#there are two talking puppets porcelain dolls

[kyriathanatos]

It sure did, brother

#the ac!d games are insane already #there are two talking puppets porcelain dolls #and they are terrorists. #they hijacked a plane #insane game #metal gear acid

[hisaame]

— ⧽➻Wanderer with a crush!˒˒ˋˋ

『its how i think wanderer would be id he had a crush,,, and this takes place obviously after he stopped being 'scaramouche'.』

╰ˊˊtw: soft wanderer (help), cursing, wanderers past trauma (kabukimono/kunikuzushi) its just a lil bit tho, spoilers.╎ + its a wanderer x reader type shit, so he falls for you!

He thought it couldn't be possible, but it happened. he was already upset at himself for allowing himself to spend time with you. And with those soft and sweet smiles of yours, he'd almost always looks away—and what you wouldn't notice was his his blushy pink cheeks that would always fade back into his normal pale, color when he'd turn to look back at you, tilting his hat a bit to hide his own smirk.

The guy had even known you when he was once Scaramouche, you'd catch his eye from time to time, but he never really thought about talking to you. Back then he just thought of you as a 'pretty girl', then he'd scoff and turn away. He even wished he'd gotten the chance to have one chat with you before he deletes himself out of existence as Scaramouche. You always seemed to look at him with that cheerful smile. But he's glad he got a chance to befriend you, and now, as a normal person.

He didn't even think puppets could fall in love, nor did he think his porcelain face could turn red! But it began happening more often often the more he hung out with you. Being a wanderer made him not be busy—unlike his past self as Scaramouche who always had things to do. He despised that old part of him, but now he's a changed man alright. He's still vedy cautious and trying his best not to show any vulnerability, he wouldn't wanna remind himself of the rime he was a pathetic, dumb doll who allowed himself to be betrayed.

But he wouldn't let you betray him, no. You're stuck with him.

He didnt exactly understand the concept of „love“. He's seen couples in Sumeru and didn't quite get why they were so affectionate, prepping kisses on eachothers lips and always holding hands. He'd sometimes even cringe at it. Even imagining himself like that with you felt weird... Wait, whys he thinking of it in the first place!?

After finally accepting the fact he's in love after days of trying to convince himself he isn't, he began to think—would you feel the same? That thought made him anxious, if you saw him as only a friend. If he really wanta you, he'd try.

And he did.

He'd go to the library more often, looking for romance books and even looking arouns him to make sure noones looking. He doesnt wanna be caught reading something so embarrassing... He read a few stories, even some tips and tricks on how to flirt, which he found pathetic. Who would wanna say "did it hurt when you fell from heaven" to someone they like? Pathetic! But as he read some romance stories, short and simple, he just couldn't help but imagine how it would be with you... How soft your lips would feel against his, and they way your twos fingers would intertwine.

And then he tried some things out.

He has tried pinning you against a wall, fortunately getting a reaction od you having a small blush, but then brushing it right off and smiling like he didn't do anything. Then he even grabbed your chin between his indec finger and thumb to make u look up at him—and you didn't even have a reaction! Wasn't that something common people did to get people to be flustered!?

He was beyond frustrated, even ended up asking Nahida for some help, to which she happily recommended for him to write you a letter, if he was too scared to say what he wanted it in person. 𝖧𝖾 called it pathetic and stupis, and a waste of time at first, but then he immediately began writing one after.

It took him so many tries, so many crumbled up papers on the ground, to the point Nahida also helped him come up with words to write. At last, finally, he decided to be sneaky and put it in your mailbox, knowing you will be opening it soon. He was a flustered mess as soon as he was rushing away once he put the letter in.

He'll definitely be even more flustered if you tease him about the letter the next day... ♡

#wanderer genshin #wanderer x reader #scaramouche x reader #genshin impact #genshin #scaramouche

[eddie-van-munson]

Peanut Butter Cookies (Eddie Munson x Reader)

***********

Requested by @cupcake-de-abacaxi

Summary: The reader gets jealous when she meets a friend of Eddie's: a gorgeous, smart metalhead that's infuriatingly perfect for him. Little do you know, he's not interested in this 'friend' in the very least.

Warnings: Cursing, Drug use (Weed), Jealousy, Saucy Kisses, Implied Sex, Slight Angst (Happy Ending), Fluff.

(I will get a "Read More" cut on this ASAP. Requests are OPEN.)

***********

Her name was Juliet. How the hell were you supposed to compete with that? Fucking Juliet.

That was the most romantic, gothic, wicked ass name you'd ever heard.

She had thick black curls and glossy lips, painted dark and curved like a doll's. She wore a dense chain around her perfect porcelain neck and tall, studded boots.

You couldn't have found someone more suited to Eddie if you had drawn her yourself, but there she was. Draped across his living room couch.

"Who's this, Eds?" She cooed, as you wandered into the trailer. Your stomach churned. Eds. Only you and Wayne were allowed to call him that.

"Huh?" He glanced over from the kitchen where he was rolling a joint. "Oh! This is Y/N. She's mine. You'll love her."

She waved at you, smiling. You waved back shyly, slightly comforted by the phrase "she's mine" even though you knew what he meant was "she's with me".

"I'm Juliet." She sounded friendly enough. "Brownie?"

She held out a tray brownies, which were definitely edibles, and patted the couch beside her. You politely declined, but sat down, fidgeting with your hair.

"Oh god, Eds." She giggled, blushing as she covered her face with her brownie-free hand. "Do you remember the last time we made treats?"

Eddie grinned, smoke pluming from his lips when he laughed. It seemed he'd gotten the  joint lit. "Jesus, I'd forgotten about that. We both ate one and thought they didn't work-"

"So we both had two more!"

"Holy shit. I thought the damn ceiling was talking to me."

Juliet laughed, wiping a tear from her large, shockingly blue eyes. "I thought Wayne was going to kill us!"

Jealousy boiled in your stomach. Wayne. She knew Wayne now too, apparently. And she and "Eds" had made "treats" together before.

Juliet sighed, polishing off her brownie. "Oh shit! I have something for you, Eds! I'd completely forgot! Let me grab it!"

Eddie chuckled as he sat beside you, "God, I've missed her." He sighed. "I haven't seen her in years. She said this time she might stay."

"S-Stay? In Hawkins?" Your heart stopped for a minute.

"Yeah! Isn't that amazing!"

You nodded, trying to save face for him. He was grinning ear to ear, and your heart hurt the more you admired him. 

Juliet was back to quickly for your liking, holding a paper shopping bag. "For you..."

"Wait!? You bought me something?" Eddie's eyes went big.

"Just open it, silly!"

He gracelessly pulled the item from the bag. A brand new cassette. "Holy shit, is this?"

She grinned, nodding.

"Master of Puppets? This came out like, two days ago! How the hell did you?? Jules!!" He jumped up off the couch, pulling her into a hug as she giggled. "God, you're the best!"

Again your stomach churned, but this time from the feeling of being left out. You'd never been a metal head. Sure, there were a few songs you knew...a few you'd liked. And you loved hearing Eddie ramble about his favorite songs and bands, but it just wasn't your style.

Just the same, you had known Metallica was coming out with a new album. He'd mentioned it offhandedly about a week ago. You'd been saving up to try and get it for him for his birthday.

"Oh man, I've been dying to hear this. You have no idea."

Juliet grinned, "Pop it in!"

He headed for his player, but paused. "Nah. You know what? Let's save it. It's not really Y/N's thing."

Your heart sank with guilt.

"Oh man, really?" Juliet didn't sound judgemental, just surprised, but it still made your jaw clench a little. "I started dabbling in Black Sabbath a few years ago. I've never gone back."

Eddie laughed, "She knows fucking everything about this shit, Y/N. Any band, any song, any album, and she could give you the whole deal."

You gave a weak smile, nodding.

"Christ, it's so good to talk to someone who listens to actual music Eds. All my friends back home just listen to the fucking Beatles. You know, all the slow, sweet shit."

You loved the Beatles.

Eddie shot you an apologetic look, his eyes trailing to the little tin you'd brought with you. "What did you bring, N/N?"

"Is it speed?" Juliet gasped happily.

"Oh no...it's...um...Peanut Butter cookies."

Your mom loved Eddie. He was over at your house often, and everytime he was, he went on and on about her cooking.

This is good shit, Mrs. L/N.

They don't make 'em like you anymore, Mrs. L/N.

Damn, Mrs. L/N! You keep this up and you'll have me looking like the Philsbury dough boy!

 He buttered her up like a slice of fucking toast. Hence, now everytime you went over to Eddie's, your mom sent the whole damn kitchen with you. Eddie didn't mind at all. Actually, you knew for a fact that was what kept him coasting when Wayne worked late. But for some reason, this time, you were mortified. Thank god you'd managed to talk her down to just the cookies.

"Oh!" Juliet said, her voice sweet, but still a little uncomfortable.

"M-My mom sent them for Eddie."

She frowned a little, "Peanut Butter Cookies? Eds, I thought you had a peanut allergy?"

Eddie's cheeks went a little pink. He scratched his neck, "Oh, well...it's just a minor one, really. It's not a big deal."

"What?" You'd known Eddie for years now. Literal, actual years. Never once had he ever mentioned a peanut allergy. "You never told me."

"It just...never came up." He shrugged.

Why were you angry at him? Why did you want to yell?

"Eddie, mom has sent over granola, before. Granola with peanuts."

His eyes were wide, "And Wayne loved it! It was great!"

"That's not the point!" You said a little too loudly, tears welling in your eyes. You stood from the couch, throwing your bag over your shoulder.

"Where are you going?" His voice was so soft. He sounded hurt.

"Nowhere. I'm sorry I'm just...tired or something."

He frowned, "Don't leave."

Your heart sank as you dug the tin from your bag, setting it on the counter. "It's alright, Eds. I'm alright. I'll catch up with you later ok? I promise."

You turned to Juliet, who was looking a bit bewildered where she was sitting on the couch.

"It was nice meeting you."

And with that, you shut the door behind you.

***********

You were in tears by the time you got home, mad at yourself for making such a stupid scene over his stupid peanut allergy, of all things. Juliet probably thought you'd lost it.

You put on a Beatles tape, completely out of spite, and crawled into bed with your clothes still on. Hot tears rolled down your cheeks.

How dare she. How dare she swoop in and be beautiful and perfect for him. And know every little detail about him on top of that. How dare she like metal and wear edgy clothes when you didn't. How dare she be endearing enough for him to give her a nickname. How dare she.

You'd cried until what little makeup you had on had stained your pillow case, and then you cried some more, because that was your softest one.

You flipped your pillow to the dry side, chest aching with sadness, and promptly fell asleep.

***********

You woke up to the feeling of the bed dipping. A warm, familiar smell enveloped you as you felt your covers being tucked in around your body. A fingertip grazed over your forehead, brushing baby hairs back from your face.

A soft voice sang along to your tape.

Making each day of the year... Changing my life with a wave of her hand... Nobody can deny that there's something there.

His hand cradled your face, grazing back and forth over your cheek lovingly.

Running my hands through her hair... Both of us thinking how good it can be... Someone is speaking, but she doesn't know he's there.

Your eyes fluttered, and you knew you had to be dreaming as a pair of big brown eyes came into focus.

"Hey, baby."

His thumb swiped at the trace of mascara left beneath your eyes and your nose scrunched, making him smile.

"H-...How do you know it?" You slurred, still half asleep.

"Know what, sweetheart?"

"The song." You whined, pitifully.

He gave a soft chuckle, "Because I like this song."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"No you-"

"Jesus, how are you this stubborn when you're half asleep?"

You made a face, which immediately melted away when he continued petting your hair lovingly.

"I like this song..." He held your gaze, stubbornly. "Because it reminds me of you ."

You stared back at him, brow softening. 

He smiled, "What can I say? I guess sometimes I'm into the slow, sweet shit."

Tears welled in your eyes, and you immediately covered them so he couldn't see. Your voice trembled ridiculously with tears. "Why didn't you tell me you had a peanut allergy?"

 "Aw baby..." He chuckled sweetly, pressing a kiss to your temple. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you."

You gave a pitiful laugh through your tears, letting him move your hand away to see your red, puffy, makeup stained eyes.

"God, look at you." He giggles softly, brushing his thumb beneath your ringed eyes again. "You're a raccoon." You rolled your eyes and he laughed, admiring you for a moment. "Do you forgive me?"

You nod, pulling him down into a hug. "Do you forgive me?"

"Nothing to forgive, princess."

You frown a little, pulling back to see his face. "Yes there is. I got angry and jealous."

He hums sweetly, "Well in that case, you're forgiven." You comb through his curls, tenderly. "I wouldn't worry about Juliet either, ok? You've got nothing to be jealous about."

"No Eds, I..." You took a deep breath, mustering your courage. "I want you guys to be together."

He quirked his brow, laying back on your bed and propping an arm behind his head. "Yeah? Why's that?"

You rest your chin on his chest, "Because you're perfect for each other. She likes the same music and she dresses like you and she knows so much about metal..."

He rubs a hand up and down the small of your back looking amused. "I don't think things are gonna work out between me and Juliet, babe."

You frown, "W-Why not?"

He smiles, "Well, I know I'm pretty backwards sweetheart, but as far as I know, it tends to be frowned upon to have a good 'round in the sheets' with your cousin."

You froze, a shit eating grin on Eddie's face.

"Cousin?"

He nods slowly, "That's right. Juliet Munson."

You were still processing, "Juliet Mun-..."

"Wayne's daughter. She lived with her mom. Came back down to visit now that she's over eighteen."

Juliet Munson. Eddie's...cousin. Christ.

You buried your head in his chest and he burst into bright, clear laughter.

"Eddieeee."

He brought a hand to his face, gathering tears from his eyes as he tried to steady out his giggles.

You gave him an embarrassed look, "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Never in a million years, Princess."

You were holding back laughter now too. You sat up, giving him a playful shove. " Well, I don't think it's funny, Eddie Munson. You-"

"Oh, Com'ere you."

He grabbed the collar of your shirt, pulling you down into a messy, needy kiss. You straddled him, letting his hands slide up over your neck to cradle your face. He sat up on his elbows, chasing your lips when you moved.  His breath was heavy and hot as he hummed against you, "You...didn't have any...of those cookies did you?"

You tugged his curls in retaliation, making him give the most delicious whine. "No, asshole."

He chuckled as you gave him another tug, his head falling back so you could kiss down his throat. He cursed, grinding his hips.

"So the whole 'feeling like I can't breathe' thing and the lightheaded-ness...fuck...that's normal?"

"Yeah." You rasp, nipping at his collarbone. "I feel it too."

Eddie chuckled, pulling off his shirt, and you pulled back to admire him, tracing your fingertips over his tattoos.

He moaned, pressing up against your touch. "You have no idea what you do to me."

You chuckled softly, "Well as long as it doesn't involve me making you break out in hives..." You rocked your hips lightly, and his hands gripped your thighs. "I'm down to find out."

***********

#eddie munson #eddie the freak munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things imagines #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson imagines #eddie imagine #eddie imagines #eddie x reader #eddie x you #stranger things x you #stranger things x reader #eddie munsen x reader #eddie munsen imagine #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munsen

[aurum-k-chatters]

Revisiting Reflectmon, a decade+ old OC.

Was talking to my friend about my TTRPG character, Mercutio, and we got to discussing fictional character digimon partners. The questions was odd for me because Mercutio was technically a spin off of a decade+ old digimon OC, Reflectmon.

We got to talking about how different the two characters ended up being, and I realized... I made that original design over 10 years ago with very few changes. I'm better at character design now, and should take another crack at it based on the original concept I was going for! So here is a redesigned Reflectmon!I don't think I'd change there name, but if I were to choose a name now "Flectiomon" would work too. (Like reflection, deflection, inflection, etc.)

I've very please with how it turned out. I know some people might prefer the original, But I think what was lost from the original is still mostly present in the spin-off/spiritual successor TTRPG character mentioned earlier.

I'll leave some rambling notes below the post for anyone curious! (Warning. I repeat myself a lot.)

So the original Reflectmon was designed around 2013. (It might have been even earlier, however a lot of my early art work is unfortunately lost to time.)

I have a better understanding of character design now, and I wanted to make the new design more conceptually cohesive.

Here's what worked: - Marionette + Ball jointed doll themes - The mirror mask that emotes in fun ways like a TV screen. - Eyeless face underneath that is a little creepy. - More humanoid appearance.

What Could Be Improved: - The devil tail was an x-men reference, because I really loved Nightcrawler when I designed this character, and the Mercuremon line were listed as "Mutant Type" digimon (haha). However, it is only vaguely related to the actual character concept (via shadow Seraphimon) and really didn't make that much sense by itself. I didn't want to removed it completely as it was good for the character silhouette. So I replaced it with a Marionette string that acts like a tail instead! We go more with the theme, AND we still have a sort of tail. - The hat, while a reference to AncientWisemon & Wizardmon, went too far in a different direction. Now it references AncientWisemon's hat and Mercuremon's helmet more closely. - Design was a bit busy over all and needed some toning down and streamlining. - Pushed the Marionette + Ball jointed doll themes further with more obvious ball-joints and puppet-like aspects. - Adjusted face and hair colors to have a more faux-porcelain-doll look that a lot of ball-jointed dolls have. They also now have a ball-jointed doll bowl cut. - I don't remember why I put X's on the eyelids under the mask? I think I just thought it looked cool? My best guess is I was going for a "see no evil" thing since Mercuremon had a bunch of church stuff in Digimon Frontier, but I have no idea. Anyway those are gone now since they didn't help the design read any better. - Other minor color adjustments to help with contrast.

Reflectmon, as the spirit of steel (a man made alloy), is supposed to be depicted as a toy made of synthetic material (as opposed to the wood spirit, who is made of natural material). This is why I wanted to really reference the look of ball jointed dolls, which are usually made of plastic, and can have a porcelain look. I'm over all happy with the new look!

#my art #DMFR #reflectmon #digimon frontier #digimon frontier rebirth #old OCs #chatters #Honestly making Reflectmon and Mercutio look less like each other is kinda nice too. Since they ended up being so different in my head spac

[xerith-42]

pls talk more about doll shadowknight headcanons i love hearing about them

Hey council, I uhh, I may have cooked something up @gonedreaminggg @cinnamontoastcroonch @laurencezvahlslefteyebrow I'm gonna mash my two favorite headcanons together watch this--

Shadow Knight Musician Struggle Time!!

Laurance trying to play the lyre after the doll effects start kicking in and his hand just goes limp mid song. He can't do anything about it and just feels so ill about the whole situation. Garroth tells him that it's okay, that his playing before was great, but it's still kinda a cowabummer.

Vylad practicing his ocarina along and suddenly their lips get stuck around it as Vylad's body just freezes. He's on his own at this point, but it still sucks. He had a real jam going.

Hatsune help me, what if Sasha was a musician before her death? I could totally see Sasha playing the violin when she was younger, giving up on it so she could become a guard or whatever, but when she comes across an abandoned violin, she decides to take it and practice it again. And while she's playing one day, her hand stops moving, as does her arm. Just frozen in place. Her grip on the bow was loose in the first place, and in the silence left by the sudden stop of her music, the bow clatters to the ground.

If she's unlucky, it could even fall from the roof of the fortress she's playing on and land in the lava pools below. Then again if that happened, the instant Sasha got control of her body again she would go beat the fuck out of the Shadow King with her bare hands. It's hard to get musical instruments when you're literally stuck in hell and it's one of the few things that brings her solace.

Just had a wicked and evil thought, we characterized Gene with his porcelain scar, but what if we applied that same idea to someone else? Zenix is like a puppet on his strings, right? What if one day he glanced down at his wrists and found red lines wrapped around them? As if the strings are digging into his skin. And this is after he's already "cut himself free" from the Shadow King's control and is killing Shadow Knights. A chilling reminder that he still isn't in control.

After a bad fight his healing powers come into play, but it leaves a permanent stitch mark where his flesh came back together. Not the way a scar from stitching normally looks, but like a rushed stitch you did on a piece of fabric to get it functional but not pretty. It never goes away, nobody can see it from under his armor, but Zenix knows. He knows it's there.

I know before I said Vylad has compeltely limp states like Laurance, and that's still a thing, but I want to tweak the flavor. I'm imagining Vylad as like a

This fucking thing. That's Vylad. Sometimes only one of his joints stops working instead of the entire limb. Bro will be climbing trees and then their left elbow just goes backwards. Whoops it's not supposed to do that! Vylad is honestly not too bothered by this after the third time it happens, bro just gets used to it.

Everyone else (especially Garroth) is understandably very thrown off by this suddenly happening. Like it's one thing for Laurance's arm to go numb and act like it's out of socket, it's another thing for Vylad's arm to be able to bend backwards with seemingly no physical pain caused to him. He keeps trying to assure everyone that this is just ab symptom of being a shadow knight, and it's only Laurance who really gets it. The phrase "all dolled up" might as well be a universal trigger of Shadow Knights. Cadenza says it in reference to Laurance while she's helping him get ready for Kenmur's wedding, and while she instantly knows she fucked up and Laurance can see that, it still makes him stiff. His hands twitch as if to make sure it didn't start just from her saying the phrase. References to dolls start to fade out of the vocabulary of the alliance and its members over time. Largely because everyone has respect for either Vylad, Laurance, or Vincent and doesn't want to potentially upset them. The whole doll thing is a pretty sensitive subject.

Speaking of Vincent, as we've established, the doll stuff happens regardless of whether they're premature or not. I think that it happens less if you've answered the calling, but it still happens. Vincent gives me the vibes of like a voodoo doll almost. So he definitely gets the randomly limp limbs sometimes, but sometimes he just can't open his mouth, as if it were sewn shut. Oh that's awful oh my Irene this headcanon has caused so much pain.

I have other stuff to say on the Vincent as a voodoo doll thing but... Wow what the fuck that's horrifying. Like the first time that happens is maybe after he's answered the calling but still doesn't fully understand what he is. He's trying to explain it, nearly screaming to try and fight against it, clawing at his face to try and tear it off-- Wowie Minecraft Diaries really lends itself to body horror. I didn't even plan to write that sentence but as I was writing it I remembered the very popular headcanon about Shadow Knights having claws or at least sharper nails that could easily tear skin and yeah wow what the actual fuck.

Uhm, on a better (??) note, I think this means Vincent sometimes just gets random stabbing pains in his body with seemingly no cause. I feel like this might be connected to the Shadow King, but then also could somehow connect to the other divine? Idk about that part I just think the idea of Aph growing her angel wings causing Vincent to feel some form of pain in his back as a response would be weird and net. Vincent is weird and neat, sorry for low key mutilating him.

Have fun incorporating those scars into your next redesign!

#The doll headcanon strikes again #I can't get over that I wrote that #I'm so serious when I say I need a design of vincent with those scars #it's eating me alive #text post #minecraft diaries #laurance zvahl #minecraft diaries laurance #aphblr #mcd headcanons #aphverse #doll headcanon #vylad ro'meave #mcd vylad #mcd laurance #mcd #mcd sasha #mcd zenix #mcd gene #mcd vincent #why is that not a tag #I will make an entire vincent appreciation post right now if I have to #i'll fuckin do it right now #queued post #answering asks #angst

[muzzlekiss]

show-piece and tool; a comparative study of two dolls

In the Sanitarium for Convalescent Dolls, there are two dolls set apart from the others. They are of the House, not of the convalescents, and unlike the other staff they have never been convalescents. The Witch made them, uncountable years ago, when she was still new to the art of dollcraft, and their names are Fumitory and Goldenseal. 

Fumitory is perfect. It was not always perfect, of course; even a Witch seldom does something correctly the very first time. Piece by porcelain piece, iteration upon iteration, it has been refined into what it stands as now: a masterpiece of its mistress’ art. Its proportions are exquisite, tall for a doll, the better to heighten the cervine elegance of its limbs. Its joints glide in their housings with such velvet silence that, if it were not for the intricate flourishes of overglaze upon its porcelain, the uninitiated might mistake it for a human girl; a dancer, perhaps, for who else carries their body in such weightless poise? Its hair is dark and luxuriant, its eyes tranquil yet alert, its mind still and clear, and it possesses many pleasing talents in addition to its impeccable service.  It plays the piano exquisitely, it sings, it writes, it plays chess, it has mastered every form of tea ceremony available, each skill richly cultivated by tens of years of study and practice. Its duties, as administrator of the Sanitarium and personal attendant to the Witch, are many, and it is equal to each in turn.

But let’s not talk any more about Fumitory. We aren’t convalescent dolls, excitedly trading stories of their eldest sister’s talent and Stillness, hoping to be just like it when the mending is done. Let’s move on to Goldenseal, a very different kind of specimen. 

Like Fumitory, Goldenseal is the product of inexperience - the very second doll, in fact, that its Witch ever made. However, while Goldenseal too has been a continual project over the years, one would hardly call the process refinement. Its personality is blunt and contrary, its mannerisms stiff and prone to tic, and its sense of humour a touch cruel - altogether lacking in the traditional virtues of a good doll. It doesn’t even possess the basic grace to speak in the dollish manner, a habit that even the greenest, most inexperienced doll ought to possess as a simple facet of its nature. The modifications its mistress has made touch not upon its personality, but upon its body; why the Witch hasn’t clipped its sharp tongue or taught it to curtsy properly, nobody can say. Perhaps Goldenseal’s  personality is completely unsalvageable, and it is simply of sufficient sentimental value that its Witch can’t bear to replace it. 

Ah, but that body - a thing of wonders, a virtuoso piece. In all the world, there is not another doll like Goldenseal. An acquired taste, one might admit; there is little to please the eye unless one holds a proper appreciation for the sere, aseptic elegance of function, and such forms of beauty are seldom found in dolls. Goldenseal’s physiology is a cabinet of miracles, integrated throughout with the hinged and puppet-strung tools of its trade, porcelain and thread and silver and brass all in clicking, ticking symphony.

 And it’s that strange trade that delivers the final blow to any remaining sense of propriety: Goldenseal is a doll-maker. 

Dolls aren’t supposed to know such things, the convalescents whisper in corners and under the stairs. It’s not right, it’s not right, the secrets that make them tick are witchly things, far beyond what mere dolls ough to be trusted with. But the Sanitarium is host to dolls with a cornucopia of maladies: stress-fractures, shivers, nightmares, stuck joints, curses, and it is Goldenseal’s knowledge of the doll-making art  that permits it to serve its Witch. Surgeon, general practitioner, physical therapist; though it quite lacks a bedside manner and though its patients are all rather afraid of it, it is as equal to its duties as Fumitory to hers. 

Rumours abound: that Fumitory’s perfection is not the work of the Witch’s hand, but Goldenseal’s; that Goldenseal was made from a witch, as terrible punishment, and that’s why she’s so queer; that bad dolls, too sick to be fixed, are given to Goldenseal and disassembled for her collection of pretty parts. (The collection, at least, is real; Goldenseal adores glass eyes, and slots a different mismatched pair into its head every morning.) The truth, however, is very simple: many years ago the Witch gave both of her creations the pick of how they would be changed, and these are the shapes into which they wished to be carved, one the show-piece, the other the tool. 

#original work #house of the hibiscus witch #empty spaces #dolls #microfiction

[sunwarmed-ash]

Heyyy, me again, I'm feeling curious now

8: Talk about the thing you are most proud of.

9: Talk about little things on your body that you like the most.

14: Talk about a vacation.

22: Talk about your worst fear.

36: Talk about your guilty pleasures.

hi!!!!!!!!!!! 💜😍

8: My view of myself. I have been through my fair share of trauma, toxic relationships and bad home lives for me to spend a good portion of myself internalizing my pain and hating myself for it. 2020 was an all time low and it's been a long crawl to how I feel about myself now. But I really am proud of myself. for not giving up. for reaching out and getting help. for continuing to find the things that make me happy and release the things that don't. for continuing to do the long slog of tasks that keep me running so I can help other people <3

9: Aww i like this one alot! okay so obvi I love my tattoos, I love the colors and all the thought and meaning behind them. But I also really like how my piercings look in my ears and face haha. Weirdly enough Ive also grown to like my scars. I'm still fucking here despite everyones attempts and thats pretty powerful to see :D uh last thing, hmmm, oh! i have this weird collection of freckles that I think looks like a stick figure dude cheering

14. LOLOL okay so my dad likes to say how he has this black cloud because every time we try to go on vacation or him specifically something goes wrong. While this is coincidentally true, he is also a super negative person so its really his attitude that dooms him.

anyway the first time we tried to go to disneyworld hurricane Frances wiped out florida. we defaulted to SOUTH DAKOTA to see Mt. Rushmore...... when we finally got to go to disney a year or two later my bag got flagged because my mom can't live a second without her hairspray and shoved two cans in my bag. post 9/11 they were REALLY paranoid about hairspray 🤦‍♀️

another time we went to lake tahoe and the fucking place nearly burnt down. the smoke and ash was so bad i broke out in a physical rash and couldnt breathe. also it was the vacation i got my first period so it was arguably the WORST vacation ive ever been on lol

22. worst fear is def dolls. Like those ventriloquist puppets are the worst imo and then its like all porcelain dolls. fucking nasty creepy things do not need to exist 😆

36. oh man, making my blorbos queer and then dooming them by the narrative, making my blorbos fuck, uhhhh, every version of spiderman everything ever, my 90s and 00 emo bands, upcying everything I can to save the earth another few minutes

🌮taco bout asks

#taco bout asks #max answers #ash answers

[eldritch-nightmare]

Do you think Jonathan and emmras past together effects their relationship

Like they were highschool sweethearts, and she just up and left him for ballet school. And then he committed and died after months of depression

And I believe in cannon he was the one who killed her and made her into a puppet

Like...there's gotta be SOME hostility and negative feelings, and romantic ones bc yk, their history

Toxic for sure

oh, it 100% does. prepare for a messy combination of thoughts, my friend.

like... before jonathan became the puppeteer and before they had broken up, they were so deeply in love with each other. emra genuinely considered abandoning all her dreams because she loved him so much, but she ultimately decided to put herself first, and she wanted to live a life that her parents could be proud of, so she ultimately broke up with him to pursue her dreams of ballet.

and then, as we know, jonathan isolated himself due to his broken heart and stayed isolated for years before his death. i'm actually not sure about the exact timeline because i don't know when emra left for ballet school, but he was 20 when he died.

but emra is the only person jonathan has ever killed with his bare hands. like, he typically only kills with his strings or other methods. he never kills with his own two hands, so i think that emra took that as some twisted sign of 'oh, he still loves me.'

and emra is his masterpiece. he brought her back into the form of a porcelain doll. she is his masterpiece. he will always be his masterpiece. and i think, in the beginning, everything was... okay. emra, blinded by her love for jonathan, willingly obeyed his every command. and he praised her for it! he gave her love, and he gave her praise, and she craved for more. she loved being with him again, so blinded by the memories she shared with him to see that this is no longer the jonathan she loved.

but, at some point, emra did something that broke the trust that the puppeteer had in her. and like a switch, all the praise and love she got from him was gone. he rarely ever visits her anymore, not unless he needs her to do something.

now, emra has monophobia. she has such a strong fear of being alone that she genuinely doesn't care about how the puppeteer treats her anymore so long as he is just around. and the puppeteer uses that against her.

and over time, emra's love for jonathan is replaced by a burning hatred, one she hides away whenever he is around out of fear of what he may do to her.

the puppeteer still loves emra, that much is known, but he actively goes out of his way to hide these feelings by pushing her around and manipulating her to make her feel less than him. the reason he brought her back is because he loves her, even if he doesn't want to admit it to himself. he would literally kill anyone who even thinks about hurting her. which is ironic, considering he's the one who causes her the most pain.

she is his only tie to the earth, the only thing that reminds him of his past that he can barely remember anymore.

he doesn't want to remember his old life as jonathan. he doesn't know jonathan. but jonathan is the person that emra loves. emra doesn't love the puppeteer, emra hates him. she'll never get jonathan back, and they'll never go back to what they used to be. that is a constant thought in both their minds.

emra wants nothing more than to leave the puppeteer. she and zachary have even talked about it together, but they're both too scared of what the puppeteer may do to them if they go through with it.

and the puppeteer just wants emra to continue loving him, that's all.

#anon #archived mind of v: thoughts and opinions. #emra #the puppeteer

[major-arcanum]

Tradition's End Ch. 1

A Fateful Meeting

Familiar comforts, as she considered them, are those best indulged in frequently.

…

The sun hung low, scattering intense colors across the Gensokyan sky and burning through the windows of her living room.

It was evening once again, the best time for one to engage in evening activities.

And so, with a fragrant cup of tea and a recently borrowed book on refined animation enchantments, she settled in for some light reading.

Various dolls drifted nearby, cleaning up the remains of a simple dinner.

A sip here. A page turn there. It was what she did nearly every evening. It just felt… right.

She read until the brilliant orange light filtering in through her windows had faded to a soft twilight.

Closing her book, she gazed out through one such window. Soon, the forest surrounding her would grow restless, teeming with youkai and other creatures going about their own nightly routines.

She, however, was not concerned. Some youkai she knew by name, and those she did not knew better than to disturb her idyllic little house in the woods. Few were foolish enough to cause trouble in the Forest of Dolls.

She was a youkai too, after all. Alice Margatroid, the magician who wielded magic that gleamed with every color of the rainbow.

…Were all those colors necessary?

Perhaps not, but danmaku duels were a matter of spectacle above all else. Indeed, she had a reputation to uphold as the Seven-Colored Puppeteer.

…

The sound of something shifting within her fireplace drew Alice's attention. The once blazing fixture now hosted only glowing coals and smoldering embers.

In response, she dispatched two dolls to add two more logs to the fire.

More dolls were directed to close the shutters for the night. Yet more of them lit the candles scattered throughout the house.

Her dolls held no feelings and no wills of their own, no matter how much she wished otherwise. Alice's will was manifested through them, both consciously and subconsciously. They were an extension of her, tethered by magic, and they would move without so much as a word.

Still, she gave a quiet "Thank you," as they returned to their shelf.

The logs in the fireplace caught fire, returning the room to her desired level of coziness.

It was to be another peaceful night, alone, in the dollhouse she had built for herself. It was what she was used to.

A certain doll floated up to her.

Familiar.

"Hello, Shanghai," Alice greeted before plucking the doll out of the air and setting it in her lap. She ran her fingers through Shanghai's hair, made from clippings of her own locks that were magically attuned to the doll's head.

Shanghai was her favorite. Her masterpiece. A doll that she had spent years agonizing over.

As Alice's skills in dollmaking and enchanting improved, so too did Shanghai. All that effort put towards stronger enchantments and ball joints and fabric and porcelain. As a result, almost nothing of the original doll remained, save for the eyes, the first things Alice had mastered.

Of course, all of her dolls were beautifully crafted, but Shanghai was on another level. She was incredibly complex and, at this point, nearly indestructible.

…

The blonde dollmaker gazed into the fire as it cast flickering shadows across the room. Its familiar crackling was almost rhythmic.

…

There were times in which she would fall into a certain mood; a discouraging mix of loneliness and melancholy. Tonight, it seemed, was one of those times.

She sighed.

It filled her with a desire to wax poetic about her life.

About the lack of genuine connection her little doll family could provide. As much as she loved them, she was, in essence, talking to herself. Though, many of her attempts at friendship had fallen flat, anyways.

Socialization did not come naturally to her…

About the slow progress in achieving her greatest goal, a truly sapient doll. This branch of magic was notoriously difficult, and its secrets were jealously guarded by the few who had achieved such a feat.

It had been years since she'd had a promising breakthrough…

About the general fear and distrust shown to her by both humans and youkai alike. She held no malice for them, yet they avoided her all the same. Even those lost within the Forest tended to refuse her offers of rest and refreshments.

They simply found her presence unnerving…

…

Nighttime could get quite lonely…

…

No. Not again. Not tonight.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts away.

It was best not to curse a life as comfortable as her own, and it wasn't as though she was completely isolated. Between the gatherings (parties) at the Hakurei and Moriya shrines, academic discussions with Patchouli, and her 'neighbor' Marisa quite literally dropping in from time to time, she had glimpses of companionship in her life. Things really could have been worse.

…

Still… she closed her eyes and allowed herself a small memory. One from many years ago. From another time. From another realm…

...

*Knock-Knock-Knock*

Alice's eyes shot open, and she felt a stab of anxiety begin to manifest.

A... visitor?

Who could be knocking on her door, in the Forest of Magic, at this time of night? Certainly not Marisa; she never knocked.

Alice quickly ran through scenarios in her head. It was most likely a youkai of the night, or perhaps a fairy looking to play a prank.

She could simply choose to ignore them. It would not be unusual for a dollmaker to be preoccupied, would it? Should she pretend to be asleep?

...No. That could show weakness, something one should never show in Gensokyo.

She... she would open the door, but she would be prepared.

Half of the dolls on Alice's shelves snapped to attention. They arranged themselves, weapons in hand, throughout the house. Most were hidden from view, so as to capture the element of surprise in the event of a confrontation.

"One moment please," she called out.

Was she overthinking this? Perhaps. However, it was better safe than sorry.

Shanghai floated at her side, lance in hand. Two more dolls flanked them from behind.

Alice took a moment to compose herself. She would keep it cool. No youkai would get the better of her.

She was ready to confront this unknown.

She moved to open the door.

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Hmm… I didn't realize how far it would be when I decided to take this walk.

Eric shifted his basket from his right hand to his left, then gave his fingers a light stretch. The basket wasn't particularly heavy, but it had made his hand somewhat stiff after a while.

His journey had taken him deep within the Forest of Magic.

The foliage was dense, with trees surrounding him and the forest canopy blocking out most of the already fading daylight. Every once in a while, a magical little wisp of light would fade in and out of existence. Stepping over roots and negotiating dips along the path, he took the time to appreciate his surroundings.

Well at least the scenery is nice. Guess there's a good reason they call it the Forest of Magic.

Indeed, the Forest held a special beauty. Centuries of old growth mixed with abundant free mana to create a unique landscape that was as captivating as it was treacherous. Especially in the dying light of dusk.

The air felt heavier here, too.

Maybe I'll see one of those famous glowing mushrooms…

…

In truth, he didn't know exactly why he'd felt so compelled to seek her out.

It wasn't something he did often, or at all really. But, when he'd spotted her in the Village several days ago, something about her drew him in.

He wasn't sure how to explain it, but Eric had felt a strong connection from her; from just seeing her. It… wasn't something he'd ever felt before, and it was why he was determined to find her again.

He hadn't even worked up the courage to talk to her the first time…

…

His thoughts drifted as twilight took hold, and then that, too, began to fade. The stars in the sky were beginning to emerge when he spotted what should have been his destination in the distance.

It was a quaint little house, tucked away in the trees.

It sat within a small clearing. A sort of wrought-iron fence surrounded the property, marking where settlement ended and forest began. A path ran through the tall gate entrance that was of a similar style. A tidy yard and seemingly well kept garden led up to the entrance of the house. There was an overhang above the porch that provided shelter from the elements. A two-story tower accented the otherwise single story house.

Ah, there it is. At least I made it before it got too late.

Then, he noticed something.

The shutters... They were closed.

Or… maybe it is too late?

The half moon illuminated the porch as best it could.

Should I even try? …who the hell visits someone for the first time at night?

After a minute of indecisiveness, lingering at the edge of the porch, he shook his head. If he left now, then the whole trip would have been a waste. And he still wouldn't have managed to talk to her.

No, he could do this. The chimney was still producing a stream of smoke. Surely, she couldn't have gone to sleep already.

He gathered his courage, and… then… he… …knocked.

*Knock-Knock-Knock*

…

… … …? Um… … Did I knock hard enough? Would it be rude to knock a second time? …I'm probably disturbing her sleep or somethin-

"One moment please," came a woman's delicate voice from the other side of the door.

Oh, cool. She's still awake.

A beat passed.

Wait, what if she's the type to attack on sight?

He braced himself as the door slowly opened.

…

The first things that he noticed were her eyes. Those large, striking, piercing, glacier blue eyes. He didn't mean to stare, but damn. The second thing he noticed was the gleam of polished metal just off to the left. A small figure with the same eyes floated next to her, pointing a silvery lance directly at him.

That feeling was back.

Welp, here goes nothing.

"Hello! Sorry to bother you so late, but I was hoping to meet you. You see, I live in the Village. I saw you in town recently, but didn't get a chance to say hi. I asked around, and they told me you lived here in the Forest. My name is Eric. Nice to meet you!"

With that, he put out his right hand for a handshake.

…

A moment passed, then several moments. The woman was silent, and her expression was unreadable. Was she… sizing him up? Perhaps she was thinking of the best way to kick his ass for showing up uninvited?

Uh-oh. Was this a mistake?

Then, slowly, the floating one lowered her lance and met his handshake with a very small hand.

The woman finally spoke. "I am Alice Margatroid, the Seven-Colored Puppeteer. And this," she gestured to the smaller being, "is Shanghai. Well met, Eric from the Village."

Her voice was cool and measured, betraying little emotion.

As he shook the little one's hand, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Ok, whew. Good start.

"Alice and Shanghai… it'll be hard to tell the two of you apart." His grin widened with his attempt at a joke.

"Oh, I also have this!" He held the basket out to her. "It's a gift."

~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~

Alice was… surprised by who stood on the other side of the door.

It was not someone she was acquainted with, nor was it a terrible monster looking to ambush her. No, it was just… some guy. A villager, or rather a villager who wore an outsider's jacket, from the look of it.

No powerful aura. No radiating malice. No unusual features.

Well, perhaps the low ponytail he had tied his brown hair into could count as unusual. Long hair was rather uncommon in the Village.

Or the glasses he wore. From what she could recall, very few people wore glasses anymore.

Kappa engineered contacts were all the rage, apparently.

But... She got the strangest feeling when she looked at him. Like she was meant to be speaking to him. It was a sensation not entirely unlike the connection she shared with her dolls.

Although it was different, it didn't necessarily feel… malevolent.

Still, she remained on guard as he spoke, a fairly average male voice escaping his lips.

It... struck her as odd that he would show up after the sun had set. Most villagers were terrified of the dark, or rather, what lurked in the dark.

There was also the fact that he had sought her, a youkai, specifically. To her, that seemed… rather foolhardy.

Did he have no regard for his own safety?

"-name is Eric. Nice to meet you!" With that, he stuck his hand out for a handshake. Such an action was bold, reckless even, considering he was being held at lancepoint by Shanghai.

…

How was Alice supposed to respond to that?

It would be simplest to drive him away, to make him regret ever coming to the Forest of Magic.

But… no. Alice was cautious, not cruel.

If he was as sincere as his words, then she would be making an enemy out of a potential acquaintance.

...And she did not doubt his sincerity. One of the things she prided herself in was her ability to see through things like illusions, lies, and deceit.

Shanghai lowered her lance, her master's will manifesting clearly. Her small hand moved to meet the human's handshake.

Alice spoke, keeping as neutral of a tone as she could. "I am Alice Margatroid, the Seven-Colored Puppeteer. And this is Shanghai. Well met, Eric from the Village."

The man smiled, seemingly pleased by the interaction. "Alice and Shanghai… it'll be hard to tell the two of you apart." For a moment, his grin grew a little wider, and that led Alice to wonder. Was that an attempt at humor?

Before she could question it aloud, he spoke again. "Oh, I also have this!"

He quickly brought his basket up and held it out. "It's a gift."

Alice eyed the basket suspiciously.

It was woven from what appeared to be bamboo, and looked rather plain. However, there could have been any number of unpleasant or dangerous things in there. She had been given 'gifts' before that turned out to be quite… disruptive.

Mostly by Marisa, mind you.

Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Eric quickly added, "It's nothing bad, I promise!"

He moved to open the basket's lid. "It's just a few tarts and bread rolls."

One glance inside confirmed that there were, in fact, baked goods at the bottom of the basket.

Alice ran a quick magical scan for poisons, psychoactives, and anything else that she could think of. After a minute, she was satisfied that the food wasn't tainted.

She accepted the basket and handed it over to the two dolls floating behind her, who then departed.

Turning her attention back to the man in her doorway, she said, "Thank you. But I must ask… why?"

Eric looked somewhat bashful as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, well I figured it would be a polite thing to do. Y'know, kind of like a housewarming gift or something."

It... was polite, but that didn't truly answer her question. What was his angle here?

"Why did you come here?" A much more direct question.

"Wha- I, uh, just wanted to meet you? To say hi?" He seemed taken off guard.

"Saying hello hardly seems to justify a trek through a forest filled with youkai at night."

"I… it-" He looked decidedly less confident now. "It's going to sound really lame if I say it out loud…"

Alice maintained a deadpan expression.

"Okay… don't laugh, but… I saw you in the Village about a week ago, and when I did, I felt something."

She raised an eyebrow at that.

He waved his hands in front of himself. "It's nothing weird! I promise! It's just... I felt like I had to talk to you. I needed to say hi. It was like, I could feel a connection in an instant."

Both eyebrows were now raised. So he could feel it too?

"But… I didn't get a chance to do it then. I finally had the time to come out here today, but I left too late, and the sun went down. So now I'm showing up to your house in the dark like a big weirdo for no good reason. I just wanted to make a good impression and maybe be friends or-" He was starting to speak a little too fast, but he caught himself. "Uh… sorry…"

Eric looked incredibly self-conscious, and, for some reason, Alice actually felt kind of bad about it.

She... was never great at cheering others up, but she wanted to try.

Awkwardly, Shanghai reached her little arm out and patted the man on the head.

"...You can feel it too, then?" Alice's voice was quieter than she intended.

Eric, quite frankly, looked stunned. "Wha- huh? You feel something too!?"

"How peculiar…"

Despite knowing a vampire who literally had the ability to manipulate fate, Alice had never put much stock into the concept. Fate had never done her any favors before…

However, she was also well aware of the rumors; of what fate supposedly felt like. Supposedly, it was like a tug on your soul.

If that's what this truly was, she decided that it was an accurate description.

"D- do you know what it means?" His voice was unsure.

Alice answered honestly. "Not for certain." She took another moment. "Regardless, speculation would get us nowhere."

"Ah, right." He appeared slightly more relaxed now, perhaps knowing that he isn't alone in this strangeness.

Their dialogue trailed off, leaving them temporarily quiet.

...

"Do…" she fumbled for a conversation topic. "Do you bake often, then?"

Smooth…

"I do." He straightened up a little. "I make stuff like that pretty regularly. I, uh, run a café in the village, so it comes with the territory."

"Oh? A café?"

His confidence returned as he continued. "Yeah. You should stop by sometime. Tradition's End is the best place to enjoy a nice coffee. I guarantee it!"

Hmm, it had been a while since Alice had eaten at any sort of restaurant in the Human Village. Her retinue of dolls tended to draw attention wherever she went, and some proprietors did not appreciate it.

"You would invite a youkai to your place of business?"

"Sure, I would," he said. "Some of my regulars are youkai who live in the village. Plus," he continued, "there's that Buddhist youkai temple at the edge of town, and they're pretty swell too. There's even a few 'wild' youkai who stop in occasionally."

He coughed lightly into his sleeve. "Um, I mean, I'm not going to refuse someone because they're a youkai."

"I… will consider it," she replied. "I do visit the village on occasion for supplies, but I don't tend to linger."

He seemed pleased at her consideration. "Great! I'll even... give you a discount for your first visit. Half off!"

A beat passed. Their conversation was in a much less awkward state now.

...

He glanced over at Shanghai. "So, I've got to ask. What's up with these little… uh... sprites that you have with you."

"Sprites?" That was a new one. She'd never heard her dolls referred to as such before. "I believe you are mistaken. They are my dolls."

Shanghai held one hand up and flexed it a few times, as if to show off her ball joints.

Eric eyebrows raised. "Dolls? Really? They're way more lifelike than any dolls I've ever seen."

"I am a dollmaker by trade. It would be an insult to my craft if I wasn't any good at it."

"Huh." He brought a hand up to his chin in a thinking motion. "So, are all of your dolls this well-made?"

Alice reached over to stroke Shanghai's hair as she explained, "Not quite. Shanghai is a special case. A proof of concept, if you will. She is… the pinnacle of what I can create as a dollmaker and magician."

Her voice had taken on a softer tone, like a loving mother speaking about her child. "That is to say, she is my masterpiece."

She looked away from Shanghai and back to Eric. "However, all of my dolls are expertly crafted and among the finest in Gensokyo."

The man looked rather impressed. "I believe it. They almost look like real people," he enthused.

Eric considered Shanghai for another moment. "Also, they float."

Such a simple observation, and yet for some reason it made Alice smile. "Yes, they do float. Any magician worth her spells can imbue something with a flying enchantment. The difficult part is getting it to coexist with all the other enchantments."

"...Other enchantments?"

"Yes," she explained further. "To put it simply, body movement, magical shielding, danmaku firing, etc. all require specific enchantments. But, all that magic tends to interfere with itself, so you must also include insulating wards. And that is without even considering how the material itself interacts with magic or how to layer the enchantments effectively."

"Wow, that's… really cool actually. I don't know much about the technical aspects of magic, but it sounds really complex."

"It is quite delicate work. But it allows me to create something truly unique."

Eric shifted in place.

"Um, you mentioned a danmaku firing enchantment. What's that about? Do you use them for duels?"

Ah, another good question. It had been a long while since she'd spoken at length about her dolls to anyone not named Marisa or Patchouli.

"Precisely! They serve to multiply my own firepower as well as to catch opponents off guard with odd angles of attack. In a pinch they can also act as an impromptu shield. Also, by relying on their preexisting enchantments for danmaku, I can conserve my own energy reserves, allowing me a 'second wind' so to speak."

He was leaning against her door frame now, arms crossed and posture relaxed. "They sound like little walking powerhouses. Or, floating powerhouses? Anyways, it seems like you put a whole lot into what you do. Definitely respect that."

Alice swelled with pride.

She worked hard on her dolls, and, to a similar extent, her fighting style. Although she was not necessarily trying to impress anyone, it felt… nice to have someone appreciate her effort.

A little extra confirmation that she was not simply wasting her time. Even if it was coming from someone who was still basically a stranger.

Before the conversation could continue, Alice's other dolls returned with the basket, now empty. "I had them store the food for later," she said.

Eric took the basket handle in his right hand. "Alright then. Hope it suits your taste!"

A bit of a sly tone found its way into Alice's voice. "Be warned. If it's any good, then I'll... demand that you make me more."

…why did I say it like that?

He chuckled. "Hey, you make it sound like that'd be a bad thing!"

After a beat, Eric glanced behind himself. Twilight had truly faded now. The only light came from the half moon and the stars.

He sighed. "Um, I should probably go now. It's getting pretty late and it's a bit of a walk back."

He turned back towards Alice and bowed lightly. "Thank you for entertaining my presence tonight. It was nice to meet you. Hopefully I'll see you around town."

…wait what?

Alice had been distracted by their conversation, so she hadn't truly considered the deepening night.

It was... a bad idea. A human, walking alone in the Forest of Magic, in the dark of night. That wasn't just risky; it was downright suicidal.

A hint of disbelief crept into her voice. "You're planning to walk back to the village?"

"Um, yeah? It's a nice night after all. And I've gotta open the café in the morning." He seemed... strangely relaxed about the prospect.

"Are you not considering the risks? The youkai who stalk the night?" Alice questioned.

"Well yeah, but if any of them bother me I should be able to handle it."

If they "bother" you? They would do more than "bother" you. You would be their next meal!

She had to fight the urge to grab him by the shoulders and shake him silly. That sort of recklessness was something that really got under her skin.

Alice had just made a new acquaintance, one that was, at least so far, pleasant to talk to. She was not going to let him go get himself killed.

"You cannot be serious."

"No really, I'll be fine. I think. I've... dealt with youkai before. I don't want to inconvenience you more than I already have, so please don't worry about it," he said apologetically.

Worry… Why… am I so worried?

"These are not your village youkai. Given the chance, any one of the youkai in this forest would gladly take your life."

He nodded his head. "I understand. But," He leaned in and spoke again, quieter this time. "I'll let you in on a little secret."

He looked around before continuing. "I dabble in magic, too."

Alice's composure shattered as she asked incredulously, "What!? You practice magic?" He did not strike her as magically gifted.

Upon closer inspection, however, she found that his magical presence was just a bit greater than that of an average human. Not on the level of a youkai, or even a fairy for that matter, but noticeable enough if you looked very closely.

It was still light-years away from humans like Marisa or Reimu, though.

"It's true! I can make a really good defensive barrier." He grew a little sheepish before adding, "Even though I'm not very good at danmaku…"

So, he was not completely helpless. That was… at least slightly reassuring.

Still, it did not quite sit right with Alice to let this human wander the Forest at night alone. Should she just escort him herself? She wasn't exactly in the mood for an excursion, but-

She had an idea.

She gestured to her side, and Shanghai drifted forward. "Shanghai shall escort you through the Forest, then."

"What?" The man did a double-take.

"She is powerful in her own right and can protect you should the need arise. Although…" she trailed off. "Most youkai in this forest should recognize one of my dolls. That should dissuade them from causing trouble in the first place."

Eric blinked. "Wow! I've never had a bodyguard before!"

Then, he tempered his enthusiasm a bit. "Um, as much as I appreciate it, I don't mean to impose. Seriously, I can manage on my own if it's a hassle for you."

Alice was firm. "Nonsense. I will fly into town tomorrow to collect Shanghai. I need more supplies anyway. What was the name of your café again?"

"Tradition's End. It's on the north side of the village. There's a big sign, so it's hard to miss."

Alice nodded and turned to Shanghai. "Remain vigilant and protect him."

Shanghai nodded. Her master's will was clear.

Eric and Alice bid each other farewell, and soon, Alice was sitting back on her couch.

Once again, she stared at the burning logs in her fireplace.

Tonight had been a surprising departure from what she had come to expect.

She sighed as she melted into the overstuffed cushions.

That's enough interaction for one night.

~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~

(Originally posted 5/30/2023)

(Update 09/13/2023: So, i decided to revise this chapter slightly. It mostly boiled down to changing some of the phrasing on some lines and adjusting the structuring of the paragraphs. Not too much, but I think it slightly better reflects the style of later chapters. Maybe I'll pick through some other early chapters in the same way. IDK.)

Hi there! Long time reader, first time writer here. This is my first fanfiction, so I do hope I'm starting out on the right foot.

This fic started out as a one/two-shot based on the idea 'What would happen if Alice had one of her dolls escort someone to the village, and that led to them getting to know each other?' Well, one thing led to another, and now there are several ideas that I want to incorporate into a single story.

I might have also been inspired by the likes of SKOOLATOON and UnmovingGreatLibrary. SKOOLATOON's FREAKIN' GENSOKYO may be absurd and unhinged, but I think they actually do a good job writing the established Touhou characters, their dialogue reads like actual people talking, and I love how easy it is to visualize exactly what is happening, even down to the facial expressions. And UnmovingGreatLibrary... Just... everything about their works. Especially The Dollmaker's Daughter. They are like the writer I aspire to be.

The OC is a blatant self-insert. OOPS. For real though, I think the concept of an Outsider who has lived in Gensokyo long enough to integrate into their world and have pre-established relationships with some characters (as opposed to one who is a fresh arrival) is one that doesn't get done enough. Just don't expect him to be overpowered or absurdly goofy or anything.

Also, regarding the characters... Just like in real life, everyone has their own insecurities and are at various points in their own character arcs.

Having said that, sometimes Touhou lore and characterization is vague at best, so expect some interpretations that may or may not deviate from common fanon.

I personally think that spoken dialogue (and mixing it in with actions and expressions) is one of my weak points, and I'm working on it. (This chapter had like 4 revisions on that front)

I already have several chapters written. I want to try and post weekly. Or every other week if it catches up to my writing.

Final note: This fic is rated T mainly for swearing and that I want to show, on occasion, that youkai can be absolutely terrifying and that serious injury is a real and present threat in Gensokyo. It's not necessarily for lewd circumstances. I'm... not exactly opposed to including somewhat suggestive content, but I've not found a good place to incorporate anything like that yet. It wouldn't be explicit anyways. Let's keep it PG-13 in this fic y'all.

Thank you for reading! Review if you want! Have a nice day!

#touhou #fanfiction #alice margatroid #fanfic #my writing #traditions end #chapter 1 #touhou project

[aidendh]

Miraculous Tikki AU

(Story part 2)

-:Kwamibuster:-

Tikki and Chat Noir still loose their Kwamis but they hide and regroup

They both meet up a Fu's and are each offered a Miraculous

Aiden considers the Fox but then he has an idea

"Is it possible to use the Mouse's Multiply on the Horse?"-AH

Fu then tells the two about Unification

Aiden uses the Mouse and Horse unified as Mulalki

Adrien picks the Bee and Aiden gets him to hold the Fox (for Trixx only)

:

Mulalki uses Multitude to hide in Trixx, then he gets captured by the Akuma

Jaune Bee, Adrien, uses Venom on Kwamibuster

Mulalki then uses Voyage to get the Kwamis out

Then Jaune Bee renounces Trixx and Unifys with Plagg, becoming Jaune Chat

Mulalki, after undoing Multitude, divides Mullo and Unifys with Tikki, Kalikki

Jaune Chat then uses Cataclysm on the Akumatized item and Kalikki purifys the Akuma

:

Aiden and Adrien meet back at Fu's and they both collapse on his floor in exhaustion, Aiden passes out

-

Post-Kwamibuster, Aiden gives Adrien the nickname Bea

-:Style Queen:-

After Adrien is glittered, Plagg goes to find Aiden who isn't at the show

Tikki plans to let Plagg use Cataclysm, but is discouraged by Fu

He chooses to get a Temp for the Bee instead

He still chooses Alya, but fails and drops the Miraculous

Tikki's Lucky Charm is still glue

He destracts Style Queen with a glue covered Yo-Yo while Plagg Cataclysms the force field around Adrien and brakes the Rose

He spends awhile trying the find the missing Miraculous after the battle, only to think it was taking back with Miraculous Cure

-

In Reflector Doll, Aiden still has his Miraculous and looks after Plagg and the Ring for Adrien

-:Chat Blanc/→/Sculptor:-

Instead of Chat Noir, Tikki would be Akumatized into Sculptor with the power to turn people and creatures into porcelain dolls

Sculptor just wants to fix everything by making it 'perfect' and peaceful like a Dollhouse

Bunnix has to get Adrien to borrow the Ladybug Miraculous

Adrien borrows it from Aiden, but gives him Plagg so he isn't lonely

Mister Bug first trys to reason with Sculptor, but ends up fighting when trying to find the item

Sculptor instinctively puppets his Alix as a blockade

After awhile, Mister Bug finds out they're Tikki/Aiden

:

During an unknown showdown against Hawkmoth, Hawkmoth doesn't know Chat Noir's identity, so he goes for Tikki after remembering his insecurity of being a burden

The Akuma sneaks up on him and into Tikki's Earrings

"TKKI!"-CN

Tikki would grunt whilst covering his ears

Hawkmoth says about helping him create a perfect world without heroes and villains, a world where everyone is safe

Tikki struggles for a bit, but falls to his knees as his will slips away into Akumitization

Hawkmoth and Chat Noir both try to convince him to help their side and 'do the right thing'

He struggles with both urges to do what 'feels right' as moral and influenced

He ends up getting over whelmed and clenches fists at his side which build up with white energy

He ends up yelling "SHUT UP!" and juts his hands out in each of their directions

It turns both Hawkmoth and Chat Noir into life sized Porcelain Dolls

After awhile, he accidentally bumps into Natalie, turning her into one as well

After a freak out and some bordem, he ends up realizing he can pose them

He decides to remove their Miraculouses to rid them of their duty

After processing Gabriel Agreste, he poses them all into a loving family in the house

He decides to give into his Akuma urge and proceeds to 'perfect' all of Paris into a peaceful landscape

He stashes away the Miracle Box, with the Black Cat and Butterfly inside, after turning Fu and Wayzz into Porcelain Dolls

He eventually finds Emilie and adds her to the Agreste family

:

It still causes the paradox, as Sculptor managed to get his Alix as well

:

After hearing Sculptor talk about wanting to prevent other Heroes and Villains by hiding the Miraculouses, Mister Bug realizes that he needs a Cataclysm to destroy the item, and heads off to find the stashed away Miracle Box

:

Mister Bug searches for the Miracle Box and after finding it, he is surprised to find the Butterfly Miraculous and uses it to relinquish Sculptor's Akuma

Mister Bug is then brought back to the present, resulting is a loop from finding out Hawkmoth's hideout

-

#aiden's aus #oc #miraculous ladybug #ml #ml tikki au #aiden harris #tikki #jaune bee #mulalki #jaune chat #ladybug miraculous #bee miraculous #black cat miraculous #mouse miraculous #horse miraculous #kalikki #sculptor #akuma

[rein4r1]

I’m Getting You Out

Warning/s: Familial Abuse, Implied Depression, Sex, Not proofread

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Smut

Pairing: [MODERN AU] Eren x F!Reader

AN: I’m still practicing on writing smut I promise. English isn’y my first language so...

Eren promises to get you out of that f*cking hellhole

Statistics are numerical figures resulting from research. And statistics show that one in seven children are exposed to abuse at home.

To become a part of a whole is to be subjected in a fractional value in a case of one of many. Just another victim. Just another unfortunate case.

You have wished for nothing more but to be treated as a person, a human being. Society should have spared people like you from becoming into something inanimate. When at home, you are nothing but an object of captivity, breed to become an investment in a capitalistic dystopia.

You grew up feeling nothing but a bruised porcelain doll. They used you, in many ways you couldn’t even count. From being treated as their personal punching bag, to an insurance that is meant to project the contradicting state inside of your home whenever you face your parents’ friends.

Every moment you make is monitored by invisible cameras. That’s why they say the walls have ears, and the ceiling have eyes. Do you even get to decide for yourself? Everything you do has been regulated to their ideals. “It’s because we love you.”

You are nothing but a dumbed down version of a golden child. Used as a puppet, nothing more and nothing less. They do it because they love you. And you believe it.

You have never prayed for anything, God is nothing but a being who abandoned you. But for once in your life, you have never wished for something, and its in a form of a young handsome boy named Eren Jaeger.

The irony of wishing someone you once hated. You hated him at some point, but only because you know what he said about your family is true. That “your family is nothing but leeching bastards who even sucked their child dry.”

Deep down, Eren’s straightforward comment haunted you. And hearing it from someone so transparent, made you anxious. You needed to hear it, but the creeping anxiety says otherwise.

And because you blame yourself for being like this, you hated Eren Jaeger.

Eren was wrong, for saying it straight of the bat. He even got Armin to hit him for saying something overwhelming.

He was wrong for saying it right out of the blue, but what he said is nothing but the unequivocal truth.

He knows your parents, leechers of society. Leeching of his wealthy father. He hated them, but not as much as you do.

He saw you in the winter of his sophomore year in university. There you stood like a statue, with restrained movements. He wanted to hate you too, but seeing that you’re your parents worst victim. Made him see them as devils.

He didn’t pity you, Eren and freedom are one. He believed that you should be free of the cage that reduced you into your parents’ slave. He knows you have your wings, and you can fly. You just need help.

He talked to his therapist once, about a bird with their claws tied. He knows that the only way for the bird to fly is if they used its wings, but he wants to help it destroy its cage.

So he did, the moment Eren decides to become your friend, you felt there was something wrong. Something wrong in the status quo. Like a change in the grand scheme of things. It wasn’t sudden per say, but there is a shift. And you don’t mind it.

Having Eren is like finding comfort in a state of distress, it felt like breathing fresh air in an area saturated with pollution. For you once in your life, you get to feel what freedom is all about. That you get to be unorthodox in a way your parents wouldn’t imagine.

And maybe that’s how you fell in love with him. As much as you believe that God should beg for your forgiveness, you begged him to let you be with the person you love.

The attraction wasn’t one-sided. That the more Eren spent time with you, he gets to be with the you that the universe failed to see. The you who made the mundane things in life enjoyable. The you who’s eyes light up in watching every studio ghibli film. The you who is Eren’s girl. His girl.

You have sought his heart and he is willingly giving you every piece of vulnerability. Because you are the girl that the Eren Jaeger loves.

And now he gets to say it, confessing your love under an oak tree in campus. And he gets to say it to you, whisper it to you in the secluded corner of the library where you get to share kisses in secret.

And he gets to say it out of the blue, when you order your coffee and you ask for his. “Baby, I love you so much.” And every letter and every word never fails to trigger the butterflies.

And he gets to say it with you at night, whenever he sneaks into your room. His touch claiming every piece of your skin. His kisses traveling all over your body. And when he’s deep inside you, he whispers his love to you.

“I love you baby, God I- Fucking love you. Feel so good around me.”

“You’re so- so good to me baby f-fuck.”

And you’re beautiful like this, getting lost in the pleasure he gives you. “Baby please cum for me- baby please.” And you do, he fills you of him straight after, marking you as his with his cum.

You’re his, and he’s yours. Such simplicity in complexity.

Eren is no good person, he knows he would kill for you, set the world in flames for you. But as much as he wants to fall into his instinct, he respects you so much, that he has become your loyal servant. Ready to go to war for you.

That’s why every time he consoles your crying figuring, reasons of what they had done to you, again. Everything turned red, the word “fight” repeating in his head again and again until you begged him to just take you into his arms, and fuck you until you forget the horrors of in the form of the people who gave birth to you.

But on this particular moment, something was off. Seeing the bruises on your skin has completely set him off. God forbids he sees your parents, because he will become a criminal you’ll hate.

But you don’t want him to kill for you, because killing means he’ll be dragged away into some worn down prison, and you fear for him. But you fear for losing him the most.

He place his hands on your cheeks wiling away the tears that continue to betray your godly eyes.

“I promise to get you out of there baby fuck- I PROMISE” And he embraced you once more, because this time he’ll forcefully open the cages to your prison.

He kept his promise, because two days after that, you left everything behind. Destroyed all your photos that tells of your life in this hell. They don’t get to remember who you are. They don’t deserve that.

And from that day, the bird flew with its wings. Claiming back its freedom and happiness. Now with the person you love.

#eren x reader #eren smut #eren fluff #eren jaeger #eren yeager #aot #snk #aot x reader #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #snk x reader #aot imagines #snk imagines #attack on titan x reader #eren yeager x reader #eren jaeger x reader #tw abuse #tw depression #tw smut

[sassyduckqueen]

Don’t Pull My Strings- ML Prompts and One Shots 8

Ok so here's the story featuring Puppet Queen and Marionette. I worked them into a request for my friend, @naruwitch​, where Marinette and Luka get akumatized and Adrien learns his inaction and bad advice has serious consequences. I had a lot of fun writing this so yay me. Also I'm closing requests for these prompts for a little bit. I have a few I need to catch up on so I'll reopen requests when I'm caught up but I'm not sure when that will be. Anyway hope you guys like this :)

-------------------------------------------

Tears rolled down Marinette's face as she held onto the lucky charm Adrien had given her for her birthday. She was sat on her chaise lounge with a number of her handmade dolls near her. She had a Volpina one on the floor, along with the Bubbler and the Lady Wifi doll. She had been talking to them as if they were their real life counterparts. She was trying not to bottle up her hurt as she knew it wasn't healthy. Normally, it worked but today she was finding it harder then usual. Today in class, Lila had claimed that Marinette had attacked her and had been bullying her. As a result, Alya and Nino had renounced their friendship with Marinette and turned their back on her. They completely believed Lila's lies about her supposedly bullying her and told Marinette in front of the whole class, including Miss Bustier, that they would couldn't be friends with a jealous bully like her, which in turn had caused the rest of the class to turn against her, expect for Juleka. She had been the only one who tried to point out that it wasn't Marinette's normal behavior. Sure, she had her moments when she got jealous of people but always got past it. As usual everyone ignored her but the real blow had came when Marinette tried to stick up for herself and tell them the truth. Hoping that Adrien would tell the truth, she turned to him and asked him to tell them. Adrien, however, didn't. She wasn't sure if he panicked or if he just didn't want to call Lila out but he turned around and said that he didn't know what she was talking about. As if that wasn't bad enough, he then pulled her aside and told her to drop it, telling that 'they were just lies', that 'no one was getting hurt' and long as they both knew, it didn't matter if Lila was lying or not. She didn't stay after that. Despite Miss Bustier calling for her, Marinette rushed home and straight into her room, where she cried for a few minutes before taking out her dolls. She tried to talk them, telling them about how she felt but the real string of betrayal had come from Adrien. Since she didn't have a doll of him, she took out the lucky charm he had given her but instead of talking, she just began to cry again. In a simple act of trying to 'keep the peace', he had broke her heart in two. She jumped a little as she heard a knock on her trapdoor.

 "C-Come in?" The trap door opened and to her surprise, Luka climbed through. As soon as he fully in the room and the trap door closed, Marinette rushed over to him, throwing her arms around him. He caught her and held her close as she began to cry.

 "Ssh, it's ok, Melody," He whispered, leading her back over to her chaise longue. Marinette let him sit her down before he sat next to her and held her close to him. "Juleka messaged me and asked me to come by to check on you. She didn't tell me what happened but mentioned that you ran out of the school in tears,"

Marinette nodded as she held onto him. He frowned a little as he held her, stroking the top of her head.

 "Li-Lila's been telling everyone that I've been b-bullying her," She sniffed, making him frown. He knew she wasn't capable of bullying anyone, giving how she reacted with Chloe. She only ever stood up to Chloe. She never was malicious about how she spoke to her and definitely didn't single her out or torment her. Luka frowned as he held Marinette. He was certain the bully in this situation was Lila. He had met the girl when she came to one of Kitty Section's practice. Unfortunately for him, he ended up with a migraine for the rest of practice. When she had gone home, he told the rest of the band that she cause his headache. The very next day, he ended up getting kicked out of the band. Juleka had tried to defend him but she was outvote by two to one. Since they were discussing kicking him from the band, he didn't get a vote. He was upset by it but suspected that it had something to do with Lila so he did his own digging into her, seeing if he could find out anything on her. He already believed Marinette when she had told him that Lila was a liar and he knew her claims about been Ladybug's best friend and knowing Jagged Stone were bull but he wanted to find out what else he could find. Unfortunately, he didn't find anything other then the ladyblog but it didn't surprise him. Marinette's gentle sobs caught his attention, causing him to frown as he rubbed her back. "T-They believed her, Luka. A-Alya and Ni-Nino to-told me that t-they couldn't be friends with me a-and the r-rest of the c-class d-did the same,"

 "What about Adrien?" He asked, feeling unsure. Marinette had told Luka that Adrien knew about Lila's liars and had given her advice. Not that you could really call it that but while he didn't agree with Adrien's advice, he was happy that Marinette had someone else on her side. Or at least, he hoped that he was but judging by Marinette's heartbroken expression, that was not the case. "Melody?"

 "I a-asked him to tell them and he d-didn't. He said he didn't know what I was talking about and th-then he pulled me aside and told me that L-Lila's lies aren't h-hurting anyone and as long as we knew it didn't matter if she was lying but she's hurting me, Luka," She cut off as another sob escaped her lips. Luka frowned deeply and hugged her again, causing her to lean into him as she closed her eyes. They stayed like that for a good ten minutes or so before Marinette slowly looked up at Luka with an expression that made his heart break. She looked down at the lucky charm in her hand with a hurt expression. "She's hurting me... do I not matter?" 

"You matter more then anyone in the world, Melody," He whispered, gently placing his hand over the lucky charm so she didn't have to look at it. It still hung from her hand but she had glanced up, looking up at him as he gently kissed her forehead. "He isn't worth your time or your tears,"

 "I-" She began before her eyes widen as an akuma entered the lucky charm. Luka's eyes widen at the same time as well before a purple butterfly mask appeared over their eyes. Tikki gasped from her hiding place and rushed over as Hawkmoth's voice echoed in their minds. 

 "Puppet Queen.... Marionette... I am Hawkmoth," The villain said in their heads. "So Lila Rossi has spreading her lies again and turning everyone into her puppets. Well, I'm giving you two the power to make them your puppets and let the truth be known. In return, you will get me Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculous... do we have a deal?"

 "Rossi will no longer pull the strings," Luka muttered as Tikki gasped and carefully took the earrings off Marinette's ears before she could reach for them. She flew over the window and gasped back with a sorrowful look before fazing through the window.

 "And the truth will play out," Marinette replied before the purple mist engulfed them, changing the lucky charm into a cross control. Luka's form flopped forward as if he had become inanimate as the purple mist disappeared from Marinette. Her eyes were closed but she was holding two identical cross controls in her hands. Her hair was a little bit longer but in the same style as before. It's color had changed. It was a bright blue with bright pink tips. She was wearing a light pink shirt, a brown corset belt with an over skirt attached to it and dark gray shorts. She had a red jacket with a gold hem and gold buttons and a pink ribbon around her neck. She had white stockings on but one only when up to her calf where the other was thigh high. She had black Mary Jane styles shoes and dark gray fingerless gloves on her. Her mask was light pink and her lips were blood red. However, her skin resembled porcelain and was 'broken' in some parts, making her look like a broken doll. She opened her eyes, revealing cold blue eyes that were dull and lacked emotions. She glanced over to where Luka was stood as the purple mist disappeared from him. He was standing but his torso was slumped forward and his arms hung motionless by his side with his head bowed, causing his hair to flop in front of his eyes, which were closed. Like her, his skin resembled porcelain but there were no cracks across his face. His hair was the same shade and cut but he was no longer wearing his usual clothes. He was dressed in a light blue shirt with a black ribbon around his neck that was secured with a blue brooch, which resembled a sapphire. He had a black waistcoat with a red hem and a dark blue belt around his waist. His pants were black but had patches of bright fabric sew onto them as well as some tattered patches. His boots were dark brown with a red heel. He had a mask around his eyes which matched his waistcoat and his nails were painted black. Unlike Marinette, who had cross controls, he had string attached to each of his fingers and his wrists resembled a doll's joints. She tilted her head aside before walking over to her sewing machine. She placed her cross controls down on the table, next to her sewing machine before grabbing the materials she needed. She turned it on and sat down, beginning to work on more dolls. A purple butterfly mask appeared over her eyes, making her frown as Hawkmoth asked her what she was doing. "Patience, Hawkmoth. We only seven dolls between us and as you well know, those ones will only work for me. He needs his own set. Besides no one knows about us yet,"

 "Very well, Puppet Queen but I expect results," He growled before disconnecting it. Puppet Queen smiled and continued working. She stopped when she heard her mother calling her name and got up. She grabbed one of her cross controls and connected it to the Volpina doll, causing a real life size Volpina to appear out of pink smoke. Like Marionette, she was stood completely still with her torso and head hunched over and her arms hanging at her side. Puppet Queen moved her controls, causing Volpina to stand up before she took out her flute and played a tune, creating a ball of light at the end. She threw it in the room, engulfing it in a bright orange light. The trap door opened, revealing Sabine but she did not see Volpina, Marionette or Puppet Queen. She just saw Marinette and Luka curled asleep on her chaise longue. Deciding to leave them in peace, Sabine closed the door and disappeared downstairs to let the captain know that Luka would be staying over that night. The illusion disappeared, causing Puppet Queen to let out a small sigh before she detached the strings on her Volpina doll, making the full size version disappear before she continued to work on the dolls.

 ~Next Day~

 Puppet Queen stretched as she finished the last doll, putting it with the others. Hawkmoth had checked in on her a couple of times but in the end, decided to let her make the dolls. She had made Marionette a set of dolls based on her classmates. She was unable to make one for Adrien as she didn't have the right material for him and there was no point in making one of herself. She also decided not to make one of Juleka as the girl had tried to defend her. It wasn't her fault that she was easily ignored. Besides, she wouldn't want to hurt Marionette in that way. Juleka was still his sister. She had made some more akuma dolls for herself. Ones with powers she thought as useful. She picked Silencer as his power would be useful to shut people up. She made an Oni-chan doll because she had the power to track Lila and give her a horn. She wouldn't admit as Marinette or Ladybug but she found it very satisfying to see Lila terrified and with the horn on her head. She had a field day when she realized it grew every time she lied. She picked out Malediktator as well as Stormy Weather and Reverser. She picked Malediktator and Reverser because their powers were useful but she actually just picked Stormy Weather because she liked the look. Her inner designer influenced that choice. With all her new dolls done, she picked the class dolls and placed them on the ground in front of Marionette before standing up and gently cupping his cheek.

 "It's time to play, Marionette," She declared, Almost instantly, Marionette opened his eyes, revealing their color. They had changed green again but unlike his previous forms, they weren't full emotion at all. In fact, they looked almost lifeless and glazed over. He straightened up, clicking a little as he tilted his head to the side with a slightly confused expression. She giggled a little. "I made you some dolls,"

 He glanced down at them before glancing back at her with a puzzled expression.

 "I didn't have enough material to make an Adrien doll," She replied, frowning. She would have loved to have seen him been controlled like the dummy he is. Maybe then he would realize how much Lila's lies hurt. She frowned a little before hearing another click as Marionette lifted his arm and gently placed his hand on top of her head, patting it in a comforting manner. She smiled a little before shaking her head. "I'm fine,"

 He moved his hand from her and gave her a smile, making her giggle again. However, he turned his head to the side and lifted his arm, pointing to the trap door. Puppet Queen frowned and picked up her cross controls, reattaching one to the Volpina doll, re-summoning her then attaching the other one to the Lady Wifi doll. She used Volpina to create an illusion of Marinette and Luka leaving the house and saying goodbye to her parents before using the Lady Wifi doll to lock the trap door so they would not be disturbed. She knew full well that Miss Bustier wouldn't notice if she wasn't in class today and even if she did, she wouldn't bother calling her parents right away. Satisfied that they wouldn't be disturbed, she detached the dolls and turned back to Marionette, who was leaned down. He picked up one of the dolls, which happened to be Nathaniel's and tilted his head to the side before looking at her, as if asking permission. She smiled and nodded, causing the strings attached to his fingers to move on their own and connect to the doll, attaching themselves to the arms, legs and neck of the doll. He let go off it, causing it to fall onto the floor, slumped as he held out his hand and wiggled his fingers before he moved the doll, causing it to straight up and look around. Puppet Queen smiled and grabbed her computer chair, moving it in front of Marionette before grabbing her own dolls and placing them in front of her. She picked up the Ladybug doll, allowing her strings to attach to it before letting it fall to her side, slumped as well. She moved her hand, causing the doll to stand up straight.

 ~Meanwhile in School~

 Nathaniel was doodling in his book as he listened to Mrs Mendeleiev rambling on about science when he suddenly slumped against the desk, like he had fallen asleep. Mrs Mendeleiev noticed and began to tell him off before he suddenly stood up and walked from his desk, making her frown. He walked over to the white board and picked up a pen before beginning to write the same sentence repeatedly on the board, causing everyone to gasp.

 Lie-la, Lie-la, fox on fire

 "Nathaniel! Stop that at once!" Mrs Mendeleiev demanded, causing him to stop before he turned his head slowly towards her, making her frown as his eyes were completely glazed over like he wasn't living at all. It made her extreme uncomfortable as he turned back and continued to write. "Nathaniel, that's enough,"

 He completely ignored her, making her frown.

 "Nathaniel! I said stop that at once!" She barked but he ignored her again. "That's it! Go to the principle's office,"

 He stopped, making her think she had gotten through to him before he wrote on the board again. This time he wrote no but then stopped writing on the board before he turned his head slowly again and smiled at her, making her jolt back. However, he turned to the class with slowed movements, causing the class to feel freaked out.

 "Hickory dickory dock, a Fox went up the clock. The clock struck one. The fox fell down and broke her crown, Hickory dickory dock," He sang, causing the class to look at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. "Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock,"

 "What the hell, Nathaniel?!" Alya shouted, causing him to turn and glance at him. 

 "Ah, the tabloid writer," He deadpanned, making her frown. "Wait your turn,"

 She blinked as he walked over to Lila with slowed movements. He stopped in front of her, making her blink at him.

 "Lila the Liar. How ironic that your name has lie in it," He replied, making her gulp.

 "I'm not-"

 "I'm not done talking!" He shouted, slamming his hands down on the table before tilting his head to the side. "I know you're a liar. Liar, Liar, Liar, Liar-"

 Alya frowned as she noticed something shining above his head, making her frown. She grabbed the nearest pair of scissors and cut the shining thing, causing her to realize it was a string. She noticed four others and cut them too as Nathaniel tried to grab her, causing him to slump as soon as she cut the last string before he straightened up and looked around confused.

 "What? How did I get over here?" He asked, looking around confused but the sound of slow clapping caught the rest of the class's attention. Alix was slowly clapping in a mocking manner, making Alya look at her with concern before she stopped and looked at her.

 "So you're not as dumb as you look," She replied, making Alya frown as she smirked. "And here I just thought you were nothing more then a trashy tabloid writer,"

 "I'm not a tabloid writer," Alya growled back, making Alix laugh. "Who are you anyway? You're clearly not Alix!"

 "I'm Marionette," Alix replied, doing a dramatic bow before her limps hung a little. She looked up and tilted her to the side as she smiled. "And you're all my puppets now,"

 "Marionette?" Alya questioned, frowning but Lila gasped. 

 "Oh, no. It's Marinette!" Lila cried, crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks. "She must off been akumatized to get revenge on me! It's bad enough that she bullies-"

 "LIAR!" Alix suddenly screamed, cutting Lila off. "One I am not Marinette! Two! Marinette never bullied you! You bullied her!"

 "You would say that, Marinette!" She cried out, causing the rest of the class mutter. It did make sense that Marinette would have gotten akumatized over this. They had stopped been her friend but it's not their fault she was a bully. Before they could get say anything else, Ladybug flew through the window and landed on the floor before straightening up. Lila gritted her teeth but gave a fake smile. "Oh, Ladybug! Thank goodness, Alix has been possessed by Marinette! She's using her to bully me!"

 "No, she isn't," Ladybug replied, causing everyone to gasp. "Marionette isn't Marinette, Lie-la,"

 The class blinked at Marinette's word before Alya gasped. 

 "Wait, how did you know about Marionette, Ladybug?" She asked, causing the rest of the class to gasp and back away from the heroine. "She's only just appeared,"

 "Because, Alya, he's my loyal knight," Ladybug smiled, making the class gasp in shock and question why she was working with an akuma. She completely ignored them as she threw her yoyo up in the air. "Lucky charm!"

 A giant sword appeared out of thin air, causing the class to gasp before Mrs Mendeleiev ordered them to retreat, following them as they ran out of the classroom. They locked the door behind them, causing Ladybug tilted her head to the side before she gave Alix a smile. She would make sure they didn't escape.

 "I'll get the doors," She replied, kicking the door down and walking out as Alix followed. "Lila! Alya!! Why don't you come and say hi to your favorite hero?!"

 ~In the Courtyard~

 The class ran out of the class as soon as Mrs Mendeleiev shouted at them to do so. She locked the door behind her and ordered them to escape the school while she informed the headmaster of the situation. The class ran down the stairs and rushing over towards the doors as they did but to their surprise, Lady Wifi, jumped down in front of them and fired her commands at them. They managed to dodge them but Lady Wifi took the chance to use her lock command on the main doors. Alya gasped and ran over to the locker room, opening the door. The rest of the class followed her, rushing inside as they heard the door been kicked down and the fake Ladybug calling out for Lila and Alya. Nino turned to her, causing her to look at him.

 "Ok, how is Lady Wifi here when you haven't been akumatized?" He asked, making her frown.

 "It must be the akuma," She replied, making most of the class agree with her. "But if Marionette can use akumas, why not just go for that in the first place?"

 "Didn't Ladybug refer to Marionette as her loyal knight?" Mylene asked, causing Alya to nod and for the rest of the class to be confused. "But if Marinette is Marionette... why did Ladybug call her a he?"

 "Isn't it obvious?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms and causing everyone to look at her. "Lila was wrong. Marionette isn't Marinette. I know Hawkmoth isn't very creative but even he's not that dull,"

 "But if Marionette isn't Marinette and is in fact a boy, who is he and why is he after Lila?" Nino asked, making everyone mumble in agreement. Juleka gasped to herself and grabbed her phone, causing Rose to glance at her. As usual, no one else paid attention to her as she tried to call Luka but it went straight to voicemail. As soon as she hung up, she glanced up to see Rose staring at her with glazed over eyes. She gasped again and went to say something but Rose lifted her finger to her lip, making a shush noise before she blinked and looked around confused. She noticed Juleka looking at her.

 "Juleka, are you ok?" She asked, making the goth girl nod before she looked around. "Where's Adrien?"

 "I don't know," Juleka replied, glancing around. The blonde boy was no where to be seen but before they could do anything else, the door was sliced open by the fake Ladybug as she held her sword. Alix stood next to her, along with Lady Wifi. However, Cat Noir's baton flew above them, cutting the strings attached to them, causing Lady Wifi and Ladybug to disappear and Alix to slump before she gasped and looked around as Cat Noir jumped down and ordered the class to follow him.

 "What the hell?" She asked but she didn't have time to think as Nathaniel grabbed her arm and ran out of the locker room. 

 "Cat Noir, the doors are locked," Alya gasped, making him frown before he jumped down in front of the door.

 "Leave it to me," He grinned, lifting his hand. He went to summon his power but a bolt of lightening made him jump out of the way. "What the?"

 "I don't think so, Kitty Cat," A voice gasped, making the class look over. To their surprise, Stormy Weather was hovering above the courtyard. "No one is leaving here until I say so,"

 "Why don't you come yourself instead of hiding behind these puppets?" Cat Noir asked, making her laugh. 

 "And let you take my akuma? I don't think so," She giggled, making him frown. "I don't think so. Marionette, sweetie, be a dear and keep our favorite feline busy while I deal with the liar,"

 "Marionette is gone, Puppet girl," Cat Noir grinned, making her frown a little. "I destroyed his strings,"

 "Dumb kitty cat, I'm not Puppet girl. I'm Puppet Queen!" She laughed, making him frown. "And what makes you think Marionette is gone, just because you destroyed his strings?"

 Cat Noir went to answer back but ducked as Kim suddenly took a swing at him. Ivan suddenly grabbed hold of him, causing Stormy Weather to laugh as he struggled.

 "Take his ring, Mon Cherie," She ordered as Juleka looked around panicked. Nino walked towards Cat Noir, reaching for his ring. "We'll grab the earrings later,"

 Cat struggled, kicking Kim back and freeing himself from Ivan. Kim stumbled back before charging at him with Ivan. Stormy Weather smirked and turned over to the rest of the class, who had moved in front of Lila, expect for Juleka, who was torn about things. She realized that Marionette was Luka which meant this Puppet Queen was Marinette. Somehow, they had both been akumatized.

 "Move," Stormy Weather growled, pointing her umbrella at the class. However, none of them moved out of the way, causing Stormy Weather to narrow her eyes but before she could strike, Juleka moved in front of the class, holding her arms up. Stormy Weather's eyes soften a little as she looked at the Goth girl. "Juleka, move. You're protecting a liar,"

 "I know," She mumbled, making the rest of the class look at her with shock. She looked up at Stormy Weather as the puppet narrowed her eyes. "But I don't care about her. I care about you and my brother. Just tell us where the akuma is, Marinette,"

 "I'm not Marinette anymore!" Stormy Weather shouted as the class stared in surprise as well as Cat Noir, causing him to get punched by Ivan. Stormy Weather flew down and landed on the ground, walking towards Juleka and the class as Lila began to cry fake tears again. "Do you want to know why I got akumatized, Juleka? Because those people you're trying to protect turned on me like a pack of rabid dogs the more Lie-la claimed I harmed her! It didn't matter that some of them had known me for years or that I never even got physical with Chloe! It didn't matter that they were no-"

 Stormy Weather disappeared as Alya cut the strings, causing Juleka to gasp in surprise. Cat Noir kicked out and sliced Kim's strings with his claws before diving out of the way as Ivan tried to punch him. Alya grabbed Kim's arm and pulled him out of the way as Ivan continued to fight Cat Noir. He kicked him back, knocking him to the floor before slashing his strings with his claws. Ivan slumped before sitting up and looking around confused. Cat Noir helped him to his feet before turning to Juleka, who was playing with her hands.

 "How did you know that was Marinette?" He asked, making the class look at her before she sighed.

 "Because of what happened yesterday," She mumbled, making him frown. As Adrien, he knew that but as Cat Noir he had to play dumb. 

 "Why? What happened?" He asked, making Juleka frown as well.

 "Lila accused Marinette was attacking her and bullying her, which caused Alya and Nino to call her out and disown her as a friend," She mumbled, making him frown. He remembered as clear as day. Marinette's broken expression was almost enough to get him to tell the truth but then he realized that if he told them, they would throw him in the trash as well. After all, the class didn't believe Marinette so why would they believe him and the only reason why this was all happening was because Marinette couldn't be the bigger person and walk away. After all, Lila thrived off attention and if she didn't have it and was ignored, she would just disappear like a tabloid newspaper. Also it would keep the peace with the rest of the class since they wanted to get on Lila. He just didn't understand why Marinette just didn't follow his advice and take the high road. He was sure that Lila would end up exposing herself. Of course, he didn't think Marinette would get akumatized over it. She hadn't been akumatized before so he thought she would be fine. "But she isn't the only one akumatized,"

 "What?" Cat gasped, looking up at her. He didn't expect that at all. Juleka was playing with her hands again. "Juleka?"

 "Luka is as well..." She mumbled, making Rose gasp as Ivan and Mylene stared at her, along with a lot of the other class. The color drained from Cat's face as he stared at her too. This was worst then he expected. When Luka was Silencer, he was a formidable opponent. After all, he took Ladybug's voice and was tactical as he thought them but teaming up with an akumatized Marinette... well, this was not a good thing. "Luka went to check on her yesterday to make sure she was ok but he didn't come home last night. Ma said that Mrs Cheng had decided to let him stay over but..."

 "Are you certain that Luka is also akumatized?" Cat asked, making the goth girl know.

 "I tried to ring him earlier and it went straight to voicemail," She mumbled, making him frown. "I think Marionette is Luka as Puppet Queen is Marinette,"

 "Very good, Juleka," A voice echoed before Oni-chan jumped down and landed in the courtyard, causing Lila to gasp and hide behind Ivan, who glared at the puppet. Cat Noir charged at her but she blocked his attack and threw him into the rest of the class, knocking them down before jump over to Lila, who backed away. "Well, you know how this power works already, don't you Lie-la?"

 "I d-don't know what you're talking about," She gasped, backing away.

 "Let me remind you," She replied, taking out the sword but Cat Noir blocked it before she could hit her.

 "Marinette, listen to me, you don't have to do this," Cat gasped, trying to get through to her. "Just give me your object and I'll bring it to Ladybug,"

 "Silly Kitty, Ladybug isn't coming," She grinned, making him frown before she knocked him back and diving at Lila, pressing her sword to her forehead. Cat Noir got up and knocked into her as the class gasped. Lila felt her forehead, gasping as she felt a horn on there. How was she going to lie now? Oni-chan got up and smirked at her before lifting the sword to fight with Cat Noir.

 "Marinette, this isn't who you are," He gasped, holding up his hand. "Didn't Adrien say you were the everyday Ladybug?"

 "Agreste is a traitor," Max growled, making everyone look at him with surprise, expect for Oni-chan. Seeing the chance to run, Lila slipped away and headed back into the locker room. Not that it mattered, Oni-chan could easily track her. Instead, she leaned against her sword to watch Marionette rip into Chat. Max walked over to him and poked the hero in his chest surprising him. "And you sound just like him!"

 "No, I'm just-"

 "Don't lie!" Max roared, causing the class to step back in fear. They should try and escape but they were too interested in what the Puppet had to say. "You don't care about Marinette! You just want to keep the peace, just like Agreste! Well, all of this is because of that dumb model! He's known from the beginning that Rossi is a liar since he was there when Ladybug called her out but he doesn't care that she's lying to his classmates and making people's lives miserable! No, all he cares about is keeping the peace and taking the 'high' road! Well, the high road is bullshit! Lie-la isn't gonna lie herself into a corner and even if she did, it isn't down to him to decide who gets hurt by her lies!"

 "Adrien never said-"

 "Shut up! I'm not done!" Max roared. "He told Marinette that it didn't matter if they both knew. Well, it does matter! Did you know she's nearly been akumatized almost everyday for the last few weeks and every day she resisted because she didn't want to hurt her friends?! Did you know she cried herself to sleep over these people who turned their backs on them every time that lying fox spun a new story?"

 Cat Noir frowned as he glanced down, feeling bad. He didn't think she had been so torn up by the whole situation. She didn't seem like it when in class. Alya stepped forward. 

 "If Marinette had been resisting been akumatized this long, why did she end up akumatized this time huh?" She asked, placing her hand on her hips and holding the scissors threateningly. Max turned to her and smiled.

 "If I answer that and you don't like it, are you gonna cut my strings?" He asked, making her blink before he rushed forward and grabbed the scissors off her. Cat went to charge at him but stopped when Oni-chan pointed her blade at his throat. Max crushed the scissors in his hands, making the class gasp before dropping them on the door, rendering them useless. "No, no...you're gonna listen to me. The reason why this time was different is because of you and Adrien, Cesaire. You turned your back on your so called BBF and having been so for ages but yesterday was the last straw. You believed Lila that Marinette had assaulted her and renounced your friendship with her in front of everyone without a single shred of proof. And you wonder why I call you a tabloid?! Honestly, that's too nice for you! And Agreste! Urg! He knew Lila was a liar and when all of you... expect you, Juleka... turned on her like a rabid pack of dogs and she begged him to tell you the truth, he ignored her and worst denied it! As if that wasn't bad enough, he then proceed to pull her aside and told her to drop it because and I quote 'it's just lies' and 'no one is getting hurt'. Well, news flash, you mangy cat! Her lies are hurting someone and that someone is Marinette or doesn't she not matter?!"

 "Of course, she matters-"

 "Then Agreste should act like that instead of choosing a liar over her!" He shouted, making Chat step back. "And that is what was different this time! The two people who Marinette believed would always have her back turned on her! Marinette had been able to resist the akumas before because she believed that no matter what she had Alya and Adrien on her side. It broke her heart when they turned on her. There's only so much pain and hurt a person can take and this time she just didn't have the strength to fight the akuma,"

 "But Adrien was just trying to-"

 "Keep the peace," Max growled, making Chat gulp a little. "Well, if he hadn't been trying to keep the peace, hadn't given Marinette that frankly awful advice and actually told the truth about Lila, then we would not be here right now, would we chat?! We also wouldn't be here if Alya actually checked her sources like she should have! Tell me, Alya, did you even have proof that Marinette attacked Lila?"

 "Of course, Lila-"

 "Did you seen bruises? Cuts? Injuries?" He asked, making her frown. "How about text messages? Or any witnesses? Did any of you actually see Marinette targeting Lila like how Chloe targets people? Or did you just see her trying to tell the truth? Well, it doesn't matter what you saw,"

 "What do you mean?" Alya asked as Oni-Chan walked over to Max. Cat Noir went to move over but Oni-chan pointed her sword at him as Max moved his arm over to her.

 "Don't worry, Chat. We're gonna make sure Lila shows her everyone her true colors," She replied before her horned glowed and they disappeared, causing Officer Roger to appear in their place. Alya gasped as she looked around, causing Cat Noir to look at her.

 "They're going after Lila!" She gasped, making him blink. "We have to help her!"

 "The best way to help her is to find Puppet Queen and Marionette. Did Marinette come to school today?" He asked, making the class frown and shake her head. "Then she might still be at her home. Stay here. I'll go stop them,"

 He jumped up onto the roof and out of the school, heading over to the bakery. He went to jump up to Marinette's balcony but jumped back as a number of red bubbles were fired at him, exploding as they did. He blocked them with his baton and dodged a green one before he glared up at the balcony. Bubbler was stood on the edge but was surrounded by a number of red and green bubbles. If Chat tried to get in the balcony, he would get attacked and possibly end up trapped in a bubble but he also knew he could get in through the bakery. He rushed inside, causing Tom and Sabine to look up in shock as he rushed by them and into their apartment. Sabine rushed after him as Tom began to tell the customers that they were closed and ushered them out, locking the door behind them before he jointed his wife. Chat rushed up to Marinette's room and tried to open the trap door but found it was locked. He held out his hand and summoned his cataclysm, slamming his hand on it. It broke the lock on it and he forced it open, rushing inside but he found the room empty. He frowned and knelt down as he saw a number of dolls on the floor. He walked over to one of them and picked it up, frowning. It was one of Kim but it had strings attached to it's limbs and neck but the strings looked damaged, like they had been slashed by claws. 

 "Chat Noir, what's going on?" Sabine asked, getting his attention as he turned around. 

 "Where's Marinette?" He asked, making her frown. "Did you see her this morning?"

 "Yes, she left for school with Luka. He stayed over last night," She replied, making him frown. "Why?"

 "Are you sure you saw her?" He asked, noticing the doll of Lady Wifi and Stormy Weather. Puppet Queen was able to use the abilities of the akumas. He gasped as his eyes widen before he turned to Sabine. "Mrs Cheng, what dolls did Marinette have?"

 "Well, she had Ladybug, Lady Wifi, Bubbler, Volpina and of course one of yourself," She replied, making him frown. "Chat Noir, please tell me what's going on?"

 "I'm afraid Marinette has been akumatized," He replied, making her gasp as Tom got there. "She has the power to use these akuma puppets to summon the akumas and use their powers,"

 "But we saw her come downstairs!" She gasped, making him sigh.

 "She must of used Volpina's power to create an illusion," He replied, walking over to her sewing machine and seeing a number of materials that could be used to make dolls. She had a number of akuma dolls and Marionette must be using the dolls that resembled his classmates. He leaned down and picked up the Alix doll. Like the Kim doll, it's strings were tattered. "Had she made any dolls that resembled her classmates?"

 "No," Sabine answered as she looked at the doll in his hands. "Marinette's never showed me that one,"

 "She must of made them before they attacked them," He frowned before it clicked. They couldn't have been akumatized this morning. Marinette, in her right mind, wouldn't make dolls that resembled her classmates and if she did, she probably would have given to her classmates. "Did you see them last night?"

 "Yes, she had fallen asleep in Luka's arms," She replied, making him frown. "It's why we let him stay over. He's been a godsend during this hard time,"

 "Hard time? You mean at school?" He asked, making her nod.

 "We're trying to build a case against the school due to their mishandling of the situation," Tom explained, making Chat frown.

 "Mishandling?" He asked, getting a nod of them. "I don't want to pry but how did the school mishandle? And what situation? It will help me understand why Marinette got akumatized,"

 Tom and Sabine looked at each other with identical expressions.

 "Well, for one thing, her expulsion but she's been severely bullied and when we met with her teacher, she had the nerve to let us about how our daughter should apologize and forgive her bullies!" Sabine gasped, making Chat frown a little. He wasn't sure what to say. "She kept going on about Marinette setting a good example and how she should preach forgiveness and that's not even getting started on Mr Damocles,"

 "Well... correct me if I am wrong but isn't forgiving a good thing?" Chat asked, half expecting the bakers to bite off his head. However, the two of them shared a glance and nodded at each other. "Shouldn't Marinette be the better person and ignore them?"

 "Chat, have you ever been bullied?" Sabine asked, making him frown. Of course, he hadn't. He had been home schooled all of his life and by the time he got into normal school, he was famous. No one in their right mind would try to bully him out of fear of what his father might do. He shook his head, making the bakers frown as Tom gently placed his hand on Chat's shoulder. "Imagine you were in school and a boy in your class came in and told a glorious story that you knew was fiction... but when you tried to tell everyone the truth about the boy's story, he spun it so you seemed like the bad guy and a bully. So that everyone around you began to distrust you. How would you feel?"

 "Well, I'd feel awful but surely my friends would believe me when I told them the truth," Chat answered. 

 "What if they didn't?" Tom asked, making him frown. "How about this one? What if the same boy claimed you had pushed him down the stairs and that you had stolen something off him? Say a watch his grandfather gave him and you were expelled despite the fact that your locker had been broken into on a number of occasions and that there was no real evidence that you had pushed him down the stairs. How would that make you feel?"

 "Well, I'd be frustrated and hurt," He replied, frowning. Those situations mirrored what happened to Marinette.

 "Ok now imagine if you told your teachers what was happening and they just told you to be the bigger person and forgive your bullies. To show them that they don't need to bully but they get worst. They twist your words and make you seem like a bully. That boy continuously targets you no matter what. He trips you and threatens you but when ever you try to stick up for yourself, he makes it look like you were bullying him and begins to convince the rest of your classmates to ignore you and isolate you. He convinces your classmates that you're not worth their friendship and to give you a taste of 'your own medicine'. They begin to bully you in revenge of you bullying the boy despite that you're actually innocent but when you try to tell them, they claim you're just jealous," Tom explained, making Chat frown even deeper. If that really happened to him, he'd feel awful. "But imagine one of the students knows about the boy lying but instead of telling everyone and trying to support you, this student keeps it to themselves, believing that the boy will reveal himself and that no one is getting hurt by it. That they're worried that the boy will ended as an akuma but they don't even acknowledge that you're hurt by this. That you could be an akuma. Now imagine that happening every single day without fail. Imagine your teacher refusing to help you and blaming you for been a victim, even when your parents come in try and get a solution. How would you feel, Chat Noir, if that was what you had gone through? Because that's what our daughter has been going through the past few months. She has been fighting off akumas almost every day. It is exhausting trying to fight them off and we have tried our best to help her but it wasn't enough. She didn't have the strength anymore and now she has fallen prey to that madman, all because of a liar and Adrien's stupid advice,"

 "I... thank you for explaining it to me, Mrs Cheng and Mr Dupain. It has been enlightening," He replied, holding back tears. He had never thought it had been that bad but with the way they explained made him realize it had been so much worst then he realized and he had only made it worst by been quiet. He claimed Marinette was his friend yet he completely turned his back on her when she needed him. All because he believed that Lila wasn't really a threat and would disappear like a tabloid. Well, he was wrong and now Marinette, one of the strongest people he knew, had broken down and Hawkmoth took advantage of her, which resulted in both her and Luka been ensnared. The worst part was he was to blame. Because of him, two people had fallen victim to Hawkmoth. He turned to Tom and Sabine with regretful eyes. "I will do my best to get Marinette back, I swear,"

 With that, he ran outside to find the akumas and recharge Plagg.

 ~Puppet Queen and Marionette's POV~

 Marionette suddenly dropped his control on Max, causing Puppet Queen to look up at him and frown as he tilted his head and looked up at the skylight before pointing to it. She frowned deeply as she looked at it. He had warned her when her parents came up and chances are he could feel someone else coming up as well. Chat Noir. Once he worked that they would going after Lila, he would try and track them down. It's what she would do and though Chat acted like a clown, he wasn't stupid. He would work out that they were at home once the class told them that she hadn't turned up yet. She lifted her second cross and attached the strings to the Bubbler puppet, creating him on her balcony before gasping as she saw Chat coming towards the bakery. She directed a number of bubbles towards him as she turned to Marionette.

 "Collect the dolls that can be used and placed them in that basket," She ordered, causing him to move as she used Bubbler to set a number of bubbles around the balcony to stop Chat from getting in that way. With that done and most of the puppets collected, she freed the Oni-chan doll and Bubbler doll before placing them inside the basket. Marionette gave it to her and picked her up bridal style before jumping up onto her bed and through the skylight. He landed on the balcony as they heard Chat trying to get into the room. Marionette tilted his head and jumped to another roof, just as Chat used his cataclysm to get into the room. Marionette jumped across the city before landing on the top of the Eiffel tower. He jumped down, landing in front of Gustave Eiffel's office before putting Puppet Queen down and ripping open the door to the office. She smiled as he held it open for her and stepped inside. He followed and closed the door as she placed the basket on the table and took out the Lady Wifi doll. She attached her strings to it, making Lady Wifi appear before using her to lock the door as Marionette moved the wax figures off the chairs and placed them in front of each other. He took out his dolls and sat down, taking control of Max again as Puppet Queen switched Lady Wifi for Silencer and took out Oni-Chan again. She needed to make sure Chat couldn't use his power again to get into the office, once he found them. That should keep him busy enough while they dealt with Lila. 

 ~Tikki's POV~

 Tikki didn't know what to do. Marinette and Luka had been akumatized and she knew she couldn't tell Chat. If she told him then he would realize who Ladybug was and it's not like she could turn to Master Fu. There was the chance that he would try and take her from Marinette and she was certain that he would panic. No, she had to find a temporary holder for herself. Keeping herself hidden, she kept an eye on the apartment, hoping that maybe Marinette and Luka would resist been the akumas and break the object. However, they never did. She briefly thought they had when she saw them leaving the house but that thought disappeared when they did. She curled to herself and kept watch. She gasped when she saw Chat Noir come to the bakery and frowned when he had to go through it instead of in the balcony. She kept hidden when she saw the two akumas jump away from Marinette's room and frowned when Cat Noir left about ten minutes later. He looked upset but she had a feeling that he might finally understand Marinette's situation. Her parents must of told him. Her eyes widen and she mentally cursed herself for not thinking about it before. She knew who turn to. After all, the perfect person to save Marinette was none other then her own mother. With new hope and determination, she flew over to the bakery and headed inside.

 "I can't believe we didn't notice our little girl had been akumatized," Sabine gasped, making Tikki frown before she gasped. "Oh no, Luka was up there with her. You don't think she hurt him, do you?"

 "No, I don't even Marinette would, even as an akuma," Tom replied as Tikki flew into the back, causing the two adults to see her. Tom instantly screamed as Sabine looked at her with curiosity. "W-What is it?"

 "I'm a kwami," She replied, making them both blink. "My name is Tikki. Pleased to meet you,"

 "A kwami? But you look like a ladybug?" Sabine asked, frowning when Tikki looked down a little sad. "Is something wrong?"

 "I'm afraid so," She replied, making the bakers frown. "As a kwami, I can power up miraculous and give people super powers. To be precise, I give Ladybug her powers,"

 "Then why aren't you with Ladybug?" Sabine asked, frowning as Tikki looks sad again. "Is Ladybug ok?"

 "N-No, she's not," She gasped, tears in her eyes. "L-Ladybug needs help... she's... she's..."

 "Marinette," Sabine replied calmly, making Tom look at her with surprise as Tikki sniffed. "She is Ladybug, isn't she?"

 Tikki nodded, making Tom gasp.

 "H-How did you know?" She asked as Sabine gently cupped her with her hands.

 "My daughter gets akumatized and then Ladybug's kwami turns up. If Marinette wasn't Ladybug, she would have been saved by now," Sabine confirmed, making Tikki nod. "So what do you need me to do?"

 "I n-need someone to wear the earrings," She explained, making Sabine nod and take them, putting them in her ears. "But you must give them back to me once we've done,"

 "I will... but will you find a new Ladybug after this?"

 "I... I don't want to..." Tikki admitted, surprising Sabine. "Marinette's my friend and she is the best Ladybug I've ever known. If anyone can defeat Hawkmoth, I know she can but-"

 "Then we need to save her," Sabine smiled, surprising Tikki. "How do I transform?"

 "Say Tikki, spots on," Tikki explained, making Sabine nod. "You must capture the akuma or it will multiple and the special power is Lucky charm. Since you're an adult, you won't detransform after five minutes,"

 "Ok," Sabine nodded. "Tikki, spots on!"

 ~Back to Chat Noir~

 Chat jumped across the roofs as he headed back to the school, trying to work out where the akumas would go and hoping to come across Lila before they found her. While Plagg charged up, he went to visit Master Fu and told him that Ladybug was missing. Master Fu seemed shocked to find out that Marinette had been akumatized. He had given Adrien the fox, the turtle and the bee miraculous, telling them who could use them. He was surprised to find out that Rena and Carapace were Alya and Nino but he didn't have time to think about it. He needed to get back to the school. He jumped down and noticed Lila running down the street with Oni-chan and Max chasing them. He jumped down and slashed both of their strings before grabbing Lila and jumping away with her. For once, she didn't try to shout at him and just held onto him. He brought her back to the school and put her with her classmates, ordering them to split up and hide. As soon as the rest of the class began to run off, he pulled Alya, Chloe and Nino aside.

 "I'm so sorry to do this but Ladybug is missing," He explained, taking out the miraculous. "I need Rena Rogue, Carapace and Queen Bee,"

 "About time," Chloe gasped, grabbing the comb and fixing it into her hair. She greeted Pollen before transforming into Queen Bee. "Well, are you two gonna transform or not?"

 "Right," Nino replied, grabbing the bracelet and transforming into Carapace. Alya nodded and grabbed the pendent, transforming into Rena Rogue. "Ok, what's the plan?"

 "It seems that Puppet Queen and Marionette can't use the puppets who's strings we cut," Chat explained, getting a nod of the others. "We have to destroy the strings of all their puppets to force them to come and face us,"

 "Alright," Rena replied. "But how do we get them to send their puppets to us?"

 "They'll come for Lila," Chat replied, walking outside with the others. "Chances are she's probably ran off already,"

 "Really?" Rena asked as Chat took out his baton and smirked. "You tagged her?"

 "I did," He replied, putting the baton away. "She's heading towards Tuileries garden. Let's go,"

 The four heroes jumped up and out of the school, heading towards the Tuileries garden. Almost as soon as they got there, they heard Lila scream as Reverser attacked her. She dived out of the way as Reverser growled and saw the heroes, flying over to them and attacking them. 

 "You're defending a monster!" Reverser growled. "From heartfelt to heartless! Reversion!"

 Chat dived out of the way and ducked as Queen Bee jumped over him and kicked Reverser. Meanwhile, Rena and Carapace rushed over to Lila, who was getting up. They helped her up and tried to get her to move but she gasped and looked at them with worry.

 "I can't move!" She cried out. Rena went to lift her up but Chat knocked into her, causing her to fall as Carapace turned. Reverser smirked and hovered over them as Queen Bee charged at him, slamming her fist into the ground as he jumped out of the way.

 "Queen Bee, what the hell?!" He gasped as she engaged with him. Reverser began to attack Chat and Rena, keeping them busy. With none of the heroes defending Lila and her unable to move, Puppet Queen smirked as Malediktator manifested in the pink smoke on a building near by, waiting for the right moment. "Queen, stop attacking me!"

 "I can't!" She gasped, grabbing him and throwing him. "My body is doing this on it's own!"

 "What do you mean?!" Carapace gasped, blocking her punches as Chat and Rena teamed up to take out Reverser. However, that proved to be very difficult. Seeing the perfect chance, Malediktator lifted his fingers to his mouth.

 "By the power invested in me," He whispered, creating a ball of light and throwing towards Lila's chest. It hit her, causing the heroes to gasp as they saw him. "I order you to tell the truth and nothing but the truth!"

 Rena growled and destroyed Malediktator's strings as Chat took down Reverser. Lila covered her mouth, trying not to tell the truth but it was too late.

 "I hate Ladybug!" Lila suddenly gasped, causing everyone to stop as Malediktator smirked. "I wish she was dead and I'm not her best friend! I despite her with all my might. So much so I willingly took an akuma and helped Hawkmoth. I lied about Marinette too. She never threatened me or bullied me. It was the other way round. I threatened her and bullied her,"

 "Why?" Chat asked, making everyone look at him.

 "Because she knew I was lying and was in my way," Lila replied, smirking evilly. "The best part is she's not the first person I've done this too nor will she be- Aaahhh!!!"

 "What's wrong with her?" Rena asked as Queen Bee threw Carapace into a head lock before she looked at them. Lila was continue to scream, gripping her head as tears filled her eyes.

 "I'm making her suffer, just like how she made my melody suffer," She replied, making the heroes gasp as she smirked. "You had no idea I could do this, did you?"

 "It's Marionette! He's controlling Queen Bee and Lila!" Rena gasped before she threw her flute above Queen Bee, cutting her strings and causing her to blink before Carapace threw her over his shoulder and placed his shield against her neck, making her gasp. Chat went to run over to him but Rena suddenly began to attack him.

 "Rena!"

 "Oh, please, I'm definitely not Rena right now," She smirked, tripping him and pinning him down. "Time to take that ring,"

 "Catac- hmm!" He gasped as Silencer suddenly placed his hand on his mouth, causing his voice to disappear. Silencer held up his hand to his ear and stole Chat's voice, causing Rena to smirk and reach for his ring but before she could a boomerang flew across the area, destroying all the strings. Rena blinked and helped Chat up as they looked around before a woman dressed in a ladybug themed outfit appear. She had short black and red hair, the classic ladybug mask on but she wore a red tunic with black spots with black pants, black gloves and black pants. She was holding the boomerang in her hand, causing Chat to notice that it was Ladybug themed. He gasped but no sound came out, making him frown.

 "I think Chat is trying to stay 'Ladybug?'" Rena replied, causing the woman to shake her head.

 "Not quite," She replied, making the heroes blink. "I'm Lady Beetle, Ladybug's mother,"

 "Whoa," Carapace gasped. "Is Ladybug ok?"

 "Yes, she is fine. The poor dear broke her leg though. Hence why I'm here," She replied, making Chat frown. "Only it only happened the other day, Chat Noir and she was very upset that she couldn't tell you but she needs her rest,"

 He took out his baton and texted something, causing her yoyo to vibrate. Lady Beetle took it out and read it.

 "I'm glad you do," She smiled before turning to Lila, who had ran off after been freed from Marionette's control. "So I see you found the truth about Miss Rossi,"

 "Y-Yeah," Carapace mumbled, glancing to the side as Rena frowned. "She was lying but what I want to know is how Marionette was able to control us?"

 "Marionette?" Lady Beetle asked. "I thought the akuma is Puppet Queen?"

 "It is but it's also Marionette," Queen Bee replied. "He can control people where Puppet Queen can summon and control past akumatized villains and I think I know how he was able to control us. It's public knowledge that everyone knows that Chloe Bourgeois is Queen Bee and since he was controlling our class members, it makes sense that he could control me as well. Since he knew that Chloe and Queen Bee are the same person, he could control me even when I'm Queen Bee,"

 "If that's the case then he must have known our identities too but how did he find out?" Rena asked, causing Lady Beetle to frown. "Only Ladybug knows our real identities,"

 "But where did you think she got the idea to give them to you?" Lady Beetle asked, making them look at her. "Someone must have suggested people for her to pick as Miraculous users,"

 "Oh my god... of course!" Rena gasped. "Marinette must of been the one to recommend us! Well, expect Chloe but she was able to get me that interview with Ladybug... oh god, I've been such an idiot,"

 "Same here, dudette," Carapace gasped before frowning. "We need to save Marinette and Luka!"

 "I assume you have a plan?" Lady Beetle asked, making the young heroes look at her. 

 "Well, the plan was to destroy all of the puppets in order to force them to face us in person but honestly, I'm opening to any idea you have," Rena replied, getting a nod of everyone else.

 "We'll stick with that for now," She replied, frowning. "But I don't think Lila was Marinette's only target. Chances are she's gonna go after Adrien Agreste as well,"

 "To Agreste manor then," Rena declared, jumping off with the rest of the team following her.

 ~At Agreste Manor~

 "Where is he?!" Volpina growled as she, Lady Wifi, Mylene and Sabrina searched through Agreste manor and Adrien's room. Unfortunately, the heroes burst in before they could search farther. Volpina played her flute, creating several versions of herself and Lady Wifi as Mylene and Sabrina tried to attack the girls but with Lady Beetle on their side, they soon cut the strings of the akumas and their classmates. Carapace and Queen Bee checked on Mylene and Sabrina, who were confused. Almost instantly, the Bubbler manifested and attacked them with a full on attack, causing the heroes to jump back and move Mylene and Sabrina out. It was so fierce it was almost desperate, causing Lady Beetle to realize that it was desperate.

 "I think they're running out of Puppets," She replied, dodging a bubble and destroying it's strings, causing a second Chat Noir to manifest. "Out the window!" 

 The group jumped out the window, causing him to chase them. Lady Beetle lead them to the school and landed in the courtyard, spinning her yoyo. Almost instantly, Rose jumped at her but Rena and Carapace grabbed her, allowing Chat Noir to slice her string as the puppet Chat Noir landed on the ground.

 "Marionette!" He called out before jumping out of the school. The heroes chased after him, causing Queen Bee to throw her spintop around his waist. He smirked and disappeared in pink smoke, causing her to land on the roofs with the others.

 "Marionette must have run out of puppets," Lady Beetle declared, making the group nod. "And that Chat Noir is Puppet Queen's last one..."

 "So if we destroy his strings, they'll be forced to face us," Carapace explained as Chat nodded. "But she won't manifest it unless we force her,"

 "We need to find them then," Lady Beetle replied as Chat texted her something. She read it and frowned. "So they were in Marinette's room originally but had to escaped... hmm.."

 She took out and checked something.

 "I think I know where they are," She replied, holding up the yoyo. "The Eiffel tower had to be evacuated after two people, believed to be akumas, broke into Gustave's office,"

 "They must be hiding there," Rena agreed before the rest of them jumped away and headed there. The police were surrounding the tower but hadn't actually gone up yet. The team climbed up and landed on the very top.

 "Cataclysm!" Cat Noir shouted, diving at them with his hand out stretched. The original chat slid over and grabbed the fake, slamming his hand into the door, destroying it before the fake chat began to fight with them. The other heroes rushed over but stopped when they saw Marionette stood in the door way. He tilted his head, causing it to click as he did before stepping forward in a slowed manner. One of his leg was slightly twisted and his head was tilted to the side. The group stepped back from him, creeped out but he took advantage of the situation, firing his strings at them. Lady Beetle and Queen Bee jumped back but Rena and Carapace weren't so lucky. Marionette twitched his fingers and moved his hands, forcing them to fight against the other two.

 "Use venom on him," Lady Beetle ordered, causing Queen Bee to nod and jump up as Rena charged at her.

 "Venom!" She declared, throwing her spintop and catching it. She jumped down and dodged Carapace's attack, allowing Lady Beetle to capture Rena and Carapace with her yoyo. She jumped up and slammed her spintop in the middle of his chest, freezing him, along with Carapace and Rena. 

 "No!" Chat Noir screamed as she did, allowing the real chat to destroy his strings before Queen Bee, Lady Beetle and Chat to run inside the office. Puppet Queen jumped up from her chair and fired her strings at them but they dodged them and Lady Beetle threw her yoyo, capturing the girl. It broke her heart to see Marinette with cracks on her skin, reflecting how broken she felt on the inside. "No! Let me go!"

 "It's ok, Marinette," Lady Beetle spoke in her motherly voice, causing the girl to look at her with tears in her eyes. Her strings stopped in the air as she looked at the woman in front of her. Chat glanced at her, unsure what to do. "It's going to be ok,"

 "How can it?" She asked, tears rolling down her face. "Everyone hates me!"

 "No, they don't," Lady Beetle reassured, stepping closer. "Your parents don't, Luka doesn't and I don't. Lila has been exposed. Your work is done,"

 "I..." Marinette gasped as Lady Beetle took the cross controls out of her hands and broke them in half. Nothing happened with the first one but when she broke the second one, the akuma fluttered out. She opened the yoyo and captured it before releasing it. She took the boomerang off her back and threw it up into the air, declaring the magical words. Marinette collapsed to the floor as she turned back into herself, tears rolling down her face as she looked up and blink, seeing Lady Beetle. "I... I was akumatized, wasn't I?"

 "Yes," She replied, kneeling down. "But it's ok now,"

 "I'm sorry," She muttered before her eyes widen. "Oh no! Luka! He was with me when I was akumatized! Oh god, he's gonna hate me for sure,"

 "I don't think he is," Lady Beetle smiled, helping Marinette to her feet and leading her out of the room. Luka was stood with Rena and Carapace, looking stressed out but as soon as he saw Marinette, he rushed over to her and engulfed her in a hug.

 "Marinette, I was so worried," He gasped, holding her close to him. Marinette closed her eyes and pressed her face into his chest, missing the looks of guilt from Carapace and Rena. Chat cleared his throat.

 "Um we should go," He stated, getting Rena, Queen Bee and Carapace's attention before turning to Lady Beetle. "It was nice working with you, Lady Beetle. I hope Ladybug's leg heals soon,"

 "I'm sure it will," She smiled as the four heroes left the tower. "Why don't I get you two home? I'm sure your parents are worried about you,"

 ~Later that Day~

 "Marinette?" Sabine asked, coming into her room. Marinette looked over as she came in and closed the door. "I think we need to talk,"

 "Y-Yeah," She replied, nodding as her mother sat on her chaise. "The captain wasn't angry was she?"

 "No, she wasn't. She was worried about you," She replied, making Marinette nod but she looked sad and Sabine knew how Marinette was. She was blaming herself for her and Luka been akumatized. Sabine walked over to her and sat next to her. "Marinette, no one is angry that you were akumatized. It was not your fault. I know you feel guilt but you were pushed over the edge. I know you've been resisting akumas for months and I am so proud that you were able to but I need you to know that it is ok that you were akumatized. You're not weak or evil because of it,"

 "I just... I just couldn't take any more, Mama," Marinette gasped, fresh tears falling down her cheeks as she covered her face. "Lila turned the class on me and they believed her. A-And Adrien... he just let her... he knew she was lying and he let her, saying it wasn't hurting anyone but it was hurting me,"

 "Ssh, it's ok," Sabine stated, wrapping her daughter in a hug as the girl cried her heart out. "Let it all out, Marinette,"

 "B-But akumas?" She gasped, looking up at her mum but she didn't seem worried.

 "Don't you worry about those nasty little butterflies," Sabine reassured, rubbing her back. Marinette nodded and just let tears fall as Tikki guarded the house, consuming every single akuma that came their way. Gradually, Marinette calmed down and wiped her eyes as her mother smiled. "Feeling a little better?"

 "A l-little," She admitted but both knew she had far to go. "It still hurts though,"

 "I'm afraid it will but like all injuries, it will heal over time," She reassured, gently kissing her forehead. "But there is something else I need to talk to you about,"

 "It's about the miraculous, isn't it?" Marinette asked, playing with her hands. Sabine nodded. "How did you find out?"

 "Tikki came to me," She replied as Marinette listened to her. "She wasn't originally going to tell me but I worked it out. She was very distressed and worried about you,"

 "Y-Yeah, Tikki's sweet like that," Marinette replied, unsure of what will happen. Will Master Fu take her miraculous away? She knew she couldn't handle losing Tikki but she was glad that Tikki went to her mother to save her. "Thank you for helping Tikki and saving me,"

 "You don't need to thank me, sweetie," Sabine smiled, rubbing her arm. "I'm your mother. It's my job to look after you. I just wish you had told me before,"

 "I c-couldn't," Marinette frowned. "Master Fu... the man who gave me Tikki... insisted that I couldn't tell anyone my identity but I guess it doesn't matter now. There's no way Chat doesn't know..."

 "Well, actually, he doesn't," Sabine replied, making Marinette look at her. "I told him that the reason why Ladybug couldn't make it to battle was because she broke her leg. It does mean that you might not be able to turn up for battle for a few days but when you tell him, just say your leg healed faster because of the miraculous. I know he'll buy it,"

 "But you wore the miraculous?"

 "As far as he knows, I'm just Ladybug's mother," She smiled, making Marinette hug her. "Only me and your father know about your identity now and we have some ideas to help you deal with this burden,"

 "Wait... you're not going to make me retire?" She asked, blinking in surprise. 

 "Part of me wants to but I don't think it's been Ladybug that made you miserable. I think it was everything else," She explained, making Marinette nod. "And I don't think breaking you and Tikki up would be good for either of you,"

 "But Master Fu-"

 "Leave this Master Fu to me," Sabine stated, making Marinette nod. "Now I'm thinking you should get some rest then went you're feeling a little better, we sit and talk about how to go forward,"

 "O-ok, Mama," Marinette nodded before heading up to her bed. Tikki flew in and smiled at Sabine, who smiled back before she went downstairs to her husband. She let him know that Marinette was resting before she started to make dinner. After a couple of hours, Marinette came downstairs and had dinner with them before they began to discuss how to help her. Marinette was prepared for them to send her back to Miss Bustier's class but to her surprise, her mother suggested having her transfer class or if she preferred transfer schools. She said she would have to think about it but she knew she didn't want to go back to Miss Bustier's class. Sabine and Tom agreed. They then decided it was time to talk to Master Fu. Marinette called him and asked him to come to the bakery. It didn't take long for him to arrive but when he did, he was surprised to see her parents. They invited him in and began to talk. By the end of it, he had agreed that Marinette should be allowed to keep Tikki and that if she wished to step down from battle, that Sabine would be allowed to become Lady Beetle again. Marinette couldn't help but feel relieved. It was a nice feeling, not having to lie to her parents about her identity. They swore they would be extra careful about becoming akumas as well. Marinette couldn't be happier with the outcome.

 ~A Few Days Later~

 Marinette took a deep breathe as she looked up at DuPont High. It had been a week since she and Luka had been akumatized and a lot of things had changed. She intentionally thought that Luka would hate her but to her surprise, he didn't. In fact, he reconfirmed his feelings for her and they had grown closer. She took another deep breathe and smiled a little as Luka gently took her hand in his. She asked him to come with her and her parents when they were called to come back into the school. They were also going to use the chance to finalize her transfer to a new school, which happened to be his school. Luka was more then happy to help her through today. They had also brought the family lawyer with them. She glanced at him before glancing at her parents with a nod. The four of them walked inside, causing a number of students to look towards them. Almost as soon as she walked through the door, Alya charged up to her.

 "Marinette, I can't-" She started but Luka stepped in forward of Marinette with a glare that reminded her of Marionette.

 "Back off, Cesaire," He almost growled, making her gulp. 

 "I just want to see how my bestie is," She replied, placing her hands on her hip.

 "Your bestie?" Marinette asked, surprising her as she stepped aside. "I'm not your bestie, Alya. In case, you've forgotten you renounced your friendship with me,"

 "Well, that was before Lila was revealed to be a liar," Alya pointed out, making Marinette frown. "So we can go back-"

 "No, we can't," Marinette replied, making her frown. "I'm sorry, Alya but I can't be friends with someone who's a bully,"

 "But I'm not!" She argued before gasping and stepping back as she realized what Marinette had done. She had used the exact same words that she had when she renounced her friendship. Marinette spared her a glance before their lawyer handed her a file, making Alya blink at it. "W-What's this?"

 "You have been served, Miss Cesaire," She replied, making the girl blink. "My clients are suing you for emotion distress and harassment. As you are a minor, a copy has been sent to your parents,"

 "W-What?" Alya gasped but Marinette ignored her. They moved on, followed by her parents who glared at her. Her shoulders slumped and she walked over to Nino, who comforted her. The next person who walked up to them was Adrien but unlike Alya, he had actually looked remorseful and like he hadn't had a lot of sleep. However, Marinette didn't feel sorry for him. In fact, she didn't feel anything for him. She was officially done and over Adrien Agreste.

 "Marinette..." He muttered, looking at her as she crossed her arms. Naturally, Luka was at her side, ready to defend her if he needed to. Tom was glaring at the young boy as well. The only one who didn't look angry was Sabine but her expression wasn't much better. It was one of pity. She pitied him. He licked his lips and looked at her. "Marinette, I am so sorry. I should have told everyone from the beginning that Lila was a liar and I should have supported you. I don't have the right to call you my friend,"

 "You're right, Adrien, you should have," Marinette stated, harshly. "And we're definitely not friends. Friends help each other and have each other's backs but you never did that because I didn't matter to you,"

 "I thought that she would disappear, just like a tabloid,"

 "I get that your upbringing has affected how you interact with people, Adrien but there's only so much that can excuses," She explained, making him frown. "I can't sue you as technically you did nothing but that's exactly it. You did nothing. Now if you excuse me, Adrien, we have to sort out something,"

 With that, they walked away and headed into the office. To their surprise, Lila was sat on a chair with her arms crossed. Behind her was a woman who they guessed was her mother. Mr Damocles, Miss Bustier and their case worker from the school board was there. She instantly walked over to Tom and Sabine and shook their hands.

 "I am so sorry for the trouble my daughter has caused," She stated, making them nod. "I requested that you be here so Lila can apology for her actions,"

 "Mama!" Lila gasped but her mother glared at her, making her go quiet.

 "You will be quiet unless I say so," She glared, making Lila gulp as someone knocked on the door. Marinette's family lawyer walked over and let Officer Roger in. "Now you will apologize to this girl and her family for the stress you put her through,"

 "I am sorry, Marinette," Lila mumbled but it was obvious she didn't mean it. Miss Bustier, on the hand, stood up and clapped her hands together.

 "Well done, Lila," She smiled before turning to Marinette. "And what do you say, Marinette? Do you accept her apology?"

 Marinette took a deep breathe as Luka squeezed her hand before she looked at her teachers and Mrs Rossi.

 "No, I don't," She replied, making them gasp but her parents gave her proud smiles. "It's clear that Lila doesn't mean it and even if she did, her apology does nothing. It doesn't undo all the pain and suffering she's caused me. It doesn't undo that she tried to isolate me and destroy my life so no I'm not going to forgive her but I am glad she is here,"

 "Mrs Rossi, here," The lawyer stated, holding out papers. "Your daughter has been served and is been sued for slander, defamation, emotional distress, cyber bullying and assault,"

 Lila stared at Marinette in surprise as the lawyer turned to Mr Damocles and Miss Bustier, handing them both files.

 "You both have also been served," She explained, making them blink. "You are been sued for emotional distress, abuse of authority and child abuse and neglect. My clients' are also filing charges against you ad Miss Rossi. I recommend you get yourselves a good lawyer because I will be pressing for prison time. Officer Roger, if you may,"

 "Mr Damocles and Miss Bustier, you are under arrest for child abuse and neglect. You have the right to remain silence but anything you do and say can be and will be used in a court of law," He declared as a couple of other officers came in. "And Miss Lila Rossi, you are under arrest for physical assault, obscuring the course of justice and terrorism-"

 "Terrorism?!" Mrs Rossi gasped before looking at Lila. "What did you do?"

 "According to our sources, Miss Rossi confessed to working with Hawkmoth willingly," Officer Roger explained, maker her mother go pale and gasp. "We have video evidence of her confession,"

 "I was cohered by her!" Lila screamed, pointing to Marinette. "She used her 'powers' to force me to tell that lie!"

 "Officer Roger, my daughter would not-" Mrs Rossi started but cut off as Roger showed her the video showed Malediktator hitting Lila with a ball of light before ordering her to tell the truth before she confessed everything in front of the heroes below the person filming it. Sabine hid her smile as best as she could.

 "As you can see, she was ordered to tell the truth. There was no threat, no blade to her neck," He pointed out, making her sit down as the other office went to place hand cuffs on Lila. However, things took a dramatic turn as an akuma into the room. Lila broke free from the officer and made a grab for the akuma with a wicked smirk on her face, placing it into her bracelet and accepting whatever power Hawkmoth promised her. During those moments, Luka pulled Marinette out of the room with her parents. Lila, now Obscurer, came looking for Marinette. Chat Noir was first on the scene but soon Viperion and Ladybug turned up. Chat was happy to see her and asked about her leg. Ladybug told him that the miraculous made it heal a lot faster before telling him to focus on the fight. Obscurer was defeated in record time and Lila was arrested as soon as she was deakumatized. She was dragged out kicking and scream in front of the whole school and Alya had even caught it on her live stream. She rushed over to Ladybug, asking for an interview but Ladybug refused it. She told Alya she needed to talk to her and Nino and that she would come and see them later before calling Chloe to the side. She explained to Chloe that she could never give her back the Bee miraculous as it was too dangerous, especially if another akuma got a similar power to Marionette. Chloe was disappointed but understood. Ladybug nodded and ran off with Viperion. Marinette came out from her hiding place with Luka. He gave her a smile before they joined her parents and left DuPont for the last time. Marinette linked her hand with his, giving him a smile as they followed her parents to the bakery.

 ~Later That Night~

 Alya gasped as she saw Ladybug at her window. She woke up Nino and let her, followed by Viperion. She was excited until she saw Ladybug's expression, making her and Nino frown. 

 "Alya, Nino.. I'm sorry to say this but I will not be calling on Rena Rogue and Carapace anymore," She explained, making them frown. "As of tonight, you two are retired and should the need for the fox or the turtle come up then new holders will be found. I advise you not to harass the new members when they appear and to accept my decision with grace. Understood?"

 "Y-Yes, Ladybug," Alya muttered, glancing down as Nino nodded. "C-Can we ask why?"

 "There is a number of reasons but the main ones are due to Marionette been able to control you, Chat and Queen Bee having to learn your identities and your recent behavior in your civilian life," She explained, making them frown.

 "But we didn't know Lila was a liar!" Alya argued but Ladybug held up her hand.

 "While that is true, you still had a choice and you decided to harass someone. It didn't matter if you believed her to be a bully or not, you still choose to do that. You turned on someone who you called a friend so how can I trust you won't do the same to me?" Ladybug asked, making the two frown. "But I am partially responsible for this. As soon as I heard about the Lila interviews I should have tracked you down and cleared up the situation. For that, I am truly sorry but it also goes both ways. You never once asked me if I was her friend or tried to check your sources, Alya. Instead, you just believed her and brushed off your friend's concerns as jealous. You never thought to verify Miss Rossi's claims both about me and Marinette. I may be partially responsible it but you are equally responsible for that as I am and Nino, you threw one of your oldest friends under the bus and picked the side of a girl you barely knew,"

 Nino frowned and looked down as Alya looked like she was about to cry.

 "For the record, I wish it had never come to this," Ladybug sighed before turning to to Viperion. "Viper, let's go,"

 "After you," He replied as she went to leave.

 "W-Wait... Ladybug, can I ask you something off record?" Alya asked, making Ladybug stop and nod. "W-Was it Marinette who recommended us to you?"

 "Yes, it was," She replied, making Alya feel worst. "She saw heroes in both of you-"

 "And we turned out to be villains," Alya gasped, sinking to her knees. Ladybug frowned and didn't say anything as she left with Viperion. Nino wrapped her arms around Alya as she cried. "We fucked up so bad, didn't we?"

 "Yeah, we did,"

------------------------------------------------

Tag list:

@abrx2002

@vixen-uchiha

@akana-sama

@clumsy-owl-4178

@starlightshield

@futursworld

@seraphkitty

@professionalfangirl1738

@iamablinkmarvelarmy

@fandom-trapped-03​

@aestheticnpoetic​

@heyitsbugette​

@bi-myself-forever​

@spicybelladonna​

@mexicantttt

@fangirlnerd001

If anyone else wants to be tagged for the next prompt, let me know. However, requests are closed for now. I have a number of requests to finish up so I'll be reopening them when I'm all caught up

#angry luka #lukanette #marinette dupain cheng #sad marinette #hurt marinette #adrien agreste #alya cesaire #Nino lahiffe #lila rossi #juleka couffaine #akumatized marinette #akumatized luka #akumatized #akumatized lukanette #akumatized ladybug #Lila exposed #lila salt #class salt #ml class #bustier salt #juleka sugar #alya salt #adrien salt #kind of redemption #realization #but too late #puppet queen #marionette #lady beetle #sabine cheng

[the-broken-truth]

The Dollmaker's Healer - Yandere Donna Benevieto x Reader (Part 1)

Memory is both a blessing & a curse - both helpful and hindering - both a miracle and a burden. You remembered how you come to be in the village - One of your late relatives passed away and bequeathed to you their Romanian Estate; you didn't even know that you were of Romanian Descent. Well - you knew your surname had a Romanian meaning but you didn't take much thought into it. Along with the estate - there were a few vaults and chests your late relative hoarded; making one of the richest residents in the village.

After meeting with the lawyer and getting your plane ticket - you traveled to Romanian's Village and was taken to your estate by a horse-pulled carriage.

The Estate was massive - tucked away in the Misty Valley with trees surrounding you; located on the edge of the cliff where the waterfall roared. The estate was about 3 stories - complete with an attic and a basement that was converted into a training room/herbal lab; that was your favorite part of the house. During your time in O/S (Orginal State), you spent a lot of your time hunting with your uncles or making salves and elixirs with your aunts from various plants; documenting the effects to know which were needed at which times.

To your uncles - you were the Bearer of the Eagle's Eye: You saw the furthest and could nail prey from as small as rabbits to as big as elk with a single arrow.

To your aunts - you were the Mistress/Master of the Gardens: Able to identify any kind of plant without fail. You got the best of both worlds and it came in handy considering that you were more attached to the wilds than civilian life.

With that memory of how you come to be here first in your mind, another come - the first time you saw the veiled woman and her puppet. You were standing on the back patio that overlooked the forest below the cliff your home sat - the fog was light this morning and you were just basking in the beauty when you looked to the side and saw another estate on the other side of the opening, sitting on the other waterfall's cliff. - it was grand but not as grand as yours. On the other estate's patio - you could see a figure, dawned in a black dress with a veil covering their face and - was that a doll upon their lap? You watched them for a while before the doll - it moved on its own, getting out the other person's lap and the two of them looked in your direction before disappearing into the estate. You thought about what the carriage driver told you - The L/N Estate was close to the House Beneviento - the current and only head of that family was Donna Beneviento, also known as the Dollmaker. You didn't think anything of it and went back inside your home to make some new healing salves you came up with.

A few months had passed since you first come to the village - you knew nothing here was normal: Lycans attacking at times, mutated wolves coming up out of nowhere, and then...there were the Daughters of the Castle - you encountered them a few times but you were able to defend yourself; sometimes leaving with a bite or a few scratches but it was never too bad.

One morning - you noticed that you were out of meat and grabbed one of the purses of Lei from the chest and put on your cloak before heading out the door. At this time - you developed of a bit of a reputation: You've used your salves for the people of the village and the sick got better, the hurt was relieved of their pain, and the restless was sleeping soundly; you made it into a bit of a business and it was very profitable. Everything was going great...until...the moment you met them.

"Excuse me. Are you Y/N L/N of L/N Estate?" A low voice called out behind you as you paid for your meat from the butcher. It was her - the veiled woman and beside her - clenching onto her dress - was the small doll you saw with her that day.

"Yes. I'm Y/N. May I ask who you are and what business you have with me?" You asked her.

"My name is Donna Beneviento - Head of House Beneviento. I came to find you because...I was hoping you could help me with my problem." Donna spoke in a low voice.

"What kind of problem?" You ask.

"It's her scar." The raspy voice of the doll called out - causing you to look at her. "She has a scar upon her face that she would love to be rid of but nothing she tried in the past seemed to have worked." The doll spoke.

"I'm guessing you're her companion? What's your name?" You asked the doll. The Doll and the Dollmaker were surprised - you weren't frightened by a talking doll?

"Angie. My name is Angie." The doll spoke. "You do no fear me?"

"At this point, I've seen a lot of things, Angie. Nothing really surprises me anymore here. So - what can you tell me about the scar?" You asked.

"It's...more of an infection caused than a common mortal wound." Donna's soft voice spoke as you stood back at your height to speak to her.

"An infection. Wait - was it caused by a Cadou?" You asked with a raised eyebrow - making both the doll and the dollmaker gasp.

"You know about the Cadou?" Angie exclaimed.

"Yes, I've dealt with a few cases of Cadou Scarring during my time here in the village. I made an elixir - while it can't get rid of the Cadou itself, it can make it so small that it gets rid of the scarring it leaves behind." You said with a smile.

"You...You can get rid of the scarring without getting rid of the Cadou? I...This is what I need - when can you do it?" Donna's voice was a bit louder - laced with hope that she could be free of the horrible scar without getting rid of the gift her mother gave to her.

"I have some vials of Cadou Represser at home; I don't feel quite comfortable allowing unknown people coming to my home but I can to yours - if you're comfortable with that. It will take 3 does - each a week apart." You explain.

"Yes - I can accept that. When can you come to House Beneviento to give me the first dosage?" Donna asked, her hands trembling with excitement.

"Once I'm done here - I dropped the food off at home, grab the vial and a fresh syringe, then meet you both at House Beneviento. Is that alright?" You ask with a tilt of your head.

"I...Yes. Please do come." Donna said as she gave a slight bow and turned on her heel before walking away with Angie at her heels. You smiled at the thought of aiding someone else with your knowledge and continued shopping - completely unaware of the smile and blush the veiled woman hid.

[A While Later]

After returning home and placing the food in the proper places - you made your way down to the Elixir Lab - that's what you liked to call it - and opened the cabinet to get a fresh bottle of Cadou Represser along with a fresh syringe - the cap securely over the needle to make more it was not contaminated by anything. You placed the two in your baggy jacket pocket before leaving your home once again. You began your journey to House Beneviento - crossing the wooden bridge that looked like it could collapse at any moment to the misty forest full of hanging dolls; you just looked at them and continued on your way until you came to a large grave surrounded by at least 20 smaller ones - looking at the gravestone of the large grave, you noticed that half of it was gone but the surname remained.

'Beneviento.' Sadness grasped your heart as you realized what you were looking at. 'Her family's massive gravesite. She really has no one besides Angie and her adoptive mother; that poor soul.'

You closed your eyes and brought your hands together in front of your chest in a praying manner - praying for the departed Beneviento Family & Donna's Happiness; no one should be as alone as she was. You finished your prayer and continued on your way - completely unaware of the porcelain eyes watching your move since you walked in the forest.

Upon arriving at the Beneviento Manor - you wanted up the wooden stairs to the door and knocked.

"Who is it?" The voice of Donna called out from behind the wood.

"It's Y/N. I'm here to do the treatment." You responded.

"Oh, please come in; the door is unlocked." Donna called out again.

You opened the door and saw Donna sitting in her wooden rocking chair near her round table; a cup of tea cooling by her side.

"Hello, Ms. Beneviento." You greeted as you made your way over to the veiled woman.

"Hello." It was simple and soft but you couldn't say anything about it.

With her permission - you lifted her veil to reveal her face and the Cadou that covered the right side of her face. Donna waited for you to utter about how horrifying she was but when she looked at your face, she saw the light blush creeping across your face. She asked if you were alright but all you said was: beautiful.

It was her turn to blush now.

No one ever called her beautiful - especially after seeing her scar. Donna felt a fluttering feeling in her stomach and warmth in her chest but she said nothing. You apologized for staring but she said it was alright; you thanked her before you gathered the supplies you brought with you and began your work. Filling the syringe with the liquid, you informed her that it would be a small stick and maybe some discomfort but it would pass in a few moments - she understood and you injected the Cadou Scar with the tip of the syringe and slowly injected the liquid until it was empty. You gathered your stuff but looked into the eye of the woman with a smile.

"I understand your reason but you really shouldn't cover your face, Lady Beneviento; you're very beautiful." You said with a smile.

"You... Do you really think I am beautiful?: Donna asked as you lightly dabbed the injection spot with an alcoholic wipe to make sure the injection site wasn't infected.

"Of course you are. You're a little different but that just adds to your beauty." You replied as your rose to your feet, gave her a polite bow before turning to leave but was stopped by her voice.

"Wait... Do you have anything else you need to be doing at this moment?" Donna asked.

"Not today. Why?" You asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Then...would you like to stay for tea?" Donna asked as she gestured her hand to the teacup.

"I would love to." You answered.

That's how it began - ever since the treatments started: you would go over to Donna's house just to see her and Angie, the two of them seemed to lighten up whenever you came around. During the second treatment, Donna asked you about her personal life - mainly: If you had a lover at home? This made you blush and Donna looked at but annoyed but when you said you didn't have a lover, she seemed to relax. After the second treatment - the Cadou was more than half as small as it was when the treatments started. Donna would ask you to stay more and more often, even when you had other clients to tend to - she was always upset when you had work but she didn't let her emotions get too involved...until that day.

It was a few days before her last treatment - the Cadou was so small that it only covered her right eye - the two of you were sitting and drinking tea and eating lemon cake squares; you made some and thought Donna would like one so you brought some over. Donna was talking about a new doll she was working on but when you didn't engage in conversation, she looked at you and saw you were zoned off somewhere. She gained attention once again and asked you what was on your mind - you informed her you met someone in the village.

This made her drop the cup in her hand, making it crash against the teacup platter resting on the table, shattering both.

"What do you mean - you met someone?" Donna asked with a low voice.

"Well - her father was one of my clients and she was thankful for my help. I ran into her in the village a few times running errands and she and I have been hanging out." You said with a blush on your face - this angered Donna more.

"But...Why would you need to hang out with her when you have Angie and me? Are we not enough for you?" Donna almost hissed at you.

"Well, she seems nice and we have a lot in common. She wanted to take me out to dinner tomorrow - it will be like our first date." That made something in Donna snap.

"A Date? With her?" She was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?" You asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just what I said - you will not date this woman. You will not see her again." Donna said.

"And just who are you to tell me who I can or cannot see? My Mother? Donna, I'm a grown (Man/Woman), I can see who I want." You protested.

"I said you're not allowed to see her again; just listen to me and leave that woman alone. All you need are Angie and I." Donna said as she rose to her feet and made her way over to the stairs but stopped when you spoke again.

"Donna, you can't tell me who to see. You don't own me." You said.

"You need to listen to me - you are not allowed to see her again; just let it go." Donna gripped the rail of the stairway.

"You know what? I think I've been here for far too long to the point you think you can tell me what to do like you own me. I think I should leave." You walked to the door and reached out for the handle when the air suddenly got heavier.

"No. Don't...Don't leave me... You can't leave me, Y/N. Please." Donna called out as she began walking over to you but you kept your distance.

"No, I need to leave. I'll see you in a few days to finish the treatment but after that - we are no longer friends, Donna." Those words made Donna's blood freeze.

"No... No. Don't say that!" Donna's face raised as she lunged forward and grasped Y/N's hand. "Please, don't leave; I need you, Y/N. You can't just leave me." Donna begged.

"Watch me." You removed her hand walked out the door, slamming it behind you.

Donna fell to her knees and hugged herself, sobbing and begging for you to come back, to hold her and tell her you wouldn't leave her.

"Don't you understand, Mommy?" Angie's voice called out. "It's that other woman, she's making them think they don't want to be with you. If she wasn't in the way - you and Y/N would be together."

"Yes... I know it's her fault." Donna clenched her head and started laughing to herself. "She wants to take them from me. My Healer, my light, my love. But I won't let her. Don't worry, Y/N; once that weed in our garden is ripped out...it will just be us....Forever."

#resident evil 8 #donna beneviento #donna beneviento x reader

[infernalrevenge]

The Greatest Show

Fandom: Resident Evil 8: Village

Pairing: Donna Beneviento x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Rating: G

Summary: Donna and Angie attempt to cheer Reader up after a bad day.

Notes: A little bit of domesticity and comfort from our resident dollmaker. Yes, Reader is still a servant in the house while also being her partner -- because why not HAHAHA. Just thought this would be a fun silly thing to write.

----------

This day was not going the way you thought it would. Well, that was putting it nicely -- this day was going to shit.

It was bad enough that you had a hard time falling asleep last night and woke up in a sour mood, but then you had an argument with a new vendor at the village who not only exclaimed that there was no new shipment of vegetables that morning, but also had the gall to try and throw you out of the store under virtue that they "didn't want the freak servants of one of the freak lords tainting their good establishment." The fucking nerve!

When you got back to the manor empty-handed, fuming but attempting to prepare lunch (sans vegetables), you accidentally burned your hand on the hot stove. As if that wasn't bad enough, when you jumped back in pain, you knocked over a few plates onto the floor and had to clean all that up too. You had to complete all your other chores with just one usable hand, the other one wrapped in a loose bandage. Fantastic.

You wanted to scream. Just let out a long scream to let the frustration out.

But you didn't. You couldn't. You still had other things to do, and you weren't going to let a few setbacks ruin it all. You went about your day as usual -- or at least you tried to, because you didn't quite notice how you would grip onto cups a little tighter, with your jaw set and locked as your grit your teeth, and had a perpetual furrow in your brow that worried Donna and Angie.

"What's up with them?" the doll muttered as she watched you slam a tray down in the kitchen when you thought no one else was around.

Donna didn't reply, only looking at the tension you held in your posture -- like you were set to burst with just one wrong move.

Your thoughts were consumed with tasks to perform for the rest of the day, chanting "Just get through it, you'll be fine" over and over in your head like a mantra. You didn't want to worry Donna over such trivial matters. This was just one bad day. You were better than this! You could do this. Just get through it. Just push! Just do it!

It was close to evening when you found your last task for the day before supper: Tidying up the library. Maybe you'll see Donna and Angie there and they could help lift your spirits. Finally, something to look forward to! Angie would probably make some quip about your bandaged hand, and Donna would be winding down on the couch and picking out a movie to watch after supper while you could talk about something to take your mind off the stress. But when you were greeted with a dark and empty space, neither of them in sight, you only sighed in disappointment.

Just get through it, you'll be fine.

You swallowed the lump in your throat and blinked away the blurriness in your eyes, picking up the duster in the corner.

Just get through it, you'll be fine.

You looked up at the clock. Half an hour until supper. Right on time. You took a deep breath to calm yourself and headed for the kitchen.

You were already going through the menu in your head when you felt an insistent force collide onto your chest, nearly knocking you over.

"Angie?"

Donna wasn't with her, and didn't seem to be anywhere nearby either. She was merely floating on her own. "Y/N, just the person I'm lookin' for! Come on, I gotta show you something!" She seemed rather urgent and excited at the same time. What was she planning now?

She took your uninjured hand and started pulling.

"Wait, but I have to get ready for supper--”

"Supper schmupper, this is way more important!"

"But--”

Angie dragged you by the pant leg to the living room, leaving you no choice but to hop along and follow. There, you saw a table laying on its side covered in a shiny silky cloth, obscuring your view of what or who could be behind it. You could just barely see a familiar veil-clad head crouching underneath. Before you could ask, she yelled at you to sit down on the short stool in front of the set up.

"Angie, what's going on?"

"You'll see, I promise. Now be quiet, the show's about to start!"

With that, she waddled away behind the table, seemingly greeted by a chorus of soft giggles. You tucked your knees close to your chest and waited for the commotion to settle down... whatever this was. You were used to Angie's antics at this point, but what kind of show was she talking--

Suddenly, three puppets dressed like the lords popped up from behind the table, with another one looking like a smaller replica of Angie. They all had cutesy and somewhat exaggerated features, completely made out of felt, cloth, and stuffing. Like plushies.

What the...?

"Don't be sad, Y/N!" they said in unison, their voices remarkably similar to each respective lord, if not much higher in pitch.

"Welcome to the village, we're so glad you're here! Turn that frown upside down and give us a cheer!" they sang, each of the dolls moving along to the beat they made.

"Donna, Angie, w-what..." you started, but they kept singing. You weren't quite sure who exactly might be providing these voices -- the dolls themselves, maybe even Donna -- but you were getting more and more amused by the second.

After their short number, introducing each lord to you (Big Sister Dimi, Mr. Heisenberg, Moreau the Fish Man, and Angie, as you recall), they proceeded with the show proper. Apparently that song wasn't all the two of them had up their sleeves.

"Okay, everyone! We have something very important to do!" the doll that looked like Angie spoke up (probably played by Angie herself) "How do we cheer up a loved one?"

"A loved one?" Doll-Moreau repeated.

"Yes! When someone we care about is sad, we should help in any way we can to cheer them up, right?"

"Right!" Doll-Dimitrescu agreed.

You felt a small smile start to crack your facade. Was this all for you?

"But how do we do that?" Doll-Heisenberg chimed in.

"Well what are things that they like? What makes them happy?" Doll-Moreau asked, who turned to Doll-Angie.

"They like cookies! Chocolate chip are their favorite!"

As if on cue, you felt something tug on your leg, and you looked down to see a porcelain doll in a sailor suit lifting up a plate of cookies to you, littered with chunks of chocolate in the dough. "Thank you," you said softly, giving the little one a gentle pat on the head before they ran off back behind the table. You placed the plate on your lap and started to nibble on one as the show went on.

"What else can we do to make them happy?"

"They also like tea with their cookies!"

You could just barely hear someone whisper "Tea? Ew, why not milk?" before they were swiftly hushed. On cue again, another doll emerged with a cup of hot tea for you. You whispered another thanks before they went back, taking a sip of your drink.

"We can sing their favorite songs!" Doll-Heisenberg started trying to sing before Doll-Dimitrescu interfered with a swift knock to his head. "Not with your voice, you can't."

That was a little mean, but you couldn't help but laugh anyway. You would've choked on your tea if you had been drinking it still.

"Why don't we ask them?" Doll-Angie said, turning to face the audience -- you. "What would make you happy, Y/N?"

The smile on your face only widened, tapping a finger on your chin as you made a show of thinking deeply. Might as well play along if they put in so much effort. "Well, what would make me happy is to have my lovely girlfriend here to share these cookies with."

"You heard 'em, Donna, get over there!" The real Angie peeped from behind the table, with the puppet lords cheering on as well as she emerged from her hiding place. You didn't even need to see under her veil to know she was blushing madly at the attention, even though it was just you and the dolls in her company right now.

You moved the plate of cookies from your lap to make room for her. "Y/N..." she was about to protest, and you pouted in response, giving your best puppy dog impression and opening your arms. "I thought you wanted to cheer me up, love?"

With a sigh and a shake of her head, she settled herself on your lap, your arms wrapped around her waist to keep her steady. You looked up at her fondly and pulled her against you -- it suddenly felt like the day's worries had melted away, and all that mattered was having the woman you loved so close to you. That in itself was a great comfort.

Angie seemed to have taken the reins now, the show getting louder and more chaotic as it went on -- the dialogue was reminiscent of the banter you had with her, and some jokes were made at the expense of the other lords (and sometimes Donna), much to her embarrassment. You rested your chin on her shoulder and couldn't help but laugh along.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Donna whispered, tilting her head slightly to look at you.

"You... noticed then?" Your shoulders sagged, head weighing heavier onto hers, feeling like you wanted to hide.

"I did. It was a little hard not to." She gently took your bandaged hand in hers, pressing a tender kiss onto it. "But I didn't want to stand by and not do something about it, so... I hope this was okay."

You felt your heart swell with affection for her -- when did you get so lucky to have such a thoughtful woman by your side? "More than okay. This was very sweet of you and Angie."

A moment passed before Donna spoke again, "I just want you to know that... if there's anything you want to talk about, anything at all, know that I'm here for you, love. Always."

You could almost feel a tear come to your eye at that, "I'll keep that in mind."

You caught a glimpse of her smile at this angle, "You know I'd do anything to see you happy."

And she could see yours, "You already do."

.

.

.

(After learning of the existence of these "lord puppets", it became a game between you and Angie to hide them in plain sight whenever each lord would come visit the estate and bet on how long it took for them to notice it.

Lord Heisenberg almost never seemed to see his -- you weren't sure if he just didn't care to look around, or found it once and opted to ignore it, muttering something about it being "creepy".

Lord Moreau took a while to find his too, but when he did, you couldn't forget the look of joy and flattery on his face. It was quite adorable, and it turned to how quickly he could find the doll in a new room instead.

Lady Dimitrescu never visited, but when you and Donna went over to her castle, you always made sure to bring it with you. You would catch her daughters trying to hide their snickers when you would just stand around carrying the doll like Donna did with Angie, but whenever the lady tried to find out why, she never thought to look at you to see the commotion. Your girlfriend sometimes scolded you for it, but Angie always had a high five ready for you at the end of every visit.)

#donna beneviento x reader #donna beneviento #lady beneviento x reader #lady beneviento #resident evil #resident evil 8 #resident evil village #re8 #gender neutral reader #gn!reader

[ommiotoast]

I have ideas about the dreamons and I'm going to tell you them

Dreamons are man made demons they look like people made out of porcelain but while they have no faces so often times either their creator and they themselves draw on a face.

Drista and Dream XD are one of the oldest created and therefore the most powerful, and since they have destroyed the instructions to their creation no one has been able to replicate them. In fact most people don't even know they're dreamons.

However that has not stopped people from trying to recreate them, in fact both mamacita and dream are dreamon recreation attempts though dream was a slightly more successful attempt, the two of them being around 500-800 years old compared to the millennia old drista and Dream XD. It's also reason why mamacita dissapeard instead of trying to avenge her bf since her and dream are at a similar power level she decided to go and train and the second she's back she's beating dreams porcelain ass.

Then you have mexican dream and quackity who are far removed cousin s and are not full dreamons but rather descendants. MD is around 80% dreamon and 20% shapeshifter meaning he unlike most dreamons he has a face but it's more like the face of those puppet dolls, meanwhile quackity is 90% shapeshifter and 10% dreamon so he's a lot more "human looking" but where his eye is supposed to be there is a chunk of his he as missing , kinda looking like a broken ceramic bowl.

Also MD is around 400 years while Quackity is around 80 but they're both at the same point of maturity.

Francis is just a rouge dreamon pretending to be human but really bad at it

NotDream123 or Tom is a very young dreamon made by dream that would function as a reward for Tommy once he was in the prison. Tom isn't really supposed to be all that sentient and was supposed to be completely obedient but dream is bad at what he does and eventually Tom got bored and started looking for this "Tommy" his creator kept talking about. Tom also looks like a porcelain version of Tommy with no face. He actually asked Tommy to draw him a face but Tommy refused cause he felt weird about it so Tom scribbled on a crude version of Tommy's frown.

Tommy was a lab attempt of combining humans and dreamons but he wasn't all that successful so he looks completely human until you tap his skin and realise that it's the same level of toughness of wood.

oooooh thats pretty cool! i like to imagine that dreamons particularly dreamxd and drista cause theyre so old and powerful are able to take their 'chosen ones' (c!george n c!tommy) to a dream like world close enough to their reality that some things fall through (the bedrock, shulker box etc) a bit like bill cipher except they can interact with the real world way more and thats where c!georges lore takes place and same with the streams in exile and the almost prison break in for c!tommy except unlike dreamxd who is capable of making only c!george remember the people drista pulls into the dream have a vague recollection of what happened along side the items she gave them

#being in a dimension thats on the edge of reality is what allows the giant drista spelled in bedrock to physically appear #dream smp #ask #anon #dreamons #dream smp headcannon #wait does that mean c!dream and c!quackity are related #also that part about tom being a replica of c!tommy but with featureless porcelain face #oooh that is so creeeepyyyy #i bet he scribbled the face on like mabel in that one gravity falls comic

[plethora-of-imagines]

Probably a bit weird but¯\_(ツ)_/¯. i LOVE the idea of the master hypnotizing me and Dhawan!Master REALLY seems like he needs someone to be soft with. When one or both of you aren't having the best time and need to relax the master will hypnotizes you. You love the floaty feeling and being cared for and he loves taking time caring for something. He'll hypnotize you and treat you like the most precious porcelain doll, he'll brush your hair and cuddle you, occasionally talking to you in your mind

Okay, so it's been absolute ages since I got this ask. I procrastinated, okay? But anon, I spent so many nights rereading this over and over. Reveling in the soft vibes and thoughts it inspired. I will always want all the soft hypnosis ideas to cherish.

Anyway, here's wonderwall- 😂

------------

Pleasant tingles covered your scalp as the Master gently pulled the hairbrush through your still damp hair. The last few plans had gone horribly wrong- beyond the normal defeats that were to be expected with the gambling plans the Master liked to enact. You had both almost died countless times over the past few days. The Master had seemed at his limit, ready to go into a distructive rage at the slightest provocation. He had taken one look at you, gazing past your eyes into the deepest parts of your mind. Gently asking without words if you would submit. 

It had become a common pastime of the two of you. When things got stressful you let the Master hold your mind in his hands, letting him take control, to move you like a puppet. A form of stress relief where he got to regain the control he needed to calm down and you got a break from the stress of choice. He was always so soft with you, never daring to do something that you  wouldn’t allow when in control of your own body. You loved how cherished he made you feel. Soft touches, like the slightest pressure could break his porcelain doll.

He let his softest emotions, touches, and urges free while you were fully submissive to his will. This time he had told you to take a quick shower and dress in his cozy robe, before meeting him back in his room. He had directed you to sit between his legs on the bed, as he ever so carefully untangled your hair. He treaded armed bombs with less care than he did the simple task of untangling your hair. 

You felt so content, cocooned in the Master’s robe which somehow was perfectly oversized on you. You had a vague recollection that the robe was oversized and make with a technical fabric that resized to the owner, but you couldn’t quite grasp the memory in your head. You were almost being lulled into a hypnotic sleep. Surrounded by feelings of love and care, you would never feel lonely in the Master’s care.

You felt the bed shift, the Master’s body pressing against your back. His one arm helping to hold you flush against him, unaffected by him leaning off the bed to place the hairbrush down.

‘Do you mind if you fall asleep like this, love? You’ll wake up still under my control.’ The Master’s words - or well thoughts- echoed inside your mind. As if you were in an empty cathedral.

You couldn’t make a sound, too content. Instead you let your desire to remain content consume your mind. The Master would understand your acceptance. You knew he understood when he was gently shifting you to rest your head against his chest as you laid down, intertwined together. His hands continued to tamely wander. Tracing patterens onto your skin. Cooing gently at you in your own head, you couldn’t understand the words that were being shared with you but you knew that it had to be something sweet. A yawn broke through his hypnosis. He had told you before that physical reactions could slip though his control at times, if he didn’t expend effort to suppress them. 

A soft kiss to the tip of your head prompted you to shift- chasing after the affection. Fingers pressed lightly on your temple to further encourage the sleepyness of your body with a hypnotic suggestion. Already loose limbs melted further into a relaxed state. You didn’t truly fall asleep yet, your mind simply drifting off into further into the void of emotions. Almost imprecepable, there was a sense of contentness and adortion that wasn’t your own. Your lips twitched into a smile as you let yourself drift beyond comprehension, awash in the Master’s mind as your consciousness faded into bliss.

(638 words)

#anon #the master x reader #dhawan!master x reader