SF's "Write Your Butt Off" Competition HD II.5 Remix

[Anacybele]

...So, you want us to write something about robbers stealing presents on Christmas Eve? Since that's what's happening in the video? Nothing like that is happening in Chloey's entry though. So I'm confused at what's supposed to be the prompt.

 

Edited December 9, 2019 by Anacybele

[AnonymousSpeed]

2 minutes ago, Anacybele said:

...So, you want us to write something about robbers stealing presents on Christmas Eve? Since that's what's happening in the video? Nothing like that is happening in Chloey's entry though. So I'm confused at what's supposed to be the prompt.

You don't have to adapt the song or anything. You just have to be-

inspired

[Anacybele]

1 minute ago, AnonymousSpeed said:

You don't have to adapt the song or anything. You just have to be-

inspired

Well, I don't see how Chloey was inspired by it in her entry. So...

[TheSilentChloey]

38 minutes ago, Anacybele said:

Well, I don't see how Chloey was inspired by it in her entry. So...

It reminded me somewhat of my first ever Christmas with my family.  I mean, if you weren't able to figure that out with how obvious it was supposed to be and all that.  A whole lotta hints there XP more so if you actually know a couple of things about me, which nearly everyone does.

 

Eta:

I didn't exactly come from the most privileged of backgrounds and it just reminded me of the pure juxtaposition of my birth mother and Mum- two completely different ways of life, one where I had virtually nothing and the other, an actually half decent childhood.  But again you'd have to know that somewhat.

Edited December 9, 2019 by TheSilentChloey

[Anacybele]

15 minutes ago, TheSilentChloey said:

It reminded me somewhat of my first ever Christmas with my family.  I mean, if you weren't able to figure that out with how obvious it was supposed to be and all that.  A whole lotta hints there XP more so if you actually know a couple of things about me, which nearly everyone does.

 

Eta:

I didn't exactly come from the most privileged of backgrounds and it just reminded me of the pure juxtaposition of my birth mother and Mum- two completely different ways of life, one where I had virtually nothing and the other, an actually half decent childhood.  But again you'd have to know that somewhat.

I still don't understand how it relates to the video at all.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't have a good background though.

Edited December 9, 2019 by Anacybele

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

I think it was the feel of the first half of the video (so not the song) that inspired her.

[TheSilentChloey]

7 minutes ago, Azure, Roundabouted Out said:

I think it was the feel of the first half of the video (so not the song) that inspired her.

You'd be dead on with that.  I didn't stay for the song, but the first part certainly was the inspiration.

10 minutes ago, Anacybele said:

I still don't understand how it relates to the video at all.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't have a good background though.

As Azure said, it was the first part of the video and not the actual song itself.

 

Hey it's just how the world is.  No use crying over what was, you know?  True I don't talk to my birth mother anymore but that's because she was a toxic person in general and I was getting rid of people like that from my life.  I just hope that someday people stop having shitty backgrounds like mine was, which coincidentally is why I wrote Rain's story in the first place, to try to help kids like I used to be.

[Anacybele]

1 hour ago, TheSilentChloey said:

You'd be dead on with that.  I didn't stay for the song, but the first part certainly was the inspiration.

As Azure said, it was the first part of the video and not the actual song itself.

 

Hey it's just how the world is.  No use crying over what was, you know?  True I don't talk to my birth mother anymore but that's because she was a toxic person in general and I was getting rid of people like that from my life.  I just hope that someday people stop having shitty backgrounds like mine was, which coincidentally is why I wrote Rain's story in the first place, to try to help kids like I used to be.

But Anon said "music prompt" so surely he meant to take inspiration from the song.

[TheSilentChloey]

4 minutes ago, Anacybele said:

But Anon said "music prompt" so surely he meant to take inspiration from the song.

I didn't see that.  I figured it meant Christmas theme in general, so that's where I went, plus if he says it's fine it is.

[DarthR0xas]

7 minutes ago, Anacybele said:

But Anon said "music prompt" so surely he meant to take inspiration from the song.

Sure, but is the video surrounding the song not an extension of the song itself? There are many songs where the video is the main point. A recent (recent as in, like, the past 5 years) example is Childish Gambino's "This is America", where most of the symbolism and meat of the song was found in the video. As long as the inspiration comes from the link that was shared, then I see no issue in the interpretation.

To compound on this, Anon has already stated what he meant.

3 hours ago, AnonymousSpeed said:

You don't have to adapt the song or anything. You just have to be-

inspired

That's it, you have to be inspired, period. He specifically said you don't have to take inspiration from the song.

 

[Ottservia]

3 hours ago, TheSilentChloey said:

I didn't exactly come from the most privileged of backgrounds and it just reminded me of the pure juxtaposition of my birth mother and Mum- two completely different ways of life, one where I had virtually nothing and the other, an actually half decent childhood.  But again you'd have to know that somewhat.

Edited 2 minutes ago by TheSilentChloey

Not to downplay this or anything but this reminds me of the backstory to a danganronpa character, Toko Fukawa, who also had two mothers though I think in her case both of them were abusive

[TheSilentChloey]

Just now, Ottservia said:

Not to downplay this or anything but this reminds me of the backstory to a danganronpa character, Toko Fukawa, who also had two mothers though I think in her case both of them were abusive

I'm not surprised at all.  Some people do carry that kind of baggage around after all and it is a common trope in media sadly.

[Anacybele]

@DarthR0xas @TheSilentChloey Okay, I think I understand now. My apologies for the confusion. I think I can certainly write something for this.

[Ottservia]

I don't know whether or not to write a Severa or Edelgard fic for this one cause I have ideas for both honestly.

[Anacybele]

2 minutes ago, Ottservia said:

I don't know whether or not to write a Severa or Edelgard fic for this one cause I have ideas for both honestly.

You just did Severa last round, so I'd go with Edelgard.

[AnonymousSpeed]

18 hours ago, TheSilentChloey said:

I didn't stay for the song

I implore you to.

[TheSilentChloey]

40 minutes ago, AnonymousSpeed said:

I implore you to.

It annoyed me that's why I didn't stay.  Certain things...don't sit well with me, that song...was one of those things.

[Anacybele]

I got an entry! This one ended up being one of my longer ones. But not my longest. It's also for a fandom I've not done before, and one some of you are probably not familiar with, so I'll do my best to explain it enough in a pre-read note.

Title: The Greatest Gift
Fandom: Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir (just known as Miraculous Ladybug in some other regions. Poor Cat Noir there.)
Words: 7245

Pre-Read Note:

Spoiler

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is also called just Miraculous or MLB (Miraculous Ladybug) for short. It's a show that started in 2017 and was created by France and Korea. It takes place in Paris, France and is about two teenage superheroes who are also in love with each other, but don't know it yet because of the whole secret identity thing that you commonly see with superheroes. Marinette, who is Ladybug, and Adrien, who is Cat Noir, have these magical accessories called Miraculous that are one of two things that allow them to transform. Marinette's is a pair of earrings while Adrien's is a ring. The other thing that allows a Miraculous holder to transform is a creature called a kwami. There are many kwamis, based on various animals. Tikki is the ladybug kwami and Plagg is the black cat kwami. There are also kwamis based on the Chinese zodiac as well as kwamis based on a turtle, peacock, butterfly, bee, and fox. The butterfly and peacock are currently held by villainous characters, the main one being Hawk Moth who holds the butterfly. More kwamis than just all of these are implied to exist as well and we'll hopefully see them soon. Hawk Moth sends out akumas, evilized butterflies that he creates, and turns people into supervillains with them.

Miraculous was originally going to be an anime, and a different character was planned to be Cat Noir instead of Adrien, but this was changed to 3D animation at some point. The anime trailer was posted in this thread earlier too. I started watching this show back in September and just fell in love with it! It's so cute, and not just because of the would-be romance between the two main heroes either. It's just overall entertaining with relatable characters and creative villains and plots! The writing doesn't make sense 100% of the time, but a majority of the time it does. Adrien and Marinette not realizing that they're in love does drive us fans crazy though. XD

My entry is technically a reveal story which is common for fans to make, but I tried to at least be creative with it. And I don't actually believe this is even close to how it will go in the show when it happens. But it's just a little sort of AU/what-if idea I came up with that works if taking place during Christmas.

Entry:

Spoiler

The Greatest Gift

 

“Milady, you are definitely not fine!” Cat Noir insisted as he jumped between Ladybug to block a magical blast from Matriarch’s wand with a twirl of his stick.

“Your aim with that yo-yo is off, you’re sweating, your nose is turning red, and you look like you’re shivering too!” the black cat hero continued. “That flu going around has hit you and you can’t tell me otherwise! You have to go home and rest. I don’t want to end up getting it myself either.”

“But Cat Noir, I can’t…!” Ladybug protested, even though she was panting rather heavily and her legs were wobbly. “You know you can’t de-evilize an akuma…and repair any damage without me…”

“Yeah, and we might not have a Ladybug anymore if you continue to put yourself in serious danger like this!”

“Well…then…” Ladybug began again through more deep breaths. “I just want to do one thing to help…at the very least. You have to find a way to use this… I know you can do it…!”

Before Cat Noir could say anything more, Ladybug began to toss her yo-yo into the air again.

“LUCKY CHARM!”

After she shouted the name for her primary superpower, Ladybug let her yo-yo glow and produce a helpful object, as this ability did every time. However, she began to lose her balance afterward.

“Ladybug!” Cat Noir shouted as he rushed to catch her in his arms. His partner didn’t answer him this time as she fell limp and her eyes closed. The energy it took to cast Lucky Charm had to have over-exhausted her.

He then noticed that Ladybug had managed to catch the object she’d created before she fell unconscious. Cat Noir had been too focused on Ladybug’s health to pay attention to this at first. It was a…bucket. He knew that the objects Ladybug created at times could be completely random, and this one certainly fit that category. He had no idea what he could do with it. Not against a villain like Matriarch.

“Ugggh, NO!” Cat Noir cried, his face scrunching into a grimace.

“Aww… Poor little kitty!” Matriarch taunted, still hovering in the air above him. “You’ve been left all by your lonesome. And that girl’s earrings are now ripe for the taking! Serves you right for being so naughty! TO THE TIMEOUT CHAIR WITH YOU!”

Cat Noir gasped as the fairy-like villain waved her wand at him once more. The only thing he could do was take Ladybug and leap out of the way. He couldn’t fight now, not when he had to protect her, their Miraculous, and the bucket. And on top of that, now that Ladybug used Lucky Charm, she only had minutes before she would de-transform and risk exposing her identity. This left Cat Noir with only one choice.

“I have to run and get her somewhere safe!” he said as he quickly retreated while carrying his partner in his arms. “And cover her with something before she de-transforms right in the middle of all this!”

“HEY! Come back here and sit still like a good kitty!” Matriarch called after him as she pursued from behind.

“You’re not getting anything from us except defeat!” Cat Noir retorted as he continued using his stick’s extension ability to hop from one building to another. However, even if he found a place to hide Ladybug and her identity, not to mention hide who she was from his own eyes, he still needed a plan for what to do next…

 

“…A-Adrien? …Er…Adrien?” Marinette’s voice suddenly broke the trance that her blonde dance partner had fallen into.

“…Uh! Huh? …Whoa!” Adrien finally responded. However, it was too late to prevent him from side stepping into a young man whose back was turned to him. The glass of punch he was carrying fell right to the floor and shattered.

“Ah! Oh man, I’m so sorry, sir!” Adrien quickly apologized, his face going red.

“Adrien!!” Chloe, a classmate of Adrien and Marinette, cried in annoyance from nearby. “Adrikins, how could you?! You’re not supposed to be so clumsy! That’s Maribrat’s job!”

Marinette growled at the comment, clenching her fists.

“Don’t worry about her, Marinette,” Adrien said, bringing a hand to Marinette’s shoulder. “It’s fine. And I’m definitely glad my father isn’t here to see this.”

Adrien knew Marinette was not fond of Chloe at all, and neither were a lot of the students they knew in school. She was often selfish and rude and did not like Adrien giving attention to other girls. It was probably a miracle that Adrien even got to dance with Marinette as much as he had here already. Adrien didn’t much care for the nickname she gave him either. But he always had to give her the benefit of the doubt because they’d known each other since they were little, and she had been Adrien’s only friend and playmate then. She also helped throw the Christmas party they were currently attending in the first place and it being hosted by her and her father, the mayor of Paris, was surely the only reason Adrien’s father allowed him to go. He just wished Chloe wouldn’t take so much for granted and learned to be a little nicer sometimes.

“Oh, alright,” Marinette conceded. “A-Anyway, are you, uh, alright? You seemed to…um, get attracted? Uh, retracted! No, I mean distracted! Yes, distracted. Heh…”

Adrien was never sure why Marinette seemed to stumble her words around him sometimes. At least…until one possible reason had crossed his mind some time back. And it was something he had been thinking about recently.

“Oh, yeah, that…” Adrien remembered. “I’m sorry. I did zone out back there. I…guess I started thinking about too much. Do you mind if I go outside for a little fresh air?”

“Oh, no, no, not at all. Go ahead. I-It’s okay,” Marinette replied with a smile, though it seemed to be a tad awkward for her.

“Ah, thanks. I’ll try not to be long, I promise.”

With that, Adrien made for the doors of the banquet room in the hotel which the party was taking place. Chloe’s father was the owner of the hotel which was why he could have a party there. Before exiting through the doors, Adrien turned to give Marinette a little wave. Somehow, she looked even more stunning than when he’d first joined her at the party earlier. Her bluish black hair was still partially tied, and she was still wearing the same red holiday gown she had designed herself as an up and coming fashion designer. And yet, Adrien felt she’d only become more beautiful. And cuter. He felt that his black suit and green festive bow tie couldn’t compare at all.

And the funny thing was…these colors were fitting for them in other ways too. Those ways being their alter egos.

If only I’d seen sooner that the one I loved was there all along, Adrien thought to himself as he went through the lobby doors and outside. I always felt like there was something more with Mari despite that I’d fallen for Ladybug. Now I know why. And yet…

“I haven’t been able to tell her anything about this,” Adrien mused to himself as he looked at the darkening Paris sky before him.

“Oh great. Are you still moping about what happened four months ago?” a familiar annoyed voice spoke up from inside Adrien’s jacket. A black cat creature with piercing green eyes appeared from the jacket just as he’d spoke.

“Yeah, Plagg. I admit I am,” Adrien replied. “I’m sorry to say this, but… I don’t think I can keep this much longer. I’m tired of lying to the girl I love like this. I have to tell Marinette the truth. That I found out she’s Ladybug. She also deserves to know how I really stopped Matriarch and saved her mother.”

“What?! But you know what could happen if your identities slip out!” Plagg warned. “And remember it involved Alya and Nino too! Hawk Moth already knows that they held Miraculous at some point, if he finds they’re still helping you in other ways, he could go after them!”

“I know. That’s why I’ve tried so hard to keep this secret,” Adrien continued. “But it feels even more wrong to lie to Mari about so much and not tell her that I love her than it would to tell the truth and guard secrets together. I know we could do it. And I know that even if Hawk Moth did find out more as well…we could handle anything he throws at us. I’ve told you before, I have a hunch Mari has a crush on me and that’s why she never returned Cat Noir’s feelings as Ladybug.”

“This still smells like rotten cheese, Adrien,” Plagg commented, folding his little arms. “But speaking of cheese, I guess I’ll support you here as long as I get extra camembert if this gets you in trouble!”

“Heh, alright, it’s a deal. I’m going to talk to Ladybug next time we finish a mission.”

Plagg would do just about anything for his favorite smelly cheese.

“I just hope Marinette isn’t too upset with me…” Adrien mused some more. “Sigh… I really screwed up…”

 

“UGH! How could I have been so STUPID?!” Cat Noir opined at himself after he’d brought the de-transformed Marinette home to her bed. He was now standing upon her balcony.

“Plagg, claws in,” he then said. The short incantation then gradually removed his cat suit, returning him to his civilian form and the usual jeans, white jacket, and black shirt with the few colored stripes that Adrien wore a lot.

“Plagg, I seriously messed up and I don’t know what to do!” Adrien continued. “I found out Mari’s identity. All because I had to get TRIPPED!”

“Adrien, calm down,” Plagg replied. “I can share my camembert!”

Adrien just gave his kwami a blank stare.

“Hey, just trying to help, sheesh,” Plagg replied with a grumble. “Anyway, we can still fix this! As soon as Marinette is feeling a little better, she can get back in action!”

“And who knows how long she’ll be sick?!” Adrien snapped. “She shouldn’t have tried to fight while sick, but… Now I know why she seemed to be taking this villain more personally than usual. Matriarch is Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, her own mother. She was putting herself at risk for her mother. I should have been more careful! I should have wrapped that sheet around her tighter or something! I’m lucky no one else saw her! Isn’t that ironic…”

“Well, Adrien, whining about it up here isn’t going to help.”

“And neither are you right now! …Sorry, I…I need to figure out something! Please help me think.”

“Okay, okay! …Well, if we don’t wait for Ladybug to recover, we’re going to have to find other help in order to release that akuma.”

“I want to do that. But since Marinette is now the only one who can open the Miracle Box, I can’t do anything with the other Miraculous. And I can’t de-evilize an akuma or fix any damage. I could take Marinette’s Miraculous and find a temporary new Ladybug…”

“Okay, worst idea EVER!” Plagg commented. “She’d probably wake up before you got back and wonder what happened to the earrings and Tikki! And then both of them would go crazy!”

“…True. And Tikki would probably not like the idea either,” Adrien agreed. “…Wait. I think there is one other way I can get rid of the akuma. I can destroy it with Cataclysm.”

Adrien’s superpower allowed him to destroy anything he touched, and nothing said that didn’t include akumas. …But the only problem was, he could only have one chance to use this power.

“But that would mean fighting and defeating Matriarch without using it!” Plagg pointed out.

“I know. I’m just going to have to find the answer with this.”

Adrien then held up the bucket Marinette had conjured earlier. It was a good thing that anything produced by powers from the Miraculous stayed intact even after the Miraculous holder de-transformed. Until whatever was conjured was used up or destroyed, of course.

“And then what about the damage Matriarch has caused?” Plagg continued. “Our power isn’t going to do anything about that.”

“I’ll have to figure out that part later. For now, we go confront Matriarch and use this bucket. Marinette put her faith in me and I won’t let her down! Plagg, claws out!”

Before Plagg could respond, Adrien’s Miraculous, the ring on his right ring finger, vacuumed him up and let Adrien regain his Cat Noir form. The black cat suit complete with ears and tail belt returned within seconds, and right after, the hero hopped atop the balcony railing with his stick in hand.

“Matriarch, you’ve just been added to my bucket list!”

 

“Mari, I’m so sorry I had to do this…” Adrien uttered to himself as he’d gotten lost in a trance again.

“Hey, dude!” a familiar male voice soon spoke up, snapping him to reality once more.

Adrien turned to see his best friend, Nino greeting him, alongside Marinette’s own best friend, Alya. Nino and Alya were also dating.

“Marinette said you were out here getting some air and we all decided to check up on you,” Alya replied with a smile.

“Yeah, everything okay?” Nino wondered. Nino’s dark suit and blue bow tie as well as Alya’s golden holiday gown literally suited their tanner skin tones and dark hair.

“I-I started getting a little worried,” Marinette admitted.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Adrien replied, though that wasn’t entirely true. “Don’t worry about me, guys. I appreciate it though! I’ll come back inside now.”

“Great! I want to have some more fun!” Nino proclaimed.

“Me too! In fact, look what I grabbed for you two!” Alya added and then held a mistletoe over Adrien and Marinette’s heads.

When the pair looked up and saw it, their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Marinette when completely red as a rose while Adrien felt his cheeks go red as well.

“ALYA!!” Marinette cried and brought her hands to her face.

“Ooh!” Nino commented with a chuckle.

“Oh come on, it’s just a little mistletoe!” Alya ushered.

Adrien didn’t say anything right away. Before he knew it, he found himself quickly pecking Marinette on the cheek. Marinette flushed pink yet again and her mouth dropped open…and seemed to just stay open.

“…Oh, uh, sorry, Mari…” Adrien immediately said after. “I-I guess I couldn’t help myself.”

Alya brought a finger to Marinette’s chin to help her friend close her mouth.

“Earth to Mari!” she said. “Heh heh.”

“…Oh!” Marinette said, shaking her head to get out of her trance. She paused for a moment and seemed to stiffen, but then took Adrien’s face in both hands and pecked him on the cheek as well. Adrien recalled that Marinette had actually done this once before, and back then he hadn’t blushed…but this time he was as his eyes widened again.

“I-It’s okay, Adrien,” Marinette uttered with another awkward smile.

“…Heh. Thanks, Marinette,” Adrien replied, his initial surprise now a rather loving smile.

“Well, that wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for,” Alya commented. “But it’s a step in the right direction! Heh heh.”

“Uh…” Adrien began confusedly.

“Alya, stop it!” Marinette insisted, her face still rather pink.

“…Whoa! What is that?!” Nino suddenly gasped and pointed to the top of some nearby buildings.

Adrien, Marinette, and Alya peered up to see a shadowy figure with a sack hop out of the window of one building and jump to another building. Nino and Alya adjusted their glasses slightly to make sure they were really seeing what they saw. This figure also looked to be wearing a Santa hat…but something was off about it.

….Don’t tell me Santa’s been akumatized again for some reason, Adrien thought to himself in annoyance. It’d be the second year in a row!

“That guy’s breaking into buildings!” Nino realized. “Whoever it is might be stealing stuff!”

“Wow, I hope Ladybug and Cat Noir stop him soon! He could ruin Christmas for some people!” Alya added.

“Yeah, I agree,” Adrien replied. “You guys should go back inside and warn the party guests. I’ve got to let the Gorilla know what’s going on and tell him I’m safe or else he’s going to go running all over the place looking for me once he hears there’s a crook on the loose.”

“Alright, I’ll…call my parents and then join you inside later,” Marinette decided.

“Done,” both Alya and Nino agreed and then immediately rushed back inside. Adrien then headed towards the parking lot where his bodyguard was, leaving Marinette on her own in front of the lobby doors.

It only took a minute to relay the information to the big burly bodyguard Adrien called the Gorilla. Adrien then rushed back towards the hotel and slipped inside a back door. He soon found a maintenance closet and hid inside. Plagg then reappeared from his jacket.

“Aw man, someone just has to try ruining a good party with good food! And great cheese, I might add,” the kwami unsurprisingly complained.

“Plagg, I don’t know what this guy is breaking into places for, but we’re going to find out!” Adrien replied. “Plagg, claws out!”

 ***

“You’re done stealing presents, Anti-Santa!” Ladybug proclaimed as the akumatized villain’s antlered holiday head accessory was disintegrated by Cat Noir’s Cataclysm-empowered hand.

As the black energy from Cat Noir’s hand vanished, a dark purple butterfly emerged from where the accessory had been. Ladybug then opened her yo-yo in preparation to capture it.

“No more evil-doing for you, little akuma!” she continued and swung the yo-yo at the butterfly. “Time to de-evilize!”

When it reappeared from inside the yo-yo, the akuma was returned to its normal white color and it fluttered away.

“Bye bye, little butterfly!” Ladybug finished with a smile. She then tossed the item she had conjured with Lucky Charm earlier, a stuffed doll, into the air.

“MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!”

As soon as Ladybug shouted these words, the magic of her second super power allowed the stolen presents to be instantly returned to their owners. Any damage that had occurred due to Anti-Santa’s actions was repaired immediately. Buildings that had broken windows or doors were returned to normal, and any vehicles that had dents or other damage from the battle were fixed.

“Another night, another villain stopped, Milady!” Cat Noir commented happily. “Hawk Moth isn’t getting our Miraculous under his tree this year! Instead he ought to get coal! Ha ha.”

“That’s for certain!” Ladybug agreed and held up a friendly fist.

Cat Noir did the same and the two brought their fists together for a fist pump.

“Pound it!” they happily proclaimed together.

The two then turned their attention to the person that had once been Anti-Santa. It turned out he was just a surprised young man in a store clerk uniform. And not Santa himself as Cat Noir had feared.

“W-What?!” he gasped. “Why am I in the middle of a street at night?”

“You were akumatized,” Ladybug explained. “You should go home to your family so they don’t worry.”

“…Oh dear!” the man blubbered. “I should’ve known. I was getting upset at seeing spoiled rotten children getting gift after gift while poorer, better behaved children were left with little to nothing. It always saddened me that I couldn’t do anything to help and I guess this time I…”

“Don’t worry, everything’s good now,” Cat Noir replied. “I can understand those feelings too…”

Cat Noir was reminded of how, despite being from a rich family, his father tended to neglect him, even at Christmas and birthdays. The gifts Gabriel Agreste would give were often boring or more or less the same thing. Just once, Adrien would like a more thoughtful gift from him.

“Maybe next year, you could start a donation drive?” Ladybug suggested. “That would be a good way to get people to be more aware of families in need!”

“…Ah! Yes, that’s a great idea! Thank you, Ladybug. I will certainly remember this for next Christmas!” the store clerk excitedly agreed. He then rushed off.

“Glad he wasn’t actually Santa again,” Cat Noir then said. “I’d seriously begin questioning people’s holiday spirits if it was! After all, this is a time to be paws-itive!”

“…Heh, silly kitty,” Ladybug commented with a light chuckle at the one of many puns Cat Noir loved to make.  “Well, I should go now. I left a party and—”

“Oh! Uh, wait, Ladybug. I…I need to talk to you about something before you go,” Cat Noir interrupted, though rather hesitantly.

“Cat Noir, I’m going to de-transform soon,” Ladybug pointed out as her earrings beeped. “And I’ve got some friends who are surely wondering where I’m at.”

“Yeah, I know,” Cat Noir replied. “Just hear me out. Please… It’s…important. And we should go to a more private spot.”

“Sigh… Alright, but make it quick. I have less time than you do.”

“Thanks.”

With that, the two then hopped atop a nearby building and stood upon the roof. The beloved Eiffel Tower was shining in the distance under the starlight.

 “Okay, First though…I’ve a feeling you might possibly get a little bit mad at me, so…” Cat Noir began.

He then dropped to one knee, produced a rose from his suit’s pocket, and offered it to Ladybug.

“A little holiday cheer for you? Heh heh…”

Ladybug merely folded her arms and gave him a stern look.

“…Okay, it was worth a try,” Cat Noir conceded with an embarrassed chuckle. “Right? Anyway, about what I want to say…”

“Yes, please get to the point.”

“Right, yeah. You see… Milady, I…” Cat Noir began. “I have…a confession. I should have told you this sooner. Much sooner…”

Ladybug then sighed in annoyance.

“Really. Cat Noir, you’ve told me about how much you love me a number of times before. We’ve talked about this.”

“What? No, no! I mean, yes, I do love you, but that’s not what I wanted to say!” Cat Noir insisted. “This is about something else. I made a big mistake a while back… And I’m still beating myself up for it because it was that bad.”

“What do you mean?” Ladybug wondered, arching an eyebrow.

“Milady, I…I…” Cat Noir’s face began scrunching up into a grimace and then raised his voice a little. “I accidentally found out who you are! I know it’s you under the mask, Marinette…”

Ladybug’s eyes then widened further than Cat Noir had ever seen them before.

“Wait…. What?!” she gasped. “How…?! When?! How long have you known?!”

Cat Noir’s gaze then went to the roof the two stood upon.

“…Since Matriarch,” he confirmed.

“…WHAT?! Then you did see me after I’d passed out from that flu and de-transformed!” she realized.

“…Yes.”

“And that means… Tikki lied to me too?! She said you never saw me!”

“…Y-Yes. I asked her to. I am so sorry. I really am!” Cat Noir pleaded, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

“…Tikki, spots off!” was all Marinette could angrily say at this point.

The red kwami with a few black spots then emerged from the ladybug earrings, and Marinette was soon back in her holiday gown as the Ladybug suit vanished.

“Tikki, you lied to me! You lied for Cat Noir when I had the flu!” she confronted her now surprised kwami. "I can't believe you both!"

“Wha…? Cat Noir, you told her?” Tikki then said.

“Yeah, just now,” Cat Noir admitted.

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” Tikki somberly apologized, looking at the ground below her. “At the time, Cat Noir and I thought it was the right thing to do… I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Yeah, don’t be too hard on her, Mari,” Cat Noir added. “I was the one who dragged Tikki into that mess… It’s not her fault.”

 "Well, I'm still disappointed in you, Tikki, but I suppose I can understand," Marinette continued, and then turned her attention back to Cat Noir. "And you! You’ve also been lying to me all this time about still keeping our identities secret!”

“Uh! Well, not exactly,” Cat Noir nervously protested. “I still kept yours a secret. I swear to you, I never told anyone! Cat’s honor.”

“You better not have.”

“I never did. Believe me. And I know lying to you was wrong, but…” Cat Noir continued, a tear trailing down his face as he then sat down upon the roof. “I just wanted to protect you. And I tried not to see you, I really did. I covered you with a sheet that I took from someone who was about to throw it out. I was trying to bring you somewhere safe. And I kept fighting off Matriarch as best as I could. But she found us again, and I tripped while trying to get away. The sheet partly slipped, and… Marinette, I’m really really sorry! I really truly am!”

Cat Noir then covered his face with his hands.

“I also didn’t tell you the truth about how Matriarch was defeated,” he went on. “I didn’t handle it as well as I’d said. And lately…I’ve felt so bad about it that I couldn’t bring myself to lie to you anymore. That’s why I’m telling you the truth now. If you hate me…I understand. You trusted me to do the right thing and I betrayed that trust…”

Marinette didn’t say anything right away. Cat Noir then figured maybe she didn’t want to talk to him anymore after what he’d done. He wouldn’t blame her, honestly.

“Cat Noir…” Marinette finally uttered a moment later, to Cat Noir’s surprise. “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you.”

Cat Noir looked up at Marinette to see that she had sat down with him.

“Really? I’m glad to hear it, Milady,” Cat Noir replied, managing a small smile. “Very glad. Because…well, you already know how much I care for you.”

“What? Are you sure you don’t just love Ladybug?” Marinette wondered, her gaze looking away. “I’m just clumsy and unconfident Marinette under the mask… You didn’t like her. I’m really just a disappointment…”

“I didn’t ever dislike you,” Cat Noir insisted. “I couldn’t ever. And you’re definitely not a disappointment at all! I’m thrilled that the girl I love is you. I’ve really thought that you were amazing both in the mask and under it. Ladybug is still you. It’s just the side of you that first made me fall for you. And also, don’t forget that I didn’t know you and Ladybug were the same person. Heh…”

“Wow… Really? Heh…I guess that’s all true, though…when you put it that way,” Marinette admitted, a smile forming on her features as her cheeks flushed pink.

“…Hey, is that a blush I see, Milady?” Cat Noir noticed and waggled his eyebrows as he smiled again.

“Oh stop it. You know I love another boy,” Marinette pointed out. “Though I do admit that I’ve grown very fond of you as well anyway, whether it’s another crush or not. It’s just, I want to be faithful to the one I already love, you know?”

“Hey, I totally get that,” Cat Noir replied, and then saw his ring beep. This was the last time it would beep before he’d de-transform.

“And…you know what? I have a feeling now that I know who that boy is,” Cat Noir continued, and winked at Marinette.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Marinette wondered.

“Heh…”

With that, Cat Noir closed his eyes and smiled as his transformation wore off and he became Adrien once more. Marinette gasped as her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

“Hi, Marinette,” Adrien said with a little wave. “Is it me?”

“…A…ADRIEN?!” Marinette finally cried, almost loud enough to sting Adrien’s ears. “What… How…? But…!”

“Surprise, Purrincess,” Adrien replied with a chuckle, using the nickname pun he’d given Marinette while in the Cat Noir suit.

Marinette let out a high-pitched gasp that seemed to be more out of embarrassment than anything, and her face turned redder than a rose. She also covered her face with her hands after.

“…What’s wrong? Are you disappointed?” Adrien wondered with a frown. “I really was beginning to think it was me that you were in love with…”

“Oh… No, no…” Marinette finally uttered and uncovered her face. “I’m not disappointed. It’s just… I’m confused now! Adrien… I stumbled my words around you, fell flat on my face in front of you numerous times…  And…y-yes. All because I had the biggest crush on you ever since you gave me your umbrella the day we met. But…”

Before Marinette could continue, Adrien suddenly burst into laughter. He wasn’t surprised that he’d been right about who Marinette’s crush was, but he was highly amused all the same.

“Hey, what’s so funny?!” Marinette demanded.

“Oh, sorry about that, Milady,” Adrien replied when he could calm down. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because…well, think about it! Our competition was ourselves! Ha ha ha!”

Marinette blinked as Adrien began laughing again.

“…Oh my goodness. You’re right,” she realized and began giggling. “That is kind of funny! But… I also feel bad about it because I was rejecting you all this time without knowing that you were actually the boy I loved. And I kept saying how much better Adrien was than Cat Noir too… And…you act so different as Cat Noir! I can’t believe that the polite and kind boy I love is that silly kitty.”

“Heh, yeah, I understand,” Adrien replied, finally letting his laughter completely subside. “I admit, I was always disappointed that you weren’t falling for…well, the real me.”

“What? The Adrien I love is a fake then?!”

“What? Oh, no, no! Sorry, that came out totally wrong. Stupid me.”

Adrien then slapped his face before continuing.

“You see, my father always expects me to act and be so perfect,” he began explaining. “It’s good to be polite regardless, but I don’t ever feel like I can truly let myself go and be who I am completely except when I’m in the cat suit. I can say whatever I want and whatever comes to mind when I’m Cat Noir. But my father would never let me act that way. I couldn’t act that way around anyone as Adrien, because I was afraid it would reflect badly on my father for some reason. I love jokes and puns and flirting. I love helping you stop villains. Being Cat Noir is the one time I have a lot of fun. I never meant to annoy you at all.”

“Oh… I see. I can understand,” Marinette replied. “Gabriel does expect a lot of you, and he did once ask me “isn’t my son perfect?” I had a hard time answering… But yeah. I’m sorry for not being able to understand before… I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

“I know. I didn’t think you ever did. But I’m still the Adrien you love too. There’s a reason Master Fu picked me to hold the cat Miraculous, after all,” Adrien pointed out. “I still will always help people in need and stuff. I just couldn’t show you and our friends every side of me that I wanted. Does that make more sense?”

“Ah. Yes,” Marinette confirmed and then smiled. “And…I think I can love all sides of you too.”

With that, Marinette grabbed the collar of Adrien’s jacket and pressed her lips against his. Adrien’s eyes widened at the sudden gesture, but he wasn’t hesitant for long to bring his hands to Marinette’s waistline and return the passionate kiss.

“Marinette…” Adrien said in a near whisper after they parted. “I love all sides of you too.”

“Oh, Adrien… Thank you…”

“Of course, my love.”

The two shared a short silence as they let sink into their minds that they were now officially a couple. Adrien was more than happy that Marinette still accepted him after he’d betrayed her trust. And that she understood why he’d done what he did. In fact…it was the greatest gift he could ask for this holiday, and made this the best Christmas ever, regardless of whatever boring repeat gift his father left him.

“So… You said you also didn’t tell the truth about how you saved my mom,” Marinette soon spoke up and changed the subject. “How did you do it then? I’m curious.”

“Oh, right!” Adrien realized. “I didn’t explain that. I meant to, but…I guess we got a little carried away here. Heh. But anyway, it’s kind of a funny story. I think it is, at least. I didn’t tell you the truth here because as I said about the identity lie, I thought you’d be mad at me for how I pulled it off.”

“But why would I be mad at you winning?”

“Well, just listen.”

Adrien then explained that after he’d taken Marinette home and re-transformed, he went to confront Matriarch, making sure he kept the bucket that Marinette had previously conjured with him. He found Matriarch in the park they went to a lot, looking for more so-called naughty children to put in her timeout spell. Neither Adrien nor Marinette were ever sure what kid or kids had triggered Sabine’s akumatization, but she had been “punishing” bad children, most of which weren’t really that naughty at all. Adrien initially attempted to fight Matriarch on his own and desperately looked around for an answer to how the bucket factored in.

“I’m not as clever as you,” Adrien continued. “I had a hard time. Meanwhile, Matriarch had all but cleaned out the area of innocent children, and our fight was actually doing a lot of damage. I couldn’t actually minimize that damage at all. And I had no way to fix that damage without your power. I couldn’t take your Miraculous from you, as you might have woken and freaked out.”

“I see… I can understand that,” Marinette replied. “Go on, though. You did figure something out, right? So you can be clever!”

“Heh, yeah, I did. But…” Adrien confirmed. “But not until I spotted Nino and Alya hiding from the villain. They probably were on a date in the park. I…then finally figured out a plan. I didn’t want you to be angry with me that I put our friends in danger. But the solution I’d come up with was the only one I could find and they were a part of it. I asked them to pretend to misbehave and fight with each other so Matriarch would be distracted. I was risking them being caught in her spell, but…yeah.”

“…Adrien…you’re right, I don’t like our friends being put in danger like that,” Marinette admitted. “But it must’ve worked out in the end.”

“It did. While Matriarch was distracted,” Adrien continued. “I filled the bucket with water from the park fountain. As fast as my stick could launch me while extended, I dumped the water on Matriarch’s wings. Moisture weighs down a butterfly’s wings and makes them unable to fly, or even move much, I think , so I thought the same might apply here. Matriarch was then forced to the ground, and I shouted for Alya and Nino to tackle and pin her. I then grabbed her flower hair accessory, ripped it, and the akuma was free. Your mom wore that accessory a lot, so it was my best guess at where the akuma was. I saved Cataclysm to use on the akuma itself and it was destroyed.”

“Oh! See, that was clever, Adrien!” Marinette complimented and clapped. “I said it before and I’ll say it again now: I knew you could do it.”

“Heh… Thanks.”

“You’re welcome! …Oh, but… What about all that damage? It wasn’t there when I awoke!”

“Ah, yes. That’s the funny part. Alya was the savior there. It turned out that a recording of your voice shouting “Miraculous Ladybug” could trigger that power! And Alya, unsurprisingly, had some footage of you using it on her phone and in the Ladyblog. She played it while I tossed the bucket skyward as you would have.”

“…Oh my goodness! That is amazing,” Marinette commented, clear surprise in her voice. “We’ll have to remember that trick for the future, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah!”

“You two have to be very careful from now on though!” Tikki jumped in. She and Plagg had chosen to remain silent for awhile during the conversation since they knew it was important.

“Yeah, you know each other’s identities!” Plagg added. “Remember Master Fu’s warnings?”

“Yeah, we know,” Marinette assured them. “We promise to be extra careful. Right, Adrien?”

“Of course,” Adrien agreed.

“I do admit though, you both knowing your identities could make it easier for you to recruit help and guard the other Miraculous,” Tikki added. “And Plagg and I are happy for you too!”

“Yeah, for sure!” Plagg seconded.

“Aw, thanks,” Adrien replied with a bashful smile.

“Yeah, I’m happy to hear it, Tikki!” Marinette added.

“By the way, Marinette…” Adrien spoke up. “Another thing about our identities that always sort of bothered me. And this isn’t in any way your fault. But I always disliked that people seemed to only love me as Adrien Agreste the model, while they loved you as Ladybug. Nobody seemed to care nearly as much about Cat Noir… Didn’t I do just as much work as you? I mean, I’m not just in this for the fame, of course, but it was always discouraging that you were more recognized than me. And my life as Adrien…well, I don’t care too much for it, even if I appreciate the respect.”

“Wow, really? I was always discouraged at how much attention I’d get as Ladybug while people like Chloe would just pick on me as Marinette. I totally understand,” Marinette revealed.

“Oh. Wow. I would have never guessed. You seemed to enjoy being Ladybug,” Adrien observed.

“Well, in a way, yes. I like that I can make a difference in Paris and that Master Fu saw this potential in me. But having so much attention only when I put on that suit…it’s overwhelming, and it made me feel like the real me was just a disappointment. That’s why I was afraid of you thinking I was a disappointment…”

“Oh… I see. Heh, that’s something else amusing then. You thought you were a disappointment while just being you. I thought I was a disappointment as a superhero!”

“Heh. Well, you’re not a disappointment in any way. You definitely do as much work to protect Paris as I do! I wouldn’t be able to do much at all without Cat Noir, Adrien. You’ve even saved me numerous times. You’re very important with the mask as well as without it.”

“Heh… Glad to hear it.”

“In fact, I should ask Alya to give Cat Noir some more attention on the Ladyblog and make it known how important you are to Ladybug and Paris!”

“Really? That would be amazing. Thanks, Marinette.”

“Of course!”

A moment later, Marinette gasped.

“…Oh no! The party and our friends! We’ve got to go, Adrien!”

The pair had been gone from the hotel for far too long.

“Dang it, you’re right! Everyone’s probably worried!” Adrien also realized, his eyes widening. “Let’s hurry!”

As fast as the pair could, they fed their kwamis in order to reenergize them, transformed again, and high-tailed it back to the hotel. Of course, they also made sure they could de-transform in a safe area before going back inside. When they did, they rushed through the lobby doors and then the banquet room doors as quickly as they could to rejoin their friends. Of course, Nino and Alya rushed over as soon as they saw them near the middle of the room.

“Marinette! Where have you been, girl?!” Alya demanded, hugging her best friend. “And Adrien too! What happened? Give us the deets!”

“Yeah, dudes, we were worried about you!” Nino added.

“Heh, sorry about that,” Adrien apologized, scratching the back of his head. “We accidentally ran into that villain and…”

“He locked us in a closet and we were stuck there the whole time!” Marinette quickly added. Adrien always had to admit that she always was good at coming up with excuses.

“Oh, wow,” Nino commented. “Glad you were able to escape! Was that villain caught?”

“Yeah, Ladybug and Cat Noir saved the day, as usual,” Adrien reported. “They saw the villain throw us in that closet and were able to let us out after dealing with him.”

“Good thing, then!” Alya said. “No one would’ve known you were there otherwise! Not for a long time.”

“Yeah,” Marinette replied. “Alya, could you do me a favor, by the way? I’ve been thinking. You give Ladybug a lot of attention on the Ladyblog, but do you talk much about Cat Noir?”

“Hmm… I guess I don’t, come to think of it,” Alya realized. “You want me to give him more attention?”

“Yeah, I was thinking he deserves more,” Marinette confirmed. “I mean, doesn’t he do just as much to protect Paris as Ladybug?”

“…Yeah, you’re right,” Alya agreed. “I can definitely do that! The poor cat does work hard without getting as much in return. Time to fix that!”

“Great! Thanks, Alya,” Marinette replied.

“No problem! I’ll see what I can do right now,” Alya decided. “Nino, you can give me a hand, if you’d like.”

“Oh, sure!” Nino agreed and followed her towards a table.

“By the way, you two…” Alya continued, still facing Adrien and Marinette. She then pointed above their heads to the ceiling.

Adrien and Marinette confusedly looked up, only to see a mistletoe hanging from a chandelier. Their faces soon flushed pink as they looked back at each other. Instead of being awkward like last time, however, Adrien just gave Marinette a loving look and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say “well, why not?” Marinette couldn’t help but smile herself and take the message as the two leaned forwards to allow their lips to meet again.

Several gasps escaped the mouths of the guests while Alya’s mouth fell open. Nino chuckled at his date’s reaction. Their friends all began cheering for the happy couple a moment later. Adrien and Marinette didn’t part right away either. They were only interrupted when a certain uninviting voice cut in.

“Whaaat?!” Chloe cried angrily. “Why does SHE get to kiss my Adrikins?! Ridiculous! Utterly RIDICULOUS!”

The mayor’s daughter then stormed out of the room. Adrien and Marinette could only watch her with neutral stares and then shrug their shoulders again. They then picked up right where they left off for the next few moments, with Marinette wrapping her arms around her new love’s neck.

“I love you,” Adrien said when they parted.

“I love you too, Adrien…” Marinette replied lovingly. “Heh, I just remembered that I still need to give you the present I made for you.”

Adrien’s own loving smile simply grew bigger.

“Marinette… Your love is the greatest Christmas gift I could ask for,” he said. “No matter what.”

“Oh, Adrien… Yours is the greatest I could ask for too. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Milady. My love.”

“…And now I think we’re going to have to figure out how to explain to Alya what happened in the “closet.” Ha ha…”

“Uh oh. Well, that’ll certainly be a meow-thful!”

“Heh, no kidding!”

Post-Read Notes:

Spoiler

- Both of the akumatized villains that appear in this were created by me, they did not appear in the show. Marinette's mom actually has yet to be akumatized for real. And honestly, I can see why. It was hard to come up with a reason for her to be!
- The whole love "quartet" going on is amusing, isn't it? Marinette has a crush on Adrien who is Cat Noir, but she rejects Cat Noir. Cat Noir loves Ladybug, but not Marinette. Or at least, that's what he'd tell you. There have been some indications that Adrien at least subconsciously has feelings for Mari. Even though "she's just a friend" has become a meme.
- Cat Noir always calls Ladybug Milady. Or when he's being a goof, Bugaboo. XD But I didn't find a reason to make that second one show up here.
- "Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" is basically Chloe's catchphrase. She really is a spoiled brat who picks on Marinette (and actually calls her Maribrat too), but I do admit that she legit cares about Adrien.
- Camembert is Plagg's favorite thing to eat. It's a stinky cheese. He's always trying to bring it into the conversation...lol
- "Pound it!" is actually what Ladybug and Cat Noir say when they finish a mission, at least in the English version.
- Yes, the objects Ladybug's Lucky Charm power creates are often unusual, random, and weird. lol The ladybug Miraculous grants the power of creation. The cat Miraculous grants the power of destruction. They're based on good luck and bad luck since ladybugs are supposed to be good luck while black cats are a sign of bad luck.
- Master Fu was the guardian of the Miraculous until he relinquished that role to Marinette at the end of season 3.
- Adrien has been shown to be able to use Cataclysm to destroy an akuma, as he did so in the recently released Cat Blanc episode.
- Marinette's voice alone can in fact activate her powers too. In the episode Silencer, her voice was stolen by the villlain Silencer and she tricked him into using it to activate Lucky Charm (and btw, most episodes are named after the villain they feature).
- There's an unplanned Pokemon reference at the very end of this...lol. I noticed it could be considered a reference when I put it in. XD

I hope this is a great read. ^^

Edited December 18, 2019 by Anacybele

[Benice]

Is it bad that every time I read 'Lucky Charm' in @Anacybele's entry, I thought of the cereal?

[Anacybele]

5 minutes ago, Benice said:

Is it bad that every time I read 'Lucky Charm' in @Anacybele's entry, I thought of the cereal?

lol nah. That's honestly amusing. XD

And I've similarly had people think of the cereal when mentioning Applejack while talking about MLP. So yeah. 😛

[Lightbringer]

I am basically thinking on what to write, problem is that they all diverge to 'use something mentioned on supplementary materials and develop it'. Where then I just think 'why not make a fanfic already...'

Well, basically I am thinking about the Brands. I kept wondering on what would happen if someone with a Brand drank the blood of another dragon to form a pact...

[Anacybele]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I wrote my entry from Cat Noir/Adrien's point of view rather than Ladybug/Marinette's because Cat Noir is my favorite character. XD And Adrien deserves some more attention anyway since a majority of the focus in Miraculous has been on Marinette so far. Though that looks to be changing a bit since the episodes Cat Blanc and Felix released. Both were Adrien-focused (fun fact: Felix is the character who was originally planned to be Cat Noir. Probably because the name Felix is similar to the word feline which is a cat. There might've also been inspiration from an old cartoon called Felix the Cat. But honestly, Adrien is a cooler name lol. Nice to see that the Miraculous folks decided not to keep Felix permanently shelved though!).

I hope we see some more entries soon, btw, I really want to read them. And we only have two so far anyway. Bring on more Christmas stories!

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by Anacybele

[Dragoncat]

Felix from Miraculous is a combo of 3H Felix and Sylvain personality wise from what Ana's told me, gotta mention.

[Anacybele]

Yeah, Felix is a douche to Adrien at first, I'm guessing because of crazy ideas his mom put in his head. Because Adrien says he and Felix were close when they were younger. They're cousins. Felix also flirted with Ladybug while disguised as Adrien (the two look a lot alike, so Felix can pull the disguise off). Felix apologizes to Adrien at the end of the episode, and it seems sincere, but we'll have to wait to see if he really meant it.

Edited December 17, 2019 by Anacybele

[SoulWeaver]

I’ve got an idea, I just need to find time to get it out, so I should be able to add another entry to read this time. Expect some religious content tho