said in a comforted tone.

A few hours later, Ren arrived at the airport, along with Futaba. After making at least a dozen promises to Sojiro to keep Futaba safe, along with a declaration to bring back some French blends, the two had finally left, taking the train directly to the airport. As he expected, the other Phantom Thieves were already waiting for them.

"Yo, dude!" Ryuji said, raising a hand. The blonde had thankfully packed enough for a few weeks for their trip, although Ren had the sneaking suspicion that Ann or Makoto (or both) had supervised him to make sure that he didn't just shove all his stuff into one or two bags like he did with the Hawaii trip.

"Still haven't changed in the slightest, have you?" Yusuke said with a wan smile. The levelheaded artist always seemed to soothe whatever setting he was in.

"I could say the same for you, Inari. You still have the same exact hair style from a few months ago!" Futaba said, her tangerine hair bobbing as she quickly made her way over to her friends. Of all the things to nitpick him about…but that was one of her many fun qualities.

Yusuke put a hand up to his hair, feeling the locks. "But…why would I want to change it?" He mused, a bit aghast at the idea.

"She's messing with you, Yusuke." Makoto said with a small giggle. "We'll have plenty of time to talk on the flight. Assuming we get there on time, of course."

"Eh, don't sweat it, Makoto, we're all here early, just like you asked!" Ryuji said, puffing out his chest proudly.

"Only because I called you five times to make sure you weren't slacking off in the first place…" Ann grumbled to herself as the group picked up their stuff and headed to security.

Ren fell into step next to Haru. Despite the tenderhearted girl not saying a word since he had arrived, he could clearly tell she was just as excited for both his return and the trip that laid ahead. He could feel it in…well, perhaps not her aura, but the way she carried herself. Eventually, her eyes met Ren's, and she flushed slightly.

Ren chuckled. "You excited?" He asked her as the two put their bags and carry-ons through the X-rays.

"Oh, yes, very much! I've been very interested in meeting this client of my father's for a while now. His son is actually a rather famous model." The brown haired girl replied in earnest.

"Wait, really?" Ann asked, as she couldn't help but overhear the two's discussion. "Ooh, I wonder what he's like…"

"And there she goes again…" Ryuji mumbled, earning him a swat to the arm from Ann.

Due to having Morgana around, security pulled Ren aside to ask him a few questions, but soon let him go after he promised that Morgana would not cause any trouble on the plane ride ("Honestly, who does he think I am? Some common house pet?" Morgana added on the matter.).

After giving their suitcases to the flight attendants, the group walked around the airport for a bit until they found their gate. From the looks of it, they had arrived right no time, as other passengers were starting to board the plane.

"Thank goodness we made it on time. It would've been very embarrassing to do all this packing for nothing." Makoto noted, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

A chime echoed out of the speakers, followed by a brief announcement:

"Group 4 for Flight A104 from Tokyo, Japan to Paris, France is boarding now. Again, Group 4 for Flight A104 is boarding now."

"Ooh, that's us!" Ann said, resisting the urge to bounce on her feet. An international trip would have had anyone acting the same way.

"Everyone got their tickets?" Ren asked, and the group pulled out their phones to check. Ryuji had a last-second scare where he couldn't find his until Yusuke politely pointed out the former's wallet app.

The Thieves quickly boarded the train, not wanting to be caught up in the gaggle of other passengers as they made their way to their seats. Futaba quickly trotted over to her window seat and looked out the window. "Isn't this a bit like time travel? Since we're going back through time zones or something?"

"Something like that, yeah." Ren said as he sat down next to her, putting his bag down and letting Morgana out. The latter stretched out, before joining Futaba to peer out the window.

Soon enough, the plane lurched slowly out of the boarding gate and onto the tarmac. A quick burst of speed later (which may or may not have resulted in Morgana clawing Ren and Futaba as he held on for dear life), the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were on their way to Paris.

The summer holidays sucked, at least for Adrien.

Not because of the weather, or anything. In fact, it was perfect for him, at least when he went out.

But that was the problem. He was very rarely out of his house.

The first week was not a problem for him. His father was steadfastly working as if he was a robot in a line of machinery. Lately, with the uprising of the Gabriel brand, he had sought out some investors and old friends to help cover for him, and meetings often lasted for a few days between each client. As Gabriel's son, Adrien was often the one who greeted the guests, either at the airport or train station to make sure that he left a "lasting impression of both the Agreste family and the Gabriel brand", at least according to his father. He didn't know why he bothered, as any sane person wouldn't want to disappoint one of the most influential people not just in Paris, but in all of France.

A week was no problem to Adrien, but a whole month of this had taken a toll on him. Too many times he had broken the news to his friends at Dupont that no, he couldn't go see the Jagged Stone concert. No, he couldn't go out for ice cream. His friends weren't even allowed inside the gates of the Agreste estate, but then again, who would be?

A small, black, cat-like creature zoomed across Adrien's face, breaking his train of thought.

"C'mon, Plagg, I was thinking," Adrien lamented, sitting up on his bed.

"Are you sure? Because to me, it looked more like you were letting your brain run on autopilot so that you didn't die of boredom," the quick-witted kwami said, floating in front of Adrien.

"Well, I've got to do something to make my life somewhat interesting during the summer, especially considering I don't know how long my father plans on meeting with his clients."

"Pssh, you never know how long this stuff takes. For all we know, the next one of your father's beloved friends could come a month from today."

Right on cue, Adrien's door opened, and in walked Nathalie, Gabriel's well-mannered assistant. Plagg quickly hid under the bed before he could be spotted.

"Adrien, your father requests your presence," the dark haired woman said matter-of-factly, before exiting Adrien's room, leaving the door open for him to follow.

Adrien looked down at Plagg, poking out from beneath the former's bed.

"You had to say something," Adrien said with a small smirk, before letting out a sigh and exiting his room, heading to his father's study akin to how a prisoner stalks towards death row.

A knock on the door of Gabriel Agreste's study told him that his request did not go unanswered. "Come in, Adrien," he said, his eyes still attached to his screen, finalizing the schedule for the next couple of weeks with Nathalie's assistance.

The blonde walked in, fighting the urge to let his hands start shaking. "Yes, Father?"

"I have one last client that is coming to Paris. I assume you know the procedure?" Gabriel asked, though it sounded more like a fact than a question. Of course Adrien knew, he had done this at least ten times already.

Adrien bit back a sigh and instead said, "I know, Father."

"Good. Her flight from Japan will be in at 3:30 today. I will be sending you and Nathalie to greet her and her friends."

Adrien blinked. "Her"? Up until just now, apparently, all of Gabriel's clients had been men. He didn't really remember any of them as they had all blended together, but he could have sworn that he had originally talked about a Japanese man coming into visit.

Almost as if he could read his son's mind, Gabriel continued, "Her father originally accepted my request, but due to a rather…unfortunate accident, she was brought in to replace him. At any rate, I expect you to be just as cordial with her as you were to my other clients."

"Yes, Father." Adrien said.

"Nathalie has already picked out the desired outfit I wish for you to wear." Gabriel said, by way of ending this conversation. Adrien exited his father's study and came back up to his room, where Nathalie had already laid out a suit, tie, pants, and gloves, all gray to match (for lack of a better term) with his white shirt.

Plagg greeted him as he walked in. "So, how'd it go with Mr. Business? No doubt he told you another one of those airtight bags is coming to visit him again?" He was, of course, referring to the several other male clients that Gabriel had met with in the last month.

"Well…he did tell me that his next client was a girl, and she's from Japan. That's at least a nice change of pace." Adrien said, plopping down on his bed next to the outfit that was set out and began to text Nino about what had happened.

"Ooh, is that right?" Plagg said, floating in the air with his arms behind his head. "Y'know, I've always wondered if Japan would be a good place for me after all…"

Adrien chuckled. "You and I both know that no one else can see you besides me, Plagg. Besides, I'd have to give away my Miraculous if you did want to leave."

"True…and you're the only one who can stand my exquisite taste of cheese."

Adrien looked at the clock. "2:30? Ah, jeez, the airport's over 40 minutes away." He groaned, and began to change.

"You know, you could just change into Chat Noir and just run over there. You go faster than any car." Plagg said, snacking on a piece of cheese as his holder changed.

"I can't do that, mostly because Father and Nathalie would get nervous." Adrien opened his suit pocket, and Plagg flew in.

"Shame. It's been a while since you've last been your alter ego."

"If by 'a while' you mean 'barely 24 hours', then yeah, you're correct." Adrien said, exiting his room as he spoke. Walking downstairs, he saw that a couple limousines had already been prepared. Getting into the frontmost one, the cars sped off towards the airport.

It was early in the morning for Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and she was a nervous wreck. It didn't help that her frazzled attitude had made its way into her daily lifestyle, as she had almost poured cereal onto the kitchen counter without a bowl before her mother had swiftly reminded her. Now, she was back in her room, pacing nervously about.

"Marinette, I'm sure you're overthinking things again," Tikki, Marinette's kwami and voice of reason, said, but her plea fell on deaf ears.

"I think I'm underthinking it, Tikki! Adrien told Nino, who told Alya, who told me that a girl from Japan is coming to meet with him!" Marinette said, very stressed out.

"You mean Adrien's father," Tikki corrected.

"It doesn't matter who she's there for, there's a high chance that Adrien will meet her! And who knows, she and Adrien will probably fall in love and elope back to Japan where they'll eat sushi and wear yukatas and probably never see me ever again!"

As per usual, Tikki sighed at her master's panic. These wild scenarios of hers tended to get out of hand, and also none of them ever came true. Just one quirk that she's learned to deal with.

Before she could offer any soothing words, Marinette's phone rang with a video call. Tikki zoomed out of sight as Marinette answered. Alya Cesaire, Marinette's best friend, who no doubt knew about the latter freaking out even if she never saw it happen.

"Hey, Alya," the bluenette lamented, lying on her bed.

"Oh, don't give me any of that, Mari. I know full well that you've been thinking up fifty crazy scenarios about what's going to happen over the next couple weeks."

Marinette sighed, "...sixty, actually."

"Whatever. You've been cooped up for the past couple of days now, girl. At some point I really will start calling you a hermit."

A small smile graced Marinette's lips. Always the jokester, Alya.

"You know I'm out way too much for you to actually call me that, Als." She replied, putting one hand behind her head.

"Well, get out some more, then! A lot of us are going to put together welcome gifts for the Japanese girl and her friends. You should come with us. I mean, better than being stuck in your mind worrying about someone taking your precious Adrien away from you."

"Ha, ha, very funny." Marinette said sarcastically, though she couldn't help but crack a grin at her bestie's comments. Now that she thought about it, it did seem a little ridiculous of her to think.

"So, what do you say? Think you can escape the dreaded confines of your nightmares and come hang?"

"Who do you take me for? Just let me know where we're meeting and I'll be on my way."

All right, there's the end of that chapter! It's fun writing something that brings together two of my favorite fandoms, and I think it's coming along great!

If you like this story and want to see more, hit the follow button! See you all soon!