Chapter Text
Chloe raced through the evacuated streets of Paris — or would be empty if it wasn’t for this hundred-foot-tall Akuma trying to squish Chloe’s perfectly gorgeous body.
(not that it has been perfectly perfect for a while but that's beside the point.)
Buildings around them fell helplessly to the giant stupid bass of stone and oh wait, now Chloe’s gotta self-reflect on her actions because that's apparently what she’s supposed to do. Blah blah blah-
She takes a sharp right into a dark alleyway and hides herself behind a trash bin that covers her frame completely. Her nose tinge at the dreadful musty scent that overrides her brain and her skin begins to prick at the even thought of being five feet from peasant germs. Still, she sucks up her pride and repulsion for safety. She held her breath and forced her speeding heart to slow down. She feels the greasy rough grimy walls touch her exposed wrist with an accidental to wide of an inhale and she swallows a scream. In the back of her mind, she curses the universe harshly, unforgivingly, and most importantly loudly.
So where was she?
Oh yeah.
Chloe Bourgeois, the daughter of renowned fashion star Audrey Bourgeois, resident bitch, the smartest person in Paris, and the 'reason' for forty-five percent of the akumas in that past- But guess what?
This time she did nothing . Completely utterly nothing !!
Listen.
She’s been going through some growing pains, so forgive her if she acts a little snappy here and there. But she’s been trying (held at gunpoint, mind you )to be nice (or something adjacent). And this is how she’s rewarded?
Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.
It all started with the disgusting development of growing hair in London.
Chloé abhorred body hair. Hair not on her head was... unorderly . In another sense, it reminded her of grown men, and what Chloé was not going to be was a grown man in a beautiful feminine body like hers. Os took pride in keeping her appearance smooth, plump, and delicate.
She noticed she had to shave more often. How did she know that? Well besides being very aware (and proud of it too) of the state of her body, whenever her mother graced her every third day to remind herself (coincidentally more often than not. Mother was a very busy woman) about Chloé's presence she let out a scorn of disgust.
They were in the middle of the hallway of their very spacious mansion when the first and final intervention happened. "Ugh-what'st your name again? Chloe?" Her mom waved a hand in her direction. Chloé stopped, having walked in the opposite direction to see the garden.
This was a bi-weekly sighting of her mother, she would not waste it.
"Yes well, I want to mention too unsightly growth of body hair on your arms. Ugh just looking at it makes me sick, Go shave that at once, or I'll have a butler schedule a wax session for you." CHloe's collar had turned red and she hid her exposed arms behind her back. Mentally she slapped herself on the back of her head, how had she not noticed the growth? Didn't she shave almost a week ago? Quickly she rubbed her arms and cursed at the growing fuzz.
Maybe she didn't shave as thoroughly as she thought impossible given Chloé prided herself on the routine check-up or her lack of straying from them.
"It's Chloé-" Chloé dutifully reminded, pushing back the glasses on top of her head.
"No one is going to say the 'é' right all the time Chloe, might as well get used to it. Especially in London"
And she was right, no one really paid attention to the lift of the vowel as much as she did, but before, not now, and certainly not after. Chloe nodded mutely, accepting the name change. Not like it had sounded that different . So she dropped it and the sharp sting it gave her and began shaving every third day.
Except.
Doing it every third day meant seeing her mother right when it started to regrow, so she started cleaning every second day so she didn't get any scornful looks. Rearrnagingher schedule was a pin and made her bite her cheek in substitution for real stupid tears every time she remembered the change, but she easily powered through
The prickliness eased, the feeling of aversion eased, the sting eased, and her mother tolerated Chloe in her vision for more than ten seconds so-
Crisis averted.
The next problem was 'The Three A.M.' incident. A few day weeks after Chloe adopted the three-day shave schedule.
When Chloe saw those exaggerated horror thumbnails on the internet about staying awake at three or roaming at three, she rolled her eyes. She called them very cruel selective words in her head before moving on.
Now she knew better.
Her body had woken up at 2:58 a.m. for no other reason other than apparent thirst. And because she was so rich and so wealthy, she had a mini fridge in her room, scouring the hall was not even a problem. The problem came after when she felt the icky feeling of bacteria and sourness in her mouth.
This couldn't be because Chloe spent ten monotonous perfect minutes morning and afternoon making sure her teeth were even, white, and pristine as a glamorized model overdoes Photoshop. Cavities, infection, or whatever other dentist term never even graced as a thought for her dental records.
Something felt weird.
Her sleep-idle mind just couldn't place it.
Chloe decided to adhere to her perfect eight-hour beauty sleep and checked the mirror in the bathroom after splashing some water on her face.
What she saw should never be spoken of.
What you need to know is that if she saw that reflection in the mirror again she would kill it and herself within a three-second difference.
(Here's what you don't need to know.
She slapped her mouth to cover an attention-grabbing outcry realizing she looked like a hygiene-neglected incestual inborn hillbilly from redneck America, seeing she was missing canines and premolars. And gracefully cried herself to sleep on the somewhat unhygienic bathroom floor. When she woke up the next morning after hearing her alarm go off through the doors she dragged her body upwards and priestly gleamed releasing all her pearls that were still there.
She squinted at them through her itchy sleep-crusted eyes. They didn't look...right.
She dragged her gross morning tongue through them and even that didn't feel right.
However, nothing was right when you woke up from rigid tiles so she brushed it off along with her humiliation for her unreasonable breakdown.
It must have been a dream or something. She considered it before leaving to turn off the piercing alarm.
She halted right before her bed.
No, it couldn't be. It just simply couldn't.
Chloe simply redirected her course and screamed in her palms in harmony with her alarm.
The misplaced teeth laid coquettishly on her pillow)
All you need to know is that:
Cleaning her teeth is definitely a distinct experience now that she adorns a new set.
Subsequently, the nails.
She's got a wicked set of claws for... absolutely nothing . There was no use of them.
They were producing so outrageously quick that Chloe spent an extra fifteen minutes every morning to file them down. Now she had to wake up at five-thirty in the morning to accommodate all these shifts, a deal that was easier than it should have been, but rest assured it was her drive to maintain appearance and schedule that powered her through. She is not walking around with those goddamn claws the way they are. Not like Chloe was repulsed by sharp nails, no she actually likes them. The problem was the inhuman subtext to her own that compelled her to file them down.
Then it was the influx of hunger. Her previous dishes dominated by greens weren't cutting it anymore.
Chloe's stomach grumbled a few hours after her new set of teeth came in. She couldn't even freak out at the ones falling out before she was shot with a jolt of hunger, her stomach grumbled loudly, before she cut it short with a flex of her core.
Seriously, this was getting...
She promptly ordered the butler of scrumptious food when breakfast came around. She sat at the expansive (empty) dining table and swallowed her undignified amount of saliva.
Disappointment filled her expression quick when she saw it was a humble, bowl of fruit and an even more humble bowl of cinnamon-based oatmeal.
"Extra!" She screeched, she said not referring to 'more', but to the faceless man waiting in the corner of the room. She slammed the spoon down on the table. She won't stand for this bullshit! This was not a meal- this was not a meal fit for someone like Chloe Bourgeois. She needed to eat, not be treated like the poor who rationed their meals.
The butler came in with a disgruntled expression, "Yes Mademoiselle Bourgeois?" He said with a bow. He was British —looked like it frustratingly so— but with the demand of her French culture she ordered him to refer to her as such.
"The hell is this monstrosity?" Chloe pointed at the shitty meal.
The faceless butler faltered. : Uh, your usual meal, madame. The one you requested to be served around the clock for your new diet."
Chloe faltered.
Right. She had demanded this meal three months ago after her mother made a comment about her food intake. And to be fair, she had enjoyed the dishes, it's not like they were the bane of existence. But...
'Yeah, well I change my mind. I want something else" Chloe snapped and crossed her arms, unwilling to admit to her mistake. Her appetite was in control now, and she was the unwilling passenger.
'Yes. yes." The butler reached to take the dish away but was stopped by Chloe covering the bowl with her hand.
She glared, "When I mean something else, I mean more. Make me some eggs and sausages. A lot actually. Add that to the routine. Why are you staring? Go!"
Let's just say Chloe did not stop till she was satisfied.
Ugh.
The height addition was unnecessary, to say the least.
No, she didn't grow six inches in one night, did she look like a Mary Sue to you?
Not eight inches.
Not a foot.
She just grew enough in such a short time to definitely feel it.
A week after eating in a surplus, she woke to her joints creaking as she slid off of bed. She threw a longer-than-normal arm to shut off the alarm and when she stood up.
Don't even get her started on the sudden vertigo.
"Aysh!" Chloe cursed as she fell back down on the cotton sheet.
She blinked up at the ceiling.
That could be right,
Thus began the measurements.
And kudos to her for finally crossing the 170cm line. Or in American terms five foot seven.
And then came the gaps of memory.
So you must be wondering will she freak out?
The question isn't when will she begin, but when will she stop ?
No, she's asking the wrong question. When did this all begin?
Three months. These changes have been happening for three months! A summer, gone by in the wind.
Honestly, her skill of deflecting should be praised. It could be anything- disease, dying, cancer, puberty? Anything, but it isn't her problem!
But when the lapse of memory started coming, and she ended up waking up in random places in her room naked, room in disarray, and, clothes in tarnish, with no memory of how? She knew she couldn't just dismiss that. Before she could report to her mother, she should try to solve this for herself.
It may look like she's taking this cooly on the outside but in actuality, she's been freaking out the whole time. She's just too cool to be freaking out on display. So she does it discreetly, discreetly complains and whines, discretely hates and cries, discretely bites her cheek raw of the question of how.
When she gets to the point of blood, when her new pearly whites dig far too deep and release the nasty (addicting) taste of metalness, Chloe can't take it anymore.
Chloe rummages for an agenda in her drawer, slams it on her desk, and tries to remember the day when it started.
Chloe searches and e=searches and searches and searches her pristine memory, until she comes to yet another gap- the only difference it had with the others, was this gap stemmed from a day before school ended in London.
Chloe had been with someone, yes, she had. She bit at the end of the pencil, a disgusting habit she had seen Dupain Cheng embody, and she blanched at it, but at this moment she couldn't help but try to focus every ounce of energy into the blank space of memory.
Okay, let's see..
There was a party. End of the year party. Chloe had gone because—duh, and then...and then...there was a boy. A boy yes, who had offered her a drink. Spiked because of course it was, but not roofied. Chloe had downed it after checking to see if she had ended up on the back of a milk carton because she wasn't naive. Of course, no ice sank, so she had given it a swing. What happened after?
Nothing.
No matter how much focus she put there was nothing beyond that point.
Okay, let's not freak out.
What did he look like?
...
Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!
Chloe's free hand clenched and unclenched, the filed nails doing no damage to her uncalloused palms.
Shit, what did he look like?!
Besides this the ridiculous blue uniform, the tall stature, pale skin, what did he look like?
All Chloe could draw was this smudged face, like someone was in the middle of painting a portrait and took a wet hand and just-
The pencil slipped out of her mouth in a wet plop (gross) and Chloe's arms drew around herself. A violent shiver went down her spine.
If she couldn't remember what happened that night or who had taken her...
A violent shiver went down her spine.
Quicker than a bullet she shot herself to the remote in the night and switched on a loud, mind-numbing, magical girl anime.
Its loud cringe-ness brought peace to Chloe's muddled mind like it's always done.
Best not to think about it.
So she had to think about it.
Chloe spat out a torn-up heel onto the floor. Her soul left her body as she stared soullessly at the mess surrounding her.
This was her mother's room.
Her mother's room which looked like a rabid dog was unleashed upon it.
Chloe coughed up a feather and thought that that simile wasn't so far off. NUmbly she gathered clothing that wasn't fart too damaged and dressed herself, even though her mother's too thin of a thong (did the woman not own normal underwear?) went u the galaxy of her ass.
Somehow she ended up back in the middle of the room instead of out the window like she belonged. Maybeit was the guilt, maybe it was the exhaustion of hiding her changes, maybe it was the killer soreness and bruises on her skin, or maybe she needed help.
She didn't know but she just stood there.
The open curtains let out a swarm of morning heat that swelled her back while her body grew increasingly colder as it shut down.
She just obliterated her mother's room.
Chloe gradually fell to her knees, cushioned by the designer— cough— remains of a designer cur coat.
She stared up at the smooth ceiling and closed her eyes, letting the screech fill her ears like wine in a glass.
She's so dead.
And make no mistake, despite what she had just said, she didn't brush off these...changes. No, she loathed them, because these changes were the opposite of what Chloe stood for and what she wanted to be. Like, the hair, the uncleanliness, the hunger, the ugh-
Just ugh.
She nestled into her first-class seat to Paris and brooded into the corner, hard enough to steer away any living thing.
The distant clouds took shape as they flew by.
One of them reminded her of a dog in its fully vague shape.
She slammed a fist onto her thigh, thankfully secluded enough not to draw unwanted attention.
See that's exactly what she wasn't! Don't play games universe.
Chloe was someone who preferred things be done for her, and not risk breaking a delicate nail. Fuck dying for a dead man, why not just go live or something? She's an individual to the very core. Her ideology was the opposite of dogs. No, she had no trust in people, and no, she does not understand that morality compass bullshit that people want to enforce so badly. Like hey, she's not a walking Hitler, but the pleasantries, customer service, polite interventions, and the forced laughs she has been coerced to do due to political concerns? Yeah, she just doesn't get it, she does it for temporary gain.
Listen. Look at the concept of pleasantries and all that other sociology bullshit and do you not see the bunch of theories on how people are fake? Yeah, so Choe is going to do her own thing okay? Just be her, and be free and alone while doing it while she has to.
In comparison, these fleabags don't think for themselves.
A dog was a slobbering loyalist, an angry barking nuisance, or just plain stinky. No matter what variety of dogs you got, Chloe just wasn't one of them! Chloe was no animal, no she was exceeding, whatever that place may be. Dogs are from their owner's ankles to the waistline. Chloe had no owner, thank fucking god for that and the abolishment of slavery, right? She for sure wasn't going to be anywhere but to someone's face or above, because she'd rather be damned than look down upon.
But look at her, laughed at the God(s) in their unjust cruelty.
Chloe Bourgeois was a dog and she doesn't understand why.
"What are you doing here?"
Chloe threw her neck up in aggravation and asked 'why does this always happen to her?' The butler closed the door and went to put her luggage in its right place. She regrets that decision when the overhead light literally sears into her retinas. She squeezes her eyes and looks down. She doesn't remember them being that obnoxious.
"Real question," Chloe asked with a raised eyebrow, turning to take in her sister's new style,
...
Mhm.
She doesn't approve. "Terrible combo. What were you thinking?"
Zoe's shoulder tightened and fell all at once. Her eyes were distant as she glanced to the side, her choppy dyed ends cradling her round face. "Is this how you're going to start? Really?"
Chloe rolled her eyes and breezed past her half-sister, "Whatever, it's not like you started off completely pleasant either. Now if you really insist on wondering why I grace your presence, it's because Mother decided I needed... rekindling with Father after many months apart." She said, beginning her descent up the stairs while throwing a curly strand over her shoulders
"Yeah?"
Chloe paused at the top step, remembering her mother's red face and spewing insults the way Chloe took it all was because while it hurt it was deserved. Chloe did destroy collections worth of iconicness in one forgotten night.
She turned and gave the freaky blonde downstairs a once over. Her soft round eyes contrasted greatly with Chloe's slimmer and sharper ones. There was a wall of reluctance and disdain in Zoe's eyes and there was an armory of weapons in Chloe's.
"Yes."
And they left it at that. Chloe began walking to her room.
'I just want you to know things aren't the same after you left!" Zoe called as Chloe went further.
"You think I can't handle a little change? I literally don't care what you nobodies are doing as long as it isn't in my face." See? Chloe has grown beyond physical.
"Whatever you say, princess. Just know that I will be there if I have to."
Insolent little bastard. Why did she get so...clingy? Protective? Gross, who cares that much, Chloes got better things to worry about.
But yes, Zoe was right. Things have changed.
Don't think Chloe skimmed over the fact they had a whole Power Ranger assembly in Paris while she left. She rolled her eyes, first of all, they gave the yellow suit to her goody-two-shoes poster girl lesbian naive sister.
They're so fucked.
"And stay away from Sabrina she's not your dog any-"
Chloe slammed the door.
Of course, it wasn’t all bad.
Despite coming across as anything but, Chloe genuinely did adore her father. She saw him in the far distance of the hallway and debated lunging at him because he was her dad whom she hadn’t seen in person for months or staying away because he had loss his status as a mayor.
In the end, she sneaked from behind and gave him a hug. he made an unmanly noise and twisted his torso to look down at her. He made an unidentifiable noise and fully turned to hug her.
“Chloé! Oh, how I missed my baby girl! I” His meaty arms crushed her ribs as he swung her body back and forth.
Even though he replaced her with a knockoff and lost her her trump card he was still her daddy.
Then can the smell and the hearing.
Chloe suffocated her cell phone with a pillow with bloodshot eyes off her before she realized she could lower the notification and turn off the alarm.
She was in a clear head okay.
There's no reason she should be hearing the bird tweeting and the footsteps of someone down the hall right now.
The smell of pancakes and bacon from the houses around, however...
Chloe slapped herself.
No need to be a glutton so early in the morning. The sun isn't even up yet and she needs to get ready or she will fall behind if she falls behind then she slips up and if she slips up...
Everyone will know the freak she has become.
She shook her head and practically threw herself into the bathroom to escape the overwhelming sense even though that made sense because the change of location didn’t take away the problem.
Her brain pounded in exhaustion trying to decide everything and quite frankly, Chloe didn’t have to for that so she gritted her teeth and went through her routine.
The showerhead felt like bullets in an active battleground, Chloe standing there without the security of earbuds. The minty scent of the toothpaste cleared her nose in record time and she cringed and plugged her nostrils, holding the object as far as her arm could reach.
She glowered at the toothpaste and then herself at the mirror. She looked ridiculous.
So she powered through and positively stared down anyone who took a second glance at her or dared to talk to her when she was inhabiting this killer migraine .
Hell, it was so bad that Chloe played with the food at the table, ignoring Zoe’s curious and judging glances.
“Why did you even ask for this amount of food if you were going to play with it? Don’t tell me you wanted to make the chef miserable or something, that’s-“
Chloe grunted and opted to stick the oatmeal and fruits, the most sensible food on the table. “Shut up. Like you know anything focus on your own food.” After a pause she looked with a raised condescending smirk, “Or maybe you’re worried about dear old me. Don’t worry, I’ve been in peak condition despite being forced to this subpar city.” She said as she raised a spoonful of oatmeal to her mouth. There she put extra effort to stop her hands from shaking and to gag at the buttery smell.
Zoe rolled her eyes and went back to her own dish on the far opposite side of the table. Chloe dropped the spoon into the bowl with a concealed sigh. Zoe grunted to cut her meal. Chloe's eyes twitched as she heard the metal clings and clangs of fork and plate. Did no one in London teach that girl how to eat?
Zoe slammed the car door of the limo after taking ages, making a point to sit as far away as possible, which Chloe didn’t care for. Instead, she spent her time people-watching through the window, trying to brush off Zoe’s nosiness and the pounding headache.
“Did you get taller?” Is she for real?
“Did you cut your hair? Since we’re gonna ask the obvious questions here.” Plus it's not like Zoe didn’t get taller (albeit probably at a more humane pace), they’re basically the same height now. And like—you can’t stay five foot four forever.
“My god, it was a harmless question. Why do you always come in guns blazing.” Zoe snarks.
“Why do you always take forever? You had thirty minutes to get yourself together.” Chloe snaps right back. See, if she were alone they’d already be at school. But no, Zoe forgot this and that and this again.
How do these people get anything done?
“Why do you get up so early?”
To get things done.
“Cause I can.” A decisive stab of pain in her temple cut off the rest of her attack and so Chloe promptly turned away, ending the back and forth.
Their seat belts clicked in, Chloe clenching her teeth at the noise. She outta invest in some low-profile earplugs, it's like everything Zoe does is a damned nuisance. From her fashion, her hair, and her attitude, to the extra rosy perfume she overdosed on today, she was a walking neon yellow highlighter.
Chloe the side of her head to the window and focused on the trees, lest she snap.
"...is there any reason why you are so broody today?"
My god.
"All I ask for darling sister is for silence . Can you do that?" Chloe's voice dripped with sarcasm but within that was an actal request.
The driver finally began doing his job and they cruised through the city in silence.
Chloe plugged in her earbuds, planning on ignoring any warning from staff or students, and strutted to class. The extras did a double take, and to their 'secrecy', cursed at the world for bringing the 'demon' back into their lives.
Chloe preferred the term 'That Bitch' and while all the attention was glorifying, if she had to hear another piercing scream of terror across the room or a 'cunt' sneaking under someone's breath she was going to-
Well, actually she doesn't know. But it will be swift and painful.
So instead of calling out every single one of those dramatic (seriously, why are you screaming?) or spineless( say it to her face dammit), she pushed bodies out her way and made it to her first period of the day, just on schedule.
She swung the door open.
Oh, today was just not her day.
Yeesh, maybe she should have opted for swan diving off her mom's balcony.
She stared back at her old classmates and her old classmates stared back at her The only one seemingly not surprised was Zoe who had an exasperated look on her face.
Zoe groaned, dropping her head in her palm. "Of course, it has to end up like this."
Chloe took in a deep breath, putting her palms together. "This school is so fucking stupid it's actually beyond me." Just why place her back with these deadbeats. What purpose did it serve?
Césaire, annoying and bold, broke from her group in the first to open her mouth. Her short hair was pushed back by her hand as she glowered at Chloe. "Why are you here?"
"None of your business." Chloe deadpanned, "But I'm sure Miss Lee will spill the beans sooner or later." Exactly why Chloe opted to give her relative the half-truth. This classroom was as transparent as Swiss cheese, something was bound to slip through.
"And I thought this year was going to be good." She heard a voice say from the back.
Chloe rolled her eyes and ignored all of the stares from her former classmates and went to the first row, the furthest right seat, like old times. Zoe, just a row above, shot out and blocked the entrance with her hand. "Wait you can't sit there, Sabri-"
"Zoe." Chloe said with a slow turn."I don't care. She can find somewhere else to sit and you gladly accommodate because you guys are friends of whatever."
"You can't do that!" Césaire said from behind. If Chloe rolled her eyes anymore he'd fall out of their socket. She ducked from her sister's hand and landed in the chair. The only real change she made was sitting closer to the window, a perfect view of the outside and the street.
"Just did." She waved a dismissive hand at both girls. "Now go back to obsessing ver lady in red or whatever it is that you do."
Zoe face twitched with this frustration before she threw herself back in her chair and wiped out her hone, typing fruisly.
Césaire face turned a darker shade of red but before she could say anything her boytoy injected himself and said something lowly. Césaire shoulders unwound from their high position and she sighed. "You’re right there are more things to worry about than that brat ."
"Whatever, fanny pack." Chloe shot over her shoulder and leaned on her hand to focus pulling herself into a daze where nothing mattered more than the faceless strolling by. She could, theoretically pull down her sunglasses to shield herself away from the sensitivity and vibrancy of life but...she was a Bourgeoise and definitely not her on her mother-level finesse to be wearing sunglasses inside. Powering through was the only option.
When the bell rang, Chloe had no other choice but to bite through her cheek m, a better option than committing suicide by impulse. However, the immediate flood of blood in her mouth made her gag, which he discreetly hid by rotating her palm.
And so class began.
And then it ended.
The migraine she had grew as the day went by and the metallic mess in her mouth wasn’t helping.
The class soon fell into a tightly wound silence that couldn’t be buffered by a lecture. Eyes stared at the back of Chloe’s head, she could feel it. And she was about to snap before that was broken the door flew open and an annoying familiar puttering and flail of limbs.
Chloe sighed.
The poor klutz was here.
"Sorry, I'm late guys!" The sentence ended with a box of treats thrust proudly into the air. Someone needed to study how she was so late when she was a minute's walk away. The klutz was quickly surrounded by the extras, her sheepish face froze in action when her eyes caught Chloe’s over a tall emo boy's shoulder.
A weird feeling took over Chloe. The migraine and agitation she felt were wrapped around in a warm blanket and dulled. It was an odd feeling, so sudden and impactful that she worried she was shot with a tranquilizer. A quick pat around ensured that animal control wasn’t spying on her.
"You!" Annoying screeched pointing over the wide shoulder, "What are you doing here!?" The crowds disappeared, giving Chloe a clear view of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Her fit was largely the same but tights under the shorts were a terrible combo. The usual agitated expression was on her face and for some that gave Chloe something to comfort.
Chloe looked at her filed nails lazily, "Dupain Cheng." She said instead of answering. Jesus, Was it good not to be assaulted by headaches.
She glanced around the room. "I see your Adrien isn't here." Plus Sabrina, but Chloe was going to milk that absence as much as she could.
"That's not one your business." Woah struck a nerve," And Adrien is not someone to be owned ," It was obviously just a phrase, god, people loved to blow things out of proportion. You can see why Chloe doesn't like them.
“Why? Did you break up with him Dupian-Cheng? Is that why you’re so defensive? Sucks for you, maybe he can get time to breathe without you bringing down his neck .”
Dupain-Cheng's face flickered from hurt to red fury. The first emotion went by so fast Chloe had to simmer on the expression, by the time she dialed back in, Dupain-Cheng was in the middle of her rant, a lot closer to where she was before.
And to be fair, Chloe couldn’t focus on anything than those eyes. If Dupain-Cheng said to wash her makeup off with a smile Chloe would do so without a heartbeat. And it was that realization that snapped her out of the trance as her body was filled with adversity and an ungodly amount of pettiness. She’d be damned if she did such a thing and at someone’s order ?
Fuck no!
They sucked her in like a black hole and forced her body into this mode of lumpiness in compliance.
Has Dupain-Cheng been dabbling with black magic? Did that even exist? It would explain a lot honestly.
Oh wait she was still being yelled at.
“And why do you always call me by my last name? Is it a status thing? Or ego thing?” A weird look took over Dupain-Cheng's face, the shorter girl rearing back with an uncomfortable look, “A race thing?”
Chloe clutched her chest and gasped, leaning back in bafflement.
“Racist? Me?” She said, guffawed. Looking around the room, no one gave a sign of the same astonishment as Chloe.
Oh my god, do they think she’s racist?
All previous signs of exhaustion and grumpiness were deleted as Chloe embodied her egotistical birthright.
"Uh-uh for you to even suggest that is pretty damn stupid. First of all, I'm above racism or anything of that nature. Period. There are better ways to be better than someone and that is not one of them. Second of all, don’t insult my intelligence. Racism is unimaginative, boring, and way past out of date. Give me some credit."
“A weird way to say racism is bad but okay,” Zoe muttered as she crossed her arms and leaned on the tall emo that muttered too much.
“Oh.”
That uncomfortable look on Dupain-Cheng’s face dulled significantly, but she gave Chloe a strange once over.
“So why do you say it so often?”
'Because I -“. Good question.
She can’t think with Dupain-Cheng insisting on eye contact. Why were those ditzy eyes analyzing her so hard? Ugh.
“Because I can? Now move ." She demanded even though Cheng wasn’t in her way (just in her face) and stomped to the bathroom.
Class wouldn’t start for another who cares, all Chloe needs to do is get the taste of blood out of her mouth and get away from Dupain-Cheng .
Dupain-Cheng , who for some reason sedated Chloe like a drug.
Dupain-Cheng, who glared at Chloe with too many eyes of blue eyes.
Dupain-Cheng, who won’t leave Chloe’s thoughts and just-
Bam!
The bathroom door slammed open and every extra who resided in was promptly ordered “Out.” With a point of her finger. No one disobeyed Chloe, her sharp tongue and the overwhelming threat of being akumitized made people complain.
Once the bathroom was clear Chloe ran to the sink.
She sucked in a handful of nasty school, swishing it around her mouth to collect everything. Spitting it out, the water came out pink-tinged and only more diluted as the sink ran.
Gross.
Just….
Gross
Chloe’s taught body dipped overcome by the extreme exhaustion.
Hiding all these abnormalities. The hair, the teeth, the nails, the overwhelming senses—
The gap in memories.
The migraine she had was back in full force and Chloe was pretty sure she could taste colors if she really tried it.
She does not feel at home in her body anymore. She doesn’t know what part of her was human or beast. To even associate beast with herself made her feel…there was a word for it, she just didn't feel... right .
Not anymore.
She examined her reflection. Underneath all that pristine makeup wasn’t even a pristine humane anymore. There’d be tears and tears in her humanity.
Her skin was the only facade, underneath that, was just some gross thing residing in her, growing in her.
If she could peel back her skin to scoop all the nasty out she could.
Her blunt nails dug through her jacket, and the sting grounded her from her dissent.
She should.
Her monologue was interrupted by the door creaking open, Chloe straightened herself and scowled at the newcomer.
"If you have any sense, leave."
"I don't take orders for you, Chloe." Chloe threw her head back as Dupain-Cheng slithered into the bathroom.
"Ugh, you again. What are you going to accuse me of next, hating homosexuals?"
However, her uninterested expression turned to one of cation after noticing a change in Dupain Cheng's expression. It was a mix of caution and curiosity.
Dupain-Cheng jutted her head at the faucet. "You left the water running."
Indeed the sink was seconds away from flooding, which Chloe quickly rectified, taking a quick peek to make sure nothing raised alarm.
Looking back at Dupain-Cheng, instead of seeing four respectable feet, Chloe was met with nothing but a face. Chloe jumped at the sudden proximity, knocking herself back into the gross-tiled wall.
"Jesus! Don’t you know anything about personal space?”
Dupain-Cheng had her torso inclined (even though she was shorter) hands on her hip like a disappointed parent, and her eyes roaming Chloe’s form.
"You actually didn't change all that much, I mean aside from height.."
Chloe looked at her incredulously as Cheng began to scratch the back of her head with a pensive look.
"Don't know what I was worried about, same old bratty Chloe who thinks she runs the town."
Was she worried? For what?
"And you followed me to the bathroom just to tell me that, why?"
Dupain-Cheng swung her arms, such bullshit casualness that made Chloe want to bash the other girl's head.
"Uh-....I don't know."
Now Chloe blinked.
"You don't know?"
Mairnettes face got increasingly more scrunched up, "...no?" It came out more like a question.
….
"Okay, then I want to inform you that that was dumb as hell and those pigtails are starting to pull on your brain cells.” Chloe has gotten very good at brushing past things, she notes as she walks past Dupain-Cheng “Now bye ."
She didn’t slam the door this time.
At least walking through the halls was more pleasant than being gawked at in class.
Now if she can work out of the rest of the school day…
That train of thought is interrupted by Chloe slamming into a large chest. She stumbles a step back, holding her sore nose. “Watch it!” She snaps, glaring at—
Ah. She has to look up.
Glaring up at the frosty gray eyes shadowed by a hat.
So now the shy emo fellow wants to back her into a corner? People are trying her.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the patience to entertain this shit.
Sad boy beats her to the punch.
He crosses his arms and broadens his shoulder, effectively cutting her off from the exit. "You need to go back to where you came from."
Oh.
Technically she was just about to do that.
Still, the way he emphasized the 'need' was ballsy.
Chloe gave the boy a once over, "Wow, and people accused me of being a racist. Since when did you grow a spine?" The last she cared to pay attention to him he was crying about being born too large (?) or whatever the hell it was. Now he’s rocking a nose piercing and a stare to match his size.
He ignores her, "Look things were good when you left and were only getting better the longer you stayed away. I was getting better — No one here needs you to ruin it. So. Just. Go. Back."
So...she doesn't have time for this.
"Listen." Chloe looked at her nails with faux disinterest and gave Bruel a once over. "I'm not going to take advice from someone who looks like a school shooter. So kindly, I ask you to fuck off and don't ever tell them what to do, okay big bo? " Without waiting for a response, Chloe squeezed past his frame to the freedom. "Okay, bye now."
She’s gotta put that boy back in his place some day, because the utter disrespect…
And please let that be the final goodbye of the day.
She didn’t notice a sly black butterfly slithering in, buddy rubbing her temples and squeezing her eyes shut from the blinding sun.
And that is how she ended up here. You'd think the resident Mighty Morphin Power Rangers would be on the scene A.S.A.P but you would be positively, a hundred percent wrong.
Chloe held her breath as she heard heavy steps that rattled the bin grow further in the distance.
He released her uptight body, the ease almost and her fall over in relief. That was quickly changed by a body landing next to her, which prompted Chloe to shriek.
Her shout was silenced by the red and black gloved hand and her words were taken by hardened teal eyes. Like Dupain Cheng, the sudden relaxation in her body surprised her, and any tightness or anxiety was brushed away without a second thought. Ladybug put a finger on her lips and made a shushing noise, Chloe promptly nodded like an obedient dog and sealed her words away (to later be screamed at her pillow because why in the world- )
Ladybug removed herself, finally giving Chloe some space to breathe.
"What did you say to the victim?"
Chloe frowned, the spell was broken and Chloe drew up her walls as if they hadn't been demolished five seconds ago. She remembered why she didn't like Paris' heroine. Why was everything on her?
"Why do you assume it was me?"
"He's literally saying, 'Go back, Bourgeois! Leave us alone!', ‘You ruin everything!’ What else am I supposed to think?"
Fair. And Ston heart sounds like a bunch of screwdrivers in a bag, so for Ladybug to be able to decipher that is impressive, but-
"Have you ever thought he was the one to start it?" Ladybug lifted an eyebrow, looking skeptical.
Chloe scoffed," I just defended myself and people can't seem to take some brutal honesty.”
She gritted her teeth and glowered at the trashcan, "Frankly, they can stand to be more like me" Some thick skin would do them some good.
"Wait a minute." Ladybug interrupted by clutching Chloe's jaw with a firm hand, and with a commanding pinch of her fingers, set Chloe’s jaw apart.
The humble heroine firmly jabbed a finger into an unsuspecting civilian.
Ladybug's face was drowning with puzzlement, the same way you'd look at a confusing contemporary piece in a museum not when fingering a young woman. "Did you get veneers or something? Did your teeth always look like this?"
A gloved finger glided over her whites, thoroughly investigating the bones. They faltered across her sharpened molar and canines, the hero taking an illegible expression.
It was all so...so sensual .
Chloe, in her shock, allowed it to happen for a beat too long before flinging herself back into the disgusting wall her face and neck were unnaturally red, and she could feel herself radiate a nasty amount of body heat.
She was going to die.
"Uh-You- You can't just do that?! That is assault! harassment!" But her exclamation bounced off the hero's back as she began to mutter illegible things to herself. Chloe thought she looked psychotic.
"How can I miss something like that? Ugh, I'm slipping."
Honestly this city...
"Did you not hear a single word I said?! Don't you have a problem to deal with why are you so focused on what I have going on huh?!" Yes, Morphin Power rangers were there but the one who purified and cleaned was Ladybug herself. She should be out there, not in this dingy stinky corner, grabbing onto people's jaw and-
"Chloe." Chloe blinked harshly at the interruption.
"As far as I'm concerned, you had everything you wanted back in London: freedom, money, royalty–" That ever-serious face softened briefly. "–and your mother"
Chloe huffed and crossed her arms. Yeah, the one who sent her back to this ridiculous place in the first place.
"So why are you back in Paris?"
Since when did everyone become so invested in Chloe? So many why's never what.
What happened Chloe?
Cause at least then it'd shift the focus from the past that Chloe can't seem to grasp. The ‘what’ can, in theory, do the same thing, but it doesn’t irk her soul like the many ‘why’’s she’s been getting lately. At least ‘what’ can be perceived to be more of a self-reflection question.
Why was she here?
Cause in this world, the craziest shit always happens in this location. And who always solved the problem?
Ladybug.
if she was honest with herself:
She needed Ladybug's help. That's why she never hid or fled that day her mother found her in that mess. That was her first and only cry for help. To put aside her pride and reach out to others was a lot to ask from someone like her.
So Chloe sucked in a breath and shoved aside the rising discomfort as she lowered her walls- not any mystical force Ladybug and Dupain-Cheng seem to be radiating.
"I’m....I'm changing ...into...into this freak of nature. I don’t know why. I don’t know what to do. I don't know how to stop it.“
Lady Bug's widened eyes only rekindled the fire of her desperation. Chloe pushed the walls down even further, the embarrassment was focused on her nails digging into her palm.
“I need help."