#garnet beetle

in reference to this ask game here:

Okay, for those who don't follow @bluiex's askbox or don't hear me rant about this on multiple hermitcraft discord servers, the ETAC au is basically a fandom fusion of Miraculous Ladybug and Hermitcraft + other adjacent SMPs (like the Life Series & Empires). It stars Grian as the holder of the ladybug miraculous (hero name: Garnet Beetle) and Scar as the holder of the black cat miraculous (hero name: Nightclaw). However, I've named it the ETAC au as it also focuses on the weird wacky tomfoolery that occurs in and out of class, not just the akuma fights. ETAC stands for Essempi Technology & Artisty College (no, not the American kind of college), the name of the fictional London high school where all the shenanigans take place.

Okay, enough background info; this snippet from Like Rain in The Desert (m'adoreras-tu?) follows a sequence of Scar rambling whilst walking in the rain with Grian and subsequently, Grian, who didn't exactly have the best first impression of him, snapping at Scar. However-

[“Look,” Grian said a bit more softly as he continued, deadpan.]

-when Scar reacts with genuine guilt, Grian falters a little. He puts his anger on the back burner for a little moment.

[“I get that you’re the new kid and I should be nice to you and welcoming; forgiving, even. So I’m sorry for my outburst, but what you did was just plain rude in non-rich person society, if you can even comprehend that.]

That little moment does not last for long, as Grian starts to get a little demeaning (in what he thinks is defence) and snaps a little. But then Grian's focus gets briefly interrupted by a third party.

[Car.”

“What?”]

This snappy, seemingly out-of-context exchange makes me laugh.

[Grian pulled Scar back just before a white hatchback came rushing around the bend, wheels splurging into a puddle and spraying stormwater onto the spot where the two boys were standing before. “Car," he repeated, "you spoon.”]

Grian's got a bit of street smarts, being middle/working class compared to Scar's rich kid childhood, and he's beginning to soften himself towards Scar. Maybe not quite enough, yet.

[Scar blinked at the drenched wall, and then at his own feet. “...Thank you.”

Grian’s shoulders rose and fell again. “You can tell your fancy dry cleaner to thank me for saving your fancy clothes. I bet you’ve never had to ask them to get rid of some gum stuck to your crisp trousers.”]

🎶~It's a hard-knock life, for us. It's a hard-knock life, for us!~🎵 No, but seriously, pre-conceived class differences do not help Grian's initial opinion of Scar. What also doesn't help is that (until the next line), Grian hasn't had any information that it was Ren who was the culprit of putting the chewing gum on his chair, and no one's defended Scar's innocence except the latter.

[“About that,” Scar grimaced, “I was actually trying to get it off.”

Grian scoffed. “Nice excuse,” he huffed and continued walking across the street.]

So, unlike the original umbrella scene in Miraculous Ladybug, (which I found slightly unrealistic even when I was still a starry-eyed middle schooler,) Grian doesn't immediately forgive Scar at Scar's confession/one-lined apology. Instead, he's petty as what I deemed to be in character for this AU's Grian. (The boy can definitely hold a grudge.)

I'm pretty proud of this fic! I wrote this scene to explain the original (onesided) conflict between the pair that happens off-screen (which I maaaaaybe will write in a separate ficlet some day). It also shows how both characters explore their initial miscommunication to become friends in one perspective and gain a hits-you-in-the-face crush for the other. (definitely not projecting in any way, nooooo /j)