"they say that people are born with a red string that they can't see tied to their pinky fingers, and the end is tied to the one you're fated to be with. but the thread is twisted this way and that, making it hard to find the other end." -Yoon Jae

☾ ☽

Although the duo were able to get rid of the Akuma, Marinette was still having a bit of trouble with the red string of fate. She couldn't concentrate on who was on the other end because of the fight, but apparently fate wanted to interfere with her completely. One great example of this was the constant tugging in strange directions on the way back to the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Pastisserie. She did manage to catch people's strange gazes but pushed them off in the focus to get home. As soon as she arrived, Marinette did everything possible to get rid of it; cutting it with scissors, rubbing it off with soap, and even going as far as to gnaw it off with her teeth like an anxious beaver. All trials ended in vain, however, with the thread still looped around her pinky finger as if it were a present.

"I can't believe this!" Marinette complained as she flopped onto her bed. She began to bury her face deep within her pillow, muffling up her words, "I was so distracted during the fight! What would've happened if someone had gotten injured?"

"It's not your fault, Marinette," Tikki patted her cheek gently, giving comfort to the poor girl, "You took a pretty hard beating today, but I can't see the string so I won't be able to help you."

Marinette pulled the pillow off of her face and sat upright, holding up her pinky finger, "I don't understand though. It's like wearing clothes; if I don't pay attention to it, then I can't feel it. But when I'm concentrating, I can pull and tug at it. Why is that?" She was as lost as someone using a broken G.P.S.

Her kwami frowned, obviously concerned for the hero, "I don't know. None of the other Ladybugs have experienced this sort of issue."

"Maybe it's because I hit my head too hard," Marinette rubbed the base of her neck, "Or my vision got messed up. Either way, I'll have to apologize to Chat Noir next time we meet him for being so distracted." The sweet smell of a new batch of cakes wafted up her staircase, and Marinette instantly shot up, "That's right! I can ask mom about this!" Immediately, she zoomed down the stairs, leaving a giggling Tikki behind.

Her feet thudded down each step like a set of heartbeats.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

"Mom!" Marinette called as she turned the corner, "I need some help."

Her mother turned, made of color and sugar. Frosting painted her cheeks and her forehead caked with powder. "Hurry, sweetheart," Sabine said as she dashed across the kitchen, "Your father and I are busy with a sudden rush of customers." She pushed down the edges of her traditional outfit, not wanting to get it dirty.

"Do you have any information on the red string of fate?" Marinette leaned over the counter, watching her mom dash like an animated character.

"Why is this necessary?" Her mother replied with a curious glint in her eye, even though her embrace was filled with cookies and cake slices. Sabine slid around the tiled floor like a professional ice skater, grabbing her items from one place and placing it in her already full arms.

Marinette hesitated, but decided to go for it. "I... Mightbeabletoseemystring," She quickly said, rushing her words so she wouldn't sound ridiculous. Sadly, it backfired.

"Your string?" Sabine paused, halfway out the kitchen but obviously very curious of her daughter's words. "I'm going to have to leave now; can't leave your unreliable father behind." She winked, causing Marinette to override with a fit of giggles, "Why don't you try following it? Maybe you'll find someone interesting on the other end."

And with such wise words of wisdom that a mother should offer, Sabine ran out of the room to finish her sales. Marinette, obviously lost, sprawled onto the counter in exasperation. Mixtures of emotions ran upon the teenager's face, "Rose said that some people can see it when meeting their lifelong partner. Please don't tell me that my partner is the school's principal!"

Tikki flew down the stairs and burst into an explosion of laughter. It sounded like a chorus of bells; ringing with clarity and cheerfulness. "That's ridiculous, Marinette," The kwami sat on the hero's shoulder, trying to contain her outburst, "But your mother is right. Try following it!"

"The distance might be far, though," Marinette frowned; her eyebrows knitting together as if they were being sown into one. That might be one image that she could live without. She rubbed the gap in between them to double check. Now, on finding the other end. "This might call for the help of a little superhero."

☾ ☽

"This string is just endless!" Ladybug leaped from building to building, pulling at the string like a mountain climber. She often found it tangled with other citizens' threads, which she happened to see as well. They spotted her and cheered, but she merely focused on the task at hand, or rather, the task in her hand. She had spent a certain amount of time trying to find the end, but her luck just wasn't helping today.

Her earring gave a reminding beep, giving Ladybug a certain amount of time to figure out where the string led to. She perched herself on the edge of someone's balcony, tugging at the string. It caused a wave of vibration to flow down, and the other strings tangled with hers waved along. In the corner of her eye, a black figure jumped from the sky right next to her, grabbing her left hand and kissing it gently, "Hello, My Lady. Might I say you're looking purr-fect today?"

"Not now, Chat," Ladybug grinned and pushed his face away, "I'm busy."

"Oh?" The messy blonde haired boy sat himself down and crossed his legs, "No Akuma attack? I thought that was going on when I saw you."

"Not that," She turned to her partner, her gaze catching the string entangled on his left pinky which also cascaded down into the streets. "You're going to think I'm crazy if I told you." A light breeze whistled by, giving its singing compliments as it blew past Ladybug's ponytails.

"Probably not. Mostly because I'm crazy about you," Chat Noir smiled flirtatiously, but Ladybug merely chuckled in response.

"Ever since the Jurisdiction threw me across the gym, I've been seeing things. This," She held up her pinky finger for him to see. He grabbed her hand enthusiastically, then frowned as he realized he couldn't see it and Ladybug yanked herself free, "There's a red string on my finger. Some ancient Chinese belief says that-."

"It should lead you to the person your destined to? That explains why you were so distracted during the fight earlier," Chat nodded, fully understanding what she was trying to explain, "I heard about this in class." He muttered under his breath so Ladybug couldn't hear, "In the most annoying way possible."

"What a coincidence!" Ladybug exclaimed, clapping her hands together, "So have I. But it must've meant that I met the person I'm supposed to be with. I'm trying to figure that out right now."

"Is it me?" Chat wiggled his eyebrows which were hidden under his mask, but nevertheless was noticed by the red-clad superhero.

"You wish," Ladybug laughed at his absurdity. Then a thought came to mind. She grabbed to the string and wiggled it once more. As she was doing this, Ladybug looked at the string on Chat's hand. In a few seconds, the red thread shook as well. She looked down, realizing that both of their strings were entangled with the many civilians wandering around Paris. It probably isn't him, she thought.

Another beep came from her earrings.

"Although I wish I could see my string," Chat Noir held up both of his hands, unable to figure out which hand the string was on, "Then I could confirm that it is connected to yours, My Lady."

"Maybe if you hit your head against something hard enough. It worked for me," Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo, "I have to go now. Catch you later, kitty." She launched the yo-yo in the direction of her house, accidentally hitting Chat Noir in the head with it in the process.

"Me-owch!" He complained as he rubbed the top of his head and stroked his cat ears gingerly.

"Sorry, Chat," She smiled apologetically, "But my Miraculous is running out; I've been out here too long." Ladybug took a step back, getting ready to jump.

"But My Lady," Chat Noir tried to reach out in desperation, "Won't you stay any longer? Keep a poor cat company?" He pouted, hoping to win her over.

"Next time," Ladybug rubbed his head where she hit him earlier, "See you later." And with that, she took off into the Paris afternoon, hoping to get home before Alya would visit.

Chat sighed, knowing that his efforts were always fruitless. He laid himself down on the balcony, sprawling himself in a patch of sunlight and stretching his arms to the sky like a sleepy cat would do. A quick movement of red caught his eye, and he sat up instantly, thinking it was Ladybug that returned. Instead, giving him a mixture of emotion, was his own red string, tied up in a little bunny-eared bow on his pinky.

His cat ears perked up instantly. "Woah!" Chat shouted with shock, "The string!" He stood up instantly, getting ready to follow Ladybug to prove her wrong, but the ring on his finger gave him a warning. "Not now," Chat complained, quickly jumping into a nearby alley. With a flash of green, his outfit dissipated and he was back to being Adrien Agreste.

Plagg flew from his ring like a deflated balloon, and Adrien swiftly caught the miniature cat in his hands. "Uhh, I'm hungry," The kwami moaned in agony, "Cheese! Camembert, to be exact!"

"Of course, Plagg," Adrien rubbed the kwami's head consolingly, "I'll get you some when we get home. Then after that, time to find the person at the end of this string."

He raised his pinky with high hopes and left the alleyway, thinking of one person in mind.

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arisa