Chapter 4: The Right Gifts
The wind was blowing hard in the gardens of Trocadero. But that didn't bother Alix and Kim, who loved to feel the wind in their faces as they sped down the racetrack. She on rollerblades, he on a skateboard, the two tried to see who was the fastest on the asphalt. After what they both considered to be a hellish day, they needed to unwind. And there was no better place than that track to do it, for a couple of hours, before heading home. The adrenaline they both had in their blood due to the exams, needed to be replaced by a different kind of adrenaline. A much more fun kind of adrenaline. The kind of adrenaline one can only get, when speeding like a maniac.
"Come on, slowpoke!" -Alix exclaimed, as she turned around and started to run backwards. –"I'm even doing this, so you can catch up to me!" -she taunted Kim.
"Oh, yeah?! Well, watch this!" -Kim shouted, as he performed an ollie, before speeding up and pass Alix by the right. –"Now, who's the slowpoke, Alix?!
"Oh, so you want to play tricks, huh?!" -Alix said, as she performed a backflip, landing facing Kim. –"You're not the only one who can do tricks, remember?!" -she shouted, as she passed by him.
"I know, I'm not! I just need to be better and faster than you!" -Kim laughed, as he tried to catch up to her.
No matter how many times they raced against one another, neither Alix, nor Kim ever got tired of that ritual of theirs. To those who were watching them, they saw two ill-bred kids insulting each other, trying to see who threw the biggest insults. But the truth was so much more complex than that. That was their way to talk to one another, when rooting for one another. There was not even a hint of malice or hatred in their speech.
"You got to try harder, if you're going to beat me, Alix!" -Kim said, as he tried to gain speed, while rolling up the hill. –"I'll see you in the finish line, tortoise!" -he laughed.
"Not if I get there first, snail breath!" -Alix exclaimed, as she tried to catch up.
After a few more laps around the track, and a few more tricks, to try to see who was the best, the two speedsters ended the race. Exhausted, but happy, they both walked towards the stairs that gave access to the Palais de Chaillot. They were both in desperate need of a bite to eat, and a refreshment.
"That was a good workout." -Kim sighed, as he sat on the marble steps. –"You actually put a fight this time, Alix." -he said.
"I always put up a fight, you knucklehead!" -Alix exclaimed, as she playfully punched him on the left shoulder. –"And you know it!" -she added.
"Yeah, I do." -Kim smirked at her, as he opened his backpack and took out his water bottle, while noticing that Imp was eating his last spring roll. –"You're telling me you've eaten every single spring roll I put in that box?" -he asked him.
"Yes, I have. And before you say anything, you try roll inside a backpack, the same way a piece of clothing rolls inside a washing machine, and not have both a headache and an empty stomach." -Imp told him.
"Whatever. Just don't complain that you don't have anything else to eat, until we get home." -Kim said, as he took a sip from his water bottle.
"I don't complain. I merely state the obvious." -Imp stated, as he nibbled the spring roll he was holding.
"Well, you better not have eaten my snacks." -Kim said, as he took out a bag of chips from his backpack.
"Oh, believe me, I wouldn't be able to eat those chips. They have enough garlic in them, to kill a swarm of vampires." -Imp pointed out.
"Just proves that you don't know what's good food, Imp." -Kim laughed, as he closed his backpack, leaving his kwami to enjoy the rest of his spring roll.
"And you do?" -Alix asked him, while rising an eyebrow at Kim.
"Of course! My parents own a restaurant. I'm obliged to know the difference between good food and bad food." -Kim declared, as he opened the bag of chips and inhaled its garlicky aroma. –"Mmm… delicious." -he said, as he ate one of the chips.
"I have my doubts about that, given you're always eating everything you set your eyes on." -Alix told him. –"A good food appreciator must have a better palate than yours." -she declared.
"Just proves what you know about food!" -Kim exclaimed, as he scarved up a few more chips. –"A food appreciator, or foodie as they're called, must try everything to see if it's good or not" -he said.
"Sounds more like a polite excuse to eat pretty much everything, whether it's good, or garbage. And you definitely fit into that category." -Alix shot at him, as she grabbed a sandwich from inside her backpack. –"No, Daria, don't you dare open the pickle jar. Every time you do it, I get vinegar all over my stuff. Here let me get you a pickle." -she said, as she placed the sandwich on the ground and quickly opened the pickle jar. –"Here you go."
"Thanks, Alix." -the dragonfly kwami thanked her, as he grabbed the pickle.
The conversation about whether Kim knew what good food was or not went on for a while longer, as they ate their snacks, with Alix continuing to insist that Kim did not have the palate to know good food, if it hit him on the face. After that, the conversation changed subject, to tackle a slightly more pressing issue.
"Can't believe we still got two more days of finals." -Alix sighed. –"What I wouldn't give for today to be Friday." -she confessed.
"Me too. Still, what can we do?" -Kim asked her. –"At least, we only got two more days to go."- he stated. –"Miss Bustier was cool to let us do all our finals in three days, so we could then relax."
"And boy do we need to relax." -Alix said. –"Between finals, training and Akuma attacks, we need a vacation." -she declared.
"I agree. And hopefully, we'll be able to start them next week, once the finals are out of the way." -Kim said.
"Speaking of which, what are you going to get miss Bustier for her birthday? You told me you still hadn't figured it out." -Alix asked him, before taking a bite from her sandwich.
"And I still haven't." -Kim admitted. –"I don't know what I can get her. When it came to Marinette and Chloe it was easy. But miss Bustier is a whole different level of trying to find the right gift." -he commented.
"You could always make something for her, like Marinette, Nino and Mylene are doing." -Alix told him. –"You know miss Bustier loves when she gets something made by us." -she said.
"If I wasn't all thumbs, I would even try that approach. But these hands were only made for two things. Play all kinds of sports and beat up bad guys." -Kim declared. –"So, no, I've got to try and find something cool for her." -he said. –"What about you? What did you get her?"
"Oh, I am keeping it a secret." -Alix smirked.
"I think that's code for I don't have anything for her yet, too." -Kim joked, taunting her.
"No, it's not!" -Alix exclaimed. –"It's code for, I'm not going to tell you, because I want to keep it a secret." -she told him.
"You do realize that insulting me, only makes it look like I'm right about you not having bought her a present yet, right?" -Kim asked her.
"Don't care. It feels good to insult you, when you open your mouth and say something stupid or bananas." -Alix told him.
Whoever passed by them, and heard them talking, would think they were once again bickering and fighting one another. But they were not. It was just their way to talk to one another. Kim and Alix did not know any other way to talk to one another. And they were fine with it.
"Still, three birthday parties in a row, in one week. That's got to be a record for us." -Alix commented.
"Yeah, well, it's just one more than usual, during this particular week of the year." -Kim said. –"The difference is that this year, we'll be attending Chloe's birthday party."
"We always attended her party, remember? She always threw a ginormous birthday party at school, so everyone knew it was her birthday, and then had the biggest birthday cake ever, so she could offer it to everyone and tell people that they were lucky to be able to taste such a delicious cake, which had been confectioned by some of the best bakers in France, just for her." -Alix reminded him, as she remembered the whole thing in her mind. –"And the way she always said it, it sounded like she was the spoiled queen of the world, and she was showing everyone that she could be nice… I still remember that speech she gave to the whole school, thanking them for attending her party. I swear, I just wanted to slap her silly." -she sighed.
"Yeah, that was Chloe for you." -Kim agreed.
"The difference is that this year, most of us are actually going to enjoy attending her party." -Alix said.
"True. With her changing her ways, and getting off her high horse, it's going to be a much different party." -Kim chuckled. –"But I'm betting with you, that she's still going to make a speech for the whole school." -he declared.
"I agree with you." -Alix said. –"It wouldn't be Chloe's birthday, if she didn't do something like that. Hopefully, it'll be a speech that'll be less condescending and snobbish than last year's." -she hoped.
"I think it will, like the rest of her birthday. She's not the same person she once was, so, we can expect things to be different." -Kim said. –"I wonder just how big her birthday cake is going to be this year?" -he pondered. –"Last year, it was so big you even needed a ladder to climb to the top to cut it. Poor Jean… the times he had to climb up and down that ladder. I really felt sorry for him."
"I don't know if the cake was good or not. I refused to eat it." -Alix declared. –"Last year, Chloe and I weren't on speaking terms, for a lot of reasons, like it tended to happen all the time, remember?" -she told him.
"Oh, yeah, I remember it." -Kim said. –"You even threw the piece of cake Jean gave you at Chloe's feet .It earned you a serious reprimand from miss Bustier." -he said.
"It was totally worth it, just to make Chloe see that I wasn't happy for her." -Alix declared. –"But this year, I'm happy that won't happen, and I'll gladly eat a slice of her birthday cake. I'll even eat two, if it's good." -she chuckled.
"Yeah. I don't think anyone is going to waste any cake this time." -Kim told her. –"Still, as good as her cake's going to be, I know that it won't compare to miss Bustier and Marinette's cakes, who will be baked by Marinette's dad." -he said. –"That man can bake."
The conversation quickly took another turn, when Kim said that he was taking someone with him to Marinette's birthday party, which Alix felt was odd.
"Oh, and I'll be taking that girl who's in my swimming class with me. You know, the one I'm always talking about, Ondine." -Kim told her.
"Really?" -Alix asked him.
"Yeah. She and I've been talking a lot, and I thought it would be a good idea to bring her along. She doesn't have many friends. It'll be a good way for her to make some." -Kim said.
"So, you're taking her on a date, to your friend's birthday party?" -Alix asked him.
Upon hearing her say that, Kim immediately felt the need to point out it was not a date. He did not even understood why Alix was even thinking he was bringing Ondine on a date to Marinette's birthday party.
"It's not a date. I'm just taking her with me, as my plus one." -Kim said.
"Kim, "plus one" is usually the person's date." -Alix said, deadpanned. –"Sorry to say it, but you bringing her and saying she's your plus one, sounds like a date, more than anything else." -she told him.
"But it's not a date!" -Kim told her. –"I mean, she's cute and all, but I'm not seeing this as a date." -he said.
The truth was Alix was relieved that Kim was not brining Ondine as his date. She did not like to admit, but deep down she had a soft spot for him. She still remembered their kiss, on the last Valentine's Day. It had not been a consensual kiss, as they were both under Aphrodite's influence, and they had agreed to never speak of it again. But it was her first kiss, and Kim was not a bad kisser. Still, she was too proud to even consider having more than a soft spot for Kim. He was her best-friend. So, why was she relieved that he was not going on a date with that girl?
"Okay, okay, meeting adjourned!" -Alix joked. –"If you want to bring her, bring her. Who am I to tell you otherwise?" -she asked him. –"Who knows, I might end up finding out that you've got good taste in new friendships. And if not, maybe she'll be the kind of girl who enjoys laughing at you, whenever you do something dumb."
Meanwhile, at the Lahiffe residence, things were finally calming down after Alya and Nino managed to get little Chris and the twins, Ella and Etta, to sit down and watch a movie. Babysitting the three of them was complicated, but they managed. Even if that meant asking Trixx and Wayzz to act like plushies. Trixx hated doing it, because it meant she would end up with her ears hurting. As for Wayzz, he believed that there were times when sacrifice was necessary, in order to achieve victory. So, he did not mind pretending to be a plush. Putting on something educational for them, like one of the episodes of "Once Upon a Time… Life", Alya and Nino hoped to keep them entertained, so they could focus on revising some of the subjects they had more difficulty with.
"Hold the prince right, Chris! If you don't, he won't be able to watch the series!" -Ella warned him.
"He's not a prince! He's a ninja!" -Chris told them. –"And he can see pretty well from here." -he said, as he held Wayzz in his hands.
"Hold him higher!" -Etta shouted at him.
"Guys, come on, if you don't' keep quiet, you won't be able to watch the series." -Nino told the three kids, as the intro began.
"You heard him, Sapotis." -Alya talked to the twins. –"This is just like when we go to the movies. We need to keep quiet, like when we're in the movie room." -she declared. –"Now, watch the series, and don't make a peep. Nino and I need to study for tomorrow's exams."
After that warning from Alya, the three kids did as they were told. With their eyes glued to the screen, they all remained silent, as they watched the cartoon. Smiling, Alya and Nino knew they were going in for a half hour of peace, if things went their way.
"Are you sure it's safe to leave them alone?" -Alya asked Nino.
"It'll only be for a couple of minutes. I think we can trust on my brother and your sisters to behave, until we come back." -Nino answered her.
"The way you talk, it's like you don't know the twins, or your own brother." -Alya declared, in a sarcastic tone.
"Come on, it's only a couple of minutes. And the sooner I show you what I want to show you, the faster we can go back and keep an eye on them, while revising a couple of things for tomorrow's finals." -Nino told her.
Because Nino was such a music enthusiast and wanted to make a living of it, his parents, with a little help from his grandparents, equipped the garage, transforming it into a recording studio, where he could work at will, without disturbing the neighbors. Most of it had been bought second-hand, with one or two exceptions, but Nino did not mind. He was just glad he had so much equipment, which allowed him to create his music. Very few people were allowed inside, and Alya was one of them. Upon entering, she noticed that like all the other times she had entered, the place looked like a field of war, with records scattered all over the place, empty boxes of pizza, as well as an endless number of crumpled sheets of paper. All of those were the living proof of Nino's attempts to remix songs, which he deemed worthy of such treatment. Alya was not bothered by the mess, but like always, she felt the need to tell Nino about it.
"You really need clean up this place a bit, Nino." -Alya declared.
"I've been planning to do it, but…" -Nino said.
"But you got caught up in your work. I know, I know." -Alya finished his sentence, already knowing that excuse by heart. –"Seriously, turtle boy, you need to take an hour to clean this place up. I don't mind seeing it like this, and I know your parents don't mind it either. But it wouldn't hurt you to clean it up and tidy it up, from time to time." -she said.
"I promise I'll try to do it." -Nino promised her. –"But right now, this is what I want to show you." -he said.
As was his custom, Nino liked to give his friends mixtapes on their birthdays, compiling songs by artists they liked, and remixing them, so they could enjoy those songs even further. And the one he was working on, was the one he was going to give Marinette. Showing Alya a list with the songs he handpicked, he then played two samples, and asked her opinion about them. Like always, Alya was dazzled with Nino's talent. The songs he had picked were already good, but he made them sound even better.
"That mix tape is probably your best one ever, turtle boy." -Alya smiled at her boyfriend.
"Thanks, foxy fox." -Nino thanked her. –"But it's not perfect just yet." -he admitted. –"I need to tweak the last song."
"If I were you, I wouldn't tweak it further. It already sounds perfect. And I'm sure that Marinette's going to love it. You know how she is." -Alya reminded him. –"If you give her something from the heart, she'll be more than happy." -she said.
"I know that. Still, you know me. When it comes to music, I'm a perfectionist." -Nino told her. –"I just wish it was this easy to come up with a mix tape for miss Bustier and for Chloe; especially Chloe. Miss Bustier was tricky, but I managed to finish it. But Chloe? Chloe's a whole different matter." -he admitted. –"It's times like these that I wish we knew her better. Or at least knew what her taste in music is. I'm telling you, it's hard to work with just Jagged Stone, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and Cascada."
"Have you asked Adrien and Sabrina for help?" -Alya asked him. –"They know her better than anyone else." -she declared.
"I did. But the answer was the same." -Nino told her. –"I wasn't expecting Adrien to know about her music taste. But I was hopeful that Sabrina would." -he admitted. –"Turns out, from the ones I already knew, she was only able to tell me Chloe loves Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga."
"That can be complicated. But I know you'll find a way to make that mix tape one of a kind too. You're the best DJ I know, turtle boy." -Alya told him, as she kissed him.
"Thanks, foxy fox." -Nino said, kissing her back. –"Whenever you talk that sweetly to me, it makes me feel like the sky is the limit, on what I can do." -he said.
"Good. Because that'll help you focus on studying. You need to revise your Geography, and I need to revise my Math." -Alya told him. –"Come on, let's back up there." -she said.
"Do we really have to go back? We could just stay here, a little longer, the two of us, all by ourselves." -Nino suggested with a smirk on his face, as he ran his fingers over Alya's long hair.
"You know well we have to. We've left my sisters and your brother on the living room, and we need to study a little bit more." -Alya reminded him. –"Besides, remember, when the finals are out of the way, we'll be able to relax, and have the kind of fun you're thinking about having right now." -she said.
"Relax? Now there's a word I wouldn't mind hearing a little more often." -Nino joked. –"I can't wait to go on vacation for one week, to Lloret del Mar." -he admitted. –"I need to feel the sea air on my face, and the sand the salted water around my toes."
"Just your toes?" -Alya asked him, while rising her eyebrow at him.
"Okay, more than just my toes. But you get what I mean." -Nino chuckled.
"And here I thought you would be more eager to have fun with me, than to go to the beach." -Alya joked, with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Nothing says that I can't do both things, while we're in Lloret del Mar, foxy fox." -Nino declared, before kissing her again.
It was hard for Nino to take his hands off Alya, when they were alone like that. And it was not just because she was gorgeous. It was also because the love he nurtured for her was as strong as steel. After a few more kisses, Alya told him again that they needed to go back to the living room. Exiting the garage, they had not finished locking the door, when they both heard a loud thump and the twins screaming, followed by a lot of laughs. This triggered Alya's big sister instincts, which were telling her the twins had done something they were not supposed to.
"Ella! Etta! What did we tell you?!" -Alya shouted, as she and Nino quickly went up the stairs.
And while Alya and Nino made their way up the stairs, to find out what was going on with the twins and Chris, at the Agreste Manor, Adrien was having a problem of his own. And like always, Plagg was not helping.
"What can I get Marinette for her birthday?" -Adrien asked, as he paced around his bedroom.
"You should be more worried with your finals, right about now, than your girlfriend's birthday present, you know?" -Plagg reminded him, as he took a bite from a piece of Camembert. –"You remember what your father told you the other day, don't you?" -he asked, as he pretended to be Gabriel. –"Adrien, I expect your grades to be excellent, otherwise not only will you spend the entire summer studying under my watchful eye, but you'll also be forbidden from seeing your girlfriend until September, when the school year starts."
Plagg's impersonation of Gabriel was spot on. And usually, Adrien would laugh at it. But not this time. He was too focused on trying to find out what kind of birthday gift he was going to give his girlfriend. When she was just his friend, finding her a birthday gift was easier. But now that they were dating, he wanted to give her something special. Something that was proof that he loved her. On top of it, trying to find out a birthday gift for Marinette, it helped me to forget the fact that his aunt was still in the hospital.
"I know, I know… and don't worry about the finals. I've studied enough for them, and I know that my grades will be good enough for me not to get into trouble with my dad." -Adrien told him, as he kept scrolling down his cell phone. –"Right now, it's more important for me to rest my brain, by trying to solve this problem." -he said. –"And you could help me out, by throwing a couple of suggestions into the air, Plagg. With all the cheese I give you, you owe me to try and help me out, when I need the most."
"I already told you that you could give her something delicious, like a wheel of cheese. Everyone loves cheese." -Plagg said
"Unlike you, Marinette's not a big fan of cheese, Plagg. So, a wheel of cheese is out of the question." -Adrien told him, as he tried to think of a gift. –"Why does this have to be so hard? Picking a present for miss Bustier and for Chloe was easy, when compared to this." -he sighed.
"You'll find one, eventually." -Plagg assured him.
"But what if I don't find one?! I'll look like the worst boyfriend in the history of boyfriends." -Adrien sighed. –"And nobody wants to look like that… I'm so screwed." -he sighed,
"Would you stop with that? If you continue with that kind of thinking, you'll never find the perfect present." -Plagg told him.
"Easy for you to say. I'm about to get the prize for worst boyfriend ever, and I can't think of a way to prevent that!" -Adrien exclaimed, when he heard a knock at the door.
"Adrien? Can I come in?" -a voice was heard from behind the door. It was Nathalie.
"Uh… y-yes. Come in, Nathalie." -Adrien said, as Plagg hid beneath the bed, and the door opened.
"Who were you talking to?" -Nathalie asked him, with an inquisitive voice, as she closed the door behind her.
"Who? Me?" -Adrien asked. –"Uh, nobody. I was just thinking out loud." -he said, quickly coming up with an excuse.
"Oh, I see." -Nathalie said. –"Well, I came here to ask you what would you like for dinner tonight, and to also give you some good news." -she smiled at him.
"Good news? What good news?" -Adrien asked her, curious.
"They called from the hospital a few minutes ago. Your aunt is going to be discharged from the hospital, tomorrow morning." -Nathalie declared, with a smile on her face.
When hearing her say that, Adrien's heart was filled with happiness. And not just his heart. His whole being felt like he had won the lottery. After a hard day at school, and the stress of not knowing what to give to Marinette for her birthday, it felt good to know that kind of news. And he was not the only one who was happy with that piece of news. Under the bed, Plagg was also happy and relieved to hear that. He knew just how much Adrien was still thinking about what had happened to her, and how he could have seriously hurt her. So, to hear Nathalie say that Amelie was coming home.
"Those are some really good news." -Plagg thought to himself. –"That's one less thing the kid has to worry about." -he thought.
"Those are some really terrific news." -Adrien said, as he shed a tear.
"I'm glad I could give them to you." -Nathalie smiled at him, knowing he was both happy and relieved with the news.
"And I'm glad you gave them to me." -Adrien smiled back at her. –"I was thinking that she would never get out of that hospital." -he sighed, relieved.
"Well, you don't have to think that, any longer." -Nathalie said. –"She'll be here tomorrow, to finish her recovery. And having you around, it'll sure speed it, I'm sure." -she guaranteed him.
"I hope so." -Adrien said. –"And I hope that the police won't give her a very hard time. They said that when she got out of the hospital, they would want to talk to her.
"Adrien? Adrien? Adrien?!" -Nathalie called him.
"Uh, y-yes?" -Adrien asked. –"I'm sorry. I was lost in thoughts." -he said.
"I was asking you what would you like for dinner." -Nathalie declared.
"Oh, about dinner… I think I'll have something light, like a salad. I'm not very hungry." -Adrien said. The truth was he was not very hungry.
"Adrien, you need to eat properly, or else, you won't have the energy to finish your finals." -Nathalie told him. –"If you want a salad, I'll ask the chef to make you one. But I'm going to ask him to grill you some chicken too." -she said.
"Okay, Nathalie." -Adrien said, knowing that he was not going to be able to change her mind. –"Oh, and before you go talk to the chef, could you help me with something?" -he asked her.
"Of course, Adren." -Nathalie told him. –"What is it you need help with?" -she asked.
"I'm having a little trouble trying to figure out what I'm going to offer Marinette for her birthday, next week." -Adrien confessed. –"I was wondering, since you're a girl… I mean, a woman, if you could help me find a gift she might like." -he told her.
"Oh, that's so sweet of him." -Nathalie thought to herself. –"He should be worrying about his finals. But I guess it won't hurt him worrying about that matter for a bit." -she thought. –"Of course. What is that you were thinking of giving her?"
"That's just it. I don't have the slightest idea, Nathalie." -Adrien sighed, -"I could buy her jewellery, like I did for Valentine's Day. But I don't want to repeat myself." -he said. –"And at the same time, I don't want her to think that I'm a cheap stake, and that I bought her the first thing I found."
Hearing him say that, Nathalie could not help but to think Adrien was being incredibly cute with all that, even if it was not his intention. She could tell he wanted to get Marinette the perfect birthday gift, but had no idea what it could be, and he did not want her to think that he was taking her for granted.
"Adrien, tell me one thing. Did Marinette started dating you, because of your social and financial status?" -Nathalie asked him, with a smile on her face.
"No." -Adrien said.
"Then, whatever present you choose to give her, she'll love it." -Nathalie told him.
"Is this a way of you telling me that you're not going to help me?" -Adrien asked her, confused.
"No, silly. I'm going to help you find the right present for your girlfriend." -Nathalie assured him. –"What I'm saying is that you shouldn't stress about not finding the right present for Marinette. You will find something that you think she will love." -she said. –"Sometimes, when we overthink things, we can't see that the answer might be staring at us in the face."
This one was more slice of life, than anything else. But that doesn't mean we haven't seen or read anything that was important to the story, am I right? It's always great to take the time and see the relationshps of our fellow heroes devellop. And yes, Alix is beginning to show she doesn't want Kim to go out with another girl. xDDD For those who thought that she wasn't the jealous type, you're about to start seeing that our adrenaline junkie can be quite jealous, when she feels like. xDDDD
Regarding the next chapter, I'm going to be honest with you all. The Pope is in town, and that means insanity at my work place, with all the pilgrims visiting Lisbon. And that means less time for me to write, because after a long day, the only thing I want to do is to get home and crawl into my bed. Hopefully, things will .I'll still try to find the energy to write, but I won't promise anything.
Oh, and before anyone asks, yes, I've already watched the movie. I must say that I enjoyed it. It's far from perfect (it's got too many songs, which sometimes break the action), but when it comes to the narrative, it's better than the show in many points, even if it's a lot simpler. Also, without throwing spoilers for thos eof you who still haven't had the opportunity (one must wait 2 weeks before starting to post spoilers), I do love what they did with all the characters, and how everyone had their time to shine. The animation is gorgeous, and the songs, even though they are too many, they are all quite good. When it comes to voice acting, I think I'll stick to the Portuguese dub, because our voice actors were allowed to sing, unlike what happened with Christina and Bryce in the English dub, which didn't go as expected.
As always, feel free to comment, fav, and make suggestions to improve this fic and/or future ones. Remember, I'm currently planning season 2 and 3, so ideas and suggestions are always welcome. :)