My Miraculous, UNLOCK! A PSL for a Ladybug in Japan.

[amu_chan]

After settling in, Tom and Sabine would have given Marinette a surprise gift, since they could tell that she hadn't fully wanted to come overseas on this trip. So once they were settled in they gave her an envelope. Inside was a concert ticket for the next night and some spending money to buy herself either something to wear for the concert, or cloth if she wanted to make something herself, since the air B&B they were staying at had a sewing machine. They would be at the concert too, since it was a strange city in a foreign country and all, but they assured her they would be sitting several rows back.

They totally weren't going so Tom could spy on if she was flirting with any Japanese boys, NOPE! Not at all. She can't prove it.

Anyway.

So she would be given an afternoon with some money and a map to wander if she wanted to, so long as she was home in time for dinner. There might have been threats that if she was late coming back for dinner they would spend the whole concert glued to her side, but that was probably a joke. Right?

It was cold outside, late December snows keeping some people indoors, so the streets weren't too crowded, but that made it that much easier to catch hints of conversations from the people who were out. Teenagers and kids were talking about school, and sports, and the upcoming concert which seemed to be a big deal. The two main acts were a boy band called Darts and a singer named Utau. There were subtle advertisements here and there, but at least one shop window had a pair of posters for them. Darts was all cookie cutter boy band, and on the young side. Nothing like the energy someone would get from a Jagged Stone poster. It looked like SAFE had been the key word for the design team.

The poster for Utau however....

The girl in the poster couldn't have been older than sixteen or seventeen, and the babydoll black dress and the blond pigtails should have made her look soft and safe as well. Should have made her look young, even with the tall heels she was wearing. But there was nothing comforting or cookie cutter about the poster of her. Everything from the look in her eyes to her stance seemed to act as a warning. Or maybe that was just because Mari knew Chloé. Just from the image she seemed to have all the attitude Chloé tried to have. But what held people going by was the expression on her face. The eyes. Where all the boys of Darts were smiling brightly at the camera, and thus the passer bye, her violet eyes held a challenge, her lips a slight down turn that might remind one of Gabriel Agreste at his more irritated. As though the photo shoot, or perhaps the audience, was a waste of her time.

In fact, some of the people passing by would comment, and Mari could hear them, about how she was so pretty, why wouldn't she smile, or about how her music was so good you almost didn't care that her poster looked like it hated you. A few guys starred dreamily at the poster, though.

One boy, maybe 19 or so, stopped near Mari, eyeing the poster for a moment, his eyes cool, his face blank, hands in his pockets. Unlike everyone else, he hadn't bothered with a winter coat, wearing an all black outfit with small silver crosses here and there. He had short dark blue hair and for some reason might aaaaaalmost remind her of Chat, though there was no logical reason for it. Tikki, however, would sense something from him. The boy didn't seem to notice Mari at all, however, and would turn and walk off again after only a moment, seeming bored.

And he wouldn't be the only one Tikki would sense something odd about. Not five minutes later, three girls would be passing, huddled in their jackets. Two of them looked about a year or two younger than Marinette, the third looked a year or two younger than that. The youngest looking one had brownish hair in pigtails that DID make her look younger, but the barrettes might have something to do with that. Big red bows. She was also bouncing a bit as she walked, and all her mannerisms made her seem young. Of the other two, one had shockingly pink hair with a red X hair barrette over one small lock that was pulled up over the rest, and bored seeming gold eyes. She was hunched into her black and red jacket against the cold. The third had long purple hair Juleka would have loved and kind eyes, along with small kind expressions. She moved with a gentle grace, small fluid motions, and her jacket was well tailored to her and looked very feminine in style and cut. Very well made. The other two were clearly wearing off the rack coats, hers looked custom designed for her.

The youngest was talking animatedly. "Are we going to Utau's concert this time too, do you think? Should we ask Kukai and Tadase at school tomorrow?"

"Do we have a choice, after last time?" The pink haired one grumbled.

"Hmmm," the purple haired one said. "We probably should go. Let's bring it up at the meeting, alright?"

She looked like she was about to say something then looked around, scowling. She stared at Marinette for a moment then looked past her, before turning to the purple haired girl. "Where are Ran and the others?"

"I think Kiseki said something about training, they'll be along." And with that the three kept walking.

But not only would Tikki sense something odd from those three, the pink haired one the most, but.... something the pink haired one was wearing or carrying under that coat and scarf, hidden from sight, was something that Tikki would feel like a wave of power. As if she had just eaten one of the macarons with an enhancement potion in it. Something that girl had with her would make Tikki feel strong and amped up... but it wasn't any feeling she'd recognize.

Comments

[amu_chan]

He winced. "Oddly our problems seem to follow us. Not sure why or how."

[coccinelled]

That sounds familiar. I guess I should just be glad that no akuma have shown up here. That's what I initially thought had happened, at that concert.....

[Though Marinette could relate. She had a lot to deal with back home even outside of the whole Ladybug thing on top of that.]

[amu_chan]

"Nah, that's just Easter being Easter."

[coccinelled]

If you say so. I guess you'd know better than me. I'm more used to dealing with Papillon and his akuma.

[So of course dealing with this was a little different. Hence her practicing with him like this and all. His training and their explaining all of this to her, for as similar as it was in some ways with the Kwami and Miraculous.]

[amu_chan]

He opened his mouth to speak when his chara floated up. "Hey, do you guys feel that?"

amu finally finished and came to join them. "Sense what?"

"Oh no! Some poor kid needs our help!" Su cried, picking up on whatever it was that Daichi sensed that the children missed.

"Amu, LAdyblue, follow the charas, I'll get the others and we'll come find you!"

[coccinelled]

Huh? Ah, alright. I'll follow.

[Though she is newer to this so, well, obviously less confident even with her previous experience with Tikki and all. Since this was a little different in comparison. But if she can help somehow, with this new transformation, she has to at least go and try to lend a hand. If the others really need it. So she gives a nod and heads to meet with Su, and with the other charas.]

[amu_chan]

Amu nodded and headed off after Su. "This way," she called to Marinette. She ran after the chara and when she got to the edge of the roof, she jumped off of it. Small little glowing pink wings appeared on the heels of her shoes and at her wrists and she glided safely to the ground. The wings vanished as soon as her sneakers hit grass and she was running again.

[coccinelled]

Alright!

[Not that Marinette has the same wings, at least so she is aware of. But she does jump down after the other, using her thread if necessary to attach to surrounding buildings or poles to follow her down back to the ground. She keeps running then, following as she retracts her thread back down to her.]

[amu_chan]

And that would work, getting her down.

Amu was running after the chara trusting her to follow or not.

[coccinelled]

[Marinette gets down, her feet touching the ground again at last as she then makes to follow. Though this wasn't necessarily quite as light and easy to move in as her Ladybug outfit, and the sneakers did make a little more noise, she still wants to try help in doing what she can. Since she is transformed.

The more practice she gets the better, right? So she follows on until they find what was happening.]

Somewhere around here?

[amu_chan]

"I think s..."

"Muri?" A small black egg with an X zipped past them. "Muuuri."

Amu went chasing after it.

[coccinelled]

I'm guessing that's it.

[So on the chase goes, now they have sight of the target. Marinette does her best to catch up, to keep up with Amu and the egg. Which she finds easier than usual with her clumsy civilian self in comparison to when she is transformed, at least. She isn't too far behind Amu in any case.

She tries to aim the thread, to restrain the egg as she runs.]

sorry for the lack of color.

[amu_chan]

The thread wrapped around the egg.

"Murrr?" it asked, pulling lightly. It seemed tethered.

"Good! You got it, now I can...."

"MUUUURIIIIII!!!" It jerked harder, then started flying again, and if she didn't let go of the thread she'd be dragged along with it....

All good.

[coccinelled]

I got -- whoa!

[Maybe she should have thought this through more instead of just going on instinct. This wasn't exactly the same as with her magical yoyo as Ladybug. Marinette isn't sure if she wants to let go and possibly lose the thread, but she also doesn't get much chance to really react before the egg tries to fly off again, lifting her feet from the ground.]

[amu_chan]

Amu glared at the egg then launched herself landing as neatly as Ladybug or Chat Noir could have at the height of a roof. Except in Amu's case there was no roof under her. Just air, the little wings reappearing. "HEY! What is your problem, anyway?" she asked of the egg.

"MUUUURRRRIIII!!!" It said, still pulling at the thred, still dragging Lady Blue.

"I asked you a question!" Amu said, pompomed hands on her hips. "Lady Blue, can you bring it closer?" Maybe she missed who was dragging who?

[coccinelled]

Closer?

[Only if the egg itself flies closer. Though Marinette does at least make some attempt to try steer it, she isn't the one actually in control here, least of all when she is in the air like this. She has no wings on her sneakers. And has no roof to try stop or gain traction from.

At least not necessarily immediately. Once she does get to a roof, she puts down her feet to try and stop and then steer the egg over closer to Amu.]

[amu_chan]

"Send another thread out as an anchor," Miki whispered in her ear. So unlike Tiki, she could speak while her bearer was transformed. At least a little.

Amu darted towards the egg that was trying to escape. "I asked you a question!"

"MURI!!!!!" it complained, straining against MArinette's thread, pulling her. But there was a faint secondary sound. A crying child. Then softly, words. "I'm so tired of being pulled in every direction... why can't anyone ever just let me do what I want? Why do they have to get divorced anyway? Don't they even care about me?"

Amu's face softened. "Oh," she said softly, floating closer to the egg. "I'm sorry we tried to tie you down, we were just trying to help you remember the you who you want to be. Talk to your parents, let them know how pulled apart you feel. Have you ever told them what you want? How you feel?"

The egg stopped struggling, and there was a small whimpering sound.

[coccinelled]

An anchor? Right.

[She didn't really have the option of that with just the yoyo as Ladybug. But here....Marinette pauses for a moment in sending out another thread as Miki suggests, after her initial surprise at hearing the chara. Given she couldn't communicate with Tikki like this when transformed that she recalls. Still, then Amu keeps talking to the egg, to the.....upset child? Dealing with a divorce. Marinette pauses in holding to the thread, before using it to try and close the distance, to wrap her arms around the egg.]

It'll be alright. Talk to them. They can't help you if they don't know how you're feeling about it all. Especially if they're so focused on what is happening for them. I know this won't be easy, I'm not saying it won't be hard, but....talking to them, making a choice and having say in how this affects you should help you not feel so frustrated in being pulled everywhere without your say or control.

[amu_chan]

The egg was trembling now. And no longer pulling at all.

Amu lept back and made a heart of her hands hen thrust the shape out. Don't ask where the pompoms went. They're just gone. "NEGATIVE HEART! LOCK ON!" Light came from her chest, or maybe from the lock she wore around her neck. It flooded the space her hands left and flooded through them. "OPEN HEART!" she yelled. The light washed over the trembling egg. The black faded from it until it was a pale egg with a small heart with wings design. The egg rocked lightly then cracked. A small Chara peeked her head out, then smiled brightly at them before popping out of her egg. She was dressed in a neat suit with a smiling face button. "Thank you!" she said happily. "Both of you. My child will be fine now!" She vanished into the egg, which slipped free and flew off.

Amu landed on the ground, relieved.

[coccinelled]

Marinette watches, her blue eyes wide. It was almost similar to her Lucky Charm, her using the Miraculous Ladybug power to fix things. Sort of. The main thing being that the chara seemed better, seemed okay now at least.

Once she knows things are alright, then she herself lands proper, releasing her threads to join Amu, watching the egg fly off again.

"I'm just glad it all turned out okay. Even if it's kind of new to me. I guess it isn't....that different from dealing with the akuma back home. Sort of.

[amu_chan]

Amu was about to answer when the other kids ran up.

"Where is the Batsu-chara?" Nadeshiko asked, hand to her chest as she looked around.

[coccinelled]

Batsu?

[Marinette was still learning about all of this yet, trying to remember the names and terms given it was different to things back home with the kwami and akuma. She bites her lip, glancing to Nadeshiko.]

If you mean the one we just dealt with, the egg? It's all fine.

[amu_chan]

There was a flash and Amu was standing there in her uniform, Ran bobbing along beside. "Yeah,. that was a batsu-tama. Thanks. You weren't half bad."

[coccinelled]

It's a little different to the akuma, but I think I get the idea. Sort of. I guess having Tikki helps in this not being so entirely new and confusing to me as it probably was to you.

[At least. She knows things could well have gone smoother and better with her own first summoning of Tikki, of becoming Ladybug that first time. Initially still figuring out how it worked, and messing up making her mistakes.]

[amu_chan]

"You should have seen Amu the first time," Ran said happily. "She screamed."

Amu dashed at the small chara, trying to catch her, she flew happily out of reach. "I didn't expect to be jumping out of a hole! Or falling off a building!"