smth i drew when the new sonic prime trailer released ... but i couldn't figure out how to color it

and i still didn't. so here's the lineart by itself bc i like it more

blame @nicolodigenovas for inspiring me to write this (based on this amazing post)

It was a nice afternoon, clear and sunny, and absolutely perfect for lounging under a tree in the park with his latest read, an intense old italian romance that made him miss his home country. Instead, Nile was leading him across town with a jump in her step, to a tattoo shop of all places. He’d never shown any interest in the idea of them, he barely thought of them as art but the excitement on Nile’s face when she told him she got an apprenticeship with an amazing local tattoo artist he couldn’t say no to her - not after all the medieval literature readings he’d dragged her along to.

The shop itself was nice, large arching windows framing an intricately carved black door with the name painted on the front in a shimmering gold, and even Nicky had to admit he chuckled at it; “A Piece of Immortality,” it was rather poetic he thought. 

Nile was practically bouncing through the door, eyes as wide as her smile as the bell chimed, dragging Nicky by the hand inside. Her excitement only seemed to rival his when he found himself pouring over old scriptures late at night in the library, maybe even surpassed it as she immediately dropped Nicky’s hand and ran over to the man at the counter; Nicky couldn’t understand what she said from here, but she was animatedly nodding along to what he was saying, his gaze a bit unsteady as he pulled some pages from behind the counter, much to her delight, as she began to pour over them. 

The shop was very open, and Nicky found himself strangely welcomed by the warm colors that contrasted nicely with the cool metal accents adorning the walls and chairs, but more than that he could see Nile working here; he could easily picture her at her own station, completely engrossed in a new project, spending hour after hour learning new tricks and new styles, excitedly helping clients find the perfect thing to put on their bodies forever - though, Nicky could never understand why someone would do such a thing, Nile loved it and he wanted to support her as best he could.

A tall, dark-haired woman emerged from the back room and Nile wasted no time in introducing her to Nicky as Andy, one of the owners of the shop, as she was embraced in a crushing hug. Nicky glanced over at her arm, an amalgamation of black lines and words etched onto her skin; he could see a dragon looping around her arm, it’s body slinking up nearly its entire length, its face painted with a menacing scowl.

“Come on, you have to see the new stuff we’ve been working on and you’re going to love Yusuf’s!” Andy said, giving him a small nod before leading Nile to the back room. She shot him a giddy smile before following after Andy as fast as was professionally appropriate, leaving Nicky alone in the front room, save for the man behind the counter who looked like he’d sooner fall over drunk than actually be able to answer any questions as he paged through a book with glassy eyes, a not so subtly placed flask next to him, and the man sitting in a nearby chair, who nearly took Nicky’s breath away.

He was reclined in the chair, hands behind his head as his eyes trailed over the photos on the wall where there were countless tattoos pictured in so many styles and colors, Nicky almost wasn’t sure where to look but he felt his gaze travel back to the man before him. He was wearing a faded yellow shirt, thick curls tucked under a backwards baseball cap and the deepest brown eyes Nicky had ever seen. However, none of those things compared to the smile he gave Nicky when he turned around, a brilliant and encompassing smile that Nicky was sure put the sun itself to shame. Suddenly he was no longer missing the day he had planned. 

Nicky somehow managed a smile back, awkwardly crossing his arms across his chest while he watched the stranger stare up at him, utterly lost in his eyes until he realized the man was actually speaking to him.

“Huh?” Was the only word he could manage, giving his head a small shake.

“You look a little bit lost,” he said, eyes crinkling as he managed another heart-stopping smile.

“Yes, well I’ve never been in a tattoo shop before.” Nicky tried to laugh, but his nerves twisted it into a rather unsettling chuckle. It didn’t help that the man was still smiling up at him, and if he was aware of the way Nicky’s eyes watched him adjust his hat, he didn’t indicate it. 

“Ahh, well you certainly look cute when you’re confused.” He winked and Nicky’s breath caught in his throat, which he only just managed to play off as a cough. The man grinned, clearly happy with Nicky’s reaction.

Seconds passed, and then some more and Nicky still couldn’t manage to get words out, his mind circling over the word ‘cute’ like a vulture, except a vulture probably doesn’t have to deal with getting compliments from cute guys and probably sweats less than he was right now. A million things were running through his head, but none of them seemed like good responses, especially to a man as gorgeous as him. 

And it was again that Nicky realized too late that the man had said something again. “I am so sorry! What was that?” he asked, kicking himself while he plastered on a smile he knew wouldn’t hide his growing blush. 

The man chuckled. “I asked if you were here to get a tattoo,” he said, turning in his chair to face Nicky directly, clearly enjoying how flustered he was getting, wringing his hands together in front of him and eyes flicking back and forth towards him.

NIcky’s eyes widened, his response coming quickly from his mouth. “Oh, definitely not! I don’t really get the whole tattoo thing, I mean I guess you’re here to get one but honestly why even do this?” His hands moved in the air in front of him, voice tinged with a slight annoyance while he eyed the images on the wall, the ghost of a grimace crossing his face.

“And what do you mean by that?” The man’s tone was low, eyes narrowed, but Nicky didn’t seem to notice as he took a step closer to the wall, pointing lazily at the photos.

“It’s like this,” Nicky slipped into a neighboring chair, “most people regret their tattoos later in life, and it’s like the shop says, they’re immortal, they stay on your body forever. And besides that, why would people even choose to put this on their bodies? It’s not even art!”

The man eyed him with growing resentment, lips turned down; Nicky clearly didn’t realize who he was but his words stung nonetheless. His thoughts went to the tattoos that were sprawled across his arms, covered by the sleeves of his shirt, and the tattoos, his tattoos that were displayed on the wall, among those of Andy’s and Booker’s.

“Hm, that sure is something to say to a man in his own tattoo shop,” he spoke carefully, his back rigid and shoulders stiff. 

Nicky paused, unsure of what he meant by that when Nile suddenly came running up to him, gripping his arm and giving it a friendly tug. “Yusuf, your new stuff is amazing! The color scheme is perfect, I mean the client is going to love it!”

Nicky gulped.

Oh.

Oh fuck.

He could feel his palms start to sweat and no amount of wiping them against his pants was doing any good. Of course Nicky would meet a cute guy and manage to insult not only him, but his entire livelihood and there was no way he could pretend he didn’t mean every word he had said, not with the way he had said them.

Nile turned to him, oblivious and Nicky rubbed at the stubble on his cheek.

“I see you met Yusuf, isn’t his stuff amazing?” She gestured to the photos on the wall and even though there was no way Nicky could know which were his, his eyes leaned towards the ones with sweeping, careful and thin lines - he could almost picture Yusuf sketching them out on paper with a careful precision.

“Was Yusuf showing it to you?” she asked, moving to stand next to Nicky, her eyes lit up with a familiar passion.

“Not exactly,” Yusuf said flatly. 

“Oh, what were you talking about then?”

At Nile’s question, Nicky could feel the shame curl in his stomach and he didn’t even know how to begin to explain to her exactly how badly he fucked up. But apparently he didn’t need to because Yusuf rose from his chair, casually rolling up his sleeves to display arms that were nearly completely covered in tattoos. And Nicky had been right, he could see the similarity between them and the ones of his clients in the photos, though some were no doubt work from his colleagues. 

“Nicky here was just telling me how much he doesn’t like tattoos, what was it you said?” Yusuf was nearly glaring at him, arms crossed across his chest and Nicky knew there were no words to make up for what he did. “Oh yes, it was ‘it’s not even art.’”

Nile’s mouth dropped open, eyebrows raised and eyes flicking between the two before Yusuf spoke up again, “I think you should go.”

And Yusuf was right.

Nile placed a hand over Yusuf’s arm, whispering a quick apology to him before pulling Nicky from the shop, her steps hard and purposeful, body tense. Nicky just followed quietly, not even glancing back at Yusuf, whose eyes he could feel watching him as he left the shop just as Andy emerged from the back room with a question on her lips that he was too far to hear, but he didn’t need to hear it to know what it was about.

The afternoon air was cooler than earlier, a little biting against his skin but he barely had time to enjoy it because as soon as they passed the windows, Nile turned to him with an exasperated look. She glanced back towards the shop longingly, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking. 

“Nicky why would you say that? I know you’re not like that, you can’t tell me that you really think that,” she said, sounding almost disappointed with hands dropped at her side.

“Nile, I’m so sorry!” He pressed his hands to his chest, eyes pleading as he watched her run a hand over her jacket to smooth the collar, a nervous tick of hers. 

“Nicky, this is my job. I just got this apprenticeship!” She gestured to the shop next to them. “You can’t just say stuff like that, I thought you were working past some of that conservative stuff!”

And he had, mostly. There were just some things that were hard to shake off after growing up in a strict catholic household, but that was something he loved about his studies. He loved to be able to study the literature and learn about the religions from around the world, it allowed him to see so much more than he was exposed to when he was younger and he could grow into a more accepting person than he was raised to be. 

“I will fix it, okay? I will fix it, Nile, I promise!” He grabbed her hand and she gave him a polite smile and a small nod, letting him leave while she headed back to the shop, hands tucked into her pockets.

And Nicky would figure something out, if not to fix it but at least to give a worthy apology - both to Yusuf and Nile. She didn’t deserve this, and she was right, he was trying to get past some of his conservative ideals and if he was being honest with himself, he wasn’t even completely sure he truly believed in what he said. It had all come out without a second thought and he could still see the pain etched onto Nile’s face and how utterly upset Yusuf was at his words.

He would figure something out, he had to.

If you've already got a text summary of the special written up, it'd be awesome if you posted it. The only clip I've seen so far is of the magic hot dog guy; I'm curious what else happened.

No problem, here you go!

(note: I make some idly comments just because I never planned to post this, so sorry about that if it bothers you!)

- Mr. Pigeon is akumatized again and is trying to take the Eiffel Tower to space. Ladybug and Chat Noir use the pink (space) macarons to fly after him (there is no fanfare made about this by the way).

- Post-battle, yellow rose scene happens where Chat finds a "loophole" to Ladybug telling him not to give her flowers by insisting that it means friendship (I’m not sure what the obsession is with putting a label on their relationship?). Obvious shipping fuel follows with Ladybug absolutely PRAISING Chat Noir for being such a good partner+friend, which clearly strokes Chat Noir's ego.

- Marinette is going to school when she stops to take a picture of a new Adrien poster. Tikki groans and whines at her about it (”I thought you stopped taking pictures of Adrien”), but Marinette tries to say that it's different.

- What I’m gathering is that she's making an attempt to move on from "Miracle Queen" or has said that she's doing it but hasn't made the full leap.

- We’re shown a weird French-American sock puppet short that the students all made together pre-field trip. Miss Bustier says that she can't come on the trip because she's pregnant. The students loudly whine about Ms. Mendeleiev (who is peeking her head in so they haven't seen her), which Ms. Mendeleiev is hurt by.

- Sadrien (get used to Sadrien by the way) reveals that he can't come either because of his father. Lila tries to "comfort" him by saying that she can't go because of charity work and Marinette interrupts to give a speech about how she WILL convince Adrien's father to let him come because Adrien's her friend (”I-I mean, OUR friend!”; for some reason, the special like to stress Marinette differentiating between Adrien being Marinette’s friend versus everyone’s friends and it’s a little heavy-handed even though I know it’s Marinette’s nerves at work).

- Next scene is Alya and co. teasing/mocking Marinette for her crush and her calling Adrien a "friend". Marinette tries to talk about how exhausting it was crushing on him and it's easier just being friends. (I also have to add that it TICKS ME OFF because Marinette lists off the things that she's no longer doing and then Alix has to make a comment about things that she's probably still doing). Alya points out how "rOMaNtIc" a trip to New York will be and if Marinette's going to be okay with it. Marinette's priorities, however, are on convincing Gabriel.

- Gabriel and Nathalie are watching a news broadcast of a museum in New York and Nathalie points out an eagle miraculous. Marinette then shows up at the gate and, after being let in, Gabriel accepts her demand for Adrien to go. He later tells Nathalie that it's simpler than trying to hide his absence from him while he goes to New York himself.

- Kagami and Adrien are fencing. Sadrien is sulking after being beaten and vents to Kagami about how he wished that he could go on the trip. Kagami admits that she's sad for him, but happy for “him and her” because it means that they'll get to practice more. She kisses his upper lip (earning a brief smile from Adrien), then leaves.

- Marinette is excited about getting to go to New York with Adrien and is loudly cheering about it while skipping down the street. She catches Tikki grinning at her cheekily and tries to calm himself. Tikki then asks who's going to protect Paris while they're gone (I FEEL LIKE THIS WOULD'VE BEEN A GOOD QUESTION TO ASK A LONG TIME AGO??) and Marinette assures Tikki that she has a plan.

- At night, Ladybug tells Chat Noir about how she's going to be away but can't tell him any more than that. Chat groans about it because "sEcReT iDeNtItIeS" but agrees. Ladybug gives him a little ladybug-themed remote and shows him a cat toy she has. When he presses the button on the remote, the cat vibrates, so that's how he can warn her if something happens (she stresses seriously to him that it's only for emergencies).

- The next day, Gabriel is telling Adrien that he can go on the trip and Adrien nervously tries to refute by asking about his fencing/Chinese lessons. Gabriel points out that Nathalie packed his bags already and we get Sadrien again (they really did just make Gabriel wait a day to tell him so we could get Sadrien twice oh my gosh--) because he promised Ladybug he'd protect Paris. Plagg encourages him to go and Adrien eventually agrees on the pact of "what she doesn't know won't disappoint her," because Adrien has the akuma alert on his phone and the space macaron to "fly back quickly."

- Cue generic scene of Gabriel monologuing to Emilie ("mY lOvE, iT pAinS mE tO sEpArAtE fRom yOu fOr sO lOnG bUt--") and setting a rose on her coffin.

- Marinette is apparently running late for the bus. Luka is riding her there on his bike and insists that they'll make it because of how important the trip is to her. Marinette agrees, but asks if he means that it's important because of Adrien and tries to deny it. Luka simply smiles (not a sarcastic/mocking one that everyone else gives her) and waits for the bus to stop to explain that the importance he was referring to was this trip being used for getting her some clarity. She smiles, thanks him, and kisses his cheek before stepping onto the bus, continuing to look at Luka before the doors close. She turns afterward, sees Adrien, then blushes uncomfortably and smiles nervously as she walks along.

- There was some mini-plot about Chloe not wanting to go and then being forced to go but it's just there to stall for time really.

- On the plane, Adrien tries to find some media to look at but everything is basically either Ladybug+Chat Noir based or some film about Paris being destroyed. Marinette is looking for her seat and it turns out that she's sitting next to Adrien. Marinette is nervous and Alya teases/mocks Marinette again (get used to this) about "ohhh go sit next to your fRiEnD (get used to this especially), Marinette, for a vERY lOnG and cLoSE flight!"

- Marinette is even more nervous now (hm, wonder why) and sits next to Adrien, but is clearly panicked and struggling to breathe. Adrien tries to ask what's wrong, to which Marinette claims that it's hot. She tries to make things cooler by turning some knobs above her and Adrien puts his hands right over hers and insists that she let him help. Her panic in response ends with her seat flopping back and Adrien landing on top of her.

- She freaks out more and rushes to Alya to say that she can't do it and will need more help being "just a friend" to Adrien. Alya says that she can "just get off the plane" because of how romantic New York is and starts listing off scenarios. Marinette screams in horror and says that she has to "get out of here," to which Alya calls out for Ms. Mendeleiev to say that Marinette is getting airsick and should sit closer to the middle (Marinette literally just admits that she has to get out so I guess Alya's whole thing about getting off the plane was a lie) and Ms. Mendeleiev refuses until the students start complaining that "Miss Bustier would've let her move." Ms. Mendeleiev softens (this plot point goes nowhere by the way) and moves so Marinette can have her seat. Marinette tries to distract herself, but the magazine in front of her has Adrien's picture on it.

- Note: there's a running gag about Gorilla doing nothing for this whole special because he's airsick and has his player continuously going to relax him. It will cut back to him multiples times while they're in New York with him doing nothing but relaxing.

- Cut to the plane post-takeoff. Marinette wakes up at night to Mr. Damocles spilling popcorn on her because he's asleep. He falls over her and she gets up to sigh. She goes past all the ships (DJWifi, Myvan, and Julerose) then goes to the bathroom to clean up. However, the plane jostles and she gets soaked; her shirt is wet and she has toilet paper in her hair. Thoroughly miserable, she tries to go back to her seat, but Mr. Damocles is sleeping on it, so she goes out to the plane's nearest window to look at the sunrise. Adrien shows up out of nowhere to talk about how beautiful it is and the plane jostles to force them together. Alya conveniently wakes up and looks to see Marinette and Adrien together (now standing normally next to each other). Alya wakes up Nino and they watch them together.

- Blatant shipping fuel time: "*softly* You've got something, Marinette." "S-something?" "*now obliviously* Yeah, there, in your hair."

- Alya is annoyed and Nino goes on about how Adrien has a hard time understanding the signals people send him. Alya argues "what signals?? Marinette isn't exactly sending them clearly!" Nino wishes that the trip could "finally help Adrien come out of his shell" while Alya wishes that Marinette "could be more honest with herself and clear about her feelings." They then get a simultaneous idea for "Operation: New York"

- Adrien hugs Marinette in thanks for what she did to get him on this trip and she's nervously babbling about "oh sure what are friends for" and makes some comment about Adrien's cologne. The plane then jostles, forcing them apart.

- A supervillain (Techno Pirate) is attacking the plane. Cue Alya basically introducing everyone (Majestia, Knightowl, Uncanny Valley, and Sparrow) while the plan is being saved. Marinette and Adrien considered transforming but end up not having to (Mr. Damocles goes to turn into his "superhero persona" but the day is already saved once he comes back).

- More exposition on the bus ride around New York as Marinette points to something off-screen and Alya explains that it's a superhero directing traffic because "there's a superhero for everything around here." However, she quickly diverts to asking Marinette about her "friend" (she's done this like thrice by now and two of them have been with airquotes and I'm extremely annoyed). Marinette brushes it off that it was "just as friends" and Alya seethes in frustration.

- Meanwhile, Nino stops Adrien from looking at his phone (he's looking at Paris news) by grabbing his face and turning his gaze towards Marinette, saying that Adrien should "open his eyes and take it all in" (Alya is very non-subtly pointing at Marinette). Adrien turns his gaze elsewhere and agrees that it's beautiful.

- Once the students are in the building they’ll be staying in, Aeon (an android and Uncanny Valley’s civilian form) is scanning all the students with her Special Eyes™️, but notices that two students are missing. She looks to see that Marinette and Adrien are stuck between two sets of double doors because the second set isn't opening, leaving them in a relatively small space. Marinette tries to get it open, but just slams face-first into the glass. Adrien tries to help but she panics at his touch. Aeon opens the door while Marinette happens to be leaning on it, so Marinette falls forward onto the floor and her luggage spills everywhere.

- A male teenager notices Marinette (oddly doesn’t laugh at her which was nice) and recognizes her and the others as "the cool kids who made that sock puppet movie" (from the beginning). Adrien is helping Marinette with her things and their hands brush, leading Marinette to pull away nervously.

- A small distance away, Jessica (Aeon’s friend and Sparrow’s civilian form) is groaning about "watching a bunch of kids" while Aeon points out Adrien and Marinette and says that "they're made for each other". Jessica angrily tells her "not again" (Aeon argues that she "was programmed to help people”) and tells her to stop interfering with people's private lives, to which Aeon relents and agrees to just protect the students.

- Ms. Mendeleiev gives everyone a curfew and they groan about it, but go off to their room anyway. The guy from earlier whispers to them and explains that he and his buds are throwing a party on the roof later that night. He also winks at Sabrina, who blushes and gets teased by Alya (who still finds a way to be like, "and you, Sabrina, might make a fRiEnD *nudges Marinette, who looks very done right now, as do I*"). Chloe then interrupts to complain about the idea and march off.

- Alya and Marinette get stuck in the same room as Chloe and Sabrina (this goes nowhere and is literally only brought up in this one scene). Aeon and Jessica are spying on them and Jessica is, again, groaning about how boring this all is.

- Cut to later that night when everyone is sneaking out. Ms. Mendeleiev hears them and goes to investigate, so Alya+Nino and Adrien+Marinette duck into separate rooms. Adrien and Marinette happened to stumble into Aeon and Jessica's room (Aeon is admiring them like her ship is happening). Marinette nervously greets them and is all "this is my friend Adrien who is just a friend." Aeon leans towards Jessica and whispers that "see? they're made for each other," to which Jessica sighs and just tells Adrien and Marinette how to get to the rooftops without being detected. Aeon waits for them to leave, then asks Jessica why she did that ("I thought we weren't supposed to meddle") but Jessica just says that they might as well have something to watch if they're supposed to keep an eye on them. Jessica picks up her guitar and heads up to the rooftops.

- Meanwhile, Sabrina is sulking in her room when the guy who winked at her earlier opens the window and helps her out so she can come up to the roof. (this also goes nowhere, by the way)

- Everyone is dancing to music when a hotdog superhero appears (Jessica comments that he usually teams up with ketchup and mustard superheroes but is going solo tonight) and offers everyone hot dogs. The hot dogs are magic and make things happen (such as exhaling pretty sparks of light, changing skin color, etcetera). However, by the time Nino+Alya and Adrien+Marinette get to them, there are only two left. Each "ship" takes a single hot dog, but while Marinette tries to just pass it off to Adrien (who then tries to pass it back), Nino breaks it in half and gives it to both of them. Nino and Alya's hot dog gave them high-pitched voices while Marinette and Adrien's makes them fly. Jessica now agrees that Aeon was right and "they really seem to be made for each other."

- Alya approaches at Jessica’s comment to say that the situation is "far from simple." Realizing that Jessica plays guitar, Alya asks her to play a specific song. Jessica does, and Adrien points out to Marinette that it's the song they danced to at Chloe's birthday (excuse me? no it wasn’t) party. Marinette agrees and Adrien asks her to dance again, holding out his hand. The gesture freaks Marinette out and she nearly goes flying off before he grabs her hand and pulls her into a dancing position (just like "Despair Bear," by the way, Marinette hasn't agreed to anything by the time he pulls her into a dancing position). They slowly spin ("dance") together in front of the full moon.

- The next day, Alya is asking Marinette about the dance and Marinette tries to insist it was a friendly dance (Alya is annoyed). Alya then gets sidetracked by the civilian form of "Doorman" (superheroes don’t care much about secret identities in New York) a superhero who creates portals using doors. She leaves to try and get a quote from him for the Ladyblog.

- Cut to later. Jessica looks over and sees that Marinette and Adrien are stuck between two sets of automatic doors (yes, again), with Marinette desperately waving at the sensor to try and get the doors to open. Each time the doors open, however, she tries to go through and the doors slam shut before she gets there, her face smacking against the surface. Jessica groans and Aeon comments that Marinette and Adrien go through "repetitive behaviors."

- Marinette talks to Adrien about how they always seem to "end up together--STUCK together!", to which Adrien is all, "I don't mind being stuck somewhere with a friend like you." (if shipping fuel was tangible, I’d be choking on it by now)

- Jessica comments that it might help if Adrien and Marinette found each other in a "dangerous situation." Alya asks Jessica if she's out of her mind and Aeon comments that "two people confronted with extreme situations often cause their feelings for each other to become strong" (thanks for clarifying how invalid "Oblivio" is I guess??).

- While Marinette is still struggling to force the double doors open and squeeze through, Jessica explains a plan to invent a fake supervillain (who threatens to kidnap anyone who "nobody loves)" and how Alya just needs to get Adrien and Marinette alone in a specific room together. Then, the supervillain would threaten Adrien, and Marinette would confess to show that Adrien isn't unloved. Alya goes through the whole "so stupid it just might work" thing and they agree to help. Nino is impressed and is about to ask how they plan to invent the supervillain, but are cut off by the sound of the double doors. They all look over to see Marinette on top of Adrien, on the floor, and the double doors keep opening and closing on them.

- In a car, Gabriel is explaining some sort of history about the Marquis de Lafayette (Gilbert du Motier) and talking about how the guy had an incredible ability to galvanize people, but he thinks that it was a miraculous at work. Gabriel tells Nathalie to "take care" of Paris while he takes care of New York. He transforms in the car (the license plate says “TSURUGI-1″ for some reason).

- He akumatizes Techno Pirate (who was being driven away by police who I guess must’ve been taking their sweet time) into Techclonizer and tells him to go get the saber that Gabriel and Nathalie were viewing earlier.

- Everyone's at the museum when Alya tells Marinette to go get a picture of the saber. Marinette agrees (suspecting nothing) while Nino pretends to have lost his headphones and asks Adrien to go look for them in a particular room. Doorman (who's in civilian form because everyone knows his identity) is rambling about how much he'd love to get into a specific safe in the Statue of Liberty or something (out of curiosity, not because he's evil) and Alya asks him why he doesn't just make a portal there. He says that superpowers should never be used for personal gain and then talks about how it wouldn't matter because the key is in the Eiffel Tower.

- Adrien and Marinette see each other in the saber room and Aeon closes the doors so they can't get out. Adrien then gets an akuma alert about Robostus terrorizing Paris, but points out that it doesn’t make sense because Markov is with the group. Marinette checks her purse to have Tikki confirm that Chat Noir hasn't contacted her with the cat toy.

- Jessica and Aeon are confused at why nothing is happening between Marinette and Adrien (since they're distracted). Jessica turns the lights off and Aeon makes a hologram of the fake supervillain, only for Hawk Moth's supervillain to bust into the room. Aeon notes that she can't get a read on him, as if magic is interfering with her scanning tools. Jessica and Aeon then touch the matching bracelets they have that instantly transform them into their superhero forms.

- Tikki doesn't know what to do and Plagg is asking Adrien about going back to Paris and warning Ladybug. Everyone else in the museum is finally catching on that something is happening and they flee. Doorman transforms into his superhero self with his own bracelet so he can make a portal for everyone to escape into. Sparrow tries to contact the United Heroes, but her communicator is shot. Uncanny tries to leave via Doorman's portal (Doorman's like "Let the AdULtS handle this!") but the supervillain grabs her and yanks her back. Apparently, his tentacles steal Uncanny's powers, but only some of them(? She can still fly so--?).

- Adrien sees a tower about to collapse on Marinette and transforms, only for Uncanny to plow the supervillain (again, she can still fly) into the pillar that Chat Noir was hiding behind, causing the rubble to fall all over them. Marinette also transforms, then helps Sparrow up, but sees Chat Noir in the process. Chat Noir asks about Marinette and Ladybug says that she got her to safety, but presses on asking Chat Noir about why he's not in Paris.

- Hawk Moth, meanwhile, tells Nathalie to get rid of the sentimonster in Paris. While the teenage heroes are taking the fight with Techclonizer elsewhere, Hawk Moth descends into the room in the museum to steal the eagle miraculous while everyone else is distracted.

- Sparrow asks Chat Noir if they came to help them out and Chat Noir lies and says that they came "in honor of French-American friendship week" (Ladybug rolls her eyes). Ladybug and Chat Noir then charge into battle and Sparrow comments on how Ladybug and Chat "don't need anyone's permission to fight." Ladybug uses the comment to chide Chat Noir because he didn't tell her about going to New York. Uncanny asks Sparrow if she warned the adult heroes and Sparrow says that she couldn't, but they don't need them. Sparrow says that she wants them to prove themselves that they can be just like Ladybug and Chat Noir (cue obvious joke about Sparrow saying, "They're such a great team!" and then faltering at seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir mid-argument).

- Also, as usual, Chat Noir is the one faltering in battle while they're arguing and Ladybug is the one staying on top of things even though she's mid-scolding him.

- "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" "I was afraid you'd get angry!" "And you were right!"

- Chat uses Cataclysm (completely unpromoted) and Ladybug uses Lucky Charm, the latter getting a bicycle pump. Chat asks what she's going to do with it and Ladybug says she has an idea but Chat wouldn't like it (while tapping the bike pump against her hand with a look like "bOY I'M ABOUT TO SMACK U GOOD").

- Chat reiterates that he didn't tell her because he was afraid of losing her trust. Ladybug is basically like, "Uh, yeah??? I can't trust you anymore." Chat, who was in the middle of protecting Sparrow, drops his baton in shock. Techno Piraye targets him, grabbing him and throwing him towards Ladybug.

- Uncanny jumps in front of Ladybug and Chat Noir ends up Cataclysming her by accident, powering her off completely as she rusts with cracks forming in her armor. Everyone is horrified and Majestia (who I presume has psychic powers or some connection to Uncanny despite not showing up earlier to help fight) is heard screaming from up in the sky. Majestia swoops down and punches Techclonizer through a bunch of buildings. Hawk Moth de-akumatizes him and insists that that's enough for now, then approaches in his car and tells the Techno Pirate to get in and leave the saber behind.

- Knightowl descends on the situation, seeing the saber and squinting at it (idk what this is supposed to tell me).

- Majestia is sobbing over Uncanny's... idk, corpse? Uncanny also de-transforms (Ladybug and Chat recognize her and gasp in horror). Majestia's all like, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE" (no, I don't know how she knows that they did anything; also, bold of Majestia to ask that question when she probably just killed a few people in her rage of punching Techno Pirate through several buildings). Chat Noir quietly admits that it's his fault (yeah see she didn't know and just PUNCHED the supervillain so like--????) and Knightowl shows up, asking Sparrow why she (I say “she” but both Knightowl and Sparrow are considered males by the public and use male voice filters in superhero form) didn't call and asking Ladybug and Chat Noir what they're doing there. Ladybug insists that she can help and Knightowl angrily is like, "What?? With your magic bicycle bump?" Ladybug frowns, but is like, "Precisely," then uses Miraculous Ladybug to heal all the damage and thus bring Aeon back.

- Majestia thanks Ladybug, but Knightowl still goes off on Ladybug and Chat Noir. Sparrow tries to defend them, but Knightowl yells at Sparrow for not calling and disobeying (not letting Sparrow get a word in edge-wise). Knightowl demands that Ladybug and Chat revert to their civilian forms and hand her "the source of their powers," which they can have back when they leave town. Ladybug points out that she fixed everything (I presume this includes the people that Majesta may’ve injured or killed) and Knightowl says that if her "power" (she says it very mockingly) is fixing Chat Noir's mistake (dunno how Knightowl heard Chat’s quiet mutter of, “It’s all my fault,” considering that she only came on the scene afterwards), they don't need her. Majestia says it's for the best and is like but what if you couldn't have fixed her or if she wasn't an android??? (gee, I dunno, Majestia, what if she hadn’t fixed the damage YOU did either?)

- Ladybug whispers to Chat Noir that they can't give up their miraculouses. They bail and Knightowl follows them for about five seconds before losing them.

- Ladybug and Chat Noir escaped into the sewers and Ladybug says that they have to get back to take care of Robostus. However, she looks at the news on her yoyo to see that Robostus is gone and Paris is severely damaged. Chat asks if she can just make a Lucky Charm while they're in Paris and Ladybug explains that her power simply makes a magical object that repairs damage caused by a specific villain, but the villain in Paris is already gone, so nothing can be done. They solemnly walk off to separate sides of the sewer (you don't need to see this shot by the way because it's basically a copy of the one from "Mayura").

- Chat Noir says that it's his fault and that Ladybug was perfect as always (I don’t know why the show continues to pretend like Chat thinks Ladybug is perfect when he’s constantly questioned her before), and also that Knightowl was right to try and take his miraculous because he left Paris without telling Ladybug. He also comments that, if Aeon hadn't been a robot, he would've caused "irreparable" harm (how convenient; also, I have no idea what he means by that and need elaboration; Miraculous Ladybug already fixes everything Cataclysm harms - even when Plagg destroyed so much of Paris - so I fail to see why it wouldn’t fix a person).

- Marinette and Adrien de-transform, and Adrien apologizes to Plagg before renouncing him. Marinette is shocked and looks over as she sees the cat being put down on the floor (she doesn't see Adrien; only his arm). He says that he doesn't want to hurt anyone, "least of all [Ladybug]," to which Marinette goes to chase him (”Wait!”) but stops when realizing that she's de-transformed so he’d see her identity. Sadrien runs off crying and Marinette can only tearfully call out to him, getting no response.

- Elsewhere, Gabriel puts on the eagle miraculous and the eagle kwami is summoned. She calls out to "Gilbert" (the Marqee guy) before turning and realizing that the one who put on the miraculous was not in fact her original holder. Gabriel goes on about how he hopes the miraculous can give him what he wants and she (warily) explains that she's "Liiri, the kwami of freedom. My power is basically to free people from anything that prevents them from reaching their full potential, nothing too powerful. [nervous chuckle]". Gabriel points out that it's all he needs to seize Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous and Liiri cowers in fear.

- Ms. Mendeleiev is counting up her students and Nino+Alya point out that Adrien+Marinette aren't around. Meanwhile, Knightowl and Majestia's civilian selves (Barbara and Olympia respectively; Barbara is not anywhere NEAR buff like Knightowl is - to the point where I didn’t recognize her - and I'm disappointed) walk into the building, in the middle of scolding Jessica and Aeon, with Barbara telling them that they were supposed to be watching the students. Aeon basically reveals everything they did, including setting up Adrien and Marinette. Barbara is infuriated and Olympia calms her down. Aeon states that she doesn't understand why they’re upset and quotes the, "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing," line that Majestia always says, to which Olympia says that "doing good doesn't always mean fighting" and how Aeon’s actions put her, Jessica, and the French students in danger. Jessica angrily goes off about how they just wanted something to do because they're "not babysitters" and have nothing to do otherwise. Barbara goes off in return about how they failed to watch the French students, then forbids them both from joining on the hunt for Techno Pirate. Jessica is annoyed and Aeon points out that Ladybug and Chat Noir don't need permission to do things, to which Olympia says that she almost lost Aeon because of it.

- Cut to a rainy scene with Sadrien and Marinette are walking down separate streets back to the student building (I don't know how they conveniently ended up on completely opposite sides at the exact same time but alright, we’ll roll with it). Nino keeps trying to call Adrien but Adrien isn't answering (even though the phone is in Adrien's hand like--??? dude you can ignore your phone but why put it in your hand outside of the sake of a camera angle?). Plagg is sulking in Marinette's purse about how this is his fault for not stopping Chat Noir from leaving Paris. Marinette glumly just says that Chat Noir "made his choice" and "what were we supposed to do?"

- The president is making an announcement on TV about how they’re postponing the French-American friendship event because of how dangerous it is with Techno Pirate running about. The president then transforms into her superhero form and promises that they'll keep patrolling until the supervillain is found.

- Cut to Hawk Moth entering a bathroom, where he's kept his supervillain chained up in a tub (I don't even know anymore). The supervillain demands to be let out and Hawk Moth agrees, also returning the akuma to him. He adds on "an apology" for keeping him locked up in the form of the eagle miraculous, explaining that the transformation phrase is, "Liiri, Wings of Prey!"

- Back to the angst, Alya and Nino catch Adrien and Marinette outside through the windows. Some of the students rush out to see them and Adrien and Marinette stop to stare sadly at each other. A car shows up and Gabriel (in video form on the back of the seat ala "Origins") tells Adrien to get in because it's too dangerous now. Nino tells Adrien to stay and Adrien apologizes to Marinette that her efforts were wasted, repeating the phrase, "I wouldn't have minded being stuck here a little longer with a friend like you." Marinette opens her mouth to say something, but stops and stares at the ground. Adrien's weak smile turns into a frown (I guess he was fishing for expecting something??) and he says that his father was right and that he never should've come to New York.

- Adrien gets in, closes the door, and the car drives off. Alya rushes down the stairs, asking Marinette "What is WRONG with you?" (wow okay we’re doing this now) and "Couldn't you see that he was just WAITING for you to tell him to stay?" (apparently Nino means nothing to Adrien anymore, alright). Marinette tells Alya that "it was his choice" and "what did you expect me to do" (a blatant reference back to what she said about Chat Noir and I'm groaning). Alya angrily goes off about how it didn't matter and what matters is who Adrien is to Marinette; a friend or "more than a friend" (I don’t know how Marinette’s feelings can magically impact how Gabriel feels about taking Adrien home but sure)? She grabs Marinette's shoulders and pressures her, asking if she wants Adrien to leave or stay, to which Marinette turns and rushes off to chase Adrien, screaming for him to stay. She tries to call him ("I already lost Chat Noir, I can't lose him too") but her phone is too low on battery because of course it is.

- Marinette grabs a random bike and helmet off the ground and tries to bike after the car, but doesn't get very far. She tries to make a turn and the bike slips due to the rain, careening away while Marinette rolls and hits the ground face-first. Marinette tearfully looks after the car and whispers, "Adrien, I... love you," before letting her head fall onto her arms.

- Back with the actual plot, the heroes are searching for Techno Pirate when said supervillain (now Miraclonizer) shows himself, pretending to surrender. They're suspicious and Majestia goes in, assuring that "she's the only one he can't harm."

- She approaches (with the other heroes in firing distance) and Miraclonizer unleashes the eagle's power, "Liberation." This causes lights to emerge from his torso and touch all the superheroes, giving Miraclonizer a mental link with them. Visually, the mental link shows his face and the hero's facing each other, eyes closed, then an image of the hero curled up with a link of chains around them, which vanishes after his speech, an example of which is, "Majestia! You're afraid of your own power! I release you from your fears!" The heroes basically all go off from this to do their own thing (Majestia destroying stuff to test the limits of her powers, Knightowl "bringing justice" without morality, etcetera).

- Miraclonizer hooks Hawk Moth up to the TV (Hawk Moth literally says, "hook me up" and I want to die) and Hawk Moth gives a speech to "Ladybug and Chat Noir" about how he's in New York and they need to hand their miraculouses over. Aeon (who is watching this with Jessica) drags Jessica off to try and convince her to help (Jessica says that the adults told them not to move and Aeon responds with something about how "being human means knowing when to bend the rules). They run to the rooftops and Jessica is nervous about how no one is there with them. Aeon points out that Ladybug and Chat Noir exist, to which Jessica reminds her that "they" almost de-activated her (gonna throw blame at Ladybug too, a’ight). Aeon says that this is an akumatization they're dealing with, so there's no chance without Ladybug and Chat Noir. Jessica is like "BUT THEY'RE TEENAGERS" to which Aeon is like "And so are we." This immediately convinces Jessica, whose only remaining question is about how they're going to find them. Aeon says that nobody can keep a secret identity from her, so she transforms and flies off.

- Jessica (as Sparrow) goes to scope out the situation, all like "okay I have basic training and minimal weapons and am going against all these superheroes (also, apparently Majestia is pulling a Majora's Mask and trying to shove the moon into the Earth, raising the water levels)... i'll be fine."

- Uncanny descends in front of Marinette and tells her that they need Ladybug. Marinette plays dumb until Uncanny says that Ladybug's "suit of quantum masking" is meant to confuse human minds, but she is not human (so... glamour confirmed??). Apparently, Marinette didn't even see Hawk Moth's video feed (RIP, Hawk Moth’s efforts) as Uncanny has to explain the akumatization to her. Marinette looks down at the ring in her hand and sadly admit, "I can't imagine being Ladybug without... him," (because girl power) to which Uncanny assures her that she’ll take care of it. Marinette smiles confidently at her and hands over the ring.

- Sadrien is flying in a plane back to Paris when he sees Uncanny out the window. Uncanny breaks into the plane and tells him that he's needed, but Adrien is still feeling sorry for himself. Uncanny is all "to err is human apparently" and Adrien insists that his mistakes are unforgivable and he "couldn't bear to see the disappointment in [Ladybug’s] eyes." Uncanny responds by playing a voice clip of Marinette saying the "can't imagine being Ladybug without him" line, then telling Adrien that, "his lady (ugh) is waiting for him." This immediately breaks Adrien out of his funk and he takes the ring back.

- Adrien puts the ring on and Uncanny is confused at him interacting with Plagg. Plagg reminds Adrien that kwami can't be viewed by tech and thus Uncanny can't see nor hear him. He starts making faces at Uncanny for fun and Adrien follows up by transforming.

- Sparrow is fighting against the heroes and Ladybug saves her. She gets them to safety and explains the whole "break the object" thing, suspecting that it's in Miraclonizer’s handcuffs. Sparrow talks about the necklace and Ladybug realizes that it's a miraculous. Uncanny and Chat (who was briefly in space form to fly there) descend and Ladybug rushes to hug him, telling him to "never do that again." Chat apologizes and says that he was stupid and so afraid of disappointing her that he said nothing. They pull away to fistbump.

- Hawk Moth tells Miraclonizer that it's time to get to the next step. Miraclonizer snatches a device from the superhero president and flies off using the wings that the eagle grants him. He perches at the torch of the Statue of Liberty and presses a button, which activates a rocket. Hawk Moth threatens over the monitors that he'll start a World War if the miraculouses aren't handed over to him, adding that they have five minutes (he even does a taunting "tick, tock--")

- Ladybug is making a plan with Chat Noir, Uncanny, and Sparrow. She uses Lucky Charm and gets a Statue of Liberty keychain. Uncanny is skeptical (and Ladybug can't see anything immediately useful), but then Ladybug asks how the Statue of Liberty was built. Uncanny gives Ladybug a diagram and Ladybug gets an idea. She points out that there's a ladder that leads to the torch platform (where the supervillain is), but Chat Noir doesn't know how they're going to get inside. Ladybug and Sparrow look at each other and say in unison, "Doorman!" Uncanny points out that Doorman only uses his powers for himself now (courtesy of "Liberation"), but Ladybug gets the rest of the idea now, and basically:

- Aeon and Jessica (de-transformed) take a picture of a package they put outside a specific door, sending it to Doorman’s (Dean Gate’s) phone "as thanks for the museum. Doorman shows up, unwraps the gift, and sees the keychain inside. It's enough of a hint for him to go to the Eiffel Tower and Ladybug and Chat Noir follow him through the portal. They let him get the key (which is in a random drawer), then wait until he makes a portal back. Once he goes through, they go through too and capture him. Chat Noir uses his belt to tie him up, then he and Ladybug ignore his begging ("at least let me see what's inside the safe!!!") and rush to the torch platform. Ladybug jumps at Miraclonizer and takes the miraculous, knocking Miraclonizer (who I guess is technically Techclonizer again?) off the platform too (he lands fine). She then throws the miraculous to Sparrow, who lands and slips the miraculous on. Liiri calls her "fledgling" and states that the actual transformation phrase is "Wings of Liberty," (which I guess confirms alternate phrases?), so Jessica transforms and says, "Cool down," which stops the "Liberation" power affecting all the heroes.

- Ladybug and Chat Noir refuse to give Techclonizer their miraculouses. Hawk Moth is all, "can't say I didn't warn them," from whatever place he's chillin' at (some random hotel idk; it’s where he was when he had Techno Pirate in the bathtub - again, what? - as well) and Techclonizer launches the rocket. However, Majestia stops it and throws it into the sun.

- Ladybug and Chat Noir are fighting Techclonizer and Ladybug is knocked back. Knightowl helps her up, then entangles Techclonizer and reels him in. Chat Noir Cataclysms the handcuffs and the akuma is freed. Ladybug does her schtick (apparently they felt the need to show Miraculous Ladybug giving Chat Noir's belt back).

- Jessica goes to return the eagle miraculous, but Ladybug tells her to keep it. Jessica points out to Knightowl that she disobeyed again, then asks if that means she won't be getting her weapons back. Knightowl says that she won't need them with the powers of the miraculous, and that she was wrong about Jessica not being ready. Jessica hugs her excitedly and calls her, "Mom," then realizes what she did and apologizes. Knightowl says it's fine and that, with Jessica's new suit, people now know that Sparrow is a female, not a male, and that the "legendary original Knightowl and Sparrow" (we see flashes of a bunch of former Knightowls and Sparrows) are long gone. Knightowl removes her mask and says that maybe it's time for them to embrace who they really are. Majestia also admits that, even if it still worries them, it's best to let them take chances so they can grow. They then thank Ladybug and Chat Noir and ask them to forgive them for misjudging them. The teens all do a fist bump.

- Meanwhile, Hawk Moth is monologuing about how his theory was correct and that there are other lost miraculouses, and how he'll find them no matter where they are.

- Over on the Statue of Liberty’s torch, Ladybug is asking Uncanny about her knowing their secret identities. Uncanny assures them that she'll just delete it from her memory banks after they leave. Chat Noir (in space form again) flies off with Uncanny while telling Ladybug that he'll see her back in Paris.

- Later, Marinette is watching a news report about how the mayor has put forth action to undo what Robostus has done to Paris, going on about how Ladybug and Chat Noir were actually in New York helping out which explains where they went. Alya walks by and goes on about how everyone is waiting for Marinette for the surprise they planned for Adrien, her "friend" (yes, she literally did the airquotes again). Marinette sadly admits that she "doesn't know" (I presume this is referring to her feelings), which Alya brushes off as, "We're going back to Pairs tomorrow, you can ask yourself then." She grabs Marinette’s hands and leads her away.

- The surprise was them holding up a, "Coucou, Adrien!" sign on the news report (presumably from the friendship event thing?). Adrien smiles from his place on the plane and it cuts to fireworks over New York.

- Sabrina (standing next to the guy who winked and took her to the party earlier) tells Chloe how she's happy that Chloe is finally having fun now. Chloe denies it and says that she's just happy that they're leaving tomorrow.

- The scene cuts to Gorilla, still in the room listening to the relaxing voices+music from his device, then the scene cuts back to the fireworks again, now going off behind a French and American flag.

- Scene cuts again, this time to a car pulling into an alley. Four guys come out and one of them is lightly waving a hand fan. Uncanny and Eagle (yes, she's literally just "Eagle") are watching them (Eagle is twirling something on a string but I can't tell what it is; I presume it's her weapon, it's shaped like a small flute/whistle or something) when they hear a voice above them. The source of the voice (another man) shows up with a tan-ish Miracle Box (wooden design) and says that the miraculous must be returned to the box now that it's been found. He tells her that he's come a long way and that she should give it back without a fuss because he's not in the mood. Uncanny says "no" because Eagle's proven that she's worthy, after which Eagle hops up to the man and suggests that he stay so they can create a new generation of heroes together. The man smiles, perhaps intrigued(?).

- End special.

44. When It's Their Birthday

Itachi It was June 9th, Itachi’s birthday. The whole Akatsuki celebrated and threw a party for the Uchiha. He didn’t seem to care really. Once the dango and other food were gone, it was time for presents. Most of the Akatsuki got him pointless cheap things and some got him nothing at all. Itachi still looked so sad and depressed. He looked at you with hopeful eyes. He hoped you’d make the day worthwhile. “Here Itachi.” You handed him a slip of paper. He looked at it questioningly. “It’s a coupon for free dango for life.” You explained. Everyone watched as Itachi's eyes widened. He looked at the paper and actually smiled. You heard gasps and the sound of Konan fainting. “Happy birthday ‘tachi.” You smiled at him. “Thank you _____.” Itachi stood up and hugged you tightly. “That was the best present.” “You’re welcome.” You and Itachi kissed and held each other. Everyone in the room was even more in shock. You and Itachi couldn’t be happier. Kisame It was March 18th, Kisame's birthday. He seemed enthusiastic about it. The Akatsuki threw a big party. Everyone ate shrimp, crab and cake. When it was time for presents, everyone got him something. Most was things Kisame already had or didn’t want. There was one that confused Kisame. Itachi got him shark food. Kisame questioned it, but Itachi wouldn’t explain. “Come on Kisa. It’s time for your final present.” You told your confused boyfriend. You led Kisame to the pool are. Itachi was following close behind with the shark food. “Happy birthday Kisa.” You said happily. Itachi threw some food towards the water but seconds before it touched the water, a baby shark leapt out to eat the food. “You got me a baby shark?” Kisame gasped before pulling you in for a bear…well shark hug. “This is awesome. I shall name him Sam.” “Sam the shark?” You giggled. It seemed like he was happy about his gift. You just hoped he wouldn’t feed anyone to it. Pein It was September 19th, Nagato’s birthday. Since Pein had been working so much, he forgot it was his birthday. He only remembered when he entered the living room. A surprise party was there waiting for him. After cake and grilled fish, everyone got ready to give Pein his one and only present. “Happy birthday Pein!” You and Konan said together. You handed him a piece of paper. “What is this?” He asked, confused. You and Konan smiled at him. “It’s a vacation to a nice place.” Konan explained. “You and I are both going away for a whole week!” You exclaimed happily. “Away from work, for a whole week?” Pein asked, just to make sure he heard right. “Yup.” You were then hugged by Pein. “Thank you so very much.” Pein pulled away and looked at you hopefully. “When can we leave?” “Now if you want.” Pein then dragged you from the party and headed for his vacation. Pein seemed happy with his gift and you might have even seen him smile. Hidan It was April 2nd, Hidan’s birthday. He loved the attention he was getting. There was a party, cake and spare ribs. He got simple things from the other members. He was disappointed every time he saw his gift. Before his birthday he made it clear he wanted a new Jashin pendant. It seemed like he was never going to get it. “Here Hidan.” You handed him a little box. He sighed and opened it. “You got me a new Jashin pendant?” Hidan’s normal mood fully came back. He jumped up and hugged you. “Thanks bit- I mean thanks _____!” He held you tightly. It was nearly bone crushing. “Hidan you’re killing me.” You choked out. He released you and put his necklace on. “Don’t lose this one. I don’t need to hear your bitching again.” Kakuzu said, in his usual harsh tone. “Shut up Kakuzu!” Hidan yelled. You smiled as the two bickered. It seems like Hidan was happy enough. You did hope he wouldn’t lose the necklace again; it was hard to get a replacement. Kakuzu It was August 15th, Kakuzu’s birthday. He didn’t want a party, since he’s gone through so many before. He was feeling down too, because he hadn’t been able to get any replacement hearts lately so he was down to his own heart. After Kakuzu ate some liver and everyone else ate normal food, it was present time. He got money from most people, but then you set a medium sized cooler on the table. “Happy birthday Kakuzu!” You said loudly and happily. Everyone just stared at it. “It’s from Hidan and I. Open it Kuzu.” “Alright.” Kakuzu opened it and saw all the replacement hearts he needs. “You got me hearts?” “Yup, they are all of the chakra natures you need too.” You said with a big smile. “Thank you.” Kakuzu closed the cooler and hugged you. It was a rare display of affection around others, so you knew he was extremely thankful and maybe even a little happy. You hoped he’d tell you now how old he really was. Zetsu Zetsu didn’t have a birthday and he was very upset over it. Everyone around him was getting a party, except him. You decided that July 27th would be his birthday. You and the rest of the Akatsuki threw him a party. You all played games, ate cake and had a good time. It was finally present time. You and Zetsu left the group to go outside. Once outside Zetsu saw a pile of bodies. “What’s all this?” White Zetsu asked, sounding very excited. “Happy birthday Zetsu. All of these are for you.” You said smiling at your boyfriend. “I get to eat all these people?” The black half questioned. “As long as I’m not around to see it, yes.” “Well I suggest you go away then.” “Alright, have fun.” You rolled your eyes and left. Zetsu was happy to have so many bodies to eat. He wouldn’t be happy after you told him that you won’t kiss him until he cleaned his mouth our 10 times. Tobi It was February 10th, Obito’s birthday. Clearly Tobi decided to not lie about that. He had been bouncing around weeks before yelling about his birthday. Everyone figured Tobi would cry if he didn’t get party, so that’s what was going on. Cake, ice cream and all of Tobi’s favorite foods were eaten. “Rime for Tobi’s presents!” Tobi yelled suddenly. You rolled your eyes and gave Tobi all his presents. He opened everyone else’s first and then got to yours. He got toys and games from everyone. He hoped for something less childish from you. You handed him a bag. He quickly pulled out your gift; a mask. “It’s special.” You informed him, with a smile on your face. “What does Tobi’s new mask do?” Tobi questioned. “It changes colors, designs and shapes based on what you want.” “Really?” Tobi ran off to try it on. He seemed happy enough to have a new mask. You hoped Obito liked it as much as Tobi did. Deidara It was May 5th, Deidara’s birthday. He didn’t really want a party; he just wanted a small celebration. Everyone ate food, cake and other random things. When it was time to give Deidara his presents, you noticed no one got him anything good. You were thankful you made him a great person. When it was your turn, you led everyone outside. Everyone sat down to watch the explosion show. “Is this is?” Sasori grumbled. You rolled your eyes and told him to keep watching. ‘Happy Birthday Deidara!’ was lit up in the sky. Once that faded ‘Art is an Explosion!’ lit up the sky. “Whoa that was true art, hm!” Deidara said happily. He hugged you and smiled. “Thank you, hm!” “You also have another present, but that will be shown to you in private.” You whispered to your boyfriend. He was happy before, but now he seemed to be even happier. Today seemed like a good day. Sasori It was November 8th, Sasori’s birthday. Since he didn’t age, he didn’t think he needed a party or anything. Deidara got him a gift, but other than him, only you got Sasori anything. You and Sasori were in the room the two of you share. He was relaxing on the bed, and you were getting his gift. It was a wooden box. It was carved and looked beautiful. It was about as long as his arm and as wide as his chest. It was pretty heavy. “What is that?” Sasori asked, sitting up. “Your present.” You smiled and set it on the bed. Sasori got closer to it and opened it. Inside there were two puppets. One looked like you and one was like Sasori. They looked a little freaky since you weren’t as skilled with making puppets as Sasori is. “I made those. I know they look weird but-” “They are beautiful.” Sasori said, cutting you off. You smiled at him, thankful for his words. “Happy birthday Sasori.” You mumbled as he pulled you to him for a kiss. He seemed happy about his new puppets. He was even smiling at you.         

Madara

It was the day before Christmas, December 24th and you were busy preparing all your usual traditional decorations. You were also baking cookies and other various foods. Your friends were coming over the following day and you wanted it all to be perfect. However, there was one who was clearly not in the holiday mood; Madara. He was sulking on the couch, half watching bad Christmas movies.

“Madara, what’s your problem?” You asked, pausing your decorating for a moment.

“Who cares? Tomorrow is what’s important.” His tone was bitter, alerting you to an issue and not just him being his regular bitter self.

“Tell me, please?”

“Today is my birthday.” Madara mumbled a moment later.

“I had no idea. I’m sorry. I would have celebrated it with you.” You sat on the couch with him, a sad look on your face.

“Don’t worry, it isn’t a day to celebrate.”

“Well, come on. Let’s get ready for tomorrow together. Maybe that will cheer you up.” You pulled Madara into the kitchen to help with decorating cookies. He ate a bit more than he decorated, but it succeeded in cheering him up. Overall, he was just happy to finally have a good birthday, all because of you.