Chapter Text
Family was strange, whether it was chosen or blood or just being in an area with people you like. All sorts of family were strange and weird, but the good ones stick through it. So, when Marinette learned that her cousins (on her father's side) from America were visiting, she knew that she'd at least try to get along with them. Her father warned her that her cousins were...strange, but really, how much stranger than her life could they be? Marinette used ancient jewelry to turn into a superhero, she could handle a few weird Americans.
Even if they were a bit...gothy. She had vague childhood memories of visiting America, New Jersey specifically, and coming across the old Victorian manor that her cousins lived in. Covered in cobwebs and it never seemed entirely lit no matter how bright it was outside. Strange, but loving. Her father's brother was a short Italian (maybe) man with a tall wife and two children. As well as, apparently, a grandmother living in the home (but her papa always said that there weren't many other elder Dupain's other than Gina and Roland, so Marinette couldn't exactly trust that). They even had a butler, not that Marinette heard much about him (or saw much of during her family's vacation).
The two children they had were best described as odd, but Marinette's memory of them were blurred and indistinct considering how young she was when she last met them. It certainly was a strange family; two parents, a single grandparent, two children (with a third newly on the way), and a butler, but Marinette figured if it worked, it worked.
She was just rather lucky that the family was too large to live above the bakery, so she wouldn't have to worry about the daughter (around her age, give or take a year) catching her sneaking in as Ladybug. But they still got a hotel a bit close by, so Marinette would be expected to play hostess to the family more often than not. Not that that was bad, after all she had started emailing Wednesday (such a strange name, maybe it was an American thing) back and forth so that they'd have at least something to talk about.
What had started as just simple courtesy and curiosity eventually turned into real friendship. Even if trying to find common ground was difficult, some things were universal. Wednesday told her about how annoying it was being around so many people, and that she missed being home schooled. Marinette told her how much she (used to) love school and tried her best to hide the current goings on in the place, but Wednesday was too perceptive and asked her full out.
What's going on at your school, Marinette? You're sadder than mourners at the funeral home and you put too much fake cheer into your voice when we call. Is there anything that you aren't telling me? Wednesday always got straight to the point with her emails, never beating around the bush and just asking her straight out. It reminded her a little of Alya, and reminded her just how happy she was that she could make her dear friend understand Lila's lies. It hadn't been easy, but it worked after suggesting to her that she should make a full list of all of Lila's connections. The lack of evidence soon got Alya's eyes open to Lila's ways and now they both sat in the back together.
Marinette stared at her screen, bouncing her foot as she halfheartedly spun on her desk chair. The answer wasn't anything that she wanted to say, because how was she supposed to explain that her "wonderful" and "talented" class had all (with a few exceptions) fallen for obvious lies. She had spent too much time talking the class up to Wednesday (to make her feel better about the brief transfer! Her family was coming for the year and Wednesday was continuing her education there) to go back on everything she said and talk about the bullying.
Both sets of bullying, as it seems that Marinette could never have a good school experience without some privileged girl ruining it for her. She'd tell Wednesday about Chloe, about Lila, of course she would. It would be really hard to hide something like that when she's going to the school. But was now the right time? Would telling her cousin the truth now impact her decision? What if Wednesday wanted to stay home! What if Wednesday decided to show up to school with a medieval mace in her hands! Which wasn't hyperbole, she really couldn't put it past the goth. And she also knew that if Alya say the mace, she'd rush home to try to find a weapon to join her with (the idea of Alya and Wednesday working together made her feel pure fear for a moment).
Okay, haha you caught me, she started her message off with that, and then deleted it. School has really been going downhill lately, there's this girl in my class who's been lying. Simple, not something that told too much. After all, lots of people lied and not everyone lied about something so specific and easily disproved and lots of people lied about small things and not bullying. Lots of people lied, Marinette lied every day of her life when she said that she was going to the bathroom or going back home but was actually going out as Ladybug to save the city.
Surprisingly, considering the time difference, Wednesday immediately got back to her. Lying? About what?
Marinette frowned at her screen, drumming her fingers in front of her keyboard as she thought about it. What wasn't Lila lying about, that's the better question. Her connections, where's she been, what I've done. She almost deleted the last point, but it felt good to have someone else know about what was happening to her. Her parents knew, some of the vague points about liars and bullies, but they weren't entirely helpful.
She didn't expect them to be either, they weren't all that helpful with Chloe and they were so busy with the bakery that they didn't really have time to help. They listened and that was all Marinette could really expect from them, and they took all of her classmates' claims about her being unhelpful and a bully with a grain of salt. Which was a relief, considering the day that she almost got expelled and they looked at her with such disappointment in their eyes still haunted her.
But it wasn't the same with Wednesday. With Wednesday maybe she could commiserate with her and sympathize and finally talk about what her day was like, finally have someone else understand what she was going through on a daily basis. Even if her parents knew, even if her parents trusted her on Lila, they were busy. Too busy to be able to listen to all of Marinette's problems that were threatening to overwhelm her.
Maybe Wednesday (who was no stranger to bullying in her own right, even if she never seemed too bothered by the social out casting) would be able to give her tips on how to...not feel bad about being bullied? Marinette shook her head, scowling a little at the stupid idea. Wednesday would be a listening ear and a good friend and someone to hang out with. That's all that she could expect from the other, and that's all she really needed.
Her computer dinged with another notification, another email from Wednesday.
Mother told me that we'll be coming up a few days earlier than you were expecting. She tells me to apologize for the inconvenience but I feel like it just means that we'll be able to spend more time with each other. We leave tomorrow morning, so I have to pack tonight. She says that I'm only allowed to pick my favorite five poisons to take with me, and that I can find different ones in Paris. Deciding will take me most of the night so I might not respond. but I can't wait to see you, cousin. I know that you're having trouble with that liar, so if you want me to bring nightshade, just tell me. It's definitely not in my top five, but if you need it, I'll bring it.
Marinette laughed a little, shaking her head a bit at how ridiculous her cousin was. Even though they had different humor styles, Marinette always found herself cheered up whenever Wednesday spoke like that. But still, best to ward her off just in case she really did bring poison. The email back was fast and short:
Haha! No, sadly I don't think it'd work out the best if Lie-la died under mysterious poison related circumstances! Especially since I've made my distaste of her known!
Still, even after it was sent, Marinette laughed to herself as she smiled at her computer screen. Wednesday had the oddest way of cheering her up, Marinette couldn't wait until her cousins finally arrive. It would be a change, but a good change, and maybe Marinette could finally show someone around the city that she loved so much. Trying to hide being Ladybug (and also explaining the whole Ladybug and akumas thing to Americans always was a hit or miss thing) could be difficult though.
Marinette's gaze slid to the lotus flower box that was situated in her closet, so much magical power contained within what she told her parents was a hat box. Her job as Guardian was starting to creep up on her, making her more and more paranoid whenever an akuma that seemed too difficult for her and Chat to handle on their own. Constantly questioning herself if she should leave the battle to take another miraculous out of the box, if she should make a new permanent hero or just keep having new temporary ones.
Miracle Queen hit her hard, all of her friends were out of the running for potential heroes all because one girl was upset that she wasn't picked. Just because Chloe couldn't handle not being a hero, whether or not she deserved it (she didn't, she didn't deserve her first stint of Queen Bee either but Ladybug had to make do with what she had). Chat Noir didn't seem as shaken up about as she was, and all he told her was that they were fine on their own.
But they weren't! They weren't fine! The destruction that the akumas made could be undone, yes of course because that's what she was there for (that's why she could never fail, that's why she had to constantly be looking over her shoulder). But the memories of what happened stayed. The memories of people drowning during Syren stayed, of burning alive during Road Rage, those memories stayed and didn't go. She didn't understand how Chat could be so lax about losing all of their allies, at least at first.
But as the battles started increasing in regularity, in difficulty, Marinette realized just why Chat was so lax about losing their temporary heroes. It was because he wasn't expecting to do anything, no matter what the akuma was. Sure, he'd use his cataclysm when Ladybug yelled at him to, but he wouldn't do much else. Unless, of course, it was towards the end of the battle and Chat could make himself seem like the hero. It was getting annoying and exhausting, having to come up with every single plan and hope to kwami that she won't need to cajole Chat into fighting.
Her Lucky Charms had slowly stopped involving him, giving her ways and means to break the object with her yo-yo or maybe her fist. Chat noticed, and instead of trying to prove that he was needed, he just stopped showing up. To battles, sometimes on patrols (that they did just for the public's mental health), but he just stopped doing anything but relaxing.
"Marinette," Tikki's voice broke her out of her spiral and she looked at the clock. It was getting close to the patrol time, and she let a low sigh leave her lips. Maybe he'd be there tonight, maybe tonight she could finally knock some sense into him.
"Tikki, Spots on!" The words always made her feel better, made her feel at least a bit more in control. The power at her fingertips always reassured her, made her feel like maybe she really did have the answer to most things. It could be the natural power of having on a mask, or it could be Tikki's support of her coming in strong. Either way, flying through the air using her yo-yo was a freeing sensation. The wind rushing through her pigtails, against her face, underneath her feet, she loved it. She loved the feeling of almost flying (Tikki said that if she kept consistently transforming, she'd be able to truly fly).
Her feet landed down on the floor of the Eiffel tower, their standard meeting spot. She was a little early, but that just meant that she had time to draw for herself. It had been something she had taken up after Master Fu lost his memories, Marinette knew that she never wanted to forget just how beautiful her city looked at night from up high. So she got into landscapes, tough and hard to master but it was worth it as she captured different vantage points. She never took this sketchbook out unless she was transformed, never wanting to field uncomfortable questions about how she knew what the city looked like from that high up. That also meant that she could work out some designs for potential outfit changes.
Sure, her suit was magical, but it was boringly magical. It protected her entirely, but it was also just a onesie. A magical onesie is still a onesie no matter how magical it is, and for a self proclaimed designer, it was pathetic. So she started working on new versions of it. Some were more outlandish than others (one was actually a full Victorian ballgown that she designed to amuse herself which started her on a miraculous inspired fancy line), but most of the more realistic ones were armored. Many of them also had wings, insectoid of course (having feathered wings would clash, and confuse the design further), but there were a few interpretations.
Her favorite had the wings sprouting from a backpack like bulge on her back, and some designs had the backpack actually be there. Somewhere for her to store various needed miraculous without having to use her yo-yo. Her hair was the only difficult point, wondering if it was worth to it to get rid of her iconic pigtails for something tighter to her head. Maybe a bun, something that kept her hair out of her face and would also allow her ribbons to mimic antennae.
Ladybug hummed, drumming the tip of her pencil against her lips as she thought on it. She would definitely have to experiment with hairstyles, trying to find something more mature than pigtails.
"Hello, M'lady," Chat's voice came from her left as he landed on the tower, grinning lazily as he moved to perch on top of the railing. "Long time no see,"
"You would've seen me a lot sooner if you had shown up to the last akuma attack," Her voice was a little frosty, and she put her sketchbook back into her yo-yo. The pen soon followed and she turned to look at him, "Where have you been? You haven't been there for the past three akumas."
"You didn't seem to need me, Bugaboo," He shrugged, casual as ever as he stretched enough to pop his joints, "Besides, you know I have a life outside of the mask? I had things going on," A dismissive flick of his hand and he twirled his baton in his hands.
"I also have a life outside of the mask, Chat, and I still show up for every battle and I do my job and I comfort the victim. You haven't been doing that for months," Her voice had some venom in it, but she was tired. She was tired of fighting on her own and she was tired of Chat not helping, and she was just tired in general. School was draining, working in the bakery was draining, her entire life was draining at this point.
"Well, yeah because you have to. Your powers are always needed, mine aren't. I don't see why I should have to take time out of my busy day to fight in a battle where you don't need me. Really, Ladybug, it's a little unfair of you to expect that of me, isn't it?" Before she could even reply to that, Chat clapped his hands, "But whatever! It doesn't matter, it's our patrol night and that means that we should get going, right?" He laughed a little, bright and happy as he extended his baton.
Ladybug inhaled slowly, trying to calm herself down as she rose to her feet on the railing. It was important to her, it mattered to her, and Chat Noir had brushed her off enough. But, on the other hand, he had a point. They had a patrol to do, but that didn't mean that they were going to do it together, "You take the east, I'll take the west." They had, long ago, back when Chat was still helpful, split the city in half. Right down the center, they took one half during their own patrol.
Normally, though, they took the city together when they had their double nights together. It was a way for them to catch up, a way for them to talk and chat and laugh with each other. But Ladybug didn't quite feel like laughing right now, not with Chat's behavior and the stress on her shoulders. She didn't want to have to field off too personal questions tonight, she just wanted to do her job and go back to her warm bed.
Chat scowled, like a child who was refused his favorite treat, "But! That's not what we normally do!"
"Right, and normally you're more helpful during battles," Sure, it was a little cruel, but she was annoyed and tired and she couldn't handle being perfect right now. She could be perfect all hours of the day, all day every day, but something had to give. It was better her mask around Chat, rather than her mask in public (as Marinette or Ladybug, both had horrible consequences). Her hand flicked the yo-yo into her hand, and she sent it flying until it wrapped around a chimney, "Take the east," was the last thing she said to him before swinging away.
Strangely freeing, finally speaking her mind. It was a shame she couldn't do that in any other area of her life.