Chapter Text
When Kass woke up she was surprised to find she wasn't in her bed, on the ground at school or in the nurse's office. Instead, she was on the ground in front of the Eiffel Tower with two strange looking people in front of her. A ladybug themed boy and a cat themed girl, giving them confused looks she pressed her hand to her head which was throbbing. For a brief moment no emotions hit her and Kass didn't know what to feel.
"Are you alright?" The catgirl asked as Kass gave her a confused look, slowly the feeling of concern hit her and Kass closed her eyes.
She was alright, she wasn't broken. Opening her eyes, she found the cat girl staring at her, giving her a confused look, she tried to place if she knew this girl. The cat girl blinked in realization and understanding washed over Kass. The cat girl pressed a hand to her chest then gestured to the Ladybug boy, "I'm Māomīéer, this is my partner Anatis. We're heroes."
Kass blinked, still confused and suddenly a beeping noise came from both Māomīéer and Anatis, panic hit her coming from both heroes and Kass swallowed, taking in a breath. The two heroes looked at each other before looking back to Kass, worry and internally disappointment hit her. Suddenly Kass heard footsteps and Kass looked to see Rose and Juleka racing towards her distress clear on Rose's face. Worry and relief hit her as the two girls got closer.
"KASS!" She shrieks moving past the heroes before tackling Kass in a hug.
Māomīéer snorted slightly, as she stepped away from Kass. Though she felt an emotion of relief as well coming from Māomīéer, the cat heroine looked to Anatis who had begun talking quietly to Juleka.
*This cat's gotta scram, see you later Annie. * Māomīéer remarked with a wink before taking off.
*Bye kitten. * Anatis replied as Juleka nodded, *I should be going too. Thank you Ms. Couffiane. Bugout! *
For a moment Anatis looked at Kass and their eyes met. Kass tilted her head as surprise overcame her, she furrowed her brow but before she could sense anything else Anatis took off. Once Anatis was out of sight, Juleka walked over towards Kass and Rose. Rose finally let go of Kass, tears coming out her eyes, concern and relief doubled, as she hurriedly asked if the girl was alright.
"I'm fine, I'm fine really... just confused. I- I don't know what happened."
Rose relaxed slightly, the concern being swallowed up by relief, as Juleka walked towards them. Rose looked to Juleka who mumbled something, understanding slipped towards Kass who blinked in slight confusion. However, Rose nodded, moving away from Kass before she stood up and held out a hand to her.
Kass took her hand as embarrassment washed over her, Rose's cheeks were flushed pink, and the girl helped Kass to her feet.
"Sorry about the attack hug. I just-. I know what it's like to be akumatized. And I just don't think it's fair you got akumatized right after getting here!"
Kass blinked and felt nervousness coming from Rose hit her. Smiling slightly, she shrugged and waved a hand.
"It's fine. I still have no idea what's going on though."
Rose and Juleka shared a look before Rose grabbed onto Kass's hand, "We can explain, come this way."
Kass nodded and let the other girls guide her away from the Eiffel tower. They stopped at a bench and Kass sat down as the two other girls stood in front of her, they shared another look before looking at Kass. Curiosity and excitement hit her when Rose asked,
"What do you know about super heroes Kass?"
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After getting an explanation on who Anatis and Māomīéer were and what they did, they explained how Hawkmoth was a terrorist who used his miraculous to prey on emotionally distressed people. And they mentioned the appearance of temporary heroes and Mayura. Kass understood a bit more now but overall was confused how any of this could be allowed. Māomīéer and Anatis looked around her age. Teenagers! How could the Parisian government let teenagers fight a terrorist?
Shaking her head, she pushed her confusion and discomfort away from her before walking to her grandmother's shop and opening the door. A little bell rang and Kass took in a breath, smelling leather, parchment and oil. Her grandmother suddenly appeared behind an old looking desk, and she noticed Kass then smiled.
"Oh, my dear lassie. How are you?" Gran asked in a faint Irish accent.
Kass smiled before shrugging, she walked over to where Gran was and gave her a hug before setting her stuff down. Gran bumped her slightly pulling a box of pastries out of nowhere.
"I stopped by the Dupian-Cheng's today for these... I thought we could celebrate your first day of school," Gran began as Kass reached for a macaroon, "but it looks as if your day didn't go nearly as well as I hoped."
Kass hesitated before looking Gran in the eyes. Gran was one of the very few people who knew she was an empath and the other person so far that Kass had a hard time feeling emotion from. She of course still felt emotion, but with Gran, with Gran she'd have to actually try unless the emotion was strong.
"Uh, well I saw someone I didn't want to and apparently got akumatized."
Gran froze for a moment and Kass picked up a macaroon before taking a bite out of it with a slight sigh. She really loved macaroons.
"Ye what?" Gran asked her accent getting stronger as Kass began to feel a sliver of emotion coming from her.
Kass froze, a macaroon in her mouth as she hesitated for a moment before chewing and swallowing. While it's true Kass didn't know the fullity of how bad the akumatizations were, she did know that Gran's reaction could only mean it was really, really bad.
"I got akumatized, I'm fine though-"
"Was it because of yer gift?"
Kass froze for a moment before shaking her head. Relief flooded through the air and Kass shifted slightly, she knew her Gran worried about her because of her gift, that things would be easier if she didn't have it anymore, but it wasn't really something she could change.
"It was strange," Kass admitted, setting her half-eaten macaroon down, "I wasn't that upset but when the purple butterfly- the akuma, when it got nearer my emotions kind of went haywire."
Gran looked a bit worried but nodded. Kass knew that Gran had never been akumatized so she wouldn't really know what was going on, or what Kass was going through, but Kass felt it was the thought that counted.
"Kelsey should be coming by to see how yer day was... do ye want to go with her to the shop?"
Kass shrugged before picking up the box of macaroons and fiddling with it. She loved going to her aunt's shop, honestly, it's just she didn't know if she had enough energy to be friendly today.
"I don't know, I've had a long day and I need to study my French more... I- I'm still having trouble understanding."
Gran nodded and handed Kass a small stack of books with a wink before gesturing for her to head to the apartment that was just beside the shop. Taking the books and the box of macaroons, Kass headed towards her room. After descending into the basement, Kass slid into her room and closed the door with a sigh. Sinking to the floor Kass wanted to cry. Shaking her head, she took in a breath. Why did she have to go and ruin her first day so quickly?
Pressing her face into her hands she shook her head, faintly Kass heard the ringing of a bell and voices talking. Then the sound of the door to the basement opened and Kass heard her Gran remark,
"She's just down the stairs, last door of the hallway. Please knock before you enter though, the poor lass has had a rough day."
Footsteps followed her Gran's voice and the sound of a door closing had Kass sitting up straight. She rolled away from the door and had just gotten to her feet when she heard a knock on it. Stumbling over the pile of books and various other things she had yet to put away, Kass opened the door to find Marinette standing behind it. She gave Kass a little wave and Kass blinked.
"Can I come in?" Marinette asked, looking tired.
Kass nodded and pushed the door open so Marinette could enter, closing the door behind her, Kass smiled weakly at Marinette who much to Kass's surprise returned the smile.
"I just wanted to come by because one, I'm the class rep and I wanted to let you know if you need any help to let me know..." She paused and looked away from Kass for a moment, "though elections are coming up again and I might not be the rep anymore."
A bit of sadness rippled from Marinette but so did relief, Kass didn't know if she should console or congratulate the girl. Awkwardly shifting Kass remembered the box of macaroons and snatched them up from the ground before holding them out to Marinette.
"Would you like one? There from this amazing bakery and... I'm sorry I'm really bad at small talk." Her cheeks flushed as Kass sheepishly offered the box to the other girl.
A bit of surprise crossed Marinette's face and she smiled slightly before shaking her head and saying, "No, it's alright. And it's actually my parent's bakery so thank you."
More heat hit Kass's cheeks as she felt a bit of amusement coming from Marinette, Kass really didn't like this, she just couldn't seem to get anything right today- Suddenly a feeling of boredom and irritation hit Kass, but it wasn't coming from Marinette. Flustered Kass set the box down and looked around, no one else seemed to be near, but still... what was going on?
Looking around the room for whoever was letting of the emotions Kass picked up a pile of papers only to put it back down confused. Marinette however began to project worry and Kass looked up at her slightly confused. What did she have to be worried about?
"Also," Marinette began, causing Kass to stop her search, "I came by to see how you were doing.
Kass went still as she realized what exactly the other girl meant. Looking at her she weakly smiled, shook her head and put a better smile on her face. Taking in a breath Kass sunk down towards the floor with a shrug.
"Everyone has their bad days, mine just happened to be really bad. it's no biggie."
Marinette sat across from Kass and gave her a look for a moment, "You mean you're not freaked out or traumatized by being akumatized?"
Kass sighed, running a hand through her hair before shrugging again. In all honesty she did feel a little weird, the emotions- the one Hawkmoth felt linger in her after the akumatization broke. Sorrow was a big one, but much to Kass's surprise there was no regret. Just sorrow, determination, and frustration. Whoever was doing this believed they had a good reason, that much Kass knew. But, in the end they were emotionally manipulating and controlling people which was seriously not cool.
"I'm fine honestly, it's just the fact that people go through stuff like that, and that people call them villains or monsters for doing so is so wrong." She bit her lip, she knew of the people who did stuff like that.... there were too many.
Looking up Kass found Marinette giving her a strange look and curiosity and admiration slammed into her. For just a moment she allowed herself to ignore the emotions... could she do it again? Could she learn to- no, no. This was a gift, a blessing, Kass knew that while her gift was difficult to use and may seem like a curse sometimes it was a blessing.
Flushing slightly, she looked away from Marinette and began fiddling with her fingers.
"Uh, sorry... could we talk about something else? I- I think I might still be reeling from all of today. Akumas, superheroes, supervillains, the next thing you know you'll tell me magic's real." Kass laughed nervously before going quiet and internally cursing herself.
Marinette felt suspicious, concerned and worried all at the same time. The jumble of emotions made Kass gag, and she was lucky that her hair, her long Irish hair, was currently hiding her face. A slight sigh came from Marinette and curiosity, not Marinette's brushed Kass. Who was this person- thing- creature? And why did Kass feel it's emotions so strongly?
"Uhm, do you want to try and get to know each other?" Marinette asked with a somewhat shy smile, "I mean we are going to be desk partners after all."
Raising her head so her face could be seen Kass blinked twice. Then she sat up and nodded, smiling slowly. She then took in a breath and decided to be a little more confident.
"I'm Kassidy Flannery. I love food, books and music. I'm a decent writer, musician and chef. I am the best Irish American baker in Paris. I'm technically a nerd and love to talk, I'm a nervous wreck most of the time and will probably make you feel like I hate you at some point which is not true I'm just... working on my 'communication' skills. If I could I'd live in a museum staring at the art, however I can barely draw a circle. Animals are cute no matter what, my singing can and will deafen you and I'd rather die than anyone pity me because I can't fully speak French."
Marinette blinked, and amusement and glee flooded towards Kass; one from Marinette, the other from the mystery creature in the room. Marinette took Kass's hand with a bright smile and she laughed slightly. Kass internally sighed in relief, however Marinette suddenly began speaking.
"I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I love fashion, baking, rock music and the color pink. I am an aspiring fashion designer, heir to the best bakery in Paris and I too am a nerd. Talking is fine because I talk too much as well. I am clumsy as I am creative, and I literally have the most packed schedule on the planet. I've designed small things for Jagged Stone and Clara Nightengale however that doesn't mean I'm great at it. All animals are cute, my singing will break glass. I tend to get really nervous and underestimate myself, so I need someone to push me."
Kass disagreed with the last sentence in Marinette's introduction of herself... no one should be pushed to do something they don't think they can nor feel comfortable doing. It will just end in disaster. The two girls released hands and Kass smiled at Marinette looking down to see a beautiful hand-crafted bag.
"OH, that bag is adorable! Where did you get it? It's so pretty, is it handmade? Oh, my goodness oh my goodness it's amazing! Is the creator selling more?" Kass exclaimed, pressing her hands to her chest as a spiral of questions exploded from her.
The bag was a light blue with beautiful embroidery that had flowers all around it, a tiny cat and ladybug were also hidden amongst the embroidery. What seemed strange to Kass was the lack of the color white, but she noticed on the beginning of the strap was a bluebell embroidered, faintly Kass could make out letters, but she couldn't tell which ones they were.
Marinette blushed and fiddled with the strap for a second before looking at Kass, "I got it from a designer."
Kass's face lit up as she felt a bit of shyness and determination coming from Marinette. She's opening up!!!!
"Really? What's their name? Do they have a website- oh my gosh that's a lot of questions I'm so sorry."
Marinette shook her head as if to say Kass was alright, she turned the strap and the bluebell embroidery towards Kass before remarking quite confidently, "Bluebell, I'm testing out some designs, yes it's handmade and- and I think a website might be up soon."
Kass nodded with enthusiasm but before she could ask if Marinette could get her in contact with the designer so she could get her own bag, the door upstairs was opened loudly. Kass narrowed her eyes while looking up, Gran knows how to open the door correctly so, it's not her... who is in the shop?
Standing up Kass looked at the ceiling for a moment.
"Sorry Marinette... it's just I don't think my Gran opened our house door right now."
Marinette stood up and Kass felt her determination and fear, she also felt the nervousness and a bit of anger coming from the person above. Walking over to the door the two girls shared a look before they opened the door and began their journey up the stairs. Pushing the door to the basement open, Kass peered around seeing her Gran sitting at the counter holding two cups of tea. She passed tea over to someone else before noticing her granddaughter.
"Ah, I was just about to call ye lass. Yer friend is still here?" A smile tugged at Gran's mouth and Kass almost smiled back when irritation from the guest hit her hard.
Kass nearly stumbled however Marinette was able to catch her arm. Worry slammed into her, however Kass just patted Marinette's hand and moved so she could see who was sitting in her house feeling so upset about their lack of attention.
Blinking a few times, she tilted her head till Gran gently bumped her back. Sitting at the counter was Mr.Damocleas, the principal of her new school tilting her head she gave him a little wave and Marinette joined her.
"Oh, Ms. Dupain-Cheng what are you doing here?" He asked
Marinette looked at Kass confused before looking back to the man. Kass cleared her throat before he could speak, he- for some reason the irritation was stronger than before, and it was directed at Marinette.
"Marinette's the class rep, she was just coming by to help me out getting adjusted to the class."
Mr.Damocleas blinked and shook his head, waving a hand nonchalantly before he declared, "Oh that won't be necessary."
Gran took a step forward, her eyebrow raised and her grip on her mug tightening as Kass began to feel her murky emotion of anger and expectation poking at her throat.
"Why?" She whispered as the emotions around her intensified.
Bringing the mug towards his face Mr.Damocleas replied, "Because you won't be going back."
Marinette gasped, and Gran slammed her mug down as Kass's stomach flipped. Damn, she really had messed up this time.