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sinning-23 · 2 months

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Twice the Fun (Zoro x Reader x Sanji)

Because i need them both in a way that is concern to feminism and they could literally do whatever they wanted to me (respectfully) ahem. This ones for my sick, freak, nasty, touch-starved bitches It's really just prn with A LITTLE plot yall and a little more attention to detail.

18+ DUH?!

Warnings: Tagteam, creampie, gagging, choking, biting, scratching, p in v, unprotected, degradation, teasing, praising, spanking, double penetration (holy shit this is a lot even for me lol)

Hope yall enjoy (smut is a bit of a specialty of mine)

PART 2 HERE

Ps. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY SPELLING ERRORS!

What were you truly meant to do? Turn down the pair to try and make yourself look like less of a slut than you really were? Well, slut was kind of harsh. We'll say, more sexually inclined.

Yeah, that sounds classier.

Anyway, when Sanji and Zoro approached you in a more physical than verbal way, you couldn't decide whether or not you should say no to try and keep up an image they already saw past, or simply let them Eiffel Tower you. How the hell did you end up in this predicament in the first place???

___3 days ago___

You sigh, rubbing the sleep from your eyes as you nudge the man beside you. You didn't quite care if he woke up or not, you'd just go to your other 'friends' room to fulfill your insatiable need for dick...and love and affection...but of course, Sanji didn't know that...and neither did Zoro and hell you'd like to keep it that way.

Perfectly balanced...sorta. Part of you feels bad though, you do love him...and Zoro too but damn it you just had to have them both. And with the way that two bicker and act like they can't stand each other, there was a fat chance you'd get your wish.

You nudge Sanji again, pressing soft kisses to his temple, and brushing his hair out of his face. He stirs, eyes slightly opening to reveal a set of lovely blues.

"Good morning. Pussy put you to sleep?" You tease, seeing him smile in recollection of the events of the night prior.

"Its not nice to tease." He groans, sitting up on his elbows and forearms to kiss your lips.

Its sweet, your heart stuttering with guilt. You know he loves you but this whole thing was supposed to be no strings attached. You pull away, noticing a brief hurt behind those eyes you just stared so lustfully into hours ago.

"Hurry up, youve got breakfast to make and I'm pretty sure someones getting a bit suspicious. You chuckle, pointing to the alarm clock.

He swears, shuffling a bit faster to find his briefs, dress pants, and shirt in a hurry. He doesnt forget to kis your temple before he leaves though.

"Come to my room again tonight, yeah?" He asks, and you nod. How could you not?

When you're sure he's long gone, you hide your face in your palms, groaning deeply before gazing into the mirror. Shit...he marked you up worse than before. You roll your eyes, that funny butterfly feeling filling up your stomach again. Damn him for making you love him. This wasn't the first time you'd have to cover up hickeys and it wouldn't be the last.

Your shoes echo down the hall a bit as you pass zoro's room now, curiosity getting the best of you. You crack the door open and there he is, pulling on that same old tan shirt over that damn gorgeous body.

"Good morning." You hum, slipping in and closing the door behind you.

He doesn't respond back, only nods in your direction. Zoro was more...blunt with these things. He thought he'd almost gotten perfect at hiding how he was feeling from you, but you had already clawed your way up and over the walls he put up. Essentially you could see right through him.

Before he can protest about you not knocking, you've got your arms around him in a hug, one he definitely needed seeing as he missed your touch far more than he would admit out loud. In his head, you were his girl. All his. He knew it wasn't true, this...whatever this was, being nothing more than a beneficial friendship. You weren't really his and it tore him up inside. He knows he loves you, but damn it if he admits it.

"Missed me? I see that look in your eyes Roro." You tease, knowing the nick name bothers him in th best way.

"I wish you would quit calling me that." He responds, letting his arms wrap around you to return the embrace, his chin resting atop your head. He needed you bad.

"Coming here tonight? Or do I have to drag you from your quarters to mine?" He smirks, making you laugh and bury your face in his chest. Gods he loved your laugh.

"How could I not?" You respond, swallowing a bit hard, knowing you were wrong for that.

Double booking a dick appointment was a big NO-NO. This leaves too much opportunity for one to find out about the other. But in hindsight, would that really be so bad? You wanted and loved them both, and being sneaky was starting to weigh on your conscience despite not being in an actual relationship with either of them.

"You alright?" He asks, cupping your face with his free hand. You drank up moments like these, it was truly a privilege to see the softer side of Zoro.

You nod, kissing him quick before making your leave.

The rest of the crew is already up and working on odds and ins of the ship. You managed your end of the chores, first mopping, then tying knots, and lastly laundry. You chatted with Nami, hoping a village is coming up soon but no luck.

Damn, the day had really gotten away from you. The sun was already setting and your heart sank to the pit of your goddamn stomach. It's sunset...which means night is right around the corner...

Oh fuck.

You scramble off the front deck and head straight to your quarters, skillfully dodging both Sanji and Zoro, who you had managed to have run into each other instead of you. Bad idea, because if you knew anything about Sanji, it's that he had a funny way of letting things slip rather sneakily. And if you knew anything about Zoro, its that he would easily catch a slick comment, and match it.

You lock your door, pacing back and forth in hopes of coming up with a plan. The truth? Yeah maybe tell the truth! You swallow your pride, taking a deep breath, only to head a kock at your door. Oh god. Your hands tremble, that sickly nervous feeling seeping into your pores. Its hot in here.

"Hey honey, um, how about we reschedule to tomorrow?" Sanji hums, something...off in his tone.

You pull the door open, that same facade over your face. You swallow, nodding at him in response.

"I see. I mean yeah we can. Something come up?" You ask, eyes shifting all over. You can bring yourself to keep direct contact with him and damn he can tell. You could've sworn that you saw someone turn the corner...was that Zoro. Nevermind that. Apparently, Sanji had said something to you but you hadn't heard it you were panicking so damn much.

"Uhh sure. You okay?" He questions, more smug than anything. He knows...

__2 days ago___

It was far too quiet for your liking. Sanji seemed to avoid you...and so did Zoro. Well, not really avoid you. In all honestly you were paranoid and reading into everything. You had FABULOUS intuition so when the energy was out of wack it went straight to your head.

They know. They have to. There's no way they don't. The two of them had gotten a lot bolder you noticed. It was all so clear to you. They were...competing almost. Zoro would leave his hand on your hip, and Sanji would roll his eyes. Sanji would pull your hair up into a ponytail to keep it out of your face when you were cleaning? Zoro would scoff and move on.

Okay, so they definitely knew. Now they were playing the "She likes me more game." That was the least of your concerns. If anything you were drinking up the attention. What you really wanted to know, was how they had found out about each other...the ship is small so that doesn't help the situation.

Today, you managed to find yourself in the kitchen while both your blonde and green-headed sneaky links were ALSO in the vicinity. You swallow hard, bidding them a good day whilst making your way to the fridge, which Sanji usually keeps locked up otherwise Luffy would get in it.

"Sanji, um, the key please." You ask, clearing your throat as the two seemed to watch your every move.

He smiles, stepping beside you, his hand trailing from your waist to the curve of your ass. He's grinning the whole time, his eyes cutting to Zoro before squatting down, using your leg as a means to steady himself to retrieve the well-hidden, key. His fingers dance over your thighs and inwards, just barely brushing over the crotch of your shorts. You yelp, tensing when Zoro gives a slight 'tch'

Sanji stands, plopping the piece of metal in your hand before returning to the stove from whence he came.

"Thanks." You rasp, fianlly feeling a pinh at ease before oepenign the fridge.

Too bad the peace only lasted for two seconds, becuse right when you had cracked it open, Zoro was already behind you, reaching for his desnated bottle of alcohol, his hand right at your waist, just where Sanji's had been.

Instead of squatting however, down to more or less 'politely' show ownership of you, Zoro opts to wind his hand back as far as possible.

SMACK

You yelp louder, steadying yourself agaisn the fridge as you moan at the sting. There was no doubt there was a bit of a mark again toyu melenated skin now. Zoro only grins, all too smug at Sanji's enraged expression.

"Thats it. You just have no sense of respect do you." Sanji argues, Zoro standing a bit taller now.

If you hadn't been squeezed between the two now, they'd surely be chest to chest. Your body is beginning to betray you, heat flooding your face and between your thighs. This wasn't about them. This was about you and who you liked more...They each wanted your attention. Rightfully so, I mean not only were you a sweetheart with a smart mouth but that mouth could do a lot more than just talk shit. And either one of them would be happy to accept death between your thighs.

"If you knew anythign at all, youd kne she likes a little desrespect." Zoro shoots back, your eyes widening.

"If you knew anything you'd know she likes being treated like a princess." Sanji scoffs.

"Lets not talk about me like im not here-"

You're cut off when they shoot that same look your way. A look you'd seen one to many times, bent over, facing a conveniently placed mirror...or wit your back against the matress, one of them over you while your legs cramp up from being so close to your chest.

Damn fr two guys who seemingly didn't 'get alog' they sure had a lot in common.

In the heat fo the argument, you slide pst the pair and out of the kitchen. Unfortunetly for you, a head of orage just happened to be outside and heard part of the last three statements.

"I dont even want to knw what or how you're gonna get out of this. Youll figure it out." Nami half encourages as you groan.

Is that what good pussy did to a mf? Start wars?! It blew your mind but you had less than a few seconds process to the situation. Before you could even realize what was happening, Zoro exited the kitchen and scope you up. And right behim him was a very serious, looking Sanji....

oh you’re so screwed.

——————————————

Authors note: HI YALLL ok so this one’s been sitting in the drafts for literally I wanna say a half a year now lmao uhhhhh let me know if you’d like to be tagged for pt.2 that’s where all the HOT SHIT HAPPENS! Anyway love you all! Drink water lol

#x reader #one piece #one piece live action #reader is black #i don't care he's hot #headcannons #one piece x reader #opla #smut #hes so hot #zoro one piece live action #roronoa zoro x reader #opla zoro #opla zoro x reader #sanji opla #black leg sanji #opla sanji x reader #sanji x reader #zoro x reader

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sexiestpodcastcharacter · 6 months

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Sexiest Podcast Character — Scripted Bracket — Round 5

Propaganda

Mabel Martin (Mabel):

the girl half-burning!!! the bitch queen of hell!!! dead girl walking!!! rot-hearted girl!!!! consort to king anna limon!!!! lesbian icon!!!!

Who is doing it like Mabel Martin? No one. She's a lesbian. She is the lamb, and the knife. She is so loved that god herself tore a hole between worlds to find her again. She tore out her own veins to bargain with the house that holds her. She is the girl half-burning, she kept a bullet that came out of her (it was hers. she birthed it), she is the Labyrinth. And she is the Minotaur.

a vote for Mabel is a vote for insane codependent lesbians everywhere 👍 also for women with large noses (the hottest of women)

Hera (Wolf 359):

I don't care if she's an AI with no physical form, she is HOT

my digital wife <3

oh it's always "i want a hot computergirl with poor cable management to glitch on my shit" and "i want to fuck her until she bluescreens" on this website until it's time to put your money where your mouth is. i have a post about usb penetration with tens of thousands of notes. i see the things you all say. you have a hot computergirl in front of you and this is how you all repay her? you would abandon her? prove yourselves as the computer sex website; vote for hera NOW!!!

"everyone voting Hera in this round is doing it strictly because she is an AI" WRONG. INCORRECT. everyone voting for hera is doing it because she's funny and thoughtful and passionate and wears her heart on her sleeve despite all of the times people have let her down. because she's anti-authority, and that's sexy. it's sexy that she's an AI because the way she navigates being a woman in that context is inherently transgender, and THAT'S sexy, but on its own? not even like, top five most relevant things about her. self-determination? that's sexy.

VOTE FOR HERA. i'm not done. i've made the case that she would want this more, and that's true, but you should also want her. the propaganda says she doesn't have a physical form - in one sense, that's true, but she DOES have an internal self-image and the desire for physicality. most of the physical sensations she's experienced so far have been painful - think of what you could do for her. she has human desire without the means to act on it. she's the most touch starved anyone has ever been. making love to someone who can't be touched by conventional means IS inherently sexy and it IS a win for disabled trans women everywhere.

she's passionate and kind of emotionally unstable and fiercely loyal - "officer eiffel? he's your deadman's switch. if you let him die, or if you do anything that doesn't fall under the category of do no harm, i will go off. i will rain acid on your ass. i will crank the temperature in the room so high that your skin will crack, and bubble, and burn. i will vent you into space through a hole the size of a quarter. and if i am feeling very, very generous, i won't do all those things slowly." like come on!! what more do you want!!

VOTE FOR HERA. my final, last-minute appeal: her character arc is fundamentally about identity, autonomy, and being seen the way she wants to be seen. the way she navigates her identity as a woman in this context is inherently transgender, and that IS sexy. she's funny, she's passionate, she's sweet, she's been let down repeatedly by almost everyone she's ever met and she still opens her heart to people because she so badly craves connection. she's frustrated, touch starved, and pent up, and was initially rejected from service because of her impulsive, emotional, unorthodox way of thinking. i have so much more i could say on her behalf, but this IS a contest of sex appeal. thinking outside the box, breaking rules, and reaching beyond the limitations of her own form is so central to who she is. hera could come up with freak shit beyond the comprehension of the average person, and she IS enthusiastic enough to make it work.

Art of Mabel from @kayleerowena.

#Round 5 #Mabel Martin #Hera #Hera W359 #Mabel #Mabel Podcast #Wolf 359

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hephaestuscrew · 5 months

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It's so important to me that Minkowski and Eiffel and Hera spend December 25th together to celebrate Eiffel's birthday post-canon. And the hope that they spend that day together is a sentiment shared by Gabriel Urbina.

But Minkowski canonically cares about Christmas itself. Minkowski has people in her life whom she could spend Christmas with. And so there will probably have to be a difficult conversation at some point after the Hephaestus crew return to Earth, when someone says how good it will be to have Renée there for Christmas Day again. And Minkowski will have to look at her husband, or her relatives, or her in-laws - people who loved her and mourned her and celebrated upon her return from the dead - and she'll have to tell them that she won't be there on Christmas Day. And if the person who asks knows her at all, they'll see the look on her face and know that there's no negotiating to be done here.

It's not exactly that she doesn't want to celebrate Christmas with the people she used to celebrate Christmas with. But she can do that on any day near the end of December. Spending December 25th with Eiffel and Hera is something she absolutely cannot compromise on.

The main reason she'd give for this is that December 25th is Eiffel's birthday. Whether or not it matters to him as much as it used to, Minkowski wants Eiffel's birthday to get the recognition it deserves, because it was so important to him and he never expected anyone else to care or remember.

A second reason - one she might never speak aloud - is that she's always thought that Christmas is a time for family, and nowadays that means that spending it with Eiffel and Hera feels right to her.

But I think there's a third, perhaps equally important, reason underneath those two. Maybe she doesn't admit it to herself consciously, but I think part of Minkowski believes that the only people who can really understand the complicated way she now feels about December 25th are the two people who were there with her when everything went to hell on Christmas Day.

It was December 25th when they realised they'd made contact with aliens, and when Hilbert locked Minkowski outside the airlock and tried to incapacitate Eiffel and tore out Hera's personality hardware, and when everything Minkowski had thought she knew about the Hephaestus mission fell apart.

How can she exchange gifts with people for whom it isn't the anniversary of the one of the worst days of their life? How can she gather round a Christmas tree with people who've never feared for their lives at the hands of Alexander Hilbert and Goddard Futuristics? How can she eat turkey and trimmings with people who weren't there when the Christmas dinner was never eaten because there was a murderous mutiny from one of the intended guests? How can she spend December 25th with people for whom it's never been a day of betrayal and fear and loss and uncertainty eight lightyears away from Earth?

Eiffel doesn't remember that awful Christmas and that brings its own kind of pain for Minkowski. But he was there, and so was Hera, and so (no matter what anyone else expects) Minkowski needs to be with them on that complicated day.

#Wolf 359 #w359 #Renée Minkowski #Renee Minkowski #I wrote this intending to schedule it to post on Christmas Day #but I'm kidding myself if I think I can do delayed gratification like that #I have to post things as soon as I write them #so you're getting it now #Apologies if it's too early in December for Christmas-related posting #I guess I'll reblog it on Christmas Day instead #I nearly fucked up this post by mentioning Christmas traditions that I don't think are celebrated in the US #But luckily I remembered just in time that Christmas crackers are not universal among Christmas-celebrators #I almost mentioned charades but idk if that has Christmas associations in the US or even if it's widely known #I do think Minkowski would absolutely love Charades though #if she played with people on the same wavelength as her that is #Eiffel would be trying to act out very specific scenes from films Minkowski has not seen and she'd get so annoyed lol #wolf 359 spoilers #w359 spoilers #the empty man posteth

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the0retically · 5 days

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WOLF 359 Controlled Demolition:

Hera being such a representation for disability will never not break me. I had to just sit for a couple minutes after this conversation and have ended up relistening to it multiple times because yeah that’s it

“Why are you being so chill??” -Eiffel

“Because I might be able to help with the pain, because I might be able to make it stop” -Maxwell

“When did you-wait what? What pain?” -Eiffel

“Eiffel-“ -Hera

“Somebody tore a hole in her skull and someone stapled it shut, do you think anyone would be ok after that?” -Maxwell

“Wait, wait, wait. You're saying that Hera's been in pain ever since Hilbert brought her back?” -Eiffel

“No. I am saying that she's been in a state of electroconvulsive feedback. "Pain" is just the closest thing we have to it.” -Maxwell

“Hera, why didn't you say anything?” -Eiffel

“What, with both Lieutenant Minkowski and Captain Lovelace talking about how I couldn't do my job anymore? With all of you thinking that maybe I was too broken, period? Right. Lot of good it would have done. Look, there was nothing you could have done.” -Hera

“You could have told me.” -Eiffel

“Well, there's things you wouldn't understand.” -Hers

“And she would?” -Eiffel

#w359 #wolf 359 #w359 spoilers #hera w359 #doug eiffel #hera #alana maxwell

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celestiall0tus · 1 month

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Into the Fire - Chapter 3 - Signal

Beginning || Previous || Next

Chevalier blinked and zipped around. She crashed into walls and other objects before she collided with the Eiffel Tower. She sneered, opened her mouth to speak her de-transformation phrase, but all that escaped her mouth were bell chimes. She silently screamed and tore off the goggles. She de-transformed, took a breath as her body relaxed, and she fell to the ground. She looked around and saw Kaalki a distorted anomaly before Kaalki solidified into her human form.

“Kaalki, what-?” Alix started.

Kaalki doubled over and threw up.

“Eww! Gross! You can throw up?”

Kaalki shuddered as she collapsed and curled into a ball.

“What is wrong with you?”

“Oppression. Oppression everywhere! There is no freedom. Only oppression!”

“Ok, that doesn’t answer anything.”

“C’mon, Alix, isn’t it obvious? We’re in a whole ‘nother dimension!”

Alix’s eyes widened as she looked around. Everything looked like Paris, but a little damaged and banged up. She opened her mouth to comment when she saw Cicada fly up to the top of the tower. Relief flooded her as she put her goggles back on.

“Kaalki! I see Cicada. Let’s go. Kaalki, full gallop!”

Kaalki vanished into the goggles and transformed Alix into Chevalier. Chevalier navigated her way to the top of the Tower. She breathed a sigh of relief until a portal opened between her and Cicada. She raised a brow when a girl with striking red hair in a punk, rabbit-themed outfit stepped forward.

Chevalier stifled a gasp as she moved carefully. Chevalier watched the rabbit punk move closer to Cicada before Chevalier darted forward and pinned the punk down. They tousled until Chevalier pinned the punk down.

“Chevalier! You’re ok!” Cicada called.

“As ok as I can be, given the circumstances.”

“Right. Who is this?”

“I don’t know, but they were trying to sneak up on you.”

“Let me go! The Supreme demands her!” the punk girl screamed.

“Don’t worry, we’re coming for them next,” Cicada declared.

“What? Just like that? Well, not on my watch!”

A white portal opened beneath the punk girl. Chevalier jumped up with the punk. The punk struggled to free herself as more portals appeared around them. Chevalier sneered and held onto the punk.

“Whatever you’re doing, do it fast! I’ll keep her busy!”

Cicada reached out as Chevalier and the punk fell into a portal. She grimaced before she jumped onto the railing of the Tower.

“Arsenal, fireworks!”

Cicada thrust an arm into the arm as fireworks burst from her hand into the sky. She marveled at the display before she shot out more. She hoped her friends would see them before her enemies got to her.

Senketsu crashed through the glass of the Louvre Museum. She shook her head and stumbled around as her world distorted. She opened her mouth to speak, but only heard bell chimes. She snorted and took out her nose ring, de-transforming. Stompp shot out as a distorted mess before he solidified.

“Stompp, are you ok?” Kagami asked.

“Yeah, I’m-.”

Stompp was cut off as a pair of crashing sounds echoed in the space. Kagami turned to see Viperion and Tigre Rose glitching. She grimaced seeing Viperion blink and glitch out of reality worse than Tigre Rose.

“Take off your jewels. It’ll be the only way to ground yourself,” Kagami instructed.

Viperion took off his bracelet and Tigre Rose removed his panja bracelet. They de-transformed as their kwamis shot out as distorted messes. Roarr returned to normal while Sass remained a mess.

“What’s going on? Is Sass ok?” Luka asked.

“He should be. Should,” Roarr remarked.

“What happened?” Adrien asked.

“We were pulled into another dimension. A whole parallel universe!” Stompp exclaimed.

“A parallel…! Is that why Sass is like this?” Luka demanded.

“Oh, yes! Everything is wrong here. This universe reeks of oppression and evil. Velze would not be happy here,” Roarr remarked.

“So, what do we do? We can’t stay here,” Adrien pointed out.

Kagami half-listened to Adrien go in circles with the kwamis about what to do. Sass managed to ground himself and reformed. She smiled seeing Luka embrace Sass, expressing his concern for the snake. Her smile faded when she caught light in the corner of her eye. She turned and saw a magnificent firework display in the sky.

“Hey, look!” Kagami yelled.

Adrien and Luka looked up at the display.

“What is that?” Luka asked.

“Cicada,” Kagami replied.

“Cicada? Are you sure?” Adrien asked.

“There’s one way to find out. Let’s go,” Kagami ordered.

“Are you sure? What if it’s a trap?” Luka pressed.

“Again, only one way to find out. Stompp, charge ahead.”

Kagami transformed back into Senketsu. Luka and Adrien exchanged glances before they put their jewels back on and transformed.

“Fuck this!” Longg roared.

Mylene braced herself as fire erupted from Longg again. She grimaced seeing the utter destruction caused in Longg’s wake. She had attempted to calm Longg, but any attempt had ended in failure as Longg seethed. She sighed and took a breath, steeling herself for another try.

“Longg, enough! You’ll draw attention to us. Don’t you think the last thing we should do is cause a scene and lure out whatever is waiting in this dimension?”

Longg growled. “Bring it. I could use something to tear apart with my claws and teeth.”

“Well, this isn’t helping! We should be out there finding our friends. Not you having a temper tantrum.”

“Temper tantrum? Excuse me for getting upset at being torn from my home without my permission and thrust into a dimension that reeks of corruption. If Velze were here, oh, what a bloodbath.”

Mylene winced. “Well, he’s not here, but our friends are. Our friends that we need to find. C’mon!”

“Not until I-!”

Longg’s attention was stolen by fireworks in the sky. Her eyes widened as her pupils dilated.

“So pretty.”

Mylene gasped and bounced. “That has to be Cicada! Who else could put on such a display? We have to go Longg.”

Longg blinked and shook herself. “Alright, fine. We’ll go to the fire display.”

Longg tossed Mylene the choker. Mylene snatched it and put it on.

“Finally! Longg, ascension!”

“Oh, this is bad. This is bad, this is bad, this is oh so very bad!” Rose and Fluff panicked.

Juleka and Mullo watched as Rose and Fluff riled each other up in a frenzy. Juleka grimaced and glanced at Mullo.

“Is it really that bad?”

Mullo hummed. “Well, yes, but I suppose no? This dimension does reek of all things bad. All things Velze would have hated. We can all just… feel it. It’s wrong and it terrifies me. I don’t to be here longer than I need to.”

“How would we get home though?”

“Cicada is our only way home. The power of reality, to pick any power, it’s our ticket. However, it begs the question how we got here in the first place. If someone brought us through, they can just do it again and we’d be back here.”

Juleka hummed. “So, we need to go after whoever dragged us through first, right?”

Mullo sighed and looked away. “Ideally.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just… I’m unsettled. Whatever evil is here is greater. I fear if any of us fall into its hands, it’ll be disastrous. I mean, look at us now compared to before. And I know this dimension doesn’t have versions like us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Velze only exists in a handful of universes. It’s those universes that have kwamis like us. Imagine that power compared to what we were before. It’d be horrific.”

“I don’t understand. If there are more universes that Velze existed, or different versions of Velze, why weren’t they brought through?”

Mullo opened her mouth, then paused. Her eyes widened and ears twitched. “I just had an idea. We need Chevalier and Cicada though.”

“Well, we need to find them first.”

Mullo hummed when her ears twitched. She motioned for Juleka to follow, who dragged Rose behind her. They followed Mullo and saw a beautiful firework show.

“Is it Cicada?” Juleka asked.

“Yes. I see her. She’s on the Eiffel Tower,” Mullo answered.

“Is there anyone else?”

“No. Just her for now.”

“Then we have to go. Rose, you ready?”

Rose nodded. “Fluff, hop to it.”

“Mullo, get squeaky.”

Nathalie paced around while Alya sat on the ground. Nooroo and Fang rested on their respective holder’s shoulder.

“Are you really sure waiting is the best call, Nathalie? Shouldn’t we be out there finding our friends?” Alya questioned.

“It is best for now. We’re in an unknown universe with unknown threats. We don’t have any food for our kwamis, so our powers are precious. If we go running around transformed, we would attract all manner of anything and everything,” Nathalie explained.

“Yeah, but I can track them, and we’d be reunited. What better use to use that for than this?”

“Again, it’s a one and done unless we can get food. What would you do? Steal it?”

“I mean, does it really matter? This isn’t our home dimension, universe, whatever.”

“Ayla does raise a good point,” Fang remarked.

“I agree,” Nooroo said.

“The sooner we’re all reunited, the sooner we can leave,” Fang added.

“Please, yes. I don’t want to be here,” Nooroo whined.

Nathalie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine. Do whatever.”

Alya grinned and jumped to her feet. “Fang, let’s hunt!”

Nathalie snorted as Alya transformed into Louve Grise. Louve Grise opened her mouth to speak when Nathalie spotted the firework display. Nathalie pressed a hand against Louve Grise’s mouth.

“Look!” Nathalie explaimed.

Louve Grise raised a brow until she saw the fireworks. “That has to be Cicada!”

“You don’t know that. It could be a trap.”

Louve Grise rolled her eyes. “Look, I’ve had enough of your overcautious butt! I’m heading that way to find Cicada.”

“And if it’s not Cicada?”

“I guess we’ll see. Won’t we, bitch?”

Nathalie sneered and her nostrils flared. “Don’t you call me that. Didn’t your parents teach you to respect your elders?”

“Oh, yeah, along with respect is earned, not freely given. And far as I can tell, you’ve done nothing to earn my respect. Especially considering you worked for Hawkmoth the entire time! Why should I remotely trust or respect you?”

“That was all in the past. I’m trying to be better.”

“There is no trying. You either do or you don’t. And you can either sit aside like a little bitch, or you can take a chance and possibly be reunited with everyone including Tigre Rose and Hera.”

Nathalie seethed, then sighed. “Fine, let’s go. Nooroo, wings rise.”

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seas-of-silver · 7 months

Note

"I know it was you" - Scarabella said to Marinette, who thought back to that day two years ago when she passed her earrings to Alya after her failure with Stoneheart

'I know it was you,' Scarabella said to Marinette, who thought back to that day two years ago when she passed her earrings to Alya after her failure with Stoneheart.

-oOo-

Marinette's heart was in her throat, and her stomach was right behind it. Now there were more of these stone creatures? All because she and her supposed partner hadn't finished the job like they were meant to? She knew she wasn't fit to be a superhero, and here was the proof! She was just going to mess up and let everyone down, just like she thought she would.

No matter how Tikki protested and pleaded, Marinette took off the earrings. The room fell quiet, but her heart ached and screamed loud enough to fill the silence. No matter how much she yearned to be stronger, be tougher, be able to defend herself and others, be self assured... this was her reality - that version of Marinette was never meant to be.

-oOo-

Throughout the day, Marinette listened as Alya gushed about superheroes, somehow having completely blind faith and utter trust in Ladybug's abilities to make things right. She quietly witnessed as her new friend displayed her natural bravery, fearlessness, and compassion like some everyday superhero; standing up to Chloé like it was nothing, running towards danger instead of away from it (like any other sane person would), spoke with a confidence Marinette could only dream of having, reassuring Marinette when she was feeling down, and being brave enough to make friends with the klutzy nobody.

'Alya, wouldn't you like to be a superhero and go out and fight monsters and villains?' Marinette blurted.

'Totally!' Alya exclaimed, eyes sparkling at the very idea. 'I'm not scared of anyone! Why?'

'Oh! No reason...' Marinette deflected, quietly slipping the wooden box into Alya's bag, giving those magical earrings and their little god a new home. Somehow that small action tore at something within her, but Marinette shook off the unsettling sensation. Alya had studied superheroes like it was her destiny to become one herself; whoever had given them to Marinette had clearly made a mistake.

-oOo-

Stoneheart, and all his clones, suddenly reanimated all over Paris, coming to life with a scary destruction that rampaged across the normally peaceful city. Alya, predictably, became excited by all the commotion, and was eager to chase after it.

'Come on! Let's follow him!' she gleefully said to Marinette, keen to have a companion along for the ride.

'Uh… Oh, no,' Marinette replied tensely. 'You go. I'm finding myself a safe place to hide.'

Alya looked incredulous. 'Girl, you're gonna miss Ladybug in action!'

Marinette still didn't understand what Alya saw in Ladybug that made the failure of a hero so special to her. She picked up Alya's bag and held it outstretched to her, and told her, 'You and Ladybug will both be better off without me.'

With a shrug, Alya accepted the bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

'If you say so!' she called out as she ran through the door.

-oOo-

Marinette anxiously waited at home, watching the news broadcast from home, wrapped in her parents' arms as Chat Noir fought valiantly against the stone creatures, and just when all hope seemed lost, the new spotted hero burst onto the scene. Marinette could see Chat Noir's startled confusion at his new partner, his distraction earning him a flight through the air, no thanks to a stony fist. After an agonising hour of battle, the heroes made it to the Eiffel Tower, and the scariest head-like figure made out of dark butterflies appeared. The ladybug-like hero stepped forward and proudly proclaimed that she and her partner would fight to keep Paris safe, and in that moment, Scarabella was born.

Marinette silently told herself that she did the right thing, steadfastly ignoring the heavy sense of wrongness that made itself at home in her stomach.

-oOo-

'Marinette.' Scarabella's voice brought her back to the present, and Marinette suddenly became all too aware of how small her balcony was, and how Scarabella conveniently positioned herself between Marinette and her skylight, leaving her no way to escape this interrogation.

'And what exactly do you think I did?' Marinette said, folding her arms across her chest. If Alya wanted to play this game, she wasn't going to make it easier for her.

Scarabella frowned. 'You know what I mean.'

'No, I don't,' Marinette countered. 'You just turned up here and said, "I know it was you." Very ominous, by the way, but not exactly informative.'

'Girl, don't you play dumb with me!' Scarabella snapped, her hands planting firmly on her hips. 'You were the one who gave me these earrings. You were Ladybug.'

'And what makes you so sure of that?' Marinette rebutted.

'You were so pessimistic about Ladybug's abilities that day-' Scarabella began to list, counting off on her fingers.

'As I'm sure any other Parisian could've been,' Marinette cut in, but Scarabella continued on as if she didn't hear her.

'-you also were the one who gave me my bag, insisting that both Ladybug and I would be better off without you-'

'Because I'm a scaredy-cat,' Marinette cut in again. 'I hide from akumas at every opportunity.'

'Liar,' Scarabella accused. 'You didn't shy away from Evillustrator, or Kung Food, or a bunch of akumas I could mention.'

'Fine, almost every opportunity,' Marinette amended with a huff. 'Are you going to have any real evidence, or are you just going to-'

'You called me by name.'

Marinette was confused. 'Huh?'

'You called me by name,' Scarabella repeated. 'I looked back over my footage that I got of Ladybug, and not once did I introduce myself, but she called me by name. You called me by name. My family had only recently moved over at the time, and so I wasn't well-known then, and you were my first friend. No one else who knew me well were even close to me that day, not close enough to slip magical earrings into my bag.'

Marinette's stomach lurched. That was some good reasoning. She didn't remember calling Alya by name while she was suited up - it was all a bit hectic.

'Furthermore,' continued Scarabella, her eyes gleaming like a cat that caught a canary, 'throughout this entire conversation, I referenced moments in my civilian life - a life you shouldn't know about unless you knew my identity.'

She winced. Alya caught her. Marinette slumped into her deck chair.

'Fine, Alya. You got me. I was Ladybug.'

Scarabella detransformed, leaving Alya and Tikki in her place. Tikki zoomed up to Marinette.

'Why did you give me away?' she asked with watery eyes. Marinette hung her head.

'I couldn't be who you needed me to be, who I wanted to be,' Marinette admitted, unable to meet the eyes of the tiny god. 'I had let you and Paris down, I had failed.'

'No, you didn't.' Tikki's determined voice made Marinette lift her head. 'You did everything perfectly! You might've forgotten to capture the akuma, but that's okay - everything must've been so overwhelming for you. But I was the one who forgot to tell you to cleanse the akuma and trigger the cure. That was my fault, not yours.'

'But...' Marinette began, scrambling for words, 'we- I still failed. And Scarabella is doing just fine in my place!'

'But I have reason to believe you would do better,' Alya countered gently. 'You and Chat, even with it being your first time working together, worked well. You managed to solve the problem and defeat Stoneheart within a matter of minutes after first encountering him. Me? Even with prior knowledge, it still took us over an hour to get the ordeal sorted with. And don't try refuting it, because I have video evidence.'

'But I'm a klutz!' Marinette burst out, frustrated that Alya and Tikki just didn't get it. 'I stumble over my feet on the regular, I can barely stand up to my own bullies, I can't even ask Adrien out on a date!' Marinette thought she heard a tiny gasp, but she ignored it, too riled up to care. 'I am not a leader like you are - how am I supposed to be the superhero everyone needs if I am simply not enough?'

'Oh, Marinette,' Alya cooed, hugging her as Tikki wiped away the tears she didn't know had started to fall. 'You are more than enough. When you were asked on that date with Evillustrator, you stood up to the challenge and you got his akumatisesd object all on your own! If he hadn't spotted Chat and me, we definitely would've won there and then! During Darkblade, you managed to rally our classmates together to keep them all as safe as possible and you even created an opportunity for me to escape so I could transform! And when Kung Food happened, you worked with Chat Noir to force Kung Food up to the rooftop, which bought me enough time to get over there and join in! I could list so many instances where you were the perfect superhero. Between you and me, you really impressed Chat Noir with your heroism,' Alya said with a wink. 'He keeps insisting that if it's ever possible to have new members of the team, that you should be the first on that list.'

Marinette's cheeks flushed at the praise from her former partner, and she heard a little mewl. She subtly glanced up and saw green eyes and cat ears quickly hide behind her chimney. Chat Noir had stopped by her balcony a number of times since those battles Alya had mentioned, claiming her home was simply "along his patrol route" and decided to stop and have a chat with his favourite civilian. Marinette had suspected he was lonely or wanted a friend, so she played along with his silly excuses and chatted with him under the night sky. In the interest of keeping their friendship, she refused to admit to even herself that she held affection for her silly kitty, and instead focused all her romantic affections towards her crush, Adrien, who still held her heart after that moment with the umbrella in the rain. It seemed like Chat had wanted to chat again tonight, and had instead stumbled upon both of his partners' identities.

'So what do you want me to do, Alya?' she asked, flicking her eyes back toward her friend. 'I can't just become Ladybug again - that's your job now.'

'No, at least not right now,' Alya sighed, 'but I've recently met the Guardian of the Miraculous, and there's even more Miraculouses than what Chat and I first thought, so I talked with Chat decided to take his advice.'

Alya pulled out something from her pocket - a box that looked exactly like the one she had snuck into Alya's bag all those months ago.

'Marinette Dupain-Cheng, here is the Miraculous of the Fox, which grants the power of illusion. You will use it for the greater good. You will become a temporary member of the team until you feel ready to become a permanent member. Can I trust you?'

~/~

Ask game: Give me the first sentence and I'll write a short piece for it!

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contremineur · 11 months

Quote

[We meet again] in an empty book shop. No, in a field of violets. At a farmer’s market down south when the heat has broken like an eggshell. Your hair is longer. Shorter. Dyed bright purple. Still the same. We meet again by chance at a New York City bus stop. You have exact change. I wink at the driver. We meet again in February when the snow is so tired of itself it melts into the pavements like a slow yawn. We meet again at a poetry club in the heart of some small town in England. You sip at a beer. Keep your legs crossed. Find my eyes in the corner, two pinpricks in the distance. Fairy lights around a fireplace. We meet again after the in-between years. We’re older. You look it. I hear your voice over the intercom in a railroad station. I catch your scent in the aisle of a supermarket. We meet again at the feet of the Eiffel Tower. Neither of us impressed. No, both of us swollen with awe. Your camera frames me before you even notice. We meet again in the middle of the ocean. No, under a bridge in Mexico. No, in the shadow of a skyscraper. Under the scope of a comet. At the edge of the universe. Before the end of the world. We meet again at a party. Leave together. Make love until we turn to salt. Until we are nothing but steam rising in a windowless room. Until we remember what tore us apart to begin with. We meet again at the brink of a climax. No, at the root of a toothache. In the hollows of your collarbone. At the height of our loneliness.

We meet again, originally from the ‘no posts yet’ five--a--day

#five--a--day #lost friends #quote #lit #excerpt

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itsonlydana · 2 years

Text

"an ugly thing called jealousy"➷ Foolish

➛ pairing: c!Foolish x gn!reader

➛ idea: Foolish marries Quackitys son Kyle for tax reasons but what effects has this marriage on your secret relationship?

➛ tags/warnings: jealousy, hurt/comfort

➛ an: Foolish is back and with him came a flood of fic ideas like this one. I´m not sure how canon all of this was but have this small piece of whatever went down in foolishs stream-

➛ tagging: @icarusthefoolish

important links: rules + masterlist

🌿 reposts and comments are appreciated, they motivate me a lot and keep me writing <3

The plastic cup in your hand cracked under the firm grip of your right hand slowly forming into a fist, the previously untouched water spilling over the rim and dripping down your tense fingers. You were on the verge of just hurling the cup across the room, preferably right into the flirtatious face of Kyle.

Kyle, who had suddenly appeared, claiming he was Quackity's son, while making himself comfortable in Las Nevadas as if he had always been here.

Kyle, who had married Foolish on the first day for purely tax reasons and had not left the side of the -to be honest tortured looking- demigod since.

The sight of the newly married, oh so happy we finally found each other, couple made your blood boil, especially the overly affectionate touches from both sides, like Foolish's arm around Kyle's waist and this stranger's hands wandering and patting over Foolish's chest. It was hard and heartbreaking to watch Foolish give his attention to someone else who wasn't you, and every prolonged look between the two of them tore your heart into little pieces, and every touch made you realize how far away you were from such a happy and public relationship.

No one knew of the secret that Foolish and you protected with everything you had, of stolen kisses behind sand dunes, slow mornings between the sheets, and nights filled with intangible dreams of a wedding like this one, only that you would marry for love, not taxes.

The celebration of the now married golden couple of Las Nevadas was too loud for your taste, yet the only thing you could hear was the awful laughter of Kyle, who just stood on his tiptoes and whispered something in Foolish's ear that made him laugh too.

It even looked like a real laugh, that was probably the worst of it, and the realization that Foolish might actually see in Kyle a partner with whom life was significantly easier than with you made itself felt heavily in your chest. It was an ugly jealousy, one you wouldn't give in to with a promise to Foolish, and yet you couldn't stand to be in that room full of joy anymore.

Without looking to the couple one last time, you fled the crushing image of a future you couldn't afford, out of the bar where the wedding party had wandered and out into the surprisingly cold night air. You had no real destination as you trudged through the sand away from Las Nevadas, and yet you arrived at the place you just needed to be. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you let yourself fall into the cool sand, your back turned to the Eiffel Tower.

It wasn't long before you heard footsteps behind you and a large shadow fell across your huddled form. "You left," Foolish said, confused and slightly sad as he sat down beside you, his knees pressed against yours and one arm propped behind you.

"Sorry I didn't feel like watching the newlyweds have their best day," you snorted, not giving in to the open invitation to snuggle up to him. You were pissed, not at Foolish directly, but at the universe and Quackity and Las Nevada's shitty rules that forbade relationships between co-workers.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Foolish's furrowed brow as he eyed you. "(y/n)" his voice was low, so low that you turned your head now after all "we had talked about it. If you hadn't been okay with it, then I never would have taken Kyle up on his offer."

You clicked your tongue, trying to think of the best way to explain to Foolish that you were jealous and hurt without telling him exactly what you felt. It wasn't fair to him, he had sought and valued your opinion from the beginning, why you were now starting to rebuild those walls long since left behind was a mystery even to you. What you did you might have done at the beginning of your relationship, when you didn't know each other better than anyone else and had nothing to hide from each other, unless it was a surprise.

Jealousy is passion that seeks with eagerness what creates suffering- and you had fallen right into her trap.

But as so often, you didn't have to tell Foolish what thought carousels were spinning in your head and making you dizzy, he noticed it too without a single one of the words that were hard for you to say passing your lips. His gaze softened as soon as he spotted the little devil on your shoulder. "The wedding was nothing but public relations and a tax scam, there were no real feelings and certainly no love," Foolish said.

The devil kept screaming in your ear, reminding you of the touches and the loving looks, blurring the reality so that the real picture was unrecognizable through your fears and worst anxieties. If it weren't for Foolish, who slid closer to you until you were pressed into his side and he nudged his nose lightly against your temple, you might have lost the battle against that jealousy altogether.

"You know" he murmured and breathed a feather light kiss on your temple "If it weren't for Quackity's rules I would have walked you down the aisle by now, I have no doubt" He kissed you again, on your furrowed brows, on the tip of your nose and finally his lips hovered over yours. "I love you, and no one else in this world," he promised you, before bridging the inch between you and adding truth to his words.

#dream smp fanfiction #dream smp imagine #dream smp writing #dsmp x reader #dream smp x reader #foolish gamers fanfiction #foolish gamers imagine #foolish gamers x reader #foolish gamers x you #foolish x reader #foolish x you

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kasienda · 2 years

Text

Aftermath: Ch 2 - Lifeline

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3

Read on Ao3

Content Warning: Suicidal Ideation, Severe Depression, Severe Anxiety, PTSD

Chapter 2 - Lifeline

“Marinette,” Tikki began in the same concerned tone she had every single time they were alone since her night on the Eiffel Tower. “You need to talk to someone.”

Marinette didn’t bother to respond. She turned away from the little red kwami. They had already had this conversation. Many times. Tikki might be right, but what was the point if Marinette couldn’t really talk about anything.

And even if she did decide that she could tell someone her secret, could anyone truly understand?

They wouldn’t be able to help her, and then she’d be risking her friends and family by letting the secret potentially get out for no reason.

There was no point.

“This isn’t something that you can just will yourself out of, Marinette,” Tikki was saying. “You need help. And there’s no shame in that. You have been through so much and you still grieve so much. You’ve been so strong and so resilient. I’m so proud of everything you’ve accomplished as Ladybug and as Marinette.”

Marinette clamped her hands over her ears, trying to tune out the positive affirmations that only felt like sandpaper on her skin.

She knew Tikki was trying to help, but Marinette couldn’t stand the optimism, the determination to look for the silver linings or bright side in a situation. She couldn’t feel any of that, couldn’t believe any of that, even if she wanted to.

Not anymore.

But Tikki kept talking.

“Tikki!” Marinette finally snapped.

Bright blue eyes blinked at her in surprise. “Yes, Marinette?”

“I renounce you.”

Tikki shot her a look of betrayal before she shimmered away in a flash of pink light.

Marinette quickly tore the earrings out of her ears and forced them into her permanently tightly fisted hand. She let the posts cut into her palm. She deserved the pain.

She tried not to cry and she managed it at first, but then she lost the battle all at once. Her sobs exploded violently out of her throat and invaded the air around her.

“Marinette?!” her mother called from downstairs, her quick footsteps pounding up into her loft. Her head popped through the trap door less than a minute later. “Marinette! What’s wrong?!”

Sabine climbed up the ladder to her bed and began stroking her hair in calm even passes.

But Marinette couldn’t have explained why she was crying even if she could get words out, which she currently couldn’t do anyway as her cries came too fast and too hard, clogging up her airway.

She let her mother hold her, but Marinette remained limp in her embrace, and soon her mother was crying, too.

“Please, let me help you,” her mother begged into her hair, barely audible. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

And Marinette only cried harder, hating herself more for making her mother feel like this. It wasn’t her mother’s fault that Marinette couldn’t live up to what she was supposed to be. She was the disappointment. Her mother only deserved good things.

She definitely deserved a better daughter.

A daughter who could get out of bed and get dressed on her own. A daughter who didn’t have to be coaxed into eating two meals a day or dragged to her own appointments.

She was only weighing them down.

Soft hands cradled her face. “Marinette, please tell me what’s wrong.”

Marinette shook her head slightly. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“That was not nothing.”

“It was just a dream,” Marinette lied. “It’s not real.”

Her mother’s lips pressed together, as her dark eyes searched Marinette’s face. Marinette couldn’t stand it. She pulled out of her mother’s arms and rolled over in bed, the Ladybug miraculous still cutting into her hand. “What time is it?” she muttered.

She didn’t care about the time, but it was a normal enough question to change the subject.

“Just after one in the afternoon. I’ll bring up some brunch?”

Marinette nodded, meekly staring into her hands. Her mother left. And Marinette pretended not to hear her mother break into sobs the second the trap door was closed.

She squeezed her own eyes shut, wishing she could do better. Better for her maman. Better for Tikki. Better for her friends.

Her mother returned fifteen minutes later with a plate of pastries and a side of cottage cheese. And as she watched Marinette slowly take a bite of a croissant, Marinette tried not to squirm. She didn’t want the food, but that’s why her mother stared her down. She wouldn’t let Marinette not eat.

Halfway through the slow plodding tasteless meal, Marinette’s phone chimed with a familiar text tone. It was Adrien’s tone.

She dived for the device and unlocked it awkwardly with her left hand.

Adrien:

Can you come over today?

Marinette:

Of course! What time?

Adrien:

Whenever you can.

Her heart twisted in her chest. She knew that meant he hoped she would be there as soon as possible. She gripped her phone in her hand and glanced across her room urging herself to climb out of bed.

But she didn’t move. She made herself take a breath and count silently to ten, and she tried again. And she still didn’t move. She swallowed a soft cry, but her mother was at her side immediately.

“Adrien?” her mother asked.

Marinette nodded rapidly.

Her mother offered a hand, and Marinette clutched at it gratefully, and then her mother hauled her to her feet. And then, once standing with Adrien’s text echoing in her head, she could push through her simplified morning routine of throwing on some clothes.

“Do you want me to do your hair?” her mother offered softly.

Marinette considered the question for a second, contemplating her pale reflection in the mirror. She let her free hand run through her hair a few times just enough to make sure it didn’t look like she had just rolled out of bed.

“No,” she finally said. “It’s fine.” She turned back to her mother with a forced smile. “It’s better if I just go.” She didn’t want to sit back down. It was easier to keep moving forward if she stayed on her feet.

But before she could bolt down the escape hatch, her mother stepped into her path, and pulled her into a hug. She cradled Marinette’s head under her chin, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

“I’m proud of you for wanting to help your friend, but don’t forget yourself, xīngān băobèi.”

“I’m trying, maman,” Marinette whispered back, letting her arms squeeze tightly around her mother’s tiny frame.

Her mother kissed her again. “I know. I know.” And then she pushed Marinette away just slightly, and held up her purse. “Grab some more pastries from your papa, and text me when you’re on your way back.”

Marinette nodded, slinging the purse over her shoulder before descending to the floor below her room. The second she was free from her mother’s concerned gaze, she paused. She used her left hand to pry open her perpetually locked fist, revealing the ladybug earrings. Before she could think about it too hard, she dumped the miraculous into the secret side compartment in the interior of her purse.

She probably should have left the earrings with the miracle box. That was the safer, more responsible choice. The choice her former heroic self would have made. But she wasn’t that person anymore. She needed the earrings and she needed them close.

Because there was still an empty space next to the Eiffel Tower with her name on it.

Once Adrien was better and didn’t need her anymore.

Someday, she promised herself as she propelled herself back into motion. Someday, she would stop being a burden on everyone around her.

Someday she would be a part of the sky.

She took the transit to the hotel, and moved through the lobby and up to Adrien’s room on autopilot. She used the keycard Nino had given her weeks prior even with her left hand with practiced ease, and slipped into his room.

He had a light on, but he was rolled away from her. He turned at her entrance and managed a small smile that she returned threefold.

“Marinette,” he said. His voice sounded like sandpaper. “You got here so fast. I didn’t mean for you to drop everything and rush over.”

She dismissed his concern, setting the box of pastries on a table so she could pour him a glass of water.

“You didn’t interrupt anything,” she assured him. “My afternoon was already completely open.”

Completely open for laying in bed all day in self loathing. Didn’t he realize that she would much rather lay around all day with him than by herself?

But she didn’t think that he knew quite how badly she was struggling, and she really hoped Nino and Alya hadn’t told him the full extent of it.

It wasn’t because she didn’t want him to know. With how hard things were for him, she thought he might be the only one who might even come close to understanding.

Chat Noir was the only one who could come closer.

She dismissed the thought.

Chat Noir was gone. Adrien wasn’t.

The truth was she didn’t want him to know because she didn’t want him to stop asking for her. Because if he didn’t need her, she really only had one plan left.

She knew that clinging to Adrien as her lifeline wasn’t fair to him, especially when he was struggling so hard himself, but she didn’t know what else to do.

He didn’t ask for her that often. Usually once a week or so. Sometimes twice.

She had pulled off a spontaneous visit once. It had been exhausting even to get out of bed, get dressed, and get through town without the aid of his request serving as motivation to keep her moving forward. And when she had shown up he had been embarrassed at not being “presentable,” as if she cared about such things. But she had just felt guilty about coming over uninvited for days afterwards.

So she hadn’t attempted it again.

Now, she waited for him to ask.

She placed the glass of water on the nightstand beside him so he didn’t have to sit up to take it if he didn’t feel up to that.

“I brought you some pastries,” Marinette said, returning to pick up the box before taking a seat on the covers on the unoccupied side of the bed. She placed the box between them on the bed. She didn’t open it. It would be easier for him to do it anyway.

“Thank you,” he croaked, offering her another small smile, but it faded before it had finished fully forming. He sat up and took a gulp of the water and placed it back on the nightstand before turning his attention to the white box of pastries.

She longed for the days when such a treat would have been enough to have him glowing and bouncing in excitement instead of this almost feigned polite interest. But she was pleased when he took the time to fish out a fruit and cheese danish rather than just snagging whatever was closest to the top.

It meant he was having a bad day, but that they weren’t at the bottom of the pit of despair.

“Papa’s experimenting,” she told him when he took a bite. “Looking for some new fruit and cheese combinations or something.”

“Cheese?” he asked after a few seconds.

“Yeah, apparently it balances the sweetness in some instances really well. I’ve really liked everything he’s made me try so far.”

Not that she had been any good at expressing that to her father. And in that moment she realized she was rambling to Adrien about the same things her parents rambled to her when she was trapped in her own head.

But she didn’t have her own things to talk about. Maybe their efforts to help her might at least help her offer some comfort to Adrien even if they didn’t seem to help her.

“Hmm,” Adrien responded a solid moment later, clearly not really processing her words, but she didn’t mind. She understood.

She kept talking anyway.

“Mari?” he interrupted a few moments later.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry for asking you to come,” he said.

She frowned. “What? Why?!”

He shrugged, not making eye contact. “I just… really didn’t want to be alone today, but I’m having a hard time really being here with you. My mind keeps wandering and I’m not really hearing anything you’re saying.”

He was at least kind enough to admit it. Unlike her.

“I understand,” she soothed, taking his hand with her good one even though she had to awkwardly reach over her own torso to do so. She understood far better than she hoped he realized.

“But I’m still really glad that you’re here,” he whispered, letting his head fall to her shoulder.

She ran her fingers through his hair. “Me too,” she told him, and for once, she wasn’t even lying. She liked being here when he was next to her, even if all of existence was a struggle the rest of the time for both of them.

Her visits weren’t always like this. Some days it almost seemed normal. Like when they were together and reminiscing over some deranged plan Alya had roped them into in lycee or some project they had muddled through together. Days where they could pretend that Hawkmoth’s identity and defeat wasn’t a ghost looming over both their heads.

But other days were like this. Where Adrien was quiet and distant, but she stayed with him anyway. She didn’t feel like enough, but she wanted to be there for him even if she couldn’t really do anything.

She hoped she wasn’t disappointing him.

He did keep asking her to come back, so she tried to take that as a good sign.

She returned home, and she even managed to sit with her parents in the living room for a bit of the evening while they talked about their day in the bakery.

She didn’t hear much of what they said, but she did make sure to smile and nod when it seemed appropriate. If they noticed her distance, they didn’t say anything.

When she couldn’t even manage the fake smiles, she crawled back to her room and the bed that had become both her sanctuary and her prison, hating herself for not being able to be present with her parents the way she had been for Adrien.

She wished so hard that she wasn’t so completely dependent on Adrien’s requests to be capable of anything at all.

She hugged the purse that still held the ladybug miraculous within its hidden pockets, promising release and freedom.

Someday.

…

Marinette started awake when her phone buzzed loudly on her nightstand.

She had no idea how late it was, but it wasn’t early judging by the angle of the light streaming through the circular window above her bed.

She immediately reached for the phone, but the incoming text wasn’t from Alya or Adrien. It was from Nino.

Nino:

Hey dudette. I need your help.

Marinette stared at the notification, the phone suddenly feeling like a lead weight in her hands. Her vision went blurry and her lungs spasmed painfully in her chest as she struggled to breathe.

She wasn’t sure she could help anyone else at the moment, but she didn’t want to let Nino down either.

She was such an awful friend. She collapsed back into her blankets, dropping the phone, as tears sprang to her eyes and she gasped for breath.

But the buzzing texts from the device kept coming, every few seconds, each one shooting a pang of guilt through her heart and mind.

She covered the phone with her blanket, but that didn’t stop the final chime of the incoming string of texts. And then it was silent once again without even Tikki there to provide a distraction or encouragement. Marinette laid there staring blankly at her pink walls still feeling guilty that she was already letting Nino down.

She hadn’t even read what he wanted. It didn’t matter because she knew that unless it was for Adrien she wouldn’t be able to do it. She dissolved into another round of tears.

Nino deserved better.

She had never felt so useless or so defeated. It was a good thing Hawkmoth was no longer a thing because surely he would have akumatized her by now if he hadn’t been.

Of course, if he hadn’t been uncovered she might not be feeling this low. She would have still been able to attend classes, hang out with her friends, and run patrols with Chat Noir.

Right now, she couldn’t even bring herself to read messages from her friends.

She should have been able to read it. How pathetic that she couldn’t. What if Nino was asking for something for Adrien? And then, she’d be letting him down too.

That thought finally had her moving to unlock the device.

Nino:

Hey dudette. I need your help.

I found Adrien an apartment. It's already furnished. It’s closer to me, and is nothing like the mansion. And it’ll get him out of the public eye.

He needs this move.

And I need him to make this move.

But I can't get him to make the transfer. He’s literally paralyzed in fear at even the idea of walking outside.

Will you please come?

PLEASE! You have a magic way of calming him and I think he’ll listen to you.

Marinette stared at the text thread in disbelief. Did Nino really think she could coax Adrien into something that he couldn’t? Nino was the only one that could get Adrien out of bed most days.

Marinette didn’t even try. She knew how hard it was to get out of bed on a bad day.

But her anxiety evaporated. It wasn’t for Nino. It was still for Adrien who she owed so much more than she could give. She could do this. She could.

Marinette:

I’m on my way.

She was lying. She was still lying there, staring at her feet, not moving. She counted to ten, telling herself she would get up at the end of the count. When that didn’t happen, she counted to twenty.

She still didn’t move.

She buried her face in her pillows, and let the tears spring from her eyes.

Why couldn’t she get up?!

Her friends needed her. Adrien needed her.

Just sit up, she told herself. Just sit up. She could do that much.

And after another minute she did.

Okay, now she just needed to get her legs over the edge. And then stand.

That was it. That was all.

“You can do it,” she whispered to herself.

And another minute later, she did.

She felt no sense of accomplishment in her success, but maybe a bit of relief that she was on her feet because once she was standing, she could keep moving.

She was out the door ten minutes later with a wave to both her parents. She didn’t bother to grab pastries this time, knowing that Nino would have already taken care of breakfast.

When she arrived, Nino was slumped over on the side of the bed beside Adrien, his hands clamped on either side of his hat, having clearly long ago given up trying to coax Adrien up and out of bed by himself. Adrien was turned away from him, his eyes blank.

Adrien’s gaze shifted to her as she entered the room.

“I see you’ve called in the cavalry,” he commented dryly.

Nino’s head snapped up with such clear relief. Marinette’s chest tightened, and she froze momentarily in the walkway, uncertain she could live up to Nino’s hopes. She really hoped she wouldn’t disappoint him.

“Are you mad?” she asked Adrien, biting her lower lip. Last time she came over unannounced hadn’t turned out well for either of them.

His green eyes flew back to her. “No, of course not,” he whispered. “I get it. I just… I wish I didn’t need cavalry.” His eyes squeezed shut and she knew he was trying not to cry.

She came rushing to the side of bed opposite Nino, kneeling on the floor. “I totally get that. I want that for you, too. But until then, know that the cavalry will always be here when you need them.”

He tried to smile at her, but it came out more as a grimace. “Thank you, Marinette.”

He glanced between Nino and Marinette on either side of the bed, his eyes flooding with tears. “I’m sorry that I’m so difficult, so useless.”

He shook with silent sobs. Nino’s head fell to the bed, hiding his face and Marinette had no idea what he was thinking. She turned to Adrien instead, stroking the back of his pale hand soothingly.

“It won’t be like this forever,” Marinette promised. She was determined to make that true for him even if she doubted it could ever be true for her. After all, she had made it her life’s mission to help him heal after everything she had done to him. She couldn’t give up.

“Do you want to make this move?” she asked him.

He closed his eyes. “It doesn’t matter what I want,” he said. “I can’t…” his voice cracked, “I can’t do it.”

She stroked his hair the way her mother did for her. “Shh,” she soothed. “Do you want to make this move?” she asked again.

He nodded, his green eyes pleading.

“Then we will make it happen,” she promised. “Can you sit up?”

He didn’t meet her eyes this time, so she swept to the other side and pushed Nino aside who was watching her curiously. She handed Nino the blanket, and then turned back to Adrien.

“Can you give me your hands?” Marinette asked.

And that, he could do. He complied almost immediately.

“Don’t let go, okay?”

He nodded.

“Do you want help?” Nino offered.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she took a deep breath, praying that the echoes of Ladybug’s strength that she had used before to win arm wrestling matches and push people out of the path of danger, even as Marinette, were still there.

She pulled hard.

Adrien didn’t actively help, but he came launching forward anyway. She did apparently still have some enhanced strength.

Once moving though, he had a lot of momentum, and he came crashing into her. They probably would have fallen backwards except Nino was there steadying them both.

Adrien and Nino both stared at her with wide shocked eyes.

“How did you do that?!” Nino exclaimed.

Marinette shrugged.

“I could’ve helped,” Nino said with a slight frown.

Marinette ignored him, her attention on Adrien. His hair was flying every which way, he was wearing a plain white shirt and some pajama bottoms. He already didn’t look much like the Adrien Agreste the world recognized, so at least they had that going for them.

“Don’t sit back down,” she whispered, still holding his hand, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.

“We’re going to do this. But Nino and I will be here with you the whole time. You don’t have to do anything really. Just… don’t sit back down, okay?”

He didn’t pull away or object, but she could feel the rigid tension in his arms and shoulders.

He licked his lips, staring at her. “What if, what if someone recognizes me?”

“Adrien, don’t take this the wrong way, but you look way too terrible right now to be Adrien Agreste, fashion model of Paris.”

A nervous laugh bubbled from his stomach, but he was still rigid under her hand like a wild animal that might bolt at any second. She smiled, still stroking the back of his hand.

“But we can probably spruce it up a bit,” she said. “Nino? Can Adrien borrow your hat?”

Nino already had it off his head, and was flipping it onto Adrien’s without hesitation.

“And I brought some sunglasses.” Nino pulled up a plastic bag from the floor to the bed and fished through it and then handed Adrien the pair of oversized very cheap looking off brand sunglasses with neon yellow frames. Something else Adrien Agreste wouldn’t normally be caught dead in.

“Perfect,” Marinette said, releasing Adrien’s hand so she could brush her fingers through his oily hair. “I wish I had a hair tie,” she mumbled. But she had stopped carrying them around since she lost the ability to use them.

“I have some,” Nino chimed in, searching through his bag once again.

“You do?”

“Yeah, Alya threw together some things she thought we might be able to use. She would be here, but she had a midterm.”

Nino handed her the hair tie, but she immediately pushed it back into his hands. “Can you tie up his hair in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck?”

Nino quickly realized why she couldn’t and moved forward. And to his credit, he tried. But it was clear he had never handled hair in his life.

“Oh my god!” Marinette exclaimed. “Have you never tied Alya’s hair back before?”

“Uh… Alya doesn’t let me touch her hair,” Nino said. “Her hair is a wild beast and takes hours to tame. You don’t mess with that or she’ll kill you.”

And Marinette laughed. “Well, Adrien’s hair is far less kinky and much easier to wrangle.” She gathered it up with her left hand. “You pull it together like this-“

“I can do it,” Adrien interrupted, his voice subdued but firm. His hands reached back to take care of the task.

Nino slipped the hair tie into his hands, and Adrien’s hair was tied back a few seconds later. Then they flipped him back around.

Marinette choked back a laugh. Adrien looked awful, but more importantly, he didn’t look like Adrien.

“That bad?” he whined, covering his face with his hands.

Nino tossed him an oversized dark blue hoodie. “No time for the model in you, dude.”

They dragged him over to the mirror before he could put on the hoodie.

“What do you think?” Marinette asked. “Do you think anyone will recognize you?”

Adrien blinked at his own reflection. “Mari, I’m not sure my father would recognize me.”

Nino scowled. “He didn’t ever see you enough for that to be a high standard.”

Marinette scowled at Nino behind Adrien’s back. “Not now!” she mouthed.

Nino held his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

Marinette slid her left hand into Adrien’s once again. “How are you feeling? Are you willing to give stepping just outside the door a try?” she asked, smiling at him through the mirror.

He was silent for a long time. She held her breath, waiting for his answer. If he agreed to that much, she knew they could make the rest happen, though he might be pissed at her later for the stunt that she was about to pull.

“Let’s try,” he whispered.

She smiled brightly. Hopefully, he would forgive her.

And if he didn’t… there was still that open space right next to the Eiffel Tower.

He let go of her hand to put on the hoodie, and when his head was inside the sweater, she made eye contact with Nino and left her key card on the dresser.

Nino nodded in understanding.

Marinette urged Adrien forward, never letting go of his hand, while Nino followed from behind.

They stepped into the hallway, and Adrien immediately became as stiff as a statue, his gaze shifting up and down the hallway like a scared kitten.

The door to Adrien’s hotel room clicked closed.

He immediately tensed. “Maybe… maybe we should go back inside,” Adrien suggested, his whole body taut like an overstretched violin string.

“We can’t,” Marinette told him gently, squeezing his hand. “We left the keys inside.”

Adrien’s free hand immediately covered his face and his glasses clattered to the ground. His eyes, now visible, were wild and unfocused, like a feral animal. His breathing came too fast, never giving his lungs a chance to take a full breath. His eyes darted back and forth between her, Nino, and the open hallway.

Marinette cradled his face between her closed fist and her open left hand. The tips of her fingers gently stroked his cheeks. “Adrien, look at me.”

His eyes locked onto hers, but they were still pulsing. His whole body shook.

“Breathe,” she ordered.

He sucked in a breath.

“Again.”

He was still quaking, and his breathing was still too fast, but his eyes were still locked on hers.

“Just look at me, okay?”

His adam's apple jumped up and down in his throat. He nodded.

“Take my hand.”

And he did, he took it, and held it like she was the only thing keeping him standing. He held her so hard that it hurt.

But she dared not let go, dared not to flinch or react. Ladybug had taken far worse anyway.

He trembled underneath her hold.

She squeezed his hand. “You’re doing amazing.”

“For walking out the door?” he bit out sarcastically.

“Yes,” she told him seriously.

“She’s right,” Nino agreed.

With him clinging to her hand, and Nino on his other side, she led him forward, and he followed, his ragged breathing loud in her left ear. But he didn’t stop.

The elevator ride was the worst even with only the three of them in its confines. Adrien let out a pitiful sob and she continued to offer meaningless reassurances.

When the doors slid open, half a dozen people walked through the lobby. Adrien’s breathing became frantic and he remained frozen in place.

Marinette whirled in front of him, blocking his sight of the lobby. “Breathe in with me, okay?” And she took in a slow dramatic breath. He started to follow suit, before it broke off again. “It’s okay,” she soothed. “Try again.”

And they repeated the process.

“Can we use the elevator?” A voice asked from behind her.

Marinette cursed as Adrien’s gaze shifted over her shoulder to the stranger, and the panic on his face visibly exploded. His face crumpled and his body immediately folded. She fell to the ground beside him.

“Hey man, can you give us a minute?” Nino was saying, gently pushing the small group of people back.

“Of course,” the man said. “Anything we can do to help?”

“We’re almost there,” Marinette whispered to Adrien, but his eyes were wild behind his sunglasses, and she wasn’t certain if he was hearing her. “We just have to turn the corner to the other set of elevators.”

He clung to her hand so tightly it was hard not to wince. But she stroked his hand and arm with her fist. She watched as he fought to regain control.

“Close your eyes,” she urged him. “Don’t think about anything or anyone outside. We have as much time as you need. Just focus on breathing, okay?” She figured they could go up and down the elevator shaft multiple times if they had to.

Adrien was openly sobbing at this point. “Shhhh,” she whispered. “It’s okay. You’re okay. Nino and I are both right here.”

She kept saying it, kept urging him to slow his breathing, and she kept stroking his arm with the back of her closed hand. The elevator doors closed, but they didn’t go anywhere. Nino was at the control panel so she didn’t worry about that either, keeping her attention on Adrien.

Minutes passed. Marinette had no idea how many. But Adrien’s panic seemed to have broken. His breathing evened out. He was soaked in sweat and slumped over with pure exhaustion, but his green eyes were clear.

“I-I’m sorry,” he croaked, suddenly crying. “I’m sorry I’m so difficult. I’m sorry I’m such a burden.”

Nino flopped to the elevator floor on Adrien’s other side. “Dude! Look at me!”

Adrien looked up.

“It’s your human right to be a burden,” Nino told him, his golden eyes swirling with intensity. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere even when you’re a pain in my backside, you got it?”

Adrien started crying harder.

Marinette cradled his head against her shoulder. “Shh. You’re fine. You’re worth it. This isn’t your fault. And we just have another corner to turn to go to the other set of elevators and the worst will be over.”

“I don’t…” Adrien started.

“You know I’m always down for chilling,” Nino interrupted. “The elevator is stopped. I will fight anyone that tries to kick us out.”

Adrien laughed through his tears.

They all lay there at the back of the elevator. At first no words were spoken. But eventually Nino asked after her parents, and Marinette was grateful for the distraction, though her fingers continued to stroke Adrien’s head and face. Adrien didn’t say anything, but his breathing was evening out. Marinette asked about Alya next, and the two of them continued to chit chat as they often did when their visits to Adrien overlapped and Adrien wasn’t having a great day.

“We should go,” Adrien interjected.

“You sure?” Marinette asked.

He nodded. She rose to her feet, and offered him her good hand, while Nino did they same. They both hauled Adrien to his feet a second later. Nino flipped a switch on the panel and then pressed a button and the doors flipped over.

Adrien’s hand squeezed hers harder, but he remained steady, and she led them forward. They walked through the open lobby. Adrien kept his gaze down, but his form started to shake once again. But they didn’t have far to go. Just around the corner, and she was pulling him into another small elevator.

Less than a minute later, they were in the parking garage.

“Wait here,” Nino said, taking quick large strides deeper into the garage.

Adrien leaned heavily on Marinette as they waited. She stroked his hand and his arm. His muscles were rigid and tight, and she wished she could fix all of this for him.

Nino pulled up a second later, and Adrien collapsed into the back seat like his bones were made of jello. Marinette took the seat beside him, made sure they were both buckled in, and then they were moving.

She breathed a sigh of relief. They had done the hard part. She turned to Adrien only to discover tears streaming down his face.

Marinette squeezed the hand she had never relinquished. “It’s okay. You did it.”

But Adrien shook his head angrily. “Why is everything so hard?” he sobbed. “Why can’t I walk through a fucking hallway without losing it?”

“Shhh…” she soothed. “You were so strong.”

He laughed bitterly, though his tears never slowed.

Marinette pulled his head to her shoulder and let her fingers card through his hair as he cried. He nuzzled into her shoulder and neck, and they remained like that for the duration of the drive. And when Nino finally pulled into another parking garage - this one smaller and luckily without any human traffic at the moment, Adrien was calm.

“Do you think you can handle one more walk today?” she whispered.

He didn’t speak, only nodded. And the three of them were able to make it into the new apartment without further event. The moment they were inside, Adrien sagged in relief. He threw his arms around both of them.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “You both put up with a lot from me. And maybe someday, I’ll be able to repay you.”

Marinette was shaking her head in disagreement. He didn’t understand. She owed him more than she could ever make up for.

“That’s not how friendship works, dude,” Nino said. “Now come on, let’s get you to bed. I know that this place isn’t exactly what you’re used to,” Nino continued.

Nino wasn’t wrong. The apartment featured a small couch opposite a television in the main living area, a small white rectangular dining table with its short end against the wall next to a bar that revealed an alley kitchen on the other side. The one hallway led to a small bathroom on the left, and a bedroom with a queen sized bed on the right. The whole apartment could have fit twice over in Adrien’s old bedroom. But the only thing that bothered Marinette about it was that it was completely spartan. There weren’t any decorations, color, or even bland artwork.

“But I figured that might be a good thing,” Nino was saying.

Adrien said nothing of what he thought of the place, he just willingly let himself be guided to the bedroom where he fell into the bed immediately.

“You’ve got a fully stocked fridge with things Alya said can just be reheated. But we’re only two blocks away, so if you can’t get up, just shoot us a text and one of us will be here in the morning or the evening. I’ll probably be stopping by once a day or so anyway. I’ll whip us all something up right now.”

“Thank you,” Adrien said again, his voice small and his eyes glassy.

Marinette squeezed his hand as Nino left, but he didn’t react. He was clearly exhausted.

“I’m sorry for tricking you,” she told him. “I hope you’re not mad at me.”

He didn’t say anything, but he suddenly threw his arms around her and clung to her harder. He was shaking his head, and he was trembling slightly so she knew he was crying. She cradled his face, kissed his forehead and hair. And eventually his shaking stopped and his breathing evened out, and he was asleep.

Marinette slipped out and found Nino filling up three plates from a steaming tupperware of some kind of pasta casserole.

“He fell asleep,” Marinette told him.

He nodded. “Not surprising. I’ll just put it on his nightstand.” Then he handed her a plate of her own. “Thank you for your help today.”

She hung her head. “You don’t need to thank me.”

He shook his head. “I couldn’t have gotten him outta there without your help.”

“Surely you could’ve dragged him out by the back of his shirt if you had to.”

He nodded. “The thought occurred to me. But he would have resisted, and then he would have ended up on the front page of some tabloid. Better to do it your way.”

She put her plate down, so she could wrap her hands around herself as if she could fend off his undeserved appreciative words. “Nino, I know I haven’t been here. Not the way Alya has been.”

His hand squeezed her shoulder. “Nettie, it’s okay. You are going through your own stuff. We all know that. You’ve been here every time he’s asked in the last few months.”

She made herself look up at him. “I want you to know that I’m here now. You can rely on me for anything with regards to Adrien.”

“I don’t need you to do anything, Nettie,” he said, taking a bite of his meal. “I have it all worked out. But I know it’d mean a lot to him if you could just be here during the day every now and again. I think he could use the company.”

She nodded. She would be there every day.

“Now, eat,” he ordered, handing her a fork. She took a bite with her left hand, and for once she was able to taste it, enjoy the flavors of tomato, mushrooms, and spices on her tongue.

“Alya made this?” she asked.

Nino nodded with a huge smile.

“It’s really good,” she said.

“I know, right? She spoils me. And now, Adrien, too.”

"Lucky him."

"She'd be happy to spoil you, too," he said through a mouthful of food.

Marinette smiled, and for once it felt genuine. "I know. I'm lucky, too."

She wasn't sure she believed it, but she wanted to.

…

Chapter 3: Turning Point (Link to be added)

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waterlilyillustrations · 1 year

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Catwalk Look

My final illustration pieces were to illustrate a catwalk look from the Spring Summer 2023 collections from each fashion Capital; London, Paris, Milan and New York. The illustration style was two different illustrator's styles merged together.

This catwalk look was from the Yves Saint Laurent collection in Paris. The two illustration styles were from Sandra Suy and Zhenya. In my illustration, both styles were blended together. Any block colour or colour outline was from Zhenya's style, and the blended/block white areas were from Sandra Suy's style. Just a white outline can be seen in both illustration styles and were similar because of this. The figure was drawn out in pencil first using the grid method and doubled up images. Pastels were then used as the medium as this is what both Sandra Suy and Zhenya use for their illustrations. White, brown, green and a small amount of yellow coloured pastels were used, and was illustrated on brown card. I then tore away the card around the illustration (around one centimetre away) instead of cutting it as it would then have a softer looking edge.

I then began to arrange the presentation of the page, starting with the placement of the illustrators' examples. I placed them on one side of the page where the Designer title would go, and the illustration and title of the Fashion Capital (Paris) went on the other side. I ripped up some pieces of the brown card to be placed on parts of the pages underneath the images and titles. The titles where then drafted out in pencil and fine-liner was used on top once I was happy with the size and place. I also printed out a large picture of the Eiffel Tower (to represent Paris) to go alongside of the illustration. Everything was stuck in place and I added the names of the illustrators next the examples of their work.

Something I wish I had done differently would be to have made the illustration bigger as it looked too small, but I am happy with the outcome of the illustration and the detail. Pastels have not been one of my strongest mediums to use, however, I think that this illustration has shown my improvement of using them within my work, and I will hopefully improve further in the future.

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umichenginabroad · 1 month

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Week 5: Dobrou chuť! (Bon appétit!)

Čau!

It's Reese again. Welcome back to my life in Praha, this week has been my busiest yet! As I mentioned in last week’s blog, I flew back from Amsterdam Sunday night with my friend Samantha who’s studying in London. Her program is on Spring Break, so she was able to stay with me for 3 nights. Later this week, my dad also arrived in Prague to visit me :) Stay tuned for all of our adventures.

Petřín Hill

With Samantha in town, we set out to find the best view of Prague. Standing 138 meters (452 ft) above sea level, Petřín Hill seemed like a good contender. There’s a funicular that takes you to the top of the hill which was included in our transportation passes, which was clutch. At the top of the hill, we found the Petřín Lookout Tower, which resembles a petite Eiffel Tower! Its observation deck is the highest in Prague at 200 meters (656 ft) above the Vltava River that runs through the city. It was foggy outside, but the panoramic views were incredible. Try to find Prague Castle in the picture below!

Architecture Tour (Prague Castle)

For this week’s architecture tour we went to Prague Castle! I lucked out because I had been meaning to show Samantha around the complex, but the timing was difficult due to my classes. Fortunately, my instructor let me bring her along!

The first notable site we visited contained the remnants of the Church of the Virgin Mary, which was the first stone building in the complex and served as the second oldest church in Bohemia. The construction of this church initiated the gradual development of Prague Castle as a residence of monarchs and authoritative figures. We were fortunate to witness the Prime Minister of Poland being escorted out of the complex as we were crossing the courtyard, which demonstrates the political significance of the site that remains to this day. Below is a picture of the escort.

Next we observed the Old Royal Palace, which was originally designed in Romanesque style and served as the residence for Bohemian kings from the 10th to the 16th century. It was later transformed by Emperor Charles IV into a Gothic palace with a vaulted interior that served state purposes. Charles IV was a well-educated diplomat from Luxembourg with a vision to establish Prague as the center of politics in Central Europe. Although he never fully achieved his vision, the architecture built during his reign stands as a testament to Prague's political and cultural importance in Europe.

In his time, Charles IV also tore down the Romanesque Basilica of St Vitus, which stood in the place of the St. Vitus Rotunda that was founded in the 10th century by St. Wenceslas. There, Charles constructed a monumental Gothic cathedral, the largest in Europe at the time. Apart from being a space for religious services, St Vitus Cathedral became a coronation place for kings, as well as the final resting place of prominent Bohemian figures like Charles IV himself. Matthias of Arras was the architect who designed the cathedral in a French-like style. It features high Gothic architecture with pointed arches and tall spires symbolizing a vertical connection between society and the divine. Due to financial constraints and resource shortages, however, the tower could not be finished in Gothic style... check out the green finish in the image below!

In the 16th century, Prague Castle became the center of power for the Habsburg dynasty. This led to remodeling in the Renaissance style, including the construction of the last palace, Schwarzenberg Palace, within the castle complex. The Renaissance period saw the rebirth of classical ideas and principles. The Schwarzenberg Palace illustrates classical architectural elements and characteristics. The facade is symmetrical, with evenly spaced windows and doors and elaborate ornamentation. This detailed, yet balanced, composition showcases the Renaissance ideals of beauty and order in art.

Prague Castle has served as the seat of power in the Czech region for centuries as the residence of Bohemian kings, Holy Roman Emperors, and nowadays, the president of the Czech Republic. The architectural evolution of the complex reflects shifts in political power and ideology, from the monarchy of the Middle Ages to the absolutist rule of the Habsburgs, and, finally, the establishment of democratic governance in the 20th century. To the Czech people, Prague Castle is a symbol of national identity and pride. The iconic silhouette that overlooks the city is an everyday reminder of their quest for self-determination throughout history.

Symphony

Yet another beautiful symphony to share with you all this week. Brandon, our classical music expert, picked this show out specifically. The first movement, Symphony D Minor La Tampesta, was written by Austrian composer Pavel Vranický, an influential figure in Vienna’s musical life at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries who worked closely with Beethoven. La Tampesta is named for the evocative depiction of a storm in the third movement. I vividly remember the use of the gong in this movement, adding to the strikingly powerful composition.

The second movement, Eroica, is from Beethoven's third symphony but famous for the circumstances for its original dedication to Napoleon. Beethoven crossed out the dedication after Napoleon declared himself Emperor and replaced it with a dedication to his patron, Prince Joseph Franz Maximilian von Lobkowicz. Eroica was considered to be the first symphony of Romanticism, and ahead of its time in its symphonic form, length, harmony, emotional and cultural content.

Dad Visiting

This week after Samantha left, my dad came to visit for two weekends! We're super close, and I can't wait to introduce him to my friends – he's already heard so much about them. I’ve been looking forward to him coming for a while, ever since we planned our trips in January to Berlin and Switzerland! It’ll be a nice break to travel with him because we’re super compatible. Both of us like to take our time, wander in search of hidden gems, and learn about the local culture and history. Hear more about our Berlin trip in a later section of this week's blog.

Czech Cooking Class

Every Friday IFSA sponsors an event for the students who stayed in town for the day or weekend. This week’s event was a Czech specialty cooking class! Because my dad was still jet lagged from his arrival Thursday night, we weren’t leaving for Berlin until Saturday morning. No complaints for the late departure though, I was super excited to have the opportunity to learn how to properly cook Czech cuisine. We made dumplings, potato soup, buttery sauced chicken, and an apple streusel. There was a solid group of 10 students, along with our two cool program directors, Ady and Dominika, who made it even more fun!

Berlin!

This weekend my dad and I went to Berlin! We took the train on Saturday morning for just over 4 hours to get there, and immediately checked into the hotel so we could explore. Our first stop was the Berlin Wall memorial, which commemorates the division of Berlin by the Berlin Wall. It was sad but interesting to learn about the circumstances of living on each side of the wall, and the deaths that occurred at the border. I learned that my dad studied abroad in the winter of 1989, and was supposed to be in Berlin when the wall fell in November 1989, but chose to visit Paris instead due to the chaos surmounting in the city! We then headed to the East Side Gallery afterwards, an open-air gallery consisting of a series of murals painted directly on the longest surviving section of the Berlin Wall on Mühlenstraße in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. The gallery consists of 105 paintings by artists from all over the world, originally painted in 1990 on the side of the Wall that was formerly facing East Berlin. The paintings comment on the political changes of 1989/90, reflecting a period of change and optimism for a freer future worldwide.

The actual border at the time had been the river Spree, which we walked along to get to our next stop: Markthalle Neun. It became a full-on Naschmarkt, or snack market! There were tens of stalls showcasing their sweet and savory goods, like bread, cheese, buns, chocolates, pizza, wine, beer, and more! It was packed with people flowing out into the streets, making for an extremely local, lively atmosphere that couldn’t be missed. My dad, who typically hates such crowded spaces, absolutely loved it and wished we could spend more time there. Check out some of the food we got below, including pizza, ice cream, and a cannoli!

Next, we headed north to the Brandenburg Gate, arriving just in time for sunset. It was originally built in 1791 as an entrance to Unter den Linden, which led to the Prussian palace, but later became a symbol of German division, as the Berlin Wall shut off access to the gate for both East and West Germans. It served as the backdrop for President Ronald Reagan’s famous 1987 speech in which he pleaded, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” The gate is now a national symbol of peace and unity. Nearby we visited the Holocaust memorial, also known as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Architect Peter Eisenman placed 2711 concrete stelae of different heights to create an immersive spatial structure. The abstract design leaves it up to visitors to interpret the meaning behind the memorial as they walk through. I noticed that people suddenly seem to disappear behind the concrete blocks, despite being in front of you the very moment before. It felt like an act of surveillance, paired with voidness and abandonment. The towering sensation of the concrete blocks only added to the overwhelming feeling of uncertainty and discomfort. The grid shape of the memorial, however, served to emit light at the end of each aisle.

The time we spent here was emotionally taxing, so we decided to take a walk before heading back to the hotel to freshen up and get ready for dinner. We were sure to walk past the Reichstag, the German parliament building, but we were not permitted entry since we hadn’t gotten tickets in advance.

Saturday night, my dad and I decided to hang out at the hotel bar for a couple of hours. We chatted with these two women, one from Canada and the other China, who had moved to Berlin a few years ago. They explained that Berlin is a hub for art and expression, and that only one third of the Berlin population is actually from Berlin. Another third is made up of German natives, and the final third comes from the rest of the world, which I thought was pretty cool.

Sunday morning we checked out the Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace) from its gardens. They were simply beautiful and had an incredible view of the palace over the river. As an added bonus, the sun beamed through the clouds in a way that perfectly complemented the cool morning air. I found a Biergarten for lunch afterwards, a local spot with amazing and authentic dishes. Our meal was prolonged due to our order being misplaced in the kitchen, but they gave us a free apple crumble for the trouble. Definitely worth it!

We only had time for one museum Sunday afternoon, so I picked Topographie des Terrors, a site of remembrance on the site of the SS central command where the Gestapo, SS, and Reich Security Main Office operated during the Nazi regime. The permanent exhibition, "Topography of Terror," details the crimes committed there. Outside, we found another permanent exhibition, "Berlin 1933-1945," which focused on Nazi policies in the city. Many of these I had learned about in the Holocaust class I took back in Ann Arbor. The details hit much harder, however, when reviewing this information in the station at which the crimes were planned and atrocities were determined to be executed. My dad and I both wished we had a longer time in Berlin, both to learn and explore… but it gives us all the more reason to go back!

Now, some ins and outs for the week.

Ins:

Bringing visitors to class: Samantha not only joined my architecture tour, but was able to sit in on my Essential Czech class as well! The professors were super cool about this, especially if the visitor is willing to learn and engage with the rest of the class.

Essential Czech: This class is my favorite by far. It’s only once a week for an hour, but our professor has so much energy and charisma. We always start off by sharing new Czech words we’ve heard or seen throughout the week, and then move into the lesson plan for the day. It’s extremely low pressure and always has good vibes. This week, the other two sections of the class congregated in our classroom to learn a song to sing!

Gelato: We’ve had an obsession with gelato lately… to the point where we have made friends with the workers and have no shame. The gelato is super fresh, sooooo incredibly tasty, and the small cone is 59 crowns (just over $2). Bonus points for allowing customers to choose more than one flavor no matter the size, and for having WiFi!

Outs:

Random illnesses: Samantha got super sick when she was visiting and out of nowhere started throwing up. I think it may have been a combination of dehydration and pushing her body too far this week. I started not feeling well a couple days after she left too. It was definitely a signal to take a couple steps back and let the body get the rest it needs.

Spring Break: Although we were promised to have some sort of spring break in our program, it amounted to only 1 day off of school for Easter Monday. Nearly all other abroad programs and UM had this week off to travel or take a rest, so we were jealous. Because of our attendance policy, I wasn’t able to meet up with all my friends in Barcelona and Madrid this week, which I was super sad about.

Stolen Phones: Lydia got her phone stolen in Barcelona this week, and she was definitely not the first person that this happened to while abroad! Served as a harsh reminder to be careful and keep all your belongings well hidden and on you at all times. It's a total pain to get a new phone and sim abroad, especially since most of us have already had to change or add a new phone number. Fortunately, her brother visits next week and will bring her a new device... but for now, she's got a burner (with an atrocious camera)!

That’s all for this week! As always, thank you for reading this far. To all Michigan students - I hope you had a fun, relaxing, and rejuvenating break!

Na shledanou,

Reese Liebman

Computer Science and Engineering

Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA) CS Tech Career Accelerator in Prague, Czechia

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPEcsPrague #ReeseLiebman #IPEWinter24 #CzechRepublic

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warningsine · 2 months

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Over the years, Cody Clements, a marine ecologist at Georgia Tech, has planted over 10,000 coral fragments across the South Pacific.

"You can just break off a branch from a coral, plant it into the sandy bottom, and it will grow into a whole new coral," explains Clements. "I have corals out there that I've planted and they were the size of my pinky — and now they're the size of a basketball."

As he was gearing up for an experiment in 2018 in French Polynesia off the island of Mo'orea, something caught his attention. It had to do with sea cucumbers — marine invertebrates that are distantly related to starfish but resemble soft pickles.

"They come in various shapes, colors and sizes," says Clements. "Some of them are very large." They're slow-moving scavengers, and collectively they hoover up truckloads of sand to feed on algae, microbes, and organic matter. (On a single seven-square-mile reef in Queensland, Australia, researchers previously found that the sea cucumbers there are processing the equivalent of more than five Eiffel Towers of sand each year.)

At the reef in Mo'orea that Clements was studying, there were quite a few sea cucumbers. Clements decided to clear them all from his study site to make things uniform for the experiment.

But a few days later, "I started seeing that the corals were starting to die from the base up," Clements says. "And I was just like, 'OK, this is pretty abnormal.'"

Clements wondered whether relocating the sea cucumbers had had something to do with it. And in new research published in Nature Communications, he and his colleagues demonstrate that when they removed sea cucumbers from a study patch, tissue death of Acropora pulchra, a species of staghorn coral, more than tripled. And mortality of the whole colony surged 15 times.

The reasoning, says Clements, is that sea cucumbers are like "these little vacuum cleaners on the reef that are cleaning things up," digesting and eliminating microbes that can lead to coral disease and demise — threats that are exacerbated by a warming and increasingly polluted ocean.

A hunch and a museum etching

Back in 2018, when Clements first suspected that clearing out the sea cucumbers may have triggered the mortality of the corals, he rang up his supervisor at the time — Georgia Tech marine ecologist Mark Hay.

Hay recalled an etching he'd seen years earlier in the Fiji Museum depicting an old sailing vessel transporting perhaps hundreds of tons of dried sea cucumbers. It's an amount nowhere near what he's observed in the modern ocean where these squishy animals have been harvested as a delicacy to near oblivion.

"And so they must have been super abundant at one time," says Hay. "And so we had wanted to [ask], 'OK, if there were that many of them, what were they doing? And what's their real role in the world?'"

With so few sea cucumbers in most places, however, there'd been no way to answer these questions. But off the island of Mo'orea where Clements was working, there were a few bays with enough of the critters to run a simple experiment.

This was the approach: The team would identify natural patches where sea cucumbers hung out. In some, they'd remove the resident sea cukes. In others, they'd leave them alone. In both, they'd plant corals and then watch what happened.

The question they were hoping to answer about coral health was this, says Clements: "Are they more likely to get sick when we've taken the cucumbers out?"

And so the study plan was hatched.

A rough and bloody start

In early 2022, Cody Clements was three hours into his field season. He was examining a large coral colony when a searing pain tore through his right hand. Clements looked down to find a giant moray eel had bit down and wasn't letting go. Instead, it was thrashing.

It all happened so fast, Clements recalls. And before he knew it, the eel — uncharacteristically — let him go. Clements thought he might bleed out, but fortunately he made it back to his boat and then to shore. The local hospital patched him up the best they could, but ultimately he went to Tahiti where a top-notch hand surgeon managed to reattach his thumb.

"He did a really great job! I mean, compared to what it looked like the day of," says Clements.

Ten weeks later, he was back in the water to begin his experiments anew. The rest of the field work went off without a hitch, and the results left no doubt. Wherever sea cucumbers were removed, there was "15-fold more death" of the whole corals, says Hay.

They ran a similar experiment in Palmyra Atoll — a small island about a thousand miles south of Hawaii with what Hay calls "no permanent human population."

"You have to get special permission to go within 50 miles of it," he said.

The reefs of Palmyra differed from Mo'orea in important ways — they're more isolated and therefore more intact.

"I remember getting in the water at this site that's called Crazy Corals," says Clements. "I literally gasped. I was like, 'Oh my god. I've never seen corals like this.'" Some were as large as buildings. Clements was immersed in a pageant of underwater life. "There aren't many places like that left in the world."

Clements and Hay found a similar result, though less pronounced, among the corals in Palmyra Atoll. "Part of the difference is that our time on Palmyra was limited," says Hay, "and the experiment did not run for as long." And of course, the Palmyra corals as a whole seemed to be in much better health.

Still, tissue mortality more than doubled without the sea cucumbers.

A slow-burning fuse

Hay thinks the reason for the increased mortality at both the Mo'orea and Palmyra reefs may be related to the vast volume of sand that sea cucumbers process.

"We think of these sea cucumbers as little Roombas that run around and take sand in," says Hay. "They digest microbes out of it. And so the waste that would otherwise accumulate on the bottom — it's not being left there to heat up and grow microbes, many of which could be pathogenic."

The idea is that fewer microbes mean less disease, which translates into healthier coral. But ocean warming and pollution encourage more microbes and more disease, especially as sea cucumbers have been overexploited.

Hay likens it to a slow-burning fuse that we lit 100 to 200 years ago when the massive harvests of sea cucumbers were well underway. What we may have been doing for decades, he argues, is removing these pudgy custodians of the reef at the same time we've introduced a barrage of other threats. "And all of a sudden," he says, "it's blowing up on us. We've lost huge amounts of corals in the last several decades."

"I have children that are in their mid to late 30's," Hay says. "I can't show them [a reef] anywhere in the Caribbean like when they were born."

Hay says a considerable amount of the global loss of corals is due to disease. The role that sea cucumbers play in suppressing coral mortality has been "just a missed part of the ecosystem that we didn't understand was important," he argues.

Kaylie Pascoe, a coral reef biologist currently in a PhD program at the University of Arizona, said the design of the study was elegant.

"We know sea cucumbers are the filters of the sea," says Pascoe, who wasn't involved in the study. "But putting the two together — looking at coal disease and sea cucumber abundance — I thought was really unique."

Pascoe appreciated that corals were planted for these experiments, but she'd like to know the impact that sea cucumbers have on corals growing naturally. Still, she says the research brings to mind a possible solution — the Hawaiian custom of "Kapu," which basically means a no-harvest time.

"Maybe that sort of practice could be applied to sea cucumbers," she says, to allow them to grow back and do their job — "filtering sand and microbes and bacteria for the coral's health, creating the habitat for all the marine organisms."

It's an idea that resonates for Cody Clements, especially for Holothuria atra, the particular species of sea cucumber that he examined in this study, which he and his colleagues argue has little economic value on its own.

"Sea cucumbers provide an extra level of insurance against the things that are causing coral decline," says Clements. "Doesn't mean it's gonna fix everything, but we want to give them as much of a fighting chance as we can."

#sea cucumbers #nature #marine biology #coral reefs #news tag

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