#adrien augreste

He stopped at a door and pushed the handle down, pushing the door open with his shoulder. The room was dim, but the bright sunshine still poked through the curtains. He pulled one open, letting the light shine in, the dust mites floating in the air as the area was disturbed. All along the walls were portraits of all the rulers of Narnia, from the couple past the barriers of Narnia who’s been chosen off the street, to his parents’ portrait. He stopped in front of one, of two nearly identical people. Narnia had lost its ruling family for 100 years thanks to the White Wizard, a creature who fell into Narnia the day it was created. Aslan had banished him but he reappeared when the Great Lion was gone. It was thought no one would remove him from power, until the prophecy was spoken, of two children of Adam and Eve would arrive to defeat the Wizard.

The most famed rulers of Narnia: Felix the Cunning and Adrien the Caring, the Twin Kings of Narnia.

They weren’t twins though, not like Nicola and Jasper. They were cousins, who’s mothers were twins; at least according to the stories. They came from the world past the barriers, won the Winter Rebellion and ruled over Narnia for nearly 20 years. They disappeared one day and 1000 years later, reappeared in time to help the newest king of Narnia retake the land again. Nicola looked at the king painted in greens, King Adrien. His many greats grandfather. When given the chance, Adrien stayed in Narnia while Felix returned to their home land, knowing he’d see his cousin again when they entered the final resting place. He and King Luka ruled over Narnia until their daughter took the throne. The line continued and now it was Nicola’s turn to lead the kingdom with his brother. Siblings within a decent age range ruled together, so Nicola wouldn’t be alone.

So why was he so scared?

“Being scared is a good thing.”

Nicola jumped, spinning around to see a lion sitting in the corner of the room. He stood, his tawny fur shining grey in the light. Nicola grew up around speaking animals, had seen them grow old, but the marks of age on this lion’s face seemed…wait.

“Aslan.” He breathed.

The Great Lion bowed his head. “Hello Nicola Couffaine, son of King Andreas, brother to Prince Jasper and descendant to King Adrien the Caring. You have a heavy burden on your shoulders. One that is shared, but you still carry it like it’s all your own.”

“I…how do I know I’m ready?” his father wasn’t nearly old, but the most recent war campaign had taken it out of him, revealing he felt the time of peace was best for the brothers to rule. It still didn’t help any.

Aslan walked up to him, looking up at the portrait. “They didn’t feel ready either. They had arrived and already, the sands of time were against them. They were separated and Adrien was the one forced to find the camp and ask for my help to save Felix.”

“I know the history lesson. King Felix had to betray his army when he was tricked by the Wizard, who threatened King Adrien’s life.” Nicola sighed.

“Do you know Adrien nearly had to find the entire camp all on his own, escaping from the Wizard’s moths and only the help of animals who’d never seen war? Given a quarterstaff he didn’t know how to use, hoping against all hope that I would believe Felix meant no harm and would help him? The young king had all hopes placed upon him and all he wanted when he arrived was to spend an afternoon with his newest friend, the faun.”

Nicola…hadn’t known that part. He knew the history, what he’d grown up being taught with King Felix’s betrayal and fighting for redemption on the battlefield with only his bow and a borrowed sword. King Adrien was said to be the healer, defence with his quarterstaff and dagger. He knew his grandfather had arrived at camp alone, but notes about doing so after his arrival hadn’t appeared in texts.

“The pressure was worse when the two came back. Both felt lost, losing their kingdom and sense of self and needed to decide if staying in Narnia was right for them not long after they helped save it from Talmerian rule.”

“My grandfather did.”

“Not until he arrived a third time. Felix was the one given the option the second time and he decided his place was back there. He’s quite happy in his final home with his cousin again, but his decision to leave was not as easy as Adrien’s decision to stay.”

Nicola looked at his grandfather’s portrait. He always assumed the famed ruler knew exactly what he was doing. It sounded like he was as lost as Nicola was.

“He was a great ruler though, both times.”

Aslan smiled like a lion would. “Yes. But not without mistakes and needing help. He was set to be a ruler of a place that was forced to become his home. This however, is home to you. You and your brother will protect this land as much as he did. The Twin Kings became embedded with Narnia’s magic, magic that runs through your veins. Even when he left, the magic never left him.”

Nicola knew what Aslan meant. Jasper was like the dryads of the forest, slipped between the shadows in the shade, and was fluid like the waves upon the shore. Nicola himself was firm like the earth, comfortable within the tunnels of the dwarves or within the air with the griffins. This was the only time he felt untethered. He wondered who his grandfather was more like, him or Jasper.

“Having to refit himself into a body he didn’t feel like was his anymore, trying to control the magic he left with was hard, but he did it. Even when scared, Adrien wouldn’t let himself back down. Even when he felt like he wouldn’t win. I believe Felix taught him that.”

Jasper would always remind him to lean him when he felt like panicking. He wondered how many times his great uncle would have to remind his own cousin to do the same during their rein.

“Can I do this?” he turned to ask Aslan.

“Only you can answer that. But I have as much confidence in you and your brother as I did in Felix and Adrien.”

“Even when they had no idea what they were doing?”

“Of course. That’s how I knew the desire to get it right was real.”

The sound of the door opening, pulled Nicola away from Aslan and the portrait of the Twin Kings. Jasper looked relieved to find him, dressed in his favourite yellow, compared to Nicola’s black.

“There you are, Nikki. Haku was about to send out a search party and Father is trying not to panic Starlight.” The names for their parents and the person who was about to become their advisor reminded Nicola of how long he’d been missing.

“Jaz, look! This – ” Nicola turned to show his brother the Great Lion when he saw he was alone, except for his brother making a confused noise.

“What am I looking at?” he asked, walking into the room.

Nicola looked around. Had he imagined Aslan? He looked up at the portrait of his grandfather and great uncle and in one of the flags behind them, the one with the mark of Narnia, the lion adjusted himself into place before rising on his hindlegs and roaring in place. Maybe not. Aslan was a wild lion, he came and went as he pleased, leaving behind people who would protect the land he created and strive to follow their principals. People like the ones Nicola and Jasper were related to.

“Them.” he said, deciding to tell his brother after the coronation. Their first shared secret as kings. “We’ll be as good as they were.”

Jasper smiled knowingly at him. “Obviously. Our grandfather ruled Narnia twice. King Adrien the Caring, the King of Sun and Stars, Healer and Protecter of the Isles of Narnia. I think Uncle Felix would have our heads if we didn’t at least try to be as good.”

“We’ll try.”

The meeting was never supposed to happen, but Adrien had made it so. He'd used every ounce of power and influence he'd had, but he was sure it would all be worth it to meet the real Adrien Agreste. No, not the real one, Adrien corrected himself. The human one. His friends were very insistent that Adrien call his counterpart the human one, as if that changed anything. No matter what, that Adrien had been the one that his parents raised, the one that ran away, the one Adrien had replaced. He lived under a different name now, Gabby Grassette, a name that brazenly mocked their father's in alevel of pettiness that screamed preteen. A 12 year old, the very age that Gabby had left. 12 years old and Gabby had been gutsier than Adrien ever was. Now though, as Adrien laid eyes on his human counterpart for the first time, Adrien didn't see guts. He saw exhaustion. Gabby's eyes had bags bigger than some designer purses, and he was skinny, to the point that Adrien could see his ribs. His body was littered with scars and pockmarks. His hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, green and crunchy with cheap dye. But his eyes. They were the same shape and color as Adrien’s, the same as their mother’s, but that glare. It could only have come from their father Gabriel. The Gabby’s gaze could paralyze Adrien from across the room, leaving him drowning in the memory of cold, lonely nights and the overwhelming weight of disappointment. By the time Gabby had approached, Adrien had mostly worked his way out of it, but it still took everything he had to start up some small talk. He talked about the weather. He talked about his friends. He avoided talking about their family, but it didn't stop him from discussing his fiance, Marinette. Yet every attempt at small talk was parried with the grace and speed of one of Kagami's ripostes, until finally Gabby gave him a glare strong enough to rival their father's Gabriel’s. "Let's cut to the chase," Gabby said. "Why don't you ask me what you really want to know, what everyone wants to know. 'Why did you leave?'" Gabby glared at him bitterly, silently daring him to say otherwise. But that wasn't the question Adrien wanted to ask. It wasn't the question that ate him up at night, the burning reason he'd set up this meeting in the first place. "How?" Adrien blurted out. "How'd you do it? How'd you escape?" Gabby raised an eyebrow, "the windows in my room never lock, and I-" Adrien shook his head furiously. "That's not what I'm asking," he cried, before shrinking back at the sudden stares his outburst drew. Then, more softly, he explained, "you were 12 when you left. You weren't even a teenager yet. I lived your life. I know why you left, but I don't know..." He couldn't finish. He couldn’t say 'why I didn't'. Adrien thought of all the times he was weak, the times he gave in. He could've fought, should've fought, but he didn't. Instead Adrien had just taken it. No, even worse, Adrien had defended it. He'd made so many excuses, told so many lies, not just to himself, but everyone else. Ladybug may have made Gabriel a hero, but it was Adrien’s constant justifications that had allowed it.

Civilian

Ice Cream (National Ice Cream Sandwich Day)

Athanase - could be about his name, or an event related to that one beret

Chocolate Chip Cookie (National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day)

Underwear (National Underwear Day)

Unify!

Oblivious

Little Kitty on the Roof (International Cat Day)

Emilie

Lazy Day (National Lazy Day)

Gorilla

25,913

Found Family

Sentimonster

Homeless (International Homeless Animals Day)

Tell a Joke (National Tell A Joke Day)

Plagg (National Black Cat Appreciation Day)

We Match (National Couple’s Day)

Statue

No Girls Allowed

Bugaboy

I Swear I’ll Take You To The Vet (National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day)

Bakery (National Sponge Cake Day)

Cat in the Night

Banana Split (National Banana Split Day)

I’m More of a Dog Person (National Dog Day)

Just Because (National Just Because Day)

Purrs

Spill the Tea

Beach (National Beach Day)

My Prince

Other questions and inquiries, send us an ask here.

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Chat Noir knocked on the skylight and waited, crouched next to it like his namesake. His tail swished back and forth behind him, arced high in excitement as he waited for Marinette to respond. It was the weekend so she wasn’t studying. There hadn’t been any homework recently. It wasn’t super late into the night, so she should still be awake - even though he knew she tended to stay up later than she should.

His stomach grumbled - would it be rude of him to ask for pastries immediately, or should he wait until they got the pleasantries out of the way first? He fidgeted nervously in place as it took longer than usual for Marinette to answer his knocking. Had he accidentally woken her? Should he not have come in the first place?

Light poured out from the slowly opening skylight, pushing away any his doubts and returning his previous good mood.

“Marinette! I was hoping you were-” His words got stuck in his throat when he realized that he wasn’t talking to Marinette. Sure, there were similarities - hair color and complexion and such - but this woman was much older than his classmate.

Sabine Cheng blinked up at him in bemusement.

“Hello Chat Noir,” Sabine said slowly, cautiously. “I don’t mean to insinuate anything, but is there a reason you are visiting my daughter’s bedroom at such a late hour?”

It took a moment for what she was saying to click in Chat’s head, but when it did his face heated up and a blush spread across his face. He stumbled backwards, falling from his crouch and landing clumsily on his rear.

“I- No, that’s not- We’re just friends is all!”

Sabine was still watching him cautiously through half-lidded eyes.

“Honest!” He looked down and grabbed his tail only to begin wringing it in his hands. “We eat some croissants - very tasty by the way, you’re great bakers - and talk and she listens when I complain and its just…” He swallowed heavily and glanced back up at her. “...It’s nice.”

Sabine’s face softened. “Sorry, dear. Marinette went over to her best friend’s for a sleepover. I’m just up here taking her laundry hamper downstairs.”

“Ah, so she’s at Alya’s then,” Chat said, hunching his shoulders. Talking to Marinette alone is one thing, but having more people there felt like he couldn’t open up as much. Not to mention that the other person being ALya meant that there was no guarantee that what he said wouldn’t end up on the Ladyblog. “I guess I’ll just go home then.”

His stomach growled, which coaxed a smirk from Sabine.

“Do you want to come inside, dear?” A twinkle of mirth shone in her eyes. “The pastries aren’t from Marinette but I have been told that I’m a great baker.”

Chat Noir debated on it for just a moment before his stomach growled even louder than before. Swallowing his pride, he said, “Yes, ma’am.”

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Was it the superheroics combined with being a growing boy that made him so hungry? Or was there something going on at home?

Before tonight, Sabine would have assumed it was the former, but after having Chat Noir happily chattering away for the past half an hour, she wasn’t so sure.

Sure, she could take him at face value when he says that he is getting enough food at home. And while he might deny it, he is still unquestionably a child - there was no doubt in Sabine’s mind that he wasn’t much older than Marinette, if he even was older. So high metabolism might have something to do with it.

But then again… he didn’t speak of his home life fondly. She’d seen the look on his face when he thought he’d have to go straight home instead of visiting with Marinette. There was no excitement - just a quiet dread. As if getting away and staying away was all he wanted.

Tom passed him a mug of hot chocolate to go with Chat Noir’s plate of croissants. While the young hero brought it up to his lips, Tom saddled up onto one of the chairs opposite him. Tom shared a look of concern with her while Chat Noir wasn’t paying attention.

“So… rough day, son?”

Chat put down the mug and tilted his head curiously. “What makes you say that, sir?”

And such a nice young man too! Sabine could see why Marinette might take a shine to him.

“Folks don’t usually run around the city at night if they had a good day.”

“Well there was that time you ran out into the rain, sweetheart.”

“True,” Tom replied to her. “But the most wonderful woman in the world had just said ‘yes’ to my proposal, so I think that gives me a little leeway.”

“Flatterer,” Sabine said with a smile.

“Always.” Tom turned back to Chat Noir, still grinning. “So what’s got you down, son?”

Chat Noir looked down into his mug, gently swirling the hot chocolate. Just when Sabine thought Tom would have to repeat his question, Chat Noir spoke up.

“It’s my father.”

Sabine raised an eyebrow. That seemed overly formal for a father-son relationship.

“What about him?”

“Oh, he was just keeping me busy all day is all,” Chat Noir said, still looking into his swirling chocolate. “Nothing all that important.”

It was a slow process, but they managed to coax a few more details from him. Absent or missing mother. Distant father. Some sort of job that his father had him do. But at his age? It all seemed rather fishy.

Once they had said their goodbyes and sent him home with a bulging bag of baked goods, the two of them sat quietly in their kitchen, far later than they usually were up.

“It’s not right, Tom.” Sabine finally broke the silence.

“No doubt about it.” Tom sighed. “But what can we do, really? There’s nothing that can be done without knowing who he is.”

“Then that’s where we have to start.”

He blinked in stunned silence. “Sabine, you don’t mean…?”