#𝐉𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐒 is an independent and private roleplay blog for 𝘾𝙃𝙇𝙊𝙀 𝘽𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙂𝙀𝙊𝙄𝙎 of zagtoon's miraculous ladybug franchise. written by fae. if you could give this post a ♡ or ↺ to help me find people to interact with, i'd really appreciate it!

some quick portrayal notes!

this blog is considered canon-divergent past season three. this for two reasons: one, i haven't finished the show ( i am currently on s4 ) so if i get any information wrong or make headcanons that later may or may not be retconned, this is why; and two, i plan to explore a redemption arc for chloe because we were robbed of one.

in line with both @yinbug and @yangnoir's portrayals, the timeline between s1-s5 does not happen in the span of a few months. chloe is 13 at the time of origins, 14 through season one, 15 through two and three, and 16 through four and five. this will make her sixteen in my main verse.

chloe is a closeted bisexual/biromantic. a lot of this has to do with the status of her family. her father being a politician and her mother being toxic at best, chloe fears how she ( and by proxy, her parents ) may be perceived if she openly admits to having feelings for girls as well as boys. image is everything in her family, and chloe doesn't want to tarnish that — at least not when it comes to her romantic/sexual identity, so she definitely struggles with some internalised fears of rejection.

part of the exploration of chloe's redemption will include her focusing more keenly on her ballet. thus far she has been practising it for eight years and takes pointe classes, though it didn't become a very serious interest until she began to realise she needed to turn her life around. the discipline and focus needed in ballet, and especially pointe, gives chloe a much needed outlet for her frustrations and anger.

this will probably be expanded on/added to as i make my way through s4 and s5.

just kidding. i posted two things. now im disappearing for three more months.

i sign in. i post one thing. i disappear again for three months.

❛  if  it’s  all  in  my  head ,  tell  me  now .  tell  me  i’ve  got  it  wrong .  ❜ xoxo luka

( tswift lyrics / accepting !! )

𝐋𝐔𝐊𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐓, and if that sounds like a sentiment she's had before it's because it is and it's true. Only the most rotten boy in all of Paris would corner her on her way home from school and confront her about things she definitely does not want to face or even speak into existence. Not that this is the first time he's called her out, nor will it stop him from doing so again, she thinks.

( Their encounter in the park, when he'd outright asked if she had a crush on him still haunts her at night. )

He's the worst; especially because he doesn't even do it out of ill intentions. There is no accusation in his eyes. He isn't belittling her, which she would have found more bearable because then, at least, her anger would have been justified. It's worse than that. He's being honest and forthright, bold in a way that she has never been. She's only confident when she's being mean and snarky. Only able to showcase bravado when she's using others as a stepping stone, but Luka never falls for any of that. He never has. It's like he looks right past all of it, peels back the layers, until he just sees her. It makes her skin crawl and her face flush in equal measure. The only victory she feels in this moment is that his words give the impression he's been thinking about her as much as she's been thinking about him and that... certainly does something to her heart rate.

It could be a trap, her mind hisses. He's waiting for an answer, and it'd be a lie to say she doesn't have reservations. If she tells him the truth, she's opening herself up in a way she's only ever confided in Adrien. He could laugh at her. Tell her how ridiculous she is for thinking he'd ever return her feelings. And it would be a completely justified rejection. Chloé knows she hasn't been the best person, and though she's been trying to make amends, she doesn't always get it right. The thought of being rejected makes her want to scream. She deals with enough of that from her mother. She doesn't need to deal with it at school, too, where her social circle is already treading on a knife's edge. The only consolation prize is that he's an upperclassman. If he rejects her now, at least she never has to sit in the same classroom as him.

There's still a respectable distance between them, but when he suddenly places his hand on her shoulder, she's catapulted back to the present. It takes considerable effort to reel in the knee-jerk reaction to slap his hand away for touching her. Old Chloé would say he's wrinkling her designer sweater, but she's trying to be a different person. A better one. His face is still calm, but if she squints, she thinks she can detect a hint of nervousness. Well. At least she's not alone in that.

Chloé inhales, squeezing her eyes shut.

❝ You're... not wrong. There. Happy? Go ahead. Laugh it up! ❞

i sign in. i post one thing. i disappear again for three months.

Zoe leans against the doorway, a mischievous grin on her face. ❛ You could get mad at me for coming in without knocking OR we can go shopping with mom's credit card. ❜ And she holds up said credit card between two fingers. ❛ Your choice! ❜

( unprompted asks / always accepting !! )

𝐂𝐇𝐋𝐎𝐄́ 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐙𝐎𝐄́ 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍. It was difficult knowing she had a half-sister that, for most of her life, had lived half a world away — physical evidence of what her mother's absence had culminated in. She was still contending with that truth even now, though she had been trying to be a little less hostile in recent days.

The moment Zoé bursts into her room, there's a smart quip on the tip of her tongue. She only just barely manages to hold back when the credit card is flashed in the space between them. A delicately arched brow rises incredulously. Call her crazy, but she hadn't exactly pegged her sister as someone willing to spend money on their mother's card without her knowledge. She seemed too... sweet for that. It's positively diabolical. Something Chloé would do, and had done on multiple occasions before, to pick her mood up when Audrey saw fit to ignore her — which was often.

She lets that bitter train of thougth percolate for a few seconds before rising from the end of her bed, already slipping on her flats and picking up her purse. Her parents want them to bond? Fine. But they'll do it on their own terms. Nothing a little retail therapy can't fix, and it's charged on one of Maman's cards? Well, maybe the woman should have thought about that before flitting off to who knows where for the weekend. The card is plucked expertly from her sister's fingers as she strides past, pleased with the turn of events. ❝ Maybe you aren't a complete bore, after all. Let's go. There's a cashmere sweater in the Marais district calling my name as we speak. ❞

  𝒕𝒊𝒌𝒌𝒊, 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒏!

         #𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐁𝐔𝐆  is a new independent, selective, mutuals-only, series-based roleplay blog for Marinette Dupain-Cheng, aka 𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘𝐁𝐔𝐆 of Zagtoon’s 𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘𝐁𝐔𝐆 franchise, as charmed by 𝐂𝐄𝐂𝐄! I'd appreciate if you could give this post a ↺ if you're interested in following to help me find people to follow!

𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙂𝙂, 𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙒𝙎 𝙊𝙐𝙏! It's a good thing cats are known for landing on their feet because I can already see myself falling for you. How do you feel about cat-tastic feline puns from a pretty rad super hero? You've come to the right place!

There will be some point in the future when I actually make a fancy promo but for the time being please consider checking me out and giving a follow if you're interested in writing with a fully revamped Chat Noir / Adrien Agreste roleplay blog!

I think I got a name now

I think imma call this head canon Stolen Credit Card Chronicles.

These fashion sisters should steel Audrey’s credit card on a weekly basis to just have some kind of therapy for having a shitty mom. Retail Therapy.

some quick portrayal notes!

this blog is considered canon-divergent past season three. this for two reasons: one, i haven't finished the show ( i am currently on s4 ) so if i get any information wrong or make headcanons that later may or may not be retconned, this is why; and two, i plan to explore a redemption arc for chloe because we were robbed of one.

in line with both @yinbug and @yangnoir's portrayals, the timeline between s1-s5 does not happen in the span of a few months. chloe is 13 at the time of origins, 14 through season one, 15 through two and three, and 16 through four and five. this will make her sixteen in my main verse.

chloe is a closeted bisexual/biromantic. a lot of this has to do with the status of her family. her father being a politician and her mother being toxic at best, chloe fears how she ( and by proxy, her parents ) may be perceived if she openly admits to having feelings for girls as well as boys. image is everything in her family, and chloe doesn't want to tarnish that — at least not when it comes to her romantic/sexual identity, so she definitely struggles with some internalised fears of rejection.

part of the exploration of chloe's redemption will include her focusing more keenly on her ballet. thus far she has been practising it for eight years and takes pointe classes, though it didn't become a very serious interest until she began to realise she needed to turn her life around. the discipline and focus needed in ballet, and especially pointe, gives chloe a much needed outlet for her frustrations and anger.

this will probably be expanded on/added to as i make my way through s4 and s5.

💋 ♡ @chataclysmic your choice of adrien or chat

( let chloé kiss your muse / accepting !! )

𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃, only that she had suddenly grown accustomed to Chat Noir's near-nightly visits. On the nights when she wasn't patrolling with one of the other Miraculous holders as Queen Bee, she'd sit out on her balcony and wait. Like clockwork, he'd show up. He never stayed too long; only a few minutes as he did his own patrols with Ladybug, but she liked the company. Some part of her wondered if he only checked in on her to make sure she didn't betray them all. It wouldn't have surprised her if that were the case.

Chloé had done herself little favours in fostering trust with her teammates. Between her tumultuous emotions, which resulted in either herself or someone else getting Akumtaised, and the number of awful things she had said and done over the years, she could hardly blame any of them for being cautious around her. But Ladybug trusted her enough to be Queen Bee again. And they all trusted Ladybug. So. For now, Chloé was an ally.

She was determined, this time, not to mess it up.

They had been talking for a while. Idle chatter that filled the void. Chat Noir was surprisingly easy to talk to, once she got past all of his annoying puns and flirtations. Chloé found herself opening up more and more, despite how little she actually knew about her teammate. But the little she did know, the little that he did reveal — sometimes on purpose, other times perhaps without realising it — she filed away for safekeeping. Kept them as clues to a puzzle that was slowly, but surely, beginning to take shape.

She had her suspicions.

❝ You know, this is totally unfair. ❞ She watched Chat carefully from his perch on her balcony railing, and when he didn't say anything, she barrelled on unperturbed. ❝ It's just... you know who I am. But I know so little about you. The real you, I mean. ❞

She could see his mind working, trying to come up with an excuse. A reasonable explanation for his reticence; but Chloé already knew the why. It was the same reason why Ladybug and Chat Noir hadn't known each other's identities for so long. And the only reason she even knew that much was because Marinette had told her. Marinette trusted her.

If she were still her old self, she might have taken this opportunity to be nasty and mean about his secrets. She hated keeping secrets and she hated people keeping them from her. But that was old Chloé, and she wasn't going to be that manipulative, self-serving person anymore.

Chat didn't say anything, but she noticed how his posture had shifted. Less self-assured as he folded in on himself, arms wrapping around his middle. She'd seen that posture before. Knew of someone else who did the same thing when they were upset. Chloé pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and plunged.

❝ Adrien... ❞ She was careful not to react when he did. Her eyes had averted, her gaze forward and resolute. She felt, more than saw, him jolt next to her. As if he'd been electrocuted. Gotcha. ❝ Adrien sits like that too, when he's upset. Or when he feels alone. He thinks I don't notice, but I do. I just... I don't know how to help him. ❞ Chloé made a show of yawning and stepped back from the balcony. ❝ I haven't been a very good friend to him in recent years, but... I'm trying to do better. And I would hope he knows he can always talk to me. About anything. Anyway... it's late. You should get back to patrol. ❞

Chloé turned, but instead of going back inside she stepped towards him. With more confidence than she actually felt, she planted a kiss on his cheek, just under the bottom of his mask.

❝ ——But that does go for you, too. I hope you know I'm here to listen if you need someone. I-I know I'm not Ladybug, but... well, goodnight, Chat Noir. ❞

𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹𝒀𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑯𝑨𝑺 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑬𝑫 .    (   a  collection  of  lyric  starters  for  a  taylor  swift  type  of  love .  some  phrasing  has  been  edited ,  feel  free  to  change  gendered  terms . )

❛  i  heard  you’ve  been  out  with  some  other  girl .  ❜ ❛  if  you  wanted  me ,  you  really  should’ve  showed  it .  ❜ ❛  for  you ,  i  would  cross  the  line .  ❜ ❛  he’s  so  smug ,  mr.  always - wins .  ❜ ❛  you’re  not  sorry .  ❜ ❛  i’m  doing  good ,  i’m  on  some  new  shit .  ❜ ❛  i  thought  i  saw  you  at  the  bus  stop .  ❜ ❛  all  this  time  i  was  wasting ,  hoping  you’d  come  around .  ❜ ❛  i  remember  it  all  too  well .  ❜ ❛  someday  maybe  you’ll  miss  me .  ❜ ❛  i’ve  been  waiting  for  you  all  my  life .  ❜ ❛  you  looked  me  in  the  eye  and  told  me  you’d  never  go  away .  ❜ ❛  every  single  day  until  the  end ,  i  will  be  by  your  side .  ❜ ❛  all  you  do  is  let  me  down .  ❜ ❛  someday  when  you  leave  me ,  i  bet  these  memories  will  follow  you  around .  ❜ ❛  say  you’ll  see  me  again ,  even  if  it’s  in  your  wildest  dreams .  ❜ ❛  the  knife  cuts  both  ways .  ❜ ❛  long  story  short ,  it  was  a  bad  time .  ❜ ❛  i’ll  do  anything  you  say ,  if  you  say  it  with  your  hands .  ❜ ❛  i’d  be  smart  to  walk  away .  ❜ ❛  this  path  is  reckless .  ❜ ❛  it  takes  everything  in  me  just  to  get  up  each  day ,  but  it’s  wonderful  to  see  that  you’re  okay .  ❜ ❛  how’s  your  heart ,  after  breaking  mine ?  ❜ ❛  it’s  taken  me  this  long ,  but  i’ve  figured  you  out .  ❜ ❛  i  don’t  want  to  hurt  anymore .  ❜ ❛  you  can  say  you’re  sorry ,  but  i  don’t  believe  you  like  i  did  before .  ❜ ❛  i  think  he  did  it ,  but  i  just  can’t  prove  it .  ❜ ❛  you’ve  got  your  share  of  secrets  and  i’m  tired  of  being  the  last  to  know .  ❜ ❛  i’m  fine  with  my  spite .  ❜ ❛  i  just  need  you .  ❜ ❛  my  picture’s  in  your  wallet ?  ❜ ❛  i  didn’t  say  half  the  things  i  wanted  to .  ❜ ❛  this  is  how  the  world  works .  ❜ ❛  i  never  got  past  what  you  put  me  through .  ❜ ❛  this  is  the  last  time  you  tell  me  i’ve  ‘got  it  wrong’ .  ❜ ❛  they  say  i’ve  gone  too  far ,  this  time . ❜ ❛  it’s  been  awhile  since  i’ve  even  heard  from  you .  ❜ ❛  we  took  a  wrong  turn .  ❜ ❛  i  can’t  help  it  if  there’s  no  one  else .  ❜ ❛  no  one’s  celebrating .  ❜ ❛  we  fall  in  love  until  it  hurts  or  bleeds  or  fades  in  time .  ❜ ❛  all  we  are  is  skin  and  bone  trained  to  get  along .  ❜ ❛  your  cheeks  were  turning  red .  ❜ ❛  i  know  that  it’s  over ,  i  don’t  need  your  closure .  ❜ ❛  don’t  treat  me  like  some  situation  that  needs  to  be  handled .  ❜ ❛  if  it’s  all  in  my  head ,  tell  me  now .  tell  me  i’ve  got  it  wrong .  ❜ ❛  we  were  something ,  don’t  you  think  so ?  ❜ ❛  i  don’t  regret  it  one  bit ,  he  had  it  coming .  ❜ ❛  you’ll  find  the  real  thing ,  instead .  ❜ ❛  i  know  my  love  should  be  celebrated ,  but  you  tolerate  it .  ❜ ❛  i  never  saw  you  coming .  ❜ ❛  this  is  the  last  time  i’m  asking  you  this .  ❜ ❛  put  my  name  at  the  top  of  your  list .  ❜ ❛  the  greatest  films  of  all  time  were  never  made .  ❜ ❛  didn’t  it  all  seem  new  and  exciting ?  ❜ ❛  while  you  were  out  building  worlds ,  where  was  i ?  ❜ ❛  i’m  begging  for  footnotes  in  the  story  of  your  life .  ❜ ❛  when  i  fell  hard ,  you  took  a  step  back .  ❜ ❛  i  bet  you  never  loved  me .  ❜ ❛  words ,  how  little  they  mean  when  you’re  a  little  too  late .  ❜ ❛  you  never  called  it  what  it  was .  ❜ ❛  it  was  one  prize  i’d  cheat  to  win .  ❜ ❛  it  would’ve  been  fun  …  if  you  would’ve  been  the  one .  ❜ ❛  i’d  do  it  over  and  over  and  over  again ,  if  i  could .  ❜ ❛  i  notice  every  thing  you  do .  ❜ ❛  all  we  know  is  touch - and - go .  ❜ ❛  i  know  it’s  long  gone  and  there’s  nothing  else  i  could  do .  ❜ ❛  you  kept  me  like  a  secret  but  i  kept  you  like  an  oath .  ❜ ❛  maybe  we  got  lost  in  translation .  ❜ ❛  maybe  i  asked  for  too  much .  ❜ ❛  i’ve  got  some  things  to  say  to  you .  ❜ ❛  it  cut  deep ,  to  know  you .  right  to  the  bone .  ❜ ❛  that  made  me  want  to  die .  ❜ ❛  the  idea  you  had  of  me ,  who  was  she ?  ❜ ❛  you’re  not  my  homeland ,  anymore .  ❜ ❛  the  greatest  loves  of  all  time  are  over ,  now .  ❜ ❛  i  might  be  okay ,  but  i’m  not  fine  at  all .  ❜ ❛  if  my  wishes  came  true ,  it  would’ve  been  you .  ❜ ❛  it’s  been  a  long  time .  ❜ ❛  it  wasn’t  right ,  the  way  it  all  went  down .  ❜ ❛  i  could  feel  you  sneaking  in .  ❜ ❛  take  my  hand .  ❜

#𝐉𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐒 is an independent and private roleplay blog for 𝘾𝙃𝙇𝙊𝙀 𝘽𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙂𝙀𝙊𝙄𝙎 of zagtoon's miraculous ladybug franchise. written by fae. if you could give this post a ♡ or ↺ to help me find people to interact with, i'd really appreciate it!

❛ For now, if you feel like you have to keep the deception going, I am hardly in a position to contradict you. ❜ luka → chloé ♡

( the cruel prince prompts / accepting !! )

𝐋𝐔𝐊𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐃 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐓. Unlike most of the others at school, he didn't scramble to get out of her way in the hallway, or on a good day, offer to carry her books. Worse than that, he didn't seem to be completely enamoured with her by her mere presence in his boring, unfulfilled life. Didn't he know who she was?! In fact, Luka seemed to be completely unphased by anything Chloé did.

Not for lack of trying, though. She had, at one time, tried to make him angry. Had tried to push his buttons, poking and prodding so much that she ended up being more mad herself in the end than he was. Luka was, in fact, so calm as she threw a fit, she wondered if he even knew how to be angry. It wasn't like Juleka's quiet calm. Juleka was quiet to the point of painful shyness. Luka just seemed to be relaxed no matter what the situation was. Chloé would have been impressed if she weren't so annoyed by it.

They only ever saw each other in passing at school. At least at the start. Sometimes, on the rare occasion she could be convinced by Adrien to come hang out with everyone at the Couffaines — sit in on band practise, or whatever else they had going on — she'd stand off to the side and pull faces every time Luka so much as glanced at her. He always smiled, though. In that easy sort of way that got under her skin and made her want to jump into the Seine.

Do you... like him, Chloé? Sabrina had asked at one point as she caught the blonde staring at Luka's retreating figure in the cafeteria, timid because she knew that the other girl would likely blow up at the accusation. And she had. Of course she had.

Infuriating. Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous!

That was how they ended up here. In the park. She'd bee-lined for him as soon as she saw him, a girl on a mission because there was no way she, Chloé Bourgeois, had a crush on someone like Luka Couffaine. Luka was strumming away at his guitar; blissfully ignorant — or, perhaps, choosing to ignore — Chloé as she went on another one of her tirades.

She paced back and forth in front of him, gesticulating wildly as she seethed.

❝ —— And Sabrina had the gall, the utter audacity, to insinuate I might have a crush. On you! Can you believe it?! ❞

Do you?

❝ Excuse me? ❞

Do you have a crush on me?

She felt the heat rising to her cheeks, though it was less fuelled by anger and more by sheer embarrassment at his forwardness to even ask. He was looking at her curiously. No thread of judgment in his expression. Chloé scowled.

❝ Of course I don't. Don't be ridiculous! ❞

Mm.

❝ I don't have a crush on you. ❞

For now, if you feel like you have to keep the deception going, I am hardly in a position to contradict you.

Chloé's hands balled into fists at her side. She stamped her foot and didn't care how childish and unreasonable it made her look. ❝ Couffaine... ❞

Chloé.

❝ You — You — I'm leaving! ❞

She stormed off without another word, barely registering his soft laugh and murmured 'See you at school, Chloé'. It wasn't until she was out of the park and couldn't hear the gentle strumming of his guitar anymore that she finally stopped and pressed a hand to her heart. It was thrumming so wildly, she thought it might burst out of her chest. Adrenaline, she told herself. It was just adrenaline. She did not have a crush on Luka.

❝ ...Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! ❞

❛ close your eyes and hold out your hands. ❜ / hehe

( 200 random dialogue prompts / accepting !! )

❝ —— What? Why would I do that? And for you, no less. ❞

𝐂𝐇𝐋𝐎𝐄́'𝐒 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖, regarding MK with no small amount of suspicion. He seems harmless. Still new enough to the class that he hasn't quite figured out that she's popular, so she'll forgive him for thinking he can freely approach her and make such demands. This time, at least. She glances over her shoulder to Sabrina, who looks about as apprehensive as someone about to witness a trainwreck.

MK starts to elaborate, prattling on about how he'd made her something or some such — to say that Chloé is barely listening is being generous, but far be it from her to refuse a gift from an adoring fan. Hm. Maybe he's not entirely useless.

Chloé holds out her hands and shuts her eyes.

❝ Look — whatever. Stop talking and give me it already. And if this is some kind of trick? You're dead, newbie. Is that clear? ❞

" I thought I told you that I don't need your help! " his tone is sharp, like a knife slicing through as he takes a defensive step back before turning his attention towards....anything else that wasn't her. " You're wasting your time, I know you're here because of your old man and mine, so you can quit while you're ahead. " / REVERSE ADRIEN TO REVERSE CHLOE LET'S GO

( unprompted asks / always accepting !! )

𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐊 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍. Her hand, which had reached out to grab his own, hovers in the air before slowly dropping back to her side. Chloé bites her lip, feeling the sting of tears prickle at the corners of her eyes. But she won't cry. The last thing Adrien needs right now is her crying, even if it feels like he's drifting further and further away from her. Out of reach.

They used to be so close when they were little. She doesn't know what happened. Maybe the chasm had started opening after his mother died. Chloé couldn't pinpoint an exact time when things changed, but now it felt like an impossible stretch of distance laid between them — a distance she didn't know how to bridge, not when she didn't know what was bothering him.

If only she had reached out sooner. If only she had paid more attention!

❝ Adrien... ❞ Her voice is uncharacteristically quiet. ❝ I'm not here because of my father, or your father, or anyone else. I'm here because I'm your friend. I'm worried about you! ❞

❛ The point of Heroes' Day is for you to do something good for someone, Chloé, not your money. ❜ Marinette lets out a sigh, shakes her head, and gives an exaggerated roll of her eyes. Despite her exasperation, she strides forward to link an arm through Chloé's with a wry smile. ❛ Come on, think of someone you want to do something nice for. I'll help you. ❜

( unprompted asks / always accepting !! )

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐃. Not because Chloé didn't want to do something nice, but because — in all honesty — she didn't think anyone would believe she was sincere. She had been trying, really trying, lately to turn it around. She wasn't perfect ( as much as she liked to pretend she was ), and she had definitely stumbled along the way, but she liked to think she had made a little progress in mending the bridges she had burned. Chloé just hoped everyone else saw it that way.

Her scowl softened a little, morphing into something like defeat as she slumped forward with her head bowed. If someone had told her a year ago that she and Marinette Dupain-Cheng would end up being somewhat friends, she would have laughed. Long and loud. Yet, here they were, and Marinette hadn't begrudged her for her mishaps as Chloé tried to make amends.

❝ But — ❞ Everyone likes getting gifts! is what she wanted to say. Whenever she was sad or upset — which, in the past, had been pretty often — she could always count on her father spoiling her to curb any unseemly outburst. Maybe it didn't make her happy, true, but... it had placated her for a while. It had been enough, or she had thought so, anyway. Maybe Marinette had a point. And really, if she thought about it, the person she had been thinking of probably wouldn't have been placated by flashy shows of money. Chloé let out a breath. ❝ ...Fine. I... want to do something nice... for Sabrina. ❞