Yup finally a chapter, i gotta tell you im starting the new york special in a few chapters, i dont exactly know where it takes place but the movies arent cannon of course im just adding them for my own plot.
Next chapter is my new release schedule, I know a schedule tf is going on, but yeah I dont ever want you guys to have to wait that long ever again. Enjoy.
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I could search for the miracle box while I'm here, the thought crossed my mind briefly. But it doesn't seem like the proper time. I couldn't have him suddenly open his eyes and witness my snooping.
I guess I have to wait—
"Spots off!"
A voice echoed from the side door's entrance, accompanied by a red flash that made my eyes widen momentarily. I heard the door knob twist and quickly refocused on the unconscious man, pretending I hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Marinette burst through the door, slightly out of breath, her dark hair disheveled. "Master Fu, I whats the—"
She stopped mid-sentence, her blue eyes landing on me kneeling beside the elderly man.
"Luka? What are you doing here?"
I looked up at her with what I assumed was my characteristic calm expression.
"I was stopping at the music store when I saw the door slightly cracked. Looking through the papered front window, I saw a man collapsed to the ground." I gestured toward Master Fu.
"He should be alright, but what are you doing here?"
Marinette's face flushed pink as she attempted to stutter out a reasoning.
"I... well, you see, I was just... Master Fu is... he's a friend of my family's and—"
Her explanation was interrupted by groans from the man lying down.
Master Fu's eyes slowly opened, and he turned his head, checking his surroundings with the confused expression of someone waking from an unexpected sleep.
"Marinette..."
Master Fu's voice was weak and trembling with fatigue. His hands shook as he tried to push himself up.
"I... I must have collapsed again. The strain of recent events... my health isn't what it used to be."
"Master Fu!" Marinette rushed to his other sidĺe, her genuine concern evident.
"You've been pushing yourself too hard. Are you okay?"
The elderly man struggled to sit fully up, and I gently helped support him. Master Fu's eyes darted nervously between Marinette and me, clearly uncertain about my presence. As his gaze settled on me, something flickered in his expression—recognition, perhaps, or more surprise. His eyes had caught sight of something metalic sticking out from my wrist, the arm holding the old man up was the one that housed the snake miraculous.
I watched as Master Fu's breath caught almost imperceptibly.
"Should we call an ambulance? He seems disoriented." I spoke up.
"No!" Master Fu said quickly, his voice strained with nervous energy.
"No ambulance. I'm fine, just... tired. Very tired."
He looked at Marinette with worried eyes. "Marinette, I need your hekp delivering something of great importance." He pulled out the letters...
Marinette was tacken aback slightly.
"You seem anxious about something."
Perfect. This opening would allow me to act.
Marinette wrung her hands nervously. "I... I do have something important I need to do today. Something I've been putting off for too long." She clutched a small envelope to her chest. "But Master Fu, I can still deliver all three letters if you need me to. I know how important they are to you."
Master Fu shook his head, his fatigue evident in every movement. "Three deliveries across the city in one afternoon... that's asking too much of anyone, especially when you clearly have your own urgent matter to attend to." He looked between Marinette and me nervously. "But I don't know what else to do. My health simply won't allow me to make these trips myself."
"What kind of letters?" I asked, my tone gentle but curious.
I could see the old man's distress and Marinette's internal conflict. With this I was guarenteed to help out but unsure if it'd be enough for marinettr to see me in a light befitting a perminant miraculous.
Master Fu hesitated, his nerves making him fidget with his sleeves. "Very important letters. One to my personal doctor for my prescription, one to an old... acquaintance named Marianne at the train station, and one that Marinette needs to deliver personally." He paused, studying my face carefully. "They contain matters of great personal significance."
I observed the tension in the room—Master Fu's obvious anxiety, Marinette's nervous energy, and the weight of these letters.
This was exactly what I wanted.
"Actually," I said smoothly, "I'd be happy to help. I'm not in any hurry today, and if these letters are urgent, it would be more efficient if we split the task."
Master Fu's eyes widened, as if that was an actual surprise or something and he looked at me with a mixture of emotions—as if he was seeing me in a new light.
"You would do that? Even though you don't know me?"
"Sometimes the best way to get to know someone is through helping them when they need it most," I said, glancing meaningfully at Marinette. "And anyone who's important to Marinette is someone I'd want to help."
That should establish my good intentions.
Marinette's eyes widened at my words, and I could see her genuine thankfullness.
"Luka, you really don't have to—"
"I want to," I said simply.
"Besides, you seem like you have something weighing heavily on your mind. If I can take care of two of the deliveries, you can focus on what's most important to you. I'm faster than you think."
Master Fu observed our interaction with growing interest, his nervous energy slowly giving way to cautious hope.
I could tell he was thinking about the miraculous on my wrist, wondering how I'd gotten it and what it meant.
"Very well," Master Fu said, though his voice still carried traces of nervousness. "Luka, I'll entrust you with the letters to my doctor and Marianne. But I must warn you—Marianne is quite particular about timing, we used to meet at the river bank when the sun reaches its peak, shes leaving Paris. The timing is... critical."
"I can handle it," I assured him with quiet confidence. "What about you, Marinette? Which letter are you taking?"
Marinette clutched her envelope tighter to her chest. "I... I have something I need to give to Adrien. It's not one of Master Fu's letters, it's... personal. Very personal."
A love letter. Of course. "Ah," I said, and for just a moment, I let understanding flicker in my eyes. But I kept my voice steady and supportive. "Then it's settled. We'll all handle our deliveries, and hopefully, Master Fu can rest and recover."
Master Fu reached into his jacket with trembling hands and pulled out two sealed envelopes.
"Wang's restaurant is in Chinatown—he'll be expecting news from an old friend. Tell him... tell him that the past is catching up with us all." His voice grew more nervous as he handed me the second letter.
"Marianne... she has silver hair and will be wearing a brown coat. She's at the Gare du Nord. This letter contains... important information about decisions made long ago."
I pocketed the letters carefully, noting how Master Fu's hands shook as he passed them over. "I'll make sure they get delivered safely and promptly."
"Thank you, Luka," Marinette said, her voice filled with what I assumed to be genuine gratitude.
"This means more than you know. With your help, I can finally work up the courage to give Adrien my letter."
As we prepared to leave, Master Fu called out to us, his voice still shaky with fatigue. "Young man, may I ask why you're so willing to help strangers?"
I paused at the door, my hand on the handle. This was important, the right answer could cement his trust immediately. " Well, who else would. Its my duty and drive to do so."
Master Fu's eyebrows rose slightly at my words.
Vagueness for the win, as usual.
"I have a feeling our paths will cross again soon."
I'm counting on it. I dont really care for him but sticking by the miricle box couldnt be terrible.
The afternoon sun seemed brighter as Marinette and I stepped out of the dojo looking massage parlor together.
She was still clutching her letter to Adrien, her nervousness practically radiating from her.
"Are you going to be okay?" I asked gently. "Delivering that letter seems like a big deal to you."
Marinette looked down at the envelope in her hands. "It's..Something I should have given him sooner but I keep getting scared and making excuses."
"Fear is natural," I said,
"But regret lasts longer than embarrassment. Whatever you need to say to Adrien, I'm sure it comes from the heart."
"How do you always know the right thing to say?" Marinette asked, looking up at me with wonder.
I chuckled softly getting a bit closer. "I don't. I just try to listen to what people need to hear, even when it's not what I want to say."
It was true but neccesary to achieve my goal.
We reached the corner where our paths would diverge. "I should head to the restaurant first, then the train station," I said.
"Will you be alright going to see Adrien alone?"
Marinette took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "Yes. I think... I think I'm finally ready. I. Thank you, Luka. For helping Master Fu, for taking care of those letters, for... for being exactly who you are."
"What are friends for," I replied with a warm smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "Good luck with your delivery, Marinette."
As we parted, I did feel a bit perplexed from my own emotions.
Should I let Marinette confess at all, it wouldnt be wise for myself to allow someone else to control her in the slightest, and that connection with gabriel.
Bht at the end of the day it was simply teenage romance. Besides adrien seemingly was by my side all the way, and I dont have much to worry about with a miraculous in my constant possesion.
I pulled out my phone and checked the time. The train station would be busy this time of day, and I wanted to make sure Marianne received her letter before her departure. More importantly, I had successfully gained the trust of both Master Fu and Marinette, not entirely but positioning myself in a good light.
I was ready to play my part in whatever melody they wanted as long as at the end of the day they didnt oppose me in the end.