Chapter 3: Fragile

I have an idea of how this’ll all end but I’m stuck at the moment so if anyone has any thoughts or suggestion I’m open for requests! Thanks for reading!

Porcelain landed in the street stopping traffic. Looking to the right she saw the group of traitors standing on the side walk. Porcelain walked toward them and stopped in front of former best friend, Alya. She held up her wooden control and Alya followed the red thread with her eyes only to realize it was attached to her own finger. She lifted her hand slowly noticing the string tied to her not knowing how it got there. At first she tried to untie it but she couldn't even touch it.

"What is this?" She questioned.

"Alya Cesaire, you will be the first. You are my example of my power." Porcelain told her.

Alya balled her hand in a fist. "What are you talking about?"

Without warning more threads sprung out of the handle and attached to Alya's arms, legs and head. She began to panic looking at them sticking to her and she tried to wipe them off. At this point Nino was the only one left standing next to her trying to defend her from the thread but they went straight through him to get to her. He couldn't touch them either.

"Now, change."

The red strings began to glow and Alya's arms turned shiny and hard. She got stiff and her face glossed over. Before Nino could make sense of anything Alya was already turned into a fragile China doll. She bent her elbow which was connect by a ball that helped all her joints move. She felt her face and how hard and cold it was. Nino grabbed her hand hesitantly and looked at her, she tried to talk to him but words didn't come out.

"She can't talk unless spoken too." Porcelain smirked.

Alya looked at Nino and mouthed 'Run'. At first he refused but she pushed him away so he started to run toward the others. He didn't get far before the red threads of fate rapped themselves around him as well and transformed him into a puppet too. Next was Ivan, then Mylene and Max.

A crowd formed near the comosition including Nadia Chamackh with the news. Porcelain took control of her puppets movements prohibiting them to even lift a finger and they walked next to her forming a wall behind her in front of the cameras. "Ladies and gentleman, I introduce you to my Marionette dolls. Puppets of my own design, flawless in everyway as long as they don't lie." Porcelain announced to the news cameras and gestured her arms to her creations.

"Can you tell me why you're doing this? You know you were akumatized by Hawkmoth, correct?" Nadia asked holding a mic out.

Porcelain ignored the question and stood next to Alya. "Alya, who is your best friend?" She snapped her fingers and Alya's face relaxed as she got control of her muscles again. 

She took a deep breath and said, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Wrong answer. That's a lie."

"I'm not-"

Porcelain snapped her fingers again and Alya went back into position like a soldier. Her face then cracked a little on the cheek. "That my friends is what happens when you lie. You see, Alya stopped being Miss Dupain-Cheng's friend when she abandoned the poor girl for a fake." She stepped forward and continued asking questions she knew Alya wouldn't know or would try and stretch the truth too. Soon cracks on her fragile body chipped until she was on the edge of completely braking and falling apart. "Next question, Alya, If you had to choose between Ladybug and Marinette, who would you rather see?"

She was silent for a second. Naturally she'd say Marinette so she'd be a good friend. "Ladybug..." Porcelain looked at her in surprise, because it was the truth. "I'd honestly choose ladybug... Not because I like her more then Marinette though, its because I know Marinette would tell me to do it too."

"No she wouldn't." She hissed.

"Yes she would, because that's the kind of person she is. That's why she's my best friend. She'd never make me choose!" Alya figured it out. "This isn't you!"

Porcelain got tired of being told who she was, that's how she ended up in this situation. "You don't know me at all, do you. I don't care." She squeezed the wooden handle in her hand and Alya shattered revealing a wooden under skin. Alya's wooden body slumped over with rough edges and cracks and  chips covering her body.

"Alya!"

Porcelain was caught off guard from the shout, it came from Nino, he was able to break free from the trance for only a moment. It was impressive, but he used all his energy and will power to say that one thing. "No use, she no longer has a mind of her own. She's nothing but an empty wooden toy, a shell of a girl, not even worthy of being called my marionette. I'll keep her as an example though." She turned to the camera and spoke to Paris. "Now, Chat Noir, give me your miraculous, unless you want all of Paris to end up like this poor Cesaire girl."

Hawkmoth spoke in her ear to remind her, "Don't forget Ladybugs as well!".

Porcelain chuckled and told him, "Don't worry about that for now."

Porcelain looked around in the crowd of people that started to run as fast as they could and spotted Lila taking cover behind innocent people as she escaped. She'd have no problem finding Lila later so she focused on gathering more people for her army, transforming all those in her path.

By the time she had a few hand fulls of people including everyone in her class, except Adrien, Chat Noir had shown up. Porcelain looked down at her army from a rooftop where Chat Noir met up with her.

"I saw your broadcast and wondered how they made your skin so clear on screen, whenever I'm on screen they edit my blemishes, but looking up close I guess you're just puurrrfect?" Chat joked as if they were friends. "Tell my Marinette, what happened?" He asked in a more serious tone.

"My names poupée de porcelain." She told him without taking her gaze off her army.

"So you're made of fine China?"

"You're annoying."

"Just stalling until my Lady shows up." He winked.

Knowing Ladybug wont show up Porcelain decided to amuse him. "My mask is Porcelain, because it's harder to shape then fine china and made strong under hotter and higher temperature. I'm to be strong. And like me, my Marionette's body's are made of bone china, not fine china. Bone china is made of a mixture with bones. The bone they are made of is their own. So believe me when I tell you, when they crack of break, it's ten times worse then breaking a bone. Their lies will not only hurt the people they lie too, but themselves more."

Chat became increasingly concerned hearing that the puppets were breaking their bones when they lied. "That's a terrible th-"

"As long as they don't lie to me or anyone, they'll continue to be perfect and unharmed. Attack me if you'd like, but they'll protect me, and are you willing to fight them knowing you could break their fragile armor? Can you imagine the pain Alya felt? The betrayal and the brokenness? She's not in pain anymore, because she's now nothing but a mindless puppet, but still..."

"The pain she felt? Or the pain your feeling? Because the way I see it, your hurt and you're Hawkmoth's puppet." He argued. She glared at him making him nervous but he continued. "Marinette, this isn't you." He tried to reason with her.

"You're going to tell me I'm a good kind person, someone who wouldn't hurt anyone. Someone like, Ladybug, right?" He looked at her flawless face and for a moment he saw a glint of her blue sapphire eyes behind the mask.

"Yes. Because you are."

"No, she used to be, that girl, but now I'm someone else. In order to set my plan into motion, this is how it has to be." A red string strayed from the path of the others and made it's way around Chat Noir. Hawkmoth was in her ear telling her to get him now and his miraculous, but she ignored him and the string never attached to him. Chat Noir just watched It cautiously.

"Lila." Chat said, making Porcelain retract her thread. "Your after Lila Rossi, right? Then why go after your friends!?"

Porcelain scoffed and faced her whole body toward him. "Some friends they were, they hung on her every word." She then mocked their voices, "'Marinette you're the best!' or 'Marinette, your an everyday Ladybug!', what a bunch of crap. Because one word from that Girl turned all those pretty words into, 'Marinette how could you do that?' and 'Marinette why would you lie?'."

"As soon as I saw you akumatized on TV I went to find Lila, but when I did you were still taking control of innocent civilians, so why not go straight to the source?"

"Of course you would think like that. You can't even begin to comprehend my great plan and how this'll all turn out in the end. I'm not going after her, yet. I want her to know what I can do, I want her to be scared. I want her to know what's coming for her." She threw her arms out to her Marionettes in celebration of her success.

"That's it, I can't wait any longer." Chat Noir got in a ready to fight stance.

"Are you sure about that? You're precious bug isn't here yet." She said in a sour sweet voice.

"She'll be here soon enough, but I can't sit back and let you continue this."

Porcelain let out a cackle of a laugh. "What if I were to tell you that Ladybug is one of the many among my army!?"

Chat didn't waver knowing there was no way she could know that. "Now look who's lying."

Porcelain made her way closer to him making him more on guard and she kept a cheeky smirk on her face. "I don't lie Chat Noir. Watch what happens when I do." She cleared her throat. "I'm in love with Chat Noir." Chat took an emotional blow from that but brushed it off. She gently grabbed her mask and pulled it off only enough for him to see. He observed a crack under her eye. "I'll let you in on a secret." She got closer to him and whispered in his ear. "Ladybug isn't coming."

Chat Noir took a step back. "You're lying!"

She tapped on her mask revealing no new cracks. "I don't think so."

Out of anger Chat Noir lunged at her and pulled out his weapon. The Marionettes were far away enough that she couldn't use them as shields so he had a chance and an opening. Before he could really strike her she jumped over him and he didn't attack again. "Marinette! Stop this."

She looked down at her puppets again. "Hmmm... Looks like everyone who has been entrusted a miraculous have been akumatized by yours truly." She giggled and closed her eyes thinking of how she should continue her chat with Chat. "Well if you want to continue fighting, I don't really mind, I have to take your miraculous anyw-" She looked towards him and noticed he was gone. Out of sight.

"You let him escape!?" Hawkmoth yelled. "And you know who Ladybug is, and where the other miraculous are!? Porcelain, retrieve them for me this instance!"

Porcelain made a face as if an annoying bug was buzzing by her ear. "No."

"Remember, I gave you you're power and I can-"

"-Take it away. I know. But I can give you all the miraculous together, in a box, like a present. Trust me, I have a plan. Everything will be alright."

"You better get them to me as fast as you can, or else." He demanded.

"Yes Hawkmoth."

Meanwhile Chat Noir made his way across town and hid in an alley way to transform back. Plagg flew out of his ring in a panic. 

"Plagg calm down, we need think of a plan, maybe she was bluffing and Ladybug is fine."

Plagg shook his head, "Kid this is serious, I can honestly tell you, she was telling the truth. We need to find Master. I have a feeling Tikki's with him, which is good."

"Tikki?" Adrien asked.

"No time to explain, lets go!" Plagg flew in the direction of Master Fu's massage place with Adrien close behind him.

Chapter 4: Is Blue Warm or Cold?

Let it be known, I wrote this chapter before I watched reflectdoll and Desperado. And I'm so angry with how Marinette and Adrien acted, but most importantly the writers... Enjoy. Also I post the story on my Fanfiction.net page under Voemae Patterson and on Wattpad under Tia_Patterson!

Meanwhile Chat Noir made his way across town and hid in an alley way to transform back. Plagg flew out of his ring in a panic.

"Plagg calm down, we need think of a plan, maybe she was bluffing and Ladybug is fine."

Plagg shook his head, "Kid this is serious, I can honestly tell you, she was telling the truth. We need to find Master. I have a feeling Tikki's with him, which is good."

"Tikki?" Adrien asked.

"No time to explain, lets go!" Plagg flew in the direction of Master Fu's massage place with Adrien close behind him.

They took back streets and alleys to avoid any Marionettes in the area. It didn't take long before they finally reached their destination and took cover inside where they were greeting by Wayzz. They entered the massage room to find Master Fu and Tikki talking. Adrien saw the polka doted Kwami and put two and two together. It was Ladybugs Kwami. 

"Tikki!" Plagg shouted and he wasted no time flying to her side. "What happened?"

Master Fu put his attention to Adrien who was still confused. Where was Ladybug? Why didn't she have her kwami? "Adrien, come and sit."

"Master Fu, Marinette, she's the girl akumatized. She's my friend."

He nodded. "Yes, well without Ladybug we're in quite the predicament."

Adrien clenched her fists and grit his teeth, "Please entrust me with saving them both."

"Everyone whos fought alongside you has been turned into a puppet." He stroked his little beard and turned his head away from Adrien and whispered, "She must've done that on purpose."

"What?"

"It's nothing." He waved his hand to signal there was nothing to worry about.

Tikki, Plagg and Wayzz sat at the middle of the table. "Oh Master, it's not her fault! We must save her from being a puppet." Tikki chose her words carefully as to not reveal Marinette was Ladybug.

"I understand the situation. Ladybug knew she would be caught, and purposely took out her earrings to prevent Hawkmoth from finding her using the connection between the akumatized." He pondered for a moment and the room fell silent with thinking. "But," He broke the silence. "I can not ignore the fact that she did fall into this situation."

"Master?" Wayzz questioned.

"Don't worry, I chose her for a reason, that being said I have to wonder what she'll do. Or if she can snap out of it."

"I know she will." Adrien stood up. "Because she's Ladybug." They all looked up at him as he radiated the confidence he lacked a moment ago. "I'll focus on snapping Marinette out of it, try and find the item that's been akumatized then free her. But, Chat Noir can't catch the akuma, or fix what's been destroyed. Master Fu, please let me use the Ladybug miraculous."

Fu stood and turned to get more tea, "Absolutely not. It's far too risky."

"But-!"

"But this may be our only sound option right now. As for the cat miraculous, you cant use both at the same time. And I don't feel good having both miraculous near each other while you're fighting. I suppose I could also-" Just then a crack echoed in the room. His age was catching up to him and he cracked his back... As always Wayzz was worried for the master and helped him sit back down with the tea. "We almost lost the Bee miraculous once, we can't afford making these same mistakes." He shook his head, he knew he wouldn't be much help, but he couldn't do it alone. "We need to move location, she might come here."

"Why would she come here?" Adrien asked. The Kwami's looked at Fu to make an excuse.

Fu cleared his throat. "Your friend Marinette, yes, um she, she's been in my shop before, to get a muscle relaxer!" Not his best moment but he was going to roll with it. "You know how kids are these days, stressed about school and such. So I gave her an old Chinese remedy to help her out... Of course she still seems a bit clumsy..."

Adrien chuckled at the last comment. "No, that's just her."

Fu saw his sincere smile as he thought about her. "I see.." He smiled. "Well, lets move location of the box carefully first, then get a plan started."

"I've got an idea." And so it was decided where the box would be moved to...

Half an hour later after mast Fu settled Adrien transformed back into Chat Noir. "Until we figure this out, I'll go and patrol the surrounding area. I need to help those who have not been caught."

"What ever you do, don't go looking for her." He warned him.

"Which one?" He joked before leaving the building.

Master Fu saw as his Chat Noir figure jumped over a building. "The only one."

"Oh master... What should we do?" Tikki hovered next to him looking out the window.

"Where there's a will, there's a way." he sighed. "For all our sakes, we can only wait and see if she has a stronger will then the darkness in her heart."

About twenty minutes past and Chat Noir saved a few hand fills of civilians and hid them from the akuma. He made sure to stay low and out of sight trying not to cause a scene. All the while he was trying to think of a plan. He was alone, without his Lady. He was worried, but he didn't know for who more. Marinette or Ladybug?

It was already night and the stars were bright. a lot of the city lights were off because there were people hiding. For the most part if Porcelain had no need for them, the marionettes had free will to go home or do anything they wanted as long as the didn't rebel they could live a normal life as a porcelain doll. Until she needed them that is, and took control of their body's again. The brightest lights were the Eiffel tower, which is where Chat Noir assumed Marinette was based. The day had been the longest time anyone has ever been under an akuma's affects and trance before. 

No one knew what was supposed to happen next. Where was Ladybug, the hero of Paris? The Parisians began to worry. Every time that day Chat was asked where she was or heard a rumor of her disappearance he quickly retorted it stating she was well and they were just thinking of a plan.

He returned to his mansion per master Fu's request for the night. Adrien wanted eagerly to go and try talking to Marinette but was stopped every time by Plagg. He agonized over the thought of pain and suffering she was feeling, alone. Plus he was scared sooner or later Ladybug would break, not that she would ever lie.

Checking on his father was impossible since the Gorilla stood outside his bedroom room and Natalie probably wouldn't let him into the office. Little did he know his father was better then okay. Because he had finally found a suitable victim to capture all the miraculous.

In his lair Hawkmoth reveled in the army before him. "Your progress is taking much longer then I expected, but you told the truth, Ladybug hasn't shown her face yet. Meaning you did capture her, and Chat Noir's the only one left. He is the only one left, right?"

Far from the Agreste Manor, sitting at the very top of the Eiffel tower looking at the night sky above her was Porcelain. "Yes, I assume he'll be no trouble. And before you ask again, I do not know where to find the guardian of the box." She technically wasn't lying, she didn't know where master Fu could be, its not 100% certain he'll be at his home. She knew how to manipulate her powers so she wouldn't crack.

Suddenly she felt a pain and all her muscles stiffened making her feel weak. "If you're lying to me I will take away your victory!" Hawkmoth threatened her.

"Why- argh!" She struggled to talk with the pressure he forced on her. "-would I-ugh, why would I lie to you!?" He finally released her letting her gasp for air.

"If I find out you were lying to me or are plotting something, not only will I take everything away from you, but I'll get a professional to do it instead." He chuckled. "You might know her. She tends to fib a bit."

If Porcelain wasn't wearing a mask you'd see the anger in her eyes and her teeth ready to break from clenching them to hold her tongue. "Lila." She hissed through her teeth.

"Correct. Instead of getting your revenge on her I'll replace you with her. So don't forget your end of the deal."

Marinette felt a stab in her heart. Even Hawkmoth preferred Lila. Why was she not good enough? "Why would you trust a liar like her?"

"Of course I don't trust her you fool, but she'll do her job. And who knows, after she does get me what I want perhaps she'll become even more adored with her lies then you'll ever be with the truth."

"Forget you! I'll get you what I promised by using my powers for their own good!" She stood up and yelled at the sky. "I can't concentrate with you nagging in my ear!"

"I'll check back later." Back in the lair Hawkmoth cut the communication with Porcelain. "Dark wings fall!" And turned back into his formal attire as Gabriel Agreste. "Natalie, I may need your assistance tomorrow." He turned around to face Natalie who held a clipboard to her chest never showing more then a poker face.

"Of course. I would be happy to, sir."

"Right, go get some rest, it'll take a toll on you tomorrow."

She shook her head. "I'm fine, I've had all nighters before doing work, but you should get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow. I'll watch over things for the night."

Back at the tower Porcelain looked over the Paris buildings to a small shop with it's lights still on. It was her parent's bakery. They were still up so late. She had the urge to go and visit them, but something stopped her. She was ashamed. 

"Damn it." She held her head in her hands and cursed at the world. It all seemed so unfair.

Last month she was adored by her friends and she adored them. Marinette was hanging out with everyone, and sure, once in awhile Lila would tell a lie, but she learned to ignore it. Over time she just left Lila alone and avoided her as long as it didn't affect anyone, but now, how did she end up like this. Her mind got foggy and her memories blurred together. She could only remember the bad parts.

Porcelain had forgotten the good inside of Marinette, and it scared her, not because she couldn't remember anything good, but because she didn't actually care. She couldn't even remember how her morning started. It had only been hours ago but she couldn't think of her parent's and their kind words. What she did remember was Lila. The lies. Alya ditching her in her time of need. Adrien's rejection. Her parent's pitying her. Ladybug.

Oh lord Ladybug. It was always Ladybug. Even Chat Noir prefers Ladybug. Adrien would probably prefer Ladybug. Alya would prefer Ladybug. Her parent's would be better off with a daughter like Ladybug.

Porcelain stopped gripping her skull with anger and let her arm frail onto her knee. She was Ladybug. But Ladybug wasn't her. No, she used to be Marinette. And Marinette is no Ladybug. Marinette's clumsy, a coward and a complete mess. Over a boy. A boy who didn't even like her. Or notice her. She was just a friend. She was a nobody. A wanna be fashion designer.

Marinette was always good at over thinking things, but Porcelain was the queen of over thinking.

A tear appeared from the dark hole of the mask where the eye should be and rolled down the porcelain surface. All her terrible negative feelings came crawling into her heart. Her chest hurt, it felt like something was pulling at her heart strings until they snapped. A punch in the gut. Her head ached and felt like it was on fire and going to explode. Water leaked from her eyes. She shook all over and couldn't breath. She was panicking. She hated this feeling of helplessness. This feeling of depression and anxiety. Eating at every nerve and cell in her body, until she snapped.

And she screamed.

A burst of red deflected from her like a ring of fire around her and widened until it disappeared into the night. She hunched and tried to calm herself. At this moment she knew she messed up. Hawkmoth had increased her emotions of betrayal before he went to bed leaving her to wallow in self loathing. She had no choice but to blame others.

Time had passed and she was walking around on the tower trying to control her emotions and also devising her plan while sewing a scarf together using the red thread she possessed. She had puppets guarding the castle.

"M'Lady." a Marionette approached her.

"Speak, but do not call me that." She ordered him still continuing to make the scarf.

"Several Marionettes whom are not under your control at the moment have asked for an audience with the great poupée de porcelaine."

"Very well."

A few moments later Nino, Rose, Juleka, Mylene, Ivan and even Luka appeared before her. They stood in front of her and She could tell by their faces what they wanted to say. This small group was made up of Kitty Section. The band Marinette designed for. Her closes friends other then Alya.

Nino was outwardly distraught making him the first to burst out his feelings. "How could you do that to Alya!"

Rose and Juleka stood on both sides of him and held his arms as if he would try to attack Porcelain. "This isn't what we practiced" Rose tried to calm him down.

Apparently practicing and deciding what they would tell her ahead of time was the plan to convince her to stop. Little did they know, the longer Marinette was under the Akuma's control the more she lost herself. It had already been too long for logic and reason to save her.

Ivan stepped forward and started first. "Marinette, we're sorry. All of us. We knew you didn't like Lila for some reason but we didn't take your feelings into consideration and hung out with her."

Porcelain's eye twitched in annoyance. "You think this is because I didn't want you guys to hangout with someone I don't like?"  She cracked her neck and continued. "True I despise Lila, and I didn't want anyone to hangout with her, but that's because she's a liar, and constantly tortures me, not because I just don't like her! Marinette wasn't so shallow she'd try to monopolize you guys!" She took the wooden controls from her side pockets and the thread connected to Nino and pulled him in front of her.

"Nino!"

Nino could still talk and looked her in the eyes. "I thought we were friends?"

Knowing Hawkmoth went to bed Porcelain got close to his ear so no one would hear her, and she whispered in Nino's ear, "Are you secretly Carapace?"

"H-how did you-?"

She asked more loudly so everyone could hear, "Are you? Answer the question!"

"N-No!" He gulped.

"Perfect." Porcelain watched his arm start cracking until it just shattered revealing a wooden surface. She let him go giving him free will.

Nino stepped backward away from her and tripped falling on his back. "AAARUGH!!" He yelled in pain. It felt like every bone in his body shattering even though it was just his arm. The pain continued for what seemed forever. He finally bit his tongue on the pain and sat up gripping his wooden left arm.

He had control of his body except for his left arm that was now wood. "What's happening!? I only told one lie! I shouldn't have shattered anything! It should just be a crack, right!?" He yelled at her confused and scared. The others ran to aid him.

"So you admit you lied to me." She started to walk in a circle around them and their eyes followed her every move.

"What's going on with his arm!?" Mylene spoke up.

She sighed, "True, a lie would usually only give you a crack, but, the bigger the lie, the more severe the injury." She winked. "Don't you wanna know what I asked him?" 

Luka stood up, "Marinette, this isn't you."

Again telling her who she was. People just couldn't take a hint. "My names Not Marinette!" She yelled and took control of them making them stand in a line. "It's poupée en porcelaine! Now leave before I decide to shatter you all." She demanded more then requested. With a point of the finger she forced them to walk out. 

"Wait!" Luka pleaded as his legs led him to the elevator. "Marinette! Please, wait, I just want to talk!"

She froze them for a second. The were in mid stepping pose facing the opposite direction of her. Staring at his back she asked, "If you stay here you'll be broken one way or the other. Are you willing To risk the damage?"

Juleka tried to look at her brother, "Luka, don't."

Luka had a soft smile on his face. "Sorry Jules, you'd do the same for Rose."

"Touching..." Porcelain mocked. "Your answer?"

"Yes. I'm okay with that." He spoke louder.

Porcelain walked up to him and examined him for any crack. He was telling the truth. She snapped her fingers and the rest of them walked to the elevator and left. She took away their speech temporarily so they wouldn't interfere until they left.

For the next minute they stood in silence just looking at each other. She wondered what he was looking at her for, what was he trying to find. She focused on his eyes. They were a clear blue, not like hers, his were deeper. Clear with no clutter. Why were his blue eyes so... Warm?

"Cold." He muttered.

Porcelain snapped out of her thoughts, "What?"

"I finally caught a glimpse of you're eyes behind the mask, when the light hits you just right, and they were cold."

She covered the eye he was focused on and turned her face slightly to hide her other. "Blue is cold."

He realized how rude that might've sounded. "No sorry." He scratched the back of his head and looked at the ground. "It's just that, your eyes are usually so warm."

For a second she thought he read her mind. Her eye brows furrowed and she made him stand up straight and look at her. "What nonsense are you spouting? Everyone knows blue is a cold, cold color."

He stood quietly and let her make her point. Studying her actions and moves. Trying to find an ounce of Marinette. He focused on her every detail. Her perfectly place hair in a bun with a red ribbon. The intricate detail on her dress. The carefully placed paint strokes on her mask and especially the way you can see her expression through her eyes.

"Do you ever dislike being in a band with your little sister, and her friends?"

Luka was caught off guard by the question. "What? No, of course not. I love my sister and her friends are mine too." No cracks, he was telling the truth.

"Really? You never feel childish being around them?"

"No they're awesome." He smiled knowing he had nothing to hide.

Porcelain grunted. "Do you even have friends outside of them?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I see them all the time."

"Ever wish you lived in a house like normal people?"

"I love living in a boat."

The two of them went back and fourth for quite a while. Porcelain started to run out of questions. She asked petty things like fights with Juleka, or stealing candy when he was young. Despite his looks he wasn't really a 'bad boy'. He was sweet and kind and honest. She hated it.

"There's got to be something you don't want to admit to! So admit it!" She was getting frustrated. "There's got to be something you lie about. And I'm going to find out."

He went silent and thought about something. Porcelain noticed he was hiding something. She was about to confront him with more questions, but he beat her to the punch. "I never want to lie to the girl I like."

She taken  aback. "What? Who?"

"Marinette." He said confidently.

"You're a liar, no one likes a nobody." She wasn't convinced.

"I do." He breathed. "Because to me, she's not a nobody. She's-"

"Like an everyday Ladybug, nice, good, perfect and all that crap!" She turned around as to not face him.

"No." He replied. "Ladybug isn't perfect. I don't know her personally so I can't say much about her personality. But no ones perfect or good at everything. Especially Marinette."

She felt a tug at her heart and the corners of her lips weigh down.

"Marinette isn't perfect, she's clumsy, and stammers, and sometimes it's like she's always in her head."

"You've made your point-"

"But I love that about her. She might fall a lot, but that only means I get to catch her. Her stammering is the cutest thing I've ever heard. And to be able to look at her when she's lost in thought is the greatest privilege I can have." He smiled and you could hear the passion of his words. "She has all the qualities of a super hero, but that's just one part of her, she's also an amazing girl."

"Stop it." She gripped both her upper arms.

"Her designs are incredible! She works hard and deserve every good thing in her life. She apologizes even if she's not in the wrong. And she's honest to a fault, that makes her unique because now a days there's nobody that honest. She tries to help those in need. She messes up, but she she'll try again until everything's fixed."

"I said enough!" She turned around waved her hand violently and took his speech away. She stomped in front of him only three inches from his face. "These are all lies!" She aimed her sight down and he mouthed something to her. 'I love you'. 

She backed up and held her fists at her side. "Why aren't you breaking!?" She shouted almost pleading. For some reason she was running away from love. Perhaps she didn't deserve it. "Lie!" Her voice got shaky and she got close to him and he mouthed it again. she hit his chest with her palms and her forehead landed on his chest. "Lies! All of them!" While one hand hit him repeatedly, the other slowly reached for her mask and slid it off letting her take a deep shaky breath.

Without knowing she had let control of him go and felt his arms wrap around her. "I love you, Marinette." And she let his chin rest on her head. "You're the song playing in my head, and the rhythm my heart beats too." There they stood on the Eiffel tower, embraced in each others cold china hold, with the warmest blue eyes.

"No.." A whisper was barely heard.

"Did you-" Luka started say before being pushed away.

He caught a glance at her face without the mask, her sapphire eyes glossed over with denial, and there was a notable break under her left eye.

"Marinette wha-?"

"My. Names. Not. Marinette!" With a wave of her hand she made him leave, immediately. As soon as she could no longer see him she fell to her knees and hung her head. "Damn it..." The lights of the Eiffel tower then turned off as if on que.