Chapter Text
The next two days have been a mix of excitement, nervous energy, and normalcy—if that even makes sense.
Duusu has been adapting to having, not just a decent holder, but a really good one. Marc is a kwami sent, seriously; the kid is really sweet and despite feeling all his nervous energy, Duusu is pleasantly surprised to feel his stronger determination to help and do the right thing.
Not just that, usually kwamis and holders tend to form a bond if given the time and effort—emphasis on time. The bond doesn’t happen immediately, you need to cultivate it with trust and companionship, so yeah, it needs time. However—and he’s the kwami of emotion and finally has his sanity back so he knows what he’s talking about—he feels he’s gotten fond of Marc a lot already. Not to mention the weird gut feeling he got the moment he saw him at the mansion.
Duusu wouldn’t say they already have a strong bond but… they have a really good start already. The writer also has talent with the brooch. Just yesterday he was sharpening his ability to catalogue all the different emotions, and the fact that he is an empath just makes all the work easier. Today they’ll work on his range. Hawk Moth may be an adult so his powers are stronger, but with Marc’s aura and his natural talent, the kwami has faith he’ll be able to sense emotions in the same range as the villain—maybe more, who knows?
Marc for his part is letting reality sink in. He’s helping a tiny god to bring justice to his friend and to help the heroes. He’s going to help the heroes of Paris.
He’s taking it a lot better than he thought.
Honestly, the day after meeting Duusu he woke up believing it was all a really weird lucid dream—that is until the soft snores of Duusu sleeping on top of his pillow reminded him that, nope, this is his reality now.
He just freaked out a little bit that morning. Considering he didn’t wake Duusu up, he considered it a win.
He was scared, he still is, but he made a promise to Duusu. Besides, the situation is a lot more complicated than everybody thought, and he’s never been one to not do anything if he has the power to.
So for the last few days he’s been training with Duusu, learning about his new powers and how to control them. It’s a lot easier than he thought, his kwami mentioned something about being empathic. If he’s being honest, he also enjoys it—a lot actually.
He even practiced making sentimonsters from his own emotions. Despite his goal being to calm down Hawk Moth’s victim before he can transform them into villains, it’s better to be prepared in case he needs to create a sentimonster for whatever reason.
When Duusu said the only limit on making his champions was the emotion he was working with and his own imagination, Marc knew he would like it. The possibilities are infinite. Marc is not new to this thing called creating. Normally what he creates are just plot lines, characters (humans and creatures) and headcanons, but to have some of his creations come to life is an experience so amazing and surreal he has trouble expressing it, even with all his skill with words.
His first sentimonster was a tiny three tailed fox. He called it Galahad.
He used his excitement at practicing with his new powers to create it. Galahad was a really smart fox, and even if he couldn’t test it he knew it had the ability to cheer up and make people feel excited, because that’s how he imagined it.
At first he felt a little sad when he had to call back his feather, but Galahad seemed to know what was happening and looked pretty calm about it. He bowed to him, but for some reason it didn’t feel like a goodbye, more like a ‘see you later’ kind of thing.
Marc was very relieved at hearing Duusu’s answer when he asked about it.
“Oh, sorry I forgot to mention it before. You don’t need to worry about your creations; when the miraculous is used the right way, the sentimonsters don’t disappear after the feather is called back. You see, before the miraculous were created us kwamis existed on a plane invisible to humans. We could see and feel the real world but the world couldn’t see or sense our presence. In that same plane some of our creations also exist—in my case my sentimonsters. Once the idea of a new one is born, the sentimonster gets to live in that plane of existence. The holder must remember that he is creating life in some way—a creature with some level of conscience and whose soul is born from the emotions used for its creation—and they need to care about their champion for it to continue their existence, even if they are no longer needed”
“Let me guess, Mayura and Shadow Moth either didn’t know about this or didn’t care.”
“They didn’t know, but I don’t think they would have cared.”
After that conversation Marc’s conscience felt a lot lighter. Besides, the knowledge that Galahad is still there in some way puts a smile on his lips.
Living with Duusu is also a nice change; he may not feel lonely too often, but having someone’s company when he is home feels nice. Besides, Duusu is a great conversationalist.
Helping the tiny god to catch up with the modern world and hearing his stories about past holders and about the other kwamis he now knows exist is fun. Marc hadn’t realized how much he missed eating breakfast, lunch or dinner with somebody daily, how nice it was to have a constant help while cooking or doing the home chores.
It was just a couple of days, but in Duusu’s presence he already felt appreciated and important.
Marc is really grateful for his new friend, so it’s never a bother for him to pamper the kwami in every way he can.
Like right now; he’s making breakfast for them to have before school, a nice and fluffy pile of chocolate pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream.
He swears he’s never seen someone so happy eating, not even himself eating sweets.
“This is so delicious Marc!! You are a great chef. You should consider it for your future. I can see it! Famous chef and writer Marc Anciel!”
The teen can’t help but laugh at the kwami’s enthusiasm. He isn’t the only one to say something like that—Marc still gets the need to giggle whenever he remembers Marinette’s parents’ attempt to get him to work in their bakery after the time he baked some dulce de leche cupcakes for his friends from the art club.
“I’m glad you like them. Now let's review the rules for school,” he says as he puts his own plate of pancakes on the table and starts to eat.
Duusu swallows a big piece with whipped cream before answering. “Stay hidden in your hoodie, be as quiet as possible, be discreet and if I want to explore I have to tell you so you don’t panic and I have to be really careful to not be seen and come back to you as quickly I can. Got it!”
Marc nods, still munching his food, and once he swallows he smiles at his friend.
“Very well Duusu, now let’s finish our breakfast so we can get ready.”
Once they are done with the pancakes, Marc washes the dishes while Duusu looks around the living room. He’s looking at the pictures on the walls, specifically the one above the TV cabinet.
Is a familiar photo. It shows Marc between a black haired woman with blue eyes and a man with brownish red hair and green eyes. It doesn’t take much to know they’re Marc’s parents. Duusu has to admit, their son looks like the perfect mix between them; he has his mother’s hair and lips and his father eyes and nose, as well as the same delicate features of his mother and his father’s long lashes.
They look really happy. The picture is recent, probably not more than half a year old.
It reminds the kwami of a question he’s been wanting to ask Marc, but forgot about.
When his new friend comes out of the kitchen, he decides now is a good time to ask.
“Hey, Marc. I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”
Marc motions him to follow him to his room so he can get his bag ready for school. “Sure, what’s up?”
Duusu hesitates a little. This could be a delicate topic. He can feel some loneliness in the house lingering between its walls but… the feelings of happiness and familiar love are a lot more prominent, so he decides to just go with it. Curiosity killed the cat but he is not Plagg.
“I was wondering. Where are your parents? I’ve seen pictures of them and I can feel the remains of their emotions lingering in the house, but I haven’t seen them once since I came here, and it’s been three days.” Despite being confident there’s nothing to worry about due to the emotions he senses in the house, he still feels a little concerned. In his experience, an absent parent is not good.
At that, Marc smiles, touched because—even if the emotion was drowned by curiosity—he could still feel Duusu’s worry for him. He is getting a good hold of his powers, he can see.
“Don’t worry about that. It’s just that their work makes them travel a lot so they aren’t home very often.”
“Ohhh, what are their jobs?” He’s still a little bit worried. From what he knows about demanding jobs and parents working too much to spend time with their child, it can lead to unfavorable situations.
“They’re both archeologists—very respected ones actually—so they’re often required to be abroad on important expeditions. They’re also both polyglots and have knowledge on ancient tongues. They help as interpreters and are solicited when they find documents or any other form of writing during excavations.”
The kwamis eyes widen in awe. That sounds so cool!
“Wow, their work life must be exciting then! That also explains why your house is full of stuff in different languages.”
The writer giggles a little at his friend’s vivid reaction, but he knows he’s right. His parents’ work is really interesting. He loves to hear their stories and read their reports. He even gets some inspiration and references for his writing.
“Wait,” Duusu pauses, a little frown forming on his face,“But, don’t you feel lonely?”
Marc’s face softens and he smiles reassuringly at his kwami. “No, actually. I know they don’t spend a lot of time here, but they always make sure to be present some way or another. We text everyday and have video calls every two days—actually we’ll have one today before dinner. They always make sure to know what is happening in school, if I’m doing fine, even the situation with the akumas. We send each other pictures and videos and they send me small presents or things they think I may like from the country they’re in. Maybe it’s not perfect, but I know they care and are trying their best. There are days where I really wish I could have them here with me, but most of the time I don’t feel lonely because—even if it is through a screen—I know they will be there for me.”
Duusu seems satisfied with that answer and beams at him. That explains why the house doesn’t feel as lonely as it should. Marc is really lucky to have such loving parents.
“Besides, when they are here we make sure to make every second count. Our days together are special and it makes the weeks alone worth it, because I know they’ll be back in the end.”
Marc’s expression is so tender, his voice sweet and at ease. Yeah, Duusu likes his parents.
“Now let’s go. Miss Mendeleiev doesn’t like when we’re late!”
Duusu hides inside of Marc’s hoodie and gets comfortable in the soft fabric.
During the walk to school—during which he has to stay hidden and can’t talk to Marc without it looking like he’s talking with the air—Duusu can’t help but think back to his previous holder.
Like Marc’s parents, he has a demanding job that takes a lot of his time. Unlike them, his work doesn’t take him out of the city—at least not as often, specifically because the man refuses to leave his mansion most of the time, and still…
And still Marc's parents take the effort to make a place in what must be a busy schedule to spend time with their son. Even if it is from another country and through a screen, they make the effort to see and talk to him. They text him daily to make sure he is okay. They try to be in his life in any way they can. Gabriel on the other hand… he doesn’t leave his home but his absence is very noticeable to his son. Most of the time he spends with him is through the screen of Nathalie’s tablet—not because he’s kilometers away—but because he refuses to leave his office, and every time it’s just to remind Adrien about something about his extracurricular activities or his model job, or to remind him he has to behave like an Agreste. He rarely, if ever, asks about his son’s day, his friends, how he’s feeling. He asks about school, but just to make sure he keeps perfect grades. Never to know what happened during the day, if something made him laugh or confused. He asks about his performance in fencing—but never if he’s enjoying it—and how things are going with that Japanese friend of his. Gabriel can ask questions, but he never asks the important ones.
And when he does leave his office, it’s usually to face some important business. If he faces his son, it’s usually to reprimand him or give him some—according to him—important responsibility.
When was the last time Adrien ate dinner with his dad? The same could be said about Marc, but the difference is that Marc’s parents are usually in another country. Gabriel is here, under the same roof as his son, but he can’t—or doesn’t want to—have dinner together.
Duusu thought at first that Gabriel was just busy, but after hearing Marc… he wonders if the problem is that he just doesn’t bother to try.
Suddenly, the kwami of emotion can’t help but feel sorry for his previous master’s son. The boy definitely deserves better.
Marc arrives at school early like any other day, and goes directly to room 33 to write a little or to talk to Duusu if the classroom is empty. Nathaniel and Alix usually spend some time there before class too, so maybe Duusu will get to know some of the important people in his life.
In addition, this won’t just be a practice of his new powers, it’ll also provide him with the opportunity to get used to others’ emotions affecting him. He knows that some will affect him more intensely than others, but he has to act as if nothing happened. He has to learn to be subtle so nobody gets suspicious.
Both Duusu and Marc agreed that learning to conceal his reaction to the emotions would be wise, since they would affect him differently than they did Mayura or Shadow Moth and they don’t want unnecessary attention. It’s the same reason why they decided that—despite how cute the brooch looks in its hidden form—it would be best not to attract any eyes to it. That’s why Marc wears it on his shirt under his hoodie.
Arriving at room 33, Marc makes a beeline to his and Nathaniel’s usual table and takes out his journal. He also opens his hoodie to talk to Duusu.
“The room is empty so it should be fine for us to talk, but try to keep hidden in case anybody comes in.”
Duusu nods and floats just a little bit closer to Marc’s journal, close enough that he can easily hide again in his hoodie if somebody arrives.
“Are you ready? This will be the first time you use your empath powers near people. You need to be careful not to give away when their emotions affect you. Also, remember you will be affected by all kinds of emotions. You have to expect the positive effects from the good ones and the negative effects from the bad ones. The latter are the ones I’m more worried about, since the effects could be more difficult to hide, especially if someone near you feels particularly upset or bitter. Also remember that, this time, you’ll be surrounded by a lot more people than when you were at your house; it can get a little overwhelming at first, but I promise you’ll get used to it fast. This is a perfect opportunity to learn to separate the different emotions and their owners.”
“I know, Duusu, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
“And if you aren’t, you can always take off the brooch. Don’t push yourself too far, okay?” Duusu’s tone is serious. After his last two holders, he probably feels more than a little paranoid about Marc’s health now that he’s using his miraculous. Completely reasonable to be honest.
Marc smiles softly at the kwami, “Don’t worry. If I feel bad, I’ll let you know, and I’ll take off the brooch if necessary.”
Still feeling a little worried, Duusu nods, knowing there’s no use in spiraling in that worry. He decides to look around the room, taking in the colorful works of art around the place, the materials and—most importantly—the emotions lingering in the room.
It’s a really interesting and (pun not intended) colorful mix. He can feel the excitement for new projects, the pride for a work well done or a complex piece coming out perfectly, the love for any of the works made, the passion of every artist that comes here to give life to their ideas, the frustration when something is not coming out the way they want or when they’re blocked, the joy of sharing their creations and spending time with friends, even the sadness and disappointment when a piece is destroyed by accident or when they have to give up on it.
“What is this place? The emotions here are really strong and pure, and everything looks so cool! I like it!” The little peacock is careful to keep his voice quiet so he won’t be heard. Marc grins at him, sharing his awe and a little amused at watching such an expressive being try to conceal his excitement.
“I’m glad you like it. This is my favorite place in the whole school. This is room 33, the room where we have the art club and the art classes. I work here with my best friend on our comic and spend time with my other friends watching them work on their projects. This is also the place where I first met most of them. Honestly, I think this is where my new life in Dupont started.”
The writer replies softly with a nostalgic tone to his voice, Duusu can feel from his emotions how important this place is to him. Maybe he can get the whole story once they get home.
“Morning buddy!” Alix’s excited greeting startles both holder and kwami. Duusu barely holds in a yelp and hides quickly in Marc’s hoodie.
“Good morning Alix!” The writer greets her with a soft smile. The skater slumps into the seat next to him and reaches a hand to ruffle his hair.
Marc suddenly gets a warm feeling in his chest and feels a tickling-like sensation all over his whole body. It makes him feel light and energized, like waking up from a restful sleep.
He also recognizes excitement and the joy of good news emanating from Alix.
It’s incredible. From Alix’s behavior alone he couldn’t have guessed she’s in such a good mood, at least not at first glance because Alix often greets him like that. She likes to mess with his hair and, despite not being the most openly affectionate, Alix has always had a soft spot for him and Nathaniel, and she has always been very energetic. In other words, the greeting doesn’t say anything. Not really.
So for him to notice her mood and emotions so fast is amazing. The most awesome part is the fact that he can feel her good humor and her excitement on a whole new level, even before she says something. It makes him feel well rested and warm inside.
He feels Duusu practically vibrating, so he must feel the same.
It’s truly amazing.
“Hey I have good news!” She declares with a big grin, proving Marc’s thoughts correct.
“Really? What is it?” He asks, curious about what could have put Alix in such good spirits.
The skater just smirks and winks at him, “Wait until Nath gets here and I’ll tell you.”
With that they pass time talking about one thing and another. Marc secretly catalogs every emotion he can feel from his female best friend, the joy about that good news, the love for him he knows is platonic, the excitement to share her news, the impatience for Nathaniel to come so she can do so, etc.
Most of the emotions are ones he needs to focus to be able to feel them, Duusu explained that the brooch just makes him feel the strong ones. That’s why he was able to detect Alix’ joy and excitement so easily, because those are her strongest emotions at the moment. The rest requires his concentration. He also notices that, again, it’s just the strongest emotions that directly affect him.
After ten minutes or so, he decides to drop his focus. Again, the only things he detects are the joy and the excitement, which still makes him feel like he does after a good rest, like those emotions were energizers for him.
When Nathaniel arrives he doesn’t feel anything from him, which means he must have had a very normal morning.
When he focuses again he is able to sense Nathaniel’s joy for spending time with his friends and his love for them and some annoyance—which Marc guesses is because today they have science class. Satisfied with his progress, he drops focus again and keeps with their conversation until Alix brings up her good news.
This time, he’s able to feel Nathaniel’s own excitement from seeing Alix so hyped.
“You know my dad is in charge of the Egyptian exposition at the Louvre? Well, he was called from The Cairo. They want him to look at some things they found recently, so this summer break we are going so he can take a look!”
That is pretty good news. It’s not just a nice opportunity for Alix’s father, but also a nice vacation with her family in an interesting place like Egypt.
“That’s amazing, Alix, make sure to send us pictures!” Nathaniel says sharing his best friend’s excitement, but from Alix’s smirk there is probably more.
“Oh that’s not all, you see… among the things that were found are some clay splints with hieroglyphs. Now the thing is that it seems the hieroglyphs are in some kind of code; there are other symbols that they suspect are from another language. When my dad heard that, he said he had some experts in old languages and codes in mind that may be of help. Wanna guess who these experts are?” The last part is directed at Marc.
From the knowing look in her eyes and smug smirk, there is only one conclusion.
“Wait, are you serious? My parents?!”
Alix’s smirk grows “Yep” she pops the ‘p.’ “He must have contacted them by now, and I bet they’ll tell you next time you guys have a video call. If they accept, that would mean you are coming to The Cairo with us Marc!”
Ok, now that is unexpected but still nice news. To be honest, Marc wouldn’t mind a vacation with his parents and one of his best friends. Though, now that he has the responsibility of helping Duusu he’s not sure what to do. He should probably talk about this with him if his parents do mention it during their video call today.
“And wait there's more!” The girl announces mimicking one of those T.V commercials.
“Really?” Nathaniel asks with one eyebrow raised, clearly amused, Marc can feel the anticipation from him, he himself is feeling the same way.
“You didn’t think we would forget about you, did you? When dad told me the possibility of Marc and his family coming with us he also said that if they did come, we could all help out so we can take you with us. Since the trip is mostly because of work, the expenses are already paid for us so it wouldn’t be too much trouble to pay for you to come with us too!”
Now tha t is incredible news. Marc can feel the wave of excitement coming from his two friends and from himself. It’s strong and he’s glad he’s already seated, because he can feel his knees going weak. It's a little overwhelming, but in a good way.
Vacation with his family and two best friends? He really hopes he’ll be able to go, even with this new hero thing going on. He and Duusu can probably think of something.
“You’re not serious!” Nathaniel exclaims, shock and disbelief clear on his face.
“I am! This is great. If Marc’s parents say yes and we convince yours, this will be the best summer vacation ever!” The pink haired girl cheers, punching the air, Nathaniel has a huge grin on his face and Marc himself feels his face hurting from smiling so much.
“I have a video call with my parents today. I’ll tell you if they bring this up.”
“I’ll hold you to that!” Alix says, winking.
After that they talk about other things, what they’re planning for their comic, what Alix’s next project for the art club could be, are they still on for the Saturday coffee shop hunt, Marc promising to help them study for their next literature test and so on.
Just five minutes before class they say goodbye, Marc telling them he will have his lunch alone today.
The whole time Duusu was silently listening to his new holder and his friends, taking some glances at them.
It’s incredible, all the things he learned in that short period of time.
For once, it’s obvious that those three share a bond that’s strong and unique, and not just because of Alix’s surprise about a possible vacation in Egypt for all of them—Duusu wants to reassure Marc that he can go; he’s still young and should enjoy his time with his friends and they can think of something with all the superhero stuff—but, because of their emotions, for Duusu the brotherly love Alix has for the writer and the artist, how Nathaniel also sees her as his sister, and how Marc thinks the same about the skater are crystal clear.
Is also crystal clear for him the special fondness the redhead and his holder have for each other is not the same as they have for Alix. It’s something more… sweet. He has a pretty good idea of what it is, but he will let them figure it out on their own.
The pure happiness emanating from all of them just being together was also very telling. He’s sure that if Marc were focusing at that moment, or were able to feel emotion like he does, he would have felt very overwhelmed, and probably the need to burn some stamina.
While Marc walks towards his classroom, the small god smiles, pleased. He’s glad his new holder has such good friends. He deserves nothing less, after all.
Entering the science lab, Duusu detects two main emotions: a strong respect he knows must be for their teacher, and friendship—which means this must be an united class.
Good. Marc is a good kid. He feels at ease knowing his class environment is a safe one with a teacher they respect—which means they must do a good job—and good classmates.
Marc walks to a table where a brunette in a purple sweater is seated. The boy greets him with a magic trick, and Duusu can tell immediately that he’s one of Marc’s friends.
A blond girl with pigtails and another one with blue hair and a sky blue sweater also greets him and they talk for a while. These are also his friends and in Duusu’s opinion they’re all really nice. He really likes the Jean boy. His vibe is really eccentric.
Soon, a tall woman with purple hair and lab coat enters the classroom. Immediately, all the students go to their seats and greet the woman, Miss Mendeleiev, who is obviously the teacher.
Duusu just hears her greeting her students and taking attendance, but he already feels he respects her. He can feel that she’s a stoic woman, but with a good heart. The passion she has for her job is exuberant and he can tell that, even if she may be strict, she really cares about her students.
Just as Miss Mendeleiev finishes attendance, she calls the class’ attention.
“Very well, students. Before we start with class today, I would like to introduce you to your new classmate, Miss Kagami Tsurugi.” At that a girl with short hair and a stoic expression enters the classroom.
She makes a small bow and introduces herself.
“Good morning. I am Kagami Tsurugi. I hope we can get along with each other”
“Thank you Miss Tsurugi. Students, I expect you to treat her with the respect she deserves as your fellow classmate. Miss Tsurugi, I expect from you the same I expect from all my students: respect to your teacher, your classroom, your classmates and to give your best effort to learn. Don’t hesitate to ask for my help or your classmates’ if you need it; the important thing is for you to learn and there is no shame in seeking help. I have an open door policy during my free hours so if you need anything I’ll be there. You can also go to Miss Beauréal or Miss Caquet, your class president and her deputy. That said, take a seat. Ethan will be your new seat mate.”
A redhead boy raises his hand so Kagami knows where to sit.
Kagami walks to her new seat and greets her new seat mate with a short nod. After that, classes go on as normal.
When the bell for lunch rings, the students from Miss Mendeleiev class take their things and leave their classroom in an organized way. Aurore and Mireille walk to Kagami to introduce themselves and offer assistance, for which the Japanese girl thanks them with a polite smile.
Just as Marc is walking near his teacher's desk, she calls for him.
“Mister Anciel, you have a minute please?”
“Sure, Miss Mendeleiev,” he says politely and walks closer to his teacher.
The woman waits for the rest of the students to leave the room. Once they’re alone, she addresses the boy.
“Anciel, I have a favor to ask from you,” she says, getting directly to the point. Marc blinks, unable to imagine what kind of favor she would want from him, but knowing it must be important if his science teacher of all people is asking.
“Sure. What can I do for you?”
“You’re one of my best students. You know I don’t say this lightly, so if I do it’s because I firmly believe you are capable enough for this,” she makes a pause to let the teen process what she said.
Marc for his part feels both shocked and honored. It’s true Miss Mendeleiev doesn’t give compliments easily. The writer feels proud, and can’t wait to tell his parents later.
The woman, knowing he’s still focused, continues, “You’re also very patient. I know for a fact that you tutor your friends when they ask for help on their schoolwork, so I believe you’re the most qualified person for this task. I want you to be available to help Miss Tsurugi with any trouble she might have if she decides to ask for your help. I know she’s a smart young lady; her grades from her school in Japan are excellent and, from what I’ve seen so far, she seems very disciplined. However, I also know she’s still adapting to a new country, new culture and a new school program. Just some months ago she was still homeschooled. Her mother is an exigent woman who trusted her education in Dupond’s hands, and as her teacher it’s my job to ensure she has the tools to learn. I know she’s capable enough to catch up, but a little help never hurts. I pretended to offer my help, but I would also like to offer yours. Sometimes a student feels more at ease with the help of a fellow classmate, and I’m aware I can be seen as too strict. At the end of the day, the decision will be hers. I just want to know if I can count on your assistance.”
Thinking a little about it, Marc decides there’s no reason to say no. It’s true that he helps his friends study, and he actually enjoys it. It makes study sessions a lot more enjoyable. He may not know Kagami, but from what he can gather from the little anecdotes Marinette sometimes shares when they hang out, he has a vague idea. The girl is stoic and has trouble with her social skills, not so different from his own struggles. Though, where Marc is jittery and anxious, Kagamis is more awkward and blunt, but still a good girl. Besides, he’s never been one to reject a helping hand if asked.
Also, maybe this will help him be more comfortable around new people.
He looks at his teacher and nods with a soft smile, “You can count with me, Miss Mendeleiev.”
The woman nods approvingly, the tiniest of smiles gracing her lips. “Thanks, Mister Anciel. I won’t take any more of your time. Go enjoy your lunch.”
With that, the writer leaves the science lab and goes to the locker room to retrieve his lunch. Today, he’s planning to eat in the art room, thinking that the solitude the place offers at this time of the day will allow him to speak with Duusu. He also doesn’t feel up to facing the noise-filled school cafeteria today.
Once in the art room, and after confirming they are alone, Marc lets his kwami out of his hiding place to join him on one of the tables to eat.
“I think it’s very nice what you’re doing, agreeing to help that new classmate of yours I mean,” Duusu says while sitting on the table, careful to use Marc’s lunch box to stay hidden from view if someone were to walk into the room.
“Well, I’m always glad to help. Even if Kagami looks… a little cold I guess, it’s always nerve wracking—or at least somehow troublesome—to be the new kid, especially if you’re the new kid in a new country with a new culture. Besides, Marinette, a friend of mine, is friends with Kagami and from what she’s told me she’s actually really nice once you get to know her.”
Marc takes out a small tissue in which Duusu’s own lunch was packed, as he speaks—some strawberries, grapes and apple slices.
“Well, I hope she decides to seek help—if not yours then your teacher’s—if it will make things easier for her.”
Between eating and talking about school and what Marc liked about it, somehow they get to the topic of Alix’s news.
“You know, it’s a nice opportunity. If your parents agree to it, I think it would be very good.” The kwami comments as he swallows a huge piece of apple. Marc looks at him, excited and a little bit shy.
“Are you sure? I know I promised I would help you and I know we really need a plan to stop Hawk Moth as soon as possible, but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do that before summer break, and I don’t want to just leave the city. I mean I know Ladybug and Chat Noir are there but…”
Marc’s sudden nervous rambling is stopped by Duusu’s amused and fond chuckle.
“Marc, it’s okay. There’s no need to be nervous. I think that this is a great opportunity, and that you would be very silly not to take it.”
“But—”
“No buts. First of all, this new responsibility is something that I literally dumped on you. I mean, I’m really happy that you want to be my holder and a hero, but I know it was all so sudden. Despite your huge potential and my faith in you, you’re still so young. Just as Ladybug and Chat Noir are, for that matter. All of you are still teens. You shouldn’t have to carry this weight. Yet, here we are. The least you deserve, the least all of you deserve, is the time to get to be the teenagers you are. I don’t know if Ladybug and Chat Noir get this privilege. I imagine Ladybug’s situation right now must be a lot harder, so I can’t in good conscience take this opportunity from you. We still have time and I’m sure we’ll think of something once we have to cross that bridge. For now, don’t worry about it, and just be excited when your parents tell you about it, okay?”
Marc blinks at his kwami. In the short amount of time he has been with Duusu, he has seen him be utterly enthusiastic, guilty, sad, really hyperactive and in short wearing his heart on his metaphorical sleeve. That said, Duusu always had a noticeable and energetic way to show his emotions, whichever those were. Right now though, his voice is soft but firm, like a parent assuring their child when they are scared or confused. This is the first time he’s seen the little kwami in such… sober display. It’s not like Duusu was a constant cacophony of noise and colors, but this new tranquility is a change.
It’s a nice change though. It may be new, but it still fits the little peacock. It has a fraternal tune to it that he occasionally misses when his parents are really busy, but it doesn’t drown out the passion the kwami seems to carry with him all the time.
Right now, Duusu really looks like the ancient god he is. Marc can do nothing more than smile gratefully in return.
“Thank you, Duusu.”
“There is nothing to thank me for, my kid. I’m just stating facts.” There it is again, that special twinkle in his demeanor, just a little more cheerful than the rest.
“Still, thanks,” Marc says, because—honestly—he doesn’t have anything more to say to that.
Their lunch passes uneventfully. The art room is generally pretty deserted this time of the day since Marc is usually the only student seeking solitude during lunch hours. At least, the only one in the art club. His usual company—if he has any—are students wanting to work on last minute details on their projects or who need to finish something for art class, but those are rare. If he feels up to some company, he’ll occasionally ask some of his friends to eat with him, but that’s not the case today.
They talk a little more about his powers, how they want to approach the situation and most important: how they want to approach Ladybug and Chat Noir.
They are the heroes, the city’s first line of defense against magical threats and the people to go concerning miraculous related issues. Not to mention Ladybug is the new guardian from what Duusu has explained. It is not only his right but also his duty to let her know what happened with the peacock brooch.
Their meal already gone, kwami and holder discuss the best way to gain both the people and the heroes’ trust.
“I think that, after a couple of interventions on our part to avoid akumatizations, we should try to contact the heroes. It will be obvious that a new peacock is out there once Hawk Moth comes back and tries to create a new villain, just for a new hero to show and calm down the potential victim before they can be turned. Even if you get to them before Hawk Moth does, which is our goal, people are surely going to talk if they are telepathically helped by an unknown voice, especially if we’re going to go through with the idea of suggesting they keep the feathers”
Marc nods, packing his lunch box and throwing Duusu’s tissue in the bin.
“I know. I also need to assure the victims that I’m on their side and just want to help, which could be tricky since most of Paris has been victim of both Mayura and Shadow Moth so they don’t have much positive experience with…” Marc trails off and straightens in his seat suddenly, eyes focused to the window of the art room as if looking for something.
“Marc?” Duusu asks cautiously. He has an idea, but wants Marc to confirm it himself.
“You feel it too, don’t you?”
Duusu smiles proudly. His kid is learning fast.
“Yes. It’s actually a rather familiar mix of emotions I sense now, one of Hawk Moth’s previous victims. If you transform now, you’ll be able to locate the source and identify the person. I know there is no danger of akumatization since he is not in town, but this is our chance to start introducing you to Paris’ citizens as their new hero. Also, without the villain’s threat there is less pressure, so this also counts as practice for a real race against akumas and time.”
Marc takes a deep breath to calm himself—because this is really happening; this’ll be the first time he gets to help someone, to let himself be known as a new hero—and to help the small dizziness he gets all of a sudden, like when you stand up too fast and lose your balance.
He knows bad emotions will affect him negatively. Best to get used to it too. With a couple more breaths, he looks at Duusu with determination.
“Ready?”
“Ready! Just find a safe place to transform.”
Marc nods, goes to the classroom's door and looks outside to make sure nobody is there. He closes it, then walks inside the storage room they use to keep materials and some of the big projects. He locks the door of the small room and looks at his kwami.
One more nod of encouragement from Duusu is all Marc needs to sigh deeply and say the words.
“Duusu, spread my feathers!”
A wave of warm and now familiar magic rushes over him. Once the light of said magic fades away, Marc’s usual outfit is replaced by that lovely costume from the first time he transformed.
He looks down at himself and opens his fan, taking one more grounding breath he frowns in concentration. He has a task now!
“Very well, just do as Duusu explained. Concentrate on those emotions and follow them to their source.”
He closes his eyes as he focuses on the emotions that hit him earlier. Grasping it in his mind, he starts to pull. It’s like following a string on his mind. He follows the trail until he feels his mind in what he instinctively knows is the Elysium Fields. Pulling just a little more, he is able to locate the source of the feelings.
“Mr. Ramier?”
He speaks out loud and, now that he knows where the emotion comes from, he opens his eyes. He still feels the trail and can see the image of the man in his mind, as well as sensing exactly what he’s feeling.
There’s a lot of frustration there, the main emotion and the one that made him dizzy. He also detects some anger, worry and sadness. You don’t need to be Max to know that something happened to his loved pigeons to put the man in such a mood.
The teen knows what to do. He takes a feather from his fan and closes his hand around it, concentrating to fill it with energy. When he opens his hand, instead of the usual blue energy that the villains use on their amoks, his feather is charged with a multicolored energy.
The first time he charged a feather, he was curious and confused as to why his feathers looked so different from the amoks. His looked like rainbow colored feathers and the light emanating from them was a little brighter than the one emanating from the blue amoks.
Duusu explained that this was because the villains used negative energy to charge the feathers. That was the reason they called them amoks, which he explained means chaos and wildness, just what the villains wanted in order to cause destruction and lure the heroes onto the battlefield.
His, however, are charged with positive energy, with the intention and desire to help, so the color matched his own intentions. That’s why they decided to change the name and call them dayas, which Duusu explained means sympathy and compassion, just what they want to provide to Hawk Moth’s potential victims.
With a smile to his new feather, Marc gently blows it into the air and commands it to find its target.
“Go, my beautiful daya, we have a poor man to help.”
Through the small window of the storage room and across the city’s streets, a small multicolored feather floats freely, looking for its target. With unnatural speed and direction, it finds a man looking gloomy, seated on the steps of the Elysium Fields and sadly caressing a pigeon with his hand. The daya fuses with the man’s bird whistle hanging around his neck.
As soon as the daya makes contact, the teen in peacock themed attire feels a connection to Mr. Ramier’s mind. The man in question looks up abruptly, also feeling the link and the new presence in his mind.
Never the best in any introductory conversation—or any social situation for that matter—Marc says the first thing that pops up on his mind.
“H-hello?”
The teen cringes at how his voice sounded unsteady and how that greeting came out more like a question.
Mr. Ramier for his part is what can be defined as confused.
And with reason.
There is something… off about this. Not like suddenly feeling a strange connection and the presence of some stranger inside your head is anything close to normal. At least, the experience in and of itself is not normal, but in this city the occurrence of such events has become something to be expected if you were feeling down. Alarming, fear inducing and worrisome, yes, but not strange, not anymore.
Now the thing is, this is not how it usually feels.
Mr. Ramier is probably the most akumatized citizen in Paris. It’s not something he is very proud of, but that’s his truth. He has fallen victim to Hawk Moth—now Shadow Moth or whatever he calls himself these days—and he’s become somewhat familiar with the experience and what it feels like. Even if akumatized victims don’t remember what they do during their villain time, they do remember—or at least have some remembrance of—what it feels like before being transformed. It’s more a gut feeling than a memory, a sensation-like thing.
It doesn’t matter if it’s just the evil butterflies alone or if they are accompanied by the evil amoks, the feeling during that first contact is the same. It’s like all of your negative emotions intensify tenfold. They get even more overwhelming than they were just a second ago, stronger. It makes you feel like you’ve run out of options and like there’s nothing you can do to stop them. And then you are greeted by a deep, smooth and confident voice. A few people were also greeted by the voice of a woman after Hawk Moth made his introduction. It was as smooth as the man’s, not too high or too deep for a woman, something more neutral.
This time however, Mr. Ramier feels no difference in his emotions, no sudden growth, no overwhelming sensation of drowning in them, he feels no change at all actually. He is still upset, but just the same upset he was a couple of minutes ago. There is also the voice. This one sounds a lot… softer, and younger, definitely not the voice of the very adult terrorists that have been tormenting the city. The voice is also not too pitched or high but also not deep at all; it could be female or male, who knows. They also sound nervous, not like the confident villain trying to sound empathic. If anything, this voice sounds like an introvert saying hello to a room of new people.
Mr. Ramier has every right to feel confused, and as such he also has the right to act how his confused brain deems best.
Which is greeting the new voice back, despite this being a bad omen in this city.
“Hello”
Many kilometers away, locked in the art storage room, Marc fidgets with his fan and clears his throat. Mr. Ramier sounds so confused and he honestly can’t blame the man. This is a lot more awkward than he thought.
“You are Mr. Ramier. Am I correct?”
He really needs to think about these conversations better. He only has five minutes after all.
“Yeah, and you are? Because you’re definitely not Shadow Moth or Mayura”
“Yeah, I’m not. It’s a long story but I’m the new peacock miraculous’ wielder. My name is Paon,” he replies, still nervous but at least less shaky, as an afterthought he also adds “Nice to meet you.”
“Paon?” Ramier tests the name. When Duusu asked Marc about his hero identity, he decided to go for something simple and Paon was the best option he thought about. It’s easy to remember and it sounds nice.
After saying the name, the pigeon’s fan seems to think it’s nice enough, though he still doesn’t know how to react to all of this. “Ehh, nice to meet you too?”
This is so awkward and Duusu is never going to let him live it down!
“Em, you said you are the new peacock? This means Ladybug and Chat Noir took back the miraculous, they defeated the villains?”
Paon signs, yeah, this can either lead to the new hope of a new hero or suspicion towards his intentions.
“Not really, I actually kind of stumbled into the miraculous. I’m pretty sure the villains still don’t know that they lost it.”
Mr. Ramier remains silent for a few seconds “Do the heroes know about this?” he asks with a healthy and justifiable amount of suspicion.
This time Paon makes sure his voice comes out firm but friendly. “As I said, it’s a long story but I swear I’m not a threat or a villain, I just want to help them and to help you.”
Not exactly what he expected. Then again, the whole situation is unexpected.
“What do you mean help me?” He inquires cautiously.
The teen takes a breath, this is the important part, he can do this. He can do this.
“Like Mayura I can detect strong emotions and well… right now you feel very upset and frustrated… Do… Do you want to talk about it?”
“Uh?” Is Mr. Ramier’s eloquent answer.
Which is fair, Paon has to admit he himself would be confused and a little lost if their places were swapped.
“Well… I’m not an expert but it's said that when you share your feelings or problems it helps you to feel better. Even if you don’t get a solution, sometimes we just need someone to hear us rant.”
The man blinks slowly… this feels surreal. Usually a voice talking into your head either means mental Illness or that you were about to become a villain to steal some magic jewelry for a man with dubious intentions.
But now this new voice, this new, softer, admittedly sweet voice, is offering to just talk about what’s bothering him.
The offer is actually nice. He doesn't have many people to talk with about his concerns for his dear pigeons. Some say he’s just overreacting, others that he’s too susceptible. It always makes him feel silly. He knows he probably cares too much for his pigeons, but they are his friends, his family, but some people don't get that and it’s frustrating. He knows there have been people akumatized for petty things but… he really cares for his feathered friends. He just wishes he could talk to someone without feeling invalidated.
Besides, at the moment he’s as upset as he was after Lieutenant Raincomprix kicked him out of the park, and Paon sounds nice enough. Surely it won’t hurt to try?
As if sensing his hesitation—which probably is the case—Paon adds.
“Besides, if this helps you to feel better, Hawk Moth can’t akumatize you, right?”
That’s a good point.
Actually, Mr. Ramier wonders why he hasn’t attracted an akuma yet. Maybe Hawk Moth is busy or maybe Paon just got to him first. Whatever the case, if he can calm down he doesn’t have to become a villain.
Here we go…
“Well, it’s just… you surely know I love pigeons. They are fantastic animals, really smart ones actually but… their lives are not easy, especially not in big cities like Paris and sometimes it seems I’m the only one who cares about them.”
Paon figured out as much, he hums softly and prompts the man to continue. “Something happened today?”
Feeling a little better for the encouragement to continue, Mr. Ramier tells him about what happened at the park, a little less hesitant than before.
“I was in the park near the Elysium Fields feeding my friends when Lieutenant Raincomprix came and yelled at me for doing so. He even fined me and… I know I’m not supposed to feed the pigeons but… I genuinely don’t see the harm in doing so. It’s allowed in lots of other cities, and pigeons are live beings just like the rest of us. It’s harder to find food in a big city and they help with the equilibrium of the ecosystem. I'm not saying they should be treated like an endangered species, but at least don’t treat them like pests!”
He does feel a little better after letting all that out, though, he’s still a little apprehensive at hearing Paon’s opinion on the matter. After all, this is the part when people tell him he is being dramatic.
“I see… Well, I think you have every right to feel upset.”
That… that’s another thing he was not expecting.
“R-really?”
From his place in the storage room, Paon can feel the genuine surprise the man feels at his feelings being validated… which is sad and unfair. The peacock wielder knows that people sometimes get upset over silly or petty things but he doesn’t believe this is the case. It’s obvious Mr. Ramier cares deeply for the pigeons, and his love for these creatures isn’t hurting anybody. He shouldn’t be shunned for caring for the animals he sees as his friends.
“Yeah… you obviously care genuinely for the pigeons, and you’re right, they are forms of life just like any other animal, including human beings and they are a part of our ecosystem, and each part plays an important role. I think in your case seeing the pigeons as being treated unfairly, especially when you see them as your friends, is a valid reason to feel this upset. I mean, I know I would be really upset if someone treated my pet poorly.”
Someone is validating his feelings. Someone really thinks his concern is real, not an overreaction or a silly tantrum. Someone finally understands why he gets so upset.
Mr. Ramier is sure it’s been a while since he last felt this relieved.
“Y-you don’t think I’m overreacting?” He still asks, because after so many times being told the same thing you start to believe it. He just needs a little reassurance, one more time.
“I don’t think so. Everyone feels upset when something bad happens to something like, like their favorite animal. The fact that you genuinely care for the pigeons should be enough to prove your emotions are valid!”
Paon answers with such conviction, like he really believes what he says. Somehow, Mr. Ramier knows he does and that feels so good. Until now he never considered he might be also upset for people mocking his motives as well as for his pigeons being treated like pests.
Even if it’s just one person, the fact is that someone outside there believes he has the right to be upset, that he’s not crazy or just obsessed. He doesn’t need to feel silly or doubt his own feelings.
What Paon says next makes him believe he probably can read his mind, but he’s been so kind that Mr. Ramier can’t bring himself to care.
“I can guess people have made you think like your feelings don’t matter, that your reactions are silly and for that I’m sorry. It’s unfair and nobody should have their feelings invalidated just because others can’t understand them. If you are being genuine, that’s all that should matter.”
Mr. Ramier smiles, a small but genuine smile. He actually feels better now. His feathered friends still have a hard life in the city, but at least he knows it’s okay for him to feel upset.
“Thank you, Paon.”
From the storage room, the young holder smiles. He can feel the negativity leaving Mr. Ramier and being replaced by gratitude and calm.
“There is no need, it’s my pleasure to help… speaking of which…”
“Yeah?”
“It may not be an immediate solution but in the long run it might work… I guess the reason it’s forbidden to feed the pigeons is because of their droppings, but that could be taken care of if there were an area dedicated to them so there would be just one place to concentrate most of their droppings. You could gather signatures to ask the mayor for a place like that, like a park. Like you said, in other cities it’s not strange to feed pigeons and it actually makes a rather nice scene for tourists. I can’t promise it will work but I guess it’s worth a try. Maybe you could meet other people who care about your friends too.”
Mr. Ramier visibly lights up at that.
“That’s actually a good idea. I can try it and just like you said, even if I don’t get the support, maybe I could meet other pigeon lovers on the way.
“Thank you, Paon, this… this really helped”
“Like I said it’s my pleasure, I think you are fine now and I need to go, but in case you ever feel like this again I promise I’ll be willing to listen. I’ll try to get to you before Hawk Moth. Just like every other one of his victims, I’m sure you don’t like being a villain.”
The offer is said in the same gentle tone Paon has been speaking with since the connection formed. After talking with him, Mr. Ramier can’t deny this was helpful and Paon seems like he really just wants to help.
“Yeah, actually that would be nice.” and he means it, maybe Paris’s luck is about to take a turn for the better.
“In that case, if you want you can keep the feather. I called it daya and, since there is no need to purify it, it will keep its energy so if you feel down again you just have to merge it with an item and I’ll be able to connect with you faster.”
That was his idea. He had asked Duusu if the feathers could keep their energy after his transformation and if they could keep it indefinitely, to which the kwami answered that yes, they can, since there was no need to purify them. He also said that he would be able to feel and connect with every daya he created. So he thought that if people kept them, it would be easier and faster for him to get to them before Hawk Moth. Duusu really liked the idea. It was just a matter of if the people would be willing to keep the feathers.
“I think I’ll keep it then. Again, thank you.”
“Have a good day, Mr. Ramier.”
And with that Paon cuts the connection.
The daya leaves the bird whistle and Mr. Ramier carefully takes it. He looks at it carefully, appreciating the nice colors and its soft brightness. It’s definitely nothing like the evil amoks they have grown to fear.
One of his pigeons lands on his shoulder and he looks at it smiling, showing the small feather.
“Normally I would be an akuma by now… It seems I’ve been blessed by an angel’s grace”
Angel… a voice soft and sweet, the genuine will to help and the patience to try and understand.
“Yeah, I think Paris just got itself a new guardian angel.”
Back at the school. Paon drops his transformation.
“Duusu, fall my feathers.”
Light envelopes Paon to bring Marc back. Duusu, now free from the brooch, lands softly in the writer’s cupped hands.
“What do you think?” the teen asks his kwami, eager to know how he did on his first time as Paon.
“You did amazing Marc! Mr. Ramier seemed really relieved and grateful… though, you should write something down for your next attempt, that conversation had a really awkward start.”
Marc giggles, a little embarrassed. He knew he would say that, but awkwardness aside he feels proud that he did it just fine.
“I’ll think of something later, and thanks. I was really nervous but I’m glad I managed to help someone, especially someone like Mr. Ramier. He’s been akumatized too many times. It must feel awful.”
“I’m proud of you Marc. With time, you’ll be a master of this. Hawk Moth won’t know what hit him!”
Marc smiles at his kwami’s enthusiasm as he takes out a strawberry candy from his hoodie pocket. Duusu beams at the sweet.
“Thanks, and you saw? He kept the daya. If more people do the same, it’ll be easier for me to reach them before him!”
“Let’s hope that’s the case!”
Duusu eats the candy in one bite and floats to hide in Marc’s hoodie. The writer gets out of the storage room and opens the door to the art club again. Looking at his phone, he has a few more minutes before lunch ends so he decides to go to the locker room to put his lunch box back and take out his books for his next class.
Just as he enters the locker room, another student is leaving, a brunette with an orange jacket and olive green eyes.
They walk past each other at the door when suddenly Marc gets a dizzy spell that makes him grip at the door to keep him upright. Inside his hoodie, Duusu feels a cold chill run through his body, but he doesn’t pay it any mind, more concerned with his holder’s wellbeing.
“Marc, are you okay?” He whispers with worry.
Marc sits down on the closest bench before answering.
“I’m fine, I don’t know why I felt so dizzy all of a sudden. I didn’t feel any strong emotion. Did you feel any?”
Duusu’s worry picks at that, because besides the chill he didn’t feel anything, but he doesn’t have time to worry about it. It was probably the wind or something.
“No I didn’t” he replies with an edge on his voice which Marc doesn’t miss.
Knowing his friend must be feeling worried from what happened with his previous holders, Marc's priority becomes to assure him that he’s okay.
“Hey, I’m okay. It passed already. It was probably some lingering effect from Mr. Ramier, or maybe someone had a small outburst but quickly got it under control so I didn’t have time to register it properly.”
That answer seems to relax Duusu a little. Yeah, that could happen. Besides, it has no sense for Marc to feel dizzy because of the miraculous. This is not the first time he’s transformed and Gabriel has used it more times without breaking a sweat.
Everything is fine.
“Yeah, you’re right. Still, take it easy, okay? Maybe you should take a nap when you get home. This was the first time you had to suffer the effects of negative emotions. You should rest.”
Marc smiles reassuringly at his friend.
“I will, now let's go. Lunch is about to end.”
Neither of them give much thought to that episode. It could have been what Marc suggested, or even tiredness from the effects of the negative emotions. Besides, Marc feels fine, like nothing happened.
Internally, Duusu repeats how Marc is doing okay like a mantra, which helps him to forget about his concerns. He’s probably just a little paranoid.
Everything is fine.
They continue their day without any more relevant events, neither of them aware of the danger that lies near them, disguised with saccharine smiles and fantastic stories.